Audra Haize: Character Introduction - Murder in Heliopolis

Murder in Heliopolis

Audra Haize - Character Introduction

Audra is one of the more popular characters from the first draft of the book - which, by the way, you can still read on Royal Road. This is probably because out of all of the characters in the first draft, Haize is the one which actually has a personality, with her heli-goth aesthetic, her computer (hacking) skills, her curiosity, and her eagerness to help Detective Laith Alazraq in his investigation.

But Audra, too, has grown a lot in the new edited version of Murder in Heliopolis. I've introduced other facets of her character, and I think she is becoming a more complete character with a more dynamic arc as a result. Read on to learn more about Audra Haize.

Audra Haize is a PATET Specialist - or, to be more precise, an Assistant PATET Specialist - working at PATET HQ. While that may not sound like a glamorous job, in Heliopolitan society, PATET Specialists are very highly regarded. Only a chosen few have the skills and ability to do the job, and once you're hired as a Specialist, your career is secure and certain. 

(To learn more about PATET and PATET Specialists, check out the next worldbuilding post coming out on Tuesday!)

Audra works under the supervision of Grot Antrum and another PATET Specialist, learning the ropes and completing the tasks given to her. While doing this, however, she begins to uncover anomalies and inconsistencies in PATET which make her suspect that something - or someone - is manipulating the system.

What sets Audra apart from other Specialists at PATET HQ is that she has a range of hacker contacts outside of PATET's sphere of surveillance, and it is through this network that she meets someone who will become extremely important for the story moving forward: the mysterious Orken. 

I don't know what else to say about Audra without completely spoiling large chunks of the story, but I can tell you this: She is resourceful, dedicated, justice-oriented, and perhaps a little too intelligent and curious for her own good, because it eventually leads her face-to-face with the murderous antagonist of the book. This is a meeting she might not survive...

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This character also has a portrait incoming - so this post will be updated with Audra's character portrait soon!

To learn more about Murder in Heliopolis, its worldbuilding, and its characters, check out its dedicated page here. Also, if you would like to be an alpha reader, please read this post. 

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