Please Stand By.
The green-eyed woman’s smile didn’t waver. “The update isn’t finished. We’re still expanding. But for now… you have a head start.”
Lena pulled back. She’d worked nights at Meridian Data Solutions for eleven years. She cleaned the toilets, emptied the trash, knew which vending machine gave you two candy bars if you pressed B7. She was not supposed to be the last person standing. Please Stand By
Outside, through the tinted windows, Lena saw the city skyline. Every light was on. Every screen she could see—from the traffic monitors to the billboards to the distant office towers—glowed the same two words.
She was the only one not standing by.
“Hendricks?” She shook his shoulder. He didn’t respond, but his lips moved. She leaned closer.
She walked to the stairwell. The door, usually a push-bar away from freedom, was deadlocked. A small screen beside it displayed the same words: Please Stand By. We’re still expanding
“Who are you?” Lena gripped her mop handle like a weapon.