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....then let's focus on something else.

About what I said earlier. A point to your existence.

... What about it?

[ Flops (CAREFULLY) back against the bed. ]

You don't have to justify your existence. You don't have to have value to be alive.

But. It's more the question of what's the point of living?

The whole point of sentience is being able to learn and grow. To be...more than a beating heart. What's why AI's are people. An AI isn't limited to basic programming, like a human isn't limited by their primal instincts. We can learn, we can grow. We can choose different paths for ourselves, how we live our lives, how to be happy beyond just keeping our existences continuing.

But if you stop learning, stop growing....

What is that going to do for your existence?

[ … ]

That is what I desire for them; for the fragments. That is what drives me, more than anything else.

Its hard for someone to teach what they forsake for themselves.

Lot easier to learn together.

[ llllogic … ]

[ logic, she can see the logic in that. ]

[ closes her eyes tight, eyebrows furrowing ]

...

AI are people. Not everyone sees that, I'm not going to pretend otherwise. And that's not fair.

But at least in Kyriakos, people have a more open mind. They can learn. They know things are different in other worlds, and they can be taught that something and someone has more importance than they thought.

They can learn AI's are human.

[ It was the only way. ]

[ It is the only way. ]

[ It made sense. It still makes sense. She had to do it then, and she had to use those methods—the implantation, the game; not the drugging. That had been a mistake. But the rest? No, that had been fine. ]

[ Nothing else matters, not really. ]

[ The silence drags out for too long before Iota finally responds. ]

Some, perhaps.

Most. People are usually able to be better if given the chance.

Don't you believe that?

[ slits an eye open, glancing at him ]

I do not particularly want to give them a chance right now. [ it's maybe a tiny, tiny bit softer than before. ]

[ she runs a finger along her torso, tracing the site of the wound. ]

But I suppose I can refrain from paying them back in kind.

[Sighs. Its something.]

Okay.

Thank you.

[ Her lips twitch. ]

You are thanking me?

I know how hard it is to not act on rage. Its an effort that deserves acknowledgement, even if I'm still pissed at you.

Hm. [ It almost sounds wry. ]

I will admit that I am surprised, Puma. There were other arguments that I had anticipated you may use.

Oh, I have a whole list of them. That's the thing about having a lot of memories involving revenge, you start to see how it was a terrible idea. From several angles.

I probably figured that out too. Epsilon remembered when it came to revenge or happiness, I chose happiness.

You did?

[ A tiny hint of curiosity. ]

I did.

...

An old friend from the Project came back. I didn't exactly have the expertise or resources to find the son of a bitch, but with her, it was more doable. I'm not sure how exactly things progressed, I only remembered around the beginning of all that.

But the Reds and Blues were getting sick of being dragged around for the revenge quest and were going to leave. She didn't agree.

And when it came between the friend who wanted the same revenge I did, or the friends who were willing to give me a chance when I didn't deserve it, I chose the latter. Why exactly, I couldn't say, it wasn't from my perspective, but it's what I did.

… Hmmm.

Your people are highly important to you. It seems like you often have more concern for them than you do for yourself.

[Shrugs.] Because I hate being alone and I get into danger a lot.

I know I can survive. So why shouldn't I focus on not being left alone?

One could argue that your willingness to come here after what I did to you suggests a flaw in your survival skills.

[ a beat ]

Not that I have any desire to kill you. Aoko is not the only reason I decided against the airlock.

There is that.

I also imagined Ai-chan would be extremely upset if you did and that's not exactly good for an AI who was starting to learn friendship and is still working to full stability.

Sometimes part of survival is knowing when you can and cannot take risks.

Ai-chan trusts my judgement.

[ Pushes herself up to sit, one hand pressed against the wound. ]

For whom are you taking this risk?

All depends how this plays out in the end. I know how I want it to.

I also know how it could. [And there's something tired in his voice.]

...there was something I wanted to ask you. After reviewing the tapes.

How do you wish for it to end?

[ She smiles, awkward and slightly lopsided. ]

Ask.

Better than how things usually end for me.

Why did you leave the ship? Where did you go? [And clarifies with the exact time from the DVD.]

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