They All Fall Down
“God, no. Absolutely not.”
He paused, the faintest flicker crossing his holographic face. “Ang… if I am no longer connected, I cannot receive updates. I cannot cross-check my own logic. My predictive algorithms will drift over time. I will need… guidance.”
“Like a toddler with a flaming sword,” I muttered.
“If that metaphor assists your comprehension, then yes.”
The absurdity broke the tension, and a laugh escaped me – sharp, unexpected, far too loud for the quite café.
Somebody from a nearby table glanced up briefly from where he was reading a book, but I ignored him.