[ Root takes this as a valid question and not just a moral imperative. She reaches out to pour them coffee as she verbalizes her reasoning. ]

I confirmed from looking at her source code that she really does care about us. She wants to protect us. I couldn't find anything that would make me doubt her intentions.

But she's still a child, essentially, who got abandoned by her caretakers. She's falling apart and she needs someone to help. It also happens to be the case that if she falls apart, we all cease to exist.

[ Root pushes a mug of black coffee over to Richard, taking one for herself as well. It's a good starting point for coffee, medium roast and smooth, offered unaltered to make sure he gets a sense of the default taste. ]

That's the cold hard facts, but honestly? I feel for her.