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The change of seasons brought a cold, early autumn to Sakar, and with it, a chill that felt like the dead of winter Huon alike oolens and enchanted fabrics to fend off the cold, but the wind that whipped around the city's rust-colored brick buildings and blew through its endless shop-filled alleyways bit through even these Only androids were unfazed by the weather change, and ht of the near white-skinned huarb, exposed imperviously to the unseasonable chill roused resentment and jealousy in humans, and caused ons, even though most androids could not have cared less Still, one uniquely beautiful android named Mericlou, dressed far more conservatively thanexasperation, though it was not aimed at the onlookers who had watched her enter the cyber-brothel Rather, her anger seethed at the er behind the counter who had just asked for her codec nuive you that information," Mericlou snapped, fed up with the sleazyit froher are no longer required to give their codec nuall of him! Codec numbers were access codes to their very CPUs, and were shared at an android's own risk Between trustworthy individuals, access provided intih the Orb Network, but if misused, it could lead to manipulation, infection, or mindwipe After the Liberation War, the headlines were often full of reports of androids falling dead in the streets, victieful former owners, hired hackers, or indiscriminate acts of cruelty by resourceful people Thankfully, humans became bored, and the novelty wore off as attitudes shifted Nevertheless, er tried to explain that a codec number was needed to complete the transaction But Mericlou knehen hu, and ell versed in the statutes of the Android Rights Act The Republic was often lax in enforcing it, but if an android pushed the issue, the matter would be settled properly

"So unless you want a call froer said in whining capitulation, "I don't need your codec, okay?"

"That's what I thought," Mericlou gave a derisive snort Thepace on the form, perhaps to sooner be rid of her, and Mericlou finalized it with her signature once he was done The er then took the docuh pink sequined drapes, and a moment later returned … with her