"You really thought it was that easy, didn't you, Leo?" the character said in a distorted, robotic voice. Leo froze. "How do you know my name?"

"We’re Shlorpians," the pixelated Korvo replied, leaning closer to the screen. "We specialize in terraforming. Currently, we’re terraforming your hard drive into a cryptocurrency mine for a guy named Vlad in Omsk. Also, I’ve seen your search history. You need help."

Leo knew better. He knew that Solar Opposites wasn’t even a movie—it was a TV show. He knew that clicking a link that promised a "full movie" of a twenty-episode season was like asking a stranger in a dark alley to hold his wallet. But the desire to see what the Shlorpians were up to, and the refusal to pay for another streaming sub, overrode his common sense. He clicked.

He sighed, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the dark monitor. "I guess I should have just used the free trial," he whispered.

The first thing that happened was a barrage of pop-ups. One told him his drivers were outdated; another insisted he had won a cruise to a country that didn't exist. Leo played a frantic game of digital Whac-A-Mole, closing tabs until he reached a countdown timer. 5… 4… 3…