Shadowrun: Surviving the Solstice Showdown, by Alina Pete

THE ULTIMATE COOKING COMPETITION…

Fox took to shadowrunning to escape the high-stakes, high-pressure world of being a chef. So what is she doing with three other runners in a wild-and-woolly cooking competition held in the Barrens and MC’ed by a troll drag queen?

Competing for the 250,000-nuyen grand prize, of course…and bragging rights to coming out on top of the annual Solstice Showdown.

But first they’ve got to survive the challenging cooking competition first, filled with cutthroat competitors, a hint of magic, and a most mercurial host whose palate could make—or break—Fox’s team’s day with each delectable bite.

In the end, will Fox’s NAN-based menu and her team’s fierce cooking skills come out on top…or will they leave the Barrens as empty-handed as they came?

Note: This free short story download is available between July 1–31, 2025, and contains an ebook file compatible with most ereaders, including Kindle.