Artima’s Travels

Artima’s Travels: E.A. DUSTIN

A smell is either pleasant or unpleasant and you often notice it when you breathe through your nose. Smelling is powering and to notice or recognize the smell of something can alert you to dangers, transport you back to your past and your childhood or even evoke emotions that you want to remember or forget.

A missile misfires and members of the Artificial Intelligence Systems Enterprise are tasked with finding out what happened. Artima is the head engineer and using her keen sense of smell delves into finding out the cause of the misfire. Her photographic memory and her acute observation skills work in her favor most of the time. Her superior Ronnie wants control over all situations and yet he does not have the abilities she has to assess situations and carry out the situations with the same knowledge and skills she possesses. 

At the heart of this multi plotted novel is a misfire caused by Chief Petty Officer Carr who confides in Arty that the SAS technology was used but just how did this happen e would consume her waking hours. Wanting to keep her confidence and not revealing her source puts Arty in a tenuous position. Working through the technology available and handling a grueling schedule she finds limited answers to many questions. But added in their program and technology dealing with scents and how they affect daily, actions, responses and other thoughts provides an insightful and informative way of engaging readers to want to understand and learn more about the technology her company created and just how innovative she is. Big like every company there are those that throw obstacles in your path as Ronnie her boss is not as versed as she is in understanding the technology and yet when meeting with SAS and other teams he insisted on presenting the technology and information. 

Carr related that SAS technology plugged into the computer that runs the Siagem weapon system. Although they were not really allowed to do that sitting there at night she thought what harm would come if she did. After she turned it into the Rose Petal selection, it misfired. This one action set off a huge chain reaction and Carr is being accused of doing this and could go to jail if she does not have her named cleared. Can Arty figure out what happened? 

Ronnie her direct superior for some reason wants her input to help solve the problem but to a point. Paul Connor is a new consultant who seems to relish in putting her down and other engineers that are under her. Rude, disrespectful and at times inappropriate, Ronnie seems to enjoy watching him in action especially against Arty.

Things take a toll on her when she is constantly asked to go on long trips, many meetings with different sectors and different groups to uncover what the problems are and how AISE has been tasked to solve them. 

The story also centers around scents individual and those related to her work and her investigation. Added in the author includes the fact that another pandemic has occurred and how her state-of-the-art technology might help save lives. The system’s default settings fired but how? Captain Schwartz turns to her and Ronnie for answers but there is something odd about Ronnie and how he responds to her even though the Captain feels she is the one with the solutions. Careful and methodically she uncovers answers but just how you will not believe. Yet, emails, phone calls, requests and more are held back from her and wanted to get approval to board the ship in question that the misfire happened, she never learns that it was approved. 

What would happen if the world the author is describing in vivid detail really happened in the future? Masks are part of their everyday life and no matter where they are they must wear them. Added in is the coronavirus and how it is impacting their lives and how their company is working hard to create something to enhance the smells of those that are losing it. Plus, the patent that they are hoping to get for this program when approve why is Arty’s name not on the list? She is being gaslighted by her boss as she sends him information, he claims he sent her information but where is it? 

The scents include tree bark, grass, weeds, some pleasant others harsh as each person has their own personal scent added in her daughter Ella hacked into her computer and found something interesting that would help with her work and the breakthrough. With the support of her brother Charlie who has serious kidney issues and her friend Susan, her daughter has someone to take care of her when she is forced to go on numerous trips for a company that seems to not really appreciate her potential, input and work ethic. Working into the night at times and even taking someone’s badge to find out if Carr was set up or was just handing her a story to save herself, you will not believe who was behind the misfire, why senseless loss of lives. Author E. A. Dustin created a character that is sharp, astute, intelligence, innovative and has morals and ethics plus never side sways anyone but why is Ronnie pretending to admire her, giving her approval yet sounding condescending? Maybe because she is a woman, maybe because she has a better memory and grasp on things or maybe he needs an attitude adjustment. 

Added in Arty must deal with the callous and unthinkable attitude of her ex-husband whose wife is having a child and has not time for his daughter, Ella who anyone would be proud to say she belonged to him. Ella and Arty face hard times and this teen faces a harsh reality, but she is smart, resourceful and hopefully will bounce back. 

Helen Keller had to depend on her sense of smell, touch and taste to navigate her world which helped when learning braille and much more. The sense of smell permeates all over as you can often feel the tension, the smell the fear, the sweat and even the different scents we all emit each day. The results of the patent will shock you and what Ronnie does will help define what Arty realizes. Harsh realizations, betrayals, lies and one person close to her working two sides of the fence and the reason behind the misfire you just will not believe. The result is classified and cannot be revealed unless you decide to read this well researched, well documented and highly interesting novel. Which scent defines you? Let us hope there is more in store for Arty and Ella in the future. Hope, self-worth, acceptance, understanding, morals, ethics, survival, justice, self-esteem and most of all love as Arty takes us on her travels to many different corners of the world and technological industry leading us in a journey that takes us deep inside the minds, hearts and scents of others to get to know the heart of humanity.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews