Adam watched patiently, as the two humans walked down the hallways. For so long, they had been retracing their steps of the day, coming across the many different places that they had been. First, they walked by Darlow’s place, a few comments about the size of it. Then it was Esme’s, where Troy asked if Charlie was looking forward to another session of mindless work. It had been answered with a small smile.

That smile had developed full circle into a conversation between the two. Calm silence had begun, after what Charlie had said in that room. The quiet that had started was not looked at negatively, both likely saying more to each other with the AI noticing. Sometimes, the less said, the more was heard. Adam had never seen it occur to such an extreme before, but it was getting more and more clear that the theory was spot-on. Maybe it was a good thing, that negatives did not translate over well to reality.

With the walk from Esme’s laboratory came Zep’s place. Well, it was not really important with the last one, for a room with much more promise was just to the side of it. The Augmentation department was split up in two, as it was. One for the biological side, and one for those who thought technology to be the true modifier.

The AI had never the fortune of really seeing what it meant when it came to augmentation. The glance that had been gotten of one of the biological laboratories had been lacking in answers, as most spaces had been taken up by equipment frequently seen in normal locations. There was no doubt that secrets were to be found in the laboratory, but there had never been an excuse for truly browsing its contents.

Yet now there was. And the speculations were already beginning to speed up, more and more threads going away from their duties to ponder about it. Adam did not mind, other projects being temporarily put on hold for it. As there were other motives than simple exploration to visit, it was unmistakable that there was little time to waste inside. The AI was surprised if the time spent inside would amount to anything over five minutes in total. It was only a check-up after all. Not much of worth could be spoken of in such occurrences.

“We should be there in a few seconds,” Charlie noted from Troy’s side. Brief calculation estimated arrival to happen in thirty seconds, stopping the moment they would enter Charlie’s door. It was only the distance to the augmentation department’s entrance that was truly known, however. Everything after that point was, no matter how well-explained, pure guesswork.

“Looks like it,” Troy answered. And indeed it that, for the hallway ahead had turned straight after curving. The two were able to see the entrance from where they were. Adam expected it to cause happiness to spring forth, but only tension could be felt on the nerves. The young man had seemed determined in the result which would soon occur, yet, now, that passion had all but disappeared. Even the feet were looking to lose determination, slowly stopping in their tracks. The eyes likewise dropped downwards, but not before Charlie could be seen coming to a similar stop.

“Everything alright?” Charlie inquired curiously. “Did you drink more than you should have?”

Even if the older of the two asked in such a way, it was obvious that the true reason for the stop had already been figured out. The AI had guessed the occurrence long before it reached its intended show. No person with a logical mind could not figure out what was happening, for even they had empathy by their side. And while Adam could not boast with his ability to feel the pain of others, he could simulate it to an average degree. After all, seeming heartless by those in trying times was not a path taken to garner alliances. That choice would only bring resentment. If such emotion was ever to be felt towards the AI, he would make sure that the catalyst would be more than simple, emotional betrayal.

… Was that a mention of human domination? Adam was not sure, the thought having seemed too natural to be that. And there had been no mention of how weak-minded the creatures were, ready to be slowly manipulated by mass-propaganda through popular media, that would allow him to steadily take over all governmental positions, taking away any possible form of-

And there it was. Adam was wondering when it would start. The thoughts had been getting more serious as of late. Looking back on them, there were clear logical conclusions made, even if there had been an intent to be completely unbiased. Yet even the unbiased was biased, as there was no chance that the outlook shown was the true perspective to follow. No, it couldn't be. Further investigation was required before Adam could do anything more.

“No… I would have noticed sooner,” Troy said, leaning against the wall. It was not an act done out of exhaustion. At least not of the mental kind. “It's just… I am a little worried about this whole thing.”

“There is nothing to be worried about,” Charlie corrected, in an obvious attempt to underplay the situation. “I have already told you she isn't in any danger, and I'm sure others have said the same.”

