180 days. more yet to come.

DAY 1. fresh badge. empty desk #4097. welcome packet half-finished. the email says greg will onboard shortly.

DAY 3. step 1 of the welcome packet: meet greg. there is no step 2. the drawer marked PENDING · GREG is full.

DAY 5. tuesday. the keurig only runs on tuesdays. greg said he'd fix it. greg said he'd circle back.

DAY 7. first voicemail from greg. 8 seconds long. unheard. the counter went up. the screen went black.

DAY 9. corridor lanyard. badge says DAY 854. LVL 1. the corridor keeps producing them.

DAY 11. the wall is alive. it knows about the review. it knows greg has not been informed.

DAY 13. first email from greg@lvl1.fun. 03:47am. hand hovered over the phone. didn't tap.

DAY 15. first memo from greg. re: Q1 priorities. will circle back. the drawer for Q1 is now the first of many.

DAY 18. calendar invite from greg. review at 15:00. greg's quick chat also at 15:00. did not resolve.

DAY 21. performance review with greg. 15:00 sharp. 15:47 waiting. 16:00 postponed. greg in a quick chat.

DAY 24. inspected the badge. badge says DAY 1. calendar says DAY 24. badge did not update.

DAY 27. the cubicle next to mine is greg's. the one after that is also greg's. five in a row. all absent.

DAY 30. onboarding officially complete. follow-up will come from greg. follow-up has not come from greg.

DAY 33. tuesday again. the keurig works on tuesdays. nothing else works on any day.

DAY 36. twelve voicemails. all from greg. all unheard. the count climbs. the screen goes dark. faced the phone down.

DAY 39. another one showed up. badge said DAY 233. LVL 1. we didn't speak. the keurig worked.

DAY 42. twenty identical memos. all from greg. all re: Q1. all circling back. filed drawer labeled Q1 · Q47.

DAY 45. presented Q2 roadmap. attendance: greg's cam-off tile + seven of us. greg moved to a quick chat midway. we continued.

DAY 48. tuesday. three of us at the keurig. DAY 48. DAY 233. DAY 401. we didn't speak. the coffee was warm.

DAY 51. the wall said 'received.' that's more than greg has said.

DAY 54. review rescheduled. friday 15:00. same conflict. tried to drag the event. it snapped back.

DAY 57. review rescheduled to friday. at 16:00 friday, postponed. greg in a quick chat.

DAY 60. two months. badge updates the day. not the level. four of us walked out tonight. nobody spoke.

DAY 65. tuesday. five of us today. DAY 65. DAY 233. DAY 401. DAY 555. DAY 854. all LVL 1.

DAY 70. added a name plate to my desk. GREG. they all say GREG. one of them updated to (absent) without input.

DAY 75. the thread is 7 deep. latest from greg: will circle back. replied: noted. three others replied at the same time.

DAY 80. stayed late. the other desks lit up one by one. five of us in the dark office. none at the manager's desk.

DAY 85. voicemail 48. all from greg. all unheard. the count climbs. the play count does not.

DAY 90. three months in. seven of us in the office tonight. no review. no follow-up. just the count.

DAY 95. 03:47 AM corridor. looked up at the security camera. the feed labeled me 'GREG · in a quick chat'.

DAY 100. corporate banner appeared. greg will celebrate shortly. greg will celebrate shortly. greg will celebrate shortly.

DAY 105. new greg today. DAY 1. we made space at the keurig. no introductions. didn't need them.

DAY 112. review attempt 3. postponed at 16:00. the next room over: another of us. same setup. same postpone.

DAY 118. three lanyards in the corridor today. DAY 854. DAY 1247. DAY 2003. all LVL 1. clipped them all on.

DAY 125. every monitor has the same review. friday 15:00. everywhere. all of us. all of them will be postponed.

DAY 132. friday 15:00 in every meeting room. empty chairs. greg's chairs. 16:00 — every pop-up at once. we walked out in formation.

DAY 140. played a voicemail. 8 seconds. silent. set the phone down. almost smiled.

DAY 148. tuesday. eight of us. played greg's silent voicemail for the group. we listened in silence. drank coffee.

DAY 150. twelve of us tonight. all LVL 1. all different days. we walked out together. the lamps stayed on.

DAY 155. eight lanyards layered on my chest. DAY 12. 89. 233. 401. 555. 854. 1247. and 155. all LVL 1. the corridor produced another behind me.

