“The amazing thing isn’t the resurrection tech,” says Erix, “or even the way they can just shunt in the new body from orbit. It’s the trauma elision, man. You want to remember exactly what it feels like to get hit by a bus? That’s even worse than dying! Hell no! So the little bugs just chew out any pain signals before they ever get to short-term memory, and for all you know, you crossed the street without blinking a life.”

Kirt looks thoughtful.

“What?” says Erix.

“I’ve stabbed you, like, eight times since the beginning of this conversation,” says Kirt.