So I'm typing this instead of writing. The reader was a gift from a client. It feels strange, using a screen. But I want him to hear my voice, even if it's just words on glass.

The cable glowed amber. Then red. Then off.

Outside his basement apartment, rain drilled against the single window, but Victor didn’t notice. His entire world had condensed into this moment—this patcher, this frayed USB cable, and the silent, corrupted e-reader bricked on his desk.

He slammed his palm on the desk. The reader sat there, a small gray slab, more useless than ever. His father’s last words, erased forever by a broken tool and a corrupt flash chip.

[ERROR: VOLTAGE SPIKE ON D+ LINE. DEVICE MAY BE PERMANENTLY BRICKED.]