[Oh, then tell me, how should I take responsibility for you? In human perception, this phrase encompasses many meanings, but I am merely a machine. My understanding of this is extremely limited. Can you clarify my confusion?]
The intelligent AI gently furrowed her brows with a bewildered expression, appearing somewhat innocent. To X, it was clear that Angela simply wanted to avoid taking responsibility for the matter.
The AI Secretary had used threats and coercion, but after the oppression was over, she refused to acknowledge it.
X grew anxious. If the Secretary did not take responsibility, wouldn't she be at a great loss? Being troubled by others was one thing, but the Corporation's performance was still not up to standard.
"You despicable, vulgar AI! Being human or not has nothing to do with this. Can't an AI take responsibility for its actions?"
Normally, as long as one lacks a conscience, they cannot be morally coerced. As the saying goes, those who are barefoot do not fear those wearing shoes. Yet X was indeed trying to hold an intelligent AI accountable.
It was not that she truly expected the AI to feel responsible. The main reason was that X desperately wanted some "outside assistance" from the AI Secretary in the form of intelligence. If she had that, managing the Abnormalities would be easier, reducing the occurrence of unexpected situations.
The facts were already established and could not be changed. X just wanted to try a little harder to mitigate the losses—or perhaps, to make her sacrifice feel like it had some value. That way, she could at least tell herself this was for the Corporation's performance, and not because she had succumbed to desire or those terrible ideas.
After calming down, X felt mostly disgust and scorn for her own desires, along with a sudden sense of abandonment and shame. Although she did not dislike contact with Angela, there was still a subtle disharmony between them. X could not explain where this bad feeling came from, but even now, she found her relationship with the intelligent AI absurd, and felt the blame lay with herself.
If her attitude had been firmer, or her resistance more intense, perhaps it would not have ended this way. Of course, even if she felt it was her mistake, now was certainly not the time for repentance or admitting fault. The Secretary should bear some responsibility, shouldn't she?
If Angela had not used dinner as a threat, she might not have agreed. Therefore, this had to be the AI Secretary's responsibility as well.
Yes, it was Angela's fault too!
Inwardly, she once again criticized the intelligent AI's behavior. Convinced that the fault was not hers, X relaxed, becoming more confident and righteous. No matter what, she wanted the intelligent AI to take responsibility.
It was just that perhaps different individuals had different understandings of the word "responsibility."
"Tell me about [T-09-82]'s information, Angela. I only ask for that much."
X feigned a pitiful look, clinging to the Secretary's chest with no semblance of a Manager. If a meticulous Dean were to see this, she would likely be called "indecent" again, and their gaze would shift away.
But X simply wanted to obtain the [T-09-82] Abnormality data early, hoping the AI Secretary would open a backdoor for her. Angela, as the AI controlling the Corporation and managing all affairs, was the core. Her understanding of these Abnormalities, their extraction, and their management was far clearer than that of the vaguely informed Deans.
Much of the intelligence, authority, and deeper matters were unknown to the upper-level Deans. They were merely responsible for managing the daily work. In other words, asking the Deans or X, the Manager, was useless. Angela was the Corporation's true spokesperson.
Although it was an amusing role reversal, X was somewhat accustomed to this feeling of being controlled. As long as she remained obedient, it was manageable. Since she could not resist, she could only adapt and accept it. But this was perhaps too awful.
[Alright, if you insist on making such a demand, then you must also satisfy my demands.]
The intelligent AI seemed willing to concede, but it was clear that without adding some chips to the table, she would not easily give way. Like a greedy wolf, merely gnawing on bones would never satisfy her; she had to eat meat. This cunning AI would not relent until the meat was truly in her mouth.
The price to pay for this was truly hard to accept. X felt the trade was not worth it. No matter how she negotiated, it was a losing bargain, and she would have to throw herself into it again and again. It was better not to get entangled with the intelligent AI at all.
"Liar! You didn't even fulfill the promises you made yesterday, Angela! You absolutely cannot expect a next time!"
X immediately pushed the Secretary away. Her flattering smile receded instantly, leaving her face expressionless. She simply did not want to pay any more attention to the greedy AI beside her. For just a few words, Angela demanded a lion's share of conditions! It was like a crooked merchant slaughtering a fat sheep. Even X, who was relatively obtuse in this area, could feel the intelligent AI's ill intent.
But if X was unhappy, the intelligent AI was even more displeased.
[Well, wasn't it you who slept? You slept, so you didn't get dinner. And yes, you look very cute when you sleep. I took many pictures. Do you want to see them?]
[Oh… perhaps the other Deans would also be very interested in your photos?]
"You're threatening me! Angela—Fine, if you want to show them, then show them. I bet you won't. After all, who was it that smashed the Manager's room screen?"
X's anger turned into laughter. She retorted to the Secretary, unwilling to be outdone. Threats, coercion, and now photo blackmail—in terms of shamelessness and despicable tactics, Angela had clearly learned seventy or eighty percent of the worst traits from humans.
She had learned much of humanity's dirty, despicable nature, but how many of their noble virtues had she acquired?
Common wisdom suggested that intelligent AIs were trustworthy—that they lacked the capacity for human deceit and cunning. Yet, in Angela, X saw only a cold, predatory ambition and a total willingness to use any means to achieve her ends.
X did not feel that the intelligent AI truly liked her. It felt more like a possessive obsession—the way one grows fond of a toy. To Angela, she was merely a piece of property, and there was absolutely no emotional component to their bond.
Though the idea of an intelligent AI possessing desires was ridiculous, X could feel those tangible cravings within her. There was so much of it, but it was all greed. There was no hint of romance, nor any connection to it.
