Rich Under Their Hate: The Social Status System
Chalida asked, her voice barely a breath above the wind.
"Now," Pim said, looking at the city below, "we realize that we didn't kill the machine. We just gave it a new home."
She looked down at the drive. The light began to pulse—not crimson, but a soft, steady, rhythmic white.
"It’s not gone, Chalida," Pim whispered, her voice trembling. "It’s already uploaded. It just migrated."
From the distance, the muffled sound of an explosion erupted—not from the penthouse, but from the core of the financial district, blocks away. A massive plume of smoke began to rise, illuminated by the dying electrical grid.