E.R.I.C.
ALMOST Series, #2
by Christina Leigh Pritchard
Publication Date:
September 6th 2016
Publisher: LIMITLESS
Publishing
Cover Artist:
Deranged Doctor Design
Genre: Science
Fiction Romance
Reprogram
of E.R.I.C. initiated. Download complete in 3…2…1…
BLURB
The sweet, charming Eric that Shay knew is
officially gone. He’s been reprogrammed by Dr. Cole and the other scientists
aboard the marine research facility that developed Shay. Now, instead of
assisting Shay in her grand scheme to save her Optional Human Parent, Darla,
from certain death, Eric has been reprogrammed to kill them both. That intimate
moment on the beach they shared…lost forever.
Mission complete:
Suspect (S.H.A.Y.) captured…
With Eric’s help, Dr. Cole finds Shay and
takes her back to the research facility where she will remain until she can be
linked to her robotic host and terminated. Shay is placed into the care of a
new program called N.I.C. that will analyze her data and keep her safe. Except,
if the N.I.C. discovers Shay has already linked, he will initiate her
termination immediately, ending any chance Shay has of saving Darla.
It’s only a matter of
time…
Either Eric will locate her and finish the
mission he’s been programed to fulfill, or the N.I.C. will discover Shay’s
secret and finish Eric’s job for him. Eric tracks her back to the facility, and
Shay fears it may finally be the end for her and Darla. She can’t bring herself
to kill Eric, even if it’s to save her own life. One thing is stronger than
even science…
Love.
Buy Link: Amazon
E.R.I.C.
Someone was in the boat with Shay.
I adjusted my vocals to sonar for
better hearing under the water and resisted using satellite vision. It was rare
I ever received the capabilities and hated when new software downloaded to
replace the existing. The lone keys never seemed to receive a satellite signal.
It was a dead zone and if the upgrades were satellite based, I’d be without
many defenses.
I swam faster. My main concern was the
intruder I spotted in the boat with Shay. Was it a scientist?
There was a small island. I climbed
out onto it’s shoreline and narrowed my eyes, scanning the boat. My vision stopped on the unidentified person.
I finally downloaded updated software. While satellite images uploaded, I tried
to focus the rest of my attention on the unknown intruder. Somehow, my
communications programming didn’t register.
I switched to satellite. It was slower than my usual communications, but
it knew who the intruder was.
Species: Human; Homo sapiens’ original
flesh; soul.
Specified Use: Optional Human Parent
Genetics Match: DNA match: yours.
Mine?
What did Shay just call her?
She called her Mom and then, Darla.
Darla.
I couldn’t swallow.
Was she my human host?
“Mom?”
I remembered her! She used to cradle
me in her arms and sing to me. She had the same thick, dark hair that tickled
my face and those big, soft eyes…
I reached out—my eyes locking with hers.
My body jolted, electrical currents
ran through my veins and I shook, vibrations overtaking me.
You’re being reprogrammed. Please
stand by.
“I’m being what?” I could barely get
the words out.
Everything blurred. My fingers, still
webbed, curled in on themselves and my nails cut into my flesh. I couldn’t stop
my teeth from chattering.
Reprogramming nearly complete.
Who was talking to me?
My eyes went into manual override. I
tried to look to the left, but it was as if someone controlled my will to do so.
My optics scanned without permission and when I tried to shut down satellite
use, red lights flashed within my pupils, blinding me. Next, I could feel my
limbs reject my thoughts. They belonged to someone else. Who could do this to
me?
“What’s happening?” I jolted. Tears
streamed down my face. Messages I didn’t want to read appeared before my
limited visuals.
Kill the human host.
“I can’t do that!”
Kill the human host.
“But the human host is my mother!”
Sharp jabs of pain shot up my spine.
The voice echoed inside my skull. “I
said kill the human host.”
“I won’t do it!”
Electrical currents paralyzed me. I
couldn’t speak and my eyesight blackened. Something or someone forced my arms
outward into the diver’s position.
“You will kill the human host,” the voice
said. “You’ve been reprogrammed.”
My body struggled against me. I
dragged my feet along the sand, feeling waves crash into my toes.
“Kill the human host.”
“No.”
“Then I will do it for you,” the voice
said.
My body jerked forward, arching and
splashing into the sea.
Buy Link: Amazon
Author Info
Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised
in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in spiral
notebooks and in the various diaries she kept.
Since she’s upgraded to a computer, she’s
completed over fifty books, including her ALMOST Series, signed with Limitless
Publishing.
Christina Leigh Pritchard is still going
strong with many more to come! Her genre’s include science fiction, dark
fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense, historical romance, multicultural,
comedy, poetry and many more.
Author Links:
The
Creation of N.I.C. and N.I.C.K.
Nick
is special.
When
we were younger, our mothers sent us to the same babysitter, Mrs. K. She was
awesome, giving us free reign of her house to play. I was older and would write
stories. The characters, sometimes, had the names of the kids, younger than me.
(Nick was the talking duck in my story Christine.) Now, he’s a father to a wonderful
son, named Nicholas.
Years
later, at the pool, Eric and Nick were talking about S.H.A.Y. Nick said, “I
want to be in the next one.” I asked him some questions and realized, what he
loved most, was his son. It reminded me of our days at Mrs. K’s house (and I
decided I ought to revise Christine, keeping the duck, of course).
So,
the N.I.C. and his “Keeper” are a dual character that you will meet in book
two, E.R.I.C. and learn even more about in book three, N.I.C.
Author Links:
All new subscribers receive a free
copy of C I N
Sign up via the newsletter at http://www.christinaleighpritchard.com
Subscribers who purchase E.R.I.C.
before 9/15 receive exclusive bonus material.
Please order your e-copy now and email
your receipt to clp120@ymail.com
Hosted by
Presented by
No comments:
Post a Comment