Standing alone is easy to isolate.
Standing together is impossible to ignore.
The city woke with the same posted schedules and the same polished calm, but the posture of the people had changed. They stood closer. Moved slower when it mattered. Looked at each other before looking at the signboard.
Not rebellion.
Recognition.
Arjun noticed it while we waited near the transit stop."They're checking faces now," he said."Not instructions."
"Yes," I replied."That's how standing spreads."
✦
The coordinators noticed too.
They arrived earlier than usual, spoke more quietly, watched longer before intervening. When a system senses drift, it doesn't rush—it measures.
Pressure agents become observers again.
The other Ishaan aligned, voice steady.
Standing becomes contagious when people realize the cost is shared, he said.
"And the protection," I added.
✦
The first moment came small.
A volunteer passed water to someone outside the canopy without asking.No one stopped her.
