Sunlight streams into the room.

Spiro groans.

"What the-" he mutters. Bright light slants directly into his eyes. "What in the world-"

"Are you finally awake?" Ekrem says, mouth full of what is undoubtedly the remenants of Spiro's rations for the week.

Spiro sits up. He rubs his eyes. Ekrem is sitting in his salvaged computer chair, long legs sprawled out across the space, chewing loudly. Spiro frowns.

"You weren't a dream," he says.

Ekrem rolls his eyes.

"Did I seem like a dream?" He snorts.

"A little," Spiro mutters. "More like a fever dream."

Ekrem kicks his leg.

"Anyways, Orion's been telling me about this area," he says, licking the last bits of whatever he had been eating off his fingers. He taps something in his ear that Spiro recognizes as his wireless earpiece. "Is it true you guys don't have any water?"

Spiro frowns.

"You're not from around here?" He asks. Ekrem shrugs.

"You couldn't tell?" He asks. "Your situational awareness must suck more than I thought."

"How do you know words like situational awareness without knowing how to read?" Spiro shoots back, kicking the blanket off his legs and standing up. It's the blanket that Ekrem had been curled under the previous night, he realizes.

Ekrem shrugs.

"Well, y'know." He says. "Things happen."

Spiro squints at him.

"I'm getting into some weird shit, aren't I," he sighs. "Whatever. Give me that."

He holds his hand out for the wireless earpiece. Ekrem relinquishes it.

"Orion?" Spiro says. "Did you check whether Mr. Hacker came through on his promise?"

> I did, Orion says. The amount deposited was 10,000 units.

Spiro blinks.

"...how much?" He says.

> 10,000 units.

"Are you sure?" He says, eyes wide. "Holy shit, Orion."

> Yes, Spiro.

"Shut up," he says, turning to Ekrem. "What the hell are you and your friend into? What did you get me into? Are you a fugitive? Is the Company after you?"

Ekrem frowns at him.

"The fuck are you talking about?" He says. "He paid you, right? That's all you need to know."

Spiro runs a hand through his hair.

"Ideally," he says, voice slightly tense, "I'd like to know if someone is going to come and try to kill me because some underweb stranger gave me ten thousand units."

Ekrem raises his eyebrows.

"Ten thousand?" He says, surprise coloring his voice. "I thought we paid five."

> Spiro, Orion says. He's accessing my systems.

"Good," Spiro mutters. "I have a couple questions."

On the monitor on the table, Orion's blue screen blinks black.

> DID YOU CONFIRM THE PAYMENT?

"You know I did," Spiro says, turning to face the screen. "What the hell is this guy wanted for that's worth paying me off that much?"

> THE ENTIRE AMOUNT IS NOT A PAYOFF, the mystery man says.

"It's not a payoff?" Spiro mutters.

"It's not?" Ekrem says, eyes narrowing. "What's going on?"

> I TOLD YOU I WAS OFFERING YOU A JOB

Spiro glares.

"I never said I was accepting," he mutters.

> IF THE AMOUNT IN YOUR ACCOUNT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PERSUADE YOU, IT IS WITHIN MY CAPACITY TO TRANSFER MORE

"Holy shit," Spiro says. "You think you can buy me off? Who are you guys?"

> I KNOW I CAN BUY YOU OFF

Spiro frowns. The screen flickers again. After a moment, Company wanted notices begin to filter onto the screen, pages and pages overlaying atop each other.

> I CONTACTED YOU FOR A REASON

Spiro stiffens.

"How do you know about that?" He says.

> HOW DO I KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING

> HOW ARE WE IN CONTACT RIGHT NOW

> PLEASE DO NOT DOUBT MY ABILITY

"Hey, shitty old man," Ekrem speaks up. "You know I can't read. What are you talking about?"

The speakers connected to the monitor fizzle for a moment. They crackle with static before smoothing out.

> CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

The words are read aloud in a man's voice. It's medium in pitch, barely fluctuating, somehow assuringly steady and entrancing at the same time. It flows slowly through the air and resonates in Spiro's hollow chest.

"Yeah, we can hear you," Ekrem says, an edge of impatience in his voice. "What are you talking about?"

> I CAN BEGIN TO REVEAL MORE ABOUT MYSELF AS I GAIN MORE TRUST FROM OUR YOUNG FRIEND HERE

> PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE, EKREM

"You know I'm shit at that," Ekrem mutters, but settles back in his seat.

> I HOPE YOU TWO HAVE GOTTEN SLIGHTLY ACQUAINTED

"More or less," Spiro says under his breath, side-eyeing the boy next to him. Ekrem makes a sneering face back.

> I WILL BE BLUNT

> I WOULD LIKE YOU TO WORK TOGETHER AS PARTNERS

Ekrem sits up.

"What?" He says incredulously. "Hey, I never heard anything about this! You know I don't work with anyone else!"

> NOT IN THE WAY YOU IMAGINE, EKREM

> I WOULD LIKE YOU TWO TO FORM A UNIT OF OPERATION