Normally, 595 would’ve chuckled. But her throat was starting to hurt, so she tried to restrain her amusement. “Are you asking me to penetrate the headquarters of the most advanced intelligence and cybersecurity agency in the Diaspora? A building channelling so much processing power from the Cradle that it makes its real-world equivalent look like one giant cipher wheel for children?” The Agent did chuckle, and it ended in a throaty cough. “Ok, no problem. I do have a trick or two up my sleeve.”

A memory flashed into 595’s head. She was pushing 127 ahead of her, pistol in hand. He was wearing that distinctive black bag with gold thread over his head, and his hands were cuffed together behind his back. Two distracted embassy soldiers turned and confronted them in the hallway - who was that, where were they taking the him, they asked. They needed to see some identification. Connie and Gene, the Novices walking on either side of the new Agent, raised their weapons and opened fire on full-auto.

595 gently bounced her head off the grassy ridge in front of her, blinking and clearing her throat. “Ok. Let's go.” The G5 CSF virus had been clinging harmlessly to her suit and neighbouring systems since she unleashed it back in the tower block. At the Agent’s instruction, it skittered across the road towards the entrance. Sniffing every available access point to determine a viable entrance strategy as it went. “I may have just planted a virus. You should be able to see it - we can guide it together.” 595 coughed.