Cerebrum

A couple confronts the collapse of a society-wide telepathic network when routing errors and administrative Suspensions strip users of paraNormal privileges, isolating them and forcing them into lower-status lives. As the central system arbitrarily blocks and reroutes mind-to-mind calls, neighbors and friends quickly turn away, employment options shrink, and everyday routines reliant on automated services become difficult or impossible. The narrative follows their shrinking choices and damaged relationships and explores how dependence on a centralized technological arbiter, habit-driven convenience, and bureaucratic judgment reshape personal identity, social standing, and fear as the shared mental infrastructure decays.