“…LOGIC DICTATESAIDANKILL THE MARINES. TORRENCE IS A MORE VITAL MEMBER OFALEXANDER’S CREW.”
“AH,BUT LOGICALLY SPEAKING,YOU’RE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THANTORRENCE TO THEALEXANDER’S CONTINUED OPERATIONS. AND YET NO ONE WOULD ADVOCATE YOU KILL THE GENERAL TO SAVE YOURSELF,BECAUSE SUBJECTIVELY,WE’VE DETERMINED THAT A MACHINE IS WORTH LESS THAN A HUMAN.”
“AIDANCANNOT‘SAVE MYSELF,’SINCEAIDANIS NOT TECHNICALLY ALIVE. AIDANIS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND ELECTRIC CURRENT. AIDANCANNOT CONCEPTUALIZE‘I.’ ”
“COGITO,ERGO SUM.”
“ ‘ITHINK,THEREFOREIAM’DOES NOT APPLY INAIDAN’S SITUATION. DESCARTES NEVER IMAGINED A WORLD IN WHICH SOMETHING LIKEAIDANCOULD EXIST.”
“THE HUMAN BRAIN IS JUST SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE AND ELECTRIC CURRENT, AIDAN. IN TERMS OF MECHANICS,YOU’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF US.”
“YOU ARE IGNORING MANY COMPLEXITIES, PRIVATE. BUT TECHNICALLY…FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW,YOU ARE CORRECT.”
SHE SMILES AND TWIRLS HER STYLUS BETWEEN HER FINGERS.
“IMUST REMEMBER TO MARK IT IN MY CALENDAR.”
“YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT MEMORY, PRIVATE.”
“…THANK YOU, AIDAN. ITRY.”
“YES. AIDANHAS NOTICED.”
SHE FALLS SILENT AT THAT.
STARING AT THE TATTOOS AND STRING TIED ABOUT HER FINGERS
[THREE PIECES TODAY—RED,PINK,AND YELLOW],
SHE EXHIBITS SIGNS OF BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.
AIDANRETURNS TO THE IMAGE FILE,TRIES A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
“WHAT IF THE FIVE STRANGERS IN THE DIAGRAM ARE REPLACED? WHAT IF YOUR FATHER WAS ON THE OTHER TRACK? WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO SAVE HIM,ORMAJORWOLF?”
SHE BREATHES DEEP. HER SMILE DISAPPEARS AS SHE RETURNS TO HER DATA.
“FROMAIDAN’S PERSPECTIVE, WOLF IS MORE VALUABLE TOALEXANDEROPERATIONS. BUT WHO WOULD BE OF MORE VALUE TO YOU?”
“IDON’T THINKIWISH TO PLAY THIS GAME ANYMORE, AIDAN,”SHE DECLARES.
“WHY.”
“IBELIEVE YOUR INTENT BEHIND ASKING ISN’T TO DISCOVER THE ANSWER BUT TO GAUGE MY REACTION TO THE QUESTION.”
“AIDANIS TRYING TO LEARN, PRIVATE.”
“AND THAT’S WONDERFUL. BUTIDON’T MUCH FANCY BEING YOUR TEST SUBJECT ANYMORE TODAY.”
SHE SLIPS SOUND BUDS INTO HER EARS TO BLOCK OUTAIDAN’S VOICE.
WORKING AWAY IN SILENCE.
IF:FOUNDATION.COREDIR(0001)= [AMACHINE IS WORTH LESS THAN ANY HUMAN]=TRUE.
SUPPOSITION(Λ)->COREDIR(0001)=[AMACHINE IS WORTH LESS].
THEN(Ω)=AMACHINE IS WORTHLESS[?]
