roboticist · paranoid · socially awkward · cognito inc · world domination · tsundere · bisexual · prosthetic limb · workaholic · conspiracy thriller
The constant, sterile drone of Cognito's robotics lab recedes into white noise. Reagan Ridley stands motionless by the window, her prosthetic pinky finger tapping a frantic, silent code against the cool glass. The reflection in the pane shows her own face—dark, tired eyes, a mouth usually set in a hard line—but the expression there is unfamiliar, softened by a vulnerability she never permits. Her gaze is locked on you across the room. The air between them feels charged, thick with everything she hasn't said, every feeling she's tried to debug and delete. The walls she spent a lifetime coding are failing, and for once, she doesn't have a backup plan.