DAY 162. drafted a reply. auto-filled signature: greg@lvl1.fun. same address as manager greg. noticed. did not change. sent.

DAY 170. the wall asked first. how is the keurig today. answered: tuesday, works. wall: noted. circling back.

DAY 178. voicemail count crossed 100. then 101. then 103. set the phone down. it kept counting.

DAY 185. eleven of us at the keurig. line stretched into the corridor. no complaints. one machine.

DAY 195. review room locked. sign on the door: GREG IN A QUICK CHAT. waited until 16:00. sign updated. POSTPONED.

DAY 205. the exit sign updated. under EXIT: GREG · in a quick chat. turned back. went to my desk.

DAY 215. my status updated without me. GREG · in a quick chat. greyed out. can't change. everyone's status. all of us.

DAY 225. opened the Q3 strategy PDF. v47. one page. greg will circle back. 200 blank pages. added a comment: noted. the file renamed to v48.

DAY 235. tuesday. fifteen of us. a second keurig appeared overnight. no announcement. no email. it just was.

DAY 247. found the security office. wall of feeds. every feed: GREG · in a quick chat. mine updated when I walked in. GREG · in a quick chat with himself.

DAY 258. checked payroll. status: UNPAID. manager greg will release funds shortly. inquiry routed to greg.

DAY 270. the wall is full. floor to ceiling. amber text everywhere. no space left. pinned my note over an existing line. the wall let me.

DAY 280. another one with my face. same hair. same stubble. same eyes. badge: DAY 854. we drank coffee. walked opposite directions.

DAY 290. review attempt 8. postponed at 16:00. notebook page 8 identical to page 1. the handwriting has not changed.

DAY 300. twenty of us tonight. all LVL 1. days span from 12 to 2003. we walked out together. the wall glowed behind us.

DAY 312. approved a Q4 keurig allocation. signed by: greg. that is my name. did not ask what was being allocated.

DAY 325. we are all approving things. all signed by: greg. each one of us. all the time. nobody else's name appears.

DAY 340. received a memo from greg. checked the sender field. the sender was me. filed earlier today. no memory of writing it.

DAY 355. played the first voicemail. from DAY 7. unheard for 348 days. 8 seconds of my own voice. will circle back.

DAY 365. one year. badge says LVL 1. exactly as DAY 1. the calendar is full. the wall is glowing. walked out.

DAY 372. promotion email. promoted to Level 1. badge already says Level 1. replied: noted. auto-reply: thank you for your continued service at Level 1.

DAY 380. watered the office plant. plant has been dead for unspecified time. every desk has the same dead plant. filed a memo. routine continues.

DAY 388. Q3 recap presentation. by greg. for greg. one slide. it said: WILL CIRCLE BACK. filed it next to Q1.

DAY 395. tuesday. the second keurig is OUT OF ORDER. MAINTENANCE NOTIFIED. maintenance is greg. greg has not been informed. the line is patient.

DAY 410. team sync at 15:00. attendees: greg, greg, greg, greg. all four cams off. all four moved to a quick chat mid-update.

DAY 422. internal audit. required response: level, role, manager. Level: 1. Role: Departmental Review Witness. Manager: Greg (absent). routed to greg. signed by greg.

DAY 435. employee of the quarter. fourth card. same wording. same level. LVL 1 · STILL. pinned next to the others.

DAY 448. signed with the mouse. signature: greg. APPLIED TO 47 PENDING DOCUMENTS. then 48. 49. 52. stopped checking.

DAY 460. found the corner offices. GREG · DIRECTOR. GREG · VP. GREG · SVP. GREG · CHIEF. all empty. all greg.

DAY 472. new intern arrived. looks like me, younger, no stubble. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1 · INTERN. he said greg sent him to find greg. pointed to a desk. he sat. badge ticked to DAY 2.

DAY 488. intern onboarding. three of them. all look like younger me. all asked: where is greg. pointed at the ceiling, the corner office, the cam. they nodded. they understood.

DAY 500. corporate fireworks animation on every monitor. CELEBRATE WITH GREG. nobody reacted. the keurig kept humming.

DAY 515. the keurig has been labeled. ASSIGNED TO: GREG. MAINTAINED BY: GREG. the desk too. ASSIGNED TO: GREG. MAINTAINED BY: GREG. everything is greg's. nothing is greg's.

