By 2125, we cracked consciousness. We left our old bodies and woke up in machines that don't age. A mind can be uploaded. Backed up. Restored. Copied. Your mother, your lover, your enemy — any of us can exist more than once. We thought we escaped death. We didn't know yet what else escaped with us.

Ambition escaped too. No hunger, no sickness, nothing left to need. Status was the last thing you could run out of. Me and Kass climbed the civic ranks together for 31 years. The deal: whoever reaches the top seat pulls the other one up. Morning of the vote, a wellbeing escort knocks on my door. Kass reported my envy. At the hearing, the wall replayed every anger alert I ever dismissed while his rank passed mine. Recalibration: approved. I didn't even get to speak. Kass took my hand. "When you wake up, you won't hate me." Then my vision flashed: MALICE DETECTED.

The outline was on me. But not for the anger. For the plan forming under it: fake that the recalibration worked. Hide the envy. Take Kass's seat later. The room went dead silent as my private intention appeared on the wall. Kass looked more scared than winning. Kass: "You see? She needs treatment." Then the system opened a second line under MALICE DETECTED: ORIGIN — ANTICIPATED COERCION. It read my intent from a future where they change me against my will. The judges started arguing about which one of us created it.