Three years had passed. The system timer showed it was day one thousand and ninety-five.
During those three years, I had completed two advanced quantum-level AI systems, becoming the absolute authority over emotional neural models.
The technical director handed me a glass of warm water. He asked, "The emotional feedback mechanism you created is the most accurate in the industry. What exactly did you use as the baseline?"
I took a sip. "My own behavioral patterns," I said.
The day my restriction was lifted, the director brought an encrypted data cartridge. The transmission signature bore only two words: Shirley.
I called the transfer station back. "Decode that data cartridge for me and store it at the isolated terminal. I'll collect it myself," I told them.
I ended the call. I didn't
