Resistance didn't look like rebellion.
It looked like compliance with conditions.
It began politely.
Requests framed as alignment. Concerns phrased as diligence. Questions asked not to challenge direction, but to slow it.
"They're pushing back," Adrian said, reviewing the morning summaries.
"Yes," I replied. "But carefully."
"Because open resistance would fail."
"And subtle resistance buys time," I added.
The first sign appeared in process.
A review cycle expanded by a single step. A requirement added "for completeness." A decision rerouted through an additional check not to stop it, but to delay it.
Each move reasonable.
Together, obstructive.
"They're building friction," Adrian said.
"Yes," I replied. "Resistance hides inside procedure."
I let the first few pass.
Not because I missed them.
Because resistance reveals itself when it believes it's unnoticed.
And I wanted to see how far they would go.
By mid-morning, the pattern sharpened.
