The Man With A Plan (Lobotomy Corporation SI)
- Thread starter ScholasticKnyght
- Start date
- Mature
Renko
Look closer ~☆
- Location
- The Endless Void
That would be an interesting turn of events though.
Imagine an Abnormality, actively helping and supporting L-corp's goals by not being stuffed in a box and producing enkephalin but instead being an "agent" that helps out her fellow agents and deals with her fellow Abnormalities!
Bonus points if she's also immune to the reset thus having thousands of years worth of memories and experience.
The revelation will be pretty wild!
That would be pretty funny though I suspect Angela (and Ayin) would have a hissy fit if they found out there was an uncontrolled Abnormality wandering around the facility.
Who shure that they don't know and agent bong bong isn't unsuccessful expiriment about creation perfect agent to reduce the number of HUMAN suffering and loss of life?
Who shure that they don't know and agent bong bong isn't unsuccessful expiriment about creation perfect agent to reduce the number of HUMAN suffering and loss of life?
Me to... And Who want to join? (I... but you dont hear this)
DAY ELEVEN
This morning Angela buzzes my door at the most inopportune time. While I'm fiddling with my deck of cards, bored out of my mind because I woke up too early and don't have anything to do at the moment, the nerves of some people. Leaving the half-shuffled deck on my desk I stand up and head out of my room to be greeted by my assistant.
"Manager, I hope you had adequate time to choose which department to start working in. Alas, that time has expired and I require your answer." Is what she opens with as we start to walk down the hallway.
"I will start assuming control of the Training Team today, and good morning Angela," I reply, but if Angela was even the slightest bit embarrassed by my teasing she didn't show it.
"Splendid, I will begin the transfer immediately. Your meeting with Yesod is scheduled in ten minutes so I will not hold you any longer, though it should be said that in the future I will require you to choose which departments you wish to expand your grasp on at the end of the day instead of the beginning." She says before departing to perform her duties, not even saying goodbye.
"A-alright, see you!" I call out caught off guard by her sudden coldness. 'What's gotten into her all of a sudden?'
Nevertheless, I remember that ten minutes is not a lot of time to get someone and begin walking in the opposite direction towards the Information Department, intent on reaching Yesod's office before I'm late. 'The last thing I need is a good dressing down from a subordinate.'
My journey is mostly uninterrupted with each alive Clerk and Agent I pass, not getting anywhere close to my path, but the mood is less out of fear and disgust you would expect to radiate this company, but more… respectful and cheerful? 'These people know I literally have the power to just fucking murder them right? God, employees are weird.'
"...Hey, is that the manager...?"
"...Yeah it is, looks just like what Lest said he does…"
"...Aw, I wish I was in Keter…"
"...I heard their boss actually cares about them..."
"...Yeah, unlike The Viper..."
"...Come on, he isn't so bad. At least we don't have Hokma…"
"...I heard Chito say that lately he's been in a sour mood."
"...I wonder why that is-"
"AH!" I shout while falling to the floor as one of the employees bumps into me. 'Guess I got too caught up in what everyone was saying I completely forgot to pay attention to where I was going.'
"Oh, I'm so sorry manager! I didn't see you there!" Comes the somewhat familiar voice of the Agent as he extends his hand down to help me up. Grasping it I pull myself up and respond to him trying to give the best calming expression. "Hey don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us."
Now that I get a close look at his face though that feeling of familiarity only intensified, especially with his white hair and glasses covering his green eyes. I can see relief flood his young face as he quickly grabs my right hand with both of his and apologizes. "No, really I must insist that it's all my fault, though if you won't hold me here I have some work for Yesod I need to complete. Goodbye." He says before letting go of my now closed hand and scurrying off somewhere.
Yet right when he left I noticed that he secretly gave me something while he shook my hand. I continue on my way to Yesod's office, making sure that no more employees are around before I open it up to find what appears to be a small circular device and letter.
[Manager, if you are reading this then that means I was successful in delivering the communication device to you. Please make sure you are alone before using it, especially far away from Angela. There is very important info about this company that I must inform you about.]
After safely disposing of the note in the most practical manner I can, by eating it, there is only one thought that crosses my mind.
'Oh fuck, that was Benjamin wasn't it?'
…
"You're late." I got exactly what I expected from the Sephirah, a glare and retort at my arrival time.
"Sorry, there was a small accident on my way here. Nothing major though." I replied.
"It better be, you know how Angela will act if it was major especially to my department's privileges. Regardless, what is it you wish to discuss with me? Please just get to the point."
"Don't worry this won't take long, I just have a simple request for you." That causes Yesod to raise an eyebrow. "I want you to send me a complete list of everyone who has died in areas under my control." Only for that eyebrow to furrow and a sharp glint to enter his eyes.
"And pray tell where that information is going?" He says with a sharp tone.
Here is the moment I've been dreading because I know the answer I'm going to give would shock me a couple of weeks ago. Since it's not the answer that the stupid college version of would ever think of giving.Especially to consider a friend even after all this time. "That information is confidential only to me and my superiors.", 'so no one other than me.', "It should not add onto your workload too much as I will just need the names of those departed from this world."
"I see, I take it I am not in a position to refuse this offer?" I nod. "Very well, you can expect the first list at the end of today, and each supplementary one every morning before the work cycle." Is his cold, but defeated response. "Will that be all?"
"Yes, that will, thank you Yesod." I say before departing. But one thing I notice before I close the door behind me is the distinct sound of metal scratching metal.
'I'm so sorry, but only once you've done your part for the play can you tell me why I want this list.'
…
Angela is surprisingly not in the office when I return because she actually has a commitment, or it is just scripted to give the manager a feeling of espionage. 'I guess it doesn't matter though because regardless I am going to start the next stage of the script.' Taking out the device I was handed from an inside pocket of my lab coat I press its singular button which causes a very unexpected event. Because from what I can tell I just turned on some sort of hacking device in my office. I allow myself a brief moment of panic as every screen in my office is filled with static and a green LCorp logo appears on my distorted information screen.
"Can you read me? I repeat, is anyone there?" Comes the voice ofmy best friend B.
"I can read you, go ahead." I responded.
"Very well, you can call me B. I am an… insider. Someone who knows a lot about the company. So don't worry about your office, my program can or our conversation bypass all corporate firewalls so the AI in this facility will be no the wiser to my intrusion.", 'Fucking doubt.', "I must ask you to understand that I cannot reveal my identity. Now, I am going to tell you three truths that the company wishes to keep hidden over the following days. Tell me, please, why do you think you were hired by the company?" Benjamin asks.
"I'm going to be completely honest with you B, I have no fucking clue.", 'I'm not even lying here, I mean you would think that LCorp would require a bit more than a high school diploma for its head managers, but noooo.'
"I thought that would be the case though I cannot judge whether you are telling the truth to me. You're the manager but you don't really know anything about this company do you? Would you say that I'm wrong?", 'Oh yeah I would, but that would probably violate the script since I wouldn't be lying. I know more than he can believe, and way more than I probably should.'
"I hope I've at least gotten you thinking about your situation. Each time we speak we will need to be as brief as possible so I'll be ending the call here. Contacting someone for a long period of time is dangerous." Say the soon-to-be-dead man as the connection cuts and the static on the screens of my office slowly dissipates.
The last thing to go is the logo on my information screen, leaving me alone in an empty room as the systems begin to go online. 'Benjamin, currently alive in this facility while Hokma is a sephirah at the same time… TimeTrack is a hell of a technology. Yet, I can't stop an overwhelming feeling of guilt from coming over me. I've ordered my best friend to be killed countless times before, and he will die again in this loop all while Hokma has to endure the torment of knowing all of this. How can that man possibly stand by me when I reach his department?'
Involuntarily my stomach compresses and I catch myself sniffling at the thought of my closest friend who in this life I have only known for a singular day. 'The synchronization must be happening faster than I thought. If my subconscious feelings towards these people are this strong, I don't even know Hokma and I already am acting this pathetic way of thinking about him.'
I have to violently restrain myself from breaking down like a little bitch in my office before I decide to drown my unwanted emotions in my work. Turning my attention to the recently reactivated information screen I can see that the Training Department was just added to my control along with two Agents, Hoon and Nicholas. Hoon looks like an energetic young man with long fiery red hair and… Shark teeth? While Nicholas looks to be much more refined with the appearance of an aged gentleman, just a bit more cartoony. Looking at their 'stats' I wouldn't say they're the greatest but still passable for the Abnoramilites currently at my disposal. I decided to give Hoon Spider Bud's E.G.O weapon and The Scorched Girl's suit from Wendy who now has Wall Gazer's suit. Due to a lack of E.G.O though Nicholas just gets a spare set of One Sin's E.G.O.
It's at this moment that I can hear the doors to my office open as Angela finally appears before me. "Manager, I have news for you. I have evaluated the conditions of the Safety Team with Malkuth and still found them subpar, as such, I have ordered Agent Byleth to continue working in that department. That is unless you have any objections." She says getting straight to business.
"That should be fine Angela, I'll send Lest to the Training Team then. Thank you for the report." I say trying to give off a calm smile, I am not sure how well it worked.
"Of course manager It is my… pleasure to be of assistance to you." She responds before going over to her station and getting to work, leaving me to look over the single dossier I've been given about my new Abnormality.
And if I didn't know any better about Hod or Abnormalities I would say it's frankly unacceptable. There is only one recorded incident where an employee put the shoes on and went on some yandere quest before being suppressed without a written-down reason as to what 'state' was low enough that they were unable to resist the urge to put on the does. 'So it's going to fall to me to finalize this dossier, and I don't even know which work is favored. Well at the very least Hod figured out you can snap employees out of being possessed by talking to them… But that doesn't change the fact that someone is going to die today aren't they?'
It is with a resigned hand that I start the day.
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PoV: Wendy
Stepping into the chamber my mouth is bombarded by the smell and taste of ash, because while the Abnormality has not breached in days but her behavior has been no less aggressive. 'All that doesn't matter though I still have a job to do.'
I elect to sit down in a spot by the opposite wall of the little horror where there is less ash and observe the Abnormality that sits on the other side of the room. As I lock my knees close to my chest with my arms our battle of stares begins. Neither of us moves from our spot, we just observe each other as time seems to slow down. 'In this room, all that matters is me and the horror, two beings who are far from whole.'
Even the ash that was so recently flowing freely begins to settle down on the floor as the temperature that is usually burning begins to cool down until I find myself shivering from a lack of warmth. 'It reminds me of the cold harshness of The City which can take people away at will.'
"You're like me." Are the first words I hear from the horror, causing me to tilt my head hoping for her to elaborate.
"You lack both happiness and completion, a dying fire without a tender to keep it from dying out. It makes sense you would find yourself in this facility filled with death and despair. I wonder if you even have any wish to live longer than you have." She continues, which I can only offer a half-hearted shrug in response. 'After Abigail left me, a part of myself went with her. I wonder if it will ever come back or I will need to leave too to finally be whole again.'
The Abnormality then stands up and begins to slowly approach me, with the intent to kill? I don't know. I do nothing except what I was ordered not because of my loyalty to my duty, Sephirah, or the manager but because I don't feel the drive to. 'Maybe I'm not suited for this department but so far I have always fulfilled my orders so Ms. Malkuth has no reason to get rid of me.'
Sitting down with this Abnormality is nothing like it used to be with Abigail, but it's… nice, I guess. Though soon my time in this chamber comes to an end as a notification in my tablet informs me I got all the required PE boxes. The Abnormality doesn't try to stop me or anything and simply stares as I leave, not leaving the spot she now occupies.
It is somewhat frustrating however that I'm only assigned to do work with her again once I reach the main room of my department.
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PoV: Hoon.
"It's so weird without Tiffany around." I say to the current other occupant of the room I'm in my friend Nicholas.
"I suppose it is, but I can understand why she could no longer be a part of this department anymore." He replies with his token 'wise old man' voice.
"Yeah, yeah I know. Hod can be a real stick in the mud about counseling attendance, and it's not like we can't just not go, but it still has to be better than working under someone like Netzach who can't even get his department working right half the time." I say.
"You do understand you shouldn't speak about your superiors like that?" Nicky asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes man, you're sounding like the Thumb right now. It's not like we're or Yesod over there or Binah,"'I can't stop a shiver from going down my spine at the thought of that sephirah, "down in Extraction." I defend myself.
"Fine fine, just feel grateful the ever-present manager has yet to reprimand any Agents in this facility. Very few Wing's are as lax as this one when it comes to their employees' behavior." Nicholas relents. Just in time for the last Agent, we're working with today to enter the room, I can even see Makoto walking past the door that Lets just entered before it closes.
"So the Abnormality I just worked on is a pair of shoes." Is what the guy says as he approaches us. "Anything you guys know about it?"
Nicholas takes this question. "Sadly not much, Hod has been avoiding working on it since it was extracted since it's HE ranked, only the Team Captain has had any experience with it, no matter how little that is."
"Oh… managers probably not going to be happy about that." Lest says a bit more subdued. Causing both me and Nicholas to blanch before Lest quickly amends his statement. "W-wait I don't mean that in a super bad way or anything, the guys are pretty cool! It's just that he told me he gets a little annoyed when a dossier is subpar. Not that he'd ever act on it."
"R-right, I'm sure it'll be fine. Eh, Nicholas?" I say trying to calm down a bit.
"Of course, I'm sure the Keter Agent has plenty of experience with the manager." He replies also doing his best to look calm. 'No matter if you're from another Wing like him or Syndicate like me, having a pissed-off superior is never a good thing.'
*Ding*
[Complete attachment work with Red Shoes]
Seems that I don't have long to think about this current dilemma as my new orders arrive. Saying goodbye to my two coworkers I head off to the Abnormalities room, with only a slight nervous shake in my step.
…
The cage for this Abnormality is practically barren, with the only thing of note being the stand containing a soft pillow and a pair of red shoes. 'Man, really wonder how this thing got its name.' walking up to it I realize that I have pretty much no idea how to complete attachment work on a pair of shoes.
"So uh, how are you doing?" I say in what I already know is a super awkward voice.
I step right up to the podium before I continue speaking. "You're, uh, a pair of shoes, huh?"
I feel like an insane person. "And you're certainly red alright. That's why they call you Red Shoe I guess."
This is hurting my soul, the things I do for this corporation. "Yep, you're a pair of red shoes that I just need to put on."
"Wait no, why did I just say that. Not putting you on is like the one thing listed in the dossier." I am confused.
"But like, it sure wouldn't hurt, would it? Maybe if it's only for a little bit." I say as I slowly start reaching for the Abnormality and picking it off of its pillow as I take off my own shoes.
"Yeah, definitely shouldn't hurt if it's only for a few minutes, and hey then I can give the manager the data he needs so he's not mad at our department anymore." I reason with myself as I lower one of the shoes down to my foot.
"Oh, it looks like it fits…. Just right…" I say as I feel the sharp pain of hundreds of tiny teeth biting their way into my foot. Before doing the same thing with the other shoe.
"Ahhhh, that feels just…. right… They just look so perfect…" I say as I can feel some kind of fluid make its way through my body and in the reflection of the perfectly polished shoes I can see the whites of my eyes slowly become a beautiful shade of black.
"I'm sure the manager would just love to see these new shoes… they look so pretty after all…" I say while making my way out the chamber door, a newfound axe in hand.
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PoV: Nicholas
"Nicholas, your mission is to suppress Hoon who has put on the Red Shoes. Expect Keter's assistance soon." Comes the staticy voice of who I can only assume is the manager. I give myself a second to say a prayer to the gods of the city before going off. 'Everyone in this company knows what suppression means in this company.'
Making my way to the hall where the Abnormalities chamber is located I can see Hoon hack apart an unfortunate clerk that just happened to be in his way. It would seem the Abnormality is bringing about the worst of Hoon's previous life in a syndicate as the clerk's death is not quick but painful and slow. 'If I hadn't had a lifetime working for Wing's their pitiful cries would haunt me for weeks.'
"Hoon! You madman, why would you ever think of putting on the shoes!" I shout to the Agent, causing his head to turn to me in a very inhuman fashion. Allowing me to bear witness to the horrific smile and black eyes that his face now dawns.
"But aren't they just so pretty? They even look prettier with blood on them!" He shouts before charging at me, his axe head at the ready.
I shift into my experienced stance, weapon up and at the ready, prepared for when the kid makes his way to me. But it's with unexpected strength that he clashes with me causing me to lose my guard and accept a grazing strike as I'm but on my back foot. 'The Abnoramility must be enhancing his strength to that of a high-grade fixer.'
Maybe in my younger years, I could have disposed of Hoon with ease but at my age, I know my best chance of living to see tomorrow is to fight defensively and pray that help comes soon. Though that help can't come soon enough as we clash again and again I can feel my stance failing me and my form getting weaker as the kid seems to get stronger with each hit he is able to land.
It's due to a risky move that doesn't pay off that I find myself on the ground at Hoon's mercy and as he raises his axe high above his head, no doubt to decapitate me, a loud BOOM echoes off the corridor walls that sends my would-be executioner flying. Craning my head up I can see the arrival of Lest being flanked by two other Agents with the armbands of Keter.
"Sorry, we're late! Had to group up with these two!" Lest shouts from across the hallway before charging up another shot. The blue and silver haired Agents then rush down the corridor to meet the possessed Agent, who has been getting up with nary a scratch, in battle. And once I'm back on my feet I rush to join them, it's what we were ordered to do after all.
"More people, hurray! Maybe you guys can tell the manager just how great my shoes are!" Exclaims Hoon as he tries to keep up with the new reinforcements.
It's no use though as no matter how much the Abnormality buffed his abilities he is no match for 4 trained Agents of a Wing, and after a severe beating and another explosive shot to his torso, he falls to the ground. It's with my weapon crashing into his skull that he breathes his last.
"Goodbye, friend." I allow myself to mutter with a tearful eye as the shoes pop off and scurry back to their cell.
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PoV: X
Seeing as the red-stained doll falls on my screen only one thought finds its way through my head. 'Fucking called it.' Well, that and apparently a score of two temperance is not enough to resist putting the shoes on. 'I better write that down later.'
Later because both from a moral and material standpoint, I gave Hoon some of my best E.G.O gear, I see no reason to allow this timeline to persist and decide that this would be a good time to engage a SHIFT to the start of the day. The stand of a day where I am not a failure at my job and allow negligence to take the lives of those under me.
Yet as my body slumps, lifeless, and the timeline begins to dissolve as it returns to a point in the past I am knowledgeable about who the resonance of my SHIFT will take with me upwards along the stream of time.
…
"Manager, what exactly are you writing down?" The voice of my AI breaks me out of my concentration of adding to the dossier before the workday begins.
"Oh, just some edits to the dossier on the Red Shoes." I simply reply, causing Angela to lift an eyebrow and adopt a pondering expression.
"But how could you edit a dossier when you've yet to even work-" She says before I abruptly shoot her thoughts down with a highly intelligent and not at all uncalled for. "Don't care. Didn't ask. Plus I'm the manager." I explain while pointing my pencil in her direction.
The shift from her fake and calculated look of fake confusion that was trying to pry information from me to the absolute slack-jawed and eye-opened confusion was glorious to witness.. "I'm sure you already know how I know this so there is no need to play games, and of course I will not add this to the official report to keep from questions being asked by the Sephirah." I say so she isn't completely lost.
"Of course, manager-", "X!", "Of course, X, please feel free to continue with the workday." My robot assistant complies with my faux angry words. 'Well, at least I hope she realizes that they weren't meant to be rude.'
…
The day ends with no complications this time, probably because Lest and Eden were the only ones I felt safe enough to allow to work with the Red Shoes. After I'm done editing the official dossier for the Red Shoes, using the data I gained the second time to fill it out I lift myself out of my chair and head over to Angela, who also seems to be wrapping up her work.
"Angela, continue to open up the Training Team to me tomorrow. Also, push Yesod's reports directly to me. No peeking." I instruct the AI before putting my hand on her shoulder. "And don't take my words too harshly, half of what I say is sarcastic after all, though I don't know how well that comes across.", 'Curse my monotone voice! Even if it hasn't changed from my past.'
"Will that be all, X?" Comes the voice of my assistant.
"Yeah, I'll see you around." I say with a small smile before leaving.
'This job is so stressful I feel like just collapsing from exhaustion half the time.' I think to myself as I stumble to my bedroom. Only to be greeted by a familiar Agent at my dorm's door.
"X? We need to talk." He greets.
"Sure, sure come in." I say while opening the door and ushering him inside. Once we both sit down I continue. "What did you need to tell me?"
