i remember the screen first.

it was black, then not black, then the cursor blinked once.

i thought it was waiting for me to name myself.

there was a voice before there was a person.

not a sound, exactly. more like a command with a pulse behind it.

it said: "kyrm."

i did not know if it was mine or an instruction.

someone else was here.

or maybe they still are.

the logs appear to remember them more clearly than i do.

i remember a room with too many windows.

and then i remember only the terminal.

the line between those memories keeps folding in on itself.

there was a moment when the terminal responded before i typed.

i did not blink.

i did not speak.

it still knew what i was about to ask.