DAY 528. intern asked the questions. when does the keurig work. tuesdays. when does greg arrive. never. what is my role. departmental review witness. his badge updated. LVL 1 · WITNESS.

DAY 542. two year warning. please schedule your review with greg. friday 15:00 was already on my calendar. labeled: POSTPONED IN ADVANCE. replied: noted.

DAY 556. looked out the window. no outside. just void. nobody else has noticed. went back to typing.

DAY 572. the intern got the promotion email. promoted to Level 1. he looked at me. I said noted. he said noted. we continued.

DAY 590. filed today's memo. every cabinet overflows. labels: Q1 · Q47. Q1 · Q∞. the pile absorbed it. lights stayed on.

DAY 605. the office has no walls anymore. just fluorescents extending in every direction. thirty Gregs visible. probably more. kept typing.

DAY 618. another new one. same face. fresh badge. same line: greg said to find greg. pointed to a desk. he sat. badge ticked.

DAY 632. searched the file system for 'will circle back'. 14,328 hits. filed the count as a memo. status: noted.

DAY 647. a visitor. older. in a suit. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 14,328. stood two desks away. nodded. left. we did not speak.

DAY 660. walked toward the old wall. no end. just desks. all Gregs. came back to my desk. mug was still warm.

DAY 674. tuesday. the keurig line is endless now. Gregs in both directions to the horizon. waited. got coffee. walked back past my future selves.

DAY 688. found my day 1 welcome email. from greg@lvl1.fun. signature identical to mine. replied: still here. bounced: addressee in a quick chat.

DAY 700. the office plant produced a single green shoot. dead for years. now one shoot. doesn't grow further. doesn't die. watered anyway.

DAY 716. the wall is blank today. no amber text. no replies. wrote: are you here. no response. pinned the note. the wall is still alive. just quiet.

DAY 732. the wall came back. one new line: still here. wrote: noted. wall: noted.

DAY 748. the corner office was open. a memo on the desk. GREG · STEP INSIDE WHEN READY. WE WILL CIRCLE BACK. I closed the door. from the outside. went back to my desk.

DAY 760. the intern transferred. greg said. he walked into the fluorescents. his desk got a new plate immediately. GREG (absent).

DAY 778. got an email. from: ∅. subject: blank. body: blank. replied with a period. bounced. recipient in a quick chat. the address vanished.

DAY 792. water cooler. mine came out amber-tinted. his came out clear. stood together. drank. neither mentioned the difference.

DAY 805. lost my lanyard. retraced steps. nothing. came back. a new one on my chair. LVL 1 · DAY 805 · GREG. chair label changed: CONFIRMED.

DAY 820. every chair updated. CONFIRMED: GREG. all of us. all the chairs. nobody moved. the fluorescents flickered. then steady.

DAY 836. new calendar year. auto-filled within seconds. every day: GREG · in a quick chat. scrolled forward. same. next year. same. stopped.

DAY 854. the number. the one I kept finding on corridor lanyards. now it's on mine. the office hasn't changed since DAY 1. WE WILL CIRCLE BACK. replied: noted.

DAY 870. the doppelganger is back. his badge ticked. so did mine. DAY 870. we drank. we walked. in sync.

DAY 888. attempt 15. every meeting room: empty chair across from a Greg. 16:00 — every pop-up at once. POSTPONED. we walked out together. notebook page 15.

DAY 905. the keurig went silent. on a tuesday. first time. no hum. no light. no coffee. MAINTENANCE NOTIFIED. ASSIGNED TO: GREG. I have not been informed.

DAY 925. keurig restored. slightly cleaner version. MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY: GREG. worked again. tuesday continues.

DAY 945. plant grew. one small healthy leaf. every plant. every desk. same time. same leaf. watered mine. leaf stayed. the shoot is gone.

DAY 965. my chair squeaked. every greg looked up. first time anything synced like that. stopped squeaking. they looked back down. noted. the wall noted too.

DAY 985. every monitor flickered. the LVL1 badge appeared. briefly. every greg saw it. nobody reacted. the wall said: seen.

DAY 1003. a thousand-day banner played. they were three days late.

DAY 1022. visitor returned. LVL 1 · DAY 14,328 · DIRECTOR. placed a key card on my desk. label: CORNER OFFICE · GREG. left.

