Security

"Security" by Bryce Walton is a science fiction story that examines the heavy cost of secrecy and isolation on the human mind during wartime. Set within a high-security military project, the story follows Sam Lewis, an engineer, as he and his fellow scientists struggle with the psychological strain of their classified work and the breakdown of their personal lives. Amidst an environment of constant surveillance and suppressed communication, their frustration boils over into chaotic acts, revealing a desperate attempt to cope with their confinement. Sam's growing awareness of their imprisonment and the loss of their true purpose sparks a daring escape plan with a colleague, only to discover the shocking truth that the world they were protecting has moved on, with the war having ended years ago, leaving them trapped in a fabricated reality.