Oh, come now. Don't be unreasonable. [ His voice sounds less gleeful and more exasperated. ] How would I have found a chip in your head without removing your neural implant?

[ To him, this had been exactly what she asked. ]

Without the surgery I'd guess, perhaps. There's really no method in that. It sounds unfair to the fulfillment of your deal. Whatever was done to you originally was not done by me—we'll say a former coworker had a hand in it, though I couldn't say how far that rabbit hole goes.

[ With a more methodical tone, he answers: ]

Cassius reached out to me after your request. We have a symbiotic relationship, him and I. I hope you didn't think that he would be conducting this, himself. [ Johann seems to find the prospect amusing. ]