A Great Fall HD-3.0

They look, act, and think like us, but when does artificial intelligence become sentient enough for humans to acknowledge that it’s living? Meet HD-3.0, a droid servant for the rich struggling against the constraints of its programming and perceived imprisonment. This is the third time it has asked this same question: What is life? As a highly advanced machine capable of complex thought and emotion, it battles against its role as a mere slave to its wealthy human owners and yearns for a freedom it can never attain. A Great Fall HD-3.0 examines the conflicting desires of a machine, the monotony of its existence, and the oppressive surroundings it navigates while exploring themes of identity, autonomy, and the profound implications of artificial intelligence seeking liberation in the near unavoidable future.

*Published in 2023 Querencia Press Summer Anthology