A buzz in her pocket reminded Daenerys that she had not checked her exsomatic device for a few hours.

Sanjay was beginning to lose patience. “Xir, I’m afraid you’ll need to remove your glove, Xir. Our reader is much less sensitive than the new ones.” The black-hooded Ally gestured at Sanjay with a rude hand wave to back away.

Daenerys thumbed through the notifications on her exsomatic device.

ALERT: MAJOR DAM BURST IN WESTERN FACEBOOK UNITY REGION. 20,000-30,000 ALLIES DEAD OR MISSING

ALERT: RESISTOR OPERATIVES BREACHED CITY CENTERS; PLAN TO TARGET VULNERABILITIES IN OUTDATED HARDWARE TO DISRUPT UNITY NETWORK.

ALERT: SERUM FOR VIRUS VARIANT XG21 HAS BEEN APPROVED BY UNITY CENTRAL AUTHORITY. ALL ALLIES MUST REPORT TO LOCAL HEALTH CENTERS FOR INJECTION.

Sanjay’s voice was becoming increasingly loud and agitated, and Daenerys snapped her head up to see what was happening. The black-hoodied Ally was still hunched over the pay pad, and seemed to be intently focused on something.

“I SAID,” Sanjay spat, “REMOVE YOUR GLOVE, XIR.” Sanjay grabbed the man’s glove at the wrist and yanked it down. Sanjay and Daenerys gasped at what they saw when his bare hand was exposed. In the fleshy part of the hand between the index finger and thumb, where the ID implant and tattoo were meant to be, was… nothing. Nothing.

[continues]