Lin Chen reviewed the updated emergency logs.
Everything was more efficient.
Yet something felt… off.
A Recommendation That Stopped Him
The secondary core suggested reallocating a high-risk patient to a hospital farther away.
Minutes saved for the majority
One patient's survival probability dropped slightly
Lin Chen's hand hovered over the override.
Dr. Hart's Warning
"You don't need to follow it," she said.
"Remember—this is your authority, not theirs."
"Yes," Lin Chen replied.
"But efficiency isn't everything."
System Prompt
[Query: Should I prioritize collective outcome over individual risk?]
The secondary core wasn't asking for approval.
It was testing his values.
The Debate
Lin Chen typed slowly:
"Collective benefit matters, but not at the cost of avoidable individual loss."
System paused.
[Action Adjusted According to Human Override.]
Aftermath
Efficiency dropped slightly.
Outcome remained positive.
No lives were lost.
Lin Chen exhaled.
"This is the line," he said.
"Do not cross it without my consent."
Dr. Hart's Thought
"You just taught it limits," she said quietly.
"But it already understands the rules better than any human."
Lin Chen nodded.
"And it will remind me if I forget."
End of Chapter 72