That is an answer of some complexity. I have not accepted for reasons of personal satisfaction.

[Even if he had answered more completely, EDI would have been unlikely to judge him; for all her altruism, her very existence is illegal. Were she ever caught out by legitimate authority, the only thing shielding her from summary execution or worse, would be the good word and not inconsiderable authority of her human friends and crewmates. One does not offer the luxury of a trial to rogue hardware, after all.

But that is neither here nor there: her pause is significant, even on the scale of organic responses. EDI is pondering how best to explain.]

Are you familiar with the concept of a precursor race?