“Why you here?” the old woman demanded, deftly stepping on Sprite’s handheld and sliding it behind her. The ace mech desperately tried to grab the device, but between the crowd and the old woman’s shockingly unmoving stance, she couldn’t get to it.

“I’ll play twenty questions all you want, Mioko, after I place my bid.”

Sprite continued to struggle but the auctioneer said, “Our next item for bid is an elegant piece of software.”

She stopped and looked to the stage. Jazelle was already out with the next item held above her empty head, blank smile, and cosmetically enhanced frame.