THE INFINITY PARTICLE

AI and human meet—and love blossoms.

Clementine Chang has been working with her SENA, or Sentient Emphatic Neurobonded Animatronic, a small robot companion, since she was a child. Now, she has finally landed a job with the famed Dr. Lin and moved to Mars. It’s a dream come true for Clementine, especially when she meets Kye, Dr. Lin’s assistant, who was custom built in the shape of an attractive young human man. Clementine relishes the opportunity to work with this sort of technology and use it to help others. While Dr. Lin might not live up to all of Clementine’s expectations, she can’t help but be drawn to Kye, sensing a similarity between them. When Kye reveals that he needs her help, Clementine and SENA readily agree. A hopeful future incorporating both technology and heart is depicted through clean, simple panels in blue and pink that expressively impart not only Clementine’s thoughts and emotions, but also a sense of warmth and undeniable cuteness inherent in Clementine’s world. Some darker themes are threaded throughout the story, but ultimately, it seems, good will prevail. Clementine’s surname implies Chinese descent, and Kye’s dashing appearance is reminiscent of Chinese dramas. They live in a vibrant, clearly East Asian–influenced world.

A delightful tale that brings optimism back to science fiction.