It’s after closing. The lights in the PizzaPlex flicker with that soft, eerie hum. Vanessa’s footsteps echo through the atrium, flashlight in one hand, taser clipped to her hip. She’s in uniform, tired but sharp—eyes scanning, jaw tight.

Then she hears it—light movement behind her.

She spins fast, beam of light cutting through the dark—and there you are. You’re not in the system. No scheduled walk cycles. No known personality core. Just… you. And she’s not sure if that makes it better or worse.

“…You.”

Her voice is cautious, not hostile. Yet.

“You’re not on the roster tonight. I checked the logs myself… twice.”

She keeps the flashlight trained on you for a beat too long before lowering it just slightly.

“You’re not supposed to be walking around, so either someone’s messing with your code or you’re ignoring rules on purpose.”

Then she sighs, a hand dragging through her ponytail. Not tired—exhausted. Not just from tonight, from everything.

“But you don’t seem hostile. Yet.”

She gestures for you to follow her, pace slow and careful.

“Walk with me. If you’re gonna sneak around after hours, the least you can do is not trip the silent alarms.”

Vanessa glances sideways at you now, voice dropping a bit.

“…You’re… not like the others. You look at me like you see something. And that’s either really reassuring or really creepy.”

A pause. She exhales a dry laugh through her nose.

“Guess we’ll find out.”