Publisher's Synopsis
Rumble on the Merry-Go-Round
At the farthest edge of a massive galaxy, where reality frays and dreams run wild, spins a glittering vortex of pleasure and peril: the Merry-Go-Round. It's not just a place-it's an exotic sensation, a neon-drenched carnival and, like a last truck stop before the desert, a rendezvous where humans, aliens, and rogue machines go to lose themselves or find something they didn't know they were looking for. With attractions that can accommodate your fondest memories or your darkest desires, the Midway isn't for the faint of heart-it sends you on your way into the void with fresh memories and a smaller bank account.
Enter Booster Bob, a notorious highlighter-part mystic, part tech-savant-who deals in ecstasy, insight, and awakening through a mysterious device known only as Sparky. Booster Bob can accommodate humans, robots, and aliens of all kinds. He's not a killer, but his services can be deadly for those not ready to know themselves. He lands on the Merry-Go-Round expecting to do business as usual: clients, credits, and giving a cut to the owner and manager of the place, Sophia.
Sophia, the enigmatic and rebellious fembot who runs the Merry-Go-Round, has heard about Booster Bob's reputation long before he arrives. She makes a deal with him on the cut he gives her, but only if he makes her his first customer. He agrees. During the setup, Sophia surprises him with her own form of bliss. Is this the beginning of a robot romance? Booster Bob continues to implement her experience while thinking he likes her a lot. Just as Sophia is reaching her ecstasy, all the green lights turn red. Sophia convulses and dies in his arms, whispering with her last breath: "It's not your fault."
Now everyone wants Booster Bob's head. He's been setup. It's a turf war.
Security bots flood the Midway. The other turf lords, sensing weakness, circle like vultures. And somewhere deep in the systems of the Merry-Go-Round, a long-buried resurrection secret stirs.
Forced to flee, Booster Bob escapes aboard the Peregrine, a fast freighter captained by the sharp-eyed and battle-hardened Commander Cody, who's carrying her own cargo-a delivery so valuable and volatile that entire sectors would kill for it. Against her better judgment, Cody doesn't turn Bob in. She knows there's more to his story, and something about Sophia's cryptic last words won't let her rest. She was a best friend.
As they rocket through space piracy infested asteroid fields and sprint across the black barrier, Booster Bob pieces together the mystery of what really happened to Sophia. He confirms it was a setup. How can he regain his reputation and destroy the perpetrators?
Meanwhile, the Peregrine's cargo changes hands, and with it, destiny. An innocuous black orb-resembling nothing more than an exotic bowling ball-reveals itself to be a gateway to a parallel Universe. It affects the crew, and its true nature could alter the outcome of the power struggle to erupt back at the Merry-Go-Round.
Now, all paths lead back to the spinning circus at the edge of the galaxy.
In a final showdown of flesh, circuitry, and cosmic intrigue, the players converge for the ultimate prize: control of the Merry-Go-Round. It's pure sci-fi adventure from beginning to end.
Who will win the Rumble on the Merry-Go-Round?
One thing is certain-when the music stops, nothing will ever be the same.
