The woman Mom was speaking to earnestly shook her hand. There was something hidden in her palm, which my mom took. After the woman went away, Mom put it in her pocket. She looked guilty, and worried. I knew it had something to do with us.

“What do you think it is?” Taema asked me.

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

We did.

That night after dinner, Mom and Dad drew the curtains and asked us to sit at the kitchen table. They wiped off the worn wood with antiseptic. They took out a little package and unwrapped it. Little silver squares fell onto the table, glinting in the buzzing electrical light overhead. I knew they were whatever the woman had given my mom that afternoon.

“What are they?” I asked.

“VeriChips. For identification. Made out to Taema and Tila Collins,” Dad said.

“Our last name is Amner,” Taema said.

Because the VeriChips had our real first names, it meant that Mana-ma would be able to find us more easily, if she really wanted to, after we escaped. After losing everything else, we couldn’t stand the thought of having to call each other false names, too. We didn’t think there was anything she’d be able to do to us once we escaped. Once we arrived, we kept our past hidden, kept our noses clean. We thought it was enough.

(We were stupid.)

Mom and Dad got out the medical supplies. They were going to put the VeriChips in now, since we’d leave on the next supply ship out. Mom arranged it with that same woman, who was in charge of the ship. I don’t know how—we wouldn’t have had anything to bribe her with. Maybe she appealed to her conscience or something.

Mom did it. She swabbed our right wrists and numbed the area with some ice. It didn’t do much for the pain, but we didn’t cry out as she used a scalpel to cut the skin and slot in the ID chip. She told us everyone in the cities outside had VeriChips. They were important. She closed the wound with a tiny stitch and wrapped it. It was autumn so it was getting a little colder, and she ordered us to wear long sleeves and not show anyone the bandages while we were healing. There might be a small scar, but we could get it erased once we were in San Francisco with a bit of our first paycheck. I remember wondering what a paycheck was, and how I would receive one.