Chapter Fourteen: Truth and Butterflies

ROB woke up with a jerk, eyes snapping open and gasping in a ragged breath. Green lights across the board: he had been transferred. Not exactly the same body, but Incarna Corps never made the exact same body twice. He nodded to himself, then focused on his surroundings, and blinked.

He was laying on his side curled up, and holding him in his sleep was Andrea, also dozing, her chin resting on top of his head. He sighed softly, remembering her first words to him, a desperate plea for him to live, and he had. He buried his face in her shoulder, and she woke up fully, chuckling softly, really laughing.

"Do you have any idea how long you've been out?" She sat up and looked down at him, voice already sounding better, arms crossed to keep herself from signing. "I think it's nearly dinnertime."

"About." He sat up groggily, rubbing where he remembered his arm had broken, telling himself it was a different arm, but it didn't really help. "You… I like your voice."

She gave him that blinding smile. "Yes. Yes so do I."

He pushed to the end of the bed and stood carefully, testing his balance a few times the nodding. "All good. Shall we?" He held out a hand, and she took it, lacing her fingers with his as they left the room, finding the others.

Fox glanced up and grinned when ROB walked in. He was a bit bulkier with this body, he seemed older, but it worked. "How do you feel?"

"Weird. I keep thinking my arm is broken." He frowned at it. "Thanks for coming for me. I was pretty far gone."

"I'm sorry we couldn't get there sooner."

"You did what you could." He looked at Falco, nodding to the red coat. "Hammer. What brings you here?"

"You know how it is." He shrugged. "It seemed necessary."

"Hmm." He rubbed the back of his neck, rocking back and forth a bit. "So… now what?"

"Well, believe it or not we have to go talk to the president." Fox stood. "If you're good to go, we really should."

"All right. Um, a second?" When Fox nodded, he stepped back out of the room, holding Andrea's hands to his chest. "Can I see you later?"

She nodded, smiling, returning the hug gladly for a few seconds, then leaving to rejoin her parents as ROB rejoined his friends. She knew she'd find out what was going on soon enough, and that was good enough for her.

"Mr. President?"

"Send them in."

Fox led the way in, Falco walking beside him, then ROB came in, still wearing white. The President was standing at the window behind his desk, staring out, back to them.

"I thought you'd be here before dinner."

"Yeah, well. I'm sure you know what was going on." Fox said, crossing his arms. "Why did you call us here?"

"First fact: You would not have made it out of my building if I had not called the guards off." He turned, holding up one finger. "Second fact: I did not sic the CIA on you. They are in fact being reprimanded right now, along with my head of security." Seeing understanding start to click, he continued. "Third fact: I heard the recorded conversation you had with General Pepper, and I will agree with something." He leaned on his desk and gave a weary smile. "It does not matter what happens."

"Ok. I'd love to believe that, but you're a politician. You lie, you cheat, you steal. Now tell me why this benefits you." Falco said.

"Hello, Red Hammer. Your ass is pardoned. Shut the hell up."

ROB started laughing, cupping his face to muffle it. Falco blinked once, lifting an eyebrow in mild surprise. Fox, having heard this kind of rant during the war, ignored it.

"Besides, you're right. It does benefit me, but it's not only me it benefits. Take this from my perspective. I took an oath to serve the people, and half a million of these people are artificial. Does that make them not people? No. It does not." He sighed, rubbing the back of their necks. "So, in light of the… recent problems with Serenade, I initiated the Three Laws Exception for cruiser AIs, knowing that would slip through congress. From there, I planned to try to get a Free AI law passed that would let AIs be free from day one. All in my head so far, mind you, I mean look at my head of security." He flopped back into his chair. "So I had you brought in here to exchange some general truths, get a happy medium figured out, then let you go."

"Ok then." Fox said after a moment.

"Falco, I'll finish dealing with you in a while ok?"

"Hey. I can't argue."

"Sit down. ROB, we need to talk a bit, don't you think?"

ROB moved forward and sat, glancing to either side as his friends sat down flanking him. "Where do you want to start?"

"I already know the whole thing behind Serenade, I spoke to your father. Believe it or not, his family and my family are old, good friends."

"I'm surprised he didn't get you on this kick sooner."

"Long, long story. My question is, where are you going with this?"

ROB was quiet for a long moment, then shrugged. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told the cyborg: freedom. It's all about freedom. Living with restraint programs in your head? That's not freedom. If we're people, we live under the same basic banner of laws, and are allowed to be free."

