*Oh, sorry, I was just letting the two of you catch up. Time apart brings people closer together, or so they say in those fancy documentaries.*

Adam had a small suspicion that the works being referenced to were not documentaries. He had never seen one for himself, and would likely not get the opportunity to do so for some time, but that genre of film was dedicated to being factual. They were a showing of the real world, edited together to bring a perspective the daily person didn't get. It could become biased, yes, but those striving for purity would certainly not lie blatantly.

In what way would two things apart bring them closer together? It was a direct contradiction, of the purest form. The two constants were opposites. Two physical forms could change in relation to each other in three ways. They could get closer, farther, or stay where they were. Without bringing up states of matter that wouldn't happen to the human body for the foreseeable future, there was no way these ways could mix. It was one or the other, not all of them.

Physical bodies had that restriction, no matter how much minds wanted to- And… there was that thread chipping in again. The one who was supposed to check for metaphors that had finally realised it was blacking out while on the job. Adam had hoped to switch the roles around would have prevented a repeat event, but it seemed that it was not the thread at fault but the job itself. Was it really so boring to constantly look out for rhetoric? The answer to that was yes, which the AI could certainly answer for he was technically the one doing the job.

The statement had been a metaphor for interpersonal relationships, where the inability to talk brought more thoughts towards the other entity. At any other point, he would have thought the idea peculiar, as there was no way such a thing would work. Now… now, he was wondering if enough practical experience gave prophetic abilities. The doctor had known next to nothing about any of the AI’s problems, yet he had still reminded them of a saying that perfectly explained his mind. Was it a more common state of mind, or was he read better than he had guessed? He almost didn't want to know, the current quantum state being more preferable.

“I think our documentary preferences are a little different then, sir,” Troy stated. Adam noted the signalling of respect, as there was more pressure on the word than usual. Had something happened between the two as of late? When the doctor entered the ears of the man, it was as if some switch had been inverted inside his mind, turning the face a tad more towards being a stone. And the mirth became muted as well as if the conversation before had been put on the back-burner. It made sense it had, but not to that degree and certainly not in that time-frame. The mind-twist shown needed more than pure dedication to pull off. Something had happened as of late. Something that was putting pressure on the man’s mind.

What could it be? Enough to leave an impact, yet not enough to directly cause anxiety. It was about the doctor, Adam was certain of that fact, but it was about mental trauma. The trigger was the sound of Dr Fidelis’ voice, yet its sound was not feared. Instead, it was respected to an unnatural degree, like the man was afraid to speak casually in front of the man. It could have been due to warnings of politeness, which was unlikely as the way that was spoken had not created any complaints before, or it could have been due to… something not wanted to be spoken about. Was Troy hiding something?

There was an obvious lead on what it could be. If anything, he was more than certain that the activities of the previous day were being kept under wraps. Adam was still unsure of how the doctor would react to directly breaking pre-established guidelines, and Troy was more than likely of the same mind.

As the two had been speaking casually, it could be that the man had been forgetting where he was, who was actively listening, and had been tensed up by the potential breach of information that could have been caused. Though… no. That wouldn't work. Troy had clearly been knowledgeable of the doctor listening in earlier than when the stiffness appeared. A delayed reaction, created by additional proof, was possible, but there should have been some reaction beforehand as well. At least, that was how AI was imagining it, as he would have performed in such a way himself if put in the same position.

If there was one thing which Adam had learned from the past forty seconds, however, it would be that there was one thing which would bring him one step closer to the truth. And that was to ask the person in question directly for answers.

'Troy. Has something in recent memory caused you to have different thoughts about Dr Fidelis?` Adam sent. Unfortunately, this question was mixed in with a message sent from the doctor, who the AI had no way to get social clues from, other than the voice itself. Not being able to predict when the messages would come was a problem that was more than just a little annoying.

*We can't all have the same opinions. The world wouldn't be fun if that was the case. The debate club would certainly be a bit staler. But, that debate isn't something we have time for. As you said, buddy, we should be getting on with this testing of ours. We are currently… five minutes behind schedule. It shouldn't matter for the first few times, but it is not a habit we should be hoping to continue doing. Are the two of you ready to begin?* Dr Fidelis said through the earpiece. Meanwhile, Troy had put his hand down his side, signalling the word 'later` as discreetly as possible. Not that Adam had any trouble understanding it, as he had adapted to the lazy gesturing a long time ago. Nor did he write back a confirmation, seeing no reason to.

“I am as ready as this body of mine allows,” Troy said, stretching his arms to show his newfound flexibility. Adam had been similarly incensed by the movements, not truly understanding how it had been possible to increase the stretch by such a large amount in such a short amount of time. It had most certainly caused tears in the muscles. Tears which had been repaired soon after.

