She rolls her eyes. I’m amused by their exchange. Dr. Mata is open and friendly, and Detective Nazarin seems more at ease around her. With her easy manner and the way she slouches against the wall, she doesn’t strike me as one of the most prominent biohackers in the world and worth a few million credits or more.
“What’s it to be this time, sweets?” she asks. Her gaze flicks to me, assessing me from head to toe, before she focuses on the detective again. “Better not be too trying. I have back-to-back meetings all afternoon and if you tire me out, I’ll nap through them.”
“Identity switch,” he says. “This is a sensitive matter. I saw you returned the confidentiality agreement to HQ.”
“I’m hurt you don’t trust me,” she pouts. “When have I ever let you down?”
“Never. I trust you implicitly.”
In contrast to their earlier banter, he’s serious here, and she feeds off it. Dr. Mata looks at me again. “OK. What’s up?”
“Kim, this is Taema Collins. Her sister, Tila Collins, has been accused of murder.”
Dr. Mata’s eyes widen. “Civilian?”
“Not exactly,” he replies. “Tila Collins is implicated with the Ratel. Last night she was caught and accused. You know what I’ve been doing with myself the last few years.”
“Yeah, being an idiot and playing with fire. I’ve told you time and time again you need to get out of that game.”
“You speak sense as always, but I can’t. Anyway, I never would have been able to do what I’ve done without you.”
She blows him an air kiss. “Damn right. So you’re being taken into protective custody or something?” Dr. Mata asks, addressing me for the first time. “Need a new identity to lie low?”
I shake my head. “Not exactly. Tila and I—we’re identical twins, you see.”
Her eyebrows rise. She looks between us, and her sharp mind fills in the blanks. “Well. That’s a first for me. Switching sisters. You got all the paperwork in order?”
Nazarin nods.
“OK then. Let’s get started.”
She motions for me to come closer, and I do. She takes hold of my wrist, turning it over. Her hands are cool and dry. “Thank you, Dr. Mata—” I begin.
She waves her free hand. “Call me Kim.”
“Kim.” She meets my eyes and grins. There aren’t a lot of people who smile genuinely in San Francisco. She holds nothing back, and I can’t help but return the gesture.
She takes a little electrode from a box in her pocket and fastens it right over the tiny mark where the chip lies under my skin. Her eyes unfocus, and on the blank white tablet in her hand is code only she can see. Before long, she has full access to my identity. I shiver, realizing that if she wanted to she could wreak complete havoc with my life. She senses my nervousness.
“Don’t worry, buttercup, your identity is safe with me. You don’t have anything I don’t already have ten times over. Hmm.”
“What?” I ask.
“Your chip wasn’t put in at birth. You’ve only had it for ten years.” Her gaze is piercing. I want to look away, but I don’t. “And no record before that. How’d that happen?”
“I’m from Mana’s Hearth.”
“No shit!” she exclaims, her head jerking back. “Really? Your sister, too?”
“Yes. We came here when we were sixteen.”
She meets my eyes, still holding my wrist. “Well, before, I thought you were cute and must be at least a bit interesting, to be hanging around with Sugarcube here.” She jerks her head at Nazarin. “Now, I find you endlessly fascinating.”
I can’t help but laugh a little.
“And what’s this?” she says, noting the top of my scar.
I pull down the collar of my shirt a few inches. “My sister and I were conjoined until we left.”
She whoops. “Now you’re officially one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. When this is all over, I’m taking you out for a drink. Sound good?”
“All right.” I smile, but it fades. I can’t help but wonder if I’ll even return to a normal life after this.
“Come on, you charmer,” Nazarin says. “Can you do the switch?”
She scoffs. “Can I do the switch? That’s just insulting.”
She cocks her head, sending the projection of code onto the wall.
There we are, up on the screen. All those numbers represent our identities. Me and Tila. Side by side. I wonder what she’s thinking about, just now, in her cell. I wish she’d speak to me, and I don’t understand why she won’t. Nazarin says she chose not to, but what if they aren’t letting her speak to me? Hope flares within me at the thought. Or perhaps she thinks by keeping quiet she can protect and shield me from all this. Does she realize I’m caught right in the thick of it?
Dr. Mata waves her fingers, moving code around so quickly I can barely follow. She clicks her tongue against her teeth. “There. Done.”
I blink. “That’s it?”
“That’s it, buttercup. You’re now officially your sister, Tila Collins.” She takes the electrode off my wrist and rubs the skin with her thumb.
“That’s scary, how easily you could do it.”