“And you became a Doctor Of Apokalypsi... when?”

“Do you want me to just go around deep-scanning people on a whim, is that what you want me to do?”

“You tell me, you’re the Doctor Of Epikrato! I thought you understood the degree of bullshit an Inspired neurosurgeon can do! How many of your theses were on reversing the effects of hostile personality editing, again?”

“One. You evidently didn’t actually read my conclusions, though. Personality editing is like Resurrection or Time Travel, the Mania fights it, that’s why it requires so much fucking work and why it’s so easy to reverse -”

“... so why haven’t you checked already, then?”

“Because he’s entitled to privacy in his own damn brain!”

“Fine. In that case, call up Lyn and get her to ask her damn Oracle. That’s what she’s got the damn thing for, right?”

“She’s still off in some third-world country hunting Larva dealers, I haven’t heard from her in weeks.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you knew something about Apokalypsi. The girl behind you did her first three theses on Skafoi. Are you really telling me that between the two of you you have no fucking clue where Lyn’s gone?”

He pulls himself to his feet, walks over and opens the door.

"Or you can just look in my fucking head and we can get this part over with."

He taps the side of his skull.

"Hi, sorry, don't think we've met."

She doesn't offer a hand. 

"Dr. Mallory Karnstein. I'm the Collaborative's security specialist."

(Avalon is curled up on a couch, looking at her tablet. She doesn't look up.)

"Self-appointed security specialist, and Neid. That's the Catalyst of jealousy, bitterness, envy, predisposes to paranoia -" 

"- it's not paranoia if they're -"

" - really out to get you, yes, thank you. You're being incredibly rude both to your guest and your host." 

"Alright, fine. Let Avalon decide, then - it's her lab. Her lab, her rules, didn't we agree?"

Avalon doesn't shift.

"... Mallory..." 

"No. Honestly."

He pulls up a chair and sits in it.

"Got nothing to hide."

...Karstein. You're an asshole and I don't know why you're still one of us, but I guess we've got to keep you on a leash somehow. 

And I have to admit, you have a damn point. Kai-Zi came here from an encounter with a nest of vampires - he could still have some lingering influence.

However. Nobody is going to fucking scan his brain. That's an ethical fucking line and we're not crossing it, no matter how much anybody insists. December, call Lyn. Karstein? Get the fuck out of my Bardo. I know you're the one who stuck in all those lovely gun turrets, but if you push me on this I will insist. You do not want me to insist. Leave. 

She sighs. 

"I come to warn you and you repay me with insults. Fine, I'm going. See if I bother next time."

She nods slightly to Z, and stalks out of the room. 

He waits until she's gone.

"...what's her problem, exactly?"

"Neid. Sees threats where there aren't any, plus the catalyst just makes you a generally unpleasant person. They're the Geniuses who broke through out of spite, so..."

She sighs. 

"I think she's having a bad rationality day - maybe it was that you surprised her? I dunno. Usually she's not so... awful." 

Avalon's head flops back against the sofa's armrest.

She's a Doctor of Kastastrofi, which is why we don't usually just tell her to shove it. I might be able to be anywhere and December might be able to be anyone, but Mallory's the one with the doom cannon. 

Sorry.

"It's cool. I get being paranoid after you lived through Secret Hitler War. And I am just some rando from a goth club."

He leans back in his chair.

"...is there really a doom cannon?"