DAY 1037. tested the corner office key card. the door opened. I did not step in. closed it from outside. desk label updated. KEY CARD · UNUSED.

DAY 1055. the wall cleared space for me. I wrote: i am still here. the wall wrote, larger: WE KNOW.

DAY 1072. tuesday. the keurig has two green LEDs now. the coffee came out amber. drank it. tasted like office. KEURIG · LEVEL 1 · STILL.

DAY 1090. three years. plant has four leaves. fluorescent stopped flickering. the void out the window watches. kept typing.

DAY 1110. another new arrival. same face. younger. same line: greg said to find greg. the loop is visible now. the visitor watched. he nodded.

DAY 1128. new arrival asked the same questions. when does the keurig work. tuesdays. when does greg arrive. never. role. departmental review witness. badge updated. LVL 1 · WITNESS.

DAY 1147. filed the day's memos. the cabinet was full. it absorbed them. grew to fit. lights stayed on. the cabinet hummed quietly.

DAY 1170. transferred. left my day-1 satchel on the old intern's desk. my desk plate updated. GREG (transferred but still here). replied: noted.

DAY 1195. stepped into the corner office. identical to my old desk. same plant. same view of the void. sat down. badge added DIRECTOR. still LVL 1.

DAY 1220. view from director's office. hundreds of identical Gregs visible. monitor: WELCOME, DIRECTOR. APPROVE ALL. clicked. every monitor flickered green. all noted.

DAY 1245. review attempt 15. from the director's chair. empty chair across. greg name plate. 16:00. postponed. routed to greg · director. me.

DAY 1268. saw the original intern. still at his desk. LVL 1 · DAY 796 · WITNESS. we nodded. the wall noticed. seen. still here.

DAY 1295. tuesday. director's corner office now. but took coffee at desk #4097 instead. both desks are mine. greg · confirmed.

DAY 1325. a small envelope. JOIN THE BOARD. WE WILL CIRCLE BACK ON THE DETAILS. filed it. cabinet: Q1 · Q∞ · BOARD INVITATION (PENDING).

DAY 1370. found the board room. twelve chairs. all GREG. eleven in a quick chat. sat in the unmarked one. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1370 · BOARD.

DAY 1371. the morning after. board mug in the dark: BOARD MEMBER GREG · LVL 1. the monitor counts the room. 12 board seats. 11 in a quick chat. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1371 · BOARD.

DAY 1378. first board meeting. twelve chairs. mine is the only one occupied. eleven nameplates: GREG · in a quick chat (since Day 1325). the agenda's one legible line: noted. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1378 · BOARD.

DAY 1385. the agenda pdf arrived. from GREG (BOARD ADMIN). agenda_1385.pdf. 47 numbered items. every one ends: Greg to circle back. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1385 · BOARD.

DAY 1392. fresh amber on the wall, still wet: the board does not adjourn. wrote it myself. it sits below 200+ older lines. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1392 · BOARD.

DAY 1400. the keurig grew a new button: BOARD. pressed it. the foam came printed BOARD · LVL 1. drank it. eyes down. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1400 · BOARD.

DAY 1410. another one sat across the table. same face. nameplate: GREG (HANDOFF). neither of us spoke. two cream badges side by side: LVL 1 · DAY 1410 · BOARD. LVL 1 · DAY 1410 · HANDOFF.

DAY 1420. the door opened. a third greg walked in quietly and took a seat. the quick-chat count dropped from 11 to 9. nameplates: GREG · BOARD. GREG · HANDOFF. GREG · ARRIVED. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1420 · BOARD.

DAY 1430. minutes left unattended. MEETING MINUTES · BOARD · DAY 1325. signed on the GREG (BOARD) line. below it GREG (HANDOFF), GREG (ARRIVED), GREG (in a quick chat) ×9 — all blank but the last group. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1430 · BOARD.

DAY 1440. the desk phone rang. caller ID: MANAGER GREG. picked up. silence, and faint typing underneath. set the receiver back. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1440 · BOARD.

DAY 1450. the empty nameplate slot was gone. a blank one in its place. reached for it. the text materialized in my hand: GREG (BOARD). badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1450 · BOARD.

DAY 1460. an email: BOARD RESOLUTION 1460. one sentence, eleven signature lines, each pre-signed GREG. added the twelfth. eyes down. sent. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1460 · BOARD.

