The extraction bar slid across the screen with a mechanical hum that seemed to vibrate through the desk. As the folder bloomed open, it revealed a single directory labeled INTERFERENCE . Inside were thousands of audio files, each only a few seconds long.
Elias looked at the file list. There were logs for tomorrow, for next week, and for a Tuesday in 2053. He scrolled to the very bottom, to a file named Final_Entry.wav . His hand trembled as he hovered over it.
The laptop screen went black. In the reflection of the glass, Elias didn't see himself. He saw the empty chair behind him, still rocking slightly, as if someone had just stood up to leave.