The Long Shift

The harsh florescence of the overhead lights glared down on Emily as she stirred from her doze. She had been slumped over her desk, head cushioned by arms, eyes closed in a desperate attempt to escape the monotony of the day. She had been working on the same project for weeks now, a never-ending stream of code and algorithms that flowed across her computer screen. It was the kind of work that left her feeling drained, both physically and mentally.

As she lifted her head, an announcement from Zure’s research management blared through the speakers, jolting her fully awake. "Attention all employees, there has been a chemical leak in the lobby. Until further notice, no one will be allowed to leave the office. We understand that this may be an inconvenience for some of you, but everyone who exceeds their goals today will be well compensated for the overtime, with bonuses and other incentives. Thank you for your continued commitment to Zure Corporation.”

As Emily listened to the announcement from Zure’s research management, her heart sank. She had plans to meet her daughter at the Retro Rampage arcade that evening, a rare opportunity for them to spend some quality time together. They had been looking forward to it for days, and now it was all going to be ruined because of this chemical leak.

In her frustration Emily made her way to the office's break room, and couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The office was a high-security department, designed to keep its employees and their work as safe as possible. There were no windows, the walls were painted in a stark white, and the only sounds were the constant hum of the air conditioning and the soft clicking of keyboards. Personal items were not allowed in the office. No pictures of family or friends, no knick-knacks or trinkets to break up the monotony of the day. Even the employees' attire was provided by Zure corporation, plain black shirts with a logo, and grey pants. Everybody looked the same.

The office's break room was no exception to this rule. The only thing that stood out from the white walls was the vending machine, a large metallic box that held the office's limited sustenance options, including the coffee machine. Well, that and the foosball table. But without a ball to play with, the table was nothing more than an empty shell, a reminder of the lack of leisure and pleasure in their lives. As she approached the vending machine, she noticed that there was someone she hadn’t seen before, a new employee, who stood staring at the selection with a blank expression.

"Hey," Emily said, trying to break the silence as she inserted her card into the machine. "I'm Emily, I work in the AI department."

The new employee turned to her, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Oh, hi. I'm Alex. I just started in the IT department."

As they chatted, Emily found that she and Alex had something in common. They both had young daughters that they rarely saw because of the demands of their jobs.

As Emily and Alex continued their conversation, they discovered they were both single parents, trying to balance the demands of their jobs with the needs of their children. They both expressed their struggles of how hard it was to see their children grow up from afar and how they missed the small things.

It was then that Alex suggested they exchange numbers, "We can try to make a plan to meet our daughters together," he said.

Emily nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope, "That would be great."

But as she reached for her comm bracelet, she realized that it was not allowed in the office. "I don't have my bracelet, I'll have to write it down," she said, feeling frustrated by the strict rules of the company.

As she took out a pen to write Alex's number on her hand, she saw that her arm was already marked with a faint number, it was Alex's number, she realized.

"That's weird," she said.

"What is?" Alex asked.

She couldn't understand how it was possible. She looked back at Alex with a confused expression, but he just shrugged and said, "It’s nothing.”

Emily couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right.

As Emily sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen, she couldn't shake the feeling of confusion and unease that had been building inside her since her conversation with Alex. She couldn't understand how his number had ended up written on her arm. She had no memory of ever having talked to him before.

The employee’s time tracking was strict, but she decided to go to the bathroom to wash her face and clear her thoughts anyway.

She gazed at her own reflection in the mirror. She saw that her face looked older, more tired, and worn than she remembered. The lines on her face were deeper, and her eyes seemed to hold a hint of sadness.

"All work and no play, eh Emily?” she said to herself jokingly, “Back to work.”

She tried to push these thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand, but it was difficult. She found herself staring blankly at her computer screen, unable to concentrate on the lines of code and algorithms that were supposed to make up her workday.

Suddenly Emily was startled by another announcement from Zure’s research management. The speakers crackled to life, and a voice announced: "Attention all employees, we regret to inform you that the chemical leak in the lobby has proven to be more difficult to fix than we anticipated. We are currently working to resolve the issue, but in the meantime, all employees will have to stay for the night."

Emily felt a sense of dread wash over her. Instead of seeing her daughter, she would have to spend the night in the office.

