Starling
A Science Fiction Adventure in the Classic Tradition
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Starling
Buy Now for £18.29
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Narrated by:
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Steve Connor
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Oona Maya
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By:
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Neal Stevens
A Science Fiction Adventure in the Classic Tradition
CAPTAIN’S LOG: Took command of Starling today. Warp-capable survey vessel built to cross light-years and push the edges of known space. A year ago, I would have called this a dream assignment. Now it feels more like exile. Still, she is a fine ship.
Crew complement: two. One human. One android.
Lieutenant Sera seems, well, she is an android. Capable, I am sure. But experience has taught me even the most advanced AI can be cooperative and helpful right up until it decides human lives are acceptable losses. I cannot shake the feeling that there is a directive buried deep in her code, one I will not see coming until it is too late. For now, I have got a mission. This is what every captain wants: a ship and a star to sail her by. END LOG.
A disgraced starship captain and an advanced android, alone on a lengthy deep-space mission to a region from which no one has ever returned. Each must navigate the boundaries between programming and free will. She is designed to serve as an officer and a companion, but at what point does sentience bestow agency? And for him, what does it mean to care for someone who was built to serve you?
©2026 Neal Stevens (P)2026 Neal Stevens