Bailey Cove Sci-Fi: Bellwether

Sandra Foster studies fads, from Barbie dolls to the grunge look - how they start and what they mean. Bennett O'Reilly is a chaos theory scientist studying monkeys' group behavior. They both work for the HiTek corporation, strangers until a misdelivered package brings them together. It's a moment of synchronicity - if not serendipity - and they find themselves in a chaotic system of their own, complete with misunderstandings, a million-dollar research grant, caffe latte, tattoos, bobbed hair, Browning, and a series of coincidences that leaves Bennett monkeyless, fundless, and nearly jobless. Sandra intercedes with a flock of sheep and an idea for a joint project. (After all, what better animal to illustrate both chaos theory and the herd mentality that so often characterizes human behavior?) But scientific discovery is rarely straightforward and never simple, and Sandra and Bennett have to endure a series of setbacks, heartbreaks, dead ends, and disasters before they find their answers.