Elias was a freelance architect with a vision that far outpaced his bank account. He had spent months designing "The Shard of Silence," a sustainable housing project meant to revitalize the city’s forgotten industrial district. But the software license for his high-end modeling suite had expired three days ago. Without it, the renders for tomorrow’s pitch to the city council were trapped behind a digital wall.

"It's all in the software," Elias replied, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands.