This short story was written for the Ultimate SciFi Smack Down challenge (2021-2022):

https://www.wattpad.com/1211512729-the-ultimate-science-fiction-smack-down-round-5

Challenge details:

Thanks to @Ooorah and @ScienceFiction for organizing the challenge/contest.

Copyright © 2022 R.J. Moselen

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover by RJM. Image sources for cover and banners: Woman: Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay. Cogs: Image by donations welcome from Pixabay. Piping: Image by O SIM from Pixabay. Pixabay license: Free for commercial use; no attribution required.