“Yeah, but you haven’t read back as far as I have,” she replies. Former teenager who could tap out sixty words per minute with just her thumbs, as her parents complained. Tess keeps scrolling, finds it, hits play, and holds the communicator up, speaker towards Arthur.

A voice floats out as it starts:

John says I just need to talk into this thing here. So here I am. Talkin’. Ain’t technology grand. Heard they could make a man fly but never thought I’d see the day when they’d get a whole ship up in the clouds. I can’t tell if I’m even gettin’ through to you, but if I am, I’ll tell you my name. I’m Abigail Marston, and I'mma let everyone know right now, I don’t do funny business.

Tess pauses it and grins.