Merlianne turned back around and rolled her eyes. “I’ve gotta go. VRC-you later!”

“Later!” said Sarah.

Merlianne gave a mock salute and Sarah dutifully returned it. After a moment of fixed military rigidity, Merlianne leaned down and ended the call.

Sarah leaned back against the wall, and just then Lloyd jumped on to the bench with a curious ~mmwrowr~. ~So that’s where you’ve been!~ She stroked him under his chin and asked him quasi-seriously, ~Just how much of that did you hear?~ In her other hand, she turned the black card idly from corner to corner. After a few revolutions, one of the edges caught her sharply in the palm. She looked down at it and sighed. She couldn’t keep putting it off forever — for better or worse, she would have to find out.

She returned to her bedroom and placed the black card into the reader slot, caught her breath at the picture which displayed, and quickly scanned the words.