“Nice try. I’m your only Friend, remember?” Takashi’s Mood-shadow crossed its arms. Ambrose had to wait for Mistletoe in the same place he’d shimmered into. Ivor had promised she’d be inserted as soon as she woke up, and he couldn’t keep tabs on her until they were Friends.

All around him, Unison kept changing.

The atmoscraper to the left was bright green—Adam Trevor’s favorite color. The imposing white marble lobby was replaced by a cluttered vintage record and clothing store. The huge mirrored-glass doors were covered in tattered posters of bands Ambrose had never heard of. A slight coating of grime appeared on the streets, and bits of trash collected along the curb. Adam Trevor favored a gritty urban environment. Inwardly, Ambrose shuddered. Why would anyone make their Unison experience dirty? But at least it reassured him that Ivor’s implants were working. So far, the UniCorp scans were responding only to Adam Trevor’s supposed reactions and desires.

“Hey, pop star,” Takashi said impatiently. His Mood-shadow boxed the air. “You coming, or what?”

Down the street, an open-air arcade appeared. Rows of ancient console games sprang to life, their graphics perfect and glitch-free.

“I really don’t think I can. Like I said, I’m—”

“Waiting on a mysterious friend. I heard you.” The Mood-shadow hung its head.

Ambrose tried his best to look apologetic. “Sorry—maybe some other time?”

Takashi Nakamura thinks his new Friend hates fun or something.

Ambrose looked down at his shiny, checkered shoes. He felt his new Friend’s disappointment as his own: a letdown sharp and abrupt and tinged with a surprising amount of sadness. Takashi is lonely, he realized. And with this realization came the understanding that Takashi knew that Ambrose knew he was lonely. Their Thoughtstreams had meshed. Ambrose hoped that Ivor’s new implants were good enough to keep his own basic and uninformative. His Feed said:

Play Saturn Moon Wargames now! First 500 users get free pulse disruptor upgrade!

He thought briefly that it couldn’t hurt to relax and have a little fun. The past twenty-four hours had been stressful, and if he let himself fully accept the Adam Trevor ID, Unison would take care of all his decisions. He could float leisurely from one distraction to another.

Takashi’s Mood-shadow perked up, responding to this hopeful train of thought. Ambrose felt openhearted. He felt like being recklessly generous. He felt like he’d known Takashi forever. The adrenaline rush of the First Friend connection was something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. If he just let go and followed Takashi, he could sustain the buzz and, with each new Friend, build upon their collective Thoughtstream.

Except now, he reminded himself, he had a purpose in life—a mission—that wasn’t based on a lie. And people were counting on him. It didn’t take much to get sidetracked in this place.

Focus, Ambrose.

He figured any detective had to begin with the right set of questions. And without his Admin Deck, questions were all he had.

“Hey, Takashi,” he said, “how does this place work?”