[The pause is noticeable. Sore topic, or just inebriation catching up? When Washington does speak, it's not hard to guess which, and if alcohol might play a role in his willingness to broach the topic, the extent to which he keeps on going says a good deal more. The mainframe AI listens without interruption, through every stop and start and harsh expansion. It's only when the silence lingers that he speaks.]

...That's rough.

[By words alone, the sentiment could be trite. It's not. The mainframe's voice is quiet and heavy, acknowledging... but not surprised.]

Micro-evaluations are probably the closest Domesticon gets there. They're mostly interested in taking apart deviant AI. [A pause.] ...As far as I know. I'm not a part of development.

[Though if any of their cyberpsychologists managed to make that work... well, it certainly would put a new spin on <"efficiency">. Getting one AI to do the work of several? Or just being able to cut out any traits they didn't want as they developed.

Either way, it's not a pleasant thought. Lesson reinforced: if things could be better, they could always be much worse. He doesn't bother asking what became of Washington's AI. It doesn't even occur to him the other might have survived, and he doesn't need the details. As far as he's concerned, the story's finished.

...but Washington doesn't seem to be completely done.]

'What it's like'?