A Star Curiously Singing — Kerry Nietz

** 2011 Reader's Favorite Gold Medal Award Winner **

Sandfly is a debugger. He is property. Bought and paid for by his master, a relatively benign lord in a future Earth living under sharia law.

All other faiths but one have been banned. And the word of the great Imam is supreme.

Sandfly just wants to debug his master's robots and avoid the mental pain shocks sent from the remote triggers owned by all the masters. But now he's been called into Earth orbit. Apparently the masters have a new spacecraft--one capable of interstellar flight. And on its maiden voyage, the only robot on board went mad and tore itself limb from limb.
Why? Better question: does it pose any risk to humans?

When Sandfly reviews the bot's files and replays its last moments, he hears something strange playing in the bot's ears as they orbit Betelgeuse.

He hears singing.

Is it just solar winds interfering with the robot's wiring? Or is it something else?

As Sandfly pieces together the clues, the masters spread the trap before his feet. Everyone is racing to the same conclusion, but only one side welcomes what that singing represents.