Chapter 1: The Annual Review Begins
The bioluminescent panels lining the examination room walls pulsed with a cool, blue light, a slow and steady rhythm that felt like the room itself was breathing. Riley sat on the edge of the examination table, the crisp paper crinkling under her thighs with every slight shift. She focused on the sound, on the feel of it, to keep from spiraling. The air smelled clean and sharp, of ozone and sterilizing solution, and beneath it all was the constant, low hum of machinery on standby.
Her palms were damp. She wiped them on the grey cotton of her trousers.
The door hissed open and Dr. Chen entered, a tablet glowing softly in her hands. She was a woman of elegant, severe angles—sharp cheekbones, a sharp chin, hair pulled into a punishingly tight silver-streaked bun. Her gray eyes scanned the screen, not yet looking at Riley. The silence stretched, filled only by that omnipresent hum.
“Riley. Good, you’re on time.” Dr. Chen’s voice was calm, precise, and devoid of warmth. It was the voice of absolute authority. She finally looked up, her gaze landing on Riley like a physical weight. “Annual review. Standard procedure. Let’s begin.”
Riley nodded, her throat too tight for words.
Dr. Chen’s fingers tapped and swiped across the tablet. “I’ve reviewed your pre-submitted forms. Your basic bloodwork is within normal parameters. No flags.” She glanced up. “How is your current employment? Still at the archival library?”
“Yes,” Riley said, too quickly. She cleared her throat. “Yes. It’s fine. Quiet. I like it.”
“A Switch role often appreciates environments with variable stimuli, not perpetual quiet.” Dr. Chen observed, her head tilting a fraction. “Do you find your duties there… sufficiently engaging?”
Riley’s mind raced. A trick question? “I do. It’s detail-oriented. There’s a puzzle to it. Restoring damaged files, cataloguing. It requires focus.” She kept her voice even, neutral. She was a Switch. Switches were adaptable, balanced. She could handle detail-oriented work.
“Mm.” The sound was noncommittal. Dr. Chen’s eyes returned to the tablet. “And your relationship status? You indicated a domestic partnership. A Vivian LeClair.”
A cold trickle of sweat traced Riley’s spine. “That’s right.”
“Duration?”
“Three years.”
“And the dynamic?” Dr. Chen asked, her tone flat, as if inquiring about dietary preferences.
This was the minefield. Riley had practiced this. “It’s equitable. We share responsibilities. We… complement each other.” The words tasted like ash. She remembered Vivian’s hand on the back of her neck that very morning, guiding her gently but insistently to her knees. The firm, pleased sigh as Riley took her in. The whispered ‘good girl’ that had flooded Riley with a warmth she craved and feared in equal measure.
“Complement,” Dr. Chen echoed. She placed the tablet down on a side console and took a single step closer, her hands clasped behind her back. “Does Ms. LeClair assume a dominant social role?”
Riley’s heart hammered against her ribs. “No. She’s a Switch. Like me.” The lie was a smooth, practiced stone. “Sometimes she leads, sometimes I do. It’s fluid. It works for us.” She forced a small, cooperative smile. It felt brittle.
Dr. Chen studied her. The seconds stretched in the pulsing blue light. Riley willed herself not to fidget, not to look away. She was just a Switch, having a standard chat. Nothing to see here.
“Your living situation is stable?” Dr. Chen asked, moving on.
“Yes. We own our apartment.”
“And your shared activities? Conflicts?”
“We cook. Watch streams. Hike sometimes.” Riley offered a shrug, a casual gesture that took immense effort. “Normal stuff. We disagree about trivial things. Which streaming service to subscribe to. Whose turn it is to clean the hydration filter.”
Dr. Chen gave a slow, single nod. She turned and picked up the tablet again, swiping through a few more screens. Riley allowed herself a shallow breath. It felt like she’d passed something. The questions had been basic, surface-level. She’d tilted her answers just enough, away from the truth of her submission, away from the depth of her cravings. She’d given them nothing.
The doctor was satisfied.
A heavy, numbing relief washed through her. She’d gotten away with it. Another year.
Dr. Chen set the tablet down decisively. “Very well. The preliminary conversational assessment is complete.” She walked over to a large, sleek unit that dominated the far wall. It was matte white, with multiple articulated arms folded tightly against its body. At her touch, a panel lit up with soft green glyphs.
“Now,” Dr. Chen said, turning back to Riley. Her gray eyes were impossible to read. “Please remove all of your clothing and place them in the receptacle. Then lie back on the table, centered. The physical calibration is next.”
The relief evaporated, replaced by a fresh, sharp wave of anxiety. The machine hummed, its pitch shifting slightly as it awoke. One of the articulated arms unfurled with a whisper of hydraulic pistons, a padded cuff dangling at its end.
Riley’s fingers went to the button of her trousers. The cool, pulsing light of the room seemed to intensify, highlighting her every movement. The chapter of conversation was closed. The real assessment was about to begin.