Days passed inside the orb.
Jack kept to the routine.
Morning came and went without sunlight, and with only the soft hum of the orb and the dim overhead lamps marking time.
He spoke aloud as he worked, just to break the silence.
“Food supply?”
He checked the shelves. Rows of cans. Water bottles stacked carefully.
“Check.”
He turned to the small console beside him.
“Air filtration?”
A soft fan whirred behind the wall panel. The gauge needle sat firmly in the green.
“Check.”
Jack leaned forward and tapped the surveillance screen.
The monitor flickered to life.
CAM 01 — BASEMENT
There it was. the purple orb sitting quietly in the middle of the basement floor, exactly where he had built it. Tools scattered around. Old shelves against the concrete wall. Dust drifting slowly in the dim light.
Nothing moved.
“Check.”
