You find Thorn in one of the Masyaf's infirmaries, getting her blood and cerebrospinal fluid replaced.

"It cuts down on the need for sleep," she explains, while golden taps pipe her insides out. "Cleans toxins. Enhances neurogenesis. The new blood is a refined mixture with improved immune function."

She's a tiny black woman with a dictionary-issue Ganymede accent and a glimmer of hard technology under her skin. You can see where the Masyaf has extended itself through vein and synapse. Her eyes shine with active sensors.

She smiles a nice strong smile. "But you didn't ask," she says. "I apologize for the unnecessary information."