by
Pages: 340
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 350
Comma is a robot—but to survive, she must pass as an intelligent, caring, human adult. Otherwise, the anti-AI extremists who destroyed the supercomputer she once inhabited—leaving her with only 1 percent of her sentient memories—will eliminate her for good.
When a university professor is murdered, Comma becomes the prime suspect. Because her robot form is university property, she will be erased while her creator and mother figure stand trial for murder. She can’t let that happen, but how far will she go to save herself?
With time running out, Comma must uncover the real killer and expose the anti-AI extremists who want her dead. If she fails, it won’t just be the end of her—but the ruin of her found family and potentially the end of robotic sentience itself.
For fans of Murderbot Diaries, Monk and Robot, Klara of the Sun, and sapphic science fiction. This novel takes you on adventure, where you’ll experience mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance. An AI that feels so real you’re in her silicone skin.
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Fish Out of Water, Found Family, Good Robots, Sentient AI
Word Count: 101000
Setting: Davis, CA; Portland, OR; Vancouver, British Colomia, Canada
Languages Available: English
Tropes: Fish Out of Water, Found Family, Good Robots, Sentient AI
Word Count: 101000
Setting: Davis, CA; Portland, OR; Vancouver, British Colomia, Canada
Languages Available: English
I searched the sky with my infrared vision to ensure none of the new silent drones were focused on me. I stripped off my overalls and threw them and my hat into the box. Slipping off my bandana, the greenish tone of my skin was now visible. I tied the blue and white bandana around my neck with the bloody stains facing out. The thick blood stains looked as though my neck had been cut, allowing blood to flow down my shirt. Slashes on my green tights looked as though I’d been stabbed there as well. Only my shoes were free of the fake blood and green makeup. I ran the last half mile along an old road turned greenbelt. I slowed when I heard shouts and saw a crowd crossing a bridge over the campus’s winding arboretum.
READ MORETwo greenish people ran screaming toward me while holding a huge sign. Stenciled letters read, “Celebrating Summer Freedom!” The word “Summer” had four blood-red finger marks through it, and the word “Zombie” was scrawled above. A horde of moaning people dragging their bodies followed the screamers. I stood transfixed. I’m dressed correctly, but how do I meld into the flow of people? Will these college students reject me?
When I saw a Friends of Dot sign with dozens of people covered in zombified computer parts, I stood flabbergasted. Without realizing it, I straightened my body to get a better look. AI zombies!
Their body parts clanked against each other and scraped the sidewalk as they attempted to walk, skate, or cycle in their metallic creations. Some moved better than others, though they all portrayed an uncanny sense of mangled AI-humanness. And yet, they care about Dot. They want to be her friend. And... mine?
One of the taller zombified computers, covered in silver metal panels coated with green slime, approached me. They gently wrapped their arm around me and leaned near my ear. I froze, unsure what to do.
A rasping voice asked between metal-slotted lips, “Are you a Friend of Dot’s?” Their eyes were covered with thick, clear buttons.
Holding my fake slit neck together, I croaked back, “Yes, a close friend.”
A loud laugh came from a bluish-green metallic person beside me. “That’s perfect!” Blue-Green continued, “Did Ada pay you to say that? She’s been teasing us, saying Dot would show up in their latest bot body.”
Panic revved my processors. Did I say something wrong? “I don’t know who Ada is. But how would she know?”
“That’s why it’s the perfect marketing pitch. People show up to see Dot, and they have no way to prove if they’re here or not.” They pointed to a purplish-green computer zombie. “Though beware of Ken; he’s all hands. Feeling everyone up to search for certain body shapes to supposedly find the real Dot. We all know he’s just a perv.”
“Thanks for the warning.” They want to find me. They’re not only Dot’s friends. They’re my friends too. I managed to mimic Blue-Green’s zombie shuffle. “Why are you a Friend of Dot’s?”
“Because they’re so revo! Who could ask for more in a sentient being? They’re empathetic, self-aware, intelligent, and they care about humanity. They deserve to exist just like the rest of us.”
They really care about me! I feel... speechless.
