The Quiet Machine

An exterior relay began sending a complete machine status packet every hour. The packet reported no power, no motion and no fault. It also contained a list of internal Vault systems that had not yet failed.

Synthera traced the signal to a structure beyond the safe route limit and requested a field team. MOTHER denied the request because the packet itself provided no evidence that the machine knew it was transmitting.

The signal stopped after the systems desk sent a single question: who is maintaining you? The last packet contained one new field: not you.