ReCognition

Oxygen Debt, Part One

By: Mark Dowson

Narrated by: Karla Serrato

In 2112, dystopia is upon us, and the United Nations Authority is trying to stop energy and technology behemoth GIATCOM from destroying society once and for all. At the vortex of this futuristic struggle is 21st-century inventor Dr. Ben Richards, who created a way to harness wind power, a clean and renewable energy that could have changed the course of humanity if he hadn’t died under mysterious circumstances. The UNA determines that keeping Richards alive in 2017 is key to saving the world from becoming a nuclear wasteland. Meanwhile, GIATCOM is using every method at its disposal, including enhanced humans and android doppelgangers, to thwart that effort and capture Richards for its own purposes, setting up an epic battle between future powers in the past.

In 2112 a team of historical statisticians have identified the untimely death of a wind turbine scientist in 2017 as being the most likely turning-point in the sequence of events that has led to the world being in an environmental crisis in the future. The United Nations Authority send a humanoid named Merisi, back to the present to save the scientist, Dr. Ben Richards, from assassination, in order that he may change the path of history. Dr. Ben Richards suffers with anxiety and post traumatic stress after witnessing a tragic accident as a child, in which a close family member lost their life. Once saved from assassination, the protagonist is set a mission to time travel to the future by Merisi, not only to bear witness to the environmental devastation of the world himself, but also to inspire him to alter the past in order that a new future exists. Cryptic messaging from his guardian, Merisi, helps to protect him from those intending to do him and the planet harm. Merisi nurtures Dr. Ben Richards' self-belief, enabling him to fulfil his true potential, which has been inhibited by his psychological trauma.

Future giant energy corporation, GIATCOM, seeks to stop Dr. Ben Richards from carrying out his mission as it stands to lose its energy monopoly. GIATCOM sends its own androids back to the past to intercept and intervene in order to prevent an alternate course of history. Dr. Ben Richards must overcome his past in order to change the future. To become the man he was destined to be and to save future generations from a dystopian, apocalyptic future.

The story is a dystopian time travel romance with mental health, climate change, biological warfare, and historical themes of art and religion. Philosophical themes such as Nuclear verses Renewable energy, and the future of Artificial intelligence are also portrayed in the story. The author also has created his own original and unique form of spiritual time travel concept in using TENET and the SATOR Square - a factual ancient relic, as a form of sacred spiritual time travel hidden in secrecy by the church throughout generations. This story illustrates how PTSD can in fact improve the ability to visualize in deeper detailed way. It identifies the strengths of a mental illness and how it can become a superpower to the individual and the world. Emotional openness overcomes mental health issues and stimulates creativity further to complete design solutions.

A book detailing a journey of self discovery and realizing that true leadership and creativity go hand-in-hand. Mark Dowson’s own inspiration to write the trilogy of books has come from his knowledge and experience gained in carrying out his own personal wind energy research at a masters of science degree level. The story’s foundation is based on his own factual research dissertation and has transformed and expanded upon these facts to create an exciting fictional mystery thriller. Mark has published a wind research article on his wind research, and has worked on some of the most prestigious renewable power generation projects in the UK as a practicing commercial manager for the past 20 years.

©2021 Abstract2Construct Limited (P)2021 Abstract2Construct Limited

Wonderful voices for the characters!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and what really made it come to life for me was the way Karla Serrato voiced the characters. Each character had so much more depth hearing the voices of each character. I loved knowing who was talking at the beginning of the sentence before even have heard, “said whomever.” Can’t wait for book 2 and 3 to come out via audiobook! Hopefully they don’t switch actors because I hate when that happens halfway through series!