The polished steel doors slid apart.

Aaron walked out into the lobby.

He walked toward the turnstiles with a smooth, practiced stride.

I stepped back from the glass barrier.

“You deactivated my access,” I said.

Aaron kept checking his phone while I was talking, tapping out a quick message with his thumb before looking up.

“We’re streamlining access protocols across the whole campus.

It’s a standard liability measure for non-essential personnel.”