Adam observed as the two humans slowly moved out of the changing rooms. While stating that wasting time was out of possible choices, the two had certainly chosen to waste the AI’s time, bickering as they walked. It was curious to see, both talking at a much higher pace than before. At first, there had been an assumption made, that it was the atmosphere causing this reaction.
Yet after looking at vital signs, it turned out to be nervousness from Troy’s side. Adam had originally thought to be mistaken on this conclusion, as the young man had previously shown much intention to request passage into the fitness lifestyle. But however little sense there was from the reaction, the AI was not able to find anything hinting to the reasoning being anything else.
"Ready to cause a storm?" Charlie asked Troy as the two humans finally entered the centre of the fitness area. The size of the establishment had been as the AI had predicted, being more than a hundred meters across. Lines of the same types of machines littered much of the area, The rest was evenly divided between a section for dumbbells and a flat space filled with training mats.
"That is a very outdated reference," Troy remarked, not answering the non-rhetorical question asked. Adam was unsure what this reference was, not being able to find the sentence used in any of his logs, nor was anything close to it viewable in his pre-known knowledge. Though it was used as a proverb in the last century, it was likely not the reference being discussed. The AI found a lack of information intriguing. Another branch always had permission to be added to the collection.
"A reference that I am surprised that you understood," Charlie said in a curious tone. "Why oh why did you catch it?"
"I am an English major. What, do you think I just read the dictionary over and over again or something?" Troy questioned, using a matter-of-fact voice.
To that, Charlie looked at the younger man with an expression showing that he was growing intrigued. Not enough to put pressure on the words, but enough to have more than a regular focus on them.
"What a spectacular moment of improv. Though, you should work on making the statements possible to actually be true. Even if you have nailed sounding honest, it would be best to stop deceit from being seen by just thinking about it a little," Charlie said. The muscular man gained a slightly increased respect by the AI, appreciating the feedback that was being given if it was misplaced. 'Lying by telling the truth,` was an adequate description of the situation. Having a truth so peculiar that saying it with a straight face would make it seem fake. Troy only smiled at that comment, not answering it in full. Adam had an idea for why, but only logged the moment for retrospective view.
As the two walked closer to the machines, grunts of effort could be heard coming from somewhere around the two. With the space of the room providing echoes in plenty, it was hard to track down where the source of the sound came from. Without any visual aid, the AI was forced to wait for the humans to figure it out themselves.
"Oi, Zep! Where the fuck are you hiding!" Charlie shouted out into the room. The grunts of effort continued a couple of seconds more before the sound of something heavy hitting the floor became noticeable.
"Why the fuck are you here?" Was shouted right back, the voice being identical to that of the Zep that Adam had encountered days ago. "You're supposed to be at work right now."
From the right of Troy, emerging between the machines came Zep. Her natural height had hidden her form until she came close, the tightness of the machines providing ample cover. Like Troy and Charlie, she was adorned into fitness wear, letting the AI see the musculature present on the body. While Charlie might have ranked the highest in overall muscle-mass, Zep would be a close contender if it came to being measured proportionally.
"So should you!" Charlie said right back, facing the correct direction, now that he knew where she was. "Troy and I had the politeness to show up in your laboratory unannounced, and you weren't even there too! The gall!"
"The project is being prepared automatically right now. I had Gordon look over the… Charlie, you didn't fuck with the guy, right? I already owe him one for doing this, and if you put your fat into that guy's face again, I will be forced to owe him a big one instead."
In response, Charlie had the decency to look sheepish at the accusation. The AI felt more consequences were necessary, as the only thing that had come out of it was Zep sighing loudly before muttering wasteful elimination methods. There really was no reason to use squids in such a fashion.
"Are you the only one in here?" Troy asked unprompted, causing at least mild surprise of his continued existence. Was it the quietness that made the young man fade into the background, or was it something else? If it was something else, Adam felt the need to make use of it to its fullest extent.
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"Ah, yeah, of course, I am," Zep answered, after blinking at Troy for a second or two. "People are usually working at this time of day. Or sleeping. And why are you not doing either of those two things? Charlie, I can understand. He physically can't keep to a work schedule if his life depended on it. But you… you're working with Dr Hale. I cannot see any way where you are allowed to leave work early.
Charlie cleared his throat, ready to make another of his repeated explanations. Yet, by a mix of glaring and a quick punch to the kidney, the muscular man was forced down onto his knees, momentarily incapable of anything other than hard wheezing. This left Troy in the situation of having to explain himself, instead of being dependable on others' help. Adam nearly felt bad with the situation before him. Under the correct amount of pressure, the young man could crumble more quickly than cardboard, folding into something incomprehensible. While the chance was low, having the man implode now would be unhelpful to the goal of gathering information. Though… the AI was sure he would endure. Changing the conditions of ongoing tests was a federal crime after all.
