I was awake before I knew where I was.
That came later.
The room came into focus slowly. Flat walls. Sharp corners. Nothing cast a shadow. The air felt held, like it was waiting for me to move first.
I moved.
Not on purpose. The body does that when nothing stops it.
A door stood in front of me. Smooth. Seamless. I pressed my palm to it. It opened.
The hall beyond was long and straight. No furniture. No sound except my steps. Each one landed the same way.
Light filled the space without a source. It didn't warm me. It didn't change.
I walked.
There was nothing to look at. Nothing asked for attention.
I was there. That seemed to be enough.
The hall widened. Objects sat in a line along the floor. Screens. Tools. Surfaces meant for hands.
I went to the closest one. When I touched it, it responded. Not surprisingly. Not kindly. Just correctly.
A voice spoke.
I couldn't tell where it came from.
"Observe," it said.
"Record."
I did.
My fingers moved across the surface. Numbers shifted. Lines changed. I watched until they stopped moving. I moved to the next panel.
Nothing reacted to me. Nothing acknowledged success or failure.
There was only the next action.