Malkontent by Io Wallace

SPSFC 2024

In a near-future America torn apart by corporate warfare and social unrest, an unlikely antihero might be the lesser evil. Warner Vogel’s life in a corporate dystopia isn’t as bad as it could be: his name blazes in blue neon atop a skyscraper. As heir to the omnipotent VogelCorp, his life should be idyllic, but a brutal encounter with an insurgent fifteen years ago cost him an eye and much of his sanity. Now, he lives for his secret projects and his distractions in seedy nightclubs, but his only desire is revenge. Freya is a genetic marvel—a supersoldier from the legendary Unit Six, engineered for violence and conditioned to enjoy it. When her mission at the VogelCorp vault goes catastrophically wrong, she ends up in a titanium cage with a hole in her skull. Her escape hinges on one thing: helping Warner exact revenge on Nero, her former handler. As they unite, they uncover a shared enemy and a common goal—to dismantle Unit Six and end the decades-long war ravaging their states. As their journey unfolds, Warner is forced to question everything he knows: the loyalties of those closest to him, the integrity of his country, and his own humanity. How far will he go for vengeance—and the greater good?