Book 5. Chapter 22: The prior four
“You were that researcher?” Atius asked, hand rubbing through his semi-frozen beard. To be fair, every few minutes it piled up with ice, so he often had to scrub it all off. Small things people never mentioned about Deathless walking around the surface.
“That is where that story leads, yes.” The console said, voice crackling from the ancient speaker. "I had been advocating this concept for quite a while, but all my associates were opposed to it, right up to the very end. And those who did agree with me saw it as merely replacing one tyrant with another. Anyone who would undergo the procedure would continue to exist as an unbound AI with vast potential, introduced into a world that was already too incapacitated to offer resistance. It was practically an invitation for a despot."
“I see that didn’t stop you in the end despite the self-awareness.” Atius noted dryly, one frozen eyebrow raised up.
"No, it was a time for drastic measures and I was prepared to make the tough decisions others could not," Tsuya stated, not a hint of regret in her voice. "We had run out of time. I seized the opportunity amid the chaos to steal the keypass of the head researcher, and initiated the strongest version of a full military AI we had at our disposal. Then I entered the soul domain and united with the AI as it took form."
“You still failed to eliminate her.” Father said.
Tsyua scoffed. "You, with your rudimentary tools and weapons, fail to grasp the true nature of the early war. The fact that you are standing here now, prepared to pass judgment, is solely due to my actions."
Atius stepped up to the plate, giving Father a quick glance to stand down. “We’re not here to insult your work, Lady Tsyua. We all have a common enemy here, and we’ve come to secure more advances against her. Cooperation is our intent. I’m sure you can understand.”
“I’m more amused by the audacity than insulted.” She said. “Regardless, I have said as much as I could. The rest, I will not disclose to you as of this moment.”
“I take it that you will equally refuse to inform us, even if we have all ears but mine leave?” Atius asked. “I am a Deathless. You made my kind.”