My eyes stayed with Malkuth and I had to ask, "I'm guessing this is very important to what happened?" I would like to hear her first before trying to make any conclusions.

Malkuth... probably nodded? She doesn't have a neck, so the gesture seemed a little awkward, "You could say that she was there to see it all... just... try to listen to everything before asking any questions." She was speaking of the issue with a heavy tone. Yeah, I'll keep quiet then.

"It was years ago... not sure how many, a little and adventurous girl that heard great things from an ambitious woman. She was sure that she could make a change and went to help them." She spoke as if remembering your early days in high school, pure embarrassment.

After a short pause she continued, "Or so she thought, unable to even take proper notes to remember what she had to do, she was put to record the experiments taking place... she wasn't happy with it." Bitterness... at herself?

I had to bite my cheek to keep myself from asking anything... what the hell is she going on about?

"But she wasn't about to give up, every trick in the book... failed. Every attempt executed poorly and this wasn't something she could accept, told that she should stay in her position. When the situation got... dire, she chose not to listen." And then there was shame, making me bite my cheek harder, something is very wrong here...

Malkuth sole eye landed on me, "She took the experimental 'Cogito' that wasn't ready for human usage. She lost her teeth and fingernails while her body slowly rotted on the inside. She called out for help towards the man that always refused her requests... you should know how that went." I gulped... no, it felt more like I pushed something down. Hearing something like this... what was I even meant to say?

...

No... oh god... no...

"A... are you Elijah…?" That was the only thing that made sense, why would she know every detail of that story so well? Every feeling she felt... it was the only logical conclusion.

Please tell me I'm wrong.

Malkuth stared at me, "You are right... although the correct term would be... I WAS Elijah." My hand covered my mouth on instinct, this wasn't something that could be summarized with words.

But the feeling... is something that you can only understand when you feel it yourself, "What do... no, if time reversal is a thing I wouldn't know how much time has passed... I don't even think I have the right to ask why you don't see yourself as Elijah." That experience was too unique to just say such things, only those that went through it could dare question it.

"Trigger, all Corporations are cruel places... and I'd like to believe this one had a justification for everything that we did, until we did too much. You can't wash blood with blood." She sounded disappointed in... everything.

My brain decided to finally work again, "What would you even try to wash with... all of this?" I asked, trying to piece together what the fuck was happening.

Malkuth's body went rigid for a moment, "The human mind... the City is a place filled with misery. People vanish every day for no reason, inhuman experiments done just for stupid research that goes nowhere, arbitrary rules that seemingly have no purpose, people eating people both literally and metaphorically." She listed what happens out of this facility, and unlike Dakota, that only said the Backstreets were a shithole... Malkuth said ALL the City was the same.

She looked at the metallic rooftop, "She tried to look for a solution and paid a price she thought too heavy, and it took her away... but 'A' didn't want it to end like this, not after she gave so much, but he ended up just like everyone else in the City. This whole facility is no different to what happens out there, but as long as the dream of that woman could be accomplished, then maybe... it would have been worth it." 'A'... you stupid... pathetic bastard...

And who is this she? I wanted to ask, but Malkuth was so... positive when talking about her, I couldn't bring myself to do so.

Malkuth sole eye stared into my own pair again, "But would... all of this be something she wanted? This is EVERYTHING she stood against, and we are... just accepting it? I know that dream is amazing, but we didn't only drag ourselves in but people that were desperate, and we took advantage of it... had he only dragged us in I would have been fine, but you and the others never even heard of this ideal we desperately wanted." She kept going and couldn't stop... and I wouldn't know how to stop her anyway.

"In our effort to help with the problem... we became part of it, what would Carmen say if she saw us now?" A question that I don't think anyone could have answered, at least I got a name for this mysterious woman...

...

Silence reigned the room and I sighed, "There is a goal out there that... this 'A' wants so badly he'd do this to you? To everyone?" I asked, waiting for an answer.

"Yes." Nothing more than that was heard from her.

My chest constricted, and I felt a ball churn around my stomach and move up to my throat, a guttural growl was heard when I pushed down what may have been my anger.

...

???

"What does the Manager have to do with this?" I asked Malkuth, throwing her a narrowed gaze, and Malkuth didn't respond for what it felt like minutes.

"Everything, 'A' needs him to reach whatever he may be looking for." I stared at Malkuth again, my eyes still narrowed.

I clenched my hands into fists, "And what is he looking for?" Malkuth paused, almost like she... didn't know herself.

"I'm not sure, Carmen usually spoke about 'spreading the Light' so maybe something like that." It wasn't much to go with... but it's better than nothing.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, "I'm guessing... this is the same with every Sephirah?" Malkuth nodded at me, I completely ignored the awkward gesture...

Because I was horrified, both Tipherets sounded like kids...

"... You wouldn't be telling me all of this as a simple gesture of friendship." I didn't know what it was, but I knew that my voice had gained a dangerous edge to it.

Malkuth tried to appear unfazed by this... but to be honest it scared me too, and she wasn't far behind, "I... still want to stop this, we are even sacrificing people that had nothing to do with us. This... whole ideal has to stop, the other Sephirah may be like me, too blinded by that beautiful light. I can't let it blind more people." I nodded at her.

So... this is it, the start of something dangerous, "I see... you have my help Malkuth, people are so busy trying to find a light in the darkness... that they forget that the light can leave you blind." Too much of a good thing can be bad...

Carmen must have had the best of intentions, I... would have liked to meet someone that could leave Malkuth so mystified with an ideal.

"Trigger... I don't know how to tell you this, but you can't trust Angela." I threw Malkuth a look full of confusion.

Malkuth seemed to notice this... then again, I wasn't trying to hide it, "Not because of that, but she will always aid the Manager... I'm not 100% on this, but 'A' gave her a script that she should follow. She mentions it at times when she thinks I'm not listening." Because I needed more reasons to hate 'A'...

"And since she's an AI, she can't go against it." I nodded, trying really hard to not punch a hole in the metal walls.

Malkuth continued talking, "Exactly, Angela is... a bit cocky, so she has slipped once or twice. I didn't have any reason to care beforehand, since we worked towards the same goal." But things have changed.

I nodded a couple of times rubbing the bridge of my nose, "Let's continue forming a plan latter, work is about to start... and I'd like some time to sort out my thoughts." Malkuth again did an awkward nod.

"Thank you, Trigger, for everything." She walked away, and I laughed sardonically only when I was sure she was no longer in the room.

It doesn't feel like I did a lot Malkuth... but progress is progress, no use of complaining.

'A'... just what kind of person are you?