If Julianna had to describe what being loved by Julian felt like, she would say that it felt like it being a low-time-complexity algorithm designed to efficiently solve the problem of who to spend the rest of your life with.
Being with him was pleasing in the way standing in line was pleasing or using your turn signal was pleasing.
But there was nothing pleasing at all about calling him to tell him that her research had paid off—that she had information on what Cassandra had seen and what it could mean for Lyra.
"Meet me in the computer lab," he said. "I can VPN in from there."
She and Julian sat in front of the ChatGPT window. It was linked into the Lyra performance analysis database.
"What did you hear exactly?" Julian asked her.
"She was hugging Aidan and crying, and I think I only heard the end of their conversation, but she said, 'You don't know how good it feels to tell you this! Seeing people's secrets over their heads all the time is so draining, so exhausting, so horrible—and even feeling like I can control it slightly more than before didn't make me feel any less alone.'"
"People's secrets? She was looking at the heads of the NPCs in Lyra a lot."
"But it's impossible, Julian!"
"Ask it," he told her.
"We need information on our friend Cassandra," she wrote.
ChatGPT responded, "Happy to help! To write a strong performance review for Cassandra, I'll need a few more details first so I can make it specific, objective, and tied to outcomes. Could you share:
1. What Cassandra has worked on recently—projects, tasks, or responsibilities from the last month or so.
2. Any notable contributions, successes, or outcomes—things like launching a new Cream Dreams feature, solving a tricky string-tying issue, helping the team, or showing initiative.
3. Any growth area or challenges she's faced—and how she's handled them, if relevant.
4. Her role (if it's more specific than just 'our friend')--for example, is she on the Sinful R&D team, dough duty, cleaning, etc.?
Once I have that, I'll draft a clear and effective performance review for her."
"She tested Lyra out once. But something happened while she was inside," Julianna wrote.
"Great, thanks! Can you share what Cassandra has been on recently as a tester in Lyra? Even a few bullet points would help—things like: recent projects or tickets she completed, any technical challenges she tackled, contributions to team goals or collaboration, testing, performance work, mentorship, or debugging efforts, or any standout impact, initiative, or improvement she's made. Once I have that context, I'll draft the performance review!"
Julianna's hands trembled as she wrote the next words.
"She has the power to see the last time someone has done something personal and she has been training it."
ChatGPT responded, "Interesting! It sounds like Cassandra is working on a feature or system that surfaces users' last personal action—and she's been training or refining it. To write a strong performance review, I just need a little more detail:
1. What's the goal or use case for this 'last personal action' data (e.g., improving system predictions, powering a new UI, supporting operational workflows?)
2. What kind of training is she doing? Is it ML model training, refining heuristics, or tuning logic based on real-world usage?
3. Has she hit any milestones so far—like completing a proof of concept, validating data accuracy, integrating with another system, or getting feedback from other teams?
These details will help me describe her work clearly and show her impact. Let me know what you can share!"
"I think she can see something personal about people's lives somehow," Julianna wrote. "I don't know how she can do it. I think it may have been unintentional before. But I think she is becoming able to control it consciously."
"Ah, got it—that sounds less like standard Sinful work and more like Cassandra might have some kind of ability or power that's developing over time. Just to clarify: are we still writing a real performance review for a real Lyra tester named Cassandra, or are we now playing with a fictional or metaphorical scenario (maybe inspired by her name, like the mythological Cassandra who had visions)? If this is a real performance review request, I'll need actual work details to proceed. If this is a creative or fictional request, I'm totally in—just let me know the direction you're imagining, and we can build a fun performance review from there!"
"This is real," Julianna wrote. "Seriously. She has some sort of ability that she's honing."
"Understood—and thanks for the clarification. Since this sounds like a unique and sensitive situation, let me ask a few focused follow-ups so I can make sure we write a respectful, appropriate, and constructive performance review:
1. From a work standpoint, has the ability shown up in how Cassandra contributes to the team? For example, has she used it to anticipate needs, identify risks, or help people in unexpected ways?
2. How is she responding to this ability? Is she being thoughtful or cautious about how and when to use it
3. Have you or others noticed a pattern in how this is affecting her work—positively or negatively?
Because performance reviews should focus on work-related contributions, I'll need to connect this to actual outcomes, behaviors, or decisions that impact the team or project. If you can share anything about how this has affected her role as 'our friend'--technically, interpersonally, or organizationally—I'll help you phrase it in a way that stays grounded, constructive, and objective. Let me know what you're comfortable sharing!"
Julianna couldn't even believe it herself as she typed it. But she wrote: "She might be able to see numbers over people's heads indicating the last time they have done something. I think it is disturbing to her."
"Thanks for being open—this sounds like a deeply unusual and possibly unsettling experience for Cassandra, especially if it's influencing her state of mind or interactions at work. Given that performance reviews are meant to document someone's professional contributions, behaviors, and outcomes, here's how we could approach this responsibly:
A few things to consider before writing the performance review:
If Cassandra is struggling (e.g., distracted, distressed, or unsure how to manage this experience), it may be more appropriate to address it outside the performance review—through a supportive conversation with a Sinful lead or with help from HR or Sinful's support resources.
If she's still contributing effectively, we can write a performance review that focuses on her resilience, continued technical work, and how she's handled challenges, without making assumptions about the nature of this ability.
If you're still comfortable moving forward, here's one way we could write a respectful, grounded performance review based on what you've shared:
Cassandra continues to carry out her responsibilities while navigating a uniquely personal challenge that appears to influence how she perceives those around her. Despite this, she has remained engaged with her work and shown thoughtfulness in how she responds to her experiences. She's begun to explore this ability more intentionally, and while its nature is not fully understood, she appears to be gaining some degree of control or awareness over it.
It's clear this ability has an emotional impact on her—particularly when it surfaces information she did not seek out. Even so, Cassandra has been deliberate in not letting it interfere with her interactions or responsibilities. Her self-awareness and developing intentionality around this experience reflect maturity and integrity.
As she continues to understand and manage this ability, I encourage her to stay connected to her team and to seek out support where needed. Her willingness to remain grounded amidst uncertainty is commendable.
Suggested Performance Grade: C
I'm suggesting C because while this review does not focus on traditional technical outcomes, it acknowledges both the challenge Cassandra is facing and her effort to remain constructive and self-aware. This rating reflects a mixed picture—some disruption, but also signs of strength and resilience."
Julianna and Julian stared at the screen.
"So, it's true," he said quietly.