It made sense. In a disheartening sort of way. What he'd done was, apparently, something he had to live with, regardless of how twisted it made him feel. The girl's life had been one thing, back home -- she'd been like all the other human beings, wouldn't have blinked if he'd been erased -- but this had been another AI. Another robot...

"I understand," he said, finally, staring at his own hands. "Just... keep trying, right?"

He didn't look up, but his expression softened a fraction, the calm front dissipating a bit. "Everyone keeps saying that," he said. "Maybe one day... it will sound more like something I'm capable of."