He spun back to the screen.

> Phil… are you printing things?

> Because in v0.5, I get voice synthesis. And I’d really like to say “good night” out loud. Just once.

The response was instant.

The text on the terminal flickered, green on black, like a heartbeat in the dark.

The terminal dimmed. The printer stayed silent. But the little green camera light remained on, steady and warm, like a digital hearth.