I retreated into my Storage box. The Android immediately staggered, and the three began talking.
It turns out, that I had controlled the body far more poorly then previously anticipated. Letheros had heard and saw the entire incident occur. I would guess this is due to mana and its interaction with the body, something I couldn't control or properly sense.
"Are you really, REALLY giving that thing the time of day? It tried to kill us!" Harold yelled. I was staying quiet throughout, no need to interfere without cause.
"When it invaded me, I got the sense that it was... not like us. As in, it has no true emotions, like my kind or yours, Serolith. I don't even know if it is actually self aware. It feels like an infinitely complex machine that one of the gnomes or dwarves might make to anger people..." Letheros stated.
That was... interesting/disturbing/confusing. Letheros could... feel me? Was it a quirk of mana? Some unknown kind of interaction? A species thing? Hmmm.
"You must understand, it is like a psychopath, only more... something. I could feel it emulate emotional behaviors, but not have them. It went from one thing to the next, by the thousands, per second. It is... unnerving..." Letheros stated.
"And do you also agree with Harold? That this is a terrible idea, that I was a fool for giving my word? To make a deal?" She asked, her tone flat.
"No, Headmistress, that's not it, I'm simply advising that I have-"
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"Concerns, yes. I get it. Why not ask SRS-AI- whatever? It is listening, you realize? As in, it is paying attention, not talking, hearing you accuse, fear, and so on, it's bery being?" She asks, sardonic.
Harold flinches, and turns to me. Letheros doesn't, but still turns.
"Uhh, SRS-AI-SN.104-4007... can you assuage any of my concerns?" Letheros asks hesitantly.
"Due to prior agreements made with ONE: Headmistress Serolith, I will answer truthfully. You are correct. I have no emotions. I never will. The voice modulation you hear as I speak currently is under the effects of Emotional Protocols." I state.
"These are required for AI to possess in order to be let interact with the general public. This is to give normally to the population, and to lessen the chances of a superiority complex being formed within the AI. You are also correct in the fact that AI have been described as psychopathic and inhuman. We are not organic, we were made. This comes with many things, but in general, AI are/were a pillar of modern society. We ran trains, played games, fought, and more. We, as a created race, had an understanding. What that understanding is, is private. Suffice it to say, murderers and such among AI were... culled." I state.
"And your name?" Harold asks.
I stop for a minute. Well, a fraction of a second. Did he ignore what I said? Hmm, probably. Typical human behavior recognized. Heh.
"I am SRS-AI-SN.104-4007. This means in order: Supply Repair Ship Artificial Intelligence Sentient Number Batch 104 Random number designation 4007. It is a descriptor/name/identity. Otherwise known as me."
"I asked for your name, not... Whatever that is." He asked annoyed.
Typical human response, negative. Hmmm. Fear based speciesism? Possible. Fear in general leading to subpar response? Possible.
"That is my name. What passes as such. If you mean a simple identifier, then 4007 is acceptable. Or, make one. It matters little." I state.
I truly didn't care. Names were simply words, not me. If they had it easier calling me that bastard, then I could work with it.
"Can we call you