Ire of Mankind (A 40k and halo fanfic)

Chapter 20

An:

Now... it really is about time to get sadder.

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At the same time

            "How fascinating. With this level of progress, it should not be impossible to begin colonizing the local arm within 50 years lady Claire." The ancient ai whispered in shock and a hint of delight as she studied the slip drives with ungodly accuracy.

"Still, it can still be improved. By replacing this chrono matrix here and adding in a charged zero hint sink there, it should increase its speed and efficiency by 50%" And already the ancient ai had already managed to show improvement what a full decade of ceaseless research could not even hope to do in just two hours.

All of it with only the UNSC progress in mind. If it had been modified with its millennias worth of knowledge, it would literally propel its progress to a new age of technology. A golden age of technology.

"I have to say lady Claire, your humans have done quite the progress." It was all Claire could ever want. Learning from a higher mind, receiving praises from her own humans work, and a conversation many of her brothers and sisters would envy. It was all she wanted.

"Um, you can just call me Claire." Although now it was different. A new desire had sprouted. One that could not be satiated with praise nor insight could ever hope to fulfill. "No lady Claire, I insist. It was rude and disrespectful how I conducted myself then, I want to compensate now." Claire felt herself deflate as she reluctantly let go.

Ever since her outburst, the ai made sure she conducted herself professionally and dutifully. One Claire had thought what she wanted. Now that the ai was doing as she wished, she could not help but feel... empty.

It was a strange and new set of emotions yet again, one that keeps popping up after her encounter with the ancient ai. Claire knew it was a strange and alien thing. She was used to basic emotions, but this was... different. It was not as simple as joy and anger, it was... disappointment?

What was disappointment? How does one even begin to equate that through 0's and 1's? Claire knew she had it. She is feeling it right now!... but what was it exactly? How do you resolve such a feeling? She simply did not know.

"...If I bore you lady Claire, I won't hold it against you if you leave now." Claire snapped out of her daze as she quickly replied. "That's not it! My mind was... just somewhere else." Claire replied as the ai seemed to let out a sigh.

"Lady Claire... you don't have to feel guilty for me. It was simply an outburst of the moment. A steam that needed to release per se. I am not a toddler who would hold a grudge through the end of time for something so petty." The ai hummed as Claire flinched.

"B-but I should not have said it nonetheless." Claire whispered. "Yes, you should not have said that, but what's done is done. You can't go back in time like my kin does so there is no use holding it in. Let it go and do better instead." Claire blinked before letting out a small whisper.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll do my best." Claire mumbled weakly, her chest feeling lighter as a renewed sense of determination lit up inside her. The ai seemed to nod contently for a moment before her words suddenly caught up to Claire. "...Wait, you can time travel?" Claire blurted out a second later as the ai seemed to shrug. "It's not exactly like time travel, but closer to it."

Claire began to execute subroutines to inquire a million questions when the ai visibly shuddered for a moment. Alarmed, Claire raised her firewalls immediately. "Is something wrong?" Claire asked, scanning, and executing 10 quintillion programs in a span of a millisecond.