The dispatcher asked if she’d been drinking.

“There’s a self-driving car… no, it’s not supposed to do that. It’s mine , and it’s leaving without me.”

She rented a gas-powered SUV (no smart features) and drove three hours into the desert.

Elena never drove at 3 AM. She was asleep.

But no one was inside.

Her husband called it paranoia. Hyundai customer support called it a "known firmware anomaly." They scheduled her for a patch update next Tuesday.

Her hands tightened on the wheel. She took the next exit. The sedan did not follow.