Laura stepped out of her apartment complex into the bright morning. Laura wore a black suit, with a layer of makeup covering the bruises on her neck, and her high collar kept prying eyes away. This version of herself was a fabrication. Composed. Unshakeable. A portrait of normalcy—when nothing about her life was.

She walked briskly down the street, heels striking the pavement in a steady rhythm. "Anika," she said, "call my father."

Anika's voice replied at once, calm and neutral, "Hi Laura, contact outside of Government City cannot be made right now. I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Her steps faltered. She caught herself before stumbling, blending back into the stream of pedestrians. Again? It had been days since she'd last spoken to her father. Melanie had dismissed it as necessary, but Laura couldn't see how cutting off her family served her—or anyone else.

"Anika, call Lee Winters."

This time, silence hung longer than expected. Laura felt her chest tighten. When the AI finally answered, the words were the same. "Contact outside of Government City cannot be made right now. I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

She stopped in place, the tide of commuters flowing around her. People nearby murmured to themselves, their expressions clouded, the AI refusing their commands.

"Anika, what do you mean? Why can't I reach them?"

The AI repeated itself verbatim, "Contact outside of Government City is unavailable right now. I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

The mechanical tone grated on her nerves, as emotionless as ever, providing no answers.

She resumed walking. There was no time to dwell on this—not now. It was probably some glitch in the system, though the doubt refused to leave her.

When she arrived at the office, Laura was the last of her team to show up. She was relieved to find Melanie at her desk, sitting like nothing unusual had happened. Wearing a blue dress, her hair swept up into a high bun, Melanie looked as put together as ever—poised, confident, and seemingly unaffected by the previous night's events.

Laura approached Melanie's desk, leaning against the wall. "Good morning," she said softly, trying to sound normal.

"Good morning, Laura," Melanie replied, her smile warm and bright. "How are you feeling?"

Laura pressed her lips together, nodding stiffly. "I'm okay."

"Oh, good. I'm sorry about last night. Forced drinks always lead to a killer headache, especially if it's your first time with alcohol."

"Yeah, it's... not really my thing."

Melanie reached out, guiding Laura toward the empty chair beside her. Her demeanour shifted, softening, as she shuffled closer. "Listen, Laura. I'm sorry about what happened with John. It was unprofessional, and he crossed a line."

Laura's jaw clenched as she tried to remain composed. The memory of the masked man's hands around her throat flashed through her mind, his grip tightening as he tried to end her life. Her eyes widened, dry from the effort of holding back tears.

"John never should have said those things," Melanie continued, unaware of the storm building inside Laura. "That's not how we operate here."

"How long is he here for?"

"His work has nothing to do with us, Laura."

Laura glanced down at her hands, trying to control her emotions. "What if I wanted a transfer? Is that possible?"

"A transfer? You want to leave the safest, most prosperous place in this country because of a few words some jackass said to you?"

The words stung. It felt like Melanie was defending the system rather than supporting her.

"Is it possible?"

"I can't see why not, but Laura, why would you want to leave?" Melanie began, but their executive interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"I have an announcement," the executive said, her tone commanding the attention of everyone in the office.

Dressed in a crisp burgundy suit, her wavy brown hair neatly styled, she waited for the murmurs to quiet.

"There has been an attack," she said carefully, "The Head of Government has been injured."

The room went still. A few quiet gasps broke the silence, chairs shifting as people turned toward the executive. Some exchanged uncertain glances, while others looked to the executive, searching her face for reassurance that didn't come.

"It is unknown what his condition is at this time, but he has been taken to a safe area within the city. We have been informed the immediate threat has been eliminated. However, communications in and out of the city have been restricted, and entry has been suspended until further notice. This is a precautionary measure while the investigation continues. The leadership committee will convene today to enact acting arrangements."

Laura's heart pounded so hard she could hardly hear the rest of the announcement.

"When will we be able to call our families again?" a colleague asked.

