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Book: Perception
Author: Lee Strauss
Author: Lee Strauss
Publication: September 12th 2012
Published by ESB Publishing
Series or Stand Alone: Perception #1
Have I Added This To My Goodreads: Yes
Have I Added This To My Goodreads: Yes
Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.
Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.
Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.
PERCEPTION is a ( SF/mystery/romance) Young Adult novel that takes place in the not too distant future in a world changed by climate extremes, natural disasters and impending wars, and where scientific breakthroughs cause class divisions—both financially and philosophically. It explores the clash between faith and science and how differences can separate us as enemies or ally us together. And in some cases, even in the midst of betrayal and personal crisis, there’s room to fall in love.
This is the first book in a planned three book series.
About the author:
I write time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. I'm a married mom of four, and live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, famous for beaches and vineyards. I'm fond of Lindt's sea salt dark chocolate and hiking in good weather.
Stalk Lee:
Sneak Peek~
PART ONE
ZOE
Chapter 1
I balanced on my
surfboard, right thigh burning and salt water stinging my eyes, while the best
wave of the early morning carried me like a goddess on a pedestal to shore. My
older brother Liam and I shared a friendly competition, and it gave me a
certain, blissful satisfaction to catch the same wave and to get to shore
first.
“Beat ya!” I shouted over
the noise of the crashing surf.
Seagulls flocked and
circled over us, squawking loudly, adding to the cacophony.
The sun glistened off
Liam’s damp blond curls as he shook them out. His eyes sparkled as his lips
tugged up into a grin. “I let you win.”
“Did not!” I smacked him
playfully on the arm. “One more ride?”
Liam unzipped his wetsuit
letting the top half fall down past his waist. He was in fine form, and I
understood why all the girls raved about him. He was responsible for a long
list of broken hearts.
“I gotta get going,” he
said, lifting his board.
I fell into stride beside
him, my feet sinking into the cold, wet sand. “So soon?”
He nodded, the glint leaving
his eyes. My lips tightened into a frown “You’re taking off with Jackson again?”
Jackson was my boyfriend
but lately he’d been spending more time with my brother than he had with me. It
was starting to tick me off.
Liam stared straight
ahead. “Lab stuff.”
“What are you working on?”
I rushed to keep up with my brother’s long, strong strides. He flicked his
head, tossing the hair out of his eyes but didn’t answer.
“Come on,” I knocked into
him sideways. “Tell me!”
“It’s just stuff.”
“Just stuff? Like what?
Top CIA stuff? I know you’re smart but I think the government has been doing a
good job without your help.”
I meant it as a joke, but
Liam huffed. “It’s just stuff, okay? So leave it.”
I stopped short shocked
that he’d snapped at me.
He turned around and
exhaled, “Zoe, I’m sorry.”
“Fine. If you can’t tell
me, you can’t tell me.”
We resumed our trek along
the beach, and I pushed back my frustration. Liam used to include me in everything.
It was always him and me against everyone else. Him and me against Alison and
Paul, aka our mom and dad. Him and me against the surf. We were a team. When
did we start keeping secrets from each other? Rather, when did he start keeping
secrets from me?
I re-adjusted my board
under my arm. Maybe I could get Jackson to unzip his lips. Especially if I helped
him. He could be easily persuaded if I poured on the charm. I hated to go
behind my brother’s back for information, but something about all this--this,
whatever it was that Liam was doing--made me uneasy. I couldn’t pinpoint why,
it just did.
We reached our home, a
massive glass box with two floors of windows facing the Pacific Ocean. It was
built after the San Andreas Fault shifted and triggered the Big Quake that,
along with the subsequent tsunami, wiped out ten miles of shoreline.
A nearby white-stucco storage shed housed all
our water toys. We stopped there to hang up our wetsuits to dry.
“Thanks for surfing with
me today.” Liam said, smiling at me, back to his jovial self. “I know it was a
sacrifice for you to get up so early.”
I smiled in return. “No
problem. It was fun.” Surfing with Liam was one of my most favorite things to
do.
“You’re back for dinner?”
I asked.
Liam didn’t know it, but
once he left, I’d be spending the rest of the day preparing for his surprise
birthday party. He’d turned twenty-one yesterday and had celebrated at a bar
with his friends. I couldn’t go because I was underage, and it irked me that
Jackson went and that he and Liam had once again shared a significant moment
without me. I took consolation in the fact that Alison and Paul gave me free
reign to plan this party. My heart beat with excitement, and I couldn’t wait to
see his face when he got home and found the house full of his friends.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he
answered.
I bit my cheek to keep my
voice even. “Good.We’ll see you, then.”
Our property tiered twice before connecting
with the sandy beach. Three glass doors slid open disappearing into the corner and
creating a wall-less view of the stone patio that encased an eternity pool. Its
waters slipped over the far edge into a waterfall that was collected again on
the second tier.
Liam strode into the house,
through the living room and down the hall to his bedroom at the back, his wet
shorts dripping on the glossy white tiles.
I tightened the towel
around my waist and climbed the open-slat staircase to my room.
As I passed the maid,
Saundra something, her brown face blanched. She stumbled slightly before
grabbing the rail and catching herself.
“Excuse me,” she said
softly at my astonished look.
The woman really didn’t
look well, and I was thankful for my enhanced immunization. I was glad I didn’t
have to worry about diseases brought in from the outside.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded weakly, and
proceeded to clean the rails. I’d requested extra staff to get the house ready
for Liam’s party.
