9.03.25: Maintenance Event

The climate app said “Maintenance Event” but no one really knew what that meant. The next day, the sun didn’t rise. Just gray. Cold. Quiet. Some people said it was temporary. A patch, maybe. Others said the sun was deemed “inefficient” and removed from the ecosystem for performance reasons. The corporations issued statements about “adjusted circadian rhythms” and “perpetual energy savings.” Productivity went up, apparently. No more distractions. I used to think I’d miss the warmth most, but it’s the shadows I miss. The feeling that time is moving. Now everything just sits still. Even me. Especially me.