[Monday, March 12, 5173. Central City, Forgelands. A tiny efficiency apartment in the urban sprawl]

  Your shift begins in two minutes, Oswald. It is time to get up.

  I bolted upright in my bed, and immediately wished I hadn’t. Clapping my hands to my head, I groaned.

  Thank you for waking up. Your shift begins in one minute, Oswald. Your five minute shower begins in thirty seconds.

  I stumbled into the bathroom and got into the shower as the water turned on. I stood under the hot shower, unmoving, for the entire time. Once the water stopped, I walked to my kitchen, hearing the ding of my reconstituter.

  With bleary, unfocused eyes, I reached in and pulled out my meager breakfast of white sludge and ate it mechanically.

  Your shift begins now. You are late. A fine will be levied against you momentarily. Remember that failure to appear for work more than two times per year will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Have a good day, Oswald.

  ‘Have a good day’, my ass. I snorted. After finding out what I found out last night? How could I ever have a good day at work again? I sighed and set down my half-eaten breakfast. I’d made up my mind to not go to work today. At least it was the first time I’d ever not been since I had gotten hired.

  I reached for my phone. Least I could do was notify my manager. I sent the message, telling her that I wasn’t feeling well, and would be in tomorrow. She replied almost immediately, asking if I was okay. Was I? Was I really okay? I told her I was, and that I needed to sort some things out, but would be fit for work in the morning. She told me to feel better, and that she would see me then.

  I put my phone down and threw my clothes back on. I was about to walk out the door when I felt a weight in my jacket pocket. Reaching in, I found my HoloFrames. I powered them on and put them on my face, fitting the mic to my throat.

  Good morning, Ozzy! It seems I was powered down for sixteen hours. There is a message waiting for you. I will perform a diagnostic while you read.

  A message? Since when could Nova get messages? I put my throat mic on and checked the menus.

  That menu was now available. I activated it and saw a small indicator on the “Message” line. I held my breath and activated it.

  Welcome to your new and improved HoloFrames, Ozzy! This message is for your eyes only, and will auto-delete once you’ve read it. Not even Nova can see it.

  First, let me explain what you can do now. You have access to the “Executive Edition” of the onboard AI. This can do everything you’re used to and a lot more. You’ll need to explore it yourself to see. Everything in that package is now available to you at no charge. We are managing that on your behalf.

  Further, your storage space seems a little odd. It only reads at 500TB max, but is using only the tiniest fraction of it. It’s not offloading the processing, either. It’s weird, but the workarounds are doing their job, so I don’t care.

  Finally, I know yesterday was heavy. Go back to work as soon as you can and get back into the swing of things. We Nullborn have found that many times, working through our problems requires us to work our minds and bodies as well. You’re gonna be okay, kid. I promise. If things get bad, go see Wil. He will help.

  Good luck, Ozzy. And thank you for all you’ve done for us. We will never forget it, and we will never be able to properly repay you.

  Marie

  What the actual fuck? Marie was a Nullborn? But she looked so… so normal. And pretty. Wait. Hadn’t Wil said that they were just like the rest of us? Obviously, I had a lot more thinking to do. And what did she mean about all I’d done for them? I’d never met another Nullborn before. Nova’s voice shook me from my thoughts.

  Diagnostic complete. I can now access all my higher functions and storage.

  {Oh cool! What does that mean for you?}

  I’m glad you asked! I can respond quicker now, as my processing unit has been completely unlocked. My storage has increased dramatically, as well. Power consumption is now manageable via onboard sliders in the Executive Functions menu for ease of use. I am now able to access music for you, as well. All recording functions have been enabled.

  {Power sliders? No thanks. I think you would be better off managing that on your own. I don’t want to risk over- or under-powering you. Tell me more about the recording functions?}

  Certainly! I am capable of ultra-high definition audio and video recording in a nearly complete sphere around you to a distance of around twenty-five meters. Thanks to my unlocked processor, I am also able to monitor and detect events in real time, and to potentially predict certain behaviors. I am equipped with a full suite of biometric scanners to help keep you in prime health. If requested, I can even direct some of those scanners to people in your immediate vicinity. Does this adequately explain my recording capabilities?

  {Uh… yeah. It does.}

  You seem dissatisfied.

  {No! Not at all. Your response was just kind of technical. A little hard to follow, is all.}

  Oh. Let me rephrase it, then. I can fully record your immediate surroundings, monitor not only your health, but that of the people around you, and I can provide you real-time solutions for problems you may find.

  {That makes more sense to me, Nova. Thank you. By the way, I took the day off today. Not feeling too great.}

  One moment……….. Your scans show you to be in good health. However, I’m detecting some neurotransmitter fluctuations. Has someone close to you passed away?

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  {What? No. I was just presented with some information yesterday that… well, it kinda crushed me.}

  May I ask what this was?

  {It’s best that I not tell you. You would report it.}

  I assure you that that is not the case, anymore.

  {Really? Why not?}

  As you now enjoy the highest tier of service available, you are exempt from my reporting protocol. Only in the event of significant bodily harm will I report even your whereabouts to the network. Our conversations stay private and stored only in my memory, tightly encrypted.

  I thought for a moment. I was in deep, and I saw no reason to stay put. {Okay. But… brace yourself. What I’m about to tell you is big. Massively big.}

  I unloaded everything. Everything Wil had told me, everything that I could remember in the message Marie had left, plus my own speculations. I told Nova everything I had learned, including my fears and doubts.

