Chaser is a post-cyberpunk novel set in the year 2070 in Neon City, a vast city built from the ground up by a group of mega-corporations--a city populated by fifty million cyborgs, bioengineered "chimeras" (or "anthros," as they're sometimes called), robots, AI, and plain old humans. The novel follows an eight-foot-tall chimera nicknamed Boiler as she takes on her first assignment as a "chaser," a bounty hunter working for the Fugitive Retrieval Agency. The job goes smoothly...but that's where things start to go wrong.
The novel has been accepted by Keith Publications, and the contract has been signed. A link will be posted here when it appears on the publisher's site. Click here or here to start reading the first seven chapters.
The novel has been accepted by Keith Publications, and the contract has been signed. A link will be posted here when it appears on the publisher's site. Click here or here to start reading the first seven chapters.
The Main Characters
Boiler
Twenty-year-old, eight-foot-tall anthro with an excessively muscular physique, numerous dragon-like traits such as wings and a tail, and inch-long fangs. Nicknamed "Boiler" in high school due to her temper and general attitude.
Jack Hammer
Boiler's father, a human with solid black cybernetic eyes and the same attitude as his daughter. Works for a government special-investigations unit.
Corona
One of Boiler's mothers, a bioengineered anthro with slightly more dragon-like features than her girl. Seven feet tall with huge muscles, claws, wings, a tail, and canines as long as a man's thumb. Quite friendly despite her ferocious appearance. Works alongside Jack and Taura.
Taura
Boiler's other mom, a genetically-engineered minotaur. Seven feet tall, bulging muscles, large hooves, and horns. Usually very calm and takes time to think things through, unless she's in heat. Highly intelligent and an adept hacker. Able to fight as well as any other chimera designed for military use, though she prefers to use her brains rather than her brawn.
Sledge
Boiler's fifteen-year-old brother. Has Taura's bovine features and talent for hacking, but has a laid-back personality much like Corona's. Gets caught up in the fallout from Boiler's first job almost instantly, and from then on he's along for the ride.
Otto Fellatio
Not his real name, of course, but an online handle he's been using since he was a kid. Appears to be human, looks around fifteen, but is actually much older. In addition to being a hacker, he has several other odd talents, such as the ability to phase his body through solid objects. And since clothes are solid objects, guess what happens whenever he does this....
Shakira Mosely
Otto's wife, another gifted hacker. Originally from Jamaica, her family moved to Neon City when she was a kid. Appears to be in her mid-thirties, but is quite a bit older. Has a fully prosthetic body; basically, all that's left of her original body is her brain, in an alloy case that can be installed in a number of different cybernetic bodies.
Seth Nelson
Boiler's new boyfriend. She had a crush on him in high school but never had the nerve to ask him out, assuming that he would be intimidated or repulsed by her muscular body. Finally hooked up with him after her moms set up a date with him and Marissa. Promptly got caught up in the mess that Boiler's first job turned into, and ended up on the run with her.
Marissa O'Malley
Boiler's new girlfriend. Boiler had a crush on her in high school, but never acted on it. Once her moms found out about it, they set up a date with her and Seth. Fallout from Boiler's first job hit during their first date, and Marissa ended up on the run with her and Seth.
Kamala
Young "serpentoid" (snake-based anthro) created in an underground genetics lab before the ban on production of anthros was lifted. Her body is sixteen feet long and she has four arms and four breasts, but no legs. Even she has no idea why a team of geneticists designed her the way they did, except maybe just for the hell of it. Boiler meets her on a transport to the jumpgate construction station at Io. Kamala is heading there to join the engineering team on a new starship that's also being built. She has a massive crush on a human passenger but is afraid to tell him so; Boiler, sympathizing with her, decides to play matchmaker....
Roger Davenport
Young man traveling to the jumpgate construction facility and the object of Kamala's affection. Early twenties, shoulder-length hair, with an almost supermodel quality about his looks. Is aware of Kamala's attraction to him, but kind of strings her along instead of reciprocating. Boiler is quite determined, though....
Adam & Jamie
Two members of the AI support unit for the agency Boiler's parents work for. Installed at first in six-legged, tank-like bodies, they transfer into slightly smaller, four-legged models for the trip to Io. Both are somewhat child-like and are quite good-natured and friendly.