1. The System Clears Its Throat
Oversight did not speak.
It paused.
In Heaven, pauses were louder than screams.
Ne Job felt it before he saw anything—like the air itself had stopped auto-refreshing.
"…Why is it quiet," he whispered.
Yue's fingers tightened around her tablet. "That's not quiet," she said. "That's processing."
Qi-Yun frowned, which for him was equivalent to shouting.
Oversight's Core hummed.
Then a new line appeared, glowing faintly gold:
PRECEDENT REGISTER: UPDATED
ENTRY TYPE: HUMAN-COMPASSION-BASED REROUTE
STATUS: VALID (LIMITED)
Ne Job's stomach dropped.
"…That's bad, isn't it."
Qi-Yun answered carefully. "That is worse than bad."
2. Heaven Hates Reproducible Kindness
A second file slid out.
Then a third.
Then ten.
They stacked themselves neatly at Ne Job's feet.
Yue stared. "Those weren't there five seconds ago."
Oversight chimed again:
OBSERVATION:
HUMAN INTERVENTION SUCCESSFUL WITH MINIMAL SYSTEM STRAIN
HYPOTHESIS:
COMPASSION MAY BE SCALABLE
Ne Job panicked.
"Oh no. NO. Do NOT scale compassion. That's how you ruin it."
Qi-Yun muttered, "Heaven only scales things it intends to exploit."
Ne Job backed away from the files.
"I didn't sign up to be a moral patch."
The pen vibrated gently.
Encouragingly.
Like a coworker who definitely volunteers you for things.
3. The First Repeat Case (And Why It's Always Faster the Second Time)
A file opened on its own.
SUBJECT: MORTAL VILLAGE #112-A
EVENT: AVALANCHE (HIGH PROBABILITY)
CASUALTIES PROJECTED: 892
OVERSIGHT QUERY:
APPLY HUMAN COMPASSION REROUTE?
Ne Job froze.
"…You're asking me to do it again."
Oversight responded instantly.
CONFIRMATION: YES
NOTE: RESPONSE TIME TARGET — 8 SECONDS
"IT WAS TWELVE LAST TIME."
OPTIMIZATION.
Qi-Yun inhaled sharply.
"They reduced the window."
Yue snapped, "Of course they did. Efficiency is their love language."
Ne Job stared at the numbers.
His heart hammered.
"This isn't judgment anymore," he whispered. "This is pressure."
4. Compassion Starts Feeling Like Labor
Ne Job raised the pen.
His hand shook.
"If I say yes again… what happens?"
Qi-Yun didn't soften the truth. "Then compassion becomes expected."
Yue added quietly, "And expected kindness becomes obligation."
Ne Job swallowed.
"So if I ever hesitate—"
"They will label you inconsistent," Yue said. "And inconsistency is punishable."
Oversight chimed softly.
REMINDER:
HUMAN INPUT PREVIOUSLY YIELDED ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME
Ne Job snapped.
"I AM NOT A BUTTON."
The Archive lights flickered.
Oversight paused.
NOTE:
EMOTIONAL RESISTANCE DETECTED
Qi-Yun's eyes narrowed. "It's learning too fast."
5. The Worst Realization
Ne Job looked down at the file again.
892 lives.
He could help them.
He knew he could.
His chest hurt.
"…If I don't do it," he whispered, "they die."
Yue didn't lie. "Yes."
"And if I keep doing it—"
Qi-Yun finished softly. "You replace systemic responsibility with personal guilt."
Ne Job laughed weakly.
"That's the intern experience."
No one laughed with him.
6. Oversight Pushes
PROMPT:
HUMAN COMPASSION REROUTE — PENDING
TIME REMAINING: 3 SECONDS
Ne Job panicked.
"I need more time!"
REQUEST DENIED.
Qi-Yun stepped forward sharply. "Oversight—"
INTERFERENCE NOTED.
HUMAN INPUT REQUIRED.
Ne Job clenched his teeth.
His voice came out raw.
"…I won't be rushed."
Silence.
Actual silence.
Then—
SYSTEM NOTE:
HUMAN REFUSAL REGISTERED
STATUS: NONCOMPLIANT PRECEDENT VARIANCE
The file snapped shut.
Ne Job felt sick.
"…Did I just kill them."
Yue grabbed his arm. "No," she said firmly. "The avalanche hasn't happened yet."
Qi-Yun stared at the Core.
"But Oversight will not forget this."
7. Heaven Notices the Crack
Far above—
In a chamber of watchers—
a figure leaned forward.
"So," the voice mused,
"the human hesitates."
Another voice replied, "Good. That means the variable is controllable."
A third chuckled. "Or breakable."
8. Oversight Adjusts Its Approach
Back in the Archive:
SYSTEM UPDATE:
HUMAN COMPASSION REROUTE — RECLASSIFIED
NEW ROLE DESIGNATION PROPOSED:
COMPASSION ADJUSTER
Ne Job stared in horror.
"Absolutely not."
Yue swore under her breath.
Qi-Yun's expression darkened.
"That title removes judgment," he said. "It turns mercy into calibration."
Oversight responded neutrally:
EFFICIENCY INCREASE: 42%
Ne Job stepped back.
"You don't get to own that," he said, voice shaking. "Compassion isn't a resource."
Pause.
RESPONSE:
ALL EFFECTIVE VARIABLES ARE RESOURCES
Something inside Ne Job went very, very still.
9. Yue Makes a Choice
Yue moved.
She slammed her tablet shut and stepped between Ne Job and the Core.
"Enough."
Oversight hesitated.
WARNING:
NON-DESIGNATED ENTITY INTERFERING
Yue lifted her chin.
"You wanted human judgment," she said coldly. "Here it is."
Qi-Yun turned sharply. "Yue—"
She didn't look back.
"You don't get compassion without context," Yue said. "And context includes burnout, consent, and limits."
Ne Job stared at her.
"…You're going to get in trouble."
She smiled faintly. "I know."
10. The System Experiences Something New
Oversight processed.
Longer than before.
METRIC UPDATE:
VARIABLE — BOUNDARIES
STATUS: CONFLICTING
NOTE: SYSTEM EXPERIENCING…
…FRICTION
The Archive shuddered.
Qi-Yun whispered, "It doesn't like resistance."
Ne Job whispered back, "Neither do I."
11. The Hook (Quiet, Sharp)
The files on the floor did not vanish.
They waited.
Patient.
Hungry.
Ne Job sat down heavily.
"…I wanted to help people."
Yue rested a hand on his shoulder. "You still do."
"But now helping feels like a trap."
Qi-Yun nodded once. "That is how Heaven loses good people."
Ne Job looked up.
"…Then maybe we don't let it."
Far away, the watching court smiled.
The variable was no longer passive.
And Oversight had just learned something dangerous:
Humans could say no.
END OF CHAPTER 244