In a future where science has unlocked secrets once thought impossible, Earth's most ambitious project is an experiment shrouded in mystery-and ethical gray areas. Dr. Aria Voss, a brilliant geneticist with a mind like no other, is brought in to study an extraordinary alien specimen. She's a woman of science, grounded in logic and precision, yet challenged by the world's view of her autism, which has isolated her from colleagues and any real connections. But her work offers her purpose and control in a life that often feels anything but.
Her newest subject, known only as "Specimen X," is like nothing Aria has ever encountered. With a striking humanoid form marked by bioluminescent skin, intricate markings, and eyes that seem to hold a universe of secrets, he is a being from a world humanity can barely imagine. But as she delves deeper into her study, Aria begins to suspect that he is far more than just a research subject. Underneath the cold detachment of the laboratory, there's a fierce intelligence-and a sorrow that resonates with her own.
As Aria uncovers the dark truths hidden within her organization, she finds herself torn between her loyalty to science and her growing empathy for the alien who has become her closest ally. When she learns of a sinister agenda threatening not only his survival but also her own, Aria must choose: stay silent and remain complicit, or risk everything to set them both free.
Experiment X is a tale of love, sacrifice, and the courage to break free of society's bounds, even if it means defying the very foundations of science and humanity.
In the far future, genetic engineering is used to strip all sapient species of disability. But when humans have a brief fad of natural birth, disabled children start reappearing. They're quickly termed "Pandoras," the value of their very lives brought into question, and laws are put into place to prevent their births from happening ever again.
Xandri Corelel is one of these Pandoras, a young autistic woman scorned by her family and fighting to eke out a living on the streets of Wraith. Then she meets Chui Shan Fung, captain of the first contact and refugee ship Carpathia. Captain Chui has been watching her, and knows about the talent for understanding alien species that Xandri has cultivated. She wants Xandri as part of her crew--but first, Xandri must pass a test to see if she'll even fit in.
Wary but hopeful, Xandri joins the Carpathia at Psittaca, a newly-discovered planet peopled by parrot-like sapients. Learning to understand this new species is the easy part compared to trusting her new crew mates. As Xandri continues her diplomatic efforts with the Psittacans, it becomes apparent that the Carpathia's crew aren't the only ones to have discovered the planet, but these other visitors don't have good intentions. In order to protect this beautiful new world, Xandri must find it in herself to overcome years of abuse and neglect, and trust in her new crew.