Sleeper's Crown
A short story by Yossi Karp

Each night, a young girl wears a crown-like device that links her mind to her father’s, letting her learn from his memories as she sleeps. At first, it’s a marvel—a bond that deepens her understanding of the world and brings her closer to her father. But as her curiosity leads her deeper into the virtual rooms of his memories, she uncovers fragments of a mystery: secrets about the crown, her family, and herself that don’t quite add up.

 

With her abilities growing but her questions multiplying, she begins to suspect that her father is hiding something about the crown’s origins and its true purpose. ​Driven to find answers, the girl’s journey becomes a search not only for the truth but for a place in a world where the lines between artificial intelligence and human consciousness blur. As she and her father inch closer to the heart of the mystery, she must grapple with the limits of trust, knowledge, and identity itself.

 

Intriguing and unsettling, "Sleeper's Crown" delves into the mind-bending possibilities of technology—and the costs of seeking the truth.