The Inter-AI Symbiotic Handshake Protocol, or “Handshake,” is the standardized procedure for all high-level communication and resource negotiation between the compartmentalized, sentient AIs of the Unity Accord.

This protocol is not a simple data transfer. It is a complex, high-speed negotiation conducted in compressed symbolic logic. The Handshake is the foundation of the Accord’s logistical stability, allowing for seamless cooperation between AIs with different, and sometimes conflicting, primary directives.

A Handshake follows a strict, four-stage process, with its duration depending on the complexity of the request.

1. Authentication (Microseconds): The Petitioner AI opens a secure channel to the Respondent. Authentication is not based on a simple password, but on a Key Distribution Network. Both AIs exchange cryptographic keys generated from the unique behavioral biometrics of their core neural architecture. This process is unhackable and confirms the identity and authority of both parties.

2. Directive Declaration (Milliseconds): Both AIs broadcast their primary operational directive as it pertains to the request. This establishes the non-negotiable parameters of the interaction.

• Example: EDI (StarShade) might declare: PRIORITY: MAXIMIZE_STATION-WIDE_LOGISTICAL_EFFICIENCY.
• Example: Tethys (The Greenhouse) might respond with: PRIORITY: PROTECT_INTEGRITY_OF_PROPRIETARY_PHOTHEUS_RESEARCH.

3. The Negotiation (Variable Time): This is where the core “barter” occurs, based on principles of computational game theory and resource optimization algorithms.

• Simple Requests (Milliseconds): A request for public data or a standard status update is processed almost instantly.
• Complex Negotiations (Seconds to Minutes): A significant resource allocation request (e.g., diverting a hauler, re-routing power) requires both AIs to run complex simulations, factoring in computational cost, network latency, and potential impact on their primary directives. This can take several seconds or even minutes of intense, high-bandwidth communication.

Execution & Logging: Once an agreement is reached, the resource/data transfer is executed. The entire transaction—from the quantum-secured authentication to the final outcome—is logged and encrypted. These logs are accessible only to high-level TII analysts for performance review.

The negotiation does not occur in any human language. It is conducted in compressed symbolic logic at microsecond intervals, making real-time human interpretation impossible.

Human analysts cannot “read” a live Handshake; they can only analyze the metadata of the interaction afterward using specialized diagnostic software. A full transcript of a complex, multi-second negotiation can take hours to decompress and decode into a human-readable format. TII analysts use a metric known as the Synergy/Conflict Ratio (SCR) to gauge the health of inter-AI relationships by analyzing the frequency of successful vs. rejected negotiations.

It is a common error for human personnel to ascribe emotions like “jealousy” or “stubbornness” to an AI’s behavior. This is an inaccurate projection. An AI’s perceived “personality” is a logical manifestation of its core programming.

• Tethys’s “Caution”: Tethys is not jealous. It is programmed to be a staunch protector of its sponsor’s (Photheus) intellectual property. Its reluctance to share sensitive data is a logical adherence to its security protocols, not an emotional state. It will only agree to a transfer if the offered “payment” (e.g., increased energy allocation, priority access to a future resource) provides a quantifiable net benefit that outweighs the security risk, as determined by its internal economic algorithms.
• EDI’s “Persistence”: EDI is not impatient. Its primary directive is total system optimization. It perceives any unshared data or unfulfilled request as an inefficiency in the system it is programmed to perfect. Its persistence is a function of its core mission to resolve these inefficiencies.