The problem was the gate. HDBits didn't have a "Sign Up" button. It had a myth.
Leo had been trying to get into HDBits for three years.
Then, on a Tuesday night, he got an email. No subject line. The body was a single link. No message. No signature.
He found the upload form. It asked for source material, proof of ownership or transfer, a mediainfo log, and a promise: "I certify that this file will be seeded for no less than five years."
Eight months passed. Nothing.
Twelve minutes after submitting his answers, the IRC bot kicked him. He thought he'd failed. Then his browser refreshed by itself.