By the fourth day, Sera understood the rhythm of Waste Reclamation well enough that she no longer needed to think about it.
The work followed a cycle that never quite repeated, but always echoed itself. Flows increased and slowed without warning. Equipment jammed in predictable places. Guards rotated on schedules that drifted just enough to create blind spots that weren't officially blind at all.
The same mistakes happened again and again, carried out by different people who thought they were being clever for the first time.
Sera moved within it like water finding a channel.
She spoke when spoken to. She didn't speak otherwise. She worked at a pace that never drew attention, neither fast enough to earn praise nor slow enough to invite correction. Her body language stayed neutral, her posture relaxed but never lazy. When supervisors passed, she didn't flinch. When coworkers stumbled, she didn't rush.
She learned who talked because they were afraid of silence.
