A month had passed, and Bri was learning the ropes quickly. Nearly all of her work was preventative maintenance, which was where all new engineers started on the colony. In her off hours, she spent her time drafting up plans for how to build her own parts to replace those already in use. Bri’s specialty was improving the efficiency of machines.

“Something about this place seems off,” Bri said to Toto. She was lying in bed, flicking through her email on her armband.

“How so?” asked Toto.

“Well, I noticed it the day we arrived. Everyone here talks slowly. And I’m not exaggerating. It’s everyone. They also don’t have any emotional highs or lows. They’re like a bunch of robots, no offense.”

“None taken.”

Bri laughed. “The strangest thing is that I’ve started to notice it happening to myself. It feels like my emotions are disappearing.”

“I am afraid you never programmed me to analyze your emotions, so I can’t help you with that,” Toto said.