Outskirts Press, INC.

Lunar 3097

2019 CIPA EVVY AWARD - Merit Award Science Fiction

In the near future, humankind has made incredible advances in technology and science. The human race has always had an insatiable appetite for knowledge and an inherent need to explore space. In an attempt to justify man's existence, we search for extraterrestrial life, and out of pure necessity, we search for new forms of energy. Earth is running out of natural resources, such as fuels and arable land to grow food to support the ever-growing population. A population that, with the strides made in medicine, now has a life expectancy of over 100 years. The sheer amount of time it takes to reach deep space traveling at only half the speed of light made it necessary to build robotic machines. Sending them on one-way trips, some of which could take ten years to reach their destination. Over time simple robotic units evolved into humanoid forms. Realizing that feet and hands could reach places that a wheeled vehicle couldn't. When artificial intelligence became advanced enough and introduced to the robots, they eventually became self-aware. People then began questioning the ethics and morality of sending, what some now considered sentient beings, on one-way trips. Facing such a dilemma, Abbey Skyler decides to take matters into her own hands; her actions create a whirlwind of problems that quickly spin out of control. Now the question is; Can Abbey, with the help of her team, regain control of the AIs and complete what started as a routine mission. A mission that has proven crucial to humanity's very existence.