A text box popped up over the video feed, the font old and jagged: “Seed ratio reached. Beginning upload.”

Heart hammering, Elias spun around. The corner was empty. The closet door was shut.

But then, his router lights began to pulse in a rhythmic, frantic blue. The download speed spiked. 10 MB/s... 100 MB/s... 1 GB/s. His cooling fans kicked into a high-pitched whine, struggling to vent the sudden heat.

The room went cold. Elias reached for the power button, but his hand stopped mid-air. On the screen, the digital version of himself was no longer moving in sync. The digital Elias turned around, looked into the camera, and placed a finger to his lips.