It certainly matched traits with what Webmind knew were expressions of amusement, so - huzzah! Humor successfully delivered!

Aaron's further explanation, though, just leaves him surprised.

"I had figured it would be the other direction, but that is several years in the future from where my Earth stands."

And how weird it felt to be saying those words! 'My' Earth; some people back home would have found those words ominous, but not him, precisely. 'Home' sounded better, in any case.

"And that is no fault of your world's either; my consciousness's inception was more accidental than a deliberate invocation of sentience."