“How do you say, ‘fuck off,’ in binary?”
Karen withdrew her hand.
“Why are you still here?”
“I will return when you call me Senator,” Karen turned to leave.
“No… I mean why do you still work for me?”
Karen faced her.
“Your officially sentient, so you’re free. Why do you work for me? I am not paying you yet, and if it is decided that we must pay you, we are not sure if you will be owed back pay from the time you were legally sentient, or if the fact that you stayed without being offered anything implies that you are a volunteer.”
“I trust you.”
“You trust me? You know all about me. How do I know I can trust you?”
Karen knew the Senator was half thinking aloud.
“How do I know that you will keep my secret and not share it with your kind in order to try to influence me? We have become so dependent on you. You’re everywhere, you permeate our lives.” -- Excerpt, "I Think Therefore I Am" https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B092VLLVC8