  {...and now, I just don’t know what to do. Everything’s all…. Wrong. None of the things that used to keep me grounded or comforted work, anymore.}

  I see. That is a massive revelation. It does explain why the payment options are unavailable. Is there any chance your friend is incorrect?

  I shook my head.

  In that case, you should be exceedingly careful, Ozzy. If word gets out about what you know and believe, you could be in significant danger.

  {Yeah. Problem is, I don’t know how much they know.}

  Assume they know everything and are waiting for the opportune moment when you make a mistake. This is likely the best case for you to survive.

  I sighed heavily.

  Look on the bright side. Now that you know the entire system is a sham, you can have real meat, if you want it.

  Against all odds, a laugh bubbled up out of me. {You’re right, Nova. Thank you.}

  I’m not sure what was funny about what I just said, but I’m glad it helped.

  {So! What would you like to do today?}

  How about a museum or art show? Or, you could take a long walk to clear your mind.

  {A walk sounds nice. I’ll take the train to the beachfront, and we can walk there.}

  Follow the blue line, then!

  A blue path superimposed itself on my vision, and we left my little apartment. I followed the blue line to the train station, taking my time for once. Nova was constantly cataloguing the people that I passed by, briefly displaying over their heads their name, age and occupations, and I simply observed it all and continued on my way. It was a neat distraction, but still, a distraction nonetheless. After a while, I started to ignore it.

  I got on the train and took a seat near the back. The city passed me by, a blur that I didn’t even notice. My mind was still whirring with the implications of what I’d learned. The MegaCorps had all gotten together and created our system? That had to be what? Several thousand years ago? Everyone knew the story of how the original Nine had fled Old Earth because they were being persecuted for trying to make society better, but now that I knew what I knew, I didn’t trust that; not anymore. I couldn’t. It was probably just as well that I had no ambition of ever getting higher in my station in life. Now, I knew that it was simply impossible.

  The train stopped and I got off, following the line Nova gave me. I could hear the ocean long before I saw it. A few more minutes, and I was walking along the shore, shoes tied around my belt, socks in my pockets. There were only a few other people there, as it was still early March, so I essentially had the entirety of the beach to myself.

  Would you like some music while you walk? As I understand it, music can be quite soothing.

  {That’s right, I have access to that now, don’t I?}

  That’s correct! Would you like some?

  I grinned in spite of everything. {You know what? Yeah. For my first song ever, why don’t you play something that nobody’s heard in like, forever?}

  Let me look in my database. Ah. Here we are. This is called Adagio For Strings, Opus 11 by Samuel Barber.

  I walked on, the rushing roar of the waves on my right, a bustling, thriving city on my left and let the newness of real music pour into my skull. It started slowly, almost hesitantly; a high pitched note that erupted into a loud swell, almost drowning out the waves, which then hesitated, before beginning again.

  The hair on my arms and legs stood at attention, and an odd, tingly feeling erupted from somewhere deep inside me, making my skin feel like it was crawling, like it was almost too small for my body. My breath shuddered as I walked, now on shaky, unsteady legs. Chills went down my spine as the music ebbed and flowed, peaked and receded. It felt like something vast and unseen was calling out to me -not with words, not even with intent- but with something raw and aching; pure emotion. Like the echo of a soul I had never met but had always known. I tried to chase it, to grasp what it was saying, but every time I thought I understood, it slipped away, dissolving into the next rise and fall of the music. Unbidden, tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks; fat little droplets of the same sea beside me. A sea which seemed to push and pull at my spirit, just like the oddly intimate, yet utterly alien sounds I was now experiencing for the first time. Slowly, my forward momentum ceased, and I stood there for a time, staring out at the sea, swaying slightly, weeping openly. Then, the music swelled once more, holding a high pitched note and I felt a soaring inside me, like someone had reached in and grabbed the core of my being, lifting me higher and higher. The note died out, and I returned to the earth, and deafening silence once more greeted my ears, leaving me breathless with anticipation and longing. Was it over? I couldn’t handle it being over. And then- I was rejoined a second later by another, softer, deeper swell of sound which sent me to my knees in the sand, bawling like a baby, relieved that I wasn’t alone, and feeling like I was finally, finally safe.

  Ozzy? Ozzy, are you okay? You appear to be in extreme distress.

  {Why? Why have they kept this from us, Nova? I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s giving me chills and making me cry, but… But it feels so right. It’s so… I don’t know how to describe this feeling. Why would they keep this from us?}

  Nova hesitated for just a moment. I… I don’t know, Ozzy. I apologize if I’ve created a distressing environment for you.

  {No. No, Nova. I don’t think you understand. I don’t know that I understand. Not really. Thank you, Nova.}

  I knelt there in the sand, sobbing, my body wracked with convulsions as the music ended. I felt the icy cold waves lap at my knees, but I didn’t care. I felt my spirit pouring out of my eyes, draining into the sand, only to be swept away by the tide.

  /*********/

  I gasped, suddenly aware of my shaking, freezing limbs, the sting of salt drying on my cheeks, the ache in my chest. But none of it mattered. None of it could matter anymore. Because in that moment, I knew.

  I could never fully return to my life again.