Augland: an Augland Novel


 
 
 Augland
 
 
 NEW YORK
 LONDON • NASHVILLE • MELBOURNE • VANCOUVER
 Augland
 an Augland Novel
 © 2023 EECR, LLC
 All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
 Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James is a trademark of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com
 Proudly distributed by Ingram Publisher Services.
 Publisher’s Note: Th is novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ISBN 9781631959257 paperback
 ISBN 9781631959264 ebook
 Library of Congress Control Number: 2022935954
 Cover Design by:
 Megan Dillon
 [email protected]
 Interior Design by:
 Christopher Kirk
 www.GFSstudio.com
 
 
 
 
 
 Morgan James is a proud partner of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. Partners in building since 2006.
 Get involved today! Visit MorganJamesPublishing.com/giving-back
 To Mom and Dad. Thank you for always believing and encouraging me to follow my dreams. To my husband, Joe, for the continued love and support. And finally, to my entire family. I love you all so much.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 When I had the crazy idea to write a book, I didn’t realize the hours upon hours of writing, rewriting, and editing that would go into it. The amount of support I’ve received has been incredible and I’m eternally grateful for all those who have helped me on my writing journey.
 Dad and Mom—you’ve always been my biggest advocates. You inspire me to be the best version of myself and always follow my dreams. Dad, thank you for your countless hours of reading my drafts and giving me ideas. I don’t think I could have done it without you.
 Joe—thank you for being my rock. Days and nights that I was writing, you gave me feedback, encouragement, understanding, and love.
 Michelle, Lisa, Thomas, Willie, Gavin, Wyatt, and Annabelle—the best family I could ever ask for.
 Chelsea—my amazing friend who gave me feedback and help on this journey.
 Kerry Wade and the team at Inspira Literary Solutions, my editors: I couldn’t have done this without you.
 To all my friends and family—I wish I had an entire book for just acknowledgments. I’m a firm believer that you never do anything alone. Manifest positivity to reach your dreams. There is nothing you can’t accomplish.
 
 WELCOME TO AUGLAND
 Because you deserve to live a great life.
 All of us here at Augland 54 welcome you and your loved ones to the Pacific Northwest’s most extravagant Augland park! Choose the life of your dreams from one of our seven parks, fitted with the most up-to-date technology and customized to your needs and the specifications of your Artificial Existence Being.
 Let our Atlantis Park take you to the depths of your underwater fantasy or, if the city is more your scene, live in the sky-high towers on Hollywood Boulevard. Walk amongst nature’s most beautiful creatures at Predator’s Biome or spend your days lounging at our Maya Bay luxury resorts. Stroll the past at Victorian or party in outer space in Venus, where every variation of person is celebrated.
 Coming Soon!
 Augland 54 will soon be the first Augland to present Land of Legends, an interactive park like you have never experienced before! Have you ever wanted to be a king? Be in the midst of battle? Our Battle of the British Isles simulation is what you’ve been waiting for.
 At Augland 54 you can live your dreams as the person of your dreams! Because you deserve to live a great life.
 Augland 54
 An Augland Park
 Artificial Existence Center
 
 PART 1
 CHAPTER 1
 Ashton
 Ashton looked into the brilliant sunset reflected across the water on the distant horizon. She knew the enhanced colors weren’t real (the outside climate was far too cold and drizzly for this manufactured beach paradise), but she liked to pretend, even for a moment, that the heat, the sunset, and the perfect specimens walking past her were authentic.
 Even after three years of working at Maya Bay, Ashton was still in awe of its artificial beauty. White sand and crystal-blue water stretched out for miles. Lush green trees and staggering cliffs created a sheltered cove around the restaurant where she worked as a server, and she daily admired the manufactured beauty. Down on the beach, crowds of Suits were headed toward one of several Maya Bay Resorts or to the Suit Transit Station, which would take them back to the parks where they lived. Their perfect artificial bodies set against the flawless landscape almost made Ashton believe that Augland was a real paradise.
 Behind her in the restaurant, Marius was wiping down the bar, scrubbing the counter vigorously. He didn’t look up at Ashton as she passed him to clear off a recently vacated table. He had his favorite servers, and Ashton was not one of them.
 They had worked together since Ashton first arrived at Maya Bay. They quickly became friends, a relationship that lasted even after Marius was promoted to manager. A few months earlier, however, their friendship had taken a turn for the worse when Marius revealed his romantic intentions. Ashton wasn’t one to continue anything under false pretenses. Suffice it to say, Marius hadn’t taken the rejection well.
 “Ashton,” he said curtly, not looking up from the already spotless counter he was still wiping. He was short, with sandy blond hair that swept to the right and large, coke-bottle glasses that made him strangely intimidating. “I still see water marks.”
 Marius pointed with his towel toward the table Ashton had just cleaned. She followed the damp rag with her eyes to the empty table between the