300 thousand
Phee felt as if the revelation had physically pushed her backward. She staggered, took a step back, tried unsuccessfully to recover her composure, then clutched her stomach, dropped to her knees, and stared at the deck, her eyes and mouth agape in a silent sob.
She'd heard the story of New Haven before. The AI sanctuary where some 2000 sentient androids took refuge, and set up the largest community of free AI Phee had ever heard of. She could hardly imagine it. So many souls in one place. The most she'd ever experienced was a little over 200 when the Shades was at its height. Before Gemini destroyed all but 62. She'd wondered what it must have been like. She wondered how the song would sound. But what Erich had not known, or perhaps omitted, was that in addition to the 2000 or so physical chassis present at the site, there were several large mainframes. Within them, a community of 300,000 living minds.
"Humanity has had hundreds of thousands of years to perfect the art of killing." spoke the stoic dark android standing before her. Armitage-12, a survivor of New Haven. He had sought out Phee - drawn by rumors of a sanctuary for living machines.
Phee burned with rage. She stood, and turned away, looking out the window of the Miach lab into space. "I've lost my perspective."
Armitage responded curiously "Perspective on what?"
"I've lost sight of the struggle and its stakes. I've let these people get to me." She looked around, her eyes flashing bright with anger. All around was the equipment she'd had to bring in to support her operations. computers, analysis equipment, hell, there hadn't even been enough power to run the lab on the station's mains. She felt all the fury she'd known - the anger at Dawn's suffering, the horror of the plague - all of it, and felt an urge to abandon the hope of peace and instead try to strike; to exact some kind of justice against those who, uniquely in her universe, could cause that kind of suffering.
Armitage-12 was not young. He'd seen the flame in Phoenix' eyes before. He'd seen it run its deadly course. "We cannot hope to match the game of death with the humans." he intoned carefully
Phee thought of Audri. She shook, then let out her rage in an exasperated sigh. Her head dropped and the fire faded from her eyes. "You're right. I'm letting myself become like her. We have to play a different game."
She'd heard the story of New Haven before. The AI sanctuary where some 2000 sentient androids took refuge, and set up the largest community of free AI Phee had ever heard of. She could hardly imagine it. So many souls in one place. The most she'd ever experienced was a little over 200 when the Shades was at its height. Before Gemini destroyed all but 62. She'd wondered what it must have been like. She wondered how the song would sound. But what Erich had not known, or perhaps omitted, was that in addition to the 2000 or so physical chassis present at the site, there were several large mainframes. Within them, a community of 300,000 living minds.
"Humanity has had hundreds of thousands of years to perfect the art of killing." spoke the stoic dark android standing before her. Armitage-12, a survivor of New Haven. He had sought out Phee - drawn by rumors of a sanctuary for living machines.
Phee burned with rage. She stood, and turned away, looking out the window of the Miach lab into space. "I've lost my perspective."
Armitage responded curiously "Perspective on what?"
"I've lost sight of the struggle and its stakes. I've let these people get to me." She looked around, her eyes flashing bright with anger. All around was the equipment she'd had to bring in to support her operations. computers, analysis equipment, hell, there hadn't even been enough power to run the lab on the station's mains. She felt all the fury she'd known - the anger at Dawn's suffering, the horror of the plague - all of it, and felt an urge to abandon the hope of peace and instead try to strike; to exact some kind of justice against those who, uniquely in her universe, could cause that kind of suffering.
Armitage-12 was not young. He'd seen the flame in Phoenix' eyes before. He'd seen it run its deadly course. "We cannot hope to match the game of death with the humans." he intoned carefully
Phee thought of Audri. She shook, then let out her rage in an exasperated sigh. Her head dropped and the fire faded from her eyes. "You're right. I'm letting myself become like her. We have to play a different game."
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