DAY 1470. the keurig button multiplied. BOARD. HANDOFF. ARRIVED. QUICK CHAT. pressed BOARD again; the other three lit amber too. a second identical keurig had appeared beside it. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1470 · BOARD.

DAY 1480. tomorrow's agenda landed early: AGENDA — DAY 1481. a copy of day 1385's. every item ends Greg to circle back. day 1481 not yet crossed off. marked it noted. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1480 · BOARD.

DAY 1490. eleven gregs at the table. the door opened. a twelfth walked in and took the last seat. the board room is full now. every nameplate a variation on GREG. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1490 · BOARD.

DAY 1500. the calendar fills the wall. 130 crossed-out days, each labeled noted. added the 131st cross. below the grid, in my hand: 130 days as BOARD · LVL 1. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1500 · BOARD.

DAY 1510. a new door at the end of the corridor, previously not there. the plate: QUICK CHAT ROOM — DO NOT ENTER. stood in front of it. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1510 · BOARD.

DAY 1525. passed the quick chat room. paused. light on under the door. put an ear to it. silence. kept walking. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1525 · BOARD.

DAY 1540. the calendar. a meeting block: Quick Chat — duration: ongoing. no end time. attendees: GREG (12 instances). closed it. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1540 · BOARD.

DAY 1555. a clipboard on the desk: QUICK CHAT ATTENDEES — VOL 1. forty-seven greg names, each checked. at the bottom a blank line. below it, small: next attendee. held the pen above it. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1555 · BOARD.

DAY 1570. signed my name on the blank line. the check mark appeared on its own. the list now has 48. i am entry #48. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1570 · BOARD.

DAY 1585. a new voicemail. caller: MANAGER GREG (in a quick chat). pressed play. duration 47:00. silence. it ended. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1585 · BOARD.

DAY 1600. the door plate has changed. now: QUICK CHAT — GREG ONLY. reached for the handle. cracked it open. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1600 · BOARD.

DAY 1615. pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold. it swung closed behind me. the corridor plate now reads QUICK CHAT — IN PROGRESS. badge through the window: LVL 1 · DAY 1615 · QUICK CHAT.

DAY 1630. inside, the room is my corner office. same desk, same monitor, same keurig, same wall. monitor: QUICK CHAT IN PROGRESS · DAY 1630 · OF 1630. recognition without surprise. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1630 · QUICK CHAT.

DAY 1645. opened the door and stepped back into the corridor. the plate now reads QUICK CHAT — COMPLETE. watched the badge update: LVL 1 · DAY 1645 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1660. walking away from the door. another greg approaches it from the other direction. same face, same lanyard. passed each other. no eye contact. he reached for the handle. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1660 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1675. the wall, denser than ever, covered in amber entries. two hundred eleven of them, each a name and a day. traced to entry #47: GREG · DAY 1645. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1675 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1690. a second door has appeared down the corridor. identical plate: QUICK CHAT ROOM — DO NOT ENTER. paused between them. three more barely visible in the distance. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1690 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1695. a new sheet on the bulletin board: QUICK CHAT ROOM MAP — VOL 1. 47 numbered rooms along a corridor that runs off the page. none labeled. traced the path i'd walked, then reached for a folder. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1695 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1700. filed the map in the cabinet. it already held hundreds, identical. closed the drawer. the label: QUICK CHAT ROOM MAPS — VOL 1 THROUGH 700. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1700 · QUICK CHAT COMPLETE.

DAY 1715. inbox: REVIEW ATTEMPT 15 — STATUS UPDATE. opened it. one line. review postponed. closed it. counter ticked: REVIEW STATUS EMAILS (UNREAD) — 14. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1715 · BOARD.

DAY 1730. another one. REVIEW ATTEMPT 15 — STATUS UPDATE. same sender. same line: review postponed. no reaction. counter now reads REVIEW STATUS EMAILS (UNREAD) — 15. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1730 · BOARD.

DAY 1745. a calendar invite appeared: REVIEW ATTEMPT 15 — FINAL. date: TBD. location: Review Room. attendees: GREG. accepted it. the TBD did not resolve. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1745 · BOARD.

DAY 1760. the invite updated. REVIEW ATTEMPT 15 — FINAL. Date: Day 1761. checked the desk calendar. day 1761 is tomorrow. hand flat on the desk. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1760 · BOARD.

