Raider Books

In Search of Gaia is set in a future where environmental catastrophe has resulted in the loss of the eco-balance. Whole species have died leaving man on the edge of extinction. The director of the IGH, Institute for Genetic Harmony, has stepped in to save the world. Through the discovery of new enzymes, she has been able to unzip the DNA of live creatures and reform it in a new combination. This results in the creature's physical shape changing. In this way she replaces lost but essential species. These new creatures are called changelings. The enzymes were discovered when the first Loch Ness monster was trapped by a scientific mission. It was found that they had remained hidden for centuries because they were able to shape shift. The director is both charismatic and ruthless. She has few creatures left to change in the new world and so turns to those she labels as useless. At first, this involves changing criminals but swiftly moves on to change anyone who is unable to support themselves. She also changes those she considers a threat. Mike Caldwell is neither of these; he is the director's up-and-coming star. He is a crypto - biologist who is gifted in writing the codes necessary to produce effective changes. The director, however, wants him watched, as she knows that gifting can often result in arrogance and a challenge to her authority. To this end she assigns him a companion. When his companion suddenly vanishes, Mike begins to question everything around him, and the fragile balance of this dying world is tipped to its limit. Mike begins a journey to restore his personal balance and the balance of the world around him.