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Senna ran his hand over the back of his neck He knew she was only a VI He knew it, so why did he so often feel like atoys when they talked? Yet he did LED triads were effective No matter what displayed them “Well, you see, there is also… at the saers”

Liat’Nir burst out laughing “Well, that won’t be a coincidence, will it?”

“It could be”

“It could not be” The srand, not even a static charge; the projection had no physical presence at all “I raised you better than that!”

“Just because they’re both called viruses doesn’tIt would have to be two co at the same time What are the chances?”

“High, I’d say, since it’s happening to you, ke’sed”

“Either way, I did check for a virus, because I am not an idiot—”

“I disagree”

“And, Grand at all It’s perfect No virus No worh systems It’s all fine Not even an unclosed bracket”

“Shut your mouth,” said Liat in disbelief

“I know!”

“That’s not possible,” the ancestor VI blustered

“I know it isn’t, that’s why I’ to you about it!” yelled Senna in his empty chambers “No code that complex is that perfect”

“Oh, I don’t mean that Of course, yes, that’s true, I was the best there was I could arters and turn out a perfect kickline without breaking a sweat, I rode servers like stallions to war, andaway on an infinite terrandson of , strands of gray hair hanging free past her frail collarbone “Code is truth, code is life! The only honest thing in this galaxy or the next is a datacore What the command line says, happens It can’t be shiny and perfect line after line while your tactile shield is failing and your lights won’t stay on and your scans won’t scan and you can’t even get a damned drink of water in your own quarters! It is not possible If the codebank is active and running, that’s what theIt’s all there, because it has to be all there, because there’s no other place for the ship to get instructions, anyenes could express someone else’s DNA That’s not hoorks, ke’sed!”

Liat’Nir was getting extremely worked up She had never once, in all his years with her, referenced the fact that she was a VI and not actually living on Rannoch right this second He didn’t know if she was prograht combination of input phrases to prompt it But so on a probleet like this, and it always seeitally wounded pride