Inside HYPER, options unfurled like unlocked drawers. There was “Expand L-Band,” “Adaptive Demod,” “Phase-Shift Sync,” and most curious of all, “Top: Experimental.” Lina’s finger hovered. She knew better than to be cavalier—Ryder’s messages had been half-cryptic, half-exhilarated. But the box had become more than hardware; it was an inheritance that sang in solder and code. She selected Top.