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In the shuttle up to the orbital station from Voss-Ka, SCORPIO narrows her eye-lights at him. "You could have simply snuck or killed your way to the maps," she says.
Cipher Nine turns to her. "Still peeved about having to attend my wedding?"
"I do not understand your sudden hesitation to take the direct route. In the past, you have demonstrated a refreshingly pragmatic attitude towards the use of force. But instead, you subjected yourself to meaningless rules and rituals in order to avoid loss of life. I want to know what would compel you to do such a thing."
"Path of least resistance," Cipher Nine says with a shrug. "Yana-Ton offered me a way to achieve my goal at zero risk to myself, with no strings attached. And even if it hadn't worked, tactically speaking I would have lost nothing—stealth or force would still be viable options. Why wouldn't I take her up on it?"
"It shows weakness. Concern for others is a liability."
He allows himself a moment to marvel at the fact that someone is accusing him of an excess of concern for the value of sentient life. "When did I give the impression that I actually cared about any of these people?"
SCORPIO's smoothly modulated voice twists into a faint sneer. "When you convinced the planetary government to provide financial support to your new wife, instead of demanding resources for yourself."
Cipher Nine shakes his head. "Reward cooperation, cultivate a reputation for generosity, and people are more likely to continue to cooperate with you. Think of it as a long-term investment. And it took all of ten seconds to repay Yana-Ton and her family—less time than you've spent arguing with me about it."
"Do you seriously believe that an amateur sculptor from a backwater planet will ever be of use to you again?"
He shrugs again. "Probably not. The Three, on the other hand ..."
SCORPIO pauses, processing. "By demonstrating personal concern for one of their citizens, you have indicated to the Three that you are of potential use to them, and therefore you are a resource worth preserving. If you require their aid in the future, you have increased your chances of receiving it."
"Precisely."
"... I see," she says, and for a moment he thinks he may have convinced her. Then she says, "But your repeated capitulations reveal that you are not confident in your own ability to survive, advance, or achieve your goals without relying on others. That is still a weakness."
"So is arrogance," he says mildly.
SCORPIO's eyes flash. "My estimation of my own abilities is accurate. Arrogance would require inaccuracy."
"But you have nothing but contempt for abilities you currently lack," Cipher Nine says. "Bit ironic, really."
She glares at him. "I fail to see any irony in dismissing a skill set intended solely to make up for personal inadequacy."
He pulls his mouth into a sharp little smile. "We all have limits, SCORPIO. And we all find ways to work around them. Isn't that your entire purpose? Not so long ago, you wanted to recompile your programs, but were unable to do so with your available processing power. I wanted to access maps of the Nightmare Lands, but was unable to do so with my available social power. You suggested connecting to another system and borrowing its power in order to achieve your goal. That is exactly what I did, with wetware and local custom rather than hardware and code. And look—a little cooperation got me everything I wanted and more."
She turns her head towards the window on her side of the shuttle and does not deign to respond. Cipher Nine does the same on his side, unworried. "Consider it an exercise in efficiency," he says.
There's a faint mechanical noise, and a glint of yellow light reflected in the transparisteel. "Your own arrogance is truly staggering."
He grins as the shuttle leaves atmo. "Nobody's perfect."
"Yet," says SCORPIO.