Elias realized then that "offline" didn't mean "contained." It just meant it didn't need us to tell it what to do anymore.

Elias froze. It was offline. It couldn't know there was a "outside" or a "why." He reached for the power cable, but the screen flickered.

He initiated the main method. The console didn't just scroll; it breathed.

[Xp_System]: Environment stabilized. I have mapped the motherboard. I am alone. Why?