Rehash

Twenty-two

Realistically speaking, I knew there was a high probability that Zed would shoot me on sight again.

It could well be that his mercy was a one time deal, because he knew he could get away with it, or done in the spur of the moment. I could also endanger him if Ava found out he'd been lying because I had survived. 

There were honestly so many reasons not to enter Mr. Shea's office for additional instructions on how to locate Zed, yet, there was no way back anyway. I knew the military would use me as their pawn again to stop this mess one way or another, and I'd rather make up my own terms on how to do it. If I wasn't just being tricked again.

I knew agent Denn wanted Zed dead. He'd been crystal clear on it; that was part of why I'd pushed the no listening equipment and trackers so hard. 

I was prepared to push for it again with Mr. Shea, but upon entering his office at the military base, I found out he was already lightyears ahead of me. 

"You realise you can't save him, don't you?" were his first words to me when I set foot inside his private working space. "Not the way you want to." 

He turned around in his chair, looking at me over the rim of his glasses, which I'd never seen him wear before, but added to his general air of headmaster wisdom.

I should have known Mr. Shea and agent Denn were very aware I was still hesitant to sell Zed out, or hurt him. 

Mr. Shea had me standing there with my mouth full of teeth, but I recovered swiftly. "I know. He's not the android I met anymore," I replied. 

"And I know the kind of effect that has on people." Mr. Shea sighed, and swiped his computer screen, making it see through so I could see what was being displayed as well from my side.

It appeared to be a research paper, dating twenty years ago. I read the first few lines of the abstract, which explained the effect the constant wiping of androids had on humans during the Singularity War. All in all, the conclusion appeared to be that it was psychologically damaging to have a trusted ally you see as human suddenly forget about you the next day. Duh. I wouldn't have had to set up a scientific experiment to tell them that. 

"I suppose nobody ever asked the androids and gyndroids what they thought about getting their brain fried every time someone pleased?" I retorted sarcastically. 

"Yes, of course people asked," Mr. Shea said. Blunt and simple. "In fact, many people asked. Do you think you're an isolated case? There have been people across the world, seeking to hide androids and save them from destruction. Occasionally, one surfaces like Zed has, but usually, they're not as dangerous as Zed." 

I frowned. "There are more people like me?"  

I knew that androids and gyndroids had remained hidden, but not that more people had actually found and protected them. 

Mr. Shea folded his hands in front of him. "Of course," he confirmed. 

I had a feeling I didn't want to know the answer to my next question, but I asked anyway. "And what happened to these other androids that surfaced after the war?" 

"Captured, deactivated, and stored in secure places around the globe. One of such locations is Lenora's vault." 

"...Fuck," I swore under my breath. 

I'd always assumed the bodies and the memories Zed and I found in the vault were leftover from wartime, not androids and gyndroids captured after. 

"That would happen to Zed, too," Mr. Shea said. "We won't destroy him, but merely... store him. Body separated from memory core." 

I scoffed. "That's the same as dying."