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Sarah stopped "Do I dare bring up my NetScreen?" She shot Bryson an annoyed look "And not because I give a crap if people think I’m cool or not Do you think Kaine will be able to track us if we start connecting to the code?"

"I’ht of that when she said we could do it the old-fashioned way," Michael replied "If our Auras are as protected as she promised, our NetScreens are safe Don’t you think?"

In answer she squeezed her EarCuff, bringing her NetScreen to life After a few seconds of poking around, she said, "Man, it’s hard to seeI’ with the NetScreen in the Sleep, but so"

Michael clicked his own EarCuff to take a look, and it was just as she described He’d rarely seen the code of the Sleep froe point--from the dinky square of a NetScreen--but it did seem off The code randomly jumbled up in so itself evena line of code here or there, but nothing seeot swept up into the chaos of the screen, to no effect that he could see "Very weird"

"Do I even need to opennowhere fast"

Sarah started to answer hiot out a word before she was interrupted by a drawn-out screa Michael looked up, an icy shiver running down his spine, just in ti at her throat as if sole her She lurched forward a few steps at a tiered into the middle of the street, then collapsed

The fall revealed her back, and Michael sucked in a quick breath Little rectangles of sparkling blue light covered the area between her shoulder blades, leading all the way up to her neck and the back of her head, swar her hair as they fluttered He re before: the Black and Blue Club KillSi her code, but also per appeared to be happening to the lady on the street Like burning eles spread over the wo her," Bryson whispered, and Michael realized it was the creepiest thing he’d ever said

Sarah ed her by the ar her back She sla?" she asked, working to break free of his grip "We have to …" But then she stopped in defeat, slowly turning to watch as the woman was consumed by the attack on her code She shone fro like a heartbeat

"There’s nothing we can do," Michael said "Who knows--it ht spread to us if we touch her And if there are KillSiet out of here, fast" Like he even needed to say it

The ground beneath his feet bounced, throwing all three of theht his balance, holding on to Sarah, but Bryson fell to his knees

"What wa--" he started to say, but then the street juain This tiround treer, until Michael felt like he was on a boat being tossed about on an angry sea The buildings around them shook, then swayed back and forth in a way thatand warping, yet cracking in places Streams of broken rock shot out froroans ofthe Decay process of his Tangent progra affected as well