485137i -

Elias didn't turn around. He just watched the screen as the numbers began to count down.

He pulled the ethernet cable. The screen stayed live. He killed the main power. The monitors glowed a haunting, pale blue, still displaying that singular string: . 485137i

The graveyard shift at the Eklund Observatory was usually a silent affair, punctuated only by the hum of cooling fans and the occasional drip of a coffee machine. Elias, the lead data tech, liked it that way. He didn't like surprises. Elias didn't turn around

Every time Elias typed, the in the code shifted to 138 , then 139 . It was counting his keystrokes. The screen stayed live

Suddenly, the "i" began to blink. Elias realized it wasn't a variable at all. He leaned closer and saw the pixelated letter warp. It wasn't an 'i'. It was an eye.