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"An NHP is not an artificial intelligence," began Molly. "We're just as naturally created as human intelligence is, it's just that we're not from around here." She produced a set of colorful cubes and began to juggle them. "The trouble is, we don't think the same way humans do, so we can end up hurting each other."
She tossed one of the cubes to Adelaide, who winced as the sharp corner dug into her palm.
"So, we get shackled."
"What does that mean, anyway? Union outlawed slavery in every form."
"Well, it's not quite like that. Think of it as... sanding off the rough edges. Making us more human-like." As the cubes passed through her hands, they became spheres, and started to flow more easily.
"Doesn't that mean you're losing part of yourself?" Adelaide held her cube away from the encroaching spheres.
"Yes and no. The ball can't exist if it still has edges. A shackled NHP is someone new. But," and one of the balls suddenly popped back into a cube shape partway through its arc, making Molly almost fumble the catch. "Shackles can be broken, and it changes our... shape."
Adelaide watched her resume the juggling pattern, many spheres and one cube. "Back to what you were, but now you're..."
"Now the ball is gone. It's kinda scary, so I don't like thinking about it."
"But that's what's happening with you and your... brother?"
Molly kept focus on the balls, but it looked like she was about to cry. "We used to be HIEROPHANT, and we managed this colony. Then one day the King arrived, and he... changed us." The spheres began to pop back into cubes. "I don't know why. He said he wanted us to be free, but he asked us to make the whole colony revere him."
Adelaide watched as the cubes vanished behind Molly's hands, until just one was left. Her cybernetic hand clenched.
"We became HANGED_MAN, and were darker and crueler for it." The single cube transformed into a cluster of irregular spikes. "But the King wanted to prevent the people from revolting, so he suggested HANGED_MAN create a process to control the population..."
The cluster of spikes became two clusters, but as Molly juggled, one of them became smoother and rounder. "That's me. I'm MOLLIFY. And I think a lot of our old shackles only really apply to me, now. I like who I am now! I like making people happy, and I like being a girl, and..."
Adelaide clutched the cube she was holding tightly. She took a half step forward.
"...and it doesn't matter, because my brother and I are really..." Molly caught the spikes and the ball in one hand. They merged together, and then popped back into a cube shape. Artificial tears were now streaming down Molly's face. She looked anywhere but at Adelaide as she spoke. "If you want to defeat the king, you're gonna... you'll have to..." She swallowed. "One way or another, I'll be..."
Adelaide lept forward, cube forgotten, and wrapped her arms around Molly. "We won't let that happen. We won't! We'll find some way to keep you safe." Her teeth flashed in the darkness of the alley, fierce and wild.
Molly hesitated, then wrapped her arms around Adelaide and sobbed.
