the ultimatum ↬ elliot alderson ✔

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I need to know if what Darlene said about Evil Corp's plan is true. There's only one way for me to directly find out. I texted Angela a few hours ago, suggesting a meet up at a bar a few blocks away from my flat. Angela said she may be a few minutes late. I look over at the bar counter, my eyes scanning for the light blonde woman in a tight ponytail. She's not here yet. I check the time on my phone. She's twenty minutes late. That's abnormal for her.

I wish I had talked to her before, so it wouldn't seem like I'm using her. Partly, I am. Mr Robot thinks I should keep my connections sealed shut; and Angela is the only connection I have with Evil Corp. I hear the door to the bar open again, my eyes focusing on Angela as she walks inside. She looks at me, just a few metres away from her, before taking a seat in front of me. Her face is expressionless; it's like I'm not even here.

"Angela," I say softly, trying to wake her up from her possible trance. She looks like she hasn't slept in days. Maybe all of this is eating her alive, too. She's become a robot.

She meets my gaze, sighing deeply before dumping her bag on the floor.

"Elliot," she says, as if she just realised my presence. She gives me a tight smile, which I know, she does not mean. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. My boss wouldn't let me out."

Her voice is monotonous, something I've never heard in her. I shrug.

"You're here now," I say, giving her a smile. She returns it, although the emotionless gaze is still fixed on me. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure," she says, nodding.

"Is Evil Corp trying to introduce a new currency?"

"Yeah. I thought you know all about it from the news?" she asks. The bartender walks over to our table, his pen and pad in his hand.

"Can I get you anything?" he asks in a thick Chinese accent as he eyes us both.

"Some water," I say.

"Gin and tonic," Angela responds. The waiter walks away, leaving us alone again.

"I heard about it. I wanted to know if it was true."

"Well, it is," she says, giving me a nod. Dawn didn't want me talking to Angela because of everything that happened at the Evil Corp Party massacre, but Angela is my only Evil Corp contact. She's my childhood best friend, too. I have no choice but to talk to her.

The way Angela speaks about her life and the way things are going shakes me to the very core. She's become mindless; she is no longer the same person she was a few months ago. From the way she talks, it's unrecognisable.

"I want to find out more about the Washington Township scandal," she says, noticing the silence around us.

"Angela, I already told you to drop that," I press. Angela meets my gaze, her expression as serious as mine. She wants to argue with me, but she bites her tongue. Suddenly, the anger fades and she goes back to being emotionless.

"I don't care about it anymore," she says, her tone dull. I've never seen Angela shift like that. Maybe she's going insane, like me.

"Okay," I say, sighing. Our drinks arrive and there's another silence before Angela speaks again.

"Evil Corp will overcome the Five/Nine hack. With China's 3 billion loan at a low interest, we will be able to recover."

"Why do you still work there?" I suddenly ask. Angela stares at me, startled. "You helped us put the malware. You caused the Five/Nine hack."

Angela stirs her drink with a straw, her brows furrowed. She won't respond to my question because she knows I'm right.

"Does anyone know what happened to the suspect?" I ask, remembering the traumatising night. She shakes her head quickly.