"Well, it's kind of hard to put into words. But do you ever feel like you've done something before?" 'Shit!', "Like the world was just reloaded and reset after you've just completed a task or explored somewhere you've never been?" He asks.
In my half-asleep mind, I decide to throw all aspects of subtlety out the door and answer in the bluntest way I can. "Yeah, all the time. Why?" That certainly caught him off guard. But before he has a chance to voice his thoughts again I elaborate. "There's a lot of weird and unnatural events that take place in this corporation, if you feel something weird or unusual happen it's probably best to just take it at face value instead of overthinking it. And if needed go and schedule a therapy appointment with the Training Department, though I'm not so sure how effective that would be."
"Oh, that's… Alright then." He decides to piece together in his dumbstruck state." Before continuing. "There was another thing I wanted to bring up too. You see the Agents in the Training Team seem to think that….."
I don't know how long we talked after that, both about work and with just silly conversations friends have with each other. Though I do know that when I'm finally allowed to rest after he leaves I dream of happy thoughts instead of the horrors of this corporation.
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And there we have it, the end of the more "tutorial" part of the game and the start of B's arc. You can probably see I decided to do something a little different with the fAithful man himself, and if you wish for an elaboration on how this is possible. Well, then you're sorely out of luck… at least for now…
Also, the next big thing in the Project Moonverse was just teased with a trailer, Limbus! And while my thoughts about it being a gacha are probably going to make me distort I still stand hyped for the game and can't wait for its arrival. I mean I've been listening to the new song by Mili and Myth & Roid for a while now, I just hope it gets released soon…
As always thank you for reading this story and I hope you liked the new Agents I've introduced, both of which were lvl 5 Agents from my first playthrough.
"Manager, I hope you had adequate time to choose which department to start working in. Alas, that time has expired and I require your answer." Is what she opens with as we start to walk down the hallway.
"I will start assuming control of the Training Team today, and good morning Angela," I reply, but if Angela was even the slightest bit embarrassed by my teasing she didn't show it.
"Splendid, I will begin the transfer immediately. Your meeting with Yesod is scheduled in ten minutes so I will not hold you any longer, though it should be said that in the future I will require you to choose which departments you wish to expand your grasp on at the end of the day instead of the beginning." She says before departing to perform her duties, not even saying goodbye.
"A-alright, see you!" I call out caught off guard by her sudden coldness. 'What's gotten into her all of a sudden?'
Nevertheless, I remember that ten minutes is not a lot of time to get someone and begin walking in the opposite direction towards the Information Department, intent on reaching Yesod's office before I'm late. 'The last thing I need is a good dressing down from a subordinate.'
My journey is mostly uninterrupted with each alive Clerk and Agent I pass, not getting anywhere close to my path, but the mood is less out of fear and disgust you would expect to radiate this company, but more… respectful and cheerful? 'These people know I literally have the power to just fucking murder them right? God, employees are weird.'
"...Hey, is that the manager...?"
"...Yeah it is, looks just like what Lest said he does…"
"...Aw, I wish I was in Keter…"
"...I heard their boss actually cares about them..."
"...Yeah, unlike The Viper..."
"...Come on, he isn't so bad. At least we don't have Hokma…"
"...I heard Chito say that lately he's been in a sour mood."
"...I wonder why that is-"
"AH!" I shout while falling to the floor as one of the employees bumps into me. 'Guess I got too caught up in what everyone was saying I completely forgot to pay attention to where I was going.'
"Oh, I'm so sorry manager! I didn't see you there!" Comes the somewhat familiar voice of the Agent as he extends his hand down to help me up. Grasping it I pull myself up and respond to him trying to give the best calming expression. "Hey don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us."
Now that I get a close look at his face though that feeling of familiarity only intensified, especially with his white hair and glasses covering his green eyes. I can see relief flood his young face as he quickly grabs my right hand with both of his and apologizes. "No, really I must insist that it's all my fault, though if you won't hold me here I have some work for Yesod I need to complete. Goodbye." He says before letting go of my now closed hand and scurrying off somewhere.
Yet right when he left I noticed that he secretly gave me something while he shook my hand. I continue on my way to Yesod's office, making sure that no more employees are around before I open it up to find what appears to be a small circular device and letter.
[Manager, if you are reading this then that means I was successful in delivering the communication device to you. Please make sure you are alone before using it, especially far away from Angela. There is very important info about this company that I must inform you about.]
After safely disposing of the note in the most practical manner I can, by eating it, there is only one thought that crosses my mind.
'Oh fuck, that was Benjamin wasn't it?'
…
"You're late." I got exactly what I expected from the Sephirah, a glare and retort at my arrival time.
"Sorry, there was a small accident on my way here. Nothing major though." I replied.
"It better be, you know how Angela will act if it was major especially to my department's privileges. Regardless, what is it you wish to discuss with me? Please just get to the point."
"Don't worry this won't take long, I just have a simple request for you." That causes Yesod to raise an eyebrow. "I want you to send me a complete list of everyone who has died in areas under my control." Only for that eyebrow to furrow and a sharp glint to enter his eyes.
"And pray tell where that information is going?" He says with a sharp tone.
Here is the moment I've been dreading because I know the answer I'm going to give would shock me a couple of weeks ago. Since it's not the answer that the stupid college version of would ever think of giving.
"I see, I take it I am not in a position to refuse this offer?" I nod. "Very well, you can expect the first list at the end of today, and each supplementary one every morning before the work cycle." Is his cold, but defeated response. "Will that be all?"
"Yes, that will, thank you Yesod." I say before departing. But one thing I notice before I close the door behind me is the distinct sound of metal scratching metal.
'I'm so sorry, but only once you've done your part for the play can you tell me why I want this list.'
…
Angela is surprisingly not in the office when I return because she actually has a commitment, or it is just scripted to give the manager a feeling of espionage. 'I guess it doesn't matter though because regardless I am going to start the next stage of the script.' Taking out the device I was handed from an inside pocket of my lab coat I press its singular button which causes a very unexpected event. Because from what I can tell I just turned on some sort of hacking device in my office. I allow myself a brief moment of panic as every screen in my office is filled with static and a green LCorp logo appears on my distorted information screen.
"Can you read me? I repeat, is anyone there?" Comes the voice of
"I can read you, go ahead." I responded.
"Very well, you can call me B. I am an… insider. Someone who knows a lot about the company. So don't worry about your office, my program can or our conversation bypass all corporate firewalls so the AI in this facility will be no the wiser to my intrusion.", 'Fucking doubt.', "I must ask you to understand that I cannot reveal my identity. Now, I am going to tell you three truths that the company wishes to keep hidden over the following days. Tell me, please, why do you think you were hired by the company?" Benjamin asks.
"I'm going to be completely honest with you B, I have no fucking clue.", 'I'm not even lying here, I mean you would think that LCorp would require a bit more than a high school diploma for its head managers, but noooo.'
"I thought that would be the case though I cannot judge whether you are telling the truth to me. You're the manager but you don't really know anything about this company do you? Would you say that I'm wrong?", 'Oh yeah I would, but that would probably violate the script since I wouldn't be lying. I know more than he can believe, and way more than I probably should.'
"I hope I've at least gotten you thinking about your situation. Each time we speak we will need to be as brief as possible so I'll be ending the call here. Contacting someone for a long period of time is dangerous." Say the soon-to-be-dead man as the connection cuts and the static on the screens of my office slowly dissipates.
The last thing to go is the logo on my information screen, leaving me alone in an empty room as the systems begin to go online. 'Benjamin, currently alive in this facility while Hokma is a sephirah at the same time… TimeTrack is a hell of a technology. Yet, I can't stop an overwhelming feeling of guilt from coming over me. I've ordered my best friend to be killed countless times before, and he will die again in this loop all while Hokma has to endure the torment of knowing all of this. How can that man possibly stand by me when I reach his department?'
Involuntarily my stomach compresses and I catch myself sniffling at the thought of my closest friend who in this life I have only known for a singular day. 'The synchronization must be happening faster than I thought. If my subconscious feelings towards these people are this strong, I don't even know Hokma and I already am acting this pathetic way of thinking about him.'
I have to violently restrain myself from breaking down like a little bitch in my office before I decide to drown my unwanted emotions in my work. Turning my attention to the recently reactivated information screen I can see that the Training Department was just added to my control along with two Agents, Hoon and Nicholas. Hoon looks like an energetic young man with long fiery red hair and… Shark teeth? While Nicholas looks to be much more refined with the appearance of an aged gentleman, just a bit more cartoony. Looking at their 'stats' I wouldn't say they're the greatest but still passable for the Abnoramilites currently at my disposal. I decided to give Hoon Spider Bud's E.G.O weapon and The Scorched Girl's suit from Wendy who now has Wall Gazer's suit. Due to a lack of E.G.O though Nicholas just gets a spare set of One Sin's E.G.O.
It's at this moment that I can hear the doors to my office open as Angela finally appears before me. "Manager, I have news for you. I have evaluated the conditions of the Safety Team with Malkuth and still found them subpar, as such, I have ordered Agent Byleth to continue working in that department. That is unless you have any objections." She says getting straight to business.
"That should be fine Angela, I'll send Lest to the Training Team then. Thank you for the report." I say trying to give off a calm smile, I am not sure how well it worked.
"Of course manager It is my… pleasure to be of assistance to you." She responds before going over to her station and getting to work, leaving me to look over the single dossier I've been given about my new Abnormality.
And if I didn't know any better about Hod or Abnormalities I would say it's frankly unacceptable. There is only one recorded incident where an employee put the shoes on and went on some yandere quest before being suppressed without a written-down reason as to what 'state' was low enough that they were unable to resist the urge to put on the does. 'So it's going to fall to me to finalize this dossier, and I don't even know which work is favored. Well at the very least Hod figured out you can snap employees out of being possessed by talking to them… But that doesn't change the fact that someone is going to die today aren't they?'
It is with a resigned hand that I start the day.
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PoV: Wendy
Stepping into the chamber my mouth is bombarded by the smell and taste of ash, because while the Abnormality has not breached in days but her behavior has been no less aggressive. 'All that doesn't matter though I still have a job to do.'
I elect to sit down in a spot by the opposite wall of the little horror where there is less ash and observe the Abnormality that sits on the other side of the room. As I lock my knees close to my chest with my arms our battle of stares begins. Neither of us moves from our spot, we just observe each other as time seems to slow down. 'In this room, all that matters is me and the horror, two beings who are far from whole.'
Even the ash that was so recently flowing freely begins to settle down on the floor as the temperature that is usually burning begins to cool down until I find myself shivering from a lack of warmth. 'It reminds me of the cold harshness of The City which can take people away at will.'
"You're like me." Are the first words I hear from the horror, causing me to tilt my head hoping for her to elaborate.
"You lack both happiness and completion, a dying fire without a tender to keep it from dying out. It makes sense you would find yourself in this facility filled with death and despair. I wonder if you even have any wish to live longer than you have." She continues, which I can only offer a half-hearted shrug in response. 'After Abigail left me, a part of myself went with her. I wonder if it will ever come back or I will need to leave too to finally be whole again.'
The Abnormality then stands up and begins to slowly approach me, with the intent to kill? I don't know. I do nothing except what I was ordered not because of my loyalty to my duty, Sephirah, or the manager but because I don't feel the drive to. 'Maybe I'm not suited for this department but so far I have always fulfilled my orders so Ms. Malkuth has no reason to get rid of me.'
Sitting down with this Abnormality is nothing like it used to be with Abigail, but it's… nice, I guess. Though soon my time in this chamber comes to an end as a notification in my tablet informs me I got all the required PE boxes. The Abnormality doesn't try to stop me or anything and simply stares as I leave, not leaving the spot she now occupies.
It is somewhat frustrating however that I'm only assigned to do work with her again once I reach the main room of my department.
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PoV: Hoon.
"It's so weird without Tiffany around." I say to the current other occupant of the room I'm in my friend Nicholas.
"I suppose it is, but I can understand why she could no longer be a part of this department anymore." He replies with his token 'wise old man' voice.
"Yeah, yeah I know. Hod can be a real stick in the mud about counseling attendance, and it's not like we can't just not go, but it still has to be better than working under someone like Netzach who can't even get his department working right half the time." I say.
"You do understand you shouldn't speak about your superiors like that?" Nicky asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes man, you're sounding like the Thumb right now. It's not like we're or Yesod over there or Binah,"'I can't stop a shiver from going down my spine at the thought of that sephirah, "down in Extraction." I defend myself.
"Fine fine, just feel grateful the ever-present manager has yet to reprimand any Agents in this facility. Very few Wing's are as lax as this one when it comes to their employees' behavior." Nicholas relents. Just in time for the last Agent, we're working with today to enter the room, I can even see Makoto walking past the door that Lets just entered before it closes.
"So the Abnormality I just worked on is a pair of shoes." Is what the guy says as he approaches us. "Anything you guys know about it?"
Nicholas takes this question. "Sadly not much, Hod has been avoiding working on it since it was extracted since it's HE ranked, only the Team Captain has had any experience with it, no matter how little that is."
"Oh… managers probably not going to be happy about that." Lest says a bit more subdued. Causing both me and Nicholas to blanch before Lest quickly amends his statement. "W-wait I don't mean that in a super bad way or anything, the guys are pretty cool! It's just that he told me he gets a little annoyed when a dossier is subpar. Not that he'd ever act on it."
"R-right, I'm sure it'll be fine. Eh, Nicholas?" I say trying to calm down a bit.
"Of course, I'm sure the Keter Agent has plenty of experience with the manager." He replies also doing his best to look calm. 'No matter if you're from another Wing like him or Syndicate like me, having a pissed-off superior is never a good thing.'
*Ding*
[Complete attachment work with Red Shoes]
Seems that I don't have long to think about this current dilemma as my new orders arrive. Saying goodbye to my two coworkers I head off to the Abnormalities room, with only a slight nervous shake in my step.
…
The cage for this Abnormality is practically barren, with the only thing of note being the stand containing a soft pillow and a pair of red shoes. 'Man, really wonder how this thing got its name.' walking up to it I realize that I have pretty much no idea how to complete attachment work on a pair of shoes.
"So uh, how are you doing?" I say in what I already know is a super awkward voice.
I step right up to the podium before I continue speaking. "You're, uh, a pair of shoes, huh?"
I feel like an insane person. "And you're certainly red alright. That's why they call you Red Shoe I guess."
This is hurting my soul, the things I do for this corporation. "Yep, you're a pair of red shoes that I just need to put on."
"Wait no, why did I just say that. Not putting you on is like the one thing listed in the dossier." I am confused.
"But like, it sure wouldn't hurt, would it? Maybe if it's only for a little bit." I say as I slowly start reaching for the Abnormality and picking it off of its pillow as I take off my own shoes.
"Yeah, definitely shouldn't hurt if it's only for a few minutes, and hey then I can give the manager the data he needs so he's not mad at our department anymore." I reason with myself as I lower one of the shoes down to my foot.
"Oh, it looks like it fits…. Just right…" I say as I feel the sharp pain of hundreds of tiny teeth biting their way into my foot. Before doing the same thing with the other shoe.
"Ahhhh, that feels just…. right… They just look so perfect…" I say as I can feel some kind of fluid make its way through my body and in the reflection of the perfectly polished shoes I can see the whites of my eyes slowly become a beautiful shade of black.
"I'm sure the manager would just love to see these new shoes… they look so pretty after all…" I say while making my way out the chamber door, a newfound axe in hand.
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PoV: Nicholas
"Nicholas, your mission is to suppress Hoon who has put on the Red Shoes. Expect Keter's assistance soon." Comes the staticy voice of who I can only assume is the manager. I give myself a second to say a prayer to the gods of the city before going off. 'Everyone in this company knows what suppression means in this company.'
Making my way to the hall where the Abnormalities chamber is located I can see Hoon hack apart an unfortunate clerk that just happened to be in his way. It would seem the Abnormality is bringing about the worst of Hoon's previous life in a syndicate as the clerk's death is not quick but painful and slow. 'If I hadn't had a lifetime working for Wing's their pitiful cries would haunt me for weeks.'
"Hoon! You madman, why would you ever think of putting on the shoes!" I shout to the Agent, causing his head to turn to me in a very inhuman fashion. Allowing me to bear witness to the horrific smile and black eyes that his face now dawns.
"But aren't they just so pretty? They even look prettier with blood on them!" He shouts before charging at me, his axe head at the ready.
I shift into my experienced stance, weapon up and at the ready, prepared for when the kid makes his way to me. But it's with unexpected strength that he clashes with me causing me to lose my guard and accept a grazing strike as I'm but on my back foot. 'The Abnoramility must be enhancing his strength to that of a high-grade fixer.'
Maybe in my younger years, I could have disposed of Hoon with ease but at my age, I know my best chance of living to see tomorrow is to fight defensively and pray that help comes soon. Though that help can't come soon enough as we clash again and again I can feel my stance failing me and my form getting weaker as the kid seems to get stronger with each hit he is able to land.
It's due to a risky move that doesn't pay off that I find myself on the ground at Hoon's mercy and as he raises his axe high above his head, no doubt to decapitate me, a loud BOOM echoes off the corridor walls that sends my would-be executioner flying. Craning my head up I can see the arrival of Lest being flanked by two other Agents with the armbands of Keter.
"Sorry, we're late! Had to group up with these two!" Lest shouts from across the hallway before charging up another shot. The blue and silver haired Agents then rush down the corridor to meet the possessed Agent, who has been getting up with nary a scratch, in battle. And once I'm back on my feet I rush to join them, it's what we were ordered to do after all.
"More people, hurray! Maybe you guys can tell the manager just how great my shoes are!" Exclaims Hoon as he tries to keep up with the new reinforcements.
It's no use though as no matter how much the Abnormality buffed his abilities he is no match for 4 trained Agents of a Wing, and after a severe beating and another explosive shot to his torso, he falls to the ground. It's with my weapon crashing into his skull that he breathes his last.
"Goodbye, friend." I allow myself to mutter with a tearful eye as the shoes pop off and scurry back to their cell.
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PoV: X
Seeing as the red-stained doll falls on my screen only one thought finds its way through my head. 'Fucking called it.' Well, that and apparently a score of two temperance is not enough to resist putting the shoes on. 'I better write that down later.'
Later because both from a moral and material standpoint, I gave Hoon some of my best E.G.O gear, I see no reason to allow this timeline to persist and decide that this would be a good time to engage a SHIFT to the start of the day. The stand of a day where I am not a failure at my job and allow negligence to take the lives of those under me.
Yet as my body slumps, lifeless, and the timeline begins to dissolve as it returns to a point in the past I am knowledgeable about who the resonance of my SHIFT will take with me upwards along the stream of time.
…
"Manager, what exactly are you writing down?" The voice of my AI breaks me out of my concentration of adding to the dossier before the workday begins.
"Oh, just some edits to the dossier on the Red Shoes." I simply reply, causing Angela to lift an eyebrow and adopt a pondering expression.
"But how could you edit a dossier when you've yet to even work-" She says before I abruptly shoot her thoughts down with a highly intelligent and not at all uncalled for. "Don't care. Didn't ask. Plus I'm the manager." I explain while pointing my pencil in her direction.
The shift from her fake and calculated look of fake confusion that was trying to pry information from me to the absolute slack-jawed and eye-opened confusion was glorious to witness.. "I'm sure you already know how I know this so there is no need to play games, and of course I will not add this to the official report to keep from questions being asked by the Sephirah." I say so she isn't completely lost.
"Of course, manager-", "X!", "Of course, X, please feel free to continue with the workday." My robot assistant complies with my faux angry words. 'Well, at least I hope she realizes that they weren't meant to be rude.'
…
The day ends with no complications this time, probably because Lest and Eden were the only ones I felt safe enough to allow to work with the Red Shoes. After I'm done editing the official dossier for the Red Shoes, using the data I gained the second time to fill it out I lift myself out of my chair and head over to Angela, who also seems to be wrapping up her work.
"Angela, continue to open up the Training Team to me tomorrow. Also, push Yesod's reports directly to me. No peeking." I instruct the AI before putting my hand on her shoulder. "And don't take my words too harshly, half of what I say is sarcastic after all, though I don't know how well that comes across.", 'Curse my monotone voice! Even if it hasn't changed from my past.'
"Will that be all, X?" Comes the voice of my assistant.
"Yeah, I'll see you around." I say with a small smile before leaving.
'This job is so stressful I feel like just collapsing from exhaustion half the time.' I think to myself as I stumble to my bedroom. Only to be greeted by a familiar Agent at my dorm's door.
"X? We need to talk." He greets.
