A new cluster of lights appeared in Phoenix. Then Denver. Seattle. The quantum network was awakening, and with it, something extraordinary.

Sage's blood froze. Piper's carrier emitted a low-frequency pulse that made nearby screens flicker.

On-screen after screen, she saw it: quantum signatures hidden in simple games, distributed computing disguised as homework...

Your cat... it's Project Schrödinger, isn't it? The quantum AI that escaped during the blackout. They said it was destroyed.

Ice shot through her veins. Someone had been watching, not just tracking her digital footprint but physically observing her operation.

What if someone were watching her right now? The same way she watched others? Her own cameras were probably documenting some CEO's now...

She recognized that voice. Ryan. The startup guy she'd dated... what, two months ago?

She smiled, thinking of his motorcycle and tattoos, his complete ignorance of her real profession. He thought she was a cybersecurity gal.