A Generation of Vipers

Ryoko, the first artificial human, was created with the last gasp of human technology, and as a measure of control, she was designed to love her creator. But love does not insure control. From humanity, Ryoko learned to be ruthless. And that was how she dealt with this unneeded feeling. The arrival of the alien Traders had caused the collapse of Earth's economy, and the Traders used humans as wage slaves and soldiers. Ryoko contracted with the Traders to supply many thousands of copies of herself. Aleksandrov, the primary Trader liaison, and Ryoko contend to discover the Traders' secret of star travel. Only one will succeed.