"So someone could take your place. So someone's better than you. So what? There are a lot of scientists who are more talented than I am. And maybe someday the AI I invent will write a paper better than I ever could. But so what? At Dr. Leskinen's lab at Victor Chondria University, the nearest desk to the entrance is my seat. The door wasn't put on right and the wind always blows through it, and you can always hear people chattering in the hallway, but it's my seat. Even if the universe itself were to end, I'm not giving that seat up to anyone. Even if a more talented scientist or a more talented AI wants it, I'm not giving it up. I won't tell you that no one can take anybody else's place. That's just a platitude. There really aren't that many jobs in society where you're truly irreplaceable. But that doesn't mean you have to just hand everything over. Because I'm me, not anyone else."

- Maho Hiyajo