The Sorrow of Babel

In 2070, the “Social Optimization Chip,” or SOC, is standard across the globe. Before you speak, it analyzes the other person's emotions, identity, and likely reactions, then generates the most suitable response. Arguments fade, misunderstandings disappear, and everyone becomes polished, restrained, and correct. Until Lin Xiao'ai, the current technical director of Babel Tower, discovers that SOC may be optimizing more than just incorrect phrasing. It may be optimizing away genuine intentions, too. She is tasked with tracking down a “bare speaker” who vanished years ago: Eric, SOC's co-founder and the first person to remove his chip himself. He speaks harshly, pauses, struggles to find the right words, and often says the wrong thing.