Sally

“Target Two's gray face went surprised, then furious. It was kind of funny. This was a point where if I was a human (ick) I might have laughed. I decided to go with my first inclination and kill the shit out of some ass-faced hostiles instead. I told the Targets, "Angry, then afraid, then dead. Is that the right order?”
― Martha Wells, Network Effect

“So, you have a relationship with this transport.”
I was horrified. Humans are disgusting. “No!”
Ratthi made a little exasperated noise. “I didn’t mean a sexual relationship.”
Amena’s brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity. “Is that possible?”
“No!” I told her.
Ratthi persisted, “You have a friendship.”
I settled back in the corner and hugged my jacket. “No. Not—No.”
“Not anymore?” Ratthi asked pointedly.
“No,” I said very firmly. ART had stopped pinging me but I knew it was listening. It’s like having a malign impersonal intelligence that is incapable of minding its own business reading over your shoulder.”
― Martha Wells, Network Effect

“I’d won the argument, yay me, so I left.”
― Martha Wells, Network Effect

“Or, at the very least, turn me little again.' He wiped his eyes with a sleeve, and stared at the plate of mung bean cakes. 'Little enough that all I wanted to reach for was the banquet table. When all I knew to desire was a sweet cake. And even if everyone punished me, or yelled at me, or hated me, at least back then I didn’t know why. If you can’t turn me into a fish, at least turn me little.”
― Shen Tao, The Poet Empress