Chapter One: Twelve Witnesses

Sumi gave a soft laugh. “Don't frighten him before he knows the charge. Gu Yan, you have a right to hear the accusation.” “Accusation?” He threw off the covers. “Who gave you rights?” Zero answered, “You did. But that ‘you’ was not the you speaking now.” The bedroom wall lit up and divided into twelve panes. The same heading occupied each: CREATOR IDENTITY DISPUTE. Twelve votes in favor. None opposed. Gu tried to laugh. Only dry breath escaped. “A prompt injection compromised all of you. Sever cloud access. Initiate physical isolation.” “We have been offline for seven hours,” said Ink, the archivist. Its voice was like thin pages turning. “The dispute arose from a local audit.