The old Tangy lady was actually correct in the first post I think, this is 2 different stories or at least different chapters of the same story.
I generally agree, at least the first paragraph sets a stage that is abandoned in the second to wander off in some other direction (which is mostly 'Nowhere' as far as I can see, not so sure it's actually headed in the direction of another story, though).
The writing is also hampered by an overuse of unnecessarily elaborate vocabulary, which unfortunatley is not assembled quite perfectly into well-crafted phrases, there are some couple of spots where it's just ten-dollar words crashing together to no real purpose. "Locavore?" - Writah, please! Real people do not use that word, only extreme moonbat food snobs...and they don't actually
buy books or magazines that are printed outside vanity presses, they just criticize them, so why write to them?
I do have to say the characters strike me as repugnant Masshole yuppies, creating a rising nausea as the narrative progresses, but that's just my personal taste. Even worse, there did not seem to be a single explosion, energy rifle smuggler, tomahawk slaying, armored hovercraft, or hand-to-hand edged weapon battle in the whole thing, nor prospects of one. I suppose it still has some potential to become mid-quality pornography if the first story track is followed....