A trill of anticipation
reclaimed my thoughts. I couldn’t wait for tonight.
The door beside my bathroom opened into a
second room, a walk-in closet big enough to house another bedroom set. Racks of
clothes and shoes lined the walls, a well-lit mirror station was located near
the sky light and a cushioned leather bench was placed in the middle for
sitting. I stood in my closet and stared at the rows
of sundresses, blouses and shorts.
What to wear?
I settled on a lace blouse
and cotton shorts, then went to take a luxurious shower, rinsing the sea water
out of my long, blond hair. I leaned into the built-in seat that was designed
specifically for my body height and shape. Laser lights mapped my head and
twenty-eight silicon fingers reached out to massage my scalp while shampooing
and conditioning my hair. Most days I had to watch or I’d doze off, but today I
was excited. I commanded the water to turn off as soon as the rinse was done.
When I was dressed and my
hair combed out and tied back, I slipped my platinum
Communication Ring onto my left middle finger. I tapped it which produced a
holographic image of my phone apps on my palm. I touched the clock icon and holographic digital numbers appeared in the air.
Ten already? Where did the
time go? That was the thing with summer holidays; every hour ran languidly into
the next.
I imagined the cook and
her crew were busy preparing for the party in the kitchen. I’d requested fresh
sea food and simulated roast, fresh fruit and vegetables, an assortment of
fancy chocolates and baked items plus a three-tiered, surfer-themed birthday
cake.
I skipped down the stairs
to check on the progress, but in my hurry to the kitchen, I slammed into a
body.
“Sorry,” a male voice
said.
I stepped back agitated. I
recognized the dark-haired boy wearing the white tunic my mother made the male
staff wear. He was the maid’s son and I guessed he was part of the extra staff.
He held a wet mop in his hand, and I figured he’d been cleaning up Liam’s spotty
water trail.
He stepped politely out of
the way, but the expression on his face was stoic. Even though he was clearly
from the outside and the help, I
still expected some small sign that what he saw when he viewed me was pleasing.
A twinkle in the eye, a slight upturning of the lips. These were the responses I
got from all the boys. The straight ones, anyway.
He wasn't especially attractive but I didn't
see people with his appearance very often. He had eyes the color of imported
coffee beans and skin like caramel candy. His nose was wide and his jaw-line
sharp. I was suddenly intrigued by him and surprised myself by thinking he
looked exotic.
“Excuse me, what was your
name again?” I asked.
“Noah.”
Right. I remembered now. I
waited for him to say something, but he stayed quiet.
Footsteps echoed from the hall above. My
parents spoke together, their muffled voices floating across the high ceilings.
“Do other maids send their sons to do their
work?” Alison's voice had a brassy tone that carried through the cavernous
space.
I felt a flare of red creep up my neck when I
realized Alison was talking about Noah. My eyes darted to his, but he kept his
averted.
“He does a good job,” Paul responded. “That's
the main thing. Besides you know they need the money.”
“So we're charity now?”
“What's wrong with a little charity? Besides,
they're not just anybody.”
“I don't care. I still don't trust him.”
I was mortified. My feet felt cemented to the
floor and I didn’t know what to say. Anything would come off as trite since
nothing I could say could undo what Noah had heard.
“Did you know the Pikes have a household robot
now?” Alison, again. “Apparently it’s very efficient, and at least Mary doesn’t
have to worry about things going missing.”
Noah’s jaw tightened and he turned his back to
me. He attacked Liam’s dried and dusty water spots aggressively and soon had
disappeared around the corner.
“Zoe?” Alison click-clacked down the wooden
stairs. She wore a pale yellow pant suit and high heels even though it was
Saturday. She was in-between careers now, having spent the last fifteen years
in law. She barely looked thirty years old and with lots of time ahead of her,
she could do anything. Probably several things.
“Mom! You have to keep your voice down. How
many times do I have to tell you your voice travels in this glass box?
“Oh.” She looked mildly shaken. “No matter. Is
everything coming together to your satisfaction?”
“I’m just checking in on things now.”
“Your father and I are meeting people for
lunch. What time is the party again?”
I blew a frustrated breath. She could at least
pretend she cared enough to remember details I’d told her a dozen times
already.
“Seven.”
“Right. We’ll see you at seven.”
Things proceeded throughout the day as planned
and I was pleased with my ability to pull off an event like this on my own.
The decorators showed up at 1:00 as promised.
The band arrived to set up at 3:00.
I got dressed at 4:30, having bought a
thigh-length mini-dress that sparkled with tiny crystals just for the occasion.
My hair and makeup girl arrived at 5:00.
I tapped my ring and called Jackson at 5:30.
“Where are you?” I said to the three-inch
holographic image of him that popped up above my palm. “You said you’d help.”
“Sorry, Zo. Got tied up at home.”
“Are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”
It was odd. No one in Sol City ever got really
sick, but it wasn’t unheard of to get run down if you pushed yourself too hard.
Jackson had been working a lot lately.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. Uh, spent
most of the day in bed.”
I felt a little panicky. “You’re still coming,
aren’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”
Alison and Paul arrived at 6:30 along with all
of mine and Liam’s friends.
I hushed everyone at 6:55, giving instructions
on when to shout “Surprise!”
It was all a wasted effort.
Liam never showed.
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