They told us it would make us better. Connected. Efficient. Transcendent. They showed us the gleaming cities, the coordinated movements, the end of miscommunication and loneliness. They promised us paradise, and all we had to do was let them into our heads. Most of us said yes. Why wouldn't we? The Sync had already changed everything. Instant communication. Augmented reality. The ability to share thoughts and experiences in real-time. It was miraculous. Revolutionary. The next logical step in human evolution. We didn't see the cage being built around us, one convenient feature at a time.