“I knew her,” Jared said. “I knew her through you.”
“I see that,” Boutin said, and stepped away to a lab desk. “I’m sold, Jared,” he said, regaining his composure and conversation. “You are sufficiently like me to officially be interesting.”
“Does that mean you’ll let my squad live?” Jared asked.
“For now,” Boutin said. “You’ve been cooperative and they’re fenced in by guns that will shred them into hamburger if they get within three meters of them, so there’s no reason to kill them.”
“And what about me?” Jared said.
“You, my friend, are going to get a complete and thorough brain scan,” Boutin said, eyes to the desk, where he worked a keyboard. “In fact, I’m going to take a recording of your consciousness. I want to get a very close look at it indeed. I want to see how much like me you really are. It seems like you’re missing a lot of detail, and you’ve got some Special Forces brainwashing to get over. But on the important things I’d guess we have a lot in common.”
“We’re different in one way I can think of,” Jared said.
“Really,” Boutin said. “Do tell.”
“I wouldn’t betray every human alive because my daughter died,” Jared said.
Boutin looked at Jared, thoughtfully, for a minute. “You really think I’m doing this because Zo? was killed on Covell,” Boutin finally said.
“I do,” Jared said. “And I don’t think this is the way to honor her memory.”
“You don’t, do you,” Boutin said, and then turned back to the keyboard to jab at a button. Jared’s crèche thrummed, and he felt something like a pinch in his brain.
“I’m recording your consciousness now,” Boutin said. “Just relax.” He left the room, closing the door behind him. Jared, feeling the pinching increase in his head, didn’t relax one bit. He closed his eyes.
Several minutes later Jared heard the door open and close. He opened his eyes. Boutin had come back and was standing by the door. “How’s that consciousness recording working for you?” he asked Jared.
“It hurts like hell,” Jared said.
“There is that unfortunate side effect,” Boutin said. “I’m not sure why it happens. I’ll have to look into that.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Jared said, through gritted teeth.
Boutin smiled. “More sarcasm,” he said. “But I’ve brought you something that I think will ease your pain.”
“Whatever it is, give me two of them,” Jared said.
“I think one will be enough,” Boutin said, and opened the door to show Zo? in the doorway.
THIRTEEN
Boutin was right. Jared’s pain went away.
“Sweetheart,” Boutin said to Zo?, “I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Jared. Say hello to him, please.”
“Hello, Mr. Jared,” said Zo?, in a small, uncertain voice.
“Hi,” Jared said, hardly risking saying any more because he felt like his voice could break and shatter. He collected himself. “Hello, Zo?. It’s good to see you.”
“You don’t remember Jared, Zo?,” Boutin said. “But he remembers you. He knew you from back when we were on Phoenix.”
“Does he know Mommy?” Zo? asked.
“I believe he did know Mommy,” Boutin said. “As well as anyone did.”
“Why is he in that box?” Zo? asked.
“He’s just helping Daddy with a little experiment, that’s all,” Boutin said.
“Can he come over to play when he’s done?” Zo? said.
“We’ll see,” Boutin said. “Why don’t you say good-bye to him for now, honey. He and Daddy have a lot of work to do.”
Zo? turned her attention back to Jared. “Good-bye, Mr. Jared,” she said, and walked out of the doorway, presumably back to where she came from. Jared strained to watch her and hear her footfalls. Then Boutin closed the door.
“You understand that you’re not going to be able to come over and play,” Boutin said. “It’s just that Zo? gets lonely here. I got the Obin to put a little receiver satellite in orbit over one of the smaller colonies to pirate their entertainment feeds to keep her amused, so she’s not missing out on the joys of Colonial Union educational programming. But there’s no one here for her to play with. She has an Obin nanny, but it mostly makes sure she doesn’t fall down any stairs. It’s just me and her.”