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Nagano seemed almost delirious. He spoke without looking at Kurt.
“They ask many questions,” he continued, “most of which make no sense. But if you don’t answer, they shock you. It comes through the chains. They shock you until you fall and then they start over.”
“What kind of questions?”
“Everything,” Nagano said. “Then they ask you to read and talk and speak, angrily or quietly. It was like a mind game instead of an interrogation.”
Kurt sat back. “They wanted to hear your voice and record how you formed your words.”
Finally, Nagano focused on him. “Why?”
“So they can make a duplicate of you, like they made one of me.”
“A duplicate?”
“A robot that walks and talks and looks exactly like you. Did they take your ID?”
“Everything,” Nagano said, “even finger and thumbprints.”
Han did not miss a trick. With Nagano’s Federal Police ID and a thumbprint for authentication, he could get into a lot of places that the Austin facsimile alone would not be able to access. “They’re taking Joe for the same treatment.”
Nagano’s eyes opened wider. “They will torture him without remorse until he answers.”
Kurt didn’t doubt it. All the more reason he had to act. “Can you
stand?”
Nagano tried to get up but dropped back to his side. “I don’t think so.”
Kurt helped him to a sitting position. “Your strength will come back. Just relax for now.”
As Nagano took deep breaths and tried to accelerate his recovery, Kurt eased his way out over the pit and started a cautious descent. “Warn me if someone’s coming.”
“Where are you going?” Nagano asked.
“To find a rat with metal teeth.”
51
JOE STOOD in the center of another modern room. Bright lights came on, sending sharp pains through eyes now accustomed to the dark. He squinted.
“What is your name?” a voice asked via a hidden speaker.
Joe recognized the voice. It belonged to Gao, Han’s right-hand man. He studied the room. White plastic walls and reflective one-way mirrors on all sides of him.
“Please state your name or we will have to harm you.”
He was being recorded. From every angle. Cameras behind those one-way mirrors were taking three-dimensional measurements of him. Digitizing him. Enabling a likeness of him to be created to pair with Kurt’s. It was obvious. Oni had given him the key when he’d mentioned how Joe’s facsimile would die.
Joe didn’t feel like playing. Anything he gave them could be twisted and used. All the sounds of his voice could be digitally spliced and remixed to make new sentences. Even arguing with them or cursing them would give them something.
“Name!” Gao demanded.
Joe had to say something. He affected an exaggerated Texas accent for his reply. “Well, pilgrim, you can call me whatever you want. Just don’t call me late for dinner.”
Before the last word had left his mouth, an electrical shock fired through Joe’s body. It was excruciating and he crumpled to the floor.
“The next shock will go for twice as long,” Gao replied calmly. “Now stand up and tell us your name.”
