What was that?

What had just happened?

Hitomi panted and shrunk down against the wall. Without stopping to think about it she had ran off to an alley that wasn't even in the same direction as her home was, which just went to show the amount of processing power this flight had used.

But no, seriously, what was that? Now that she had a moment to think, it didn't really make sense that ANY sounds should be coming from her purse. The only thing in there right now was her phone and that was turned off. Was it some kind of prank? But how would that-

She snapped back as something within her purse pinged. It sounded exactly like her notification ping. Wait, that weird notification from earlier.. Is it behind this? Could it really turn on my phone and play audio files? Dammit!

She dug through her bag and pulled out her phone. Instantly, she was surprised that the screen came on, but was even more surprised that it opened up to an agreement page for a new App.

Nope, nope nope nope. How did this happen? How do I stop this? What IS this? Must be some kind of virus or malware. At least she could explain that later without looking like a freak who didn't know how to keep her interests private. And she definitely needed to keep them private...

But way more importantly was finding out how exactly to save her precious phone from this attack. Turning it off didn't work before and now it wasn't even doing anything as she fruitlessly hammered the power button.

"Greetings valued customer!" She nearly dropped it when the synthesized voice came out the speaker. What the heck was that? What kind of virus was this? "Please, do not be alarmed!" Too late for that. "Your regular service will return after Synthesis has been completed." Oh, oh that sounded way more ominous than anything she could think was going on. "Please do not detach yourself from your Mobile Device."

Detach? That is an… odd phrasing. Almost odd enough to alert her to any of the small signs that should have been conveying a sense of danger. The faintly growing smell of ozone, the tingling sensation from the hair on her arm straightening up, the sudden and distracting feeling of pressure behind her eyes.

All in all, she probably should have just let go of the goddamn phone!

ZAP!!

“Ow!” That stung! She recoiled and pulled her arm into her chest as the phone collided with the pavement. It was not a large shock. More than static would do, not so much that her fingers felt burned. But enough to make her drop her phone on instinct. As soon as she actually realized what had happened-

Oh god nonononono don't be cracked don't be cracked please.

Her first response was to go back to the damn phone.

Which was, in fact, sporting a small crack in it's screen now. More pressingly, however, the display was swamped with popups displaying weird symbols and visual glitches. She felt her world slipping away as the buildup continued frantically. Her phone was practically her only connection to the world and without it she'd have…

What? What would she have? Nothing? Would she be left with nothing? The thought of that, of having no life at all was nauseating even after having adapted to having barely any after all these years.

It was so nauseating in fact that Hitomi had to let go of her world once again to cover her mouth and try to choke down the acrid taste building in her throat. It helped, but it wasn't enough. The pressure building in her head was making the alley spin and further disturbing the state of her stomach.

No don't, don't you dare throw up, please, that would be so, ugh, so bad.

But the spinning and the taste and the stress were all too much for her gag reflex to bear. With a back bending lurch she emptied herself onto the pavement. She fell onto her knees and shook a bit in the aftermath of the episode, heaving at the taste of acid overrunning her palette.

Well, it's official. This hour can't get any worse. God, so disgusting, but at least I'm alo-

"AAAAAHHH!!" Hitomi screamed and fell backwards onto her ass, crawling frantically across the pavement to brace against the wall behind her. "WHAT THE HELL?"

She held her hand stretched out as far as she could in front of her,as if it was possible to detach her entire arm. The root of her panic was a glow coming from her hand. Faint lines resembling a circuit diagram where shining just beneath the skin, with little pulses of brighter lights running through those lines.

She couldn't even begin to rationally comprehend this anymore, her mind shutting down every other response but anxiety and fear. What was going on? What happened to her hand?! She had no idea, all she knew was that she never should have left her room.

"Hitomi?! Is that you?!" A voice called into the alley and startled her enough to pull her eyes off of her outstretched hand and towards the source.

It was Takemi. Oh god why was he here?! She didn't answer but involuntarily clutched her arm to her chest to hide the freaky lightshow. Takemi could not think… wait, she couldn't honestly guess what he would think about any of this.

"Are you okay?! Stay right there!" Please, no, don't come over, just let me I dunno get hit by a meteor or something, that seems like something that could happen next.

Her eyes rolled over when she tried to shift her posture to hide her arm behind her back. Right, nausea. That was still there. Greeeeat

"Hi-hitomi?!" Hey Takemi, how'd you get over here so fast? "Oh my god, what happened to you? Are you sick? Do you need a doctor?"

Ha. You look cute all worried like that. "I'mnghnghhhh!" Hitomi tried to start a normal sentence but remembered her throat was both sore and filled with a terrible taste. She clutched her mouth to make sure she didn't have a second attack in front of him.

He grabbed her shoulders. The shock was nothing compared to that. The dizziness, the tingling feeling still left in her arm, the overly sensitive state of her own body after the raw physical shock of throwing up, it all just kinda exploded right then and there once compounded by his concerned gesture.

She fainted. It would be quite embarrassing once she remembered it.