"Some sleep more than others. Typically teenagers because their bodies require more rest than most human beings belonging to other age groups," River replied, mechanically for reasons other than the act she seemed to be carrying out in her own, little world. She paused and smiled again.

"I slept last night. They cut my circuits and replaced fluid with blood." As if to prove her point, the girl lifted her leg up so that he could see and pulled the pants leg of her uniform up to revealed the bandage wrapped around the wound she'd received from the king the other evening. Traces of scarring from other wounds could be seen as well. "They made me a person."