Mystery / Thriller
Date Published: 10-10-2026
Publisher: First Legacy Publishing
The community comes first – no matter what.
For ten years, the Utopia Tower experiment has been a resounding success. Conceived by a tech billionaire, the state-of-the-art apartment complex offers a life-changing opportunity: rent-free living for residents who adhere to the "Five Pillars of Harmony" and maintain the building's pristine reputation. It is a tight-knit community where neighbors look out for one another, ensuring that nothing endangers their sanctuary and their right to continue living there.
Antonio, a young lawyer, moves into the tower to care for his grandmother, eager to join this idyllic social experiment. But the veneer of perfection cracks when two young men—both considered bad apples and threats to the community's serenity—die in unusual circumstances within a single month. Despite warnings to leave well enough alone, Antonio suspects a connection and digs deeper. He discovers that, in a building designed for total harmony, asking the wrong questions can make you the next problem to be handled. Is there a killer hiding among the residents? Is the billionaire founder protecting his investment? Or is the truth far more terrifying?
In an environment where preservation of the collective is the prime directive, how far will the community go to protect itself?
Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Blake Crouch, and high-concept tech mysteries.
Teaser Excerpt:
Chapter 1— The Project
|
J |
AMESON Z. CONRAD STOOD on a steel
catwalk raised twenty feet above the production floor of his new $2 billion
chip factory, wearing a white full-body bio-suit. He eschewed a face mask,
although every busy worker below wore one. The polished floor reflected
high-intensity overhead lights, which glinted off glass and chrome tools,
creating visible spectra on the edges of the gleaming work tables. Low-slung
robotic vehicles hummed above invisible sensors, carrying supplies to the
production lines and whisking away finished chips to cold storage. Open barely
two weeks, the state-of-the-art facility was humming. Jameson smiled like a
priest gazing from the choir balcony at a newly constructed cathedral.
Standing a few millimeters above six feet, with broad
shoulders that could not be fully hidden by his bulky garment, Jameson was in
better shape at forty-six than he had been at twenty-five. A personal chef and
two trainers made sure. A man who wanted to live forever needed to start the
project early. With feet spread and arms akimbo, nobody in the expansive room
could miss his presence. The workers tried to ignore him, not wanting the big
boss to see them gawking, but suspecting he wanted the attention.
Jameson co-founded Botor Corporation when he and his two
partners were juniors at MIT, working out of a Cambridge garage. The joke was
that Botor was “robot” spelled backward by a dyslexic scientist. At the time it
didn’t matter, as long as it was unique. Now, the colorful corporate logo
adorned office parks and sports arenas. Botor Corp had a market capitalization
of more than $2 trillion. The two other original founders took buy-outs a
decade earlier and retired in their thirties, leaving Jameson to preside over
his personal universe, working sixteen-hour days. That was fine with him.
“You have the update on EPBOT?” Jameson asked without
turning his head from the ant-like activity on the production floor.
“Yes, Sir,” came the soft, submissive reply. Bobby Chaing,
Jameson’s senior project manager, had arrived two minutes earlier and waited
for his boss to notice. A skilled programmer and an expert in artificial
intelligence systems, Bobby was a combination Chief of Staff and Chief
Operating Officer in Jameson’s ever-expanding global empire. Officially,
Bobby’s title was Senior Vice President, Special Projects. Everyone on the
corporate org chart knew “special projects” meant the next cutting-edge
development and the next huge product launch. In other words, the coolest of
the cool stuff.
Despite being Jameson’s right hand and main scientific
sounding board, Bobby knew he was expected to observe the hierarchical protocol
by not using Jameson’s first name in public spaces. He was fully prepared with
the report on the Experimental Prototype Building Of Tomorrow – their private
nickname for Jameson’s long-time pet project. The unofficial moniker was stolen
from Disney World. Jameson’s visit to EPCOT in Orlando was the spark of
imagination that launched his tech career. He never forgot.
“I’m guessing it’s not good.” Jameson finally turned toward
Bobby. In their clean suits, they resembled astronauts meeting on the surface
of an alien world.
“It’s not bad,” Bobby quickly replied. He had driven from
Botor’s Manhattan offices to the plant across the Hudson River to deliver this
report in person. Jameson insisted that discussions about the project be oral,
leaving no digital or paper record. The monthly update was not time-sensitive,
but Jameson always wanted it immediately. Waiting for the next business day was
never an option. “The data collection volume is still on the positive side of
the curve.”
“But we’re reaching the saturation point, aren’t we?”
Bobby rocked his head left and right before answering.
“Eventually, of course we will. But we’re not there yet.”
“What about the health of the cohort?”
“It’s good. The core is strong and cohesive.” Bobby paused,
allowing Jameson an opportunity to jump in.
“But there is fraying around the edges, isn’t there?”
“The overall health of the community is down six percent
from this time last year,” Bobby admitted. “But it’s still at eighty-four
percent. Way above the projected minimum standard.”
“Sure.” Jameson turned back toward the shining, sterile
production environment which churned out tiny bits of silicon, cobalt,
platinum, and gold he would sell for fifty times their cost. With growing
global tariffs squeezing out foreign chip-makers, he mentally patted himself on
the back for building his plant in New Jersey. Without looking at Bobby, he
gripped the steel railing supporting the catwalk and hung his head slightly.
“We’re still above the curve, but it’s going to slip further. If they don’t turn
it around quickly, and unless the unique data collection rate improves, we’re
going to have to consider a full reboot at the end of the year.”
“It’s not that dire yet, Sir.” Bobby knew his tone was
wrong. He sounded like he was pleading the cause rather than providing
impartial analytics. “There’s no need to rush into drastic change. A full
cohort swap might endanger the project.”
“Or it might be just what we need,” Jameson said flatly,
still not making eye contact with Bobby. “The first few years were hard. You
remember. But then the curve swung upward big time. We knew it would plateau
eventually and we’d need to start over. I’m willing to risk another few years
of a shallow curve in order to get a bigger boost later. We’ve got new products
in the pipeline. If we’re not getting adequate data, then a change is
required.”
“But it’s your achievement,” Bobby said, stroking the boss’s
ego.
“Yes. It is. But I can’t get too attached. It’s not going to
win me a Nobel Prize. I want you to start the preliminary process of recruiting
a new cohort. Keep it quiet.”
“I agree,” Bobby said, “but before you make a final
decision, we need to weigh the negative consequences.”
“I will. But fresh data is always a net positive. Even if
there is collateral damage. Mom always said you have to break some eggs to make
an omelet.”
Bobby didn’t respond. He knew the discussion was over. “I’ll
get on it, Sir.” Bobby turned and walked toward the elevator that would take
him down to the changing room. He hated wearing the clean suit.
Enter the Giveaway:
https://kingsumo.com/g/
Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law and an independent author. His seven -book (so far) Mike Stoneman Thriller series, includes Lethal Voyage, Winner of the 2012 Kindle Book Award, and Fatal Infraction, the #1 Police Procedural of the year (CLUE Blue Ribbon Award). Kevin's stand-alone mystery/suspense/romance, Dead Winner was the winner of the CLUE Blue Ribbon for best suspense/thriller, and Kevin's most recent stand-alone mystery, The Other Murder, was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 CLUE Award (best over-all mystery/suspense/thriller). Kevin has also written a serious political drama, A Legacy of One (2016). Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.
Twitter: @KGChapman
Instagram: @KGChapman
