Alex read everything as one reads a diary. The README held the voice of an engineer somewhere between hope and resignation: “For Windows XP/7/8/10.” Timestamped comments hinted at patchwork fixes—config tweaks, unsigned driver warnings, and a note: “If camera not detected, try power cycle + reinstall.” The firmware file bore a checksum and a signature that refused to validate, a fossilized assurance that something had once been certain.