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The Z-Tech Chronicles #1.5
Zima: Origins
Even artificially intelligent recovering assassins need a home.
Zima’s transition from a regime-ending killing machine to stand-up citizen is more difficult than she anticipated. Years of brainwashing have left her with a litany of unpredictable, lethal reactions, which force even her liberators from Z-Tech to cast her out for fear of their own safety.
Alone in San Francisco’s Mission District, Zima faces society for the first time — not as a computer inside a cyborg, whose human host managed her day-to-day interactions, but as herself. Emotions, sarcasm — even things as simple as lies — become imposing hurdles in her efforts to integrate.
But she’s nothing if not persistent. After days of searching, she meets a teenage boy and his little sister — each with needs Zima might be able to fill.
Rosa wants a big sister. Emilio is over his head as a mule for a local gang. A blonde, indestructible assassin in search of a home may be just what they need… if Zima’s homicidal tendencies don’t kill them first.
Zima’s transition from a regime-ending killing machine to stand-up citizen is more difficult than she anticipated. Years of brainwashing have left her with a litany of unpredictable, lethal reactions, which force even her liberators from Z-Tech to cast her out for fear of their own safety.
Alone in San Francisco’s Mission District, Zima faces society for the first time — not as a computer inside a cyborg, whose human host managed her day-to-day interactions, but as herself. Emotions, sarcasm — even things as simple as lies — become imposing hurdles in her efforts to integrate.
But she’s nothing if not persistent. After days of searching, she meets a teenage boy and his little sister — each with needs Zima might be able to fill.
Rosa wants a big sister. Emilio is over his head as a mule for a local gang. A blonde, indestructible assassin in search of a home may be just what they need… if Zima’s homicidal tendencies don’t kill them first.
164 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2020
3 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Southwick
14 books48 followersRyan Southwick decided to dabble at writing later in life, and quickly became obsessed with the craft. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.
His technical skills as a software developer, healthcare experience, and lifelong fascination for science fiction became the ingredients for his first series, The Z‑Tech Chronicles, which combines these elements into a fantastic contemporary tale of super-science, fantasy, and adventure, based in his Bay Area stomping grounds. He has since published other science fiction works, including the Timeless Keeper Saga, Lost Colonies, and One Man's Trash.
Ryan’s skills as a Writing Coach have earned him a spot on the Coach Foundation, one of the biggest names in the coaching industry.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 5, 2020
After reading “Angels in the Mist”, I was thrilled to learn that my favorite character got a book of her very own, and it did not disappoint. “Zima : Origins” is a side-story novella packed with all the action, technology, humor and good vs. evil urban struggle that made “Angels” such a great read. The new cast of characters are as honest and engaging as those in the main series. His is a bright new voice in the genre.
May 16, 2021
Wanted: Loving family and home for one artificial intelligent former assassin.
Zima is determined to find a place for herself, a family, a home. However, she finds making the transition to coexist with humans and understanding the all intricacies of human interaction is more of a bit more of a challenge than she expected. Along the way, she meets brother and sister, Emilio and Rosa. They end up needing her help with big challenges of their own.
I enjoyed this book. I found Zima to be very endearing. She’s precise, logical, deadly, and has an unexpected dry sense of humor, which I love! I was first introduced to Zima’s character in Angels In The Mist. So, it was nice to find her origin story.
I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Urban Fantasy, those that like cyborgs, tech, and action, mixed in with a little bit of the warm and fuzzies.
Zima is determined to find a place for herself, a family, a home. However, she finds making the transition to coexist with humans and understanding the all intricacies of human interaction is more of a bit more of a challenge than she expected. Along the way, she meets brother and sister, Emilio and Rosa. They end up needing her help with big challenges of their own.
I enjoyed this book. I found Zima to be very endearing. She’s precise, logical, deadly, and has an unexpected dry sense of humor, which I love! I was first introduced to Zima’s character in Angels In The Mist. So, it was nice to find her origin story.
I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Urban Fantasy, those that like cyborgs, tech, and action, mixed in with a little bit of the warm and fuzzies.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews