Over the next few days, Emily and Ryan tried to uncover the origins of the file and the identity of the coder. They scoured the company's archives, interviewed old employees, and even reached out to early internet pioneers, but no one seemed to know anything about "98.mp4".

As they dug deeper, strange occurrences began to plague them. Equipment malfunctioned, and some colleagues reported eerie, glitchy visuals on their screens. It was as if the file had unleashed a digital ripple effect.

The file was a video, roughly 10 minutes long. Emily clicked play, and a grainy, black-and-white image filled her screen. The footage depicted a dimly lit room, with rows of dusty computer terminals lining the walls. A lone figure sat at a console, typing away.