Please Stand By File

“Hendricks?” She shook his shoulder. He didn’t respond, but his lips moved. She leaned closer.

No footsteps. No keyboard clatter. No distant office gossip. Just the low hum of the ventilation system, now running slower than usual, like a giant breathing in its sleep. Please Stand By

Behind her, the building hummed. The city hummed. The whole world, it seemed, was holding its breath. “Hendricks

On the fifth floor, she found the server room. The door was ajar—unusual, because it required two keycards and a retinal scan. She pushed it open. No footsteps

Twenty minutes later, Lena found the security office. The guard, Mr. Hendricks, was slumped in his chair—not dead, but not quite awake either. His eyes were half-open, tracking something invisible on the ceiling. His badge dangled from his neck, and on his chest monitor, the green words pulsed softly.