Bbc.con/tvcode -

The countdown on her phone hit zero.

She turned around slowly.

The TV clicked.

Enter TV Code: _______

The "broken" set-top box’s red standby light had blinked green. And embedded in its plastic casing, no bigger than a grain of rice, a lens was staring back. bbc.con/tvcode

The website was stark white. No logos. No "Terms of Service." Just a single input field and a countdown timer: .

She hadn't pressed anything. The remote sat on the coffee table, batteries long dead. The TV had simply glitched during the 10 PM news, the anchor's face melting into a grey prompt box. The countdown on her phone hit zero

Her own bedroom. From a low angle. Behind her.