Chapter 2: Echoes of Static
The school transport floated three inches above the ground, its lev-drives humming a soft tune — something mathematically proven to soothe the brain. Aeris sat by the window, pretending to read her digital text: "The Science of Joy: How Neural Sync Creates Social Balance.
Everyone else looked perfect — symmetrical faces, relaxed shoulders, polite nods. Smiling. Always smiling.
But Aeris wasn't watching them. She was watching the static.
It had started that morning, just after sync. A flicker behind her eyes. A burst of black-and-white snow, like an old broadcast glitch. It lasted less than a second, but it felt like being watched by something ancient and angry.
"Malfunctions are a symptom of psychological misalignment. Report all abnormal visual or auditory phenomena."
— Emotional Stability Handbook, p. 23
But Aeris didn't report it.
She wasn't stupid.
Last week, Juno Fields — top student, always cheerful — got flagged during a random ScanSpot. Her smile wavered. Her Harmony index dipped by 2%. Within an hour, she was gone.
Recalibrated. That's what they called it.
But no one ever came back from recalibration.
A small tap on her arm startled her.
"Hey," whispered a voice. It was Kael Ren, a boy who rarely spoke. He wore his uniform like armor — crisp, tight, spotless. His eyes didn't match his grin.
"You feel it, don't you?" he said, so quietly she wasn't sure she heard it.
Aeris blinked. "Feel what?"
He leaned closer. "The static. The echo. The part of you that's waking up."
Before she could respond, the bus stopped. The announcement rang out.
"Welcome to Euphorica Learning District C. Remember: Learning is Loving the Law.
Kael stood and walked off, leaving her frozen.
That night, Aeris lay in bed, HARMONY chip glowing soft blue beneath her skin. She closed her eyes and waited for the dreams that never came.
But instead of sleep, the static returned. Stronger.
And this time, in the noise, she heard a voice.
"Find the Echo Key. Before they do."