"Sure, sure come in." I say while opening the door and ushering him inside. Once we both sit down I continue. "What did you need to tell me?"
"Well, it's kind of hard to put into words. But do you ever feel like you've done something before?" 'Shit!', "Like the world was just reloaded and reset after you've just completed a task or explored somewhere you've never been?" He asks.
In my half-asleep mind, I decide to throw all aspects of subtlety out the door and answer in the bluntest way I can. "Yeah, all the time. Why?" That certainly caught him off guard. But before he has a chance to voice his thoughts again I elaborate. "There's a lot of weird and unnatural events that take place in this corporation, if you feel something weird or unusual happen it's probably best to just take it at face value instead of overthinking it. And if needed go and schedule a therapy appointment with the Training Department, though I'm not so sure how effective that would be."
"Oh, that's… Alright then." He decides to piece together in his dumbstruck state." Before continuing. "There was another thing I wanted to bring up too. You see the Agents in the Training Team seem to think that….."
I don't know how long we talked after that, both about work and with just silly conversations friends have with each other. Though I do know that when I'm finally allowed to rest after he leaves I dream of happy thoughts instead of the horrors of this corporation.
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And there we have it, the end of the more "tutorial" part of the game and the start of B's arc. You can probably see I decided to do something a little different with the fAithful man himself, and if you wish for an elaboration on how this is possible. Well, then you're sorely out of luck… at least for now…
Also, the next big thing in the Project Moonverse was just teased with a trailer, Limbus! And while my thoughts about it being a gacha are probably going to make me distort I still stand hyped for the game and can't wait for its arrival. I mean I've been listening to the new song by Mili and Myth & Roid for a while now, I just hope it gets released soon…
As always thank you for reading this story and I hope you liked the new Agents I've introduced, both of which were lvl 5 Agents from my first playthrough.
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DAY TWELVE
When I open my eyes I can still feel the exhaustion behind them and a dull ache spreads itself throughout my body. It would seem that I awoke before my alarm was set to go off, yet no matter how much I wished to stay in bed I decided now would be a better time to get up. Not because I have a crushing amount of work to accomplish, overall most of it is just very stressful, but thankfully not too long, yet. But because I figure caffeine or a hot shower would wake me up better than the actual organic process of sleep.
So after brushing my teeth and taking that hot shower, which while relaxing does the exact opposite of waking me up. 'I can't believe I almost fell asleep standing up.' I check my fridge only to have my worst nightmare come to life, that I've run out of coffee and energy drinks. So while I usually don't eat much for breakfast and simply just have a snack for lunch while working I just grab an apple to sustain me till then and leave my room early and head to the employee dining hall.
In case Angela somehow doesn't keep track of my movement at all times I leave a small note on my door telling her where I've been and stumble out my not-so-merry way.
…
Somewhat-surprisingly the dinning hall is mostly vacant save for the stray Agent or Clerk here and there and it would seem people are finally starting to pay attention to the rank I hold in the facility as once again everyone gives me plenty of space as I walk over to the coffee machine in the kitchen-like segment of the hall. Thankfully the whispers sent my direction are kept to a minimum, because of how few people there are or just the type of people occupying the room, I don't know.
As the coffee slowly drips into my cup I take to passively observing the people occupying the same room as me, and what a bunch of characters they are. I once again see a mostly new Disciplinary Team, The turnover rate for those guys must be through the roof, and quite a few Agents from the lower floors, it's the two small girls from Hokma's team catch my eye it feels almost as if I've seen them before. Actually, I get that feeling from quite a few Agents under my control. 'Probably best not to think too hard on it.'
Even the clerks both working in the area and simply eating both have their own set of "characters" in their ranks. 'Is hair that shade of green natural?' I can't stop thinking to myself as I observe one of the clerks hum to themselves while cleaning up a pretty major spill. After that though I spend a good while trying not to fall asleep while standing up before the machine finishes its labor and grants me one fresh cup of coffee. So with cup in hand, I walk over to an empty table in a corner and sit down simply trying to enjoy the free time I have before the day begins. 'I would usually be bored right now but I'm way too groggy for that.'
When I'm about halfway through with my cup does an all too familiar face decide to sit across from me and there is no way in hell that I could ever mistake the bespeckled face of Benjamin or B as I guess he's called now. Though unlike yesterday when he had the armband of Yesod's department he now has the armband of the Training Team, complete with a giant H stitched on it.
"Oh, its- ah, you again." Is all I can bring myself to say at the sudden appearance at the man in my half awake state.
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PoV: Benjamin
"Oh, its- ah, you again." Says the man who I've been looking so long to find, the husk of my mentor, Ayin.
I can't stop myself from giving a small chuckle at the face of the man, or perhaps it's just the relief that he's still alive even after all this time even if the state he's in is a bit less than subpar. 'How do eye bags even get that big?', "Yes, it is indeed me. Again I must apologize for bumping into you yesterday, I was in quite a bit of a hurry as you probably saw." I say with a small and very subtle wink to my old friend.
"Yeah, I-uh… saw." He says with a little cringe passing through his face after my words. 'I wonder why.'
"Splendid, now I know our time is limited but if there is any question you must ask me not relating to the truth now will be the time to do so," I state to the amnesiac man. 'I know this move was risky, but can anyone blame me for wanting to see his face just a few more times?'
"There was one question I wanted to ask you." He says, at my nod he continues. "What brought you to the corporation.", 'Now isn't that a hard question? I should expect nothing less from the manager after all.'
"You could say I'm looking for someone. They're an old mentor of mine who I let tread down a dark path for far too long, I know they're in this corporation and I will save them." I say as determination seeps into my voice. 'I will save you.' I can't stop adding on in my head.
Though, it is a strange part that the manager seems to latch onto in my words. "An old mentor? H-how exactly did you meet this person?" Now that's a question that brings back memories.
I close my eyes as I reminisce on the past both me and the unknowing man share. "You see I used to work at a lab far away from here, our research group was small but committed. And the most committed of all was a small group of the head scientists that consisted of my mentor, a woman named Carmen, my mentor's other student, and myself. We spend many, many, sleepless nights trying to unravel the secrets of the world and to reach our goal. Sadly the death of one of us would soon cause the entire laboratory to fracture due to the series of events it caused, thus leading my mentor to cre- working for this corporation." I state unknowing of the manager's shocked expression to my words as his face settles before I open my eyes.
"And who exactly was your mentor's other student?" The man in front of me asks, seemingly unable to contain some sort of curiosity.
The memory of his causes a feeling of regret to overtake my body as I think of his fate. "Ah, him. I don't think it would be much of a stretch to claim that he and my mentor were as 'thick as thieves as the old saying goes, it seemed that whenever I left those two and came back they were always plotting something ambitious, be it about suppling our base or the collective consciousness of the human race." I can't stop myself from chuckling here. "His circumstances at the laboratory were rather unique though apparently, the first thing he did once he arrived was to destroy his means of transportation here claiming that this world is too dark or something like that." After saying my piece about one of my old friends, I realize that I got a little bit carried away during my limited time talking to the manager and decide to just get straight to his grim fate.
"He was also the first to die in our laboratory, he refused to let one of our members take place in an experiment and volunteered instead. His death was both horrific and painful, and it set the tone for each following event.", 'Heh, we almost started dropping like flies after his death.', "Maybe due to the butterfly effect my mentor,", 'you', " ended up in this hell because of his student's and my friend's, because of Matthew's death." I state before seeing a pale woman with blue hair enter the hallway leading to the dining hall. "It seems I've run out of time to talk to you, do not try to operate the device today but tomorrow, goodbye." Is what I briefly state to the manager before hurrying further into the room.
In my hurry, I completely miss the look of horrified shock that overcomes the manager's face. Or the look of pity that the two girls from the Record's Department send my way.
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PoV: X
…Matthew, my name is Ayin…
…Oh, so you're Matthew? I'm Carmen, it's nice to meet you!…
…So you're Ayin's other student Matthew? Well then, it's going to be a pleasure to work together…
…Matthew huh, name's Kali. Just don't cause any trouble…
…Care for some coffee Matthew? Gabriel, Elijah, and I are going to go have a cup…
…Mr. Matthew, are you going to play with us today? Enoch said you would talk to us…
'That's my name. What the absolute fuck is happening.' Any previous thoughts of being tired are completely erased by now as B's last words have woken me right up. 'I-i was a part of the old lab! And I DIED! How did I get sent there, was it the transporter? And if I was a part of the team why is the Lobotomy Corporation still a thing? Did I fail somehow? Why didn't I just SHIFT away?'
All my thoughts are abruptly shut down however when a robot clears her synthetic voice from right behind my shoulder causing me to jump in my seat. Turning my head to see her I can feel her gaze staring straight through me even though her eyes are completely close. 'How the hell does she even do that? Somehow her face looks almost sad in a way, or it melancholic?'
"So it would seem your note did not lie, I almost expected to find you trying to snoop around the corporation seeing as you like to take an axe to corporate protocol." She 'jokes.'
"Ha, don't worry I'm a man of my world after all. Shall we head out?" I ask my assistant while trying to hide my inner turmoil by keeping a small smile. 'She saw me with B didn't she, it's not like she doesn't know how this is all going to go. She's probably killed him thousands of times already.'
"Of course, you are to meet with Hod this morning. Please, follow me." She responds before turning around and walking away with me falling into step right beside her.
As we enter the elevator to take us into the main facility and the Training Department Angela once again begins her scripted dialog and talks to me in her detached voice, which I now notice is much more like a robot than a human. "What do you think of the Sephirah?" She asks, but before I can answer she cuts me off and continues. "Don't you find them somewhat lacking in certain ways? You have the liberty to disregard whatever they may say. However, please be kind to them.", 'Well, I try my hardest… Actually no I don't I want them to break down as fast as possible, I'm a horrible person aren't I?',
Unknowing of my thoughts the AI continues. "This is the burden we must bear if we want to advance their departments so to speak. I have never had any serious discussions with them. They seem to be uncomfortable conversing with me. Most likely due to the fact that I am a superior being. Heh, even if they're secretly jealous of my superiority, there is nothing they can do to change that. After all, I am the most advanced AI in this company." She amits with what I believe is a smirk.
"Isn't that lonely though?" I force myself to question, thankfully not letting any of my inner emotions into my voice, for if I did there's no doubt I would start crying at the thought of the Sephirah.
"What is that manager?" She responds with just a small quirk of her eyebrow.
"To put yourself on a pedestal high above the reach of others so much so that you don't ever look down and interact with those beneath you. I think that would just be lonely after a while." I state to her, unable to look her in the eyes as my negative emotions overwhelm me and forced to face into an all too familiar feeling frown. 'I wonder how long ago it was when she did try to play nice with her colleagues. And It's all my fault she doesn't do that anymore, I created the script after all… Didn't I?'
If I was to look over I would have said a somewhat similar but less expressive look on the robot's face as she looks into her own synthetic emotions at my words, remembering her history like it was just a few seconds ago.
Though for now none of this matters since soon enough the two broken people make their way into the Training Department to meet with Hod.
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PoV: Hod
The look on both the manager's and Angela's faces is one I would hesitate to call 'happy' as they seem to drag themselves into my office. 'T-their not upset at me or anything, right? No! I can't let negative thoughts get in the way of our kinda-sorta first impressions. The manager needs to see just how nice of a person I am after all.'
So when they finally make it in from of me I do my best to greet them. "Oh, umm… Hi." Their downtrodden faces do even change at my greetings. 'Ohnononononono, I might have just messed up!'
"...", 'T-they still aren't responding! Is this about yesterday? Did I mess up the dossiers, that much? I didn't want to just try and sacrifice my employees no matter what Angela says. For their sake of course.'
"You're not angry are you?" I can't help but squeak out while looking at the manager's grumpy face. Though for some reason that seems to almost break him out of some trance he seemed to be in as he looks started for a second before he shakes his head and responds with. "Huh? Oh, sorry I was just out of it for a bit. I guess formal introductions are in order though. My name is X the manager of this facility, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Hod. I'm in charge of the Training Team. We're… um… what we do is... You know accidents happen in the company.", 'What am I saying?! Of course, he knows that! Quick I need to fix this!', "B-but Lady Angela said that about half of those accidents can be prevented if employees showed more… initiative. Us department heads can't micromanage everything that happens in this corporation, it's not like we're the only ones with self-determination so that's where my team tries to help. We provide employees with work manuals and sufficient training. You know, to try and reduce the number of accidents. We also help employees that are transferring to different departments in adapting to their new workplace… Umm, I'm not very skillful in many areas, but I'll try not to be a hindrance, at least...!" I reassure my boss.
"I'm sure you'll do fine Hod, you've managed to keep your position as a Sephirah this long after all." He says. 'Oh, maybe he already knows how much I've helped the employees in this corporation. I am the only Sephirah that truly cares for them after all.'
"Thank you. I've been testing out this new employee program these days. I don't know how it will work out just yet but… um… do you want to hear more about the program?" At his nod, I continue. "Well, as you know this company is… quite demanding. Even though we run constant check-ups, many of our employees regularly lose their sanity… I know exactly what it's like. I mean, I don't directly interact with the Abnormalities, but I know what it feels like to lose yourself… I'm not sure if employees will like my new program, or if it will prove to be helpful... I can only hope…"
It's then that someone knocks on my office door, I know I'm in a meeting but without knowing who it is I need to at least open the door. Maybe they even have urgent information for X or Lady Angela. But surprisingly I see the face of one of my previous Agent's Tiffany. The black-haired girl seems to get even bigger when she sees me. 'Of course, it must be that I'm just that much of a better Sephirah than Netzach. Tiffany told me she only transferred to his team due to the recent troubles they've been having and through the goodness of her heart wanted to help out.'
"Hey, Miss Hod!" She eagerly exclaims. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something but I just felt I needed to thank you personally. It's all thanks to you that I feel so much better, it helped to talk to you just as you suggested. I'm finally free from all those horrible thoughts that used to haunt me every morning!" She excitedly tells me, loud enough for both Lady Angela and X to hear.
"No, no, it was your courage to bare your heart to me that solved the problem. I just showed you where to start." I reassure her with a smile.
"I mean it. I'd have probably hung myself by now if it wasn't for you. Anyway, Miss Hod, you did save my life. I'm so fortunate I had you as my Sephirah. You're a really, really good person." These words cause my smile to get even bigger. 'It's so nice that some people are seeing how good I am.'
"Thank you, Tiffany! I'm so glad to see you're getting better. I hope you're doing well in your new team, even though it's only been a day since you transferred there. And please make sure not to forget the conversations we had."
"Of course, miss. I won't." She says before turning around and leaving. For some reason, before she fully turns around I can see the corners of her smile look like they're falling though. 'My visual software must be getting faulty.'
Turning around I face the looks of both X and Lady Angela, who both seem to have been scrutinizing my conversation. 'Good.', "You see that, manager? My program's really working! I want to be as helpful a person I can be here. Because, the harder I try, the more lives I can save…" I get out before we have to stop the meeting and prepare for the day. I do get to tell him about my first mission before he leaves though. 'I think it's better to let him know in person instead of relying on my report, what if he has questions after all?'
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PoV: X
"This looks barely any harder than Yesod's assignments." I can't help but say aloud, and really can anyone blame me when the mission is 'promote two Agents?' On another note, it would seem that I have more control over the Training Department. The only real change I make to equipment is to give Knox the E.G.O crossbow, screaming wedge before I give the order to start the day.
"Hey Angela, I got a question for you." I say while turning over to the robot. When she gives a questioning hum I continue. "Would it be possible for me to put the facility on pause and take a nap?" I say shamelessly which makes the machine open to mouth to respond before closing it again. 'Has no one asked this before?' I ponder.
"I suppose it would be acceptable if it is only for a short while, you do need to reach the quota for the day however so I would recommend resting while sending Agents to work on less dangerous Abnoramilitie." She responds formally.
"Alright, there was another thing I was wondering. Would it be possible to use some TT tech in my room to let me get more sleep? I'm worried I won't be able to perform at peak effectiveness especially as the Abnoramilites get tougher if I'm sleep deprived."
"Again, that would be acceptable. You would however need to schedule a meeting with Malkuth to get it set up. She is technically in control of this facility, after all, even the parts without Abnormalities."
"Alright, can you mark it down for the day after tomorrow? I'm probably going to expand to the Safety Department then."
"Of course manager, I'll set up the appointment."
With our little conversation over there, I simply sit back and try to relax while the Agents get to their departments. 'It would be a lot easier if I stopped seeing the faces ofmy friends the performSephirah whenever I close my eyes.'
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PoV: Riko
'This is the fourth time I've been sent to do repression work on 1.76.' I can't help but think to myself. Especially when I see some of my other department workers like the Captain, Knox, taking a nap since he doesn't have anything assigned to do. 'I get it the managers trying to improve some of our stats, it's why Sergey keeps getting sent to the Lady Facing the Wall and Constance to Spider Bud. Still can't help but think it's a bit unfair though.'
Upon entering the chamber I perform the same tasks that I performed previously, that is repress the sound while not listening to it. And just like the previous times, it's just as boring and monotonous, it's not even like the screams and sounds of battle provoke a reaction out of me, I've heard it all before as a fixer after all. The only thing of note would be that some of the sounds remind me of some Abnoramilties I've heard about deeper in the facilities, but I haven't had a chance to work with yet.
And once I leave the chamber after performing my task, which seemed to go just a little bit quicker than before, I return to the main room and await my next orders. 'Please don't make me go back I just want to do something else.'
Luckily the order to perform repression work on 1.76 doesn't come for me again and I get a little bit of free time in the main room that I decide to use to catch up on some sleep near the regenerator. I don't pay attention to the conversations of my coworkers or Constance's nagging about something or other until I realize that all my fellow Agents in this department aren't being sent to perform work. That can only mean one thing, Ordeal time. 'Thankfully I'm in info, not Control Malkuth has a little panic attack whenever one starts or something.'
"Hey, Knox wake up." I say while shoving the captain.
"Waaa, what? Did I get assigned work or something?"
"Ordeal soon."
"Oh, I should probably be awake for that." He says before signing and standing up.
Just then out earpieces have a burst of static before the calm voice of the manager directly tells us to deal with the Red Ordeal by the Lady Facing the Wall. And as expected the suppression takes less than 5 minutes. 'Red Dawns are the easier by far, after all.' The only thing of note is that the explosion of the clown cripples an unsuspecting clerk that was too caught up in our victory to notice the second stage of the entity. 'Must have been new here.'
The next order I receive turns my bored mind into one of disappointment and frustration since it very clearly says the one thing I didn't want to hear.
[Prefrom Repression Work on 1.76 MHz]
'Oh wingdammit.'
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PoV: Lest
[Preform Insight work on Punishing Bird]
"Huh, so that's the name huh?" I mutter to myself
"Oooh, what is it?" Hoon says while looking over my shoulder. Before his lips drawback on his pointed teeth and he makes a hissing sound. "Sheesh, you should prepare yourself for that one. Nothing too dangerous but it always tends to beat me up."
"Oh, is it aggressive?" I ask the man.
"I guess you could say that it's one of the first this department got so we've been working on it for quite a while. Anyways you should probably get going, see ya!" He exclaims right before I begin to walk out of the room. Throughout my journey, a small feeling of dread fills me as I repeat Hoon's words in my head. 'Know that I think about it Punishing Bird is a rather intimidating name, I sure hope nothing too bad happens.' I think before a small shiver overwhelms me.
All of these fears are immediately put to rest upon entering the containment chamber. A tiny little white bird with a red belly sits upon a tree branch at the far end of the unit and simply sits there. 'A more accurate name for this thing would be Small Bird. I mean just look at this thing'
Almost as if reading my mind once I think the words "Small Bird" the things eyebrows furrow and it assumes a look of what I believe is supposed to be rage before lifting off from its perch and flying towards me. 'Wait it's flying rather fast.', "Wait a minute-" At that moment I know I was screwed as the beast had made its assault.
"Ow! Hey! Stop it!..." Well maybe assault it a bit of an exaggeration. 'It hurt definitely but it's actually kind of fun, in a weird way.'
The status quo of the Abnoramility stay that way for a while until it simply just stopped and went back to it's perch with a victorious expression on its face. Not long after that does the door open and I go back outside to return to the department's main room.
Only to then hear the voice of Hod call through the Training Team's comms that Punishing Bird escaped. Turning around I see the furious bird lock onto me and dart itself to my location. It should be no surprise that my next reaction was to try and sprint back to the main room.
And it should also be no surprise that when I stand in the room the punisher of sins continues its assault on my head as my coworkers laugh at my defeated expression.