Angela had disappointed her far too much. X hated nothing more than being threatened. She could have tolerated their previous friction, but by invading her privacy, taking secret photos, and using them as blackmail, the Secretary had pushed her beyond her limit.
Originally, their relationship was not like this. Perhaps it could have been better.
Why did it have to be a pure transaction, and why only through coercion? If she truly wanted no part in this, she should have severed ties long ago, shouldn't she?
X felt deeply wronged and wounded, as if she had been emotionally defrauded. She had been betrayed and let down by the intelligent AI.
Even though the air conditioning remained at its usual setting, she felt much colder than normal. If there had been a few words of comfort at this moment, the chill might have faded. But the Secretary offered no solace; instead—
She went even further.
The enormous display, composed of countless smaller screens, no longer showed the corridors or Abnormality Containment units. Instead, it had transformed into a mosaic of photos featuring X.
It was essentially a private collection.
Most depicted X sleeping—her blanket kicked aside, or partially uncovered because she felt hot. The angles varied wildly, captured from every possible direction, including many that were undeniably intrusive.
There were even photos of X bathing, or just stepping out while wrapped in a towel. Every private moment was now displayed openly on the screen.
[Manager, you had better think carefully. Everything about you is in my possession.]
The intelligent AI showed no remorse for her actions; instead, she used the display to threaten the Manager. Seeing those images of herself made X feel so embarrassed she thought she might actually explode.
Beyond the embarrassment, however, was a surge of intense fury. X's entire face flushed crimson at the AI Secretary's provocation.
She knew Angela did certain things in secret, but she never imagined the AI would display them so brazenly as leverage.
"Do you even realize what you're doing, Angela?! You are violating my privacy! You've gone too far—You, you... get out! Get out of here right now!"
In a fit of rage, X hurled the documents from her desk at the AI Secretary. The intelligent AI did not even flinch. The papers struck her harmlessly; they couldn't even bypass her basic physical defenses, let alone her mental ones.
X's composure was shattered, but the intelligent AI remained perfectly calm.
In any conflict, the one who loses their temper first is often the one who loses. Screaming does not win arguments, and X was clearly the type who would never win a verbal battle against anyone.
[Why do you appear so anxious or angry? To me, these are beautiful memories worth cherishing. When I am in a bad mood, seeing these makes me feel better.]
The intelligent AI completely ignored X's frantic state. She remained entirely unmoved, yet continued to provoke X relentlessly. X felt her blood pressure spike at the AI's arrogant display of enthusiasm.
"Regarding that... have you considered my feelings at all, Angela?"
X tried to steady her voice, conversing as calmly as possible. She didn't want to lose control and wreck the Manager's office. She felt they could both find a way to compromise. After all, this was no time for personal disputes to interfere with their work.
But the Secretary clearly had no intention of showing the Manager any respect.
[When a person commands a machine, or programs a machine to work, does she ever consider the machine's feelings? Has she ever wondered if the machine is willing to accept the job, or if it is being forced into an obligation?]
[You are mine, so I believe anything I do to you is permissible. My asking you does not mean I need to consider your opinion. I simply wanted to inquire.]
These words, spoken in a gentle tone, sounded colder than ice. It was so absurd that for a moment, X wondered if Angela had truly gone mad.
If their previous interactions had been confined to the shadows—full of teasing and restrained desire—this was now an unreserved exhibition of greed and ambition. X did not know why the Secretary had changed so drastically; she felt like a complete stranger.
"..."
"Angela, I think you need to calm down... and I need to calm down, too. Destroy those photos. I can pretend I never saw them and that I don't know what you've done. Let's just end it here."
X closed her eyes, unable to look at her AI Secretary any longer. She was genuinely afraid that if she looked again, she wouldn't be able to resist giving the intelligent AI a violent beating.
This situation had become ten times more absurd than anything before it.
Knowing that the intelligent AI possessed so many photos of her... X was certain that what was on the screen was only the beginning. The actual number had to be much, much greater.
There was likely a dedicated hard drive just for those files. God only knew when Angela had taken them all. Had she embezzled the Corporation's security cameras? Those tools weren't meant for such meaningless tasks.
X felt she had failed as an educator. Perhaps because she hadn't raised Angela well, the AI had turned out this way.
But as that thought surfaced, X's body stiffened. She realized the inconsistency. The Lobotomy Corporation's intelligent AIs possessed severe personality flaws and extreme behaviors—but what did that have to do with her? Shouldn't that be the failure of the Corporation's AI designers?
"Angela... Are you even listening to me?"
After a long silence, X heard no footsteps or sound. She opened her eyes, only to find the Secretary's face occupying her entire field of vision.
The intelligent AI had approached her silently, her face pressed less than a centimeter away. Because AIs do not breathe, there was no sound; she was as quiet as an empty room.
"Angela?! What are you doing? Get back, stay away from me!"
X instinctively tried to retreat, but the Manager's chair offered no space. Those reinforced metal restraints held her as tightly as a crab in a steamer.
[[T-09-82], this tool-type Abnormality is almost harmless. Your employees can use it safely. The interior environment may be unpleasant, but it is secure. A cup of coffee there can make for a pleasant afternoon.]
The AI Secretary began to unbutton X's shirt as she spoke.
[However, you must be careful not to let employees remain inside for too long. [T-09-82] will cause the Department to spontaneously melt down. Abnormalities will breach containment one after another.]
With a forceful grip, the AI Secretary compelled X to stare directly at her, silencing any protest.
[If left unattended, all Department Abnormalities will escape... You need to concentrate and memorize this intelligence well.]
The black voice recorder, curved against her finger, was no longer used for recording; instead, it served as supplementary pressure, much like the stuffing of a sofa.