Olivia felt a flare of panic. “What do you mean, my brain?”
“Nothing to fear. The pigment is benign and symbiotic. It will never cause you harm. But, for whatever reason, it appears to have taken up residence in a few areas of your brain. Perhaps because it is unfamiliar with your species. I cannot say. Regardless, you are unharmed by it, so I would recommend not becoming distressed over it.”
“Easy for you to say,” she replied, uncomfortably aware of the distinct lack of any new sensation in her head. Maybe the AI was right. Whatever was going on seemed to be harmless. But that didn’t make it any less freaky.
“I see your Infala is growing as well. Another anomaly.”
Olivia looked at the rune design on her chest, comparing the two projections. Indeed, the rune on her chest had grown and changed a bit. That would explain the weird tingle and itch it sometimes felt. She took a deep breath, focusing her calm as best she could.
“Nothing I can do about any of this now. I’m gonna go for a walk. Is there a park nearby?”
“I have just generated a guidance unit into your new attire. Merely request the city map and it will display for you.”
“Wow, you can do that? Cool. Uh,map on.”
A small projection appeared in front of her, showing her current location as well as the layout of the city.
“Hey, why didn’t you give me this earlier?” she asked.
The AI, quite surprisingly, chuckled. “I thought you would enjoy the thrill of exploration without it. At least for your first few outings.”
She had to admit, the unit hadn’t been wrong. Olivia slid into the new clothes provided for her. They fit perfectly. More thanthat, she realized with pleasant surprise, they made her ass look amazing.
“Well, thanks for this. Now I can really wander and still find my way back.”
“You are in no risk of being lost. Any citizen will gladly show you the way.”
“Yeah, but I do like my self-sufficiency.”
“Of course. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Nope. I’m just going to get my walk on for a bit. Loosen up the body, if you know what I mean.”
“Not having a body, I do not. At least, not from personal experience. But I do understand your desire. Enjoy your outing.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Olivia headed out, refreshed, clear-headed, and in excellent spirits. She also had a renewed sense of urgency burning in the back of her mind. Harper was still out there, and feeling as good as she did, there was no way Zoldana could argue she wasn’t ready to help them go rescue her. Little did she know, the overseer was of the same mind as she was.
A familiar face was waiting at her door when she returned a few hours later. It was Lithos, the Skrizzit’s assistant.
“Ah, you are back,” the young man said with clear relief.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. But Overseer Zoldana wished to see you. She sent a message to your domicile, but you were out.”
“Damn. I really need a phone.”
“A what?”
“Phone. So people can talk anywhere.”
“You mean a comms link. You have one built into your clothing, but apparently you left before your domicile unit activated it. A mistake it should not have made.”
“Don’t be mad at it. I did leave a bit abruptly.”
“I would not be mad at it. Merely disappointed. In any case, if you do not need to gather anything from inside, would you please accompany me to see Zoldana?”