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PoV: X
After a nice, possibly long, nap I feel pretty relieved like the mental pains and aches are a bit more manageable now and it's not like the work today is overly stressful either. Though one thing on the screen happens to unsettle me greatly, right at the end of the meltdown timer is big words the say GREEN NOON as if that's something I'm even remotely prepared to take on. Luckily I have enough energy to end the day before I reach the Ordeal. 'I really need to train these Agents more and get some better equipment, dear god I hope Binah start's sending up some good Abnoramilites.'
"Angela, I want you to open up the Safety Team for me tomorrow," I say while looking at the screens slowly power down as the workday ends.
"Are you certain manager? While the safety team should be fully ready for you to open as it is done recuperating its losses, this might lead to overextension of your Agent's abilities." She question.
"I'm sure, I'll need to start taking some risks if I want more competent Agents later down the line. Hod should be in charge of making sure they are up to the task after all." I respond, before remembering that I completed Hod's task for today. "Oh, and also I want the Training Team to develop Improved Hiring Procedures by tomorrow.", 'From what I read that should make the Safety Team and rest of the Training Team slightly better when I gain control of them.'
"Of course, manager. I'll get to it right away." She says before resuming her work.
'I guess there's not too much else to do now, I can't do a final observation of Red Shoes since I'm still finishing the dossier and I don't have any meeting. Looks like I got a free afternoon for once, no work, and no plans. Only existential dread at my lot in life.'
So it's with a hazy mind that I meander my way back to my quarters and spend some time by myself trying and failing to piece together my hazy memories of before this corporation before heading to bed and dreaming of old friends in this world and the last.
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You didn't expect the main character was actually just some random guy from another world, now did you? Because then you would be wrong, as M or Matthew as I should now say was actually a member of the old lab, no prizes for guessing whose place he took in a cogito experiment though.
On an unrelated note, the reason why this took so long was because my laptop actually died so I actually couldn't work on it for a while. And now finals are coming up so I'll not be able to put as much time into this fic as I've done previously for a while longer, at least until break comes. So thank you for standing by even with my awful upload schedule.
So after brushing my teeth and taking that hot shower, which while relaxing does the exact opposite of waking me up. 'I can't believe I almost fell asleep standing up.' I check my fridge only to have my worst nightmare come to life, that I've run out of coffee and energy drinks. So while I usually don't eat much for breakfast and simply just have a snack for lunch while working I just grab an apple to sustain me till then and leave my room early and head to the employee dining hall.
In case Angela somehow doesn't keep track of my movement at all times I leave a small note on my door telling her where I've been and stumble out my not-so-merry way.
…
Somewhat-surprisingly the dinning hall is mostly vacant save for the stray Agent or Clerk here and there and it would seem people are finally starting to pay attention to the rank I hold in the facility as once again everyone gives me plenty of space as I walk over to the coffee machine in the kitchen-like segment of the hall. Thankfully the whispers sent my direction are kept to a minimum, because of how few people there are or just the type of people occupying the room, I don't know.
As the coffee slowly drips into my cup I take to passively observing the people occupying the same room as me, and what a bunch of characters they are. I once again see a mostly new Disciplinary Team, The turnover rate for those guys must be through the roof, and quite a few Agents from the lower floors, it's the two small girls from Hokma's team catch my eye it feels almost as if I've seen them before. Actually, I get that feeling from quite a few Agents under my control. 'Probably best not to think too hard on it.'
Even the clerks both working in the area and simply eating both have their own set of "characters" in their ranks. 'Is hair that shade of green natural?' I can't stop thinking to myself as I observe one of the clerks hum to themselves while cleaning up a pretty major spill. After that though I spend a good while trying not to fall asleep while standing up before the machine finishes its labor and grants me one fresh cup of coffee. So with cup in hand, I walk over to an empty table in a corner and sit down simply trying to enjoy the free time I have before the day begins. 'I would usually be bored right now but I'm way too groggy for that.'
When I'm about halfway through with my cup does an all too familiar face decide to sit across from me and there is no way in hell that I could ever mistake the bespeckled face of Benjamin or B as I guess he's called now. Though unlike yesterday when he had the armband of Yesod's department he now has the armband of the Training Team, complete with a giant H stitched on it.
"Oh, its- ah, you again." Is all I can bring myself to say at the sudden appearance at the man in my half awake state.
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PoV: B
"Oh, its- ah, you again." Says the man who I've been looking so long to find, the husk of my mentor, Ayin.
I can't stop myself from giving a small chuckle at the face of the man, or perhaps it's just the relief that he's still alive even after all this time even if the state he's in is a bit less than subpar. 'How do eye bags even get that big?', "Yes, it is indeed me. Again I must apologize for bumping into you yesterday, I was in quite a bit of a hurry as you probably saw." I say with a small and very subtle wink to my old friend.
"Yeah, I-uh… saw." He says with a little cringe passing through his face after my words. 'I wonder why.'
"Splendid, now I know our time is limited but if there is any question you must ask me not relating to the truth now will be the time to do so," I state to the amnesiac man. 'I know this move was risky, but can anyone blame me for wanting to see his face just a few more times?'
"There was one question I wanted to ask you." He says, at my nod he continues. "What brought you to the corporation.", 'Now isn't that a hard question? I should expect nothing less from the manager after all.'
"You could say I'm looking for someone. They're an old mentor of mine who I let tread down a dark path for far too long, I know they're in this corporation and I will save them." I say as determination seeps into my voice. 'I will save you.' I can't stop adding on in my head.
Though, it is a strange part that the manager seems to latch onto in my words. "An old mentor? H-how exactly did you meet this person?" Now that's a question that brings back memories.
I close my eyes as I reminisce on the past both me and the unknowing man share. "You see I used to work at a lab far away from here, our research group was small but committed. And the most committed of all was a small group of the head scientists that consisted of my mentor, a woman named Carmen, my mentor's other student, and myself. We spend many, many, sleepless nights trying to unravel the secrets of the world and to reach our goal. Sadly the death of one of us would soon cause the entire laboratory to fracture due to the series of events it caused, thus leading my mentor to cre- working for this corporation." I state unknowing of the manager's shocked expression to my words as his face settles before I open my eyes.
"And who exactly was your mentor's other student?" The man in front of me asks, seemingly unable to contain some sort of curiosity.
The memory of his causes a feeling of regret to overtake my body as I think of his fate. "Ah, him. I don't think it would be much of a stretch to claim that he and my mentor were as 'thick as thieves as the old saying goes, it seemed that whenever I left those two and came back they were always plotting something ambitious, be it about suppling our base or the collective consciousness of the human race." I can't stop myself from chuckling here. "His circumstances at the laboratory were rather unique though apparently, the first thing he did once he arrived was to destroy his means of transportation here claiming that this world is too dark or something like that." After saying my piece about one of my old friends, I realize that I got a little bit carried away during my limited time talking to the manager and decide to just get straight to his grim fate.
"He was also the first to die in our laboratory, he refused to let one of our members take place in an experiment and volunteered instead. His death was both horrific and painful, and it set the tone for each following event.", 'Heh, we almost started dropping like flies after his death.', "Maybe due to the butterfly effect my mentor,", 'you', " ended up in this hell because of his student's and my friend's, because of Matthew's death." I state before seeing a pale woman with blue hair enter the hallway leading to the dining hall. "It seems I've run out of time to talk to you, do not try to operate the device today but tomorrow, goodbye." Is what I briefly state to the manager before hurrying further into the room.
In my hurry, I completely miss the look of horrified shock that overcomes the manager's face. Or the look of pity that the two girls from the Record's Department send my way.
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PoV: X
…Matthew, my name is Ayin…
…Oh, so you're Matthew? I'm Carmen, it's nice to meet you!…
…So you're Ayin's other student Matthew? Well then, it's going to be a pleasure to work together…
…Matthew huh, name's Kali. Just don't cause any trouble…
…Care for some coffee Matthew? Gabriel, Elijah, and I are going to go have a cup…
…Mr. Matthew, are you going to play with us today? Enoch said you would talk to us…
'That's my name. What the absolute fuck is happening.' Any previous thoughts of being tired are completely erased by now as B's last words have woken me right up. 'I-i was a part of the old lab! And I DIED! How did I get sent there, was it the transporter? And if I was a part of the team why is the Lobotomy Corporation still a thing? Did I fail somehow? Why didn't I just SHIFT away?'
All my thoughts are abruptly shut down however when a robot clears her synthetic voice from right behind my shoulder causing me to jump in my seat. Turning my head to see her I can feel her gaze staring straight through me even though her eyes are completely close. 'How the hell does she even do that? Somehow her face looks almost sad in a way, or it melancholic?'
"So it would seem your note did not lie, I almost expected to find you trying to snoop around the corporation seeing as you like to take an axe to corporate protocol." She 'jokes.'
"Ha, don't worry I'm a man of my world after all. Shall we head out?" I ask my assistant while trying to hide my inner turmoil by keeping a small smile. 'She saw me with B didn't she, it's not like she doesn't know how this is all going to go. She's probably killed him thousands of times already.'
"Of course, you are to meet with Hod this morning. Please, follow me." She responds before turning around and walking away with me falling into step right beside her.
As we enter the elevator to take us into the main facility and the Training Department Angela once again begins her scripted dialog and talks to me in her detached voice, which I now notice is much more like a robot than a human. "What do you think of the Sephirah?" She asks, but before I can answer she cuts me off and continues. "Don't you find them somewhat lacking in certain ways? You have the liberty to disregard whatever they may say. However, please be kind to them.", 'Well, I try my hardest… Actually no I don't I want them to break down as fast as possible, I'm a horrible person aren't I?',
Unknowing of my thoughts the AI continues. "This is the burden we must bear if we want to advance their departments so to speak. I have never had any serious discussions with them. They seem to be uncomfortable conversing with me. Most likely due to the fact that I am a superior being. Heh, even if they're secretly jealous of my superiority, there is nothing they can do to change that. After all, I am the most advanced AI in this company." She amits with what I believe is a smirk.
"Isn't that lonely though?" I force myself to question, thankfully not letting any of my inner emotions into my voice, for if I did there's no doubt I would start crying at the thought of the Sephirah.
"What is that manager?" She responds with just a small quirk of her eyebrow.
"To put yourself on a pedestal high above the reach of others so much so that you don't ever look down and interact with those beneath you. I think that would just be lonely after a while." I state to her, unable to look her in the eyes as my negative emotions overwhelm me and forced to face into an all too familiar feeling frown. 'I wonder how long ago it was when she did try to play nice with her colleagues. And It's all my fault she doesn't do that anymore, I created the script after all… Didn't I?'
If I was to look over I would have said a somewhat similar but less expressive look on the robot's face as she looks into her own synthetic emotions at my words, remembering her history like it was just a few seconds ago.
Though for now none of this matters since soon enough the two broken people make their way into the Training Department to meet with Hod.
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PoV: Hod
The look on both the manager's and Angela's faces is one I would hesitate to call 'happy' as they seem to drag themselves into my office. 'T-their not upset at me or anything, right? No! I can't let negative thoughts get in the way of our kinda-sorta first impressions. The manager needs to see just how nice of a person I am after all.'
So when they finally make it in from of me I do my best to greet them. "Oh, umm… Hi." Their downtrodden faces do even change at my greetings. 'Ohnononononono, I might have just messed up!'
"...", 'T-they still aren't responding! Is this about yesterday? Did I mess up the dossiers, that much? I didn't want to just try and sacrifice my employees no matter what Angela says. For their sake of course.'
"You're not angry are you?" I can't help but squeak out while looking at the manager's grumpy face. Though for some reason that seems to almost break him out of some trance he seemed to be in as he looks started for a second before he shakes his head and responds with. "Huh? Oh, sorry I was just out of it for a bit. I guess formal introductions are in order though. My name is X the manager of this facility, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Hod. I'm in charge of the Training Team. We're… um… what we do is... You know accidents happen in the company.", 'What am I saying?! Of course, he knows that! Quick I need to fix this!', "B-but Lady Angela said that about half of those accidents can be prevented if employees showed more… initiative. Us department heads can't micromanage everything that happens in this corporation, it's not like we're the only ones with self-determination so that's where my team tries to help. We provide employees with work manuals and sufficient training. You know, to try and reduce the number of accidents. We also help employees that are transferring to different departments in adapting to their new workplace… Umm, I'm not very skillful in many areas, but I'll try not to be a hindrance, at least...!" I reassure my boss.
"I'm sure you'll do fine Hod, you've managed to keep your position as a Sephirah this long after all." He says. 'Oh, maybe he already knows how much I've helped the employees in this corporation. I am the only Sephirah that truly cares for them after all.'
"Thank you. I've been testing out this new employee program these days. I don't know how it will work out just yet but… um… do you want to hear more about the program?" At his nod, I continue. "Well, as you know this company is… quite demanding. Even though we run constant check-ups, many of our employees regularly lose their sanity… I know exactly what it's like. I mean, I don't directly interact with the Abnormalities, but I know what it feels like to lose yourself… I'm not sure if employees will like my new program, or if it will prove to be helpful... I can only hope…"
It's then that someone knocks on my office door, I know I'm in a meeting but without knowing who it is I need to at least open the door. Maybe they even have urgent information for X or Lady Angela. But surprisingly I see the face of one of my previous Agent's Tiffany. The black-haired girl seems to get even bigger when she sees me. 'Of course, it must be that I'm just that much of a better Sephirah than Netzach. Tiffany told me she only transferred to his team due to the recent troubles they've been having and through the goodness of her heart wanted to help out.'
"Hey, Miss Hod!" She eagerly exclaims. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something but I just felt I needed to thank you personally. It's all thanks to you that I feel so much better, it helped to talk to you just as you suggested. I'm finally free from all those horrible thoughts that used to haunt me every morning!" She excitedly tells me, loud enough for both Lady Angela and X to hear.
"No, no, it was your courage to bare your heart to me that solved the problem. I just showed you where to start." I reassure her with a smile.
"I mean it. I'd have probably hung myself by now if it wasn't for you. Anyway, Miss Hod, you did save my life. I'm so fortunate I had you as my Sephirah. You're a really, really good person." These words cause my smile to get even bigger. 'It's so nice that some people are seeing how good I am.'
"Thank you, Tiffany! I'm so glad to see you're getting better. I hope you're doing well in your new team, even though it's only been a day since you transferred there. And please make sure not to forget the conversations we had."
"Of course, miss. I won't." She says before turning around and leaving. For some reason, before she fully turns around I can see the corners of her smile look like they're falling though. 'My visual software must be getting faulty.'
Turning around I face the looks of both X and Lady Angela, who both seem to have been scrutinizing my conversation. 'Good.', "You see that, manager? My program's really working! I want to be as helpful a person I can be here. Because, the harder I try, the more lives I can save…" I get out before we have to stop the meeting and prepare for the day. I do get to tell him about my first mission before he leaves though. 'I think it's better to let him know in person instead of relying on my report, what if he has questions after all?'
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PoV: X
"This looks barely any harder than Yesod's assignments." I can't help but say aloud, and really can anyone blame me when the mission is 'promote two Agents?' On another note, it would seem that I have more control over the Training Department. The only real change I make to equipment is to give Knox the E.G.O crossbow, screaming wedge before I give the order to start the day.
"Hey Angela, I got a question for you." I say while turning over to the robot. When she gives a questioning hum I continue. "Would it be possible for me to put the facility on pause and take a nap?" I say shamelessly which makes the machine open to mouth to respond before closing it again. 'Has no one asked this before?' I ponder.
"I suppose it would be acceptable if it is only for a short while, you do need to reach the quota for the day however so I would recommend resting while sending Agents to work on less dangerous Abnoramilitie." She responds formally.
"Alright, there was another thing I was wondering. Would it be possible to use some TT tech in my room to let me get more sleep? I'm worried I won't be able to perform at peak effectiveness especially as the Abnoramilites get tougher if I'm sleep deprived."
"Again, that would be acceptable. You would however need to schedule a meeting with Malkuth to get it set up. She is technically in control of this facility, after all, even the parts without Abnormalities."
"Alright, can you mark it down for the day after tomorrow? I'm probably going to expand to the Safety Department then."
"Of course manager, I'll set up the appointment."
With our little conversation over there, I simply sit back and try to relax while the Agents get to their departments. 'It would be a lot easier if I stopped seeing the faces of
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PoV: Riko
'This is the fourth time I've been sent to do repression work on 1.76.' I can't help but think to myself. Especially when I see some of my other department workers like the Captain, Knox, taking a nap since he doesn't have anything assigned to do. 'I get it the managers trying to improve some of our stats, it's why Sergey keeps getting sent to the Lady Facing the Wall and Constance to Spider Bud. Still can't help but think it's a bit unfair though.'
Upon entering the chamber I perform the same tasks that I performed previously, that is repress the sound while not listening to it. And just like the previous times, it's just as boring and monotonous, it's not even like the screams and sounds of battle provoke a reaction out of me, I've heard it all before as a fixer after all. The only thing of note would be that some of the sounds remind me of some Abnoramilties I've heard about deeper in the facilities, but I haven't had a chance to work with yet.
And once I leave the chamber after performing my task, which seemed to go just a little bit quicker than before, I return to the main room and await my next orders. 'Please don't make me go back I just want to do something else.'
Luckily the order to perform repression work on 1.76 doesn't come for me again and I get a little bit of free time in the main room that I decide to use to catch up on some sleep near the regenerator. I don't pay attention to the conversations of my coworkers or Constance's nagging about something or other until I realize that all my fellow Agents in this department aren't being sent to perform work. That can only mean one thing, Ordeal time. 'Thankfully I'm in info, not Control Malkuth has a little panic attack whenever one starts or something.'
"Hey, Knox wake up." I say while shoving the captain.
"Waaa, what? Did I get assigned work or something?"
"Ordeal soon."
"Oh, I should probably be awake for that." He says before signing and standing up.
Just then out earpieces have a burst of static before the calm voice of the manager directly tells us to deal with the Red Ordeal by the Lady Facing the Wall. And as expected the suppression takes less than 5 minutes. 'Red Dawns are the easier by far, after all.' The only thing of note is that the explosion of the clown cripples an unsuspecting clerk that was too caught up in our victory to notice the second stage of the entity. 'Must have been new here.'
The next order I receive turns my bored mind into one of disappointment and frustration since it very clearly says the one thing I didn't want to hear.
[Prefrom Repression Work on 1.76 MHz]
'Oh wingdammit.'
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PoV: Lest
[Preform Insight work on Punishing Bird]
"Huh, so that's the name huh?" I mutter to myself
"Oooh, what is it?" Hoon says while looking over my shoulder. Before his lips drawback on his pointed teeth and he makes a hissing sound. "Sheesh, you should prepare yourself for that one. Nothing too dangerous but it always tends to beat me up."
"Oh, is it aggressive?" I ask the man.
"I guess you could say that it's one of the first this department got so we've been working on it for quite a while. Anyways you should probably get going, see ya!" He exclaims right before I begin to walk out of the room. Throughout my journey, a small feeling of dread fills me as I repeat Hoon's words in my head. 'Know that I think about it Punishing Bird is a rather intimidating name, I sure hope nothing too bad happens.' I think before a small shiver overwhelms me.
All of these fears are immediately put to rest upon entering the containment chamber. A tiny little white bird with a red belly sits upon a tree branch at the far end of the unit and simply sits there. 'A more accurate name for this thing would be Small Bird. I mean just look at this thing'
Almost as if reading my mind once I think the words "Small Bird" the things eyebrows furrow and it assumes a look of what I believe is supposed to be rage before lifting off from its perch and flying towards me. 'Wait it's flying rather fast.', "Wait a minute-" At that moment I know I was screwed as the beast had made its assault.
"Ow! Hey! Stop it!..." Well maybe assault it a bit of an exaggeration. 'It hurt definitely but it's actually kind of fun, in a weird way.'
The status quo of the Abnoramility stay that way for a while until it simply just stopped and went back to it's perch with a victorious expression on its face. Not long after that does the door open and I go back outside to return to the department's main room.
Only to then hear the voice of Hod call through the Training Team's comms that Punishing Bird escaped. Turning around I see the furious bird lock onto me and dart itself to my location. It should be no surprise that my next reaction was to try and sprint back to the main room.
And it should also be no surprise that when I stand in the room the punisher of sins continues its assault on my head as my coworkers laugh at my defeated expression.
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PoV: X
After a nice, possibly long, nap I feel pretty relieved like the mental pains and aches are a bit more manageable now and it's not like the work today is overly stressful either. Though one thing on the screen happens to unsettle me greatly, right at the end of the meltdown timer is big words the say GREEN NOON as if that's something I'm even remotely prepared to take on. Luckily I have enough energy to end the day before I reach the Ordeal. 'I really need to train these Agents more and get some better equipment, dear god I hope Binah start's sending up some good Abnoramilites.'