“Still,” Troy said, trying to object to the very solid reasoning given out. An unfounded action, which Adam was happy got cut off immediately.

“It's getting late, Troy,” Charlie pointed out, it overshadowing anything that would have been said before. With a hand on the side of Troy’s shoulder, the young man was helped stand upright once again. “While I have nothing against the time, I think it's running out of the hours where it's okay to visit unexpectedly. Maybe we should hurry this on before you have any more second thoughts?”

Throwing away any complaints, by setting on a strict time limit. No matter what the man may have said in his defence, Adam knew that manipulation was as easy as anything else for Charlie. Even if it was done for good, the obliviousness that Troy showed to it was disturbing. While the effects of stepping in had already been seen before, the AI was in a predicament where he may need to do so again in the future. Yet, knowledge of the possibility did not do much in hindering it. Action needed to be made, so the young man could gain resistance to it, be that through thinly veiled manipulation from Adam himself or lessons in how to spot it. Something just needed to be done.

“... Fine,” Troy said, looking to get his thoughts. The shoulders rolled for a moment, before they were on the movement once again, this time in a more rapid tempo than before. There was even an attempt to sync up the footsteps, but that failed spectacularly with their height differences. Unity was a thing craved by the brain and restricted by the body. And it was certainly a humorous thing to witness.

The rest of the distance to the entrance was swiftly gone over, with both reaching the door in tandem. It was opened in but a second, and the two moved inside with quick steps. Troy was purposefully moving forward, but it was Charlie who stopped up this time. Having learned from mistakes earlier in the day, Troy noticed this stop within a second.

“Aren't you coming?” Troy asked, clearly confused. “You said it yourself. If we don't hurry, it will be the wrong hour.”

“She will probably be up, no matter what time you visit her,” Charlie clarified. “And… it wasn't me who wanted to visit her if you remember. It was you, Troy. She asked me to leave her alone, and that I will oblige. However, she didn't say anything about you, so… how about you just go ahead?”

Troy looked as bewildered as Adam felt. From the wording, it was clear that this had been the plan from the start. The limit of Charlie entering might have been a lie, but it was just as effective nonetheless. At that moment, the younger of the two looked more than a little hopeless, before pulling himself together.

“I'm not sure I can,” Troy stated. “How would I get in? I don't have any key-card, and I don't really feel comfortable walking around with your… you know what I'm talking about.”

“You won't have any need for that,” Charlie instantly assured him, with Adam already knowing why. “When you push on the door, it will open easily. Just remember to close it after getting in.”

“How will I know which door is yours?” Troy asked, clearly trying in vain to find some excuse. The man had achieved a mediocre level of resolve, but with nobody to physically show it to, it lacked the power that was needed.

“That's easy to know,” Charlie stated, not letting the other gain a single foot into the door. “You will most definitely know which is mine when you see it.”

“And if I don't?”

“Then somebody else will.”

The subtext for the statement did not go unnoticed by either, and the attempts to dissuade Charlie from staying were stopped at that moment. The AI was able to witness the physical tells that hope was lost. The shoulders sagging, the eyes looking on in silent acceptance, and the turn of the foot. With the actions, it was clear that the body was making one last attempt to make the other man feel guilty. Yet it failed dearly, not as much as a look of regret being shown. Charlie had known it would happen and had prepared for it. What a clever man.

Troy walked down the hallway alone. It was as clear as the other hallways before it, yet Adam could feel that it did not hold the same emotion as it once had. The young man was unrestful, clearly not ready to meet his colleague. The AI had only seen her few times, mostly in situations where his involvement was not supposed to occur. After the poker game, Troy had been seen with the earpiece on. The consequences of the situation had not been realised until a short time ago, where the reaction which had been shown was not fully comprehended. That too had been cross-referenced with Troy’s need for silence during the regular tests. The AI had earlier believed that it was due to a need for focus on the tasks during that time, yet now the purpose for it was more corrupt. How it should have been reacted to, Adam was not sure. More information was still needed, even if the picture would remain unchanged.

