Morning didn't arrive.
It activated.
At exactly 7:00 a.m., the curtains slid apart without a sound, revealing a gray sky that looked rehearsed. Not cloudy. Not bright. Neutral—like it had been chosen.
I sat up too fast.
My head spun.
The bed was warm, as if someone had been here moments before.
I checked the time on my phone.7:01 a.m.
A vibration followed.
Unknown Number:Good morning. You slept for six hours and fourteen minutes.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
That wasn't concern.That was data.
Before I could respond, the tablet on the nightstand lit up.
DAY 1 SUMMARYCompliance: ✔Memory Recall: LowEmotional Variance: Within Tolerance
Tolerance.
I read the word again and again.
As if my fear had an acceptable range.
I swung my legs off the bed. The floor was warm beneath my feet—heated, adjusted, prepared.
My stomach churned.
This place didn't react to me.
It anticipated me.
In the kitchen, breakfast was already set.
Toast.Black coffee.Two sugar packets on the side.
Exactly how I drank it.
I stared at the plate.
I had never told anyone how I took my coffee.
A memory tried to surface—something about mornings, about sitting across from someone—but it slipped away before I could catch it.
My phone buzzed again.
You always hesitate before the first bite.
I pushed the plate away.
Stop narrating me.
Three dots appeared.
Paused.
Then disappeared.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then the tablet updated.
Emotional Variance: Rising
I felt something close to panic.
"You're not supposed to feel," I whispered."That's not part of the job."
The camera above the kitchen blinked once.
Slow.
Deliberate.
As if acknowledging the correction.