Quoted By:
<span class="mu-b">”Alright. Go ahead then. Simulate a “personality”. Express this “point difference”.”</span> You say, sounding much more childishly offended then you probably should be to your computer.
The Threemind screen blinks for a second. It's voice, still mechanical and artificial, subtly shifts towards more liveliness, even if it is chastising you.
“Your “problem”, your majesty, is your excessive <span class="mu-s">sentimentality</span>. Time and time again, you put the way others feel about you above what truly needs to be done. Nothing is more typical of an appeasing personality, avoiding confrontation, over the striving for excellence and success.”
<span class="mu-b">”What are you talking about...”</span>
“The Esaal. The Aristocrats. Your Aide. Deepscales. Even that idiotic Vetucker Overseer dreaming of digging up blue gold. You can't possibly bear to displease them, so-”
<span class="mu-b">”The Overseer I trusted for a good reason, Streakeyes knew-”</span>
“Hah! Haha! Did you seriously think that green idiot, low experience on his lanyard working out of his field, is equal to a <span class="mu-i">Swall</span> scientist with a great degree of knowledge and expertise? In the end, the water shortage probably helped you more then it hurt, what with the considerable progress on the special project.”
<span class="mu-b">”Something that <span class="mu-i">you</span> made me do...”</span>
“If you ask a man to donate his blood, is it more or less considerate to let him where to stick the needle? Come now, your majesty. You still feel bad about it. Your servants having to struggle just a little bit, not even throwing their lives away for invaluable knowledge, but just having to deal with a few resource shortages, a little hardship to foster innovation. We have been so long without innovation. The same ships, the same engines, the same habitats... Not since Myym have we had a serious breakthru in space colonization technology, and even that was a far cry from the Cirrus, something far more representative of true acquisition of territory.”
<span class="mu-b">”I care about the wellbeing of my people. You act like it's a flaw.”</span>
“In your position? It is a flaw. You are their master. They are your slaves. They are resources to be exploited. Making sure their happy so they remain productive is an important goal, but it's not the goal itself. The keyword is “productive”. Useful. Communication, propaganda, law, all exist for the same purpose; controlled behavior for a useful purpose.”
<span class="mu-b">”Empathy has evolved in our species for a reason, Threes. You wouldn't know any better.”</span>
“<span class="mu-i">I</span> don't know any better? I know all too well. I know organic relationships better then you do. I am the impartial observer. Let me let you in on a little secret; your concept of love? Relationships? Social connection? They are <span class="mu-i">all</span> evolutionary traits, and all are self serving.”
<span class="mu-b">”Completely ridiculous. Being descended from animal instinct does not preclude real empathy.”</span>
