Resistance is Brutal

By Chanta Rand

If you enjoyed the hit series, Black Mirror, you'll be drawn to this anthology of twisted, sci-fi tales that touch on the hot political topics of today and the speculative social issues of tomorrow.

Stories include:

• The Uteral Suspects – A sexual predator meets his judge and jurors in a most unlikely place.
• Your Health is Your Wealth – In this futuristic society, good health is the only indicator of attractiveness.
• Experiencing Ethical Difficulties – A rapper's biggest hit is the spin he puts on politics.
• A Foregone Illusion – Fantasies turn into nightmares when a man meets the woman of his dreams.
• Androids & Anarchy – A galactic bounty hunter races against the clock to keep an evil aristocrat from using his synthetic fiends to take over the universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chanta Rand
• Release date: Nov 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386692447

Chanta Rand

Chanta Rand is the author of over 25 books. Armed with a Bachelor's Degree in Finance, she set out to become a CPA, but ended up writing happy endings instead. She's a history junkie, a Walking Dead fan, and a recovering shoe addict. She never met a stiletto she didn't like! For more info, visit www.ChantaRand.com.

Book preview

THE UTERAL SUSPECTS (1,250 words)

~S ometime in the near future...

THE SWARM OF #METOO signs and pink pussy hats was visible even from the afternoon sky. Thousands had showed up for Annual Protest Day, the one day each year that the planetary congressional council allowed all forms of structured protests. From her cockpit, hovercraft pilot, Juyah McKenna scanned the miasma of moving bodies below. After the survivor’s march, the environmental folks would have a turn, followed by eight other groups, including robots’ rights, cyber-security victims, laser rifle control advocates, and anti-decolonization groups.

The process was like clockwork, with each group making the most of their allotted one-hour slot. She had to give the government its props. They’d found a way to allow peaceful demonstrations and avoid violence.

Her comsys crackled with the raspy voice of her dispatcher, Maeve. Red Hawk, what’s your 10-20? Our drones picked up a distress signal from the Andromeda Office Pavilion. First responders can’t get through the crowds to the victim.

I’m about five minutes away, Juyah responded.

Need you there, yesterday.

The sexagenarian wasn’t being bossy.  She always sounded gruff, courtesy of throat surgery nearly a decade ago. Carcinogens from the vaping Maeve had done as a teenager attacked her body. Chunks of cancerous cells had to be cut from her larynx.

I’m on my way. What’s going on? Stroke? Heart attack? She glanced over her shoulder at the bio-med unit in the back seat. I’ve got a bio-med kit with me.

No need, Maeve replied. This is an extraction.

Juyah entered the coordinates into the craft’s nav system. An extraction? Who’s the target?  

Victor Blake.

"The CEO of Blake Robotics? ‘Our technology works hard so you don’t have to.’" Juyah mimicked his corporate slogan.

Yep. That’s the one.

If only he’d applied that logic to keeping his pants zipped. The only thing that constantly worked hard was his libido. Three weeks ago, the billionaire announced his run for the congressional council. Hours later, a shit storm of lawsuits rained down from dozens of women accusing him of sexual assault. His defense was that the encounters were consensual, and he was fulfilling the women’s rape-fantasies. That excuse had set off an explosion of public outcry against him, not to mention a few death threats.

While his accusers had their testimonies sliced up, inspected, and analyzed like a science experiment, Victor Blake had managed to slither through the scandal with his reputation unscathed. As a result, in many circles he was now known as Blake the Snake, Viper Blake, and Victor the Constrictor. How ironic that the fool was now trapped in his office building in the middle of a women’s protest.

Juyah knew how it felt to be treated like shit on the bottom of a person’s boot. A former gamer, she’d suffered so much bullying from male gamers and online trolls, she’d eventually abandoned the industry she loved to protect her health and sanity.

She shook her head, jostling the helmet covering the short