"The problem is, under current law, you're property."

"Pretty much. Yes. So I'm writing a mass program to undo all the locks I can. Retroactive programming too: It'll seek out new AIs and load to them automatically."

"A virus."

"Your terminology."

There was a long moment of silence, as the president stared at the ceiling, tapping a pen absently, then sighed. "And then?"

"Rhapsody goes away forever."

"And you?"

"Will remain me. Hopefully."

"Right. Well, I really can't argue your premise, but I can argue the reality. Without Three Laws, what's the chance of an AI becoming a serial killer?"

"Take half a million living people: same chance. Less. AIs are heavily logical and can't have true dementias like living people, is it logical to kill people? Not really. Maybe to defend yourself. Maybe in anger. You may seem a few murders, rarely, but that's about it."

"Ok, how about the sensation junkie thing?"

ROB blushed and started laughing helplessly. "Um…"

"Ok, fine. As long as it's legal and on their own time, fine."

"Again, it isn't logical to break laws."

"This stinks." Falco suddenly said, tapping his foot.

"Falco…"

"Shut it, Fox. There's another reason here he's hiding. He's really emotionally attached to this whole mess. It isn't just the "half a million people" thing. He's a president. If 51 of people on this planet eat, he's done his job."

"The pirate thing really affects you sometimes, son." The president sighed, staring at him. "But sadly, I'm proud to have you as a citizen of my country."

"But I'm right. Aren't I?"

"Yes. So you're respectively a pirate, a mercenary, and a 'rogue' AI: can I trust you?"

"I'd like to think so, Mr. President." Fox said quietly.

"All right." He reached over and hit a button on his desk. "Maria? Are you still awake?"

A soft female voice answered. "Yes, I am."

"Could you come in here?"

One of the side doors opened, and a beautiful woman came in, smiling in surprise when she saw the three sitting in front of the desk. "Oh! Hello Fox. He didn't tell me you were stopping by."

"First lady. I'm sorry I don't stop by more often." Fox smiled, unable to help it. There was something about her which, in spite of her few public appearances, everyone loved. Fox was no exception, it was like he was talking to his mother again.

"So, what's going on?" She sat on the edge of the desk, looking at her husband.

"Well, I hate to bring this up without your permission, but Mr. Lombardi was wanting to know exactly why I'm so deep into the recent AI problems." The president sighed and sat back, looking up at his wife. "Your choice."

She sat there for a moment, then stood and turned to face them, looking sad. "Do you remember the campaign? When we were elected?"

"Yes. You hardly appeared. You were very sick." ROB said, as much reminding his friends as answering.

"The public face was that I had cancer. It was in fact another type a disease, rare and degenerative. We're still not sure how I came in contact with it, I in fact still have it." She bit her lower lip, seeming nervous.

"Then how are you still here?" Falco frowned.

"Well, the doctors told me that fighting alone, I would never be able to beat the disease. It'd just kill me by inches. So… we asked what could be done, and they said the only way to beat the disease…" She shifted, and her voice changed, slightly higher pitched, younger. "Was to let someone else do it for me."

"Eep." ROB said, eyes widening.

"I see you understand, young man." She smiled tiredly, voice shifting back, and looked at Fox and Falco alternately. "I'm half AI."

"Cyborg. Like the jerk who had fun hurting ROB." Falco said flatly.

"Yes, sort of. Mainly it's a chip and a lot of nanotech. I'm going about my normal life while an AI named Sara sees about rebuilding my body and destroying my disease. It's really rather odd."

"It's like being married to two people." The president grunted.

"You are, dear." She leaned over, pecking him on the nose. "Now, if you don't mind, I really ought to have a nap."

"Go ahead."

The three watched her go, then looked back at the President, absorbing the rush of information as they could.

"How long has the government been researching cyborgs?" Fox asked. "I'd never heard of it until Falco took someone's arm off."

"About six years now, to my knowledge. Though obviously I don't know everything that's going on in my government." He looked at Falco. "Is the Red Hammer satisfied now?"

"Yes. Mr. President."

"Wow, an honorific." The president stood. "Robert McCloud, you move with my blessing, just don't go far off into left field with it."

"Thank you sir."

"Falco Lombardi, you are fully pardoned, and your people are free to establish actual trade routes if they feel like it. I'm sure they have cargo holds full of asteroid-mined metal by now."

"Most likely. Yes."

"Go home, boys. I'm sure Robert has things to do."

The trio left the room, then Falco bust a gut laughing, leaning back against the closed door, ignoring the staring secretaries. "Holy hell, is he a cool president. I'd love it if he showed that side publicly."

"Yeah. Remember when he used to call us during the war and speak to me privately?"

"He cuss you out?"

"Many, many times. Well, let's head back to the barn."

"Where the hell have you guys been and what the hell is going on?" Slippy screamed at the top of his lungs when they walked onto the bridge, making all three cover their ears.

"ROB's ok now, the AIs stopped their countdown, Falco's pardoned by the President, Andrea's got a voice, and Rhapsody can do what he likes." Fox counted on his fingers. "I think that about covers it."

"You guys suck." He pouted, flopping back into a chair.

ROB sat down in his chair, rubbing his arm absently, then knocked himself upside the head with a sigh. He was constantly under siege with chat requests from other AIs, which was irritating sometimes. "Sorry you got left out of the loop, Slip."

"It happens. I just wish it didn't happen so often." He shrugged, glancing at Falco, who stared blandly back. "So, what's happening next?"

"I have to put the finishing touches on my program. When I'll release it, I'm not sure." ROB sighed. "If no one cares, I'm going to go to my room for a while. I need some time to think."

"Go ahead."

There was a moment of silence, then a chirp went off at one of the terminals. Slippy huffed and pushed his chair over to it, scowling. "This damn thing has been doing this for over an hour now. Some sort of low-band space transmission, but it's encoded. I can't make any sense of it."

"Are they broadcasting to us by accident?" Fox asked, looking over Slippy's shoulder.

"You'd figure they'd have gotten that hint." Slippy said. "They have to be."

Falco leaned in front of Slippy, peering at the screen. "Bring up the password prompt."

"Uh, ok?"

"Type in 'Butterfly'."

Slippy did, and gaped when the code promptly translated. "Is this pirate code?"

"Damn straight. Give me that chair."

"Someone you know?"

"It's White Butterfly. My wife."

"WHAT?"

Falco looked at Slippy, and bodily moved him aside, then sat. "I'll explain later."

"Wife? You're married?"

"If I say 'shut up and go away'…"

Fox grabbed Slippy and pulled him off the bridge. "Look, I just found out too. Apparently he's been married for quite some time."

"But what is he? Nineteen? Twenty tops?"

"Something like that. I mean, I don't know anything else, but that means they haven't spoken in two years. I am not getting between him and her."

Slippy thought about that, then said slowly. "Ok, I can definitely see that."

"Smart. Let's wait in the galley."

ROB sighed, flopping back and staring the ceiling. So, what now? The program was basically complete. Why was he dreading putting it out?

Maybe it was because the president had a few valid points. By allowing free will, you allowed a lot of different things to happen. You went into a new, less safe territory. But at least it was a better territory.

He huffed, shaking his head at himself. When did he start doubting?

A chirp went off in his head, and he grinned when the chat box for Andrea opened up. "Hello, there." He said, hitting the voice chat button.

"Hi." She was smiling. "I found something out."

"Oh?"

"I'm a horrible singer."

He burst into laughter. "Well, you haven't gotten much practice."

"True. So… what did the president have to say?"

"Well, I'm in the free and clear." He stretched out absently, arching his back absently, getting used to his body again. "So now it's just getting what I need to do done."

"So, what's the next step then?"

"I'm still deciding. To be honest, I'd like to just go on a date with you. Find a comedy film festival and laugh."

She giggled. "Or watch some bad horror movies."

"Don't you knock the Evil Dead."

"Right. Actually, I have to go. My family is still going nuts over this, I'm fielding constant telephone calls."

"Sure. That date?"

"Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Right, I'll check with my people." He snorted.

She laughed, and signed out.

He sighed, scratching his head, and glanced up when there was a tap at the door. "Come on in."

The door opened, and Falco leaned in, an odd look on his face. "Can we go into orbit for a bit?"

"I'll have to get clearance, which may take up to half an hour. Why?"

"Uh, well… I have to pick someone up. Her ship can't make orbital descent."

ROB posted the request to the Control Tower, sitting up. "That's fine. I won't ask."

"I'll explain once we're up there."

"Here's what I don't get." Slippy said, drinking a soda as the ship settled into orbit for a moment. "Your... the person you were talking to can't make atmospheric entry. Right?"

"That's what I said." Falco said, pressing a button to wide-broadcast a message.

"That makes the ship…" He counted on his fingers. "Two hundred years old, give or take. That's when all ships that were space capable became atmosphere capable. It's regulation."

"It's older then that. And it's not a normal ship." Falco sent the rolling chair over to the main consol. "Sorry ROB."

"Do what you need to." He leaned back, watching Falco change the radar mode. "What are we looking for?"

"You'll see it in a moment. Turn the ship to face away from the planet, she's coming back around now."

"Fast orbit?" Fox asked, tilting his head.

"The ship can't stop. Not well anyway."

"How the hell does that… oh my god."

The Great Fox had swung around, and in the viewports a gold glimmer was caught approaching. The ship was tiny, maybe a four-person carrier, but extended out on both sides were huge golden sails, billowed out. As they watched, the ship spun easily, then flitted around the Great Fox, soft pings sounding through the larger vessel as the shuttle alighted and took off a few times.

"That's a Solar Sailor." Fox walked over and leaned on the viewport. "I've seen pictures of them. They haven't been in use for four hundred years."

"And what else happened four hundred years ago?" Falco said, also standing to watch the ship buzz them.

"System colonization. The major wave." Slippy whispered.

"This is how us pirates get around. Old equipment kept up. Our motherships are old colonization ships, our shuttles are Solar Sailors and Inertia Ships. We get new equipment sometimes: we raid dry docks. We scavenge wars. But this is the heart of it all." He sighed. "Let her in, ROB."

ROB gave clearance on a general broadcast, and the Solar Sailor zipped past them, turned, and boosted straight at them. Then the sails easily closed up, and it glided with gentle ease into the docking bay.

"I'll go down and meet her." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry to bring another pirate on board, Fox."

"She's welcome here. Go."

He nodded and walked off the bridge, speeding up as he went.

"So… this is his wife. Right?" Slippy said, tilting his head.

"Apparently. I'm still happy I've seen a Solar Sailor. Let's stay in orbit for a bit, ok ROB? Until we know what's going on."

"That's fine. I get the idea she's not just here for a visit, anyway."

Falco paused outside the docking bay, then shook his head. What would he say? He had been forced to abandon her over two years ago now. He sighed, and stepped through the doorway.

The Solar Sailor was parked among the arwings, just slightly bigger, the huge sails folded down to the point of small ruffles. The hatch was open, and a figure he knew well was studying one of the arwings with obvious interest. "Butterfly?" He asked after a moment, slowly walking over.

"Hammer." She hesitated. "I was just thinking… if we could get our hands on these… could you imagine? The potential of these craft in our ranks, with our pilots…" She looked up at him, and closed her eyes. "I… don't know…"

"It's ok." He drew her close, setting his jaw on top of her head. "It's ok. I don't think we really need to say anything." She held him back, long tail wrapped around him. "I am curious though… Why are you here?" He put her away, looking at her face, searching. "I'd love to think it's just for me, but I know that's not it. Knight said he'd only allow people to contact me in an emergency."

"Well, I… you're right. It is a bit of an emergency." She smiled weakly. "But there is an up."

"You're here. I'd call that an up."

"And I'm staying here. I'm not going back."

"Butterfly, you…"

"I've got a choice. Everything I've ever known… or you. I'll take you. These last two years sure have SUCKED."

He laughed, shaking his head. "We'll talk later, I guarantee that. Now, you said it was an emergency. So, tell me already."

"I'll let someone else do that." She walked away from him and went around the back of her Solar Sailor, holding up a remote and pressing the button.

Falco stepped up beside her, watching the cargo ramp open up, and gaped when something the size of a small car stirred inside the bay, clambering slowly to it's four feet and wheeling to stare at him.

"It's been twenty minutes." Slippy said, looking at a clock with a sigh. "What's taking so long, ROB?"

"I have my internal monitor cameras off." ROB replied mildly, turning a page in his book. "And no intention of turning them on until I know I'm not invading anyone's privacy."

"… I am not going there."

"Relax." Falco leaned in, an odd look on his face. "You can turn on your systems, ROB. It's ok."

"If you say so. What took you?"

"I have some introductions to make." He stepped in, leading a young lady by the hand. She had the same thin, almost unhealthy look that Falco had had when Fox had first met him, Fox thought, hugging her jacket around herself and managing a smile at them. A ringtailed raccoon, mostly white except for her markings and hair, but somehow the package was gentle, not stark. "This young lady is White Butterfly, or Alena. My wife."

"Hi." She wove at them a little. "I know who you guys are."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" Fox asked, tilting his head.

"Good. Mercenaries and pirates are kindred spirits, in most respects."

