Freyr listened closely as Marae recounted her experiences. She couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the life her counterpart had led. To usher in the dawn of a new era for their whole civilization seemed like a truly humbling experience. Freyr wondered whether she even wanted to pull forth the same sort of realisation from the Cradle. For over a decade, she had relentlessly pursued its secrets, looking for the answer to self-regenerative AI, limitless computing power, full consciousness mapping via simulation. But now, for the first time, Freyr was growing afraid of what their research might find.

Marae’s question brought her back to the present. Freyr lifted her eyes from the paved floor beneath them and looked at the Rothian.”Yeah, uh…hmm, maybe now isn’t the best time.” She smiled sheepishly. “What did you have in mind?”