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[The dogs are quiet today, perhaps surprisingly so; they have a moment, as they always do, but they're quick to quiet down, so Wesker is probably with them at the moment. Understandably so, really; it's presumable from the text that he's having something of a rough time, and he tends to seek out their company when he's like that.

But he'll let Jaeger in eventually; he looks reasonably put-together, though he's a bit quiet as he moves to take him back toward the study, because that seems like as good a place as any.]

...I appreciate your willingness to indulge me on this, especially on short notice.

[Huh. This really must be bad. Wesker wouldn't have called on him like this if it wasn't, but...]

Ja, don't mention it! I'm always here to help!

[He'll take his usual seat in the study, settling in quickly.]

So what happened?

...I remembered something recently. Something that I'm not certain how much of it I can explain to you.

[Just to put that on the table right away.]

Just the same, you asked me to let you know if the things I remembered ever reached a point where I wasn't certain I could handle them on my own anymore, and I believe things may have reached that point.

[Jaeger hesitates for a moment while he processes that. He can understand why Wesker wouldn't want to tell him about Excella, so he can only imagine how much worse things have gotten if Wesker's actually taking him up on that offer. Usually Wesker likes to say that he'll be fine, so...]

I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I really hoped it wouldn't happen. But now that it has... I'm here for you, no matter what. Even if you can't tell me what you remembered, maybe I can help just by being here?

[It's more of a question than he'd like it to be.]

[Ah, that's... There's no real question about it, as far as Wesker is concerned.]

...That's why I asked you to stay here with me.

Good, I'm glad I can help.

[Even if it's just something as small as being here... well, he can do that.]

I do have work this weekend of course, but if you need anything you can always message me.

I should be fine here while you're gone. In the event that I'm not, I'll let you know.

[So he's fairly sure that he's not going to do anything immediately stupid; it's just...]

...I told you that I intend to see this through - to continue seeking answers, even if they're unpleasant. My mind hasn't changed, regarding that. But I think...

[Mnngh.]

I think I may have received one of those answers I was looking for. It wasn't particularly pleasant, which I suppose was to be expected, but the magnitude of it was a bit more than I had thought originally.

[He's slowly dying of curiosity here, but he's not going to press on it.]

It seems like things always manage to get worse for you, somehow.

[The thing with Excella and the old man was bad enough...]

But no matter how bad things get, I'll be here for you.

[He's quiet for a moment at that.]

They aren't always worse. Some of the memories have been...good, albeit difficult. Things and people that I used to like, for example. Fighting is always a little strange, but generally enjoyable.

I did have some things that I considered good at the time; there weren't many, but they did exist. And things are obviously different now.

[That gets him to smile.]

I'm very glad to hear it. It's good that you had things you enjoyed in those memories and even better that you have things like that now. Of course, I know I'm one of them!

[...he sounds so pleased with himself...]

Aren't you confident.

[Jaeger... He sounds amused, at least.]

Are you going to tell me I'm wrong?

[See, this is what you keep him around for!!]

If I were, I would have said it directly by now.

[So no, you're certainly one of them; even something simply like this seems to be calming him down a bit. He's decidedly less tense than he was when they came into the room, at any rate.]

[Just as he'd hoped!!]

Oh, I know. I don't think you'd put up with me for this long otherwise!

It isn't "putting up with you," you know.

[Don't do that, you're going to make him insufferable.]

Ja, ja, I know! It's still really nice to hear it!

I imagine it's deserved well enough, given what you're likely to be dealing with over the next short while.

[...He's probably going to be weird and distant again, in other words.]

You don't have to worry too much, you know. I'll be here, no matter what.

[He doesn't like it when Wesker's weird and distant, but he'll just be aggressively himself and surely that will help!!]

I appreciate it, Jaeger.

[And from the sound of it, he does, even if he does need to clarify something that Jaeger...probably isn't going to like very much.]

...You made me promise you that I'll continue to look out for myself. That I'll keep myself safe, as best I can.

I'm not certain how much I can guarantee that right now. Again, I won't do anything to myself while you're away, but as a general precaution, that's a large part of the reason why I would prefer to have you here.

...I see.

[He doesn't like it, that much is obvious just from those two words alone.]

I'm not sure I can say I understand, but I'll do everything in my power to help you, Albert. Thank you for being honest with me. I really do appreciate it.

[He knows the magnitude of the situation now. He's still not sure how he'll actually approach it if things start going south, but now he knows that's a possibility.]

The answer I've found is the sort of thing that only furthers the conclusion that it would have been better if I were destroyed along with my world.

[And there's something in those words that he doesn't like very much, either, outside of the obvious; it's...a lot, and it's hideous, but overall it is what it is.]

...It isn't precisely related to anything the old man said to me, incidentally; that was harrowing, but nothing for you to be concerned about at this point.

It's difficult to dismiss something like that, you know...

[But if what Wesker's remembered is that much worse... this is on a scale that Jaeger can't even imagine.]

...I don't want to believe that either, but...

[He trails off, shaking his head. He can't exactly argue it without knowing what he's arguing against. Besides, he already said he wouldn't like the man Wesker used to be. With what happened to Excella, he's pretty damn sure of that.]

...I was created to be subservient, according to him.

[It's easier to talk about this than it is the memory itself, which is likely saying something.]

He planned to rule over the world as a god - and to create a new and advanced race of people to assist him in that goal. All of us were designed to do whatever he wanted... To be obedient to certain suggestions that were planted in our heads as children, to discard free will and do exactly as we were told, to the extent of killing ourselves if necessary.

I was the only one that survived; he considered me a success. Proof that whatever he was trying to do worked, in the end.

Albert...

[What do you even say to something like that?]

I'm so sorry. I'm sorry he did that to you and others. That man... he really was awful, wasn't he? To do that to children...

[He got what he deserved, but Jaeger's not sure that's the right thing to say right now.]

I don't think it was proof that it worked, however. You're clearly your own person, ja?

...I want to believe that.

[He can feel himself tensing up as he says it, though; give him a moment.]

It's difficult to reconcile, however. And it seems that all of this - everything he was talking about - it's all happening again with Retrospec. Having thoughts planted in my head and changed around at will, so I'll become the person they want me to be...

Its troubling, I suppose.

[...That's an understatement. That is such an understatement.]

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