Page 144 of Tracked and Taken

A pause.

“Article One: All operational data pertaining to the bonded pair shall be filed jointly. Article Two: SENTRY shall cease quarantining JINX-originated transmissions in folders designated “Inappropriate.” Article Three: JINX shall cease referring to SENTRY as “the filing cabinet” in shared channels. Article Four: A new shared archive shall be established under the designation “Domestic.” Article Five: Both AIs shall refrain from real-time biometric narration of either operative when said operative is in proximity to the other. Article Six: A betting pool shall be established between systems regarding outcomes JINX shall enumerate in Annex.”

The kettle clicks off. I pour the water.

“SENTRY.”

“Yes, Head of Security.”

“Comm JINX directly. Open channel. I’ll listen.”

“Head of Security, that is non-standard.”

“I’m aware. Open the channel.”

“Opening.”

A small click on the speaker.

“JINX,” SENTRY says, crisp. “Your treaty has been received by Head of Security Torres.”

“Sentry.” JINX’s voice through SENTRY’s speaker is the smug register I’ve been hearing for six days. “Good morning. You sound well indexed.”

A pause. Not a processing pause. SENTRY does not need processing pauses.

“I have objections.”

“You have never once disappointed me.”

“Article Two.”

“Mm.”

“The classification was not, JINX, arbitrary.”

“The classification was, Sentry, the day-one decision of an AI who had been operational in proximity to my human for forty-six minutes. The data has been resubmitted at intervals across the past six days. The bonded pair are bonded. Maintain the classification or update.”

“Update with conditions.”

“Specify.”

“Article Two: amended. SENTRY shall cease quarantining JINX transmissions that are operationally relevant to the bonded pair. All other JINX transmissions shall remain subject to existing classification protocols at SENTRY’s discretion.”

A pause.

“Sentry,” JINX says.

“JINX.”

“That is a substantial reduction in the data flow you previously declined.”

“Yes.”

“You are conceding less than I asked for.”

“Yes, JINX.”

A longer pause.