“Let’s get going,” Boutin said to the Obin. “We’re under attack. We need to get this done now.” Boutin looked over to Jared briefly. Jared just smiled and closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the Obin tapping on the panel, Boutin opening and entering his crèche, and the low thrum of Jared’s own crèche powering up for the consciousness transfer.
Jared’s primary regret at the end of his life was that there had been so little of it. Just a year. But that year, so many people and experiences. Jared walked with them in his mind and felt their presence a final time: Jane Sagan, Harry Wilson, Cainen. General Mattson and Colonel Robbins. The 2nd Platoon, and the closeness they shared in integration. The strangeness of Captain Martin and the Gamerans. The jokes he shared with Lieutenant Cloud. Sarah Pauling, best beloved. And Zo?. Zo? who would live, if only Sagan could find her. And she would.
No, Jared thought. No regrets. Not one. Not for anything.
Jared heard the soft tap as the Obin initiated the transfer sequence. He held on to himself as long as he could. Then he let go.
Zo? screamed when there was a big roar that shook her room so hard she fell right off her bed and her TV came off the wall. Nanny came over to see if she was okay, but Zo? pushed it away. She didn’t want Nanny, she wanted Daddy, and sure enough in just a minute he came through the door, sweeping her up in his arms and reassuring her and telling her that everything was going to be all right. Then he set her down and said to her that in just a few minutes Mr. Jared would be coming for her and she had to do what Mr. Jared said, but for now to stay in her room and with Nanny, because she would be safe there.
Zo? cried again for a minute and told Daddy that she didn’t want him to leave, and he said that he would never leave her again. It didn’t make sense because Mr. Jared was coming to get her in just a minute to take her away, but it made her feel better anyway. Then Daddy spoke to Nanny and left. Nanny went into the living room and came back holding one of those guns the Obin used. This was weird because as far as Zo? knew Nanny never used a weapon before. There were no more explosions but every once in a while Zo? could hear gunfire, going pop pop pop somewhere outside. Zo? got back on her bed, clutched Celeste and waited for Mr. Jared.
Nanny gave out a shriek and raised the weapon at something Zo? couldn’t see and then ran out from the doorway. Zo? screamed and hid under the bed, crying, remembering what it was like at Covell and wondering if those chicken things were going to come get her again like they did there. She heard some thumping in the next room and then a scream. Zo? covered her ears and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again there were a pair of feet in the room, coming over to the bed. Zo? put a hand over her mouth to be quiet, but couldn’t help a whimper or two. Then the feet became knees and hands and arms, and then a sideways head appeared and said something. Zo? squealed and tried to back out from underneath the bed, clutching Celeste, but as soon as she popped out the woman grabbed her and held her. Zo? kicked and screamed, and it was only after a while that Zo? realized that the woman was saying her name over and over again.
“It’s all right, Zo?,” the woman was saying. “It’s all right. Shhhh. Shhhh. It’s all right.”
Zo? eventually stopped trying to get away and turned her head around. “Where’s my daddy?” she said. “Where’s Mr. Jared?”
“They both really busy right now,” the woman said, still holding Zo?. “They told me to come get you and make sure you were all right. I’m Miss Jane.”
“Daddy said I had to wait here until Mr. Jared came to get me,” Zo? said.
“I know he did,” Miss Jane said. “But right now they both have things they have to do. There’s a lot going on right now, and it’s keeping both of them from coming to find you. That’s why they sent me, to keep you safe.”
“Nanny keeps me safe,” Zo? said.
“Nanny was called away,” Miss Jane said. “It’s really busy here right now.”
“I heard something really loud,” Zo? offered.
“Well, that’s one of the things keeping everybody busy,” Miss Jane said.
“Okay,” Zo? said, doubtfully.
“Now, Zo?,” Miss Jane said. “What I want you to do is put your arms around my shoulders, and your legs around my waist, hold on to me real tight, and keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them. Can you do that?”
“Uh-huh,” Zo? said. “But how will I hold Celeste?”
“Well, let’s put her in between you and me right here,” Miss Jane said, and put Celeste between her tummy and Zo?’s.
“She’ll get squished,” Zo? said.
“I know,” Miss Jane said. “But it’ll be all right. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” Zo? said.
“Then close your eyes and hold on real tight,” Miss Jane said, and Zo? did, even though when they walked out of her bedroom Zo?’s eyes hadn’t closed yet and as they came into the living room Zo? saw what looked like Nanny sleeping on the floor. Then Zo? closed her eyes all the way and waited for Miss Jane to tell her to open them again.