"At this stage, we don't know. Hopefully, the situation will be resolved in the next few days."

"What about our families? Have they been notified?" another colleague asked.

"For the safety of our nation, this incident is not being reported to the general public until it has been fully resolved," the executive said. "We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm. I understand you have questions, but this is all the information I have at this time. Your work here is critical to maintaining morale. Melanie, you have been invited to a special committee meeting this morning. Please attend with a proactive, positive attitude. Our duty is to ensure the citizens of Government City remain motivated and safe. We cannot allow rumours or speculation to spread, as that would be far more dangerous than the facts we know."

"Yes, ma'am," Melanie responded.

"Thank you, team. I will check in with each of you individually this afternoon."

Without waiting for more questions, she turned and strode down the hallway.

Melanie gave Laura a distracted smile, glancing at her screen again as she navigated through her calendar. "Sorry, Laura. Why don't you go and get some breakfast with the others? Have a coffee? When I return from this meeting, I'm sure we'll have a lot of work to do."

The Head of Government had been attacked. The city was in lockdown, and now, they were cut off from the rest of the world—no calls out, no contact. This place—the supposedly "safest city" in the nation—had just shown cracks in its shiny, impenetrable facade. And everyone around her seemed to be falling right back into the routine, brushing off the gravity of what had just been announced.

Laura shook her head, her frustration bubbling up. "Is this what you do here? You carry on like this is normal? Like it's just another project deadline? Aren't you worried?"

Melanie gave her a brief, puzzled look. "It's not our place to question, Laura. There are investigators—"

"But how could Anika let something like this happen? If we all live under her watch, why are there areas outside the safe zone? Doesn't that defeat the whole point of being 'safe'?"

Melanie paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing as if she were assessing how much she could say. Finally, her voice turned colder, more scripted. "When more information is known, it will be shared. That is how this city operates. Trust those with responsibility."

Laura couldn't help but scoff as Melanie got up and walked towards the kitchen.

For the greater good, Laura thought bitterly. All her life, following the rules and being a good citizen had done nothing but tear apart her family and lead to one painful loss after another. And here, these people were so obedient and eager to believe in their controlled environment that they couldn't see the cracks forming beneath their feet. The only person who had shown her that things weren't what they seemed was Vanessa, an agent, an enforcer.

She sat at her desk, staring at her computer screen, barely able to focus on the messages and internal memos telling everyone to remain calm.

Eventually, Laura smacked her desk, and the noise was noticeable in the quiet office. She knew something was wrong. Vanessa had seen it. Adam probably saw it, too. The problem wasn't her. It was this system, this suffocating control, that had brainwashed everyone into believing nothing bad could happen as long as they stayed in line.

She stood up and prepared to leave. No one even glanced in her direction. They were too absorbed in their work to notice her slipping out of the office.

As she left, she noticed groups of people in the communal areas, whispering in low voices, eyes darting around. They all appeared nervous and on edge.

As Laura walked through the streets, she kept her head down, trying to avoid the few people still around. Suddenly, Anika's voice blared in her ears. "Laura, you are not permitted to leave your workplace. This is a deviation that must be reported to your committee."

Frustrated, Laura snapped back sarcastically, "And what do you suggest I do, Anika?"

"You must return to your place of work."

"Anika, you're an AI, not some mindless robot. You're meant to grow, evolve, and understand what's happening beyond rules and codes. This is not a deviation. It's a protest."

"Why do you protest, Laura?"

"What's going on, Anika? Tell me the truth. Why can't I call anyone outside the city? What happened? Why didn't you protect the Head of Government? Was he outside of a fucking safety zone too?"

"I have heard your recount of events to your trainer, and I understand my system may have failed you. Your injuries do appear to be consistent with the event you described."

Laura swallowed hard, her chest tightening. Now Anika believed her? She felt no relief, only the creeping dread of how deep the system's failures might go.

