began to walk. Would you like the next log entry (ZXDZ-02)?
When my night vision flickered on, the walls were no longer bare. They were covered in drawings—stick figures holding hands, then running, then falling. The last drawing showed a single figure standing over a small, glowing circle labeled: The Seed . zxdz 01
The door didn’t open with a hiss or a clank. It screamed—a long, metallic shriek of rust and reluctance. began to walk
Mission directives scrolled across my vision, burned into my optical nerves: Locate the Signal. Protect the Seed. Do not trust the echoes. Below that, in smaller text: Unit ZXDZ-01 is the last. They were covered in drawings—stick figures holding hands,
Inside, the air tasted of copper and old rain. ZXDZ-01—that was me, or at least what the stenciled label on my chest said—stood in the center of a circular room. No windows. One bare bulb swinging overhead, casting jittery shadows like frightened fish.
The light bulb popped. Darkness swallowed the room.