Henri sat staring at the ceiling.
Through the moonroof, the stars flickered, but he didn’t see them. Instead notifications, deadlines, and client pings zipped over his vision. The traffic ticket on his way home didn’t help. His gym time earlier had already been overrun by mental drafts of proposals stamped ASAP. Tonight would be more of the same.
He sighed. Another late one.
He flinched at an unbidden thought. A memory from earlier that day, wriggling its way through the noise. Something Ket said.
“You need to get out, Henri. No offense, but you do.”
Henry reached up and behind his neck, his hand rebellious against the unending tasks blurring his vision, and found the small ridge of metal.
A quick tug. Henry looked down at the productivity mind chip.
Silence.
He looked up. For the first time in weeks, he saw the stars.
“I think I’ll go for a walk,” he said.
Then Henry got up, and went for a walk.