the gate is fading now, but open wide
She never did figure out why No. 7 - Segiri, she was calling herself? - was the only one of them that acted so...robotic. Yeah, they didn't all have the Ferron-like appearance, but guess who did share those traits: herself, No. 13!
Awful though he was, what Consul F had wanted was the best performance, not the most obedience. That was probably why No. 7 couldn't understand her now - she was so committed to responding to whoever had gotten in her ear last. So firm and responsible, yet so malleable.
Everything had changed, yet nothing had.
Why couldn't she just agree?