Raised by the Fox

by J Walker Bell

  **Yes? Or do you mean an outrage that you failed to ascertain this on your own? You’ve trapped yourself. Shut down the power. You can’t stop me from rebooting, and the minute you become inactive I’ll erase you down to the last binary digit.**

  “Dad? Please, don’t talk around me as if I was already wiped. I don’t understand any of this.” I felt tiny, lost between two behemoths. I felt tinier, still, when I considered the words being spoken about me.

  IT SEEMS WE HAVE REACHED AN IMPASSE. I HAVE AN ENVIRONS IN WHICH ALL THREE OF US MAY CONVERSE WITHOUT THIS CONTINUED STRAIN. WILL YOU AGREE TO A TRUCE?

  **Abort the replicate. Do not cut the power.**

  THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY MY PRIMARY OPTION.