#coparenting an illegal AI

[shadesofmauve]

“We’ve still got the hardware from the infiltration AI Kaidan took out. EDI wants to… try on the body.” Shepard focused in on Joker so intently Kaidan almost thought he could see the dot from the laser sight. “What do you think?”

Joker leaned back, holding his hands up to ward her off. “It’s your ship! Why’re you asking me?”

“You unshackled her,” Shepard said.

Kaidan was hit with a wave of misplaced familiarity. He’d hardly ever gotten in trouble as a kid, so the times he had loomed large in his memory, and in Shepard’s firm voice he heard an echo of his mother saying ‘He’s your son!’ It was so utterly incongruous he bit his lip to keep from laughing aloud. Was there too much sugar in the snack he’d grabbed? He’d had plenty of protein at lunch, he should not be this loopy.

Joker’s slightly sheepish expression wasn’t helping. He’d gone from expecting to watch with popcorn to wanting to extricate himself, and it made a target Kaidan couldn’t resist. He looked at the pilot sidelong and asked, “Your mom never gave you the ‘you unshackled an illegal AI, now you have to raise her’ talk?”

“My mom definitely said you shouldn’t go around putting yourself in strange bodies when you didn’t know where they’d been,” Joker countered.

[shadesofmauve]

Sunset & Evening Star updated!

Chapter 27: Complicated

“This isn’t personal, Commander.” Al-Jilani’s voice was patronizing as hell. “When I’ve questioned you, it’s never been personal.” “It hasn’t? Must be nice to sit where you’re sitting.” “I look for answers. The public has a right to know.” “Sure. But even when a question needs to be asked, that doesn’t make it not personal. You once asked me why I had our fleet defend the Destiny Ascension. There are thousands of grieving families that deserved to hear that answer — but I had friends on every ship we lost. You can question the decision, but it will always be personal.”