Mason


    | knew Brightsky had a system set up to distribute tech to its residents, much the same as we were all provided with food,


    clothes, and medicine.


    Computers, phones, reading tablets, and the like all came from the central equipment hub, and there was


    an entire IT staff dedicated to servicing all of it.


    “Can | help you?” the vampire behind the desk asked politely. Her fangs peeked out over her lower lip when


    she smiled. She looked about twelve, but | knew she had to be much older than that.


    “I''m looking for a new phone,” | said casually.


    She nodded and swiveled in her chair to face theputer on her desk. Her fingers poised over the


    keyboard. “Sure. Name?”


    “Mason Constantine.”


    She looked back at me. “Oh, my: You’re Mchi’s granddaughter’s mate!”


    “That’s me,” | said with a chuckle. | wondered if I’d ever get used to being kind of a minor celebrity around


    here. “Does that matter?”


    “Well, certainly. It gives you ess to a much greater range of equipment,” she said with a nod. “And if we


    don’t have what you want in stock, we can order out for it”


    “Not everyone has that privilege?” | asked, curious about how it all worked. Charlotte had given Xander aptop to use for the


    leadership meetings, but we all still had our own cell phones from before we got here.


    None of us had needed to requisition any equipment since we’d arrived.


    The vampire behind the desk pressed her lips together primly. “All residents of Brightsky are permitted to have whatever


    equipment they want, but if they want something beyond the standard, they’re on their own to


    order it. Special gaming systems, things like that.


    We don’t provide that kind of upgrade.”


    “But if | wanted something powerful like that, | could get it,” | rified.


    She nodded. “Yes. It would take a few days, but | could put in the order for you. Were you interested in


    that?”


    “No. Just a new phone.” | studied her as she typed, asking me my brand preference and any specs | wanted. “So if someone


    does order in equipment, does it stille through here?”


    She frowned, looking at herputer screen. “No.


    The residents are responsible to order it and pick it up themselves. We have nothing to do with it.”


    Which meant there was no oversight of it. Which meant that anyone could bring in tech that was


    compromised, either with spyware they didn’t know about...or maybe, they did. The phone in my pocket that Goldie had given us


    felt suddenly much heavier.


    | was going to have to fill in my brother about this. | knew he’d have something to say about the possibilities of a security breach.


    “Does your IT staff do any repairs on it or anything, if there are problems?”


    Sheughed. “No. And believe me, sometimes peoplein about that a lot. But what do they expect?


    If it''s not our equipment, we can’t be held responsible for it. We do always warn people that if they want to


    go outside of the department for their tech, they’re on their own.”


    “Ah,” was all | said. The wheels were turning in my mind. | could sense a spi ke in my brother’s emotions.


    Something was going on with him, but he didn’t reach out to me through our mind link.


    She typed quickly, fingers flying over the keys in a blur, much like the way I’d seen Mchi running.


    It was impressive. | wondered if she made many mistakes. | could only hunt and peck, myself.


    “There. All ordered,” the clerk said cheerfully. “If you wait right here, I’ll have someone bring you the new


    unit. You can have a seat there while you wait.


    Complimentary soft drinks and coffee, too.”


    “Is this going to take that long?” | asked, a little concerned.


    Sheughed. “It shouldn’t, not unless you’re here for a repair.”


    True to her word, another clerk brought me a new, boxed phone. | unwrapped it to check it out, specifically


    looking to see if it had the same issues as the one Goldie had given me. It all looked fine.


    Nothing wrong with it.


    Casually, | took out the broken one. “While I’m here, | wonder if someone can take a look at this?”


    | handed it to the vampire behind the desk. She looked it over with a frown.


    “There’s something wrong with this phone,” the clerk said. Her frown deepened.


    “| know, that’s why | want a tech to look it over.”


    She shook her head, turning the phone over and over in her palm. “No, | mean...where did you get it?”


    “It was given to someone I’m working with on the leadership council as a temporary unit.” | didn’t say whoN?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    or what for, and the clerk didn’t give any indications that she was trying to guess.


    She shook her head and handed it back to me. “Well, all | can tell you is that we don’t carry that type of


    unit. Wherever they got that phone, it wasn’t from here.”