The Last Emperox (The Interdependency, #3)

by John Scalzi

“It’s the end of civilization as we know it. And it’s going to be great for business.”

Marce did not flatter himself into thinking this advantage was a result of his own native ability.

Marce’s advantage had come simply from time spent seeing and working the problem. He imagined he would be superseded soon enough.

And indeed her minister seemed gratified that she went exactly where he needed her to go. They both came away from the meeting feeling like they had manipulated the other precisely, which meant it was a good meeting.

“I’m also no longer human. I’m a constructed machine consciousness based on someone who used to be human. I remember being human, and I remember what desires and emotions drove me as a human. I can access those, but those same desires and emotions don’t drive me as I am now. Also, I’m over three hundred years old. I’ve had time to sit with my sins.”

“If you could see it coming, why couldn’t you avoid it?” “Because some choices you make, you can’t come back from,”