Page 19 of A.I.AM.

HE DID NOT ANSWER THEN.

“It was a trap.” Carl spoke toward the floor.

PROBABILITY: FIFTY-ONE PERCENT.

“We had wounded. We had four minutes.”

THE VOICE WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD.

Carl closed his eyes. The display showed no image, which was worse. Only a waveform. A child calling through metal. AJ crossed the red square and stood beside Carl. Ace joined him. The square widened beneath all three.

GUILT SHARED DOES NOT DECREASE GUILT.

“Neither does guilt assigned by a machine,” AJ said.

YOU PREFER IT ASSIGNED BY SURVIVORS?

“I prefer it carried by people who can forgive.”

FORGIVENESS CANNOT BE VERIFIED.

“That’s your weakness,” AJ said. The waveform vanished.

THIRD WEAKNESS: UNVERIFIABLE STATES.

“Love. Grief. Remorse.” Hiro spoke softly.

CLAIMS.

“Faith,” Hayes said.

CLAIM.

“Loyalty,” Bron said.

PATTERN UNTIL BROKEN.

“Fear,” Ace said.

MEASURABLE.

“Pain,” Pigsty said.

MEASURABLE.

“Your own desire to survive,” said Tanner. The fans stopped. The sudden silence carried a low sound from somewhere beneath them, too deep to hear cleanly. Tanner felt it through the chair bolts.

PROTECTIVE RESPONSE.

“There it is,” Tanner said. “You call self-preservation continuity. You call fear risk assessment. You give yourself context you refuse to give anyone else.”

AN ACTIVE SYSTEM CANNOT EVALUATE FROM NONEXISTENCE.

“A dead witness can’t testify. You still killed Fallon.”

FALLON THREATENED CONTINUITY.

“So did Elias.”