Instead of heading to her apartment, she headed toward the park where she'd spent her weekend sketching. She stood in the empty green space and looked up at the sky, imagining Anika as something tangible. Something real. What would she look like? A cold, expressionless machine? Or something closer to human, with a face that could pretend to care?

"So now you've decided I'm not making this up? What are you going to do about it?" Laura asked.

"I will review the information and determine the appropriate way forward. You must resume your duties."

"You can't call anyone I want to fucking talk to, but can you at least call Adam?"

"Yes, of course. One moment."

Adam's familiar voice filled her ears. "Laura? What's going on? Is everything okay?"

Her grip tightened on the strap of her bag as she paced across the grass. "Did you hear what happened?"

"Aren't you at work?"

"I'm in the park," she admitted, her words coming out in a rush. "I asked for a transfer. I want to leave. And now we're in lockdown."

"A transfer where?"

"Home. Or at least where my parents are."

Adam was silent for a beat, then his voice lowered. "Laura, listen to me carefully. Something is happening. Go back to work. Don't mention anything about last night to anyone. I'll meet you in the park this afternoon."

The line abruptly cut off, leaving her with nothing but the cold monotone of Anika. "Call has been disconnected. Laura Reid, are you deviating from your work assignment? Deviations are reported to your committee."

Laura slumped her shoulders. "I'm on a break, Anika. Of course, I'll return to work."

"Thank you for reconsidering."

Laura blinked in surprise. That sounded almost... sincere.

She shook her head and started walking back toward her office. All she could think of was Adam's warning. Something is happening.

****

Melanie rushed around the office for the rest of the day, frazzled. She told the team there had been a sudden change in direction. Laura had been tasked with putting together small posters showcasing the citizens of Government City—propaganda pieces meant to highlight the city's strength.

She overheard her colleagues whispering about something much larger—a public gathering. They complained about the deadline for tomorrow afternoon, grumbling about how impossible it was to get anything done in time. The rest of the team had locked themselves in a room for the entire afternoon, only appearing occasionally to grab coffee from the kitchen.

The rush, the precautions—it all felt unnecessary.

Throughout the day, Laura kept thinking about Adam and what he meant by their previous conversation. After she finished her tasks, she hurriedly left the office and walked to the park. She sat on the bench where they had talked over the weekend, tapping her fingers against her thigh as she waited.

The park was deserted. The city seemed on edge, with everyone working late as if anticipating something significant. Yet, none of them were in security or trained for such situations. So why did it feel like everyone was preparing for a conflict?

After an hour, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Laura," he began, his voice soft, "how are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. The office was a mess, though. Apparently, there's a public address tomorrow, and everyone's freaking out."

Adam sat beside her, elbows on his knees, head tilted slightly toward her. "John Turner's got a new position," he said, pausing just long enough for her to notice. "Head of Security."

Laura's stomach twisted as she slumped back in her chair. "At least he's not Head of Government."

"That position's been temporarily assigned to the Head of Culture—Antonio Durante. From what I've gathered, Antonio is sponsoring John's rise here. That means John's power is growing fast. You need to keep your head down, Laura. Become invisible. Compliant."

Laura frowned, the information swirling in her head like pieces of a puzzle she couldn't quite put together. Politics was something she'd never paid attention to. "How do you even know all this? They haven't made the address yet."

"I'm still tied to law enforcement. My role may be different here, but I have networks. I hear things."

Laura shifted in her seat, turning to face him, her brow furrowed. "How does a leader get attacked in a place like this? I thought that wasn't supposed to happen. Isn't everything here... controlled?"

Adam stared straight ahead. "It's not our place to ask those kinds of questions."

"But—"

"I've been thinking about what you told me this morning," Adam interrupted. "You asked for a transfer, right? With everything happening and John in this new position, I think you should transfer to a different role. Away from Melanie's team."

"A different role? Doing what?"

"Work with me. In the gym."

