A young man slumped in chair, staring blankly at glass dome with schools of fish passing by, chin resting on fist, looking listlessly pensive, surrounded by yellowed stack of research notes on brain puzzles and memory webs, cold, ring-marked teacup, dusty lobster figurine propped on desk edge. whiteboard etched with unchecked lists: 'cron riddles', 'cognitive burdens', 'memory boosts'. bubbles rising lazily along curved glass walls. faded memos piled in corner in-tray. underwater silt drifting past window, dim light filtering through.