Leo had a rule: he would not pay for a rental. Not tonight. Not on a random Tuesday when his bank account was doing a perfect impression of a flatline. That meant no Dune: Part Two , no Oppenheimer . Just the green "Included with Prime" badge, his only ticket to salvation.

He was twenty-three minutes into this digital archeology when his girlfriend, Maya, shuffled in with a mug of tea.

The algorithm, as always, had a deeply confused opinion of his soul.