Chapter 34
AZURE. ARE THOSE WHAT I think they are?”
“Yep.” I trudge on after exiting the EMP ring and replacing my earpiece, heading back toward the house. The drone buzzes in front of me, just above head height. Nose pointed first at the decapitated head I’m hauling by its hair in one hand, then at the body I’m dragging in the other.
“So the talking didn’t go so well.”
“Actually, it was pretty productive.”
“I think one of you would disagree.”
“Look, I didn’t decapitate it. We were having a conversation, and then the Hed…” I pause. “Wait. Is that why she called them…?”
“What?”
“No. Surely not. Never mind.” I sigh again.
“It doesn’t matter. The Keres don’t know it’s here, but they do know Jasa’s dead, so we have to assume that they’ll guess it’s gone chasing after me.
Told you, by the way,” I add, though after being thoroughly soaked and dragging a dead copy of myself for kilometres, I find the schadenfreude a little less satisfying.
Silence as I push through the driving rain toward the house, the drone hovering by my shoulder, and then, “I take it there’s more to it, from the grouchiness?”
“Yeah.” I don’t expound for a few more seconds. Reluctant to admit it, even to Atti. “It… remembered things.”
“Things?”
“Like Oceanus.” I sigh. “Like being in a coma for eight months.”
“Oh.”
“They called it Crimson, apparently.”
“Oh. That’s, um…”
“Yeah.” Another silence until I reach the door, and then I sigh again. “Say it.”
“Say what?” I glare at the drone. “Alright, alright. So, there might be a chance that you’re a Dupe.”
“Yup.”
“Do you think you are?”
“After today? No idea. But I’m going to find out.”
“How?”
I waggle the head and then, a little more awkwardly, the body.
We’re out of the weather now, and copious amounts of blood and water and mud drip from both of them onto the floor, which is already covered with a thick layer of dust and fine rubble.
Everything I can see is, actually. That Loop pod must have hit the wall down there hard.
“First, assuming anything’s left down there, we’re going to do some scanning with Jasa’s equipment. ”
“I can’t imagine Crimson here will have any tracking implants, given the job. Same as you.”
“More… looking for any differences between us. Identifying markers. Minor variations the Keres might be aware of.” I start down the stairs.
The drone swoops in front of me. “Azure. Bad idea. I mean it, this time.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a terrible actor. Great assassin, funny conversationalist, passable dancer. But pretending to be a Dupe is not something you’re up to.”
“They treated it just like me. Sent it on jobs. Gave it a place to stay.” I casually wave the access card I took from Crimson’s bloodied pocket. “You’re going to run this, and tell me where it lived.”
“And when the Keres bring you in for debrief? You know they’re going to give you the serum as soon as you’re in the building, right, just like always?
” The drone wiggles, mimicking the stern shaking of a head.
“And, if they know de Alwes is dead, there could be something else they’re already aware of too. ”
“Yeah. Already thought of that.” I look down at my left hand regretfully. “There’s probably still a working refrigerator in here somewhere, right?”