The servers shriek. Sparks fly. One by one, the silver boxes go dark.

Then he sees a folder: . Size: 4.2 petabytes.

Kai and Maya emerge from a manhole cover. Sirens in the distance.

She plugs her tablet in. The screen fills with a directory: . High bidder: NEXUS MIND CORP. Purpose: “Emotion-based AI training.”

RAIN drips through a cracked ceiling. Water pools around rusted tracks.

The screen shows thumbnails of memories—but they’re not from “The Incident.” They’re random: His mother’s face. The name of his childhood pet. The first line of his favorite poem. His own birthday.