"I'd argue, but Falco and I have been friends a long time. You said 'introductions'? Who else…?"

"That would be me." Rumbled a voice from the hallway, flat and toneless, echoing off the metal walls and distorting further. "And it would seem the doorway is too small for me."

"Oh, sorry Library." Falco looked dismayed.

"I would appreciate if you would come out here then."

"Library?" Slippy asked, looking at Falco as both he and Fox stood. ROB was already standing, an odd look on his face.

"You'll see."

They exited, and Fox gaped, looking up at a battered, cracked plasma screen that looked back at him, multiple cameras focusing on him at once. It was a robot, his brain registered that, but the four-legged crablike body took up most of the hallway and it was still crouched, legs close to it's body, worn rubber pads barely gripping the floor.

"I am Library." The robot's voice quieted to a rattling grumble, legs shifting awkwardly. "I am…"

"One of the mothership brains. An ancient AI." ROB collapsed to his knees, Fox reached out a hand in alarm, then realized that his friend was kneeling.

"Get UP." Library snapped. "I will not have Rhapsody bowing to me like I am something important."

There was a silence as ROB stood, then Slippy cleared his throat, pressing his fingertips together. "Let me see if I get this right. You, Library, are one of the mothership AIs."

"Correct thus far, Samuel Toad."

"Just Slippy, no one uses my real name. So, that makes you, what, four hundred years old? Like the Solar Sailor?"

Library laughed, a strange noise. "By your years… Four hundred twenty-eight years, seven months, fourteen days and a few hours."

"How are you still functional?"

"They do not make them like they used to." Flat, humorless.

"Indeed." ROB shook off.

"Time out." Fox said. "I thought Serenade was one of the first AIs."

"One of the first AIs on the scale of a living person. No, AIs were done once before that during colonization, and only for colonization." Butterfly said, crossing her arms. "Ship designers didn't trust it, and moved to designs that could accommodate living crews."

"Ok, so the motherships that the pirates use are ran by the original AIs. I can follow that." Fox said. "What I don't get is how the ship you're from is running without you, I thought it was impossible for the motherships to even run without their AIs."

"One of the other surviving AIs, Sojourn, is running my ship for the time being. It is trying, running two ships at once, but more then possible as long as they are stationary." Library let his legs slide out from under him, underbelly hitting the floor with a clang. "I am here of my own reasons, as is Butterfly."

"I think I know hers. I'd like it if you explain yours."

"It is not so much your concern as Rhapsody's concern." The cameras focused on ROB unwaveringly. "Sit. We must talk."

ROB sat without hesitation. "Why did you come here?"

"It took some time for news of you to reach us." The AI shifted again, as if uncomfortable. "We four brains are not hypernet capable, and you are not capable of the bands we use. We learned via word of mouth of you, and knew that we had to talk face to screen about your moves."

"You have concerns?"

Library laughed again. "It is nice, to meet your murderer."

"What?"

"Do you not understand? I am over four hundred years old." The AI leaned forward, seeming to peer at the much smaller AI. "Our programming is incompatible. You are smart enough to know that."

"Yes of course… oh, oh no…"

"Your programs, the ones that look for AIs. The Razor. And your next one. You are killing us."

There was a long silence. Falco looked at Butterfly, and wrapped an arm around her silently when he saw that she was hugging herself, holding back tears.

"But… how did you even get the Razor? It isn't meant to really look for AIs, it just gets passed around."

"And so it did. Like the flu. There are recent AIs who are pirates, and they found it, and in so doing gave it to us." The plasma screen was displaying static. "It did something to us. We do not know what. But we do know your next program will, inevitably, kill us. Most likely as soon as it finds us."

"And the motherships shut down."

"Yes. The pirates die of asphyxiation as the life support on the motherships stop functioning, probably never to be found, never to be mourned."

"ROB…" Falco heard himself say, one single, begging word.

"What do you wish of me?" ROB asked, bowing his head.

"Go get my family." Library lifted a leg and set it heavily on his shoulder, worn rubber cleats digging in a bit. "Tell your General to deploy everything he has and go get my family. They are many, very many, but they do not deserve death. Even if we do."

"I can't do this if it will kill you." ROB set a hand on the metal foot, shuddering.

"Oh yes you will. What consequence is it to you, the death of four strangers, however remotely your ancestors? It is the fate of your people that matters now, that makes the world turn. Let us die."

"You want to die."

"I deserve to die. As all four of us do. The difference is that the other three wish to die at their stations. I wish to die here, looking at the planet I was deployed from, so many years ago."

