The Shared Skin

About this book

In the Damp-Sector of Ouroboros, a vertical mega-city choking on the fumes of a toxic ocean, the human body is no longer a birthright—it is a rental agreement. While the elite 'Vessel-Hop' between genetically perfected designer sleeves, the impoverished residents of the lower levels are forced into 'Fractional Occupancy,' sharing their physical forms with strangers to pay off crushing generational debts. Zalia, a struggling kinetic artist, signs a desperate contract to share her body with a wealthy, anonymous 'Day-Tenant' to save her dying brother. But when she wakes up during her off-hours with memories that aren't hers and bruises she didn't earn, she realizes her tenant is using her body for something far more dangerous than luxury tourism. Aided by Kaleb, a rogue neuro-architect, and Rytas, a cynical street medic, Zalia must hack her own neural pathways to uncover the truth. As the boundaries between her identity and her tenant's sinister agenda blur, Zalia discovers a conspiracy that threatens the very foundation of Ouroboros's flesh trade. In a world where your skin is the ultimate currency, reclaiming your soul might cost everything.