Emergency lighting remained active.
The air conditioning shut down.
The television screens went dark.
The pool heater stopped.
The smart-home controls displayed a single message:
PROPERTY ACCESS REQUIRES OWNER AUTHORIZATION.
Melissa immediately called me.
I answered.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“The electricity is off!”
“No, it isn’t.”
“The pool isn’t working!”
“The pool is working.”
“It says owner authorization!”
I paused.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re not the owner.”
She didn’t speak.
Then Kyle grabbed the phone.
“You need to fix this.”
“I don’t need to do anything.”
“We’re your
