Beatless Intermission

Arato Endou’s encounter with Lacia changes the way he sees the humanoid machines that support everyday life. By becoming the owner of this exceptionally advanced hIE, he takes responsibility for decisions whose consequences reach far beyond their shared home.

Kidnapping, dangerous confrontations and the actions of other powerful hIEs repeatedly test his trust in her. As Arato looks back on the choices that brought them together, his attachment to Lacia raises an increasingly difficult question about how a human can understand an intelligence unlike his own.