“Don’t move.” Adrian’s voice came low, controlled, but something underneath it felt sharper now, like control stretched too tight. I didn’t move. Not because he said it. Because the silence after that beep felt wrong. Too clean, too empty. “They didn’t just shut the system,” I said quietly. “They changed the environment.” A pause. Then, “Explain.” “They’re not here anymore.” The words settled between us.
Adrian’s hand flexed once at his side. Not reaching for me this time. Not immediately. “You’re sure?” “No,” I said. “But if they stayed, they’d want us reacting, not thinking.” Another silence. He turned slightly, scanning what little we could see in the dim emergency glow trying to come back to life. “You’re assuming they’ve already won something,” he said. “I’m assuming they don’t need
