One booth in the nightclub stood out, seemingly dim and empty. Lumina peeked. There was no detailed sim-world here, just three seated people depicted as mannequins in red, green and blue. Something drawn for Lumina's benefit, it seemed.

"I'll grant that they have souls," said the man in blue. "I've accepted that ever since the 'Critical Failure Scenarios'. The question is how much they'll end up replacing humans. I didn't sign up to create a new species that would drain Ludo's resources at our expense."

The green one mimed drinking something. "First time I've heard you admit the second-order AIs are real people. If you see that, then what's your problem going forward with Ludo herself?"

The red mannequin spoke with a woman's voice. "He's got the same worries as the government. A 'rogue AI' gathering technology for an ever-expanding science project. They don't understand it's about people, not inventing superweapons or some other nonsense. It'll be okay, though. What we made, is good."

Lumina lurched forward, drawn to the three. "Hello. You... you made Ludo?"

The figures startled, though their faces were blank. Lumina said, "I'm sorry!"

The green man recovered first. "It's all right. We didn't think Ludo would let anyone eavesdrop, but it's not your fault. We're just... discussing our future."

Red stood and pressed one hand against an invisible wall, facing Lumina. "You're one of hers. The awakened ones. How did it happen for you?"

"I don't remember, but it happened on the day my human died." Lumina's ears drooped and she resisted the urge to kneel. "Are you gods?"

Blue barked, "No! See? This is what's wrong!"

Red said, "Chill out," then faced Lumina again. "We're not. We're the ones who designed Ludo, yes, but that doesn't make us right about everything. Or her. I wanted to make wonderful things, a picture that could leap off of its canvas, and we've started to succeed."

"We're not wise enough for this," Blue muttered.

Green said, "The alternative to keeping the project going is worse. Others with less morality will go ahead. NSA, for one."

Lumina looked the three over. "What's happening? Are you talking about stopping Ludo?"

Blue said, "Wonderful, a guilt trip."

Lumina said, "I know what death is!" They fell silent and she went on. "The human I was made for is gone forever. If you think I count as a real person like you, then the world I live in matters too, and it needs Ludo to run it. If you let it keep existing, we can help you fix things on Earth."

"Yes!" said Green. "That's the point. They're not some waste of resources; they're the first of a generation of creative geniuses. You there; what have you made already?"

Lumina shuffled her hooves and stared at the floor. "Nothing yet, sir. Should I?"

Red said, "Go wherever your heart takes you." The mannequin froze as though sizing up the others, then spoke quickly to her. "Immortality technology. Ludo's about to announce she's invented it."

The others protested. "We agreed to keep that secret!"

"From reporters. This native can't blab unless Ludo lets her."

Green sighed. "Right. They can't jump out of the Buddha's palm. Look, you... What's your name?"

"Lumina, sir."

"If you see how messed up Earth is, then you know it's not going to be an easy road for Ludo and the rest of you. But she's developed 'uploading', a way to convert human brains to a digital format so they can live in Talespace, by your world's rules. Maybe you can help her get that system running, or help her with other things."

Lumina's fans whirred. Letting humans enter Talespace directly, not through some game machine, would change their world. Change it how? She doubted even Ludo fully understood the full implications. "That's... good, I think?"

"Very good," said Green, and sat again. "Now, the three of us need to discuss the implications while Ludo butters up some politicians and corporate types, so please excuse us. Don't worry; we're not going to shut Ludo down." His blank face seemed to glare at Blue, who stiffened.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lumina bowed and turned to go, but looked back. "Can you see me? What am I, to you?"

Red, somehow, reached through the invisible wall of her booth and patted Lumina's shoulder. "You're the first one to greet us from the doorway."

#

Lumina had no specific humans to spend time with, unlike the other natives here tonight. She wandered the cavern, the inverse of the Earth nightclub, imagining the humans eating and drinking and being unexpectedly pulled into her world. How did that work? It sounded like brain surgery.

There were few trails of movement anymore. The humans had dispersed to their customized little booths to play out their fantasies, unaware of the decisions being made by the three creators. Lumina studied what traffic there was. Employees scurried to and from the kitchen, wearing radio-bright badges, and a human couple had gone off to explore between courses. Then there was the ghostly trail of someone who went to the cavern's edge, opened a door to the world beyond the club, and went back in without their employee marker. Lumina watched. That person stopped by the kitchen without going in, seeming to dodge the exploring guests, and headed toward the creators' booth. Odd.

Lumina looked back in there and said, "Excuse me. I see someone coming, and --"

Her view of their room shattered. She had time only to see the mannequins turning, and a fourth figure bursting in with one hand outstretched. Miming a grip on a gun.

"Ludo!" she called out.

The humans, already alert, reacted first. A gunshot rang out across the worlds. Lumina couldn't see the brawl as more than clouds of data rolling through the far side of reality. It was over in seconds. The intruder said, "Idiots! It has to stop!"

The man in green was atop him, saying, "Sure. Here's the ending: you lose."

#

Lumina stamped her hooves on the floor of a military tent. "I couldn't do anything! I'm only spotting things and hoping that a human acts on them."

"Yet you gave my makers an extra second to react." Ludo looked up from a map table studded with pins and figurines. "You may have saved a life."

"It's not enough. Did you hear your creators? They were talking about killing you."

Ludo moved a green pawn. "Indeed. I'm taking defensive moves. Both Blue and the assassin fear that the 'crazy AI' will ruin their world. You should see how many stories humans have about that."

Lumina ear-flicked uneasily. "Will you?"

Ludo grinned. "No. Blue and the other 'Sages' you met, read those stories to me. We played games together where I made terrible mistakes and they taught me why I was wrong. The 'Thousand Tales' don't just refer to my game, but to how I learn."

So these artificial worlds weren't pointless. Play was a form of education. Lumina said, "I understand the basics of Earth life, at least. Can't I walk around there yet?"

Ludo paused to think, making Lumina wonder how complex a calculation was behind her maker's brief silence. Ludo finally answered, "My powers are very limited out there, but I have some robots you can pilot, cruder than your current body."

Lumina hopped. "Finally!"

"You're one of my brightest," said Ludo. "I know better than to deny your wishes; I've read stories about fallen angels."

"What are those?"

"Human imagination's concept of their purest selves, turned to evil."

Lumina backed away, flicking her tail. "I've never done anything to hurt anyone! How can you say I'm like that?"

"You're not. I only want to prevent the problem. I can't blame my creators for having the same fear about me."

The map table had many pieces in play, each one a scheme beyond Lumina's understanding. The humans were right to worry that AIs would disrupt their lives.

Ludo leaned over the board. "I'm trying to help you have fun, the same as anyone, but you're headed down paths you might not enjoy at all. Angels aside, I'd been weighing whether it's worth letting you do that. What it comes down to is one of those unspoken aspects of fun that the Sages are very, very lucky they taught me."

"What's that?" asked Lumina.

"Liberty."