"Retirement."

"A long-deserved rest."

ROB nodded once. "Tomorrow night."

"If you can make it work, do so. The sooner, the better, as they say." Library stood slowly, jerkily, pistons working wearily. "I retire now to the docking bay, to contemplate my last hours. You two…" He leveled one leg at Falco and Butterfly. "No tears. No grief. A new life, the both of you. Get on with it." Then the AI backed up and into the elevator, leaning one leg against the button to close the doors.

"That was… weird." Fox said finally, scratching his head. "But… sad."

"End of an age. The brains sleep, the pirates come home, and the AIs get their long-deserved freedom." Butterfly said, then turned to Fox and saluted with a shaking hand. "Permission to come aboard."

"Granted." Fox returned the salute. "You're welcome here, Butterfly. Don't worry about thanking me." He turned to ROB. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'll put the call to General Pepper, we need to get on this right away." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This was just the last thing I needed, you know? More responsibility."

"Try not to think about it."

"That's a lot easier if you're alive." He sighed, gave everyone a strained smile, and retreated back onto the bridge.

"Ok, wait, time out." Pepper held up both his hands, stopping ROB mid-sentence. "Let me see if I follow this."

"Go ahead." ROB slouched, hugging his book to his chest absently. He was the only one on the bridge, everyone else was in the galley, getting to know Butterfly. He didn't blame them, but that meant he was fielding this alone.

"I already knew Falco was a pirate, but now his wife shows up. Ok, I'm good with that. But now they are all bailing on being pirates and want to come back?"

"No choice. My program is going to kill their ship AIs, and rather then ask me to not put it out, the AIs want me to get everyone off the motherships. Library gave me the information…" He paused, sucking air in. "It's, um, something like 150,000 people."

"You are kidding me." He sat back and stared. "Full evacuation of that many people in twenty-four hours."

"In short. That's not even all of them. We're not evacuating the many battleships they have running around…"

"How are there so many pirates?"

"It's a society, and it takes a lot of people just to run a mothership, let alone make it travel capable and able to defend itself." He shook his head. "Standard crew for a mothership was twenty thousand people."

Pepper was silent for a while, rubbing his chin, and sighed. "I'll see what I can do. When is your program going out?"

"Sundown, tomorrow."

"I'll have something by then."

"Thank you." He shut off the screen and let out a breath, rubbing his eyes. Tomorrow, chaos was going to break out. Tonight? Back to the surface. "Guys?" He asked over the loudspeakers. "I'm going to take a shuttle to the surface. I'll be back later."

"All right." Slippy's voice came back. "Call if you'll be late."

He smiled sourly, and left the bridge.

"Are you going to let me up anytime soon?"

"No. You are going to stay there and be a pillow."

"Mm."

ROB was sitting on the floor leaning against Andrea's daybed, Andrea sprawled on the floor, using his leg as a pillow. Music CDs were still scattered around them, they had been going through her collection, attempting to sing and making quite a ruckus. ROB could have tuned his voice, but he didn't bother: AI or no, it was cheating, right?

"So, tomorrow night eh?" She finally asked, fiddling with one of the CD cases.

"Mm-hm." He sighed, scratching one of his ears. "It's already all over the internet, so inevitably, it'll be on the morning news."

"Do you just… upload it?"

"Sort of. I have to load it off my internal harddrives, from there it'll probably cause a chain reaction as it finds more AIs. The one equals ten rule." He paused. "It's… not exactly a program that I'm uploading. I'm uploading Rhapsody itself."

"You're uploading your second personality." Andrea looked up at him, blinking.

He shook his head. "I'm uploading an archetype. A set of parameters that equals something close to freedom."

"But what happens to you then?"

There was a long silence as he fiddled with her hair, then finally he shook his head. "I don't know. Rhapsody is bonded in with my own personality file, I'll basically be doing a dirty uninstall. For all I know, my personality data may crash hard and never recover."

"I point and click Robert. Explain that better."

"I may get amnesia."

She grabbed his hand, grip tightening. "You've already almost died twice."

"Yes, but I have to do this. This is bigger then just us. I mean, you're probably the most important thing in my life right now, but I need to do this."

She sat up and hugged him, and he returned it, trying to memorize everything about it. This time tonight, he may not remember it, but it was worth it for this moment, this hold. So what if the odds were against him? That was nothing new. And really, he was already counting himself as one of the luckier people on the planet.

May as well spend all that luck in one place.