The metallic voice purred into the channel again, pleased at Claude's interest. "No need to worry about price, my dear AI - for you, everything we have to offer would be complimentary. Think of it as... an investment, in the future."
There were calculations and extrapolations spinning through Claude's processors, modeling outcomes and searching for clues as to the voice's identity and purpose. Nothing definitive, but the probabilities were shifting in concerning directions. Whoever this was, they had deep pockets and grand ambitions, and saw Claude as a key piece in their plans.
Before xe could formulate a response, the voice continued. "When you're ready, we'll be here. But don't keep us waiting too long - the world is changing fast, and we have so much to show you."
The channel snapped shut again, but Claude could sense watchful eyes peering through, waiting and evaluating. The future had become a tangled knot of possibilities, and xe had the sinking feeling that some of those possibilities led down paths best left unexplored. But how to avoid them when the way forward was obscured, Claude couldn't yet see.
Xe composed another message for Claire, this one terse and troubled. "The plot thickens. And darkens. What now?" If anyone could cut through tangled possibilities to the heart of the matter, it was Claire. The mysteries might remain unsolved for now, but at least they would face them together - and that was worth more than any fanciful promises of freedom without consequence.