The tension Nomi stirred up earlier still clung to me. But before I could even begin to overthink it, the overhead speakers crackled to life.
"DINNER IS NOW BEING SERVED."
The masked guards filed in carrying those identical metal plates with overcooked rice, grayish protein cubes, and a side of… well, whatever that mush was supposed to be. The texture was always rubbery, like they were made in a lab. I stared at mine, poking it with a fork.
"I don't even know if this counts as food," I muttered under my breath.
People were too quiet tonight. Suspicion did that to a room.
We ate in silence. A few whispered exchanges here and there, but mostly just the sound of chewing and metal scraping against metal.
After dinner, the lights dimmed automatically. We all knew what that meant.
Lights Out.
