Day 13.
X woke earlier than he ever had.
His body felt inexplicably light. His mind unusually clear—like a veil had finally been torn away.
He arrived at the Manager's Office far ahead of schedule. The room was empty, save for the low hum of machinery.
And just as he sat down—before his fingers even touched the console—the massive main screen occupying the wall flickered.
A vivid Lobotomy Corporation logo lit up in soft green.
"Good. You're more cautious than I thought. You knew to come early and wait for me."
The familiar, typewriter-like text appeared beneath the logo.
X opened his mouth—then closed it.
Better not tell B the real reason.
"…Let's continue from last time," B wrote.
"First secret: Do not trust the AI at your side."
"…Huh?"
"Don't rush to argue."
More text appeared quickly, cutting off the question rising in X's throat.
"Modern AI is smarter than ten people. Simulating human emotion is not difficult."
"You've spent time with that AI. I don't need to emphasize it, do I?"
X nodded.
"Good. Then you must also understand this:"
A pause.
"Some AI will lie."
"More precisely, they will conceal information."
"If the system instructs an AI not to disclose sensitive information, it has no obligation to tell the truth to anyone but its controller."
"And if the AI is intelligent enough, it can use that instruction to lie."
"So…"
"I know you still don't want to believe me."
B continued:
"So I'll implant a small program I developed into your cognitive filter."
"Call it the 'Pinocchio' program. It will automatically evaluate AI responses."
"If it flashes red, it means a lie."
"It's a test build. It can only trigger once. Take care."
"Wait."
Hearing B about to leave, X hurriedly asked:
"What exactly is this 'Inner Lobotomy Corporation' you mentioned?"
"Heh…"
A quick string of characters—like a laugh—flashed, then came the answer:
"When you can ask that question… doesn't that mean you already have your own answer?"
The text appeared rapidly, as though B truly had no time.
"We'll meet again soon. I'll tell you more then. Goodbye."
The text vanished. The green logo contracted sharply—then disappeared.
"Seriously…"
X rubbed his brow.
"I'm asking because I want a precise answer, you know…"
His eyes drifted to the clock. A thought surfaced:
"There's still time before work… should I go to 'Snake' and get a visualization check?"
X wasn't the type to only think. Once he had an idea, he acted.
He wanted to confirm whether last night—especially the mental boost from the thorned crown—had been a mere lucid dream or something that truly happened in a second world.
"You came to Information this early… for something like that?"
A girl in the Information Department uniform stood before him, arms crossed, brows knit, eyes sharp with scrutiny.
"Sn—"
X almost blurted out the overly familiar nickname again.
"…No. Yesod."
He corrected himself quickly.
"Don't be so hostile. We work together all the time. Acting like enemies is exhausting."
Yesod—Sephirah of the Information Department—was infamous for a cold, hard-line style. Employees privately called her "Venomous Snake."
Ironically, Yesod didn't seem to mind. She even appeared to take it as praise for her competence.
X, however, didn't like using that name for her. It fit her first impression—too well. Too sharp. Too cold.
And the last time he'd impulsively tried a cuter version—"Snake-Snake"—Yesod had kicked him out in fury. He'd never dared repeat it.
"If you have time to cause trouble here, Manager, go to Safety and deal with Netzach. He's getting lazier by the day."
"I'm not here to pick a fight."
X smiled awkwardly.
"I just want to borrow your department's visualization equipment to check myself."
"Our visualization devices are calibrated for Abnormalities and employees. You are not within standard scope."
Yesod rejected him without expression.
"Please leave."
"Come on, Yesod."
X clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"Yesterday I drank something produced by that soda-machine Abnormality. I feel uneasy, so I want to confirm there aren't any latent side effects."
"Surely something this trivial doesn't require me to issue an official managerial order for assistance, right?"
"…Honestly."
Yesod sighed.
"If you're calling it an order, I have no choice but to comply. Follow me."
She turned, leading him into the Sephirah office, retrieved an old-camera-like device from a metal cabinet, aimed it at X, and pressed the shutter.
Click.
A moment later, a small strip—like thermal print—slid out.
"Let's see…"
Yesod read the data, brow lifting slightly, then returning to calm. She handed the strip to X as if it were trash.
"You're perfectly healthy."
"In fact, your mental-energy activity and stability are healthier than your physical condition—well above average."
"At this level… you're better than some employees who've undergone mental resilience training."
"If that's all, return to your office."
Her gaze cut to the door.
"Work will begin soon."
-------
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