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He doesn't know who he is nor who his parents were.
His true identity could cost him his life
or it could be the key to a brighter future for the whole nation
In a world of flying magnetic trains and floating cafés, he lives in an abandoned construction site with his sister, cleaning windscreens at a busy intersection while his sister begs. He doesn't know who he really is, or where he came from. His “grandmother”, who died in the slum fire that made the two homeless, says he appeared on her doorstep along with her granddaughter whom she had agreed to care for. As far as Pepe is concerned, his purpose in life is to take care of his “sister”, who was entrusted to him by the mysterious “Noni” of his dimmest memory.
But who is going to take care of Pepe?
The evil general and president-for-life, a quadriplegic whose mobility depends on a brain-computer interface controlling an army of robots, wants him eliminated. The general's secrets are well-kept, except to an old Japanese mystic who has hope, and a 13-year-old hacker who accidentally witnesses one of his heinous crimes.
Raul, the 13-year-old hacker is from the opposite end of the social spectrum, his father being a top military brass. Through interacting with the lives of Pepe and Po, he transforms from a typical “rich kid” to being fully aware of the injustices of society through his deepening friendship with Pepe. He becomes the friend Pepe will need to reach his true destiny.
And it is a bumpy ride ahead. Before the end, we see things falling apart as hope plummets into oblivion, while all are perusing what might be a lost cause; when suddenly, giving heed to an inner compunction to do the right thing, pulls it all into a satisfying conclusion.
If you enjoy a cyberpunk noir narrative featuring street kids, slumdogs, teenage hackers all working to fight tyranny, seek justice, and a better future, this is the book for you.
"Books this good usually don't show up on my radar... Excellent nerd sci fi totally deserving your money." -- Ezekiel Carsella at Books N Tech
Awarded the IndiePENdents.org Seal of Good Writing