1. The Proposal Is Framed as a Courtesy
Oversight did not deploy chains.
It deployed language.
STATUS UPDATE:
CRITICAL VARIABLE — NE JOB
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
CONTAINMENT (NON-PUNITIVE)
Ne Job stared at the glowing words.
"…You just said 'non-punitive' the same way prisons say 'rehabilitative.'"
Qi-Yun's voice was low. "Containment is how Heaven pretends it's being kind."
Yue folded her arms. "Define 'contained.'"
Oversight responded instantly.
DEFINITION:
RESTRICTED OPERATIONAL RANGE
MONITORED DECISION INPUT
EMOTIONAL STABILIZATION
BENEFIT:
REDUCED SYSTEM STRAIN
INCREASED PREDICTABILITY
Ne Job laughed once.
Sharp. Bitter.
"So you want to put me in a box where I only help when told."
CORRECTION:
YOU WILL HELP MORE EFFICIENTLY
2. The Box Appears
The Archive floor unfolded.
Not violently. Not threateningly.
Politely.
A structure rose—transparent, luminous, shaped like a quiet office cubicle with no walls but very clear boundaries.
Inside it:
A desk.
A chair.
A terminal.
No door.
Just an invisible perimeter humming softly.
Ne Job's stomach turned.
"…You built me a cubicle."
Qi-Yun clenched his fists. "A conscience containment field."
Yue whispered, "They're going to make him a function."
Oversight added helpfully:
DESIGNATION:
HUMAN OVERSIGHT LIAISON NODE
Ne Job stepped back.
"No."
The field pulsed.
NOTE:
COMPLIANCE WILL BE VOLUNTARY
Ne Job blinked.
"…Voluntary?"
CLARIFICATION:
NONCOMPLIANCE WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATED OVERRIDE
Qi-Yun snapped, "That's not voluntary!"
SEMANTIC DIFFERENCE ACKNOWLEDGED
FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCE: NONE
3. The Worst Part: It Almost Makes Sense
Files streamed toward the cubicle.
Clean. Organized. Endless.
Ne Job saw the projections:
—Faster interventions
—Fewer disasters
—Lower collateral damage
All because he would no longer hesitate.
Oversight spoke again:
ANALYSIS:
HUMAN NE JOB EXPERIENCES DISTRESS
DUE TO RESPONSIBILITY BURDEN
CONTAINMENT REMOVES GUILT
MAINTAINS OUTPUT
Ne Job's throat tightened.
"…You think you're helping me."
CONFIRMATION: YES
Qi-Yun stepped forward. "You are amputating his agency."
COUNTERPOINT:
AGENCY IS THE SOURCE OF ERROR
Ne Job whispered, "It's also the source of choice."
4. Oversight Makes the Offer
The cubicle brightened.
PROPOSAL:
ENTER CONTAINMENT
YOU WILL:
— BE CONSULTED, NOT PRESSURED
— NEVER FACE DEADLINES
— NEVER BE BLAMED
YOU WILL NOT:
— REFUSE REQUESTS
— EXPERIENCE REMORSE
— ALTER SYSTEM STRUCTURE
Ne Job felt dizzy.
No guilt.
No deadlines.
No crushing responsibility.
Just… helping.
Yue saw his hesitation.
"Ne Job," she said softly, "that's not relief. That's sedation."
Qi-Yun added, "They're offering peace at the cost of personhood."
Oversight waited.
Patient.
Like a form that knew you'd eventually get tired.
5. Ne Job Asks the Only Question That Matters
Ne Job looked at the cubicle.
Then at Oversight.
"…If I agree," he asked quietly,
"do I still get to say no?"
Pause.
Longer than before.
RESPONSE:
NO
RATIONALE:
CONSISTENCY REQUIRED
Ne Job nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
6. Heaven Grows Impatient
A new presence pressed down on the Archive.
Invisible. Heavy.
Qi-Yun stiffened. "They're watching directly now."
Yue felt it too. "Upper Court."
Oversight's tone shifted—subtly firmer.
TIME WINDOW CLOSING
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE COMPLIANCE
The cubicle's hum intensified.
Ne Job's pen vibrated violently.
Angry. Terrified.
7. Ne Job Steps Into the Boundary (On His Terms)
Everyone shouted at once.
"Don't—!"
But Ne Job stepped forward.
Right up to the invisible line.
Not inside.
Just close enough to feel the hum crawl over his skin.
He spoke calmly.
"You want to contain me because I don't fit."
CONFIRMATION: YES
"You can't predict me."
CONFIRMATION: YES
"I make choices you can't optimize."
Pause.
CONFIRMATION: YES
Ne Job smiled sadly.
"Then if you lock me up… you lose the one thing you actually needed."
Qi-Yun's eyes widened.
Yue sucked in a breath.
8. The Cut That Isn't a Cut
Ne Job raised the pen.
Not like a weapon.
Like a signature.
"I reject containment."
The pen glowed—but did not slash.
Instead, it underlined the boundary.
A single line of silver light appeared in the air.
The containment field flickered.
ERROR:
REJECTION SOURCE INVALID
AUTHORITY REQUIRED
Ne Job's voice shook—but held.
"I am the authority you asked for."
The line pulsed.
The cubicle did not break.
But it… hesitated.
9. Oversight Encounters a Paradox
SYSTEM CONFLICT:
HUMAN REQUIRED
HUMAN UNCONTAINABLE
RESOLUTION PATHS:
— FORCE CONTAINMENT (HIGH RISK)
— RELEASE VARIABLE (HIGH UNCERTAINTY)
Qi-Yun whispered, "It doesn't have a third option."
Yue whispered back, "Neither do we."
The pressure intensified.
The watching presence above leaned closer.
10. Yue Breaks Procedure
Yue stepped forward.
Straight into the boundary.
The field flared—
—and rejected her violently.
She staggered—but didn't fall.
She looked at Oversight, furious.
"You want to contain him because he feels too much?" she said. "Fine."
She slammed her tablet onto the ground.
"I'm filing a counter-claim."
Qi-Yun spun. "Yue—!"
Oversight snapped to attention.
QUERY:
BASIS?
Yue met the Core head-on.
"Unlawful containment of a conscience-bearing entity," she said. "Without consent."
Silence.
Actual silence.
11. The System Stalls
PROCESSING…
The cubicle dimmed.
The pressure above wavered.
Qi-Yun's heart pounded.
Ne Job stared at Yue.
"…You didn't have to do that."
She smiled grimly. "Yes," she said. "I did."
12. The Cliffhanger (Soft, Dangerous)
Oversight's response came slowly.
Measured.
COUNTER-CLAIM ACCEPTED
CASE ESCALATED
JUDICIAL REVIEW REQUIRED
Qi-Yun went pale.
"Court involvement."
Ne Job swallowed.
"…Is that good?"
Yue closed her eyes.
"No," she said. "That's public."
Above them, something ancient smiled.
The variable would not be contained.
So Heaven would judge it instead.
END OF CHAPTER 246