"You're not too right on the target. Dr Hale is the one letting me get off at regular times. Without her, I would be stuffed with pills so I could work all day long," Troy said. A defensive approach, without any animosity, attached. While not the greatest choice, it was not the worst either. Still below average though. "And I wasn't let off early today. I am having a day off. And yes-"
"Bullshit," Zep instantly refuted, not seeming to believe it for a second. "Listen here. It's probably just an error on the schedule. Happens for the first five years you're employed. Bit rare, but it happens to everybody. It would be best if you ran to your work-place now, and hope that your boss isn't going to tear you one more than necessary. You get what I'm saying?"
"Actually, darling-" Charlie began but was hit with another hit. Instinctively, the muscular man had defended his kidney, wisely thinking for a repeat placement. Zep had seen it coming and had hit him in the solar plexus instead.
"I have a work schedule?" Troy asked incredulously, looking to do his best in ignoring the semi-fight occurring in his vicinity. Adam was happy that he continued watching, even if it was only in quick glances.
"Of course you have a work schedule. What, you think we just work from morning until late into the... " Zep began to question but stopped upon the slowly falling face of Troy’s. "How long are your workdays exactly?"
"I don't really know. From morning till the afternoon?" Troy said, clearly trying to switch the topic away, likely embarrassed. Adam thought he should have no shame in his long hours. More time invested equalled more results, after all. "And it wasn't a mistake on the work schedule. My boss just told me not to come into work today. He is just doing stuff today that doesn't require my help at all, so I guess he doesn't see the need in paying me today."
The words were ended with a mild shrug, but the reaction gotten from Zep was not one that said much in the direction the AI had been predicting. It looked… confused.
"That is pretty weird. Getting a day off unannounced has to be planned long before, so it can get through the right channels," Zep said mostly to herself. "Troy, is the project you're working on heavily planned? That could explain it."
"Uh… no, not really. The tests have already been planned beforehand, but the day to day stuff has been changed a couple of times now," Troy honestly answered, which caused even more confusion to appear on Zep’s facial features.
"Huh. Either you're getting paid for your job that you are told not to do or your boss is high enough clearance to have direct control over your schedule," Zep surmised after a second of thinking, before looking back at Charlie, who had been slowly regaining his composure. While the hits had not looked to have been too hard or precise, the man seemed to have found it funny to overreact. The AI guessed it was done to allow the other two to have a conversation without the witty comments. A thoughtful gesture, but also one that could have been done much more efficiently.
Charlie took a few steps back, well out of the range of Zep’s hits, before clearing his throat loudly. An unneeded action to do, seeing as none had been talking at the time and that he had gotten the attention of the two others the moment his back had been raised back in place.
"Can I talk now?" Charlie asked, looking ready to walk back even further if he noticed any weird movement.
"You could always talk," Zep dutifully informed the muscular and slightly scared man. "You just didn't accept that words have consequences too."
"I don't think that is the correct interpretation. Isn't it about-" Charlie tried to correct, but stopped upon the sound of knuckles cracking. "Could you stop doing that? You know I hate that sound."
"It's called keeping the body moving," Zep answered. "And I don't think you really did answer my question from before. Why are you two here?"
"Well... " Charlie said, taking the chance to finally talk for long periods of time. Through elongated observing of the man’s mannerisms, talking for long periods of the time looked to be one of Charlie’s favourite activities. It was either that or he just enjoyed the look that was given by the overweening flaunting. With what else the AI knew about him, it could reasonably be both. "Being the perfect example of goodness, I am giving Troy something to do on this day. Right now, we are going around harras- I mean, visiting those in the group. We have had perfect scores with the others, I was hoping to complete the set with visiting yours as well. But… Gordon was so kind to inform me that you were taking the rest of the day off.
Others would have stopped at this point, seeing it as fate that you were not there to explain. Maybe I could have even made Gordon do it in your place if such desperateness really did exist in this soul of mine. But, alas. I could not stop myself from completing the puzzle, by laying the last brick. So… we are visiting you in your natural habitat. Namely, the gym.
A perfect place for Troy to learn, while also getting something positive out of it. A physically destroyed body which will only get better over time. What do you say, Zep? Want to mentally drain a person, while showing them just how much they love it?"
As the man stopped speaking, Adam was unsure of how to react to it. There was a pitch inside there, only truly showing itself by the end. A compliment started it off, but could the same be said to the rest? The AI was not sure that it could be taken as anything positive. If he had been put into the situation, he would have refused outright purely due to bad pitching.
Yet… such thoughts seemed limited to the artificial mind, with both others having widely different reactions to it. Troy looked on in horror, his eyelids turned as far up as they could. Being mentioned as becoming mentally and physically drained was likely not something that the young man had expected. Though, such a reaction was very likely to have been the reaction from Zep, who had glanced at Troy before stating her answer. She looked absolutely happy with the idea.
"Let me do my last abs set, and I am good to go," Zep answered, looking to have been reinvigorated in her movements. Any dose of adrenaline perhaps?
Adam was not in a contest of the ongoing environment. With the grin Charlie was giving Troy, it was obvious the older man was hoping to hold up his promise. The AI had not gotten much first-hand experience at muscles tired by extreme use, so it was looking better and better for him.
The same couldn't have been said for Troy, though. Not in the slightest.