"It's been in there long enough to get a nasty crust of repair nanites and gunk," Spinister says, dropping the shard into Tarn's palm. If he wanted in on the gross gunk action, then Spin was happy to share.

"Any residual pain?" he asks, sliding his fingers back in and smoothing over the mechanisms there. He's still not gotten off his perch on Tarn's shoulders, but Tarn can bloody deal with it until he's sure there's no damage.