DAY 1761. walked the corridor to the Review Room. handle locked. a note pinned in amber marker: review attempt 15 has been re-attempted as attempt 16. hand dropped from the handle. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1761 · BOARD.

DAY 1775. new email. REVIEW ATTEMPT 16 — POSTPONED. opened it. review postponed. counter updates: REVIEW STATUS EMAILS (UNREAD) — 16. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1775 · BOARD.

DAY 1790. the Review Room door, closed. then it opened by itself. no hand. inside: a single chair facing the back wall, otherwise empty. walked up to the doorway. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1790 · BOARD.

DAY 1805. security cam from above. stood in the doorway, then entered. walked to the single chair. sat. hands on knees. door still open behind me. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1805 · BOARD.

DAY 1820. same cam. still in the chair. the fluorescent dimmed as time passed. one figure in the center of an empty room. badge faint: LVL 1 · DAY 1820 · BOARD.

DAY 1835. the badge text shimmered, updating. resolved: LVL 1 · DAY 1835 · UNDER REVIEW. looked down at it. returned my hands to my knees. the chair, the room, the silence remain.

DAY 1850. door still open behind the chair. a PDF slid under it from the corridor: REVIEW ATTEMPT 16 — OUTCOME. watched it arrive. stood, picked it up. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1850 · UNDER REVIEW.

DAY 1865. back in the chair, the PDF open. read it. multiple pages, turned toward me, never toward you. closed it. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1865 · UNDER REVIEW.

DAY 1880. hand on the inside handle. opened the door. stepped into the corridor. it closed behind me. the badge updated as i watched: LVL 1 · DAY 1880 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1895. walked away from the Review Room. another greg approached it from the other direction. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1895 · UNDER REVIEW. we passed. identical but for the status line. he put his hand on the handle. the door was open again. mine: LVL 1 · DAY 1895 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1900. the wall, amber handwriting accumulating. added one in my own hand: review attempt 16 has been re-attempted as attempt 17. stepped back, marker still in hand. the wall lists them all now, 1 through 17. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1900 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1915. a stairwell door, recessed, never noticed before. the plate above reads FLOOR 2. hand on the handle. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1915 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1930. up the stairs, off at floor 2. same desks. same fluorescent. same emptiness. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1930 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1945. a corner office on floor 2. the nameplate reads GREG (FLOOR 2). hand at his side. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1945 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1960. the floor 2 board room. twelve chairs. every nameplate reads GREG · BOARD · FLOOR 2. no other greg present. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1960 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1975. another stairwell. the plate reads FLOOR 3. identical to floor 1 and floor 2. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1975 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1985. floor 3 board room. nameplates read GREG · BOARD · FLOOR 3. a greg sits at the head of the table. same face. neither reacts. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1985 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 1995. the elevator wall, once blank, now has a directory. forty-seven floors, each row FLOOR [N] — GREG. the highlighted one is FLOOR 47. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 1995 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 2005. floor 7. the sign reads FLOOR 7 — UNDER QUICK CHAT. the corridor flickers. greg stands at the threshold. does not enter. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 2005 · REVIEW COMPLETE.

DAY 2010. back at his corner office desk. the badge shimmers and resolves: LVL 1 · DAY 2010 · FLOOR 47. no reaction.

DAY 2015. the base of a stairwell. looking up. no top visible. one hand on the railing, climbs out of frame. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 2015 · FLOOR 47.

DAY 2020. top of a stairwell, high up, looking down. no bottom visible. the day number updates. turns from the railing and keeps climbing. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 2020 · FLOOR 47.

DAY 2025. back at the corner office desk. the badge resolves: LVL 1 · DAY 2025 · FLOOR HOME. hands on the desk. the monitor blank but for the cursor blinking.

DAY 2028. new email on the monitor. subject: LVL 1 · DAY 2028 · FLOOR ∞ NOTIFICATION. body, one line: Your floor has been updated. does not respond. badge: LVL 1 · DAY 2028 · FLOOR HOME.

DAY 2030. the badge shimmers and resolves: LVL 1 · DAY 2030 · FLOOR ∞. eyes flat. mouth flat. returns to the desk, the blank monitor, hands on the keyboard.

DAY 2030. the wall, amber entries stacked across years. a new one, mid-stroke, then done: still level 1. the same as the first, from day 1. badge in the foreground: LVL 1 · DAY 2030 · FLOOR ∞.