Deep Signal

The hotel pool shimmered at midnight, empty except for Elena. She'd been swimming laps for an hour, trying to outpace the email she'd received that morning—her division was being dissolved. Twenty years at the company, reduced to a severance package and a polite suggestion to consider consulting.

She surfaced, gasping, water streaming from her hair like she'd been born from it. Palm fronds rustled above, casting shadows that looked like fingers reaching for her.

"You're still at it."

Elena turned in the water. David stood at the pool's edge, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up. The senior VP from the acquiring company. The man who'd signed off on the termination letters, including hers.

"Can't sleep," she said, treading water. "You?"

He sat on the edge, feet dangling in the water. "Got feedback on the integration plan. People aren't happy."

"No shit."

His laugh surprised her. "Fair enough." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a tangled cable. "My charger died. Room's got nothing but obsolete outlets. Figured I'd find the business center, but...

"But you ended up here instead."

"Yeah." He stared at the cable. "My daughter loves Egyptian mythology. Was telling me about the sphinx today. How it devours you if you can't solve its riddle."

"And what's your riddle, David?"

"How to lay off three thousand people without becoming the villain." His voice cracked. "I keep telling myself it's just business. That the numbers make sense. But then I see people like you—people who built this place—and I feel like I'm feeding something that'll eventually eat me too."

Elena swam to the edge, rested her arms on the pool deck. "That's the thing about corporate sphinxes. The riddle changes every time you think you've solved it."

"So what's the answer?"

"There isn't one." She stood up, water cascading off her body. "The answer is stopping to believe the game is fair."

He nodded slowly, extending a hand to help her out. "For what it's worth—I fought for your team."

She took his hand, his grip warm and firm. "I believe you. That's almost worse."