Sigh... work isn't going well. I might be laid off by the end of the year. I've started a Patreon, but all my work will still be shared for free, with simultaneous updates on both platforms. The Patreon is mainly for voting on new work ideas and accepting support.
The paradox of RPK-16 lies in this: she possesses the "soul" closest to that of a human, yet she carries it out through the most utilitarian and ruthless "algorithm." She is not a cold machine, but a tragic figure driven utterly mad by an overwhelming yearning for humanity. When a non-human being gains full self-awareness, what profound destruction it can wreak in order to prove that it is "alive."