Scion

Three hours after the explosion, Azure and Jasa inspect the destroyed Loop pod. After applying a medi-gel on the burns he sustained in the blast, Azure deduces the bomb was intended only to trap Jasa on her estate. 

Jasa asks Azure how many people he has killed. Azure answers that he does not keep count because it is simply part of his job. He adds that his targets are always “Proscriptions,” individuals designated by the Keres as assassination targets, and that the work is legal and profitable. 

Azure assess that it will take days to repair the Loop. With no other way out, Azure decides to inspect Jasa’s biosecurity system and the house’s access points while Jasa gets some rest.

Azure spends the night investigating the house, which is secure but feels impersonal to him. He uses his cognitive revs to mark all the entrances, which will alert him in case of any breach. 

The next morning, Jasa continues questioning Azure, asking personal questions about his favorite color and memories. She insists on honesty as a condition for providing the file Azure seeks. Jasa takes Azure outside to see her biosecurity, all of which are contained within a vast, 20-kilometer EMP ring.