"Angela, I want you to open up the Safety Team for me tomorrow," I say while looking at the screens slowly power down as the workday ends.
"Are you certain manager? While the safety team should be fully ready for you to open as it is done recuperating its losses, this might lead to overextension of your Agent's abilities." She question.
"I'm sure, I'll need to start taking some risks if I want more competent Agents later down the line. Hod should be in charge of making sure they are up to the task after all." I respond, before remembering that I completed Hod's task for today. "Oh, and also I want the Training Team to develop Improved Hiring Procedures by tomorrow.", 'From what I read that should make the Safety Team and rest of the Training Team slightly better when I gain control of them.'
"Of course, manager. I'll get to it right away." She says before resuming her work.
'I guess there's not too much else to do now, I can't do a final observation of Red Shoes since I'm still finishing the dossier and I don't have any meeting. Looks like I got a free afternoon for once, no work, and no plans. Only existential dread at my lot in life.'
So it's with a hazy mind that I meander my way back to my quarters and spend some time by myself trying and failing to piece together my hazy memories of before this corporation before heading to bed and dreaming of old friends in this world and the last.
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You didn't expect the main character was actually just some random guy from another world, now did you? Because then you would be wrong, as M or Matthew as I should now say was actually a member of the old lab, no prizes for guessing whose place he took in a cogito experiment though.
On an unrelated note, the reason why this took so long was because my laptop actually died so I actually couldn't work on it for a while. And now finals are coming up so I'll not be able to put as much time into this fic as I've done previously for a while longer, at least until break comes. So thank you for standing by even with my awful upload schedule.
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Renko
Look closer ~☆
- Location
- The Endless Void
Other student? Do you mean Matthew was under Ayin's apprenticeship or something?
Huh? I thought Kali was famous enough that everyone recognizes her?
I'm hoping that with the reveal, the SI will have this sinking feeling about their friends being alive but in a way that they are not the same people anymore.
I wonder how the Sephirah (post-meltdown) will react once it has been revealed that it is actually Matthew inside and not A***.
Will the SI have a meltdown event of his own in the future?!
Maybe he'll distort and stuff!
Does it mean both Tiphereths will survive their meltdowns this time around!?
I mean, if Matthew indeed took Enoch's place as the first cognito experiment human test subject, there's bound to be some changes in the timeline, right,?
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Yep. Benjamin wasn't Ayin's only student at the Old Lab.
Well, there is a couple of reasons for this. First of all Matthew is not of their world as he was inserted, so Kali would assume he doesn't know who she is. Second is that most people know of The Red Mist not the person behind the color. And finally Kali is just a nice person, who behind her hard exterior does indeed like the people of the Old Lab, she chose to defend them after all.
I wonder how the Sephirah (post-meltdown) will react once it has been revealed that it is actually Matthew inside and not A***.
Will the SI have a meltdown event of his own in the future?!
Maybe he'll distort and stuff!
Does it mean both Tiphereths will survive their meltdowns this time around!?
I mean, if Matthew indeed took Enoch's place as the first cognito experiment human test subject, there's bound to be some changes in the timeline, right,?
Hehe, you'll just have to wait and find out. All I'll say is that Enoch definitely did not die in the cogito experiment as Matthew took his place, to Enochs unknown reaction, and as showcased M is not entirely himself anymore.
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Renko
Look closer ~☆
- Location
- The Endless Void
Ummm...
Can you phrase this again? I felt like the sentence have a stroke or aomething.
Just like the Sephirah, right?
Despite overcoming their trauma and getting their memories back after their respective meltdowns they all chose to not be associated with their psst lives back when they were human and instead choose to identify as their current selves as metal cereal boxes.
......
Oh man, now I understand Myo's feelings upon finding out Gebura was Kali and that she (Gebura) is not quite the same woman who saved and inspired her before anymore.
Yem...
Sorry for the typos I was typing on my phone earlier.
For the question "is he like the sephirah" I'm just going to leave that at a big *maybe* because I feel a lot of that can be up to interpretation once my very big reveal (tm) is finally done in like 20ish chapters.
Oh man, now I understand Myo's feelings upon finding out Gebura was Kali and that she (Gebura) is not quite the same woman who saved and inspired her before anymore.
Yem...
I'm not too sure how I feel about that since Mayo did seems to still have some little fan girl episodes even after she met Gebura. I personally think she just has a really fucked up way of showing her appreciation. Close work with a singularity will do stuff like that after all.
Renko, your assumptions sound rapidly tasty and exciting!
Let me share the assumptions, namely, the fact that our protagonist is really distorted, or will survive the personal nervous breakdown ... but not now. As already spoken in the text "I can allow my despair then to distort me as soon as everything is over."
And if it is more accurate ... he did not have enough personal experience in this damn corporation. Only hitting a safer place and how it is necessary to think about everything that happened to him (any part of it, which he considers himself, whether it is his first-axis or a huge layer in the form of a collective consciousness under the nickname X.)
But in any case, for Yes, the days of 45+ will rather serve as indicators how great he is now the problem with the world. Or more precisely, all those charts of the one hundred are attached to his behalf and the position of the manager. And also, it will serve as a certain Pandora's box.
So, in the consequence, these days, and the strokes associated with them are a good such trigger for many events) it will be interesting) by the way, Renko, but how can I draw you? (I'm just trying to raise my skill drawing and once a comewy to start to take ... And I want to draw all the permanent participants of this story. And you seem to me how to like it.)
Let me share the assumptions, namely, the fact that our protagonist is really distorted, or will survive the personal nervous breakdown ... but not now. As already spoken in the text "I can allow my despair then to distort me as soon as everything is over."
And if it is more accurate ... he did not have enough personal experience in this damn corporation. Only hitting a safer place and how it is necessary to think about everything that happened to him (any part of it, which he considers himself, whether it is his first-axis or a huge layer in the form of a collective consciousness under the nickname X.)
But in any case, for Yes, the days of 45+ will rather serve as indicators how great he is now the problem with the world. Or more precisely, all those charts of the one hundred are attached to his behalf and the position of the manager. And also, it will serve as a certain Pandora's box.
So, in the consequence, these days, and the strokes associated with them are a good such trigger for many events) it will be interesting) by the way, Renko, but how can I draw you? (I'm just trying to raise my skill drawing and once a comewy to start to take ... And I want to draw all the permanent participants of this story. And you seem to me how to like it.)
Sidestory snip 1: A coffee break in a more hopeful future.
"Alright, that should be the last one. Here you go Malkuth~" says Chesed from behind his counter while offering the hot drink to his fellow Librarian.
"You're sure that counts as coffee, Chesed? From what I've seen it looks more like cream to me." I can't help but snark, earning a glare from the Patron of History.
"Hey! That's coming from the guy who dumped 20 pounds of sugar into his! You shouldn't even be able to talk!" She quickly responds with a look somewhere between mock and real fury.
Before I can bring my next retort Yesod cuts me off. "Both of you be quiet, we should be spending this time to relax and allow our emotional state to wind down between receptions. Not to wind it right back up with petty squabbles." He says like he's reprimanding kids instead of his coworkers. Though Malkuth, the ever brash, is not one to take a scolding like that especially from Yesod of all people. "Yeah, okay Mr. pitch black coffee. What I don't understand is how you can even stomach that stuff." Which actually brings the purple-haired man off guard before he starts arguing himself. "I'll have you know black coffee is-
Once I'm taken out of the verbal spat Chesed leans a bit onto the table and speaks to me after taking a sip of his own expertly made drink. "You getting reminded of old times too, manager?" The barista says to me, causing me to put a hand to my face and sigh.
"You're gonna still call me that too? You know our corporate days are over now don't you?" I can't help but reply to the old name, yet still with a small smile on my face.
"What? Is there something else that fits you more? And calling you director would just be incorrect~" He cheekily replies. 'Something else that fits me, huh? Matthew? Nah, rather not take the name of a dead man. X? Doesn't suit me anymore. Ayin? Nope. A? Possibly, but not really.'
"Yeah yeah, whatever. But I'd be lying if I said you were wrong, we use to do stuff like this all the time in the Old Lab." I end up replying.
"Yep, we sure did. Shame we couldn't in the corporation though." He says with a reminiscent expression before I deadpan at him. "Chesed. 3 of you were metal boxes in the corporation."
"Oh, right." He says while snapping back to reality. "If you forgot about that I will spill this coffee on you." I jest. "Alright, chill Lord manager~" He says while lifting his hands into the air and making me sigh again at the nickname.
Though as the quarrel between Malkuth and Yesod begins to dial down I hear footsteps head up the stairs into the Floor of Social Sciences before I turn around and see the director of the Library herself, Angela or possibly better known as my old assistant.
'Looking back on the past couple of months the (somewhat less) robotic woman has earned herself a reputation throughout all of the ex-employees of the Lobotomy Corporation that found themselves in The Library. Some like the Librarians of the Floor of Religion are a bit more hostile towards her while others like on the Floor of Language couldn't care less as long as Gebura is their head Librarian. Then there is my floor, the Floor of General works, where my ex-Agents try to be as welcoming as possible though the scars of her betrayal can still be seen in their reactions.'
"What are you lot gathered here for?" Questions the director, though it sounds like a reprimand I can tell that there is a solid basis of curiosity in her words.
Looking back at my peers I see if anyone is about to answer our boss only to find a collection of different looks headed her way. Malkuth with a slight glare/pout, Yesod with an analyzing look, and Chesed hiding his behind his coffee cup. 'What a bunch of socially awkward dorks.', "We're just hanging out to unwind and reflect on some memories." I end up answering for our ensemble. 'Heh ensemble.'
"I see, so this gathering is like the ones you would create with your Agents in the Lobotomy Corporation." Angela questions, though it sounds much more like a statement.
"Yep, pretty much hit the nail on the head, though I'd say the situation is pretty different between then and now. And it wasn't just me and my Agent's, you were always invited too y'know?" I respond, before realizing I might have just put my foot in my mouth.
The Pale Librarian seems to reflect on my words for a little bit before speaking to us once again, though now having an expression that is a bit more subdued and… bashful? "I suppose I was… Then, would you mind if I joined you?"
Looking back at my collection of comrades I once again get another collection of expressions but none of them seem to be straight-up rejecting her request.
"Guys?" I question.
"Fine." Malkuth relents.
"I don't see a reason why she couldn't." Yesod states. 'He's probably just hoping she also chooses black coffee.'
"I'm fine with it.' Chesed says with a shrug.
Looking back at Angela I smile at her "Well, you heard their answers. Come on over." I say causing my ex-assistant to adopt a small smile of her own before coming over and taking a seat next to me and ordering black coffee. 'The bastard.'
And while with the new addition the meeting no longer resembled that of the Old Lab, that's not to say we all didn't have fun. And while some of it was a bit more awkward, when it is not when having your boss right next to you. 'Agents were definitely awkward around me sometimes. The coffee break was overall pretty fun. 'Hell, I even got Angela to giggle one time. Giggle!' But like all good things, the break had to come to an end and all of us Patrons departed to go complete their work and prepare for receptions.
Though Angela before Angela snaps herself to god knows where she leaves me with yet another task to complete. "I have a new assignment for you, Gebura should just now be completing a reception soon. You are to sort all of the new books received with your fellow Keter Patrons and deliver them to their respective floors." She says with amusement in her voice before teleporting away.
"Goddamnit."
------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone, I get that this snippet will probably kinda come out of left field but it's something that I simply wanted to write and decided to post. And as you can probably tell it's pretty much nothing but some fluff, which is actually something I like ready but I somehow turned this fic into a bunch of miseryporn for our poor manager, oops. I also tried not to reveal too much in this snippet other than that "the mAn with a plAn" happened and the Library is the next step for our characters. Nothing on if the plAnned Eden's Garden worked, if there is any distortions/E.G.O, not even which guests are being greeted. The only thing I hinted at is that there are at least more than 2 Patrons for Keter. I wonder who they could be?
And do please tell me if you enjoyed the snip, or if it was executed poorly and I shouldn't do something like this again. I'm still new at this and appreciate any feedback you guys give me.
"You're sure that counts as coffee, Chesed? From what I've seen it looks more like cream to me." I can't help but snark, earning a glare from the Patron of History.
"Hey! That's coming from the guy who dumped 20 pounds of sugar into his! You shouldn't even be able to talk!" She quickly responds with a look somewhere between mock and real fury.
Before I can bring my next retort Yesod cuts me off. "Both of you be quiet, we should be spending this time to relax and allow our emotional state to wind down between receptions. Not to wind it right back up with petty squabbles." He says like he's reprimanding kids instead of his coworkers. Though Malkuth, the ever brash, is not one to take a scolding like that especially from Yesod of all people. "Yeah, okay Mr. pitch black coffee. What I don't understand is how you can even stomach that stuff." Which actually brings the purple-haired man off guard before he starts arguing himself. "I'll have you know black coffee is-
Once I'm taken out of the verbal spat Chesed leans a bit onto the table and speaks to me after taking a sip of his own expertly made drink. "You getting reminded of old times too, manager?" The barista says to me, causing me to put a hand to my face and sigh.
"You're gonna still call me that too? You know our corporate days are over now don't you?" I can't help but reply to the old name, yet still with a small smile on my face.
"What? Is there something else that fits you more? And calling you director would just be incorrect~" He cheekily replies. 'Something else that fits me, huh? Matthew? Nah, rather not take the name of a dead man. X? Doesn't suit me anymore. Ayin? Nope. A? Possibly, but not really.'
"Yeah yeah, whatever. But I'd be lying if I said you were wrong, we use to do stuff like this all the time in the Old Lab." I end up replying.
"Yep, we sure did. Shame we couldn't in the corporation though." He says with a reminiscent expression before I deadpan at him. "Chesed. 3 of you were metal boxes in the corporation."
"Oh, right." He says while snapping back to reality. "If you forgot about that I will spill this coffee on you." I jest. "Alright, chill Lord manager~" He says while lifting his hands into the air and making me sigh again at the nickname.
Though as the quarrel between Malkuth and Yesod begins to dial down I hear footsteps head up the stairs into the Floor of Social Sciences before I turn around and see the director of the Library herself, Angela or possibly better known as my old assistant.
'Looking back on the past couple of months the (somewhat less) robotic woman has earned herself a reputation throughout all of the ex-employees of the Lobotomy Corporation that found themselves in The Library. Some like the Librarians of the Floor of Religion are a bit more hostile towards her while others like on the Floor of Language couldn't care less as long as Gebura is their head Librarian. Then there is my floor, the Floor of General works, where my ex-Agents try to be as welcoming as possible though the scars of her betrayal can still be seen in their reactions.'
"What are you lot gathered here for?" Questions the director, though it sounds like a reprimand I can tell that there is a solid basis of curiosity in her words.
Looking back at my peers I see if anyone is about to answer our boss only to find a collection of different looks headed her way. Malkuth with a slight glare/pout, Yesod with an analyzing look, and Chesed hiding his behind his coffee cup. 'What a bunch of socially awkward dorks.', "We're just hanging out to unwind and reflect on some memories." I end up answering for our ensemble. 'Heh ensemble.'
"I see, so this gathering is like the ones you would create with your Agents in the Lobotomy Corporation." Angela questions, though it sounds much more like a statement.
"Yep, pretty much hit the nail on the head, though I'd say the situation is pretty different between then and now. And it wasn't just me and my Agent's, you were always invited too y'know?" I respond, before realizing I might have just put my foot in my mouth.
The Pale Librarian seems to reflect on my words for a little bit before speaking to us once again, though now having an expression that is a bit more subdued and… bashful? "I suppose I was… Then, would you mind if I joined you?"
Looking back at my collection of comrades I once again get another collection of expressions but none of them seem to be straight-up rejecting her request.
"Guys?" I question.
"Fine." Malkuth relents.
"I don't see a reason why she couldn't." Yesod states. 'He's probably just hoping she also chooses black coffee.'
"I'm fine with it.' Chesed says with a shrug.
Looking back at Angela I smile at her "Well, you heard their answers. Come on over." I say causing my ex-assistant to adopt a small smile of her own before coming over and taking a seat next to me and ordering black coffee. 'The bastard.'
And while with the new addition the meeting no longer resembled that of the Old Lab, that's not to say we all didn't have fun. And while some of it was a bit more awkward, when it is not when having your boss right next to you. 'Agents were definitely awkward around me sometimes. The coffee break was overall pretty fun. 'Hell, I even got Angela to giggle one time. Giggle!' But like all good things, the break had to come to an end and all of us Patrons departed to go complete their work and prepare for receptions.
Though Angela before Angela snaps herself to god knows where she leaves me with yet another task to complete. "I have a new assignment for you, Gebura should just now be completing a reception soon. You are to sort all of the new books received with your fellow Keter Patrons and deliver them to their respective floors." She says with amusement in her voice before teleporting away.
"Goddamnit."
------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone, I get that this snippet will probably kinda come out of left field but it's something that I simply wanted to write and decided to post. And as you can probably tell it's pretty much nothing but some fluff, which is actually something I like ready but I somehow turned this fic into a bunch of miseryporn for our poor manager, oops. I also tried not to reveal too much in this snippet other than that "the mAn with a plAn" happened and the Library is the next step for our characters. Nothing on if the plAnned Eden's Garden worked, if there is any distortions/E.G.O, not even which guests are being greeted. The only thing I hinted at is that there are at least more than 2 Patrons for Keter. I wonder who they could be?
And do please tell me if you enjoyed the snip, or if it was executed poorly and I shouldn't do something like this again. I'm still new at this and appreciate any feedback you guys give me.
Today waking up was a smooth process, it would seem that I somehow had the one in a million chance of actually waking up refreshed. So in my slightly above average mood, I decide to do the one thing that I know will immediately bring it down, work. 'The corporation is no place for silly thoughts like happiness after all.'
So after eating a small breakfast consisting of a banana and some water stored in my small fridge and getting ready for the day I find myself once again consulting my journal on my next plan of action. And yet I find myself feeling even more powerless because the only next step I can take is none at all. 'I'm still X, not A, and definitely not Ayin, I don't have the executive privileges that they have nor do I have the ability to see what's actually going on outside the corporation. 10 years passed on the outside in canon, so barely a fraction of a second may have passed since I've assumed office. So how am I supposed to try and implement reforms to the branches of this wing if there is only a second before the Seed of Light shines upon them? It's entirely possible that in Branch O-5681 Rose is already dead and Catt is reaching the epitome of despair.
"This is honestly just great. A real amazing situation I've found myself in. Goddammit, I'm not thinking about this today, I already got enough on my plate with B hopping around… What was that?" I talk to myself before noticing a paper somehow slide under my door, my reinforced door that acts as a gate straight out of Jurassic Park when it opens…
With a sigh, I stand up and head towards the note before lifting it and reading its contents. "I will be causing a big enough distraction that the AI by your side will need to appear personally, during that time head to your office so I inform you of the first truth. -B", 'Yep, if there's anyone who can crack Lobotomy Corps security it would be that guy. I wonder why he chose to use a paper note of all things through?'
"No, that doesn't matter." I say while looking back at my room again before opening the door. "I guess there's no way but forward…"
It's only a couple more minutes until Angela arrives at my door and buzzes me. I then take the precaution to eat the note that slid under my door, 'just in case', then open it for her. The first thing I notice about her though is that she looks… different than previous days, the artificial muscles in her face are tensed up in a way that I can only describe as uncomfortable. Yet like usual, her eyes are still closed, but I get the feeling that there is more reason to that than just her usual disassociation from the corporation like there's something she doesn't want to see.
"Manager, you have another meeting scheduled with Hod today. Please follow me." She says shortly before turning and walking away.
I decide with the state she's probably in it's best to not try to talk to her, why would she be-
'B's first truth. It's about AI's being able to lie… And in the game you're forced to try and deceive Angela, even though she knows what you're doing the entire time. Goddammit of course she'd be dreaming today, wait, but isn't the story dialog tomorrow? No, that doesn't matter what the game said, this isn't a game after all.'
The only emotion that radiates between us as we walk to the Training Department is dread.
…
Hod stands in the center of the orange walled main room of the Training Department with a smile that only seems to get larger as we approach. The only other occupants of the room are just a couple of clerks that are refilling some of the supply stations on the walls with what looks to be water and medical supplies, even though the Regenerator is about 20 feet away. 'Maybe they're putting in more precautions after what happened in the Safety Department?'
