Synopsis

What would you do if AI outcompeted you so completely that it negated your role in society?

Welcome to Valerie Tobruk’s life. Her job as a toll collector on the Golden Gate Bridge was made redundant when toll collection was automated in 2013. Since then, she’s struggled to find a job which AI can’t do better than her. She feels useless and lost.

To escape from her life, Valerie travels to the Westfjords, a remote part of Iceland where people go to disappear and nature reigns supreme. Once there, she discovers an abandoned herring factory where she decides to reside as the founder of a new independent nation called Tobruk where people are valued for their humanness.

Valerie doesn’t remain alone for long. A cast of lost souls descend upon Tobruk, as do a series of perplexing challenges presented by the outside world. But there’s worse to come. When the darkness of winter descends, the citizens of Tobruk must face up to their deepest fears if they are to survive.

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Excerpt

From above, Iceland presented as a green and rocky version of the moon where humans were a rounding error rather than the dominant organic species. To reinforce the point, there were thousands of fluffy-maned horses dotted throughout the fields as far as the eye could see—and not a single human.

When Valerie walked into Reykjavík Airport, the arriving planeload of passengers were the only people present beyond a few airport staff. She’d never witnessed such a quiet airport before. It was unnerving. She half-expected official-looking people to emerge from the shadows to create the illusion it was a safe place. Even out-of-work actors would suffice. Valerie recognised her symptoms as the warning signs they were: she’d been living for too long in an over-populated city overrun by over-controlling authorities.

As Valerie walked outside, the crisp, cool Icelandic air caressed her touch-deprived skin with sensory heightening expertise. She stopped in her tracks so she could breathe it all in. As that dose of old-fashioned fresh air reanimated her soul, none of the passers-by asked Valerie to get out of their way, as was the custom in San Francisco. That afternoon, no one even noticed the forty-something-year-old American woman standing in their pathway.

Valerie joined the short taxi queue nearby. Prior to leaving San Francisco, she’d calculated her remaining cash reserves would cover her food and accommodation costs in Reykjavík for a couple of weeks. So when Valerie reached the front of the queue thirty seconds later, she asked a friendly, baby-faced taxi driver with a bald head to drive her to the cheapest hotel he knew of in the center of Reykjavík.

“Are you staying long?” the driver asked her.

“I haven’t got a plan beyond the next two weeks,” Valerie said. “I’d like to get off the beaten track while I’m here.”

“Aha, you’re one of those,” the driver said with a knowing nod.

“One of who?” she asked, not ready to be put into any boxes.

“You’re one of the millions who’ve developed an obsession with Iceland by watching a TV series. Lots of people come here to experience the raw, powerful nature they connected with through their TV screens,” he stated with more than a hint of condescension.

Valerie felt uncomfortable. Was she a misinformed desperado who’d fallen for Iceland’s charms from afar? “I’m not one of those. My Icelandic friend Björn recommended I move here.”

The taxi driver nodded as though she’d confirmed his low opinion rather than contradicted it. “Did he recommend Iceland as the ideal place to become your authentic self?”

Valerie suddenly felt annoyed. “Listen, I’m not a cookie-cutter tourist who’s a replica of every other new arrival you’ve ever met.”

The taxi driver once again nodded, as though Valerie had confirmed his worst suspicions. She willed him silent. Thankfully, he complied.

About the Author

S.S. Turner crafts thought-provoking stories that explore the profound transformations his characters must undergo to navigate the complexities of modern life. His works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling, and the way his characters intertwine universal themes with personal growth. The author of Secrets of a River Swimmer, The Connection Game, and Golden, he captivates readers with tales that resonate in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

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