[s1e11] Were We Ever? ✭ (Genuine)

Elias didn’t look up. He was staring at a glitch in the wall monitor. "I have those same memories, Sarah. But I checked the transit manifests this morning. There was no shuttle launch in 2042. There wasn’t even a Project Echo."

The air in the room grew heavy. This was the eleventh day since they’d gone off the grid—the day the "ghost memories" began to fray at the edges. [S1E11] Were We Ever?

"The logs say we were stationed in New Berlin for three years," Sarah whispered, her thumb tracing the edge of her glass. "I can see the rain on the skylights. I can taste the synthetic coffee from the corner kiosk. I remember the way you looked at me when the first shuttle launched." Elias didn’t look up

"If the memories are fake," she said, her voice trembling, "then what are we? Are we just leftovers from a decommissioned simulation? Were we ever actually there?" But I checked the transit manifests this morning

Elias finally reached out, covering her hand with his. His skin felt warm, his grip firm. It felt like a lifetime of shared history lived in that single touch.

Outside, the city lights flickered, a momentary stutter in the grid that looked suspiciously like a reboot. They held on tighter, two ghosts waiting for the sun to rise—or for the screen to go black.

"The records say we don't exist," he said softly. "But I feel the weight of every year I spent loving you. If the world is a lie, then that’s the only truth I’m keeping."