“I’m sorry, Nell. Andy has a match in the morning, so they need their rest to do well tomorrow,” a feminine voice said over the device on Nell’s ear.
Nell walked along the rainy walkway with her umbrella overhead. Projected light from a separate device on her necklace formed a screen in front of her where Nell was researching the location of the Registry Office.
“No worries, Megumi. Thanks anyway. You all have a good night and tell Andy I said good luck at their match.” Nell finally said.
“Thanks, Nell. You have a good one too, bye-bye now.”Ell finished.
The device sounded the end of the call and Nell scrolled again on the projected screen in front of her. She found the web address for the Registry Office and tapped on the link.
Across the walkway from her. Nell noted a young man walking with an older woman. The two of them were laughing at something she hadn’t heard but seeing them laugh made Nell smile.
The man was tall and wore black, baggy clothes. The seams on the clothing had neon lights that made his outline appear darker than it really was. Over the clothing, he also wore a clear suit that repelled the rain from his body. The suits were new, and Nell remembered seeing them advertised all over in the last few weeks.

Nell brought a finger up to the device on her temple and touched it while saying, “Call Leon.” Directly after, there was a soft tune playing while Nell waited for an answer. “Hey, Nell. It’s pretty late for a call, is everything okay?” Leon’s voice sounded concerned, but still light and comforting as usual.
“Hi, Leon. Sorry to call you so late, but I have a favor to ask of Navia if she’s around. I need to run to the Registry Office, but my sitter has to go home for the night. Do you think Navia would be willing to go watch Jason and Katy for a little while?” Nell caught herself staring at the young man and older woman as she spoke with Leon and looked away to the cars passing overhead. Then she added, “Dinner is already done, and she would only have to keep an eye on them, it’s not a big task. Of course, too, I would pay her for the time.”
“Sorry, Nell, I just walked off to bring Navia over.” Leon turned his attention, “Honey, do you mind watching Dr. Kim’s little ones for a short while? She said it would be easy and she’ll pay you for your time.”
“Hi, Nell! I would love to watch the kids. Do you mind if I watch a movie while I’m over there?” Navia said, her voice lively.
“Oh, not at all! I’ll send your dad the contact information for the babysitter so the two of you can coordinate. Thank you so much! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything okay?” Nell answered.
“Okay! Bye for now!” the device chimed, and Nell looked back down at the projected screen.

Nell instantly sent a message to Leon with Sue’s contact and did the same for Sue with Leon’s. A moment later the link Nell selected earlier came back onto the screen and she routed directions to the Registry Office- luckily, it was only a 15-minute walk from where she was currently.
After turning the corner down another walkway, Nell’s mind wandered. She thought of the large, red bacteria and the way it pushed away all the foreign samples so far. Could it be protecting itself from harm? Or is there something more?
Nell then thought of the young man attending the older woman and how his clear suit repelled the rain. Could the bacteria have something in common with the coat? Surely, Nell thought, the bacteria isn’t simply staying dry.

Before she knew it, Nell stood before a green neon sign that read “City of Sirius Registry Office.” She opened the glass door in front of her and stepped inside the lobby of the building. The inside was warm and as Nell closed her umbrella, she noticed an elevator on the far wall.
Nell glanced at the directory as she stepped into the elevator and quickly hit the button for Floor 12. The ride was quick, mere seconds, and Nell was extremely thankful.
When the elevator stopped and opened, a young, pregnant woman stood before it waiting to get inside. Nell quickly left the elevator and held the door open for the young woman.
The City of Sirius Registry Office was large and oddly busy for the time of day. Nell saw by the hours posted online that the office would close in less than an hour. Everyone here, Nell thought, must also be trying to get things done at the last minute.
“Hi. My name is Bennett. Welcome to the Registry Office. What can I help you with today?” Nell heard a masculine voice say.
She turned and saw a screen with a man displayed on it with the name “Bennett” labeled near the top. Nell approached the screen and said, “Hello, I’m here to renew my civilian ID.”
The screen replied “It sounds like you would like to renew your civilian ID. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Nell answered.
“Please answer the questions prompted below by touching the screen. When you are finished, I will print your case number and our next available team member will be with you shortly.” Bennett said.
The questions prompted by the screen were quick and simple. Soon enough, the screen printed a ticket that read “kfs-967.”
“Thank you. Please wait for our next available team member.”
Nell took a moment to survey the area. A waiting area in the office had a few booths facing a wall lined with screens. There were also a few chairs around small tables and a cabinet with food and drink sat in a corner.
Sitting at one of the booths, the screen above Nell displayed a silent Bennett speaking with captions running along the bottom of the screen. Not paying attention to Bennett, Nell reached up to her chest and activated her projected screen instead.
Nell spent a few moments going over her notes from the lab and later switched to scrolling through live streams. One of the streams was a couple cooking together, bickering, and another was a group of young guys playing games. Nell settled on a stream with a researcher she went to school with.
The researcher, Dr. Simmons, was in a casual setting, maybe his living room or a café based on the surroundings, and spoke, “The symptoms of these cases vary greatly, and we are doing our best to understand the disease.” Nell turned up the volume and turned on the stream’s captions. Dr. Simmons continued, “Many patients express having rash-like symptoms and appearances, but generally report more severe symptoms over time. If you experience similar discoloration, skin irritation, difficulty breathing, and overall sensitivity, please see your primary physician.”
“kfs-967.” Nell heard from behind her. She stood and turned to see a woman behind the front counter. The woman looked toward Nell and gave a slight smile with a gentle wave. After Nell took a seat in front of the woman, she said “Good evening, my name is Catelyn and I’ll be helping with your case today. Did you have any questions about the prompts you answered earlier?”
Nell shook her head, “no, thank you.”
“My pleasure. Dr. Danielle Kim, to renew your civilian ID today, all we need is your proof of residency and your old ID. Do you have those with you today?” Catelyn asked.
The old civilian ID was not an issue, of course. Nell never went anywhere without it. As for her proof of residency, she knew that was a bigger issue.