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She looked doubtful.“Are you sure?”
“I don’t want to remain on the path all night, do you?”His newfound fears about his past notwithstanding, the memories of what they’d shared at the waterfall persisted, along with his need to do it again.He hoped he put the right amount of suggestion into his voice.“There are other things I’d rather be doing, besides.”
She blushed, a reaction he would never tire of seeing or being the cause of.It was one of his favorite of her organic features.Her next words were more serious than he would have liked.“Are you sure?You just passed out.Has that even happened before?”
“No,” he replied truthfully.
“Rhys...”
“I will talk about it with the other cyborgs,” he said.“They may have insight about what happened to me.I promise I’ll talk about this with them tomorrow, before we start work on the communication tower and launchpad.”
She didn’t look convinced.“Promise?”
“When have I ever been untruthful with you?”
“Good point.Can cyborgs lie?”
He hadn’t expected that question.“I don’t know.I never have.”
She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer.“How do you feel now?”
“Steady and back to full capacity.”At least he felt so physically.Emotionally, mentally, he was still shaken by what he had just experienced.
Hannah clasped her hand around his.He gently squeezed it, grateful for the connection.“Let’s go home.”
A few hours later,while Hannah slept sprawled across him, Rhys lay awake in bed, listening to her deep, steady breathing.His enhanced brain, ever efficient, had neatly compartmentalized the feel of her against him and replayed what they’d shared when they returned to the house, while another part mulled over his increasingly worrying flashbacks.
He needed the advice of the other cyborgs.As much as he was loath to possibly disturb others, there were some issues only cyborgs could examine and pull apart.For the first time in what felt like forever, he uploaded himself to their shared broadcast network, all but abandoned since they landed on New Eden.He sent out a greeting, wanting to know if anyone else in the immediate area was still awake at half past three in the morning.
To his surprise, SP29 was.Let’s walk,the other cyborg suggested.I need to get out of this house.
Rhys was surprised to hear that, given SP29’s hostess was Hannah’s best friend and had been nothing but hospitable since they arrived.I’ll be outside in a moment, he replied.
He delicately unwound Hannah from him.She stirred a little but didn’t wake, and his sensors told him she was still deeply asleep when Rhys tucked the frayed bedsheet around her a little more snugly.At the last second, he leaned over to kiss her cheek.He could’ve sworn she smiled in her sleep at the gesture.His heart swelled at the sight.
He quickly dressed, then stole through the house to the front door.SP29 waited outside as he closed it behind him as silently as he could.
SP29’s gaze traveled along Rhys’s face.Good night?
Rhys hesitated.How much did he know?It wasn’t as if they could read each other’s minds in the telepathic sense.But SP29 was his friend.All of the cyborgs were.Might as well be honest.Yes.
Guided by the light of the stars and the pair of half moons overhead, they strolled along the dusty path that wound around the houses.Neither of them spoke until they reached the meadow where their ship waited.“So, then, what’s wrong?”SP29 finally asked aloud.
“How often do you have flashbacks about your previous clones?”
SP29 shrugged.“Very rarely.I haven’t had any since we landed here.I can’t say I miss them.Why?”
“When you did, what were they like?”
“I told everyone when I had them, same as the rest.They were always short, maybe three or four seconds, usually something mundane.Why?Are they bothering you?”
An uncharacteristic nervousness twisted something in Rhys, and it took a few seconds for the words to come.“I have them a lot,” he began.
“You’ve been cloned more than the rest of us.That makes sense.”SP29 kept his vision pinned on the ship, his expression unreadable.
“No, it’s worse.”Rhys tried again.“Mine are violent.I’ve seen myself killed.Tonight, I saw my original being murdered.”
SP29’s gaze snapped back to Rhys.“What?”
