“Huh. Strange.”

“What?”

“I just got a call from Minnesota.”

“Why?”

“Don’t know. My phone never rang, just gave me a notification that I had a new voicemail.”

“Recognize the number?”

“It’s not one of my contacts. I checked the message. It’s just one second of silence.”

“Or you just listened to an audible virus.”

“A what?”

“It’s too late now. The signal has already entered your brain.”

“What the hell, Simon?”

“Resonance will slowly liquify-”

“Shut up. You’re so stupid.”

“Feel that itch in your nose?”

“It’s allergies, dumbass.”

“That mucus is full of newly engineered antibodies. They’ll shut your body down.”

“Right. So my imminent death is heralded by the trumpet of my own nose.”

“Just as long as you don’t yawn.”

“Why, afraid it will transmit through the air?”

“Exactly. It started as a sound. If I hear it, I’m done for.”

“Aha. It only takes a second and you’re infected.”

“Sorry, I can’t hear you. Earbud defenses deployed. Initiate Two Steps from Hell.”

“You’re crazy.”