As we walked toward the glass-walled rooms, I found myself cataloging details—the way teams clustered naturally around shared projects, the quiet efficiency of developers debugging code, the creative energy of artists surrounded by concept sketches and color swatches. People creating together instead of just co-existing.
The thought of outside corporate interest disrupting it all made my jaw tighten. These people trusted Alex to keep their world intact. The responsibility she carried suddenly felt much heavier.
“Casey?” A voice called from across the floor. “Can you look at this lighting rig real quick?”
“Duty calls,” Casey turned back to me. “Want to explore on your own for a few minutes? Or I can introduce you around if you prefer to wait.”
“I’ll wander.” The space felt comfortable—open enough that I wouldn’t feel trapped, organized enough that I could navigate easily. “Thanks for the tour. And the Sherlock demo.”
“Anytime. Watch yourself though. If you start talking tactical applications with our developers, you’ll never escape. Half of them are military strategy nerds.”
Casey headed toward a group of desks, leaving me to absorb the space surrounding me. Through the windows, I could see the Wasatch Front—snow-capped peaks that reminded me of Wyoming.
My phone buzzed with a text from Alex.
Alex:how’s the tour? Casey being a good host?
Me:Excellent host. Just saw Sherlock demo. Impressive as hell
Alex:Jordanwill be insufferable if he hears you liked it.
Alex:lunch in 20?
Me:Looking forward to it
I pocketed the phone and continued exploring. The morning had been pleasant—better than I’d expected. Meeting people who were incredibly open and talented, seeing Alex’s professional world, understanding the scope of what she’d built here.
But I could feel the edges of fatigue beginning to creep in. It wasn’t anything dramatic—just a subtle shift in how sounds felt slightly sharper, the overhead lighting seemed a fraction too bright, and my skin felt like it was pulled too tight across my shoulders. The accumulated stimulation of new people, new spaces, new information triggering my internal fuel warning light.
For now, manageable. But worth monitoring.
Chapter 14
Five stars, would crash again
Alex
I spotted Finn through the glass doors, standing near the creative floor’s main workspace with his phone in his hand. He looked relaxed, shoulders loose, taking in the space around him with his default observance. But the way he shifted his weight caught my attention, a barely perceptible favoring of his right side.
His left leg was starting to bother him.
I pulled out my phone and fired off a quick text to Tabitha.
Me:lunch in conference 2 in 10.
Me:nothing with strong smells, avoid anything citrusy or too spicy. Finn has TBI.
Me:migraines triggered by sensory overload.
Tabitha:Sure thing, boss. I ordered from Nosh. Soft lighting already set up in Conf 2. Oliver’s been pacing.
Of course Oliver was pacing. The Titan research had him rattled, though he was doing his best to hide it. Adding Finn to the mix would either help distract him or make him more anxious about keeping up appearances.
I swiped my keycard and entered the space. The morning had gone better than I could have hoped. Casey’s easy acceptance, the team’s natural curiosity without invasive questions, even Jordan’s awkwardness hadn’t seemed to faze him. But I could see the accumulated weight of new faces, unfamiliar spaces, and constant social navigation starting toaffect him in small ways I doubted he’d noticed yet.
The way his hand had moved to massage his left temple while texting. The hazy and slightly unfocused look on his face. The fact that he seemed to have chosen to explore alone rather than meet more people.
My brain registered all of it. The same pattern recognition that helped me track potential project challenges and team morale was now focused entirely on monitoring Finn’s condition.
