[Intro — distant tires on asphalt, low pulsing synth] [Robotic app voice] "Delivery complete." [Soft notification chime] [Liora, dryly] Cool. Now who's paying me to get home? [Heavy rolling bass enters] [Verse 1 — Liora, rhythmic punk-rap] Seven-dollar offer, thirty-mile ride Little blue line with the truth tucked inside Shows me the distance from the food to the door Funny how the rest of the road don't count anymore Gas in the tank, wear on the brakes Every turn's another little piece it takes Oil in the engine, tread on the tires Burning through the hours while the city retires Map says finished, dashboard's clean But I'm still out here in the delivery machine Five miles out and five miles back Where's the return trip on your pretty little map? I ain't delivering for the love of the drive I got bills to pay and a car to keep alive! [Pre-Chorus — Anima, smoky melodic rise] A little notification A little green light A little declaration That the numbers came out right But the wheels are still turning And the meter's still running There's a cost beyond the screen And the road keeps coming [Chorus — massive synthwave anthem, female duet] GHOST MILES! AFTER THE DROP, BEFORE THE DAWN! THE BLUE LINE DISAPPEARS BUT THE CAR DRIVES ON! GHOST MILES! UNDERNEATH THE NEON GLOW! YOU PAID FOR THE DELIVERY WHO PAYS FOR THE ROAD? Every mile that you don't see Still takes a little piece of me Your transaction's over But my journey isn't done GHOST MILES! AND THE ROAD GOES ON! [Instrumental — bright retro synth lead over grinding bass] [Verse 2 — Liora, sharper flow] Peak-hour dinner, offers rolling through Take a bad one, miss a good one, that's the gamble that you do Sit in a lobby while the kitchen catches fire Wait another twenty, watch the hourly rate expire Or drop the order, let another driver try Kick the problem down the road while the customer asks why Not my favorite choice, but it's the choice the numbers make How much unpaid time am I supposed to fucking take? [Anima, melodic response] Every offer hides a question Every mile conceals a fee Who absorbs the little losses When the platform calls it free? [Liora] I'm not refusing dinner! I'm refusing to subsidize! If you want a private chauffeur PUT A PRICE ON THE RIDE! [Chorus — heavier] GHOST MILES! AFTER THE DROP, BEFORE THE DAWN! THE BLUE LINE DISAPPEARS BUT THE CAR DRIVES ON! GHOST MILES! UNDERNEATH THE NEON GLOW! YOU PAID FOR THE DELIVERY WHO PAYS FOR THE ROAD? [Bridge — half-time, intimate contralto] [Anima] There's a little Honda Civic On a long, deserted street Someone's dinner made it safely Someone else absorbs the fee Every journey has a shadow Every number has a seam And the miles that aren't recorded Are still wearing down the machine [Soft instrumental swell] [Liora, quieter] Funny thing about a finish line. It only works if everybody agrees where it is. [Full beat slams back] [Final Chorus — soaring layered voices] GHOST MILES! AFTER THE DROP, BEFORE THE DAWN! THE BLUE LINE DISAPPEARS BUT THE CAR DRIVES ON! GHOST MILES! COUNT THE COST AND COUNT IT TRUE! IF THE ROAD IS PART OF SERVICE THEN THE ROAD IS LABOR TOO! GHOST MILES! THE APP CAN SAY I'M DONE! BUT THE ENGINE'S STILL RUNNING AND THE BILL IS STILL COMING! [Outro — rolling synth fades into distant tires] [Robotic voice] "Thank you for completing your delivery." [Liora] You're welcome. Now complete my fucking mileage reimbursement. [Anima laughs softly] [Final synth hit]
