"Free," he muttered, clicking the third link. A forum post, two days old. No replies. The file name was a random string: f nx_c ore_ v2.7z . No readme. No "crack" folder. Just a single download button that pulsed like a heartbeat.

The monitor showed a credit card form. The "Pay Now" button was the only clickable thing on screen.

He should have known better. But the emptiness of a cockpit-shaped hole in his chest made him stupid.

Still, he double-clicked.

He tried to shut down the computer. The power button was dead. The monitor cable—unplugged—still showed the image. The voice again: "V1. ROTATE."

His apartment was airborne.

His home airport. No. His house . Lat and long of his own address.

Outside, the sky began to pixelate.