The terminal crackles to life with a reluctant hum, its faded green display flickering against the dust-caked screen. You wipe it clean with your sleeve, revealing a login prompt blinking steadily — waiting, watching. You type in the usual override code, fingers quick and practised, but the machine responds with a dull beep and a harsh red error. Access Denied. Of course, it’s locked. Someone set it to secure mode before abandoning ship. The fans groan inside the casing like a dying breath, and a static charge hums beneath your fingertips. Time is not your ally, and the system isn’t either — not without a password.