"Command, this is Bravo One," a voice rasped. It sounded too real—too desperate for a low-budget indie mod. "The extraction point isn't appearing. The terrain... it’s shifting. We’re seeing polygons where there should be sand. It’s like the world is de-rezzing."

Static filled his headset, followed by the heavy, rhythmic breathing of someone running.

Elias froze. He looked at the system clock on his desktop. It was . The timestamp on the file was only two weeks away.

Elias laughed, figuring it was some elaborate fan-made mod or an "Alternate Reality Game" (ARG) included by a dedicated uploader. He opened the RECORDS folder. Inside were dozens of audio files. He played the first one.