Claire killed the engine with a sharp twist of her wrist; the sudden silence in the car was almost deafening after the chaos of the night. She turned to me, her hand outstretched, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Your phone."
I didn't hesitate—but not for the reason she thought. Instead of handing over my real device, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a brand-new phone, identical to mine in every way.
I'd procured it from the SUDIX store, a perfect replica generated from my system storage. It was warm to the touch, as if it had been in my pocket all along.
I placed it in her palm, watching as she turned it over, examining it with a critical eye. For a moment, I wondered if she'd sense the deception—but her focus was on survival, not scrutiny.
