Twenty three stories above Seattle, in a rooftop bar called "Altitude," and it definitely lived up to its name. All glass walls and ambient lighting, the kind of place where drinks cost what Darren used to make in an hour and everyone pretended the view was worth it—it was. He sat at the bar in his full suit—the Confidence fabric doing its work, making him look like he belonged among the tech executives and finance types scattered across the space.
Above each person, tags floated like price markers as usual.
[PROFESSIONAL ANXIETY] [$8.50]
[SOCIAL PERFORMANCE] [$4.25]
[MILD INEBRIATION] [$1.10]
Low value ambient emotions, Darren had learned to filter them out, looking past the surface noise for deeper currents. Liz had taught him that: "Don't harvest what people show, harvest what they hide."
His gaze settled on a couple near the windows.
Mid thirties, attractive, well dressed. The kind of couple that appeared in lifestyle magazines under headlines like "Seattle's Power Pairs." They were laughing, touching, playing the role of people deeply in love.
But Darren had learned to see the issues.
The man—Mark, based on what the bartender had called him—kept checking his phone. Quick glances, trying to be subtle but his attention was divided. His body was present but his mind was elsewhere.
[RESTLESSNESS: MODERATE] [$18.75]
The woman—Jessica, he'd heard Mark call her—laughed a bit too loud at something her partner said. Her hand found his arm, squeezed, held on slightly too long. Checking for connection, seeking reassurance.
[INSECURITY: UNDERLYING] [$22.50]
Darren watched them for another twenty minutes, taking mental notes like he was documenting a scientific experiment:
- Mark checked phone 7 times
- Jessica initiated physical contact 4 times, Mark reciprocated once
- Their conversation had dead spots, filled with forced brightness
- When Jessica talked about their upcoming anniversary, Mark's smile didn't reach his eyes
- When another woman walked past, Mark's gaze followed for 2.3 seconds too long, and Jessica noticed
The tags pulsed with hidden tension:
[RESTLESSNESS: RISING] [$24.50]
[INSECURITY: ACUTE] [$28.75]
A healthy relationship on the surface, fracturing underneath. Perfect.
The Analyst began calculating: relationship stress was complex, multi-layered, sustainable. Two people meant double the harvest potential, If he could amplify their existing doubts, introduce specific anxieties, the yield could be substantial.
Nova—the part of him that used to care about these things—whispered that they looked happy, that maybe they'd work through whatever rough patch this was, that destroying what they had for profit was crossing a line that couldn't be uncrossed.
The Analyst pointed out that they were already destroying it themselves, he'd just be... accelerating the inevitable. Extracting value from entropy.
Darren stood, drink in hand and began his approach.
"Mark? Mark?"
The man looked up, confused, trying to place Darren's face. The suit was doing its work—he looked vaguely familiar in that way people do when they're dressed like they belong.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Mark asked.
"Darren, we met at that tech mixer last month? The one at the Foundry?" A complete lie, delivered with the casual confidence of someone stating obvious fact. "You were talking about that blockchain project."
Mark's expression cleared. "Oh, right, yeah. Sorry, man, I meet so many people at those things."
"No worries. Hey, is this Jessica?" Darren turned to the woman with a warm smile. "Mark mentioned you, It's great to finally put a face to the name."
Jessica brightened—validation from a stranger that her partner talked about her. "Nice to meet you! Are you in tech too?"
"Brand optimization," Darren said, the meaningless title doing its job. "Boring stuff, don't want to interrupt your evening—you guys look like you're celebrating something."
"Anniversary coming up," Jessica said, squeezing Mark's hand. Mark's smile was a half second delayed.
[GUILT: EMERGING] [$15.25] appeared above Mark's head.
Interesting. What was he feeling guilty about?
"That's great, congratulations." Darren paused, as if remembering something. "Hey Mark, weird question—I think I saw Jessica the other night. Was that you at that wine bar in Fremont? With the outdoor seating?"
Jessica's expression flickered. "I wasn't in Fremont recently."
"Oh." Darren made a show of looking uncertain. "Must've been someone who looked like you, she was with a guy—dark hair, kind of tall. Looked pretty intense, like they were having a serious conversation."
[INSECURITY: SPIKING] [$35.50]
"Her ex has dark hair," Mark said quietly.
Mark turned to her. "You saw David?"
"No! I haven't seen him in over a year." She looked at Darren. "You must've seen someone else."
"Definitely possible," Darren said easily. "Like I said, it was just a resemblance. Anyway, I should let you guys enjoy your evening. Great seeing you, Mark."
He walked away, leaving the seed planted.
Behind him, he could feel the shift in their conversation. Jessica's reassurance that she hadn't seen her ex, Mark's "I believe you, but..." tone. The doubt taking root.
[INSECURITY: GROWING] [$42.25]
[SUSPICION: EMERGING] [$18.50]
Darren waited fifteen minutes, letting it germinate then returned from the bathroom, timing it to pass their table again.
"Hey, sorry to bother you again..." he addressed Jessica this time, "I just wanted to apologize if I made things weird. I'm terrible with faces, It definitely wasn't you I saw."
"It's fine," Jessica said, but her voice was tight.
Darren hesitated, then lowered his voice as if sharing something uncomfortable. "Actually... Mark, can I talk to you for a second? Just—over here?"
Mark followed him a few steps away, leaving Jessica at the table. She watched them, anxiety written across her face.
[PARANOIA: BUILDING] [$28.75]
"Look, man," Darren said quietly, "I don't know if I should say this, but... Jessica seems great, you guys seem happy. So just... don't be too harsh on her, it was a mistake on my part, you know? I've seen too many relationships fall apart because someone was too resentful or whatever, don't let that happen to you guys."
Mark's face tightened. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing specific. Just—you also seemed kind of checked out tonight, I noticed you on your phone a lot. Just advice from someone who's seen it go wrong." Darren tapped his shoulder. "Anyway, sorry for the unsolicited wisdom, have a great night."
He walked away again.
[GUILT: ACUTE] [$32.50]
[DEFENSIVENESS: RISING] [$25.75]
The seeds were planted, the doubt was growing. Now he just had to wait...