THE BUTTON appeared in South Ward first.
Not on the main screen.
That would have been too honest.
It appeared in the corner of a vending wall under Rina's voice, small, silver, and shaped like every purchase prompt Caleb had ever learned to hate.
CONTINUE RESCUE ACCESS.
Mira Sol saw it while she was holding Eban Rusk back from the blue door.
Her hand moved before her face understood.
"Do not touch it," Rina said.
Mira froze as the button pulsed once and changed its text to SAVE THIS WARD.
Hiro said, "That is a dirty little sentence."
Kim's voice came through the kitchen speaker, flat now, no sweetness left.
"It is not mine."
Sefa looked at the black map of private repeaters.
"It is shaped like yours."
"Yes, and I know that distinction matters."
The South Ward button expanded another centimeter.
People in the corridor saw it.
