Life without boundaries by ezio khoza (naccinucci)

Previously

…And then, with a final, piercing look, Anya turned and melted into the throng of automatons and drones, disappearing as quickly and mysteriously as she had appeared. I stood there, the pulsing data shard clutched tightly in my hand, the echo of her words reverberating in the suddenly silent space she had left behind. The nutrient dispenser hummed softly, a mundane sound that now seemed like a taunt. My assignment was complete, but my world had just begun to unravel. The choice, as Anya had said, was mine. And the weight of it was heavier than any directive the System had ever imposed. My hand trembled, not from fear, but from a nascent, terrifying sense of possibility.