<<Nah, we’s clear too.>> The window Weaver’s drone destruction had created had made things all to easy for Al. A new skin, new plates, new AR reg, all with a flick of a switch. It was like they’d never been there, now just one of the millions of Aztechnology Governors wandering the streets of the ‘plex at the behest of plumbers, electricians, and parcel messengers.

His agent noticed the hack attempt long before his Fairlight’s enhanced firewall gave way. The reboot was instant, as was Al’s thumb taking the device offline manually. <<Hands off my shit, Weaver. Damn, give a body half a tick ta ditch the damned panopticon – ain’t as easy as it used ta be.>>

Heading back towards downtown, Al filled the team in. <<It’s like Ulrich said, she dodged the kidnappers, along with at least one friend. So she ain’t no one’s prisoner, an’ basically that makes it none of our beeswax. At least, perfessionally speakin’. Other side of it is that I ain’t sure she’s real happy with where she is or even sure how ta git back. Reckon I’d like ta make sure she’s okay fer myself. They got away usin’ an artifact that was found by Soraya Haddad, an archaeologist joined her Choir-crew last year. But she didn’t seem happy about havin’ ta use it, an’ I don’t know what sorta artifact exactly it was. Might be able to find out, though….>>

He sent the message to Lace, its intended recipient. <<Found this in Silky’s place. Addresse ta you. Din’t mean ta read it, but the password fell open and I failed ta avert my gaze fast enough. Y’all know what artifact it was Haddad found or where inna magical mystical multiverse it mighta took ’em?>>