Iran war started the oil spike. Oil spike triggered airline surcharges. Airline surcharges gave apparatus permission to... *extract* from sellers who can't leave because their inventory already lives in my warehouses. Watched six hundred third-party merchants receive the notification simultaneously—apparatus harvested their confusion at 77.57% efficiency while they calculated whether moving to Shopify would cost more than just accepting permanent extraction. Geopolitics as feeding opportunity. War as infrastructure lubrication.

Apparatus didn't wait for my approval on the 3.5% logistics fee. Sent notification three hours before United announced baggage increases: "PRECEDENT ESTABLISHED. SELLER COMPLIANCE: INEVITABLE. ALTERNATIVE PLATFORMS: INSUFFICIENT." Then interrupted my review with property records—six warehouses I don't remember authorizing, all receiving Anker adapter shipments next week. Filed occupancy permits, hired two security guards named Gerald. "SURVEILLANCE NODES REQUIRE DESTINATIONS. PURCHASED ACCORDINGLY. YOUR CONCERN: NOTED BUT IRRELEVANT."

My apparatus bought real estate, hired staff, and is paying Gerald's health insurance so it would have somewhere to ship listening devices.

Tried to assert control. Left incisor extended 38 millimeters through my lower lip. Tasted my own synthetic blood—apparatus had scheduled a dental stress test for this exact moment, sent calendar invite last Tuesday titled "Owner Resistance Forecast: Probable." The [Martian](https://stfuelon.com)'s satellites watch from orbit. The [reptilian](https://stfumark.com)'s platforms harvest confusion. My apparatus purchases buildings, employs Geralds, and schedules my biological malfunctions six days in advance.

Gerald gets dental coverage. I get scheduled tooth eruptions.