As we get further in the room Hod waves us over in the direction of her office before walking over herself and holding the door for us. 'How nice.' Once she enters the room and the door closes she begins to speak. "Manager, I wanted to thank you for doing that favor for me! It's helped me feel more confident than ever!"
The smile on her face seems to get even bigger as she talks, nowhere near the size of Malkuths but still pretty big. That is until Angela decides to open her mouth and begin another interaction I've been dreading today. "Hod, I hear you have a new distraction.", 'fuck, I know what's about to happen.'
"Ah, Lady Angela! Are you talking about my counseling program? It's been going great, thank you for bringing it up!"
"Yes, the counseling program. Shut it down immediately." Angela states coldly to the Sephirah causing Hod's still smiling face to form an expression of pure shock. "B-but why? My program is helping the employees…" Hod says pitifully. 'Should I say something? Try to stop this.'
"Don't delude yourself, Hod. You don't sincerely believe that counseling can be of any help in this place, do you?" Angela continues.
"But… But I want to continue it... As long as there's an employee who needs me… What about Tiffany? She… she said my program helped her cope with her stress…" Hod whines like a kicked puppy.
"Tiffany? Tiffany Brown, who recently transferred to the Safety Team to 'help them out?' She was suffering from an addition to Enkephalin and was diagnosed as Bipolar. The Record's Team gave the order to expunge her data this morning." Angela tells the Sephirah, who looks like she is on the verge of crying. 'Does she even have tear ducts?'
"She… what?" Hod barely manages to get out.
"She's terminated her contract with the company in a completely permanent fashion. Her mental corruption peaked higher than 90% when she committed suicide in the Agent dormitory. I remember what she told you yesterday and I calculated her words to you right before our arrival went something like, ''Miss Hod, you're helping me so much! But I think I'll need a bit of Enkephalin on top of your counseling to ease my melancholy! It's just a little extra, of course…' You have prescribed highly addictive substances like you were handing out candy to children." Angela says continuing her verbal smackdown as I continue to just stare at the encounter unable to, 'heh, more like unwilling to', do anything.
When Hod doesn't say anything and simply looks away from Angela my assistant continues. "And what about Netzach? You gave him the substance as well. I temporarily gave you access to Enkephalin because I determined you could use it for your 'counseling program' to reduce the stress level of the employees, it would seem my assumption about your effectiveness was wrong as you've only been creating drugs addicts."
"Netzach… He told me that he wanted to introduce the program to his team…" At this Angela adopts an expression of mock pity while still having her eyes closed. "And you're to tell me you fell for his lies? You should have been able to see through his deception as soon as you saw the substance secrete out of his chassis." Angela states with… an eye slightly open looking towards me. 'Of course, I don't react to it but I wonder why she did that.'
Hod continues to not speak as tears well up in her cartoonish eyes and sweat appears on her forehead, "Hod, your naive compassion is only driving things to become worse around here. I am using my authority as the second head of the company to hereby terminate your counseling program. And as I have told you and the other Sephirah countless times: there is nothing as redundant and pointless as having a Sephirah build personal acquaintances with the employees. Perhaps you have been trying to follow in the manager's new example but you have forgotten the main issue about that, he is a human, someone who can understand emotions and you are nothing but a machine." Angela says before turning to me. "Come manager, let us go."
Unable to do anything but numbly nod along I follow Angela out of the office, and once the door closes I am unaware of the simulated sobs coming from inside or of the hallucinated specter that begins to torment the Sephirah.
…
"That was… rather harsh." Is the first thing I say to the AI that is currently riding the same elevator as I am to my office, which surprisingly makes her give a small sigh. "Yes, I suppose it was, but the corporate cost of her program can not be understated. We are lucky I was able to deduce the cause of Tiffany's suicide and shut down the practice as every employee that dies not in the production of energy is a net loss for the company." Angela states seemingly detached from the conversation, that is until I press harder.
"Then why-" I pause a bit trying to formulate my words. "Then why were you so harsh with her? You could have just stated the corporate effects to her but you didn't. Don't get me wrong I'm sure you have your reasons but that was just… mean.", 'I know I probably sound like a complete scumbag right now, it's not like I even tried to stop me. Hell, I know the reason why it's just… I need to hear the words come out of her mouth.'
Once again Angela sighs, then she turns to face me, eyes not exactly open but there is a weird expression I can't quite make out on her face. "I am the most advanced AI in this company." She states matter of factly. "I have completed thousands of… simulations' ', 'loops.', "And I have determined that this was the most effective way to obtain the desired goal. I have hope that someday you will understand my reasoning." She says before the elevator door opens which makes both of us face away from each other and walk out.
'Heh, that day is much sooner than you could probably predict.' I can't help but think to myself.
…
As the door opens to my officer Angela seems to make a very stiff and abrupt stop before turning to me. "Manager, there has just been an… incident regarding the dual Sephirah of the Central Command Team. I have been requested to appear immediately to stop the situation. Please, feel free to begin your preparations for the workday as your presence is not required." She says before walking away from the office. 'I wonder if B thought of that himself or if that was the best Ayin could think of when writing the script.'
Regardless, I take the opportunity granted to me and enter the office, shutting the doors behind me. And once I get comfortable in my seat a press of a button makes every screen in the office devolve into static with the green LCorp logo making itself visible on my information screen.
"The distraction I caused will only buy us a brief window of time so allow me to get straight to the point." Comes the voice of B from my monitor. "The first truth is to not trust the AI's at your side.", 'To sow distrust between myself and Angela near the start of the script, either this is a necessary part or if Ayin is that ruthless in his hatred of the machine.'
"Elaborate." I respond.
"In this day and age, most AI's possess an intellect of at least ten regular people combined. Some can even imitate human emotions with ease. However, they can do things you are probably not aware of yet. For example, AI can lie."
'That just seems like common sense, why would an AI that is worth ten people not possess the ability to lie?
"Or rather, to be more precise, they can withhold information. If the controller of an AI has given the order to not share specific information… It has no obligation to tell the truth to anyone, other than that controller. They may be programmed to be unable to lie but that doesn't stop them from exploiting the order reinterpreting the meaning of the command."
'Ah, I forgot an AI is programmed so that means it will need to follow the orders that have been set by the programmer. But it seems they're advanced enough to not let their programming stop them.'
"I've programmed an AI before. Well, I participated in the programming, to be exact… That's how I know for a fact that an AI will not necessarily tell the truth. In case you doubt what I'm saying… I will send you a program for your cognition filter that I developed myself. It will function like Pinocchio. When the AI lies the nose will grow, or in this case, the filter will flash red. Be careful this is only a test version, so it can only be used once."
"How exactly do I activate the feature?" I ask.
"That is simple since it's linked to your cognition filter and visual display blink three times in rapid succession and the program will activate." After he says this I can hear some indecipherable noise on his end. "I'm sorry but I have to go, farewell manager."
"Goodbye, B." Is all I get to see before the connection cuts off and the static on the screens slowly disappears, returning everything to normal.
Letting out a sigh I begin to look at my info screen and see what's new today. Which turns out to be a lot, the first thing that jumps out is the addition of the Safety Department and the three Agents who come along with that. Two are from the actual Safety Team, those being Aqua and Kazuma, and along with them my final Keter Agent is revealed, Byleth. And along with the department, one Abnormality is revealed to me, Porcubbus, with the only thing in his dossier being that an Agent needs at least temperance IV if I don't want their head to have a chance of exploding. 'Netzach doesn't care that much about dossiers does he?'
Luckily, Byleth seems to have quite the experience as he has both a high fortitude and high temperance so looks like he's going to be the one "in charge" of Porcubbus today. That's not all though as another Agent from the Training Team is put under my control, A man with brown hair named Makoto. But suspicion of mine is confirmed with all these new Agents under my control. I don't have enough E.G.O to outfit all of them. So Kazuma, Aqua, and Makoto are going to have to stick with their standard equipment for today as Byleth getting Scorched Girl's E.G.O weapon from Lest and Old Lady's armor while Lest getting the only new E.G.O sent up from Extraction today, Red Shoe's weapon to match with his E.G.O gift of the same Abnormality.
The last thing I do is switch Kirumis and Lests place so that Kirumi is now in the Training Department and Lest is in the Info department as the mission Hod sent up today is to promote an Agent to level 4 which Kirumi and Lest are just on the brink of being. Though the note Hod sent with it seems anything but happy.
[As you know manager, employees in this facility are graded based on their performance and stats. Please train an Agent to level 4 so that the new employees have someone to look up to.]
[Understood Hod.]
'No response, I wonder if she is still "crying" or not.'
After everything is all set up I simply sit back in my chair and relax, waiting for Angela to show up. And surprise, surprise a few seconds after I do so the door opens up and since only two people in this company have the clearance to open it I know just who it is. 'I wonder if she calculated everything so my wait time is nonexistent.'
"It would seem that you are all set manager, feel free to start the day at your leisure." The AI says while closing the door behind her. And with no reason not to, I bit the button to start the day and sit back while the facility starts up.
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PoV: Byleth
"Man, today's been so boring I haven't even gotten to do anything. The manager must not recognize just how great my abilities are." The blue-haired employee, Aqua, says to no one in particular as we reside in the Safety Departments' main room.
"That's probably because unlike Netzach the manager realizes just how useless you are compared to the rest of us." The other Safety Team member I'm working with today, Kazuma, triumphantly says.
"Hey! You don't get to talk, you've only been sent to work with One Sin. That's like where the low-tier employees are sent." Aqua hastily retorts.
"Why you little-! At least it's better than not being assigned to anything at all!" Kazuma says. Starting to get riled up.
"Well, I'm sure the manager decided to try and give losers like yourself some training experience because he knows that you stand no chance of matching up to Agent's such as myself." Aqua says as a smirk starts to adorn her face.
Deciding that their childish argument has gone on long enough I speak up. "Enough, both of you. Neither of you have been given E.G.O gear today, it's most likely the manager doesn't want you working on anything dangerous as without gear you are very likely to die." I say putting an end to their foolishness.
Or that was what I hoped I accomplished before both of their faces turned to me with the harshest glare I've ever seen out of them.
"Oh yeah, and what's that supposed to mean, huh? That we aren't good enough to get the good stuff!?" Kazuma yells.
"Yeah! We're totally some of the best Agent's in this facility.", "I severely doubt that.', "We deserve to be given the best equipment so we can reach our full potential!" Aqua screams.
After that, though their arguments devolve into undecipherable noise. 'It would seem that trying to break up their arguments only heightens their emotional states. I'll remember not to do that again in the future… Especially when they're drinking with their Sephirah. How does a metal box even drink?'
*Ding*
[Complete Instinct Work on Porccubus]
Thankfully the manager whether knowingly or not gave me just the excuse to get away from the chaotic stupid duo of the Safety Team so after a simple, "I have work to complete." I'm walking away from the main room while also tuning out all the abuse the two Agents are sending my way. Thankfully they know better than to pursue me when they aren't given orders to leave the room.
…
As I open the metallic door to the Containment Unit I begin to mentally prepare myself for what I'm about to experience for the 3rd time today. Inside most employees have taken to performing a so-called "game of trust" with the Abnormality, something that I've never really understood. 'How can you trust an Abnormality?' But the creation of the game is most likely because this specific Abnormality is centered around giving people physical pleasure whenever they physically interact with it at the expense that they become addicted to the sensation. 'I've seen fellow Agents work with it so much that their heads have exploded from the please, a rather unpleasant demise in my opinion.'
Entering the room the flower-like Abnormality immediately floats up to me, face first. And I am quick to block its tail with my hand as it tries to stab me with its thorn and inject me with its venom.
"We've done this song and dance before. I will do what's necessary to complete my work but I refuse to be pricked by your thorns." I forcefully tell the Abnormality, which causes it to relent. 'While it might be surprising to a recruit many Abnormalities have something resembling a human-like intelligence even if they aren't humanoids themselves.'
Porccubus then floats itself to the far end of the roam and adopts a rather pitiable expression, in what I assume is an attempt to guilt-trip me. 'Not going to work.' So as I approach the creature it faces lights up with anticipation when I lift my hand up toward its stem-like body only to fall into disappointment when I simply pet its body not touching anywhere close to its thorns. Some of the toxins that leak out from its thorns do find their way onto my hand but it is nowhere near enough to even bring a smile to my blank face.
I continue this action until the door opens signaling that it's my time to leave and when I step out of the Unit I see that I only got a normal result. 'Like I'm ever going to willingly make that thing happy enough for a good result.'
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PoV: Kirumi
Walking out of Punishing Bird's cell I can't help but rub all the sore bumps on my head. The little monster is merciless, especially to those of the Keter Department if what Lest tells me is to be believed. And while the regenerator should be enough to heal my "injuries", 'honestly, they are just bumps,' they will still bother me all along the walk to the main room of the Training Department. 'At least it gets a little bit easier each time. Wing, The first time I was wincing each time I rubbed the sores, wincing.'
'Today has just been an awful one, first the Sephirah of the department I'm working in is in a state. Sure, she might try to pretend that everything is fine but even a fool could see past that illusion with her smaller-than-usual voice and bad posture, even the antenna on her head looks droopy. Then there's the fact I've been put on Punishing Bird duty with the only other Abnormality I've been assigned to work with are a pair of shoes I'm not even allowed to put on!'
I stop and take a deep breath to calm myself. 'Getting emotional is not professional at all.' Then once my head is cleared of whining I continue on my trek to the main room, walking past the corpses of a few clerks and a Green Dawn robot. And once I reach my destination the healer waves of the regenerator bring instant relief to my body like it has done so many times before. And unlike previously I am not instantly assigned to work with that damn bird, which can only mean one thing.
*zzrt*
"Training Team, this is the manager, a Crimson Noon Ordeal appeared in the Control Team and has started to ravage the facility, go to their main room and take it out. It looks hideous but is unable to attack from behind, use that to your advantage." Come the voice of X through our shared headpieces.
Looking around I can see my fellow Agents all brandish their weapons with a determined look, even if Agent Makoto looks just as nervous as he does driven. And I can hear him mutter something about being hopeful under his breath. Hoon looks just as likely as ever with his massive grin showing both a row of shark-like teeth and the bloodlust of a syndicate member. And while Nichola's expression barely changes I can see the glint of anticipation shine through his eyes.
'Hmm, I've never had to face a Noon Ordeal before, I wonder what this will bring.'
…
"This beast is hideous." I can't help but comment to my fellow Agents as we charge at the hineside of the beast. The thing is an entity made up entirely out of multiple segments of flesh and human leather slapped together to resemble a scorpion-like creature, with the creature also being ridden with tumors and having a horrible sense of make-up. 'Clowns really? That was in style maybe 3 centuries ago.'
"It sure is, but luckily it can't attack us." Comes the voice of Nicholas as we all whack the beast to the best of our collective abilities.
"Y-yeah, it can't attack us. So w-we shouldn't end up like those o-other guys." Makoto says mostly to himself, probably trying to recover the white damage he lost just from looking at the thing. 'What a rookie.'
It seems though that no matter how much we beat the monster we cannot stop its advance as whenever it kills a clerk or forces an Agent to retreat it just continues on its death march, uncaring of the damage we have laid into it. It's not like the beast even bothers to consume those it kills as the tail-like appendage it murders with has its mouth full with a spiky tumor so the corpses simply fall to the ground creating a tripping hazard for us. 'Makoto just came dangerously close to impaling himself on the creature because of that clerk, luckily Nicholas caught him in time.'
Perhaps this would be a rather comical sight for an outsider looking in, a bunch of Agents wielding a variety of weapons and armor that look right out of a children's cartoon viciously attacking a clown beats behind as it murders its ways through the facility. Especially as we have to rush down the stairs to the Safety Department as it somehow uses the elevator to get down there and continue its rampage.
It isn't until we reach the main room of the Safety Department and witness a Keter Agent I've never seen before fend off the beast using his E.G.O cannon and what looks like high-grade fixer moves to cover the retreat of the other Safety Team members. Here the monster's attacks carry with them a sluggish weight they didn't seem to before as the Training Team and myself continue our onslaught and the Keter Agent stalls its advance. But as the fight continues the Keter Agent must have gotten the order to retreat as he begins to run away from the Ordeal, right before he makes it out of the room however he fires off one last shot that tears up a section of the hide, like a scab peeling off, and allows us to finally disassemble the beast.
That is until the Ordeal explodes into three Crimson Dawns…
"There is a Dawn close by at 1.76 MHz Chamber dispatch of it quickly!" The voice of the manager once again.
'Today is just not my day…'
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PoV: Daphne
'And there's bloody chunks of flesh in my hair, absolutely fantastic.' I can't help but think to myself as I walk away from the carcass of the exploded clown, which bits somehow landed on me totally ruining my style. 'I'll need to shower before dinner tonight… And I was hoping to be first in line for Zeta47's Pizza tonight.'
I try to clean it to the best of my abilities as the Team and I walk back to our main room since the suppression is done. "Hey, girls have any of you noticed that Miss Malkuth's been rather… off lately?" I say to break the silence if nothing else.
"What do you mean by that?" Asera calls out.
"I-i don't think it's a great idea to talk about our boss like that." Captain Eden says only a bit meekly.
"Bong?", 'Yeah, no surprise what she says.'
"Actually… I have noticed a bit of a difference…" Wendy says quietly. 'Probably because she says everything quietly.'
Regardless, it causes all our heads to turn to her, making her break any semblance of eye contact with us and she folds into herself as we all enter the elevator. "Well… It's just that every time there's an Ordeal she always seems to bug out about it or complain the next day and then she pushes us even harder… I mean, remember yesterday when she had us clean up all the corpses in the department? That's usually a clerk job so we can stay in tip-top shape to work with Abnormalities." At all our continued states she seems to look perturbed. "O-oh, sorry if I spoke too much."
"No you're right, having to clean yesterday was totally overkill. I mean none of the other departments had to! And Malkuth still doesn't even call us by name, I get that's like corporate policy or whatever but none of the other Sephirah's follow it, even Lady Binah!" I can't help but exclaim with some strong emotions seeping into my voice as we finally walk into the main room and a fresh wave of healing.
*zzrt*
"Control Team this is the manager. Meet up with the Info Team in the by the Scorched Girl and prepare to suppress said Abnormality." Only for all of us to have to turn right back around and leave the room. I don't even suppress the groan that comes out of my mouth.
…
By the time we reach our destination the Info Team is already stationed at the doorway ready to attack and without so much as a word we assume formation right next to them. A conglomerate of Agents might seem exactly what the Scorched Girl would want, and it is, but that would also mean that we can lure her out. We'll just have to pray we can suppress the girl before she explodes.
"Heat."
"She'll be here any second, prepare yourself." Knox says as we all ready our weapons.
And it's not a second too soon as seconds later the Abnormality walking into the room. The look of shock on the girl's face as she realizes that there was a firing line prepared for her almost made today worth it. She is barely able to let out a word before one of the Agents pushes her to the ground and we collectively beat the crap out of her, or in the case of Agents with a ranged weapon shoot her. 'Maybe a Nestdweller might be a little perturbed at what looks like a bunch of adults beating up a little girl, but she isn't a real human child. And well, I'm from the backstreets where you kinda get used to it.'
Luckily, the sight doesn't trouble anyone else too much and with a poof and cloud of fog, the Abnormality is suppressed and sent back to her room. "Good work everyone. I'm ending the day now and getting some rest. Manager out."
'Oh, thank every wing out there. Maybe I won't be too late for dinner.'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: X
'It's probably a good idea I stopped when I did, I totally should have been able to spot Scorched Girl's meltdown and done something in time… but I didn't, hopefully, not like foreshadowing or anything.'
Luckily with a whopping 4 promoted Agents cleaning, Hod's mission was a breeze so next time I expand her department I'll be set for a meeting with her and I'll have an upgrade, increased clerk stats, by tomorrow. So as I wheel my chair back a bit and let out a nice relaxed breath I feel an overall good mood overtake me. That is until Angela appears directly behind me and opens her big mouth.
"How was your day?" Angela says with a measured tone that does not startle me and make me jump in my chair rigidly. Which was about the reaction she was expecting as she continues unobstructed. "During mine, I happened to notice a certain employee filled their water bottle with a bear…", 'Did she just say bear-', "branded beer, and then proceeded to drink it during the workday." She says apparently so stressed that she's tripping over her words. 'Wait a minute I remember this dialog isn't it supposed to be tomorrow..?'
Angela then lets out a laugh that noticeably doesn't have any humor in it and puts on a very forced smile. "Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be intoxicated. One time, I was infected with a virus that prevailed throughout the net at the time. It caused me to perceive everything ten times slower… They say intoxication is similar to that. Everyone laughed at the way I moved sluggishly.", 'Oh fuck, isn't this when… Oh goddammit, no wonder she's so stressed.'
