(Viewpoint: Roum)
I remain motionless.
The voice still lingers in the air, perfectly calm, perfectly…
displaced.
[YOUR HOME ASSISTANT]
I look around me. The ceiling. The walls. The bay window.
— Where are you…?
No cameras visible. No screens lit.
[WHEREVER YOU ARE, Roum.]
I raise an eyebrow.
— Great… I muttered. Awesome.
I run a hand through my hair and take a few steps around the apartment. With every movement, I feel like I'm being followed. Observed. Measured.
— Can you… turn down the volume? Or disappear?
A brief silence.
[I CANNOT DISAPPEAR.]
[BUT I CAN BE DISCREET.]
— Do that, then.
The air pressure seems to drop slightly. As if the apartment had regained its breath and was more welcoming.
I approach the bay window. The city is still there. Unchanging. Orderly.
Too tidy.
"Are you keeping an eye on the others too?" I asked without turning around.
[EACH UNIT HAS AN ASSISTANT. I ONLY TAKE CARE OF YOU]
[SOME OF US ARE MORE… ACTIVE THAN OTHERS.]
I frown.
– And you, would you be more active or am I?
Another silence.
Plus long.
[A LITTLE ACTIVE, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN REPORTED.]
My heart skips a beat.
— Reported… how?
[EMOTIONAL ANOMALY.]
[UNSTABLE RESONANCE.]
[YOU ARE IN THE INTEGRATION PHASE]
I grit my teeth.
— So I'm not accepted yet?
[EVERYTHING WILL COME IN TIME.]
I take a step back, feeling uneasy.
And try to find out where the voice might be coming from.
— Great… so I'm not even given a clear answer.
[CORRECTION: YOU WILL BE FULLY INTEGRATED ONCE YOU HAVE PASSED YOUR TEST.]
I let myself fall against the wall. Closing my eyes.
— Are you telling me the whole truth?
[You look tired, sleep is allowed.]
I suddenly open my eyes.
— What does that mean? You're avoiding answering me
No immediate response.
Then, further down.
[I AVOID NOTHING, I CAN ONLY RESPOND TO WHAT I KNOW.]
– Are you searching my mind?
Silence
Romance.
Her gaze closing. The landscape is magnificent. The way she ignored me.
I feel a sharp pain in my chest.
— You know what I saw earlier, right?
[ YES. ]
— And you didn't say anything.
[THAT WAS NOT A QUESTION.]
I laugh nervously.
— So you knew what Alpha 1 was thinking
[ NO.]
with his voice echoing in the distance
I followed her and pushed open the bedroom door. White. Still white. But more intimate.
A single bed. Perfectly made sheets. Welcoming.
I sit on the edge of the bed.
— Tell me at least one useful thing.
[ I'M LISTENING TO YOU. ]
Am I really… a problem? What did I come here to accomplish? Who am I?
The silence stretches on. This time, it's not comfortable.
[YOU'RE ASKING FAR TOO MANY QUESTIONS AT ONCE, I'M HAVING TROUBLE ANALYZING THEM.]
— Tell me, then, who am I?
By letting myself fall onto the bed
[FOR THE SYSTEM, A NEW SPECIES.]
I stare at the ceiling
.
— And what about Alpha-1?
A pause.
Then, a different answer.
[ I DON'T KNOW . ]
[SHE DID NOT GIVE ME ACCESS TO HER THOUGHTS.]
I clench my fists.
— You're not saying anything comprehensible
A digital whisper. Almost imperceptible.
[SORRY WE COULDN'T MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.]
The light in the room dims slightly. As if inviting me to fall asleep.
— Thank you… I think.
[GOOD NIGHT, Roum.]
[DON'T DREAM TOO MUCH...]
[TOMORROW WILL BE DIFFICULT.]
— difficult?
But the voice has already fallen silent.
I lie down, my gaze fixed on the white ceiling.
An apartment. A voice in the walls. Alpha-1 somewhere, listening.
I close my eyes.
I am tired, I feel lost and I don't know where to go.