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Serial Pub: Ninth Step Station s01e08

Ninth Step Station s01e08 by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Years of disaster and conflict have left Tokyo split between great powers. In the city of drone-enforced borders, bodymod black markets, and desperate resistance movements, US peacekeeper Emma Higashi is assigned to partner with Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective Miyako Koreda. Together, they must race to solve a series of murders that test their relationship and threaten to overturn the balance of global power. And amid the chaos, they each need to decide what they are willing to do for peace.

Ninth Step Station is written by a collaboration of authors including: Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi and Curtis C. Chen. Similar to all the serials from Serialbox, this story is also released in episodes. Every episode is written by a different author.

Episode 8: The Clawed Limb

Resetting after last weeks episodes did take a few days and diving into episode 8, it was still fresh on my mind especially when browsing over the last few paragaphs. Anyway onto episode 8. Episode 8 starts of with a pursuit. A man is being chased by police officers and he is clutching his mangled limb in his hands. He is suspected of injuring another person but all he is saying is that he didn't do anything. Even after a thorough drilling by both Emma and Miyako, they did not get that much more information. And as fate would have had it, the whole situation escalates pretty quickly. It does not stay with one victim. A similar event happens in a packed restaurant, other peoples body mods are acting on their own... Can Emma and Miyako find the person responsible before more persons die? 

Episode 8 plays directly into one of the fears that I think we will be having in a few years from now. In Ninth Step Station people have body modification/augmentations digital and electronical enhancements. In our current day and age we already see the incluence of hackers and that they can pose a threat hacking even electric cars. Just imagine relying on electronic body parts, which some people with prosthetics might already are, and losing control of them. 

On the back note though. Once the person responsible is found the episode does end with a good connection to the bigger picture of the series so far. It is another piece of the puzzle falling into place. With the conclusion of the series coming closer and closer I think it will definitely end on a high note. 

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Tune in next week for  Episode 8!


Interested? Start reading by clicking this link!

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