QSFer T.A. Venedicktov has a new queer sci fi book out, book two in the Chrysalis Corporation series: “The Titan.”
The Titan. The largest battleship to exist and the place where fighter pilot Damion was sure he’d die beside his lover, Requiem, a human-AI hybrid. Their ship is set to explode in seconds—but when the countdown ends, they find themselves at the mercy of the rebel leader, Athena. She offers help, but Damion knows it won’t come for free.
What is he willing to do to ensure Requiem’s survival and liberate him from the Corporation that holds his fate in their hands? In the belly of the Titan, Damion faces the worst parts of himself and must finally decide what to do about his feelings for Requiem. If he accepts the resistance leader’s offer, his path could lead him places he never expected—or to a bloody end.
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Excerpt
JUNI MATHIS yawned as he circled the Hermes back toward the Zeus, letting the Ares take point on leading the Olympus toward its security ships. He rested his head back and took in the vessel they all lived within. The Zeus was the largest battleship in the Chrysalis Corporation military fleet. The Corporation controlled everything from Earthside—research satellites, Pluto—and the Zeus was the flagship and symbol of their complete power. It also housed more than one thousand people, military employees and their families.
“Hermes?” Qyuin called over the comm. Along with being a fellow Alpha, Qyuin was a friend, although not as close a friend as Damion.
“Yeah, Jupiter?”
“We have twelve hours until our next Sims.”
Juni chuckled, having a good idea where Qyuin was going with this line of conversation.
“Oh, whatever shall we do with all that down time?” he drawled, tossing a look over his shoulder to his Core. The dark-skinned man had his eyes closed and looked damn near dead, but Juni knew better. 108 was lost in the miasma of information known as the system. He would love to have some alone time with 108, but he couldn’t voice that particular thought out loud.
Except for Damion and his Core, 47, aka Requiem, no one knew that Juni and 108 were in a sexual relationship beyond what a Fighter should have with a Core. The Corporation didn’t care if you used your Core for sexual release; that was one of a Core’s many purposes. However, to have feelings for the human beings that some viewed as nothing more than a screwdriver could get you in trouble. It could even lead to a court martial. Tampering with a Core’s primary programming was not allowed, because the temptation to take them off their supplements and encourage freedom and emotions was dangerous. Juni had done some reading. Research showed that in the rare cases when a Core had been taken off their supplements and then put back on them, sociopathic tendencies had resulted.
Within the Corporation, hurting a Core incurred a slap on the wrist compared to the punishment you could receive for allowing a Core to feel. So they kept their secrets, and 108 and 47 could only be their true selves behind the doors of their quarters.
“I’m thinking we meet up in my quarters with Shamey and Rogers,” Qyuin said, shaking Juni out of his thoughts and back to reality.
“Give me two hours to catch a nap and I’ll bring the bottle my dad just sent me.” Juni’s father was a high-ranking businessman for the Corporation, stationed out of Juni’s home, Lunar. The alcohol there was high-end—as was everything Father sent, for that matter.
“I’ll try not to take all your money.” Qyuin’s laugh came through the comm. “Actually, it’s usually Damion.”
“He’ll be back soon and take all our money, unless we get him really drunk first.”
Author Bio
T.A. Venedicktov is in reality two people.
A, Ariana Juno, is a full-time working single mother with a love of chai tea lattes and tumblr. When A is not working or raising two amazing children she is plotting with her co-author. A has been in the medical field for fifteen years and has a love of travel. She lives in the Midwest and has an ice cream habit which calls for an intervention. A daydreams most of the plots of the T.A. novels—daily, hourly, nonstop, which drives T nuts at times.
T is a full-time mom with a background in theater. T has traveled outside the USA to multiple countries. The main headliner in regards to editing and keeping their writing in order as well as trying to untangle all of A’s random ideas. T lives in Florida with her fiancé and three human children as well as three cat babies. She’s been battling Sjogren’s Disease while drinking coffee and kicking ass.
The duo has been writing unprofessionally for over a decade together and hope to share their characters with the world.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrysaliscorp
Twitter: T.A. Venedicktov