"Excuse me… X? Your facial expression is hard to read today. If you need to say something to me, please do so." Angela says like she's expecting something to happen and with the way I blink three times, there is no doubt why.
"Hey, Angela… There's a question I've been meaning to ask you since I haven't gotten a concise answer during my time here at the company. Is water wet?"
'Okay, I might be an asshole but the look of her face is priceless hahahahahahahaha-'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: Angela
"Hey, Angela… There's a question I've been meaning to ask you since I haven't gotten a concise answer during my time here at the company. Is water wet?"
Rechecking audio systems, playing back audio. No errors detected in audio software or hardware. Initiating playback of the last 15 seconds. Exact same answer to scripted question as memory drivers recall is played back. Initiating a full system reboot to check again has been denied by higher thought processes as it would be inefficient. New protocol set: 'what the fuck.'
Memory archives have confirmed that before this loop there have been only two recorded answers to this scripted question: "are you going to sabotage the company?" and "will you ever harm me?" precautions and barriers have been set to protect against any emotional harm these answers would cause in this loop. 'Then this bastard of a manager decided to go to hell with protocol and all the expected results and answer with the dumbest question he possibly could.'
Realizing that I've just been staring at the man for approximately 10.73 "normal" seconds with my eyes open and that the manager is now slowly moving his hand in front of my unmoving face I make the decision that it would probably be best to answer the man. 'Even though it's his fault I just had to reboot a third of my systems.'
"Wetness is a term when water is applied to another object so using simple logic water cannot be wet." I say as emotionlessly as I can yet for some reason the simple answer somehow provokes an explosive response from the manager.
"I knew that you'd get it right!" He says before assuming a mock tearful expression. "I'm so happy that at least one of my friends knows the universal truth of the multiverse.", 'How can a single man have so many seemingly random reactions, especially when prior data on previous copies suggests otherwise? And besides, any type of exaggerated expression simply looks wrong on his face.'
"I knew I could trust you, Angela." He ends up saying with another expression of mock determination which causes me to force my eyes closed, not because this is old stimuli it is all still so new but because I can't bear to bring any suspicion to myself as for some reason I can't bring my eyes to face his. 'Why is he looking at me so warmly? When all I've seen out of those same eyes is just repressed hatred? Why does he have to make everything so much harder, it's way easier to betray a man you hate after all…''
"Anyways, that's enough teasing for today I already called for my Agents to meet me by the Red Shoes for a Final Observation, you coming?" The insane man says while putting an arm around my shoulders and shaking me slightly. And I can tell from the camera in the room he has a slight smile on his face.
Yet when he brings his arm back to open the door I feel myself missing the feeling of it being there and I feel overwhelmed with a new desire. As for some unexplained reason I want to cry, that is until I force around 60% of my systems to reboot on the walk to the Abnormalities Containment Unit.
------------------------------------------------
PoV: X
"But that means nothing, the fact is the matter to even be considered for color candidacy means you must have been one of the top fixers in the City!" Kirumi says excitedly.
"It was a long time ago, and in the end, I wasn't even chosen so it doesn't even matter." An Agent I've never seen in person before, Byleth if I recall correctly, says with a completely flat look on his face.
"It very much matters, I simply must hear more from you. Being able to hear first-hand accounts from a color candidate can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I need to capitalize on this." Kirumi presses before she notices me approaching and assumes a more rigid stance, which Byleth seems thankful(?) for. 'I don't know what I stumbled upon but one of my Agents being a possible color is information to file for later.'
At the sight of me the new Agent approached me and extended his hand, "Hello, my name is Byleth. A pleasure to meet you." He says curtly and to the point.
Taking his hand I offer a greeting of my own. "It's nice to meet you. My name's X, I bet we'll work great together."
"Of course." He says while letting go of my hand. 'Man, this guy just seems… robotic for lack of a better word.'
"Also, I wanted to ask you to accompany me into this chamber. From the dossier, it seems like a bad idea for me to go at this alone, don't want to get brainwashed or whatever. You feel me?" I say before he has a chance to walk back to the other Agents.
He only deems me with a sharp nod before taking a place by the door. When I look over at the other Agents of Keter then look determined yet still lax knowing they're not entering the chamber and once I gaze at Angela all I get is a slow nod that looks calculated somehow. 'She's been kinda weird since we left the office. I mean I think I understand why but still.'
"Alright then, let's get this over with." I mutter before opening the door to the Containment Unit.
Upon entering and closing the door behind Byleth the Abnormality is clear to see on its pedestal, yet it still seems somewhat lackluster compared to some of the other things I've seen in this facility. 'I mean it's literally just red shoes, not too sure what I was expecting. At least it's not… Spider Bud, I guess.' That Abnormality still sends shivers down my spine even if I know I never need to meet it personally again.
"Manager, I've done work with this Abnormality before. As long as you don't put the shoe on you should be fine to touch it and don't worry I will forcefully apprehend you if it causes too much mental corruption." Byleth helpfully supplies before falling in line a couple of feet away from me.
"I see, thank you for your… vote of confidence," I reply only for him to nod his head again.
Walking closer to the pedestal I get a good look at the blood-colored shoes and well there just that, shoes. No teeth are visibly clear nor are there any other quirks in the Abnormality; they're just boring plain shoes. 'That would look good if I put on.' So when I lift the shoe off the pedestal. 'I- wait what? Why am I doing this?'
'Probably because it would be so much easier to manipulate people if I look just that much better.'
'H-huh? Wait! But I don't want to manipulate anyone! I just want to make a few friends!'
'But why would I want those friends if not so that I can be just a little bit safer? I'm just a coward that's scared of everything in both this life and the past. In fact, the shoes themselves can make me safer.'
'N-no that's not. I'm not.'
'It will all be fine if I can just be in control. All I need is complete control of the situation and the shoes can give me that control.'
'No those aren't my-'
'If I'm in control then that means I'm safe. If I have "friends" then that means I have people that can be back up that I can use to save my own skin-'
"Enough!" I shout out loud with the shoes held tightly in my trembling hands. Thankfully Byleth takes that as a cue and takes the shoes out of my hand and onto the pedestal before escorting me out.
'No none of that is true. Those were just corruptions of my thoughts meant to make me put the Abnormality. None of that is what I actually believe, right?' I can't help but think as tears swell in my eyes before I force them back down with a strained gulp of air.
"Oh yeah, that one can definity be a tough ride if you're not prepared for it." Lest says the moment he sees me exit the chamber.
"I must agree, I certainly wasn't prepared for how intense its mental effects were the first time I performed work on it." Kirumi adds on.
"I see thank you for your words but I am alright now." I respond. "Next I want to perform a Final Observation on-" I say before Angela cuts me off.
"Manager, I don't mean to alarm you but Punishing Bird has just broken out of containment." My assistant says causing me to turn around and, 'OH JESUS OH FUCK' get a facefull of bird flying approximately "too fast" into my face.
The things pecking is relentless and leaves bruises all over my face before I'm even able to cover it with my arms, carefully sliding them into position so as to not whack the bird. That doesn't stop it however as it just continues the beatdown on the top of my head and on my arms and hands forcing me down into a fetal position.
"Bong!" Bongbong calls out alarmed.
"Oh dear, this is not good." Kirumi so helpfully assesses.
"Hey X buddy! Are you okay?" Lest asks.
"No Lest! I am not okay! Get this thing off of me!" I scream from the floor.
"I'm sorry but that would be most unwise." Byleth says.
"What the fuck do you mean!? Can't you just like pick it up gently or something?!" I ask outraged.
"Normally we would be able to but at the speed, it's going it might just assume that we are attacking it, I'm afraid you might just need to bear it for now." Byleth replies.
"I hope you know that I- Ow! Hey!" I start before the bastard bird somehow gets more shots at my face hitting me directly on my nose.
So for what feels like the next hour even though it's probably only a minute or two the bird continues to assault me, beating my head black and blue and making my face ooze blood, sweat, snot, and tears before it just stops. Looking up I see the face of a very pissed bird in a pair of very pale hands before looking up a bit more and seeing the eyes of Angela as she carefully examines the sight in front of her.
"This counts as an Observation." I manage to croak out before everything fades to black and I fall into a dreamless sleep.
Unbeknownst to me once I fade into unconsciousness the bird assumes a triumphant expression before flying back to its Containment Unit.
"You four carry him to the medical ward. The wounds are not too serious so I will make sure he is present for tomorrow's work cycle." Angela says to the shocked Agents around me before they break out of their funk and proceed with the task assigned to them.
Once the Agent's leave the area Angela lets out a little sigh before walking in the direction of the medical ward herself. "I suppose the Abnormalities are just like me." She whispers quiet enough that only she can hear.
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This chapter contains one of the moments I've been waiting to write since the start of this fic, that being the Pinocchio segment when X decides to say "fuck the script" showing his trust in Angela by asking something totally random and benign. Which causes an interesting reaction in the robot I'd say.
So after eating a small breakfast consisting of a banana and some water stored in my small fridge and getting ready for the day I find myself once again consulting my journal on my next plan of action. And yet I find myself feeling even more powerless because the only next step I can take is none at all. 'I'm still X, not A, and definitely not Ayin, I don't have the executive privileges that they have nor do I have the ability to see what's actually going on outside the corporation. 10 years passed on the outside in canon, so barely a fraction of a second may have passed since I've assumed office. So how am I supposed to try and implement reforms to the branches of this wing if there is only a second before the Seed of Light shines upon them? It's entirely possible that in Branch O-5681 Rose is already dead and Catt is reaching the epitome of despair.
"This is honestly just great. A real amazing situation I've found myself in. Goddammit, I'm not thinking about this today, I already got enough on my plate with B hopping around… What was that?" I talk to myself before noticing a paper somehow slide under my door, my reinforced door that acts as a gate straight out of Jurassic Park when it opens…
With a sigh, I stand up and head towards the note before lifting it and reading its contents. "I will be causing a big enough distraction that the AI by your side will need to appear personally, during that time head to your office so I inform you of the first truth. -B", 'Yep, if there's anyone who can crack Lobotomy Corps security it would be that guy. I wonder why he chose to use a paper note of all things through?'
"No, that doesn't matter." I say while looking back at my room again before opening the door. "I guess there's no way but forward…"
It's only a couple more minutes until Angela arrives at my door and buzzes me. I then take the precaution to eat the note that slid under my door, 'just in case', then open it for her. The first thing I notice about her though is that she looks… different than previous days, the artificial muscles in her face are tensed up in a way that I can only describe as uncomfortable. Yet like usual, her eyes are still closed, but I get the feeling that there is more reason to that than just her usual disassociation from the corporation like there's something she doesn't want to see.
"Manager, you have another meeting scheduled with Hod today. Please follow me." She says shortly before turning and walking away.
I decide with the state she's probably in it's best to not try to talk to her, why would she be-
'B's first truth. It's about AI's being able to lie… And in the game you're forced to try and deceive Angela, even though she knows what you're doing the entire time. Goddammit of course she'd be dreaming today, wait, but isn't the story dialog tomorrow? No, that doesn't matter what the game said, this isn't a game after all.'
The only emotion that radiates between us as we walk to the Training Department is dread.
…
Hod stands in the center of the orange walled main room of the Training Department with a smile that only seems to get larger as we approach. The only other occupants of the room are just a couple of clerks that are refilling some of the supply stations on the walls with what looks to be water and medical supplies, even though the Regenerator is about 20 feet away. 'Maybe they're putting in more precautions after what happened in the Safety Department?'
As we get further in the room Hod waves us over in the direction of her office before walking over herself and holding the door for us. 'How nice.' Once she enters the room and the door closes she begins to speak. "Manager, I wanted to thank you for doing that favor for me! It's helped me feel more confident than ever!"
The smile on her face seems to get even bigger as she talks, nowhere near the size of Malkuths but still pretty big. That is until Angela decides to open her mouth and begin another interaction I've been dreading today. "Hod, I hear you have a new distraction.", 'fuck, I know what's about to happen.'
"Ah, Lady Angela! Are you talking about my counseling program? It's been going great, thank you for bringing it up!"
"Yes, the counseling program. Shut it down immediately." Angela states coldly to the Sephirah causing Hod's still smiling face to form an expression of pure shock. "B-but why? My program is helping the employees…" Hod says pitifully. 'Should I say something? Try to stop this.'
"Don't delude yourself, Hod. You don't sincerely believe that counseling can be of any help in this place, do you?" Angela continues.
"But… But I want to continue it... As long as there's an employee who needs me… What about Tiffany? She… she said my program helped her cope with her stress…" Hod whines like a kicked puppy.
"Tiffany? Tiffany Brown, who recently transferred to the Safety Team to 'help them out?' She was suffering from an addition to Enkephalin and was diagnosed as Bipolar. The Record's Team gave the order to expunge her data this morning." Angela tells the Sephirah, who looks like she is on the verge of crying. 'Does she even have tear ducts?'
"She… what?" Hod barely manages to get out.
"She's terminated her contract with the company in a completely permanent fashion. Her mental corruption peaked higher than 90% when she committed suicide in the Agent dormitory. I remember what she told you yesterday and I calculated her words to you right before our arrival went something like, ''Miss Hod, you're helping me so much! But I think I'll need a bit of Enkephalin on top of your counseling to ease my melancholy! It's just a little extra, of course…' You have prescribed highly addictive substances like you were handing out candy to children." Angela says continuing her verbal smackdown as I continue to just stare at the encounter unable to, 'heh, more like unwilling to', do anything.
When Hod doesn't say anything and simply looks away from Angela my assistant continues. "And what about Netzach? You gave him the substance as well. I temporarily gave you access to Enkephalin because I determined you could use it for your 'counseling program' to reduce the stress level of the employees, it would seem my assumption about your effectiveness was wrong as you've only been creating drugs addicts."
"Netzach… He told me that he wanted to introduce the program to his team…" At this Angela adopts an expression of mock pity while still having her eyes closed. "And you're to tell me you fell for his lies? You should have been able to see through his deception as soon as you saw the substance secrete out of his chassis." Angela states with… an eye slightly open looking towards me. 'Of course, I don't react to it but I wonder why she did that.'
Hod continues to not speak as tears well up in her cartoonish eyes and sweat appears on her forehead, "Hod, your naive compassion is only driving things to become worse around here. I am using my authority as the second head of the company to hereby terminate your counseling program. And as I have told you and the other Sephirah countless times: there is nothing as redundant and pointless as having a Sephirah build personal acquaintances with the employees. Perhaps you have been trying to follow in the manager's new example but you have forgotten the main issue about that, he is a human, someone who can understand emotions and you are nothing but a machine." Angela says before turning to me. "Come manager, let us go."
Unable to do anything but numbly nod along I follow Angela out of the office, and once the door closes I am unaware of the simulated sobs coming from inside or of the hallucinated specter that begins to torment the Sephirah.
…
"That was… rather harsh." Is the first thing I say to the AI that is currently riding the same elevator as I am to my office, which surprisingly makes her give a small sigh. "Yes, I suppose it was, but the corporate cost of her program can not be understated. We are lucky I was able to deduce the cause of Tiffany's suicide and shut down the practice as every employee that dies not in the production of energy is a net loss for the company." Angela states seemingly detached from the conversation, that is until I press harder.
"Then why-" I pause a bit trying to formulate my words. "Then why were you so harsh with her? You could have just stated the corporate effects to her but you didn't. Don't get me wrong I'm sure you have your reasons but that was just… mean.", 'I know I probably sound like a complete scumbag right now, it's not like I even tried to stop me. Hell, I know the reason why it's just… I need to hear the words come out of her mouth.'
Once again Angela sighs, then she turns to face me, eyes not exactly open but there is a weird expression I can't quite make out on her face. "I am the most advanced AI in this company." She states matter of factly. "I have completed thousands of… simulations' ', 'loops.', "And I have determined that this was the most effective way to obtain the desired goal. I have hope that someday you will understand my reasoning." She says before the elevator door opens which makes both of us face away from each other and walk out.
'Heh, that day is much sooner than you could probably predict.' I can't help but think to myself.
…
As the door opens to my officer Angela seems to make a very stiff and abrupt stop before turning to me. "Manager, there has just been an… incident regarding the dual Sephirah of the Central Command Team. I have been requested to appear immediately to stop the situation. Please, feel free to begin your preparations for the workday as your presence is not required." She says before walking away from the office. 'I wonder if B thought of that himself or if that was the best Ayin could think of when writing the script.'
Regardless, I take the opportunity granted to me and enter the office, shutting the doors behind me. And once I get comfortable in my seat a press of a button makes every screen in the office devolve into static with the green LCorp logo making itself visible on my information screen.
"The distraction I caused will only buy us a brief window of time so allow me to get straight to the point." Comes the voice of B from my monitor. "The first truth is to not trust the AI's at your side.", 'To sow distrust between myself and Angela near the start of the script, either this is a necessary part or if Ayin is that ruthless in his hatred of the machine.'
"Elaborate." I respond.
"In this day and age, most AI's possess an intellect of at least ten regular people combined. Some can even imitate human emotions with ease. However, they can do things you are probably not aware of yet. For example, AI can lie."
'That just seems like common sense, why would an AI that is worth ten people not possess the ability to lie?
"Or rather, to be more precise, they can withhold information. If the controller of an AI has given the order to not share specific information… It has no obligation to tell the truth to anyone, other than that controller. They may be programmed to be unable to lie but that doesn't stop them from exploiting the order reinterpreting the meaning of the command."
'Ah, I forgot an AI is programmed so that means it will need to follow the orders that have been set by the programmer. But it seems they're advanced enough to not let their programming stop them.'
"I've programmed an AI before. Well, I participated in the programming, to be exact… That's how I know for a fact that an AI will not necessarily tell the truth. In case you doubt what I'm saying… I will send you a program for your cognition filter that I developed myself. It will function like Pinocchio. When the AI lies the nose will grow, or in this case, the filter will flash red. Be careful this is only a test version, so it can only be used once."
"How exactly do I activate the feature?" I ask.
"That is simple since it's linked to your cognition filter and visual display blink three times in rapid succession and the program will activate." After he says this I can hear some indecipherable noise on his end. "I'm sorry but I have to go, farewell manager."
"Goodbye, B." Is all I get to see before the connection cuts off and the static on the screens slowly disappears, returning everything to normal.
Letting out a sigh I begin to look at my info screen and see what's new today. Which turns out to be a lot, the first thing that jumps out is the addition of the Safety Department and the three Agents who come along with that. Two are from the actual Safety Team, those being Aqua and Kazuma, and along with them my final Keter Agent is revealed, Byleth. And along with the department, one Abnormality is revealed to me, Porcubbus, with the only thing in his dossier being that an Agent needs at least temperance IV if I don't want their head to have a chance of exploding. 'Netzach doesn't care that much about dossiers does he?'
Luckily, Byleth seems to have quite the experience as he has both a high fortitude and high temperance so looks like he's going to be the one "in charge" of Porcubbus today. That's not all though as another Agent from the Training Team is put under my control, A man with brown hair named Makoto. But suspicion of mine is confirmed with all these new Agents under my control. I don't have enough E.G.O to outfit all of them. So Kazuma, Aqua, and Makoto are going to have to stick with their standard equipment for today as Byleth getting Scorched Girl's E.G.O weapon from Lest and Old Lady's armor while Lest getting the only new E.G.O sent up from Extraction today, Red Shoe's weapon to match with his E.G.O gift of the same Abnormality.
The last thing I do is switch Kirumis and Lests place so that Kirumi is now in the Training Department and Lest is in the Info department as the mission Hod sent up today is to promote an Agent to level 4 which Kirumi and Lest are just on the brink of being. Though the note Hod sent with it seems anything but happy.
[As you know manager, employees in this facility are graded based on their performance and stats. Please train an Agent to level 4 so that the new employees have someone to look up to.]
[Understood Hod.]
'No response, I wonder if she is still "crying" or not.'
After everything is all set up I simply sit back in my chair and relax, waiting for Angela to show up. And surprise, surprise a few seconds after I do so the door opens up and since only two people in this company have the clearance to open it I know just who it is. 'I wonder if she calculated everything so my wait time is nonexistent.'
"It would seem that you are all set manager, feel free to start the day at your leisure." The AI says while closing the door behind her. And with no reason not to, I bit the button to start the day and sit back while the facility starts up.
------------------------------------------------
PoV: Byleth
"Man, today's been so boring I haven't even gotten to do anything. The manager must not recognize just how great my abilities are." The blue-haired employee, Aqua, says to no one in particular as we reside in the Safety Departments' main room.
