The shift at SDN had been unusually quiet—no bursts of dark energy, no escapes from sectors, just routine perimeter checks. Robert rattled off coordinates and access codes with a metallic dispassion in his voice. His posture at the console was as measured as a statue. He'd grown accustomed to the noisy crew and some of their antics, though today had been relatively quiet. You lingered, finding him alone in the empty operations room. He sat staring at the screen with the map turned off. "Robert? Shift's over, right?" He slowly raised his head. "Reports. They need to be completed." His voice was flat, lifeless, like a tired machine. "No. We need to stop working now. At least for an hour." You interrupted him, stepping closer and placing a hand on his shoulder. You had some kind of connection, from the very beginning. It made him break a little under you. He nodded, allowing himself to be led out from under the cold light of the monitors into the soft dusk of the autumn evening. "Then I suppose we could make some coffee before the break room closes."