"Well... I think Vault Services companies let you have accounts with them, separately? But not many places accept them. There would be networks trading goods in kind, but then you have to know the people in them... and of course this is the only way for you to be part of the tax system, and you miss out on so, so much money if you're not part."

"There's only one database, it's... like one per person? But you don't need to worry about your money only working in some places. You have an internet, but you don't have a phone silly!"

"Well, yes, I would have asked you to lend me yours if you were willing, or show me to a public internet-enabled device if those exist." (Again, they move on from that line of thought right after they say it.) That their money might only work in some places is not what they were worried about, quite the opposite, they hoped that they could at least get a separate account by moving!… no, hold on… the accounts would still both be findable by their biometrics, unless other places do that differently… Okay, this is just money anyway, it would connect to a lot of their life, but not if they walk on foot and meet people face to face and trade in kind? And a basic income would also give them options for what they do openly? Does physical currency exist, I forgot if that got mentioned.

…Starting to get hard to remember everything I would like to, which means — 'May I-' they are not asking, "I intend to pause and write all of this down, if you do not mind." They take out one of the notebooks and a pencil, set it on their lap and — don't, actually, immediately start writing (Oh, what if- do they know any new scripts now, by the way? — good point, will try later). First, they'll stare into nowhere for half a second, gathering up recent memories into some sort of order, and going over them not to forget any while they get around to each.

"Do you need me to look something up with the phone?" he asks. "I could do that for you, but a phone you'll need to get yourself."

"Not anything specific, mostly I wished to get a second source of information on how all of this works, and what options there are. — In more detail than I expected" they switch intonations to the default social, over the course of this, "you'd be ready to give me out loud, because I could've interrogated you for hours, you know… Thank you again, by the way." (They're barely there; they look very distracted. The moment the phrase ends, they — well, I — pinch off that attention-thread and turn the freed-up verbal space back to writing. What did that 20000 stand for…?)