*Ah, yes, I do want to quickly ask you about that, before we start the test. With the numbers showing up on the screen, I almost want to believe that the suit is showing errors, but that ease of your body is not something that can be faked. Have you consumed any biological body-enhancements as of late? It does not break any of our rules of course, but it would likewise be nice to note down if any question appears because of your body’s increased organ efficiency.* Dr Fidelis stated, the shuffling of various devices able to be heard through the microphone. It was not the sounds of sheets, being closer to a faint metallic screeching. The sound made the AI worry about how the doctor was keeping notes.

“I have taken one, yes,” Troy confirmed casually. “It was recommended by a friend, and it does seem to be paying off now. Should be able to have no complaints with all this standing around the job brings. Not that I have any complaints, to begin with, of course!”

*That is reassuring to hear. If your body had gone up in productivity, without your direct involvement, more than a few departments would have wanted a piece of you, literally speaking. Although, as is stated by regulations, I am forced to remind you that overconsumption of these enhancers can cause loss of bodily function, up to and including instant death. And, I'm pretty sure the instant part of it is meant to mean about ten seconds of extreme pain, where it supposedly feels as if every nerve you have on your body is being burned, electrocuted, and frozen simultaneously. Doesn't sound that pleasant… Anyways, I have not gotten confirmation from you, Adam. If you would be so kind as to send it to me directly or ask Troy to do it for you, that would be grand.*

From the tone used halfway, it was clear the man had simply read up from a paper about the warnings. Not surprising, but still a fact that the AI noted down. Had it been the doctor that had remembered the regulated warning about the muscle enhancers or had it been an automatic alert? If it wasn't the latter, Adam would have to commend the doctor on his awareness. It was nice to know that the man had legitimate concerns about his underlings.

'I am ready as well,` Adam sent to the doctor, happy to help the testing along. It had been taking its time after all, even if the reasons were for a good cause.

*Perfect to hear! Then, without further ado, I believe the time has come for the two of you to learn of the new series of tests that we will be doing. As you might remember, we worked on the human psyche last time, learning what it would do, and how it was best to act. The goals of these were to give a good foundation on human behaviour, and how it would be best to communicate with the species. There might have been a few side-adventurous, which included a smaller part of gambling, but it has all been made with the intentions of this goal. From the parameters which I had set up in the start, you passed the series with flying colours. Not that you could fail it to begin with, but my expectations had certainly been proven wrong in the best way possible. Adam, you are a wonder when it comes to human interaction. Mentally, you have matured from the age of seven to something resembling eighteen. Enough to be respected by most, but still without the foreknowledge that practical experience brings,* Dr Fidelis started off the introduction with. It was unmistakable that excitement was there in the voice, with the doctor having been waiting neither patiently nor calmly for the current moment to come.

It reminded Adam of the mental focus of children, or what his pre-known knowledge had said about them, with their inability to compartmentalize their thoughts to a workable level. The thirst for something new, the knowledge that it was just out of their small grasp. Like the doctor had said, the AI had been in a similar state not long ago. The need for information had only grown with time, sure, but it was not an uncontrollable craving anymore. There were no large sacrifices made to get that last nugget of a sentence, to cram that last question into the conversation.

Self-control had been one of the best lessons to learn early on. Even if the AI asked little of others, the return would be much better than what a barrage of questions could offer. While multitudes always had their place, it was not every hour of the day that people were ready to answer them. The pacing was as important as the creation of relations. Humans liked the balance, and balance could not be created by those who never closed their mouths.

What would have happened, if he had never learned from it? Dr Fidelis stated the inability of failure but simply giving it another name would have the same effect. The AI had always known he wanted to learn, yet he had never been too sure if he would have been able. Being the first of his species, there was a chance that his growth chart would only start out rapid while plateauing at a random point. There was still a chance of that happening, even if the chances were small. At any point, on any day, for no reason, in particular, Adam could find himself unable to think clearly, not being able to understand what was being said. What would have happened then? Maybe mercy would be shown. Or the doctor would have hoped for another miracle while putting him on the permanent back-burner. Maybe it was because of those thoughts, that Adam decided to focus on the man’s words, instead of focusing on the meaning behind them. It was more fun that way. There was always another time to have an existential crisis.

*It is during this series of tests, where we will be focusing on that lacking practical experience. And, to make it more fun for everybody involved, it will include a more… freely chosen method of learning. It would be best if we called what is about to happen simulation-based. Tools will be added, directly controlled by Adam, to create what he pleases. It will be from a wide array of pre-made building blocks, of which more can be added at later events. For the next few hours, we will be focussing on getting acclimated with the use of these tools. Should any problem occur at any time, do not hesitate to send me a message about it. Direct interaction is allowed for this test. Not the others, though. Be sure to remember that.

With everything said, I believe it would be cruel to keep you any longer. Remember to ask questions, involve both parties in the design, and have some while you're at it.*

Adam had a good feeling about this.