A Christmas Proposal

By Sherri Moorer

Cindra and Keegan are challenged to give humanity the greatest gift: hope for the future.

 

Cindra and Keegan expect an easy week in the days between Christmas and New Year's Day. They delayed holiday vacations to complete a proposal that will take nanotechnology into public use for the medical industry. The final touches are on track, until Taryn appears in their office two days after Christmas, claiming she's from 130 years in the future to research a flaw in the proposal that leads to the destruction of the human race.

 

Who is this mysterious visitor from the future? Is she telling the truth or a spy for industries opposed to this proposal? Cindra and Keegan must work together to give humanity the best gift of all: hope for the future.

 

Perhaps they'll find hope for their own future together in the process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sherri Moorer
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201401702

Sherri Moorer

My name is Sherri Fulmer Moorer. I write because I’ve always loved to do it, and ebooks allowed me to share those stories with readers. The purpose of my writing is to escape reality and experience the adventure of ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances. I write in a variety of genres because I can’t be pigeon-holed into one area, and I’m many other things in addition to being an author. I work full-time in professional licensing, which is great for keeping me in touch with people and reality and, in turn, inspires me to write more. I’m married and live in the woods with two parrots that keep our hearts, home, and lives filled with joy and silliness that most people find strange. I’m a social media rambler and borderline introvert/extrovert who's kindred spirit, according to online quizzes, is somewhere between a Sith Inquisitor from Star Wars and Scooter from The Muppets.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Monday, December 28 , 2172

Happy holidays biology buddy, Keegan Soames said cheerfully from his office.

Merry Christmas coding geek, Cindra Navis mumbled as she stepped off the elevator.

Keegan put his computer into hibernate, got up from his desk, and followed Cindra into the kitchen at the end of the hall. I think we’re in Happy New Year territory now.

She pulled her favorite pink coffee mug from the cabinet and filled it with liquid creamer and coffee. Happy ‘the deadline to deliver the medical nanotech proposal to Engineering and Technical Development is over.’ I wish I had the week off like everybody else does.

Bad Christmas? Keegan asked, his brown hair crackling as he pushed his curls down.

Cindra snickered at his manipulation of static electricity and took a sip of her coffee. It was good, just too short. Who has a December 23 deadline? I’m still exhausted from last week and a weekend of holiday celebrations. I really need this week off to recuperate. She raised her pink coffee mug in a mock toast. Here’s hoping 2173 will bring some much-needed time off.

The Governor wanted this proposal completed by his State of the State address so he can announce that the great state of South Carolina is taking the lead in making the next great stride forward in nanotechnology.

Next year isn’t an election year, Cindra said.

2174 is, and they want it well on its way by then, Keegan said. You know how slow things move in politics. It’s the only place slower than science.

Keegan and Cindra worked for NanoTechnologies, a private company that developed nanotechnology for computer, infrastructure, and agriculture purposes. The small company built its three-story building in Subaltern, South Carolina, just outside of Charlotte because the property was cheaper in this area. NanoTechnologies had been a contributor to all of the major achievements in nanotechnology. Investors, funding, and grants from the medical community motivated NanoTechnologies to move into the medical field within the next decade.

Nanotechnology had been in use in computers and infrastructure for decades but had only gone into widespread public use with agriculture seven years ago. While the results were good, there were unresolved issues with random crop failures and failing soil fertility. As a biologist, Cindra felt they needed to understand the problems before putting these machines in human bodies. But people are impatient and need drives things forward. Strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria were increasing, and viruses were mutating and spreading faster than they could develop treatments and efficient vaccines. The public perception was that if it could help plants, then it could help humans too.

Cindra walked back to her office, pulled off her stocking cap, and smoothed down her dark, shoulder-length hair. Winter is a melancholy mess once Christmas is over. I don’t know why we’re open this week. Is anybody here besides us?

Somebody has to hold down the fort this week to draft the revisions from Engineering and Technical Development by the December 31 deadline to the CEO’s office. We’re the only ones on the research and developmental staff here this week. I think some of the engineers and software developers are upstairs working on the proposal, but the big review will be with the Director and CEO next week. That’s why all the bigwigs are out this week. They have to be in next week for that, but we don’t because the grunt work will be done. Keegan lowered his lanky frame into a chair across Cindra’s neat desk. "I know it stinks to work between Christmas and New Year, but we’re dodging