He had been standing there for no more than thirty seconds and had already begun some sort of philosophical rant. Normally, she would gladly converse to help keep up in her charade of being "one of them," but today was different. She needed clarity of mind and after today she would no longer be "one of them" anyway. That and he would more than likely be dead in just mere hours after she uploaded her virus package. She had no desire to converse with the walking dead.
Instead, she simply listened to the man's voice and used it to aide her in her calculations. She imagined the Raven's computer network and then imagined his voice as an annoying piece of security software that would attempt to hinder her from her goal. Eventually, she was able to tone out the sound of his voice completely. She smiled, congratulating herself on the inside. It was only a matter of time now.
The officer suddenly cleared his throat, startling her. He then straightened his uniform. Veil was unsure of whether this was from nervous habit or because he wanted to look his best when the doors slid open and he stepped out into his workplace. It was all just details.
He looked up with narrowed eyes and continued what he had been saying only moments earlier. "People aren't like that, you know? Not even close."
Veil didn't answer. She didn't even nod. In fact, she wasn't quite sure what he was talking about. A million lines of code were still running errantly through her mind.
He didn't seem to notice her preoccupation, though. "I've never been in such a situation, but I imagine I would play the role of the coward," he said. "I cherish my existence in this universe above all things. I am both with and without shame in admitting it."
The statement drew Veil's full attention and she looked up at the officer. He was young – maybe somewhere around her age. His jaw was set and his eyes still narrowed as he now seemed to ponder what he had been saying to her. His face flushed slightly and he quickly apologized for his candidness.
She didn't offer up a reply. She didn't know what to say.
The lift stopped and the doors slid open.
The officer nodded. "Ma'am," he addressed her and stepped out.
The doors slid shut again and Veil found herself in a desperate attempt to decide what had just happened. What had he been telling her? Why did it seem so important?
It was then that she realized that she wasn't ready. The security software had beaten her.