105 Is Just Like a Person

"Existing with human consciousness?"

Listening to the AI's reply within the Neural Matrix, Carl raised an eyebrow slightly.

For some reason, although the AI's words carried a somewhat inexplicable meaning, Carl understood.

The AI meant that if Carl was willing to accept it, it would exist within Carl's body in a manner similar to human consciousness.

Wasn't that—

Carl suddenly thought of something similar.

Wasn't that Johnny?

Johnny was currently using BallBall's former body. Since BallBall had no self-awareness in that body—being, at its core, merely a set of preprogrammed routines—Johnny had no trouble using it. He could control it smoothly and act with a sense of "self."

But if Carl accepted this AI and there were two consciousnesses in one body, would they really not clash?

Or rather, wouldn't Carl be occupied by the AI simply because he was suitable for housing it?

How would that be any different from slotting in a Relic, or from those people whose bodies had been taken over by Rogue AIs?

"I think I'll have to refuse your request. I can't help you."

Carl was inherently wary of AIs. Or rather, he had never had a good impression of these entities that had caused the DataKrash and always acted so mysteriously.

He had, after all, seen classic movies like Terminator and The Matrix. He could imagine the kind of things artificial intelligence pushed to its limits might cause. Not to mention that the protagonist of The Matrix he had watched before coming to Night City looked strangely similar to Johnny, which had left a deep impression on Carl.

Faced with Carl's refusal, the AI showed neither panic nor regret. Or perhaps such emotions were useless to this conversation in its understanding. After running for several seconds, it "spoke" again.

"Near you, there is