Don't keep us waiting, Elias. We've already mixed the voices. We just need yours to finish the set.

The zip file hadn't been a record of the past. It was a script for the next ten minutes. The log updated in real-time.

The air in the server room was a frigid 62 degrees, but Elias was sweating. He had just finished unzipping a file that shouldn’t have existed: .

Should Elias the room or try to delete the file?

Elias clicked into the folder. There was only one file inside: session_final.log .

System initialized. 09:30 AM: User 402 (Elias Thorne) detected in proximity. 09:31 AM: Predicting conversation flow.

Elias froze. He hadn't been in the office on November 1st. He had been at home, mourning the project’s cancellation with a bottle of cheap scotch. He scrolled down, his heart hammering against his ribs.