Clay — Tony Bertauski

Jamie wants to be a halfskin.

Her life has become dull and pointless. If she had more biomites -- synthetic stem cells that promise hope -- she could take control of her life. But Jamie's body is already 49.9% biomites. The rest is clay -- her God-given organic cells. Any more biomites and she becomes a halfskin. And halfskins are shutdown.

But there is a way.

Black market biomites, called nixes, can't be detected by the government's halfskin hunter, M0ther. Jamie would have to sacrifice her clay to get the nixes, but they would make her halfskin without anyone knowing. Including M0ther. But first she has to find them.

Nix Richards can help. He's the first halfskin to escape M0ther and Jamie has something he wants. He'll need her to help him find a fabricator. He'll betray anyone to get it, even those closest to him.

This psychological thriller will keep Nix and Jamie second-guessing every move while they elude M0ther and Marcus Anderson, the man that wants to rid the world of biomites. But in the end, they'll all discover just how deep the betrayal goes.


INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

WHAT GENRE DO YOU PREFER?
Science fiction, dystopia, technothriller and, to some extent, young adult. I do have a series of novellas in the vampire genre. Yeah, I know. Doesn't fit. That character, Drayton, came out of nowhere when I was at a community theatre production of Dracula. I figured that an immortal vampire would more likely become compassionate and wise as he grew older. The technothriller Halfskin is similar to vampires in that technology promises immortality and complete control of our bodies. But then what?

WHY A SYNTHETIC STEM CELL?
Organic life is too nilly-willy. We're limited by our DNA. Give it to the scientists to perfect this vehicle that carries us around because it is a vehicle. If we no longer have organic bodies, if every one of our cells is replaced by something manmade all the way down to the neurons and synapses, then what are we? What if our world is just a computerized environment, ala The Matrix? Would we know the difference? Look, we're printing organs today. I'm not, but someone is. Some genius has figured out how to push play and heart or liver or kidney comes down the chute. Halfskin takes the idea into the distant future and explores whether this leads to more happiness or just more of the same. Because more money, more problems.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?
Day job, I'm a college horticulture teacher. Writing is a passion. No plans to change it.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Breathe.

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
Omnipresent supergalactic oneness.

IF WE HAD A CUSTOM THAT ALLOWED US TO EAT OUR CHILDREN, WHAT KIND OF SAUCE WOULD YOU USE?
Ketchup, the miracle condiment.

ARE OUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES STEALING OUR SOUL? AND IF SO, DO YOU MAKE
OFFERINGS TO YOUR TOASTER?
I offer white bread and the toaster gives back crunchy, brown bread. Never doubt a true miracle.