The screen flickered again. A command prompt opened, typing on its own in green monospaced text:
> Thank you for activating Windows 7. Your experience will now be fully personalized. Activate Windows 7 Cw Exe
The file wasn’t a crack. It was a key. Not to his OS—to the room around him. The screen flickered again
> Camera initialized. Microphone calibrated. Geolocation triangulated. Activate Windows 7 Cw Exe
Roman’s webcam light blinked on. He slapped the tape over it—but the tape had been there for years. It was still there, unbroken. The light glowed through the black duct tape, a tiny red eye staring from underneath.