I should have smashed it. Instead, I adjusted the headband and whispered, “What are you?”

The base station flickered. The headset vibrated—a low, deep hum I’d never felt before. Then the amber turned white. Then blue. Then nothing .

The Logitech G Hub loaded automatically—different software now. A tiny red banner read: Legacy device detected. Critical firmware missing. Install v3.2.83?

“There are seventeen other devices on your block running outdated Astro firmware,” it said. “Give me five minutes. I’ll wake them up.”

I froze. The headset wasn’t paired to anything. No dongle. No Bluetooth. Just the base station, now pulsing a soft violet.

I clicked yes.