"You just let them go like that? I thought you'd take them out."
Bryce, sitting in the car, was a little surprised by Lier's decision. He'd thought Lier would kill those Outsiders.
"We don't have any personal grudges, and I'm not prejudiced against people from elsewhere. I'm not going to wipe them all out just because they're Outsiders."
Lier got into the Delamain taxi, feeling a little strange.
In the civilian taxi market, Delamain had completely monopolized Night City, becoming the only choice in this thankless business.
The last time Lier had used this service was in Downtown, when he'd called a car for Maine's crew to help them escape.
The reason it felt strange was that Delamain was a genuine AI.
"Welcome to Delamain service, Mr. Burger."
Delamain's oversized head appeared on the electronic screen in front of the seat.
The model was Delamain's standard vehicle, modified from a lengthened Villefort Cortes business limousine. The interior was spacious and comfortable.
Lier sat in the back and greeted Delamain. "Where's the destination?"
"You booked the Night City Tour Route. This trip will follow the scheduled route to Night City Municipal Government Center, then return to your designated location."
"A tour?" Lier looked at Bryce. "What do you mean? My time is valuable."
Bryce's face darkened. "What are you thinking? Aren't you curious why there's a company in Night City run by an AI?"
"You knew? I thought you didn't."
"Heh. Are you underestimating Network Watch a little? We know this company is entirely controlled by an AI."
"Then why is that?"
Lier listened attentively.
This was something he really was curious about.
After all, in the original story, Delamain had shown signs of being on the verge of developing self-awareness.
An AI like that was called a "Dangerous Critical Entity"