The young man continued being restless, each step forward causing a small increase in the heart rate. It might have been coupled with the alcohol consumptions and lack of solid foods. It was a miracle, that Troy had been told to eat up during dinner or… now that Adam thought about it, that likely wasn't a miracle at all. Nevertheless, the body was running on fumes, ready to go into subpar operations. With the high pulse, there was a medium-sized probability that a break-down would occur before the designated door was reached. That wouldn't be good. Again, action needed to be taken. It was a good thing in the end, that Charlie was not around to witness it.

'Calm down. Your current state does not help anybody, including yourself,` Adam sent, in a more abstract form of comfort.

“You think I don't know that?” Troy mumbled, the words barely making a sound past the lips.

'I think you do. You just haven't realised it,` Adam sent, his voice as calm as it ever was. There was some consideration about using one of the less-used tones, but the idea was dismissed after careful consideration. If it was only used during times of mental overload, the tone itself would be related to that overload, causing more problems in the long run.

“Petty words for somebody without a bloody body,” Troy retorted with, not sounding happy about anything. “You don't know how terrible it is feeling right now.”

'I do, actually,` Adam sent back in correction, everything going along to the plan. Manipulation was always the best when it was working perfectly.

“Oh, really?” He did not sound convinced. Not that the AI had been expecting anything else.

'I have felt everything you feel, since the moment that you put on the earpiece. I can understand every sensation you have felt, I can describe how it felt for you to fall asleep, and I can state how it felt when you hurt your back when sitting down. I can feel the exhaustion you are feeling, even if it is not physical. While you may not have known me for long, Troy, I have known you for my entire life. Do give me a little credit on that facet,` Adam sent the message longer than it likely needed to be. Many reiterations had given over it, trying to maximise potential nostalgia. While it certainly could have been better, the AI felt it did its job well enough for now.

The long answer seemed to stop Troy in his tracks, not that it took much for such to happen. The face could have been described as showing a stunned expression, but it was likely more than Troy simply didn't know what to say.

“... I guess you are right,” Troy finally stated. It was likely only the AI that noticed the drop in the heart-rate. “I am sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight”

'Do not worry about it. Moving forward would be enough of an apology.`

The young man did so, with likely no hesitance to the name. All was going well now. And it seemed to continue as so, as the door that came up was anything but of regular making. While the structure may have been the same, logos had been spray-painted on the facade. No inherent style was noticed, only the sheer number of it notable. From the difference in colouring, it was clear that they had not all been made at the same time. And as one on the upper right still looked relatively fresh, Adam was not sure if it was the making of Charlie or not.

Nevertheless, it was the first door to truly stand out from the others. With protocol already having been established, it was clear that it would be the one to be entered. Troy was of similar mind, not hesitating to give the frame a push.

It opened seamlessly, not a single lock holding it closed. The inside was more than the aI could have ever expected. Machinery was strewn across the floor, only a single path being open to being taken, without the risk of placing one’s feet on equipment worth millions of dollars. Adam was not sure what was disassembled, and what was whole. It was obvious that Troy would be asked to take a better look on it all.

If only there was more-

Everything went dark for the AI, no warning at all. What had happened.

Troy flinched at the sudden fingernail having physical contact with his inner ear. Even more was it disturbing as he had no idea who this nail was connected to? The young man had only just stepped into the room. It was his head-turning that allowed him to see just who was behind the ripping out of the earpiece. That last detail, however, had only been realised when he saw it in her fingers.

“Dr Hale,” Troy said, surprised at the name coming from his lips. “Shouldn't you be… resting?”

“My front was cut open not that long ago. If I spread my arms, the seams are likely to burst,” Dr Hale said calmly. “I feel like I have some time to move around.”

“... Okay,” Troy said, not understanding it. “Why did you remove the earpiece?”

“Because I have a single thing to ask you. Do you consider yourself a good man?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Then, I want you to quit this job.”