He pushed back from his desk, his heart hammering against his ribs. The text stopped. A new line appeared, pulsing slowly:
The progress bar didn’t move from left to right. Instead, it flickered, the green segments appearing in random order until the folder snapped open. Inside was a single file: view_me.exe . Against every instinct of cyber-security, he ran it.
His monitor didn’t flicker. Instead, his webcam light turned a deep, bruised purple—a color it wasn't manufactured to produce. The screen went pitch black, then began to scroll white text at a blinding speed. It wasn't code; it was a log of his own life.
