UNKNOWN:
Your system woke up faster than expected.
Cold spreads slowly through my chest.
The quiet diner suddenly feels very far away from Los Angeles.
Boone’s expression hardens slightly.
“Well,” he says quietly.
“Looks like normal life might be over sooner than we thought.”
57
Wren
Boone and I sit in silence for a long moment after reading the message.
The diner suddenly feels smaller.
The chatter of the town around us fades into the background.
One message.
That’s all it took.
I stare at Boone’s phone again.
UNKNOWN:
Your system woke up faster than expected.
“My system,” I say quietly.
Boone studies me.
“You didn’t build it.”
“No.”
“But I activated the observer node.”
“And now someone knows it.”
“Yes.”
Mary walks past the table carrying a tray of pancakes.
“Everything alright over here?”
Boone forces a small smile.
“All good.”
She nods and keeps walking.
But my mind is already racing.
