The screen flashed. A sound began to leak through his headphones. It wasn't the warm, analog synth wave he was expecting. It was a low, vibrating hum that seemed to bypass his ears entirely, resonating directly in the base of his skull. Another line appeared. YOU ARE ALONE, LEO. BUT WE ARE MANY.
The hum grew louder, shaking the glass of water on his desk. The purple glow on the screen was now the only light in the room, casting long, distorted shadows against the walls. On the screen, a waveform appeared. It wasn't a standard sine or square wave. It looked like a heartbeat—erratic, panicked, and distinctly human.
Leo put on his headphones, turned up the volume, and launched the program.
The prompt on the screen changed one last time, the letters slowly melting down the display like black wax:
Suddenly, the whispers stopped. A single, clear voice spoke directly into his left ear. It sounded exactly like his own voice.