"We need to move. Now!"
Tony's already coordinating evacuation before the shock of The Architect's message fully registers.
"Everyone, pack. Essential items only, we're leaving in ten minutes."
"Where are we going?" I ask, still staring at my phone.
"Susan's estate. It's in upstate New York, the only place The Architect won't know about - it's not connected to any of us except Susan."
Susan's already on her phone, making arrangements. "I'm calling ahead. Having the security activated and supplies brought in. We can be there in three hours."
"Three hours is too long," Timothy says.
"It's also our only option." Susan's voice is firm. "My family's estate is forty acres, isolated, defensible. I had the modern security installed two years ago. If we're going to make a stand, that's where we do it."
Elliot's already having a panic attack. I can see it building - the rapid breathing, the rocking, the hands covering his ears against the sensory overload of everyone talking at once.