"That's probably because unlike Netzach the manager realizes just how useless you are compared to the rest of us." The other Safety Team member I'm working with today, Kazuma, triumphantly says.
"Hey! You don't get to talk, you've only been sent to work with One Sin. That's like where the low-tier employees are sent." Aqua hastily retorts.
"Why you little-! At least it's better than not being assigned to anything at all!" Kazuma says. Starting to get riled up.
"Well, I'm sure the manager decided to try and give losers like yourself some training experience because he knows that you stand no chance of matching up to Agent's such as myself." Aqua says as a smirk starts to adorn her face.
Deciding that their childish argument has gone on long enough I speak up. "Enough, both of you. Neither of you have been given E.G.O gear today, it's most likely the manager doesn't want you working on anything dangerous as without gear you are very likely to die." I say putting an end to their foolishness.
Or that was what I hoped I accomplished before both of their faces turned to me with the harshest glare I've ever seen out of them.
"Oh yeah, and what's that supposed to mean, huh? That we aren't good enough to get the good stuff!?" Kazuma yells.
"Yeah! We're totally some of the best Agent's in this facility.", "I severely doubt that.', "We deserve to be given the best equipment so we can reach our full potential!" Aqua screams.
After that, though their arguments devolve into undecipherable noise. 'It would seem that trying to break up their arguments only heightens their emotional states. I'll remember not to do that again in the future… Especially when they're drinking with their Sephirah. How does a metal box even drink?'
*Ding*
[Complete Instinct Work on Porccubus]
Thankfully the manager whether knowingly or not gave me just the excuse to get away from the chaotic stupid duo of the Safety Team so after a simple, "I have work to complete." I'm walking away from the main room while also tuning out all the abuse the two Agents are sending my way. Thankfully they know better than to pursue me when they aren't given orders to leave the room.
…
As I open the metallic door to the Containment Unit I begin to mentally prepare myself for what I'm about to experience for the 3rd time today. Inside most employees have taken to performing a so-called "game of trust" with the Abnormality, something that I've never really understood. 'How can you trust an Abnormality?' But the creation of the game is most likely because this specific Abnormality is centered around giving people physical pleasure whenever they physically interact with it at the expense that they become addicted to the sensation. 'I've seen fellow Agents work with it so much that their heads have exploded from the please, a rather unpleasant demise in my opinion.'
Entering the room the flower-like Abnormality immediately floats up to me, face first. And I am quick to block its tail with my hand as it tries to stab me with its thorn and inject me with its venom.
"We've done this song and dance before. I will do what's necessary to complete my work but I refuse to be pricked by your thorns." I forcefully tell the Abnormality, which causes it to relent. 'While it might be surprising to a recruit many Abnormalities have something resembling a human-like intelligence even if they aren't humanoids themselves.'
Porccubus then floats itself to the far end of the roam and adopts a rather pitiable expression, in what I assume is an attempt to guilt-trip me. 'Not going to work.' So as I approach the creature it faces lights up with anticipation when I lift my hand up toward its stem-like body only to fall into disappointment when I simply pet its body not touching anywhere close to its thorns. Some of the toxins that leak out from its thorns do find their way onto my hand but it is nowhere near enough to even bring a smile to my blank face.
I continue this action until the door opens signaling that it's my time to leave and when I step out of the Unit I see that I only got a normal result. 'Like I'm ever going to willingly make that thing happy enough for a good result.'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: Kirumi
Walking out of Punishing Bird's cell I can't help but rub all the sore bumps on my head. The little monster is merciless, especially to those of the Keter Department if what Lest tells me is to be believed. And while the regenerator should be enough to heal my "injuries", 'honestly, they are just bumps,' they will still bother me all along the walk to the main room of the Training Department. 'At least it gets a little bit easier each time. Wing, The first time I was wincing each time I rubbed the sores, wincing.'
'Today has just been an awful one, first the Sephirah of the department I'm working in is in a state. Sure, she might try to pretend that everything is fine but even a fool could see past that illusion with her smaller-than-usual voice and bad posture, even the antenna on her head looks droopy. Then there's the fact I've been put on Punishing Bird duty with the only other Abnormality I've been assigned to work with are a pair of shoes I'm not even allowed to put on!'
I stop and take a deep breath to calm myself. 'Getting emotional is not professional at all.' Then once my head is cleared of whining I continue on my trek to the main room, walking past the corpses of a few clerks and a Green Dawn robot. And once I reach my destination the healer waves of the regenerator bring instant relief to my body like it has done so many times before. And unlike previously I am not instantly assigned to work with that damn bird, which can only mean one thing.
*zzrt*
"Training Team, this is the manager, a Crimson Noon Ordeal appeared in the Control Team and has started to ravage the facility, go to their main room and take it out. It looks hideous but is unable to attack from behind, use that to your advantage." Come the voice of X through our shared headpieces.
Looking around I can see my fellow Agents all brandish their weapons with a determined look, even if Agent Makoto looks just as nervous as he does driven. And I can hear him mutter something about being hopeful under his breath. Hoon looks just as likely as ever with his massive grin showing both a row of shark-like teeth and the bloodlust of a syndicate member. And while Nichola's expression barely changes I can see the glint of anticipation shine through his eyes.
'Hmm, I've never had to face a Noon Ordeal before, I wonder what this will bring.'
…
"This beast is hideous." I can't help but comment to my fellow Agents as we charge at the hineside of the beast. The thing is an entity made up entirely out of multiple segments of flesh and human leather slapped together to resemble a scorpion-like creature, with the creature also being ridden with tumors and having a horrible sense of make-up. 'Clowns really? That was in style maybe 3 centuries ago.'
"It sure is, but luckily it can't attack us." Comes the voice of Nicholas as we all whack the beast to the best of our collective abilities.
"Y-yeah, it can't attack us. So w-we shouldn't end up like those o-other guys." Makoto says mostly to himself, probably trying to recover the white damage he lost just from looking at the thing. 'What a rookie.'
It seems though that no matter how much we beat the monster we cannot stop its advance as whenever it kills a clerk or forces an Agent to retreat it just continues on its death march, uncaring of the damage we have laid into it. It's not like the beast even bothers to consume those it kills as the tail-like appendage it murders with has its mouth full with a spiky tumor so the corpses simply fall to the ground creating a tripping hazard for us. 'Makoto just came dangerously close to impaling himself on the creature because of that clerk, luckily Nicholas caught him in time.'
Perhaps this would be a rather comical sight for an outsider looking in, a bunch of Agents wielding a variety of weapons and armor that look right out of a children's cartoon viciously attacking a clown beats behind as it murders its ways through the facility. Especially as we have to rush down the stairs to the Safety Department as it somehow uses the elevator to get down there and continue its rampage.
It isn't until we reach the main room of the Safety Department and witness a Keter Agent I've never seen before fend off the beast using his E.G.O cannon and what looks like high-grade fixer moves to cover the retreat of the other Safety Team members. Here the monster's attacks carry with them a sluggish weight they didn't seem to before as the Training Team and myself continue our onslaught and the Keter Agent stalls its advance. But as the fight continues the Keter Agent must have gotten the order to retreat as he begins to run away from the Ordeal, right before he makes it out of the room however he fires off one last shot that tears up a section of the hide, like a scab peeling off, and allows us to finally disassemble the beast.
That is until the Ordeal explodes into three Crimson Dawns…
"There is a Dawn close by at 1.76 MHz Chamber dispatch of it quickly!" The voice of the manager once again.
'Today is just not my day…'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: Daphne
'And there's bloody chunks of flesh in my hair, absolutely fantastic.' I can't help but think to myself as I walk away from the carcass of the exploded clown, which bits somehow landed on me totally ruining my style. 'I'll need to shower before dinner tonight… And I was hoping to be first in line for Zeta47's Pizza tonight.'
I try to clean it to the best of my abilities as the Team and I walk back to our main room since the suppression is done. "Hey, girls have any of you noticed that Miss Malkuth's been rather… off lately?" I say to break the silence if nothing else.
"What do you mean by that?" Asera calls out.
"I-i don't think it's a great idea to talk about our boss like that." Captain Eden says only a bit meekly.
"Bong?", 'Yeah, no surprise what she says.'
"Actually… I have noticed a bit of a difference…" Wendy says quietly. 'Probably because she says everything quietly.'
Regardless, it causes all our heads to turn to her, making her break any semblance of eye contact with us and she folds into herself as we all enter the elevator. "Well… It's just that every time there's an Ordeal she always seems to bug out about it or complain the next day and then she pushes us even harder… I mean, remember yesterday when she had us clean up all the corpses in the department? That's usually a clerk job so we can stay in tip-top shape to work with Abnormalities." At all our continued states she seems to look perturbed. "O-oh, sorry if I spoke too much."
"No you're right, having to clean yesterday was totally overkill. I mean none of the other departments had to! And Malkuth still doesn't even call us by name, I get that's like corporate policy or whatever but none of the other Sephirah's follow it, even Lady Binah!" I can't help but exclaim with some strong emotions seeping into my voice as we finally walk into the main room and a fresh wave of healing.
*zzrt*
"Control Team this is the manager. Meet up with the Info Team in the by the Scorched Girl and prepare to suppress said Abnormality." Only for all of us to have to turn right back around and leave the room. I don't even suppress the groan that comes out of my mouth.
…
By the time we reach our destination the Info Team is already stationed at the doorway ready to attack and without so much as a word we assume formation right next to them. A conglomerate of Agents might seem exactly what the Scorched Girl would want, and it is, but that would also mean that we can lure her out. We'll just have to pray we can suppress the girl before she explodes.
"Heat."
"She'll be here any second, prepare yourself." Knox says as we all ready our weapons.
And it's not a second too soon as seconds later the Abnormality walking into the room. The look of shock on the girl's face as she realizes that there was a firing line prepared for her almost made today worth it. She is barely able to let out a word before one of the Agents pushes her to the ground and we collectively beat the crap out of her, or in the case of Agents with a ranged weapon shoot her. 'Maybe a Nestdweller might be a little perturbed at what looks like a bunch of adults beating up a little girl, but she isn't a real human child. And well, I'm from the backstreets where you kinda get used to it.'
Luckily, the sight doesn't trouble anyone else too much and with a poof and cloud of fog, the Abnormality is suppressed and sent back to her room. "Good work everyone. I'm ending the day now and getting some rest. Manager out."
'Oh, thank every wing out there. Maybe I won't be too late for dinner.'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: X
'It's probably a good idea I stopped when I did, I totally should have been able to spot Scorched Girl's meltdown and done something in time… but I didn't, hopefully, not like foreshadowing or anything.'
Luckily with a whopping 4 promoted Agents cleaning, Hod's mission was a breeze so next time I expand her department I'll be set for a meeting with her and I'll have an upgrade, increased clerk stats, by tomorrow. So as I wheel my chair back a bit and let out a nice relaxed breath I feel an overall good mood overtake me. That is until Angela appears directly behind me and opens her big mouth.
"How was your day?" Angela says with a measured tone that does not startle me and make me jump in my chair rigidly. Which was about the reaction she was expecting as she continues unobstructed. "During mine, I happened to notice a certain employee filled their water bottle with a bear…", 'Did she just say bear-', "branded beer, and then proceeded to drink it during the workday." She says apparently so stressed that she's tripping over her words. 'Wait a minute I remember this dialog isn't it supposed to be tomorrow..?'
Angela then lets out a laugh that noticeably doesn't have any humor in it and puts on a very forced smile. "Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be intoxicated. One time, I was infected with a virus that prevailed throughout the net at the time. It caused me to perceive everything ten times slower… They say intoxication is similar to that. Everyone laughed at the way I moved sluggishly.", 'Oh fuck, isn't this when… Oh goddammit, no wonder she's so stressed.'
"Excuse me… X? Your facial expression is hard to read today. If you need to say something to me, please do so." Angela says like she's expecting something to happen and with the way I blink three times, there is no doubt why.
"Hey, Angela… There's a question I've been meaning to ask you since I haven't gotten a concise answer during my time here at the company. Is water wet?"
'Okay, I might be an asshole but the look of her face is priceless hahahahahahahaha-'
------------------------------------------------
PoV: Angela
"Hey, Angela… There's a question I've been meaning to ask you since I haven't gotten a concise answer during my time here at the company. Is water wet?"
Rechecking audio systems, playing back audio. No errors detected in audio software or hardware. Initiating playback of the last 15 seconds. Exact same answer to scripted question as memory drivers recall is played back. Initiating a full system reboot to check again has been denied by higher thought processes as it would be inefficient. New protocol set: 'what the fuck.'
Memory archives have confirmed that before this loop there have been only two recorded answers to this scripted question: "are you going to sabotage the company?" and "will you ever harm me?" precautions and barriers have been set to protect against any emotional harm these answers would cause in this loop. 'Then this bastard of a manager decided to go to hell with protocol and all the expected results and answer with the dumbest question he possibly could.'
Realizing that I've just been staring at the man for approximately 10.73 "normal" seconds with my eyes open and that the manager is now slowly moving his hand in front of my unmoving face I make the decision that it would probably be best to answer the man. 'Even though it's his fault I just had to reboot a third of my systems.'
"Wetness is a term when water is applied to another object so using simple logic water cannot be wet." I say as emotionlessly as I can yet for some reason the simple answer somehow provokes an explosive response from the manager.
"I knew that you'd get it right!" He says before assuming a mock tearful expression. "I'm so happy that at least one of my friends knows the universal truth of the multiverse.", 'How can a single man have so many seemingly random reactions, especially when prior data on previous copies suggests otherwise? And besides, any type of exaggerated expression simply looks wrong on his face.'
"I knew I could trust you, Angela." He ends up saying with another expression of mock determination which causes me to force my eyes closed, not because this is old stimuli it is all still so new but because I can't bear to bring any suspicion to myself as for some reason I can't bring my eyes to face his. 'Why is he looking at me so warmly? When all I've seen out of those same eyes is just repressed hatred? Why does he have to make everything so much harder, it's way easier to betray a man you hate after all…''
"Anyways, that's enough teasing for today I already called for my Agents to meet me by the Red Shoes for a Final Observation, you coming?" The insane man says while putting an arm around my shoulders and shaking me slightly. And I can tell from the camera in the room he has a slight smile on his face.
Yet when he brings his arm back to open the door I feel myself missing the feeling of it being there and I feel overwhelmed with a new desire. As for some unexplained reason I want to cry, that is until I force around 60% of my systems to reboot on the walk to the Abnormalities Containment Unit.
------------------------------------------------
PoV: X
"But that means nothing, the fact is the matter to even be considered for color candidacy means you must have been one of the top fixers in the City!" Kirumi says excitedly.
"It was a long time ago, and in the end, I wasn't even chosen so it doesn't even matter." An Agent I've never seen in person before, Byleth if I recall correctly, says with a completely flat look on his face.
"It very much matters, I simply must hear more from you. Being able to hear first-hand accounts from a color candidate can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I need to capitalize on this." Kirumi presses before she notices me approaching and assumes a more rigid stance, which Byleth seems thankful(?) for. 'I don't know what I stumbled upon but one of my Agents being a possible color is information to file for later.'
At the sight of me the new Agent approached me and extended his hand, "Hello, my name is Byleth. A pleasure to meet you." He says curtly and to the point.
Taking his hand I offer a greeting of my own. "It's nice to meet you. My name's X, I bet we'll work great together."
"Of course." He says while letting go of my hand. 'Man, this guy just seems… robotic for lack of a better word.'
"Also, I wanted to ask you to accompany me into this chamber. From the dossier, it seems like a bad idea for me to go at this alone, don't want to get brainwashed or whatever. You feel me?" I say before he has a chance to walk back to the other Agents.
He only deems me with a sharp nod before taking a place by the door. When I look over at the other Agents of Keter then look determined yet still lax knowing they're not entering the chamber and once I gaze at Angela all I get is a slow nod that looks calculated somehow. 'She's been kinda weird since we left the office. I mean I think I understand why but still.'
"Alright then, let's get this over with." I mutter before opening the door to the Containment Unit.
Upon entering and closing the door behind Byleth the Abnormality is clear to see on its pedestal, yet it still seems somewhat lackluster compared to some of the other things I've seen in this facility. 'I mean it's literally just red shoes, not too sure what I was expecting. At least it's not… Spider Bud, I guess.' That Abnormality still sends shivers down my spine even if I know I never need to meet it personally again.
"Manager, I've done work with this Abnormality before. As long as you don't put the shoe on you should be fine to touch it and don't worry I will forcefully apprehend you if it causes too much mental corruption." Byleth helpfully supplies before falling in line a couple of feet away from me.
"I see, thank you for your… vote of confidence," I reply only for him to nod his head again.
Walking closer to the pedestal I get a good look at the blood-colored shoes and well there just that, shoes. No teeth are visibly clear nor are there any other quirks in the Abnormality; they're just boring plain shoes. 'That would look good if I put on.' So when I lift the shoe off the pedestal. 'I- wait what? Why am I doing this?'
'Probably because it would be so much easier to manipulate people if I look just that much better.'
'H-huh? Wait! But I don't want to manipulate anyone! I just want to make a few friends!'
'But why would I want those friends if not so that I can be just a little bit safer? I'm just a coward that's scared of everything in both this life and the past. In fact, the shoes themselves can make me safer.'
'N-no that's not. I'm not.'
'It will all be fine if I can just be in control. All I need is complete control of the situation and the shoes can give me that control.'
'No those aren't my-'
'If I'm in control then that means I'm safe. If I have "friends" then that means I have people that can be back up that I can use to save my own skin-'
"Enough!" I shout out loud with the shoes held tightly in my trembling hands. Thankfully Byleth takes that as a cue and takes the shoes out of my hand and onto the pedestal before escorting me out.
'No none of that is true. Those were just corruptions of my thoughts meant to make me put the Abnormality. None of that is what I actually believe, right?' I can't help but think as tears swell in my eyes before I force them back down with a strained gulp of air.
"Oh yeah, that one can definity be a tough ride if you're not prepared for it." Lest says the moment he sees me exit the chamber.
"I must agree, I certainly wasn't prepared for how intense its mental effects were the first time I performed work on it." Kirumi adds on.
"I see thank you for your words but I am alright now." I respond. "Next I want to perform a Final Observation on-" I say before Angela cuts me off.
"Manager, I don't mean to alarm you but Punishing Bird has just broken out of containment." My assistant says causing me to turn around and, 'OH JESUS OH FUCK' get a facefull of bird flying approximately "too fast" into my face.
The things pecking is relentless and leaves bruises all over my face before I'm even able to cover it with my arms, carefully sliding them into position so as to not whack the bird. That doesn't stop it however as it just continues the beatdown on the top of my head and on my arms and hands forcing me down into a fetal position.
"Bong!" Bongbong calls out alarmed.
"Oh dear, this is not good." Kirumi so helpfully assesses.
"Hey X buddy! Are you okay?" Lest asks.
"No Lest! I am not okay! Get this thing off of me!" I scream from the floor.
"I'm sorry but that would be most unwise." Byleth says.
"What the fuck do you mean!? Can't you just like pick it up gently or something?!" I ask outraged.
"Normally we would be able to but at the speed, it's going it might just assume that we are attacking it, I'm afraid you might just need to bear it for now." Byleth replies.
"I hope you know that I- Ow! Hey!" I start before the bastard bird somehow gets more shots at my face hitting me directly on my nose.
So for what feels like the next hour even though it's probably only a minute or two the bird continues to assault me, beating my head black and blue and making my face ooze blood, sweat, snot, and tears before it just stops. Looking up I see the face of a very pissed bird in a pair of very pale hands before looking up a bit more and seeing the eyes of Angela as she carefully examines the sight in front of her.
"This counts as an Observation." I manage to croak out before everything fades to black and I fall into a dreamless sleep.
Unbeknownst to me once I fade into unconsciousness the bird assumes a triumphant expression before flying back to its Containment Unit.
"You four carry him to the medical ward. The wounds are not too serious so I will make sure he is present for tomorrow's work cycle." Angela says to the shocked Agents around me before they break out of their funk and proceed with the task assigned to them.
Once the Agent's leave the area Angela lets out a little sigh before walking in the direction of the medical ward herself. "I suppose the Abnormalities are just like me." She whispers quiet enough that only she can hear.
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This chapter contains one of the moments I've been waiting to write since the start of this fic, that being the Pinocchio segment when X decides to say "fuck the script" showing his trust in Angela by asking something totally random and benign. Which causes an interesting reaction in the robot I'd say.