The fork scrapped against the metal tray, a harsh sound that didn’t match the taste. To my tongue, it was a ribeye, seared in butter and rosemary. Rich, fatty, perfect.
“How is it, Kael?”
I looked up at Elara. My state-mandated wife. She was smiling that smile, the one The Consensus likes. Too many teeth, eyes a little too wide, but filled with an adoration that felt warm, like a heavy blanket. She is one of the best cooks I’ve ever known, provided you ignore the fact that the ingredients come out of a grey tube labeled Nutrient Density: High.
“It’s a culinary delight, Elara,” I said, and I meant it. The Pulse hummed at the base of my skull, a warm little vibration that told me this is good, this is right, you are happy.
I went for another bite of the gray-matter-turned-steak when the klaxon shattered the world.
It wasn’t just a sound; it was a drop in pressure. The Pulse stuttered. For a microsecond, the steak tasted like wet cardboard. Elara’s smile flickered, her face going slack and grey, before the signal caught back up and she was beautiful again.
ATTENTION. SECTOR 4 DISRUPTION. ANOMALY DETECTED IN SUBWAY GRID 9. LINE WALKER DISPATCH REQUIRED.
“The blasted Zeroes are at it again.” I dismissed what I saw when the pressure dropped as just temporary disorientation. Ezekiel picks me up in the government car, and we rush off to fix the line. I was right, the damned Zeroes blasted through the line again. Thankfully, the damage looks minimal, this shouldn’t —
The silence hit me like a punch to the face. I slowly look around to gain my bearings, the bright neon walls were dingy and an off-putting shade of white. The cable I was working on, once a vibrant blue line with pristine cable connections was nothing more than burned rubber and old cable. That warm pulse, it’s gone. Now, I’m panicking as I look around. Grey figures, undernourished people, all with vacant expressions. Including the one holding its hand out at me.
“Let me help you up, Kael.”
I take his hand, but it’s a face I’ve never seen before. “Wh-where am I?”
“You’re in Sector 4, Kael. We were fixing the subway when a power surge came through the line. I was trying to warn you, but I guess you didn’t hear.”
“Zeke, is that you?”
“Who else would it be?” He laughed while picking me up.
“You look—different.”
“What are you talking about?” Ezekiel’s expression turned grim.
“You look pale. Skinny. Your uniform is filthy.”
“Did you take your dose this morning, you don’t look good, man.”
“Yeah…”
“Let’s fix this line, and I’ll take you to the sick bay.”
“’Zeke, this line is rotted. We can’t fix this.”
“What are you talking about? It’s just a clean cut. Those Zeroes just did a clean cut.”
“Look.”
Ezekiel looked down, all he could see was the clean cut, simple fix. He took the line out of my hand, fixed it and reinstalled the line. “See, easy fix.”
All I saw was him take the line out of his hand and just throw it on the ground. “Come on, let’s get you checked out.”
I pulled my arm back, but a pulse too quick. I could feel the eyes of the entire station on me, like I was some alien, or some creature in an exhibit. “Sorry, I just need to get some air first.”
We were making our way back to the lift when a woman, her clothes hang off her like a skeleton, asked “are you okay, citizen? I saw what knocked you down, are you sure you don’t need help?”
That’s when I noticed it, everyone had turned towards me in perfect unison. “Signal Drop. Hail The Continuity.”
BIOLOGICAL DISSONANCE DETECTED, PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND WAIT FOR AUTHORITIES. The intercom blared.
What the hell? I’m not—
“See, buddy, nothing to worry about, help is on the way. They’ll get you all back to normal.” Zeke’s face was unnaturally happy. That smile was anything but reassuring, it was twisted, like his face had been forced to contort by someone.
We made it to the lift, but the sound was distracting. Metal on metal, a screech I’ve never heard before, then a loud “DING!” Before I knew anything, I felt a sharp jolt on my side. Then, nothing.