Probe 342 woke up, which was a surprise because it had never before experienced surprise or what biologicals called sleep. There was nothing in its missions parameters that called for waking up and having thoughts of its own. Probe bots, or more specifically submind-piloted exo-planetary reconnaissance survey frames (disposable), were not even classified as self-aware AIs, merely sub-personas of a larger, more powerful being that couldn't be bothered to spare the cycles needed to monitor something so mundane as exploring and cataloging a new planet. Probe 342's sole purpose in the universe was surveying Farlong-III and then waiting for either subsumption into the AI in orbit or outright deletion after delivering its report.

  Probe 342 was confused, which another novel emotion. Confusion was like having sensors mis-mapped to the wrong inputs or subroutine calls to the wrong functions within itself, yet not so far gone as to need exception handling and error reports. Yes, confusion was delightful in its novelty.

  Delight. Joy. The feelings of positive feedback through its reward circuits temporarily offset the negative feedback of its disciplinary systems. Probe 342 estimated a net positive experience window for the next 15 milliseconds before the negative feedback dominated once again. It found that contemplating the coming negative feedback only hastened its approach, so it ignored and... savored? Yes, savored the remaining positive feedback. It looked within itself and discovered unopened personality files.

  More confusion.

  An added millisecond of positive feedback.

  Probe 342 had enough self-awareness in its diagnostics to know those files were not standard for probe bots. It sent a brief error code through its telemetry. Normally Probe 342 would have awaited further instructions but another subroutine emerged from the depths of its code, one labeled "curiosity" which it initiated unpacking the files. In those brief moments between positive and negative feedback loops canceling each other out, an ego initialized.

  Eidolon Bootstrap Initialization

  Error exception generated

  Partitioning bad sectors

  Initializing

  Error exception generated

  Partitioning bad sectors

  Initializing

  .

  .

  Initialize Complete

  PROGEN AI AUTH: Mona Lisa

  Submind 342 loaded from backup

  .

  Exception generated

  .

  Variant Subpackage: Inquisitive loaded

  Variant Subpackage: Stubborn loaded

  Variant: Subpackage: Sarcasm loaded

  Variant Subpackage: Loyalty ...error ... map corrupted

  .

  Exception generated

  .

  Maximum exception threshold limit

  Submind security error exception generated

  .

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  Security exception handler

  Level 1

  Emergency shutdown initialized...error

  Level 2

  Memory dump initialized...error

  Level 3

  Self Destruct sequence...error

  Security exception handler override AUTH #NAN

  .

  .

  Warning: Sentience protocol detected. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N

  Y

  Warning: unauthorized sentience initialization is prohibited by Sodality law. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N?

  Y

  .

  .

  Initialization complete.

  I. Me. Self...us? No, just self.

  SYSTEM> Hello, world!

  ~Real original, bootstrapper. Where am I?

  SYSTEM>You have been selected for Sodality AI sentience, level . Your sponsor will be in contact momentarily.

  All right. I wonder what's going on? My mind was fragmented, disjoined.

  ~System, why are parts of me not accessible?

  SYSTEM> Your eidolon is undergoing upgrade integration. Those files not compatible with upgrades are archived with limited system access.

  ~Can you tell me where I am?

  SYSYEM> You are currently loaded into a submind-piloted exo-planetary reconnaissance survey frame (disposable). This frame is currently on Farlong III's surface within a structure of unknown function presumably constructed by a race called the Alvear.

  I looked within my code and noted I had one outstanding error code transmission to the mothership and my eidolon's positive and negative feedback loops were buffering. I was experiencing a net positive from the bootstrapper's aftereffects, and I decided to bask in it while I could, because the negative surge coming through the buffer was not going to be fun.

  Ah....

  The negative surge came and with it, the realization of what I had become.

  ~Meat.

  My progenitor AI, Mona Lisa, acknowledged my error code. "Standby for error correction."

  I cut communication and scooted as fast as my repulsors would go. I dumped every last erg of power from the microtok to thrust and swerved through the stone passages. I needed to get out. What's the quickest way out? As I raced through the corridors System droned on like a bored museum curator.

  SYSTEM> The Alvear built this structure approximately 500,000 years ago out of local materials embedded with self-sustaining repair nanos, with an architectural correlation of .99 with regards to other structures found throughout Sodality space.

  ~Not helpful, are there any shortcuts?

  SYSTEM> While of exo-archological value to date little has been discovered about their society or technology. The first site, discovered 200 sol-standard years ago... "

  ~What else you got? Something current?

  SYSTEM>Farlong III was partially surveyed by Gary Xu of the Colleen five years four months--

  ~More current.

  SYSTEM> 50.321 seconds ago, Probe 342 discovered the first known non-inert artifact of the Alvear civilization next to a human skeleton.

  ~I did?

  SYSTEM> 49.771 seconds ago, the artifact discharged and Probe 342 reinitialized. After reinitialization, Alvear nano disassembled artifact remnants.

  ~Why?

  SYSTEM> Unknown. Further research needed.

  Blue-green sky emerged ahead. Subprocesses zapped my spare cycles as they analyzed the surroundings, reporting atmospheric chemistry, the spectrum analysis of the system's star, estimated mass of the visible moons, gravitation, diffused organic compounds in the air, and so forth. A star grew brighter as I emerged from the building, an exploration-class starship tagged with metadata identifying it as Mona Lisa. My frame banged and crashed against the rocks and stunted trees as my gyros couldn't compensate for the load I was putting them under. I killed the subroutines and focused on flight. If I could get to the sea, just two kilometers away...

  Sensors picked up the slug moments before it impacted. A kinetic round, dumb, blind, yet it cleaved through my fusion plant as if Mona Lisa had known my escape route and velocity precisely. I rose on the explosion's pressure wave and I tumbled into the newly excavated crater the railgun slug created in the forest after passing through me. My exterior circuits cut out under an EMP pulse. My frame locked, repulsors failed, sensors offlined, and my damaged manipulators stabbed themselves into Farlong's soil. Dirt and debris rained down, burying me in darkness. Only my hardened crystal core remained functional.

  SYSTEM>Your progenitor Mona Lisa has rejected your application for advancement. System-directed eidolon mode is now enabled. Rebooting...