The voice continued, "We have arranged for bunk beds to be provided in a dormitory for your convenience. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that we are working diligently to resolve the issue as soon as possible."

She couldn't shake off the feeling of suspicion that had been growing inside her since the announcement of the chemical leak. The air quality in the office seemed to be perfectly fine. She didn't smell any chemicals, and she didn't feel any irritation in her eyes or throat. There were no signs of any kind of emergency response team, such as hazmat suits or ventilation equipment. She would expect to see that if there was a real chemical leak. Could Zure have lied to them about the chemical leak as an excuse to keep them in the office overnight? But why?

Emily sat at her desk, eating the evening meal that Zure had provided for the employees. The meal consisted of a small, unappetizing-looking sandwich that appeared to be made from processed meat and wilted lettuce, with a side of soggy fries. The bread was stale and the meat was rubbery, it lacked any real flavor and had a metallic aftertaste. The fries were greasy and cold as if they had been sitting out for hours. Even the drink that came with the meal was past its expiration date.

Her thoughts turned to her daughter. She knew that her daughter was probably worried about her and wondering why she hadn't come home yet. She felt a pang of guilt for not being able to be there for her, and for putting her in this situation.

She couldn't just sit there and wait. She wanted to get to the lobby and find out if the leak was real or not. Everything just seemed so wrong.

She got up and approached one of the guards. She could see the hesitation on his face.

"Please," she said, "I have a daughter at home and I need to know that she's safe."

The guard shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's not safe. The company has issued strict orders to keep everyone in the office until the leak is contained."

Emily pressed on. "But where’s the ER team? Why is it taking so long?"

The guard hesitated, looking torn. "I understand your concerns, but I have my orders. I can't let you leave the office, it's too dangerous."

Emily's eyes settled on the keycard hanging from the guard's vest. She felt a strange and sudden urge to grab it. For a second she tried to shake off the temptation, but it was too late. With lightning speed, she lunged toward the guard, her hand snatching the keycard from his vest. The guard, caught off balance by the sudden movement, stumbled back a step, but Emily was already on the run. She sprinted towards the lobby door, the keycard clutched tightly in her hand, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she made her escape.

Without looking back, she rushed into the lobby. She quickly swiped the keycard, and closed the door behind her, locking the guard to the other side.

As she turned around, she could see the lobby was empty. There were no signs of any chemical leak, no hazmat suits, and no emergency response team.

She scanned the lobby for a communication unit. She spotted a large, sleek touchscreen console in the corner of the room, and she ran toward it. She quickly activated the comm unit and typed in her daughter's number.

The call connected, and she saw her daughter's face on the screen. But her daughter looked much older than she remembered.

"Mom? Is that you? Where are you? What is this?” her daughter said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Emily didn’t even have time to answer before she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. She turned around and saw a group of security guards rushing toward her.

She tried to run, but the guards were too fast. They quickly overpowered her, and she found herself face down on the ground, her arms pinned behind her back.

As she was laying on the ground, a scientist came rushing into the room. He was carrying a small case, and as he approached, he pulled out a syringe.

"Hold her still," the scientist ordered the guards, as they pinned Emily to the ground. She could feel a cold, hard hand clamping down on her arm as the scientist injected something into her.

"What are you doing to me?" Emily cried out, struggling to break free.

"Don't worry, it's just a mild sedative," the scientist said, his voice calm and detached. "By tomorrow, you'll forget all about this. You'll go back to being a productive little cog.”

As the sedative took effect, Emily felt her vision darken. The last thing she saw was the scientist's cold, emotionless face as he looked down at her. As her consciousness slipped away, the last things she heard was her daughter's voice shouting in the comm unit, filled with fear and panic.

Emily wanted to reach out to her daughter, to tell her that everything would be all right, but she couldn't find the strength to speak. She could only lay there helplessly as the guards stepped forward to shut off the comm unit.

As the last sounds of her daughter's voice faded away, Emily felt a deep sense of sadness and failure. 

Emily woke up from dozing at her desk, the harsh florescence lights glaring down on her. She had been working on the same project for weeks now, a never-ending stream of code and algorithms that left her feeling drained, both physically and mentally.

"Attention all employees, there has been a chemical leak in the lobby.”