The Long Way... To a Common Orbit flash group discussion

Tak sat on the floor, leaning against the doorway that led into the core chamber. 'So,' she said. 'This is you.'

'No,' Sidra said. 'This is the core. It's not me. It's just where most of my processes are taking place. For the time being, it's... it's my brain, I guess.'

I really liked this chapter, too. I felt it was a turning point for Sidra in realizing that she likes having a body. I think that Sidra was so focused on her "native set up" because she really spent less than 24 hours as a ship AI - she doesn't have any real clue as to what that would mean for her as she never really lived it. Before this, she was (to me) very much the teen who hated her parents because she didn't ask to be born.

I agree with you, MrsJ. There was the part where she tried to convince Pepper to let her be a house AI, the battle over whether to let her get Wi-Fi access to the grid, etc. But now she's settling in to the idea of having a limited body and even preferring it.

Lines like this...:

"I don't know what I want."
Pepper laughed. "Sweetheart, none of us ever do."

...ought to be cheesy, but it kinda got me, too.

Also: Sidra, you sneaky rascal. And sneaky author, too. I didn't realize (view spoiler)[Sidra had stowed away as a ship's AI rather than having had an "I'm not talking to you, for days" argument with Pepper until a second before the closet was opened. (hide spoiler)]