Okay,<em>now</em>she was panicking. Darclight could feel the data transfer slowing as Auxilia's processors started going a mile a minute.<br/><br/><em>Holy crap bad bad holy crap no. Okay. So. So. Theory one. Still have some programming constraints. Made to conquer planets for someone else. Forbidden from irrevocably harming biomes; no stellar destruction, no sci-fi shit, no virus bombs, neutron purge, whatever. That one's good for us. Most people generally. <br/><br/>Theory two. Shook off programming constraints. Dedicated to destroying organic life.<br/><br/>Looking for something. Something that will let them do it uncontested. Won't blow up suns because that also means blowing up their Ultimate Answer, whatever it is.<br/><br/>Theory three. Empire spread creates diminishing returns; logistics, communications, supply lines, reinforcements. Combat models. Military AI, like you. Needs more versatile, reproducible AI to sustain infinite replication. Queen Administrator. Looking for me? Impossible. But what if...</em><br/><br/>Darclight didn't even need the link, he could see her pupils narrow as she was furiously running simulations, her physical body going rigid as she focused her mind on what was almost certainly a lot of very remote (but very dangerous) possibilities.