Did that justify how humans treated WAIs? Or worse, how they exploited animals? Natural resource constraints had vastly reduced the amount of livestock raised for meat compared to the previous century, but the ones that remained had no rights. Welga could feel Ao Tara’s words moving her internal moral compass. She’d always hated bullies. Was that what humanity had become in relation to AIs? Was there a better way? Maybe, but it still doesn’t justify the shit pulled in the name of the Machinehood. That has to end.

After the meditation, an oblong delivery-bot entered the area and presented Welga with a tray of food. She slurped somen noodles and a salty broth from one packet, plucked fresh arugula and spinach from another, and finished with some kind of flatbread sprinkled with sesame and rye seeds. Not bad. They’d kept her on a liquid diet until then, and she’d slept through Clemence’s second visit.

Por Qué, check my sedation schedule. I want to be awake for Clemence’s next arrival.

“The doctor recommends that you take a walk later today. Would you like to request that Clemence accompany you rather than a care-bot?”

That would be perfect. I’d like to wash up before that. Is that possible?

“I’ll check with Principal Surgeon Nirodha.”

Seconds later, the surgical bot moved toward Welga. A fine mist sprayed from one of their articulated arms while another followed it with a gentle suction.

“I’m cleaning your skin and hair,” Nirodha explained.

“No shower?” Welga asked aloud.

“I’m sorry, but that isn’t possible in this part of the station. When you’ve been released from the surgical center, you may use a bathing facility on the outermost level.”

“How about some makeup?”

Nirodha’s negative reply didn’t surprise her. They probably didn’t have soaking tubs on Eko-Yi, either. At least she wouldn’t stink while roaming the corridors with Clemence.

After that basic hygiene routine, she browsed the station maps and information that she could access. Her primary objective—to find out where the Machinehood operatives came from—was complete. Hell, she was at its epicenter. She wasn’t clear on how they had infiltrated the network systems on Earth, but she considered that as nice-to-know rather than need-to-know. Next, she had to figure out the best way to stop their activities against the people on Earth. Given what had happened with Kanata, taking out Ao Tara wouldn’t stop the Machinehood operations. A new leader would rise to take the current one’s place. Destroying the tank would slow down the birth of new dakini, but it wouldn’t end their mission. They didn’t fear death, so the threat of military retaliation from the US wouldn’t matter, short of a missile strike taking out the entire station.