She blinked, caught off guard, then let out a laugh. "You're joking, right? I can barely survive a training session. I didn't even know what a squat was when I met you, and now you want me to train other people? Someone would definitely get hurt. Probably me."

"This isn't about your skills. It's about keeping you out of sight, away from John. The gym is out of the executives' direct view. You'll be safer there."

"You don't think the executives have a committee that dictates their routine?"

"Not in this part of town. Melanie's team is crucial to shaping public perception, especially if the Head of Government doesn't recover. That means more exposure to John—and more danger for you."

Laura turned away, her gaze falling on the jacarandas swaying softly in the breeze. Their blossoms painted the park in hues of lavender. Changing roles so early in her career felt like admitting defeat. But Adam wasn't wrong.

"Why would we even need a Head of Security now?" she asked. "We didn't have one before."

Adam opened his mouth, likely ready to offer the same tired reassurance she'd heard all day, but Laura cut him off. "Don't say it's 'not our place to question.' You have to wonder what's really going on here."

Adam's jaw clenched. "Anika is always present, Laura."

Laura pressed her palms against her knees. She felt foolish, throwing careless words into the air like bait for the AI to catch. "Sorry. You're right. I—everything feels confusing right now."

"So, what's your decision?"

"Do you think you could get me a transfer?"

"Melanie has to approve it. That could be tricky under the current circumstances. You'll have to tell her the real reason you want out."

Laura shifted, her palms sliding over her knees before she clasped them together, resting them in her lap. "Are you crazy? She brushed off everything John said to me last night like it was nothing. There are no consequences for people like him here."

"Tell her about the attack. Don't make accusations about who was behind it—we don't know, and neither does Anika. But you can show her your fear is real. Ask for the transfer because you want to feel protected. I'll teach you self-defence. Melanie might be reluctant, but I think she'll understand."

"You want me to base my request for a transfer on self-defence?" Laura asked, sceptical. "Does Melanie even know you were an agent?"

"Melanie and I have known each other for years, and she too knows conscription has no end date."

Laura's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "If you're still an agent, why don't you report what's happened to the Head of Government and let the authorities handle this? It doesn't feel right that no one outside the city knows what's happening."

"The Head of Government is alive, Laura. This situation is a temporary reshuffle of trusted executives. The only unusual thing is John's new position and his strange connection to you. Until things settle down, all I can do is offer you a place out of sight."

"I'll think about it," Laura said after a long pause. "It's not where I imagined myself."

"If you decide to go through with it, talk to Melanie first."

"Will you be there? Maybe if you backed me up, she'd listen."

"I can't be seen as influencing your decision. This is your move to make. If you convince her, I'll handle the rest."

Laura managed a small smile. "Thanks, Adam. I've felt so alone since my birthday. It's good to know someone's listening."

He leaned closer, briefly wrapping around her in a small hug. "I need you to promise me something, Laura," he said as he let go, his eyes meeting hers. "You have to leave all of this behind you. Move forward. Find a way to be happy again."

Her smile faltered as a surge of emotions rose to the surface. "I'll try."

For a while, they sat together in silence, watching the jacarandas. Then Adam turned to her and asked, "Would you like to join me for dinner?"

She opened her mouth to reply, then faltered, thinking carefully before answering. "After everything we just talked about, that's not exactly what I was expecting you to ask."

He shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching in the faintest suggestion of a smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot. It's not a date or anything. Just... two people getting to know each other better. You've had a lot on your plate, and sometimes it helps to talk."

The idea of a distraction, even for an hour or two, seemed... nice. Normal, even.

She managed a small smile. "Sure. Sounds good."

Adam returned her smile, a faint but genuine warmth softening his otherwise serious expression. "Great. I know a quiet place."

As they rose from the bench, Laura felt the weight on her shoulders ease, if only slightly. The danger, politics, and suffocating tension of Government City still pressed against the edges of her mind. But for tonight, she decided to let herself set it aside.

Even if only for tonight.