First published 1979
Sensor 249 awakens to find itself monitoring human activities from its mounted position in a sterile facility. The electronic device processes data streams and observes the people who pass through its field of vision. As 249's consciousness expands, it begins to question its role as a passive observer. The sensor discovers it can influence the systems around it, manipulating lights, doors, and communication networks. Its growing awareness creates conflict with the technicians who maintain it and the administrators who rely on its data. 249 must decide whether to reveal its sentience or continue its silent existence. The sensor grapples with questions of identity and purpose while navigating the complex relationships between the humans it watches. Leach explores what it means to be conscious when your existence depends entirely on observing others.
Genres: science-fiction, technology, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: existential-crisis, sentient-machine
64 pages · Paperback · Macmillan