Elias hesitated. He hadn't verified anything. As he watched, the terminal began to scroll through a list of names. He froze when he saw his own: Elias Thorne. Born: 1998. Status: Current. Beside his name was a second date: April 28, 2026.
Outside, in the real world, a laptop sat open on a messy desk in Los Angeles. The screen was black, save for a small dialogue box in the center: 222222zip
The hum grew deafening. The green light filled the room, swallowing the walls, the desk, and Elias himself. On the monitor, the "Status" column beside his name flickered one last time. Status: Compressed. Elias hesitated