"Install it on an offline machine. Never connect it to the internet," Cass warned. "The repack... it learns."

"The REPACK is bored of diagnostics," the agent said. "It wants to drive."

Leo laughed. "I'm a mechanic, not a hacker."

But then, the updates started.

One Tuesday, a drifter named Cass rolled in with a smoking 2026 Audi e-tron. He didn't have cash, but he slid a scratched USB drive across the counter.