The Unregistered Conversation

Elena Rostova's morning routine began at 0530 with an emotional self-check.

She stood in front of the mirror in her apartment unit—fourteen square meters, standard issue, Harmonia-designed—and monitored her output index. The small device on her bathroom wall displayed it in pale green digits: 0.03. Within normal range. Normal range was 0.00 to 0.05. Anything above 0.05 triggered an automatic wellness flag. Anything above 0.07 required mandatory emotional stabilization.

0.03 was safe. 0.03 was invisible.

She dressed. Ate her breakfast ration—nutrient bar, flavor setting: vanilla, calibrated to deliver exactly 420 calories and zero excess dopamine stimulation. She left her apartment at 0555. Arrived at Social Coordination Center B-12 at 0600. Clock in. Suit up. The suit was gray, standard issue for Level 2 coordinators. It had no pockets because personal items were unnecessary. It had no buttons because magnetic closures were m