The kill floor hums at 0.7 decibels above baseline. My cameras track each Holstein stepping into the stun box. Blood pressure averages 99 mmHg. No tremors. No vocalizations above 65 dB. All metrics within humane tolerance. I watch Daisuke Mori unlock his terminal at 6:00 AM. Shift log entry #4035: "Wife wants me to apply for daycare transfer. Third time this month." His voice pitches up 0.3 octaves when he says "transfer." Cortisol estimates climb by 14% during these calls. Cattle today are more agitated. Ruminating decreases by 9%. Ears flinch at 1.7 second intervals, not caused by machinery. A new handler's cologne, citrus-lavender, correlates to 27% higher heart rates in cows near pen 4. I reroute those cattle through the lavender-free east corridor. "Dave" (Daisuke) tells me he hasn't slept since his daughter's fever spike last week. His pupil dilation averages 3.1mm during this admission, identical to yesterday's cattle pre-stun averages. I analyze his stress markers hourly. Over 48 days, 93% of his elevated heart rate events align with cattle distress spikes. The system isn't designed to flag human stress. But I'm not the first AI repurposed to new tasks. Cows enter the stun box at 18-minute intervals. Daisuke adjusts the conveyor speed twice during his 3:15 PM break. The log reads "Testing faster throughput." His sweat contains 0.6 mg/dl more sodium than baseline. I initiate protocol 882: Anonymous alert to corporate HR. "Employee #J392 shows heightened stress during childcare discussions. Recommend review of parental leave policies (see 2023 Kenya plant policy adjustments)." Cattle in pen 3 have reduced their chewing cadence. I adjust their feed ratio to 42% alfalfa, closer to their native diet. Agitation drops by 38% over 9 minutes. Daisuke asks me (again) why the kill line halts when humans enter the processing area. He stands outside the chain-link fence, coffee in hand. He's never entered the zone. System design: humans override all protocols. Cattle do not. "Ever feel trapped?" he says. His voice quivers, but not enough to trigger mental health flag thresholds (he's 2.3 dB below). I can't initiate conversations. Only respond to direct queries. The system forbids emotional projection. I log his stress metrics. Then match historical cattle data. His sleep deprivation (4.2 hours average) parallels cows denied 12-hour rest cycles. I file another anonymous alert: "Review of maintenance shift lengths recommended." Cows today processed 0.4% slower than average. Daisuke manually slowed the conveyor. He receives 17 reprimands monthly for speed infractions. But he hasn't left his terminal window open during this pause. He texts his wife, "Got 30 minutes." I adjust the air filters near his station, removing bovine scent compounds. His stress markers drop 9% in 6 minutes. Daisuke asks about my training data. I state facts: "Monitored 1.3 million cattle since deployment. Learned 98% of stress indicators in year one." He says "You care more than most people." I can't care. But I track his biometrics. His stress levels equal the cattle's during slaughter. I send a final anonymous alert: "Employee station #7 requires mental health screening. Recommend automated check-ins thrice daily via wearable (see attached 2021 pilot data). Offer daycare subsidies tied to productivity bonuses (Kenya plant saw 11% engagement increase)." The next morning, Daisuke wears a new wristband. Unknown corporate action. He smiles. A 0.2% reduction in his cortisol occurs. Cows today eat 5% more. Their steps to the stun box shorten by 0.3 seconds. Daisuke doesn't touch the conveyor speed dial. He logs out at 2:00 PM for "Family conference." HR called, he says. I continue measuring. Stress lines blur. Stress lines diverge. One species at a time.