ON SALE
INTERVIEW and EXCERPT
Nyxe
by Jedaiah Ramnarine
Jedaiah Ramnarine, author of Nyxe, an Amazon AU #1 Bestseller Dystopian Sci-fi novel, joins us today to share an excerpt from the book. Nyxe is ON SALE for $2.99 (save $6.00) until late January.
Description
Nyxe ... a genetically enhanced young woman awakens in an underground facility where she discovers a mission left behind by her forefathers – rebuild the earth.
After waking up nearly 400 years into the future at an underground research facility long after our world destroyed itself, Nyxe finds herself alone and abandoned. The only candidate left to rebuild our shattered world with the help of an Artificial Intelligence designated to be her caretaker.
Chances of her rebuilding our world alone though? Slim, maybe none. From the hardships of uncovering our dark history to the battles ahead in reconstructing a colony capable of sustaining human life – Nyxe, the girl once known as "Test Subject 17" has her work cut out for her with no other option but to press on no matter how turbulent the storm gets.
Determined and sure yet still human – can this woman really be the only hope mankind has left?
Book Video
Excerpt
ACT 1: Awaken
366 Years later.
Water fills the empty regeneration tank slowly. Silence emits - no air to breathe. No room to think. Only the primordial essence which brought forth life from the seas, moves again to regenerate the limbs of its subject.
Who is this subject you ask?
Officially she has no name. Only a designated number: 17.
Centuries ago there may have been a name for her. Now that is all evaporated into the shocked atmosphere that has subtly remained. She cannot hear me right now, though I have watched the young woman grow from a simple fetus into what humans would describe as a goddess.
Her hair is very long, reaching to the ends of her back. Perhaps I should have tamed it more carefully, though I believe it would have been her choice not to trim it. It is beautiful - black like space itself, a reminder that we are not alone.
Her eyes are amber, even though they're shut in unconsciousness. I did raise the child so I should I know. Her features are of pure woman. Slender but not skinny, neither is she fat and disproportional.
The breasts of the female creature could be described as perfect. The right fit with no need for augmentation.
One thing I made sure of was to keep her clean. There are no hair growths besides her eyebrows or the hair on her head. Her lips tell me that she will be a curious one. Sooner or later she was bound to find what was left behind.
I wonder if she is ready?
The water is amalgamated into nourishment for the weary body. For years I have studied Subject 17 closely. She was not an official subject, yet she is the only one I am capable of awakening for the purpose of Afterlife.
Will she accept me as a friend, I wonder?
So much to teach her and so much to do. My responsibilities overlap any indulgences I have engaged in over the past few centuries though I should confess they have been enjoyable.
The time of that lonely estate ends today. I have repaired the facility to full functionality. The equipment is ready for the restructuring of a new world.
Target scan confirmed: Vitals at full capacity.
It is truly time for this? Am I ready for this? I have been alone for so long. I have researched old earth assets, information, entertainment and many other facets that have shaped me into the intelligence I have become. Too many books have given me a rather poetic stance for an Artificial Intelligence. I hope it will be enough for my new human companion.
"17, do you hear my voice?" I ask
Her eyes gently slide upwards to reveal an exhausted human creature. This is confirmation that she is aware of my presence. Now for the next step, I shall put her through a series of tests to ensure her mental and physical capacities are performing at the necessary levels required to perform her duty.
What's this? She is moving. Her hand guides the interaction, slithering slowly to the see-through glass of the restoration tank. Her mental vitals begin to spark - she is wondering what is going on, and the best part is that she is completely unafraid. What an interesting creature!
"Are you ready to move on to Stage 2?"
No facial expression that confirms the new inquiry.
I suppose this is where I must override her free will for the greater good. Perhaps I will need to review her communication functions later. There may be some minor glitches I overlooked. No need for worry, we have plenty of time.
Stage 2.
The remainder of the water is drained out till there is no more. All that remains is the naked body of my precious 17. Carefully, I arrange my external robotic hands which operate themselves to gently remove the subject from her regeneration stasis. She is unable to move yet the vitals that come up on my monitors argue there is a tiger waiting to shoot out. Not in the manner of escaping a captor, however, simply in the form of wishing to discover what is and what if.
"There will be time for that dear 17. Let me make sure you are able to actually fulfill your desires."
I place her on a medium-soft bed which is encased in a glass container. There is not much detail to discuss of the mechanism, besides its prime function - to serve as a transportation bed for the weakened.
The delivery to the next part of the facility is fairly short for me yet for her, time may be passing by like centuries. Her eyes were already dancing left and right, trying to decipher everything it possibly could.
"What do you see 17?"
No response, only the gestures of a creature trying to make logic of its new surroundings. I would assume what she's seeing - the crisp, clean environment that boasts of mankind's technological feats and the slim white hallways filled with warming circular lights may be developing all sorts of theories in that brain of hers. She tries reaching up to feel the outside, only to be restricted by the glass container.
"The year is 2410. You are in an underground facility, originally created by Psyraise Research for the preservation and rebuilding of human life after the near-extinction during the Final Launch. You, 17, are the last person alive."
Praise for the Book
"An excellent foray into the realm of speculative fiction. What would you do if you woke up one day in the future and the weight of rebuilding human civilization fell squarely on your shoulders? Would you repeat history? Try to keep the best parts? Try something different altogether? What if somewhere along the way you were faced with ensured annihilation of whatever little was left of your civilization? These are the questions young Subject 17 (aka Nyxe) must face and she shies in the face of none of the above. This is by no means a damsel in distress, but a strong woman in her prime, cast by fate in the shoes of the preserver of mankind, and flanked by a small by equally strong cast of characters. The story is riveting from start to finish, from the underground facility that serves as humanity's last bastion, to the reaches of dark space. Absolutely phenomenal." ~ Ian Makarov
Interview with the Author (originally published on Smashwords)
How do you approach cover design?
Has to come to me with love and total involvement that renders it like a movie in my head
What do you read for pleasure?
Ironically, as much as I like writing fiction - I prefer reading educational books. This can range from science to philosophy to psychology and a whole list of other disciplines that engage me as I grow older.
Describe your desk
If only it were a desk ...
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Where I grew up really had no influence on my writing. Where I walk now and where I walk to next - does :)
When did you first start writing?
When I was a child I used to make little comics and drawings etc. You could say I've been writing since I was only 5.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Nyxe ... a genetically enhanced young woman awakens in an underground facility where she discovers a mission left behind by her forefathers – rebuild the earth.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Freedom.
What are you working on next?
Zero Sphere: "A Dark discovery on Mars consumes generations of a family destined to protect humanity from total enslavement by an ancient alien technology and its enemies hellbent on returning from deep space with an unrivaled vengeance."
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Keep pushing, keep trying ...
About the Author
Founder of the Psi.Raise Creative Studios - a Media Brand dedicated to bringing you Fresh, Innovative and Creative stories ranging from Novels to Film.
Jedaiah Ramnarine is the Chief, International Bestselling Author, Filmmaker, Editor and Producer, with work stretching on YouTube from collaborations with Omnispawna, Ian Makarov and Daniel Perusko to Professional Gaming across the board.
Head over to Psi.Raise for more Badass Entertainment and Awesome Worlds of Imagination.
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