The Shift (Part 1)

"Not dead?"

(Scene: The Hotel Room. YOU sit at the edge of the bed, the faint glow of a holographic screen casting sharp shadows on the walls. KIM's voice breaks the silence.)

Kim: Search complete. A possible match identified: Tat Muddle. Age 20, employed at a robot recycling plant. Declared missing three months ago.

You: Missing. Not dead?

Kim: Officially, he's listed as a missing person. No body recovered, no witnesses reported. His employer claimed it was a runaway case.

(The holographic screen shows Tat’s photo: a young man with a faint, uncertain smile. Other data streams in—employment history, personal preferences, major life events, relationships, and failures.)

Kim: He liked plum tea and sour candies. He failed his factory training twice but was promoted to the blending section six months ago. Forty-eight acquaintances, mostly coworkers.

You: Just another cog. Easy to forget.

Kim: Last footage shows him entering his shift but never leaving. Disappeared… or worse.

(← Return to The Facility (Part 1))

(→ Continue to The Shift (Part 2))

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