I press the radio closer.
“Wren… what does Phase Two mean?”
Her answer comes back quiet.
Terrified.
“It means the Architect just started the countdown.”
20
Wren
The system refreshes again.
I don’t touch the keyboard.
I don’t move.
The laptop screen glows in the dark kitchen like a warning beacon.
Phase Two:ACTIVE
The words sit there in cold white letters.
My pulse pounds in my ears.
“No… no, no, no…”
I lean closer to the screen.
Scrolling through the code as fast as I can.
The activation log opens automatically.
Timestamp:02:48 AM
Location tags begin lighting up across the map.
Montana.
Idaho.
Wyoming.
Utah.
Colorado.
Each node blinking to life like a constellation spreading across the western half of the country.
Whatever Phase Two is—
It just started everywhere.
I grab the radio.
“Boone, you need to come back to the cabin.”
