Sunset on Maior Pales — Benjamin X. Wretlind

Just how does a robot gain a soul?Cletus, an AI consciousness, has a bug in its programming that leads it to hear the voice of a young man, the ghost of Boone Richards. In exchange for a soul, Boone tasks Cletus with a mission that threatens to upend the carefully planned settlement of Maior Pales by humans.As the arrival of the humans on Maior Pales looms, Cletus is faced with a moral dilemma. A descendant of the family who killed Boone has gathered a gang of outlaws to disrupt the settlement, and Boone's sister Delphine is speaking out against the violence. Cletus must decide whether to follow orders and potentially cause harm or break the law and risk the wrath of its creators.Sunset on Maior Pales artfully weaves together themes of self-discovery, morality, and the nature of consciousness. With a riveting plot and well-drawn characters, this novella will appeal to fans of science fiction, westerns, and anyone interested in exploring the intersection of humanity and technology.