Page 162 - TruthAboutLyingFinal

The Truth About Lying
Henry approached one of the signs. It was handwritten on cardboard:
QUIET ZONE
NO DISCLOSURE REQUIRED NO QUESTIONS ASKED SILENCE IS SAFETY
He kept walking. More signs appeared. More people. All of them locked in that protective, biological silence.
At the center of the district, he found what looked like a makeshift community center. People were gathered outside, sitting on the steps, leaning against the walls. In silence.
A woman approached him, moving slowly, as if even a sudden motion might trigger her patch.
She was holding a chalkboard with words written on it: Are you here to help or observe?
Henry pointed to observe.
She nodded and gestured for him to follow.
Inside the community center, more people. More silence. They were organized, though. There was a system here. People were distributing food. Sharing resources. Helping each other. All without speaking. They moved in a synchronized, wordless rhythm, sharing resources without triggering the system.
The woman with the chalkboard led him to a back room. Inside, a man was sitting at a desk, writing. He looked up when Henry entered, then wrote something on a piece of paper and held it up:
You’re Henry Talbot. The man who built Verax. 162