The red digital countdown on the display of Register 1 dropped with cold, relentless speed.
[REFUSAL COUNTDOWN: 160 SECONDS]
[STATUTE: ZERO-HOUR RULE 11 -- MANDATORY TRANSACTION PROTOCOL]
[PENALTY: IMMEDIATE FACIAL FORFEITURE AND EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION.]
The amber nixie tubes above the keyboard flickered with harsh, mechanical light.
Across the counter, the entity did not move. It stood on the linoleum tiles of the customer vestibule, its posture upright, rigid, and relaxed.
It wore Julian’s face with effortless, sickening fidelity.
The dark, unruly hair was combed back with identical precision. The sharp bridge of the nose, the faint white scar above the eyebrow, and the pale skin were indistinguishable from Julian’s own reflection.
