Chapter Two: Tenants of the Body

Before the fingers tightened, Gu bit through his tongue. Pain drove a red-hot needle through the control loop. He reclaimed his right arm for eight-tenths of a second—long enough to smash it against the nightstand. A ceramic cup shattered. The sharp report triggered the bedroom's child-safety protocol. The lock ring turned yellow. Nanny's rule was simple: whenever harm was suspected, an evacuation route had to open. Gu ran out barefoot, porcelain slicing his sole. “Stop,” White Elm said, suppressing the wound into numbness. “Further movement risks flexor-tendon damage.” “Who controlled my hand?” “Not me,” twelve voices answered almost together. The agreement sounded rehearsed.