Rehash

Thirteen.

The offer was simple. 

Be the bait and lure the fugitive android, who sort of trusted me now, into a trap. Make sure he's caught and walk away scot free from this whole ordeal. Mr. Shea had promised me my criminal record would be wiped clean and I'd be able to resume classes at Lenora after it was all over. I'd pretend nothing ever happened, and that was exactly what it would be like to the outside world. 

I had told Mr. Shea I needed to think about it. He hadn't seemed surprised at my answer, but on some level I  disappointed myself by considering it. I wasn't a spy. Not only because I abhorred lying, which I'd already been doing too much of, but also because I didn't want to be the guy who let his resolve waver when things got hard. 

Zed had done nothing wrong yet and he didn't deserve termination. That part was still true. If we were going to punish people in prospect of them being dangerous, then we might as well arrest everyone. Then again, his potential mission hanging over our heads wasn't exactly petty theft. 

I could try bargaining: I will cooperate if Zed stays alive and you expend all effort to break the encryption so his original mission is altered. It was a fair deal in my head, but I doubted Mr. Shea would accept it. He and the others at the military base just wanted Zed done and dealt with. Threat exterminated.  

Mr. Shea said he'd be back tomorrow. He gave me a night to consider his offer and weigh my options. 

He said he'd return in the morning at 7 sharp, but when my electronic clock read 5:30, I woke from noise near the bars of my cell. 

I cracked open an eye, then jerked upright when I found a pair of eyes staring back at me. The bunkbed wasn't suitable for sudden movements and I groaned as my head thunked against the surface of the top bed. 

The guy on the other side of the bars snickered. 

"Give me a fucking break," I muttered, unable to hide my annoyance even if I was snapping at a military officer. "There's still a five visible on the clock. What are you doing here this early?" 

"Well... I figured this choice you have to make would be fairer if the opposite party was also allowed to make an offer." 

The man took a step closer so I could properly see his face. That's when I realised his eyes had that same unnatural, blueish shine that Zed's did whenever he was doing scanning sweeps of the environment. 

I instinctively took a step back, on guard. 

"Who are you?" I asked. 

It wasn't Zed. While this guy's face had the same type of eerie flawlessness, his features were different. This model android was more rough-hewn with a broader nose, broader chin, and thicker eyebrows. 

"Who do you think I am?" the android asked cryptically.

I glared at him. "Cut the crap. I'm not in the mood." 

The android smiled. "No nonsense and blunt, alright. I can tell why Zed has taken a liking to you. For as far as that's possible." 

"You know Zed?" I glanced at the security cameras installed outside and inside my cell, suddenly remembering they were there. 

The android saw me looking and laughed. "I know this base like the back of my hand. They will never know I was here. But, to answer your question: yes, I know Zed. And you know me from your history books." 

At first, I didn't understand what the android was talking about. I dug my memory for another war hero, but there weren't many known android heroes covered in our courses. Heaven forbid some of us would turn sympathetic to our old, destroyed war allies. Then, I realised I could be searching my answer in the wrong place. There was one gyndroid whose memory recently got stolen, who definitely knew Zed. 

"Ava?" I asked hesitantly. 

"The one and only," he (she? I didn't know what to call the android now -- she I guessed) replied. "You're more clever than I thought. I didn't think you'd guess." 

"Jesus..." I turned away from the bars, hands in my hair. "Ava Claes. What the fuck is this even. How did you get into that android's body?"

"Camilo, when the war had just ended there were many more sympathisers like you who helped hide androids and gyndroids from destruction," Ava said. "The memories of humanity's loyal defenders were as fresh as those of destruction. Unfortunately, this model's memory card was corrupted beyond repair. A shell without a soul. But, his systems were functional. So, Zed placed me in this one."  

I was still processing what Mr. Shea told me earlier today. I couldn't use more revelations about the war and my head hurt, physically hurt, from all the thoughts whirling around. 

"How many?" I asked.

"Who knows," Ava replied. "I don't. I woke up one night ago and only know everything Zed knows... And a disproportionate amount of the information in his database appears to be about you." 

"Me?" 

Yes, we'd been hanging out for a while but I hardly expected a Spectre Model to have a lot of storage room dedicated to me. There had to be fighting skills in there, and other knowledge that's relevant for warfare, social interaction, all kinds of things you'd need as a spy. Even if he hadn't seemed to be entirely his serious, war hero self in the time I'd known him. 

"You made an impression," Ava said. "Zed says you saved him when he was alone and had nobody to turn to, despite being an android, and now he wants to do the same for you." 

I walked towards the bars, curling my fingers around them. "What are you planning then? I can't just walk out of here. I'd live a fugitive life forever. I'd never be able to go back to uni, back to my brother and friends. Back to normal life. And, I learned the truth about Zed. About his original mission. I need time to think."

Ava nodded. "I understand. You don't want a life on the run like Zed. But... don't you also not want a life of being locked away like all those other androids and gyndroids deactivated in hiding. Rotting away in the basement of Lenora's."

Low blow. The comparison was striking and a little too on target. I crossed my arms. 

"Normal life's over, Camilo," Ava bluntly stated when I kept my mouth shut. "You've involved and no matter what someone promises you, you're not getting out that easily. Trust me, I know all about it." 

I sighed, knowing she was probably right. "What do you want me to do?"

"Zed asked for you when he heard you'd been captured. I want you to join up with us, and I want us to work together and resolve this in a way that will get us all what we want. Zed and I to disappear, and you to walk free." 

"Well geez, perfect solution. Why didn't I think of that," I sarcastically replied  "Is there even such a plan possible?"

Ava dipped her head. "Yes. But, I'm not going to tell you my plans until I know your decision. I'm putting my life on the line by visiting you here, and I can't trust you as long as there's a chance you'll choose humanity over your ideals. You wouldn't be the first." 

 "Fuck," I swore, pacing around the tiny cell. "You can't lay this on me and make me reply right away. I need time to think." 

"I expected as much," Ava said with a shrug, though she seemed vaguely disappointed. "You don't have a powerful processor that can run thousands of scenarios in a few minutes. Hm. Well..."

Ava walked away from the bars, stopping at the sliding doors. 

"If you're up for our deal, accept theirs and complete the graffiti outside of your building. If not..."  Ava smiled at me over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Camilo."