ears surrounding them. Still, it was a risk Michael needed to take.
“Can we have a few minutes to talk about this?” he asked, glad he’d spoken, because Sarah had been about to say something and he had a feeling it wouldn’t have been a smart move. “We have some things we need to discuss.”
Kaine didn’t like the question, judging by his face. There was something there, rising behind his eyes like heat in a furnace. “No discussions. You’ll either help me fulfill my plans, or you and Sarah’s parents will die. It’s as simple as that.”
Sarah opened her mouth, her face red, the words like an avalanche about to spill—Michael could tell—but he cut her off again. “It’s a huge decision, Kaine. And don’t you think we’d be better … servants if we went willingly?”
“Enough!” Kaine yelled, the rage behind his eyes turninghis face into a mask of anger. “Do you think I’m some ignorant human? Do you think I don’t know, even now, that you were probing the code, trying to find a way out? Do you actually think I would allow that?”
Michael’s mind went blank, and the tiny bubble of hope inside of him popped. How could he have thought he might get something past Kaine? Kaine was a god in the Sleep—certainly wherever they were now. This time when Sarah spoke it filled Michael with relief.
“If you want to learn how to mix with humans, then you have a lot to learn.” It was as if Sarah were scolding a badly behaved kindergartener.
Michael stared at her; his jaw dropped so far it might as well have become unhinged.
Kaine was just as taken aback. The Tangent actually stammered. “I … You … I’m not going to stand here and be lectured by a child.” He pointed at Michael. “By one who is my creation, perhaps, but not by you .” His finger moved to Sarah.
The Tangent took a step closer to her, leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. “I’ve tried to be reasonable,” he whispered, “and I can’t comprehend how you could possibly turn your back on immortality. Not just for me, for all —humans and Tangents alike. There are things in motion that are too late to stop. But I have new plans, great plans. I won’t tell you more until I have a commitment. And it would be wise to decide before the KillSims arrive.”
And then Kaine disappeared.
Michael didn’t know if he wanted to hug Sarah or shake her. Either way, he went to her and grabbed her shoulders. “What … what was that?”
She wilted a little. “Sorry. I’m just so … I just … I want to kill him. He’s nothing but a string of code—there has to be a way!”
He understood how angry Sarah was—Kaine had her parents—but what she said still hurt. Up until only a few days earlier, that was all he’d been, too. A string of code. She saw it in his eyes before he could hide it.
“Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she said in a rush. “It’s not my greatest day ever. Or week.”
Michael hugged her, not knowing what else to do. “I know what it’s like.” He was thinking of his parents, who’d been taken away from him also, but he didn’t know if she could understand that.
The buzz of static reverberated along the glowing purple plane under their feet, an almost electronic noise that ran through Michael’s body. Pulse after pulse, the sound picked up speed, getting louder and louder. Footsteps. Over Sarah’s shoulder, Michael saw a group of shadows appear, dark against the purple glow of the horizon, bounding toward them on four legs. Fear rose in his throat. KillSims. Several of them, charging in.
Sarah must have felt him tense up. She pulled away from his embrace and turned to look.
“I guess he meant it,” she said, her voice neutral. Herwords made Michael think of ice. Big chunks of ice, cold and hard. “Bryson? Get up.”
For a second Michael had totally forgotten about their friend. He’d been so quiet, sitting on the ground, not moving.
“Hey,” Michael said. “You
“Can we have a few minutes to talk about this?” he asked, glad he’d spoken, because Sarah had been about to say something and he had a feeling it wouldn’t have been a smart move. “We have some things we need to discuss.”
Kaine didn’t like the question, judging by his face. There was something there, rising behind his eyes like heat in a furnace. “No discussions. You’ll either help me fulfill my plans, or you and Sarah’s parents will die. It’s as simple as that.”
Sarah opened her mouth, her face red, the words like an avalanche about to spill—Michael could tell—but he cut her off again. “It’s a huge decision, Kaine. And don’t you think we’d be better … servants if we went willingly?”
“Enough!” Kaine yelled, the rage behind his eyes turninghis face into a mask of anger. “Do you think I’m some ignorant human? Do you think I don’t know, even now, that you were probing the code, trying to find a way out? Do you actually think I would allow that?”
Michael’s mind went blank, and the tiny bubble of hope inside of him popped. How could he have thought he might get something past Kaine? Kaine was a god in the Sleep—certainly wherever they were now. This time when Sarah spoke it filled Michael with relief.
“If you want to learn how to mix with humans, then you have a lot to learn.” It was as if Sarah were scolding a badly behaved kindergartener.
Michael stared at her; his jaw dropped so far it might as well have become unhinged.
Kaine was just as taken aback. The Tangent actually stammered. “I … You … I’m not going to stand here and be lectured by a child.” He pointed at Michael. “By one who is my creation, perhaps, but not by you .” His finger moved to Sarah.
The Tangent took a step closer to her, leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. “I’ve tried to be reasonable,” he whispered, “and I can’t comprehend how you could possibly turn your back on immortality. Not just for me, for all —humans and Tangents alike. There are things in motion that are too late to stop. But I have new plans, great plans. I won’t tell you more until I have a commitment. And it would be wise to decide before the KillSims arrive.”
And then Kaine disappeared.
Michael didn’t know if he wanted to hug Sarah or shake her. Either way, he went to her and grabbed her shoulders. “What … what was that?”
She wilted a little. “Sorry. I’m just so … I just … I want to kill him. He’s nothing but a string of code—there has to be a way!”
He understood how angry Sarah was—Kaine had her parents—but what she said still hurt. Up until only a few days earlier, that was all he’d been, too. A string of code. She saw it in his eyes before he could hide it.
“Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she said in a rush. “It’s not my greatest day ever. Or week.”
Michael hugged her, not knowing what else to do. “I know what it’s like.” He was thinking of his parents, who’d been taken away from him also, but he didn’t know if she could understand that.
The buzz of static reverberated along the glowing purple plane under their feet, an almost electronic noise that ran through Michael’s body. Pulse after pulse, the sound picked up speed, getting louder and louder. Footsteps. Over Sarah’s shoulder, Michael saw a group of shadows appear, dark against the purple glow of the horizon, bounding toward them on four legs. Fear rose in his throat. KillSims. Several of them, charging in.
Sarah must have felt him tense up. She pulled away from his embrace and turned to look.
“I guess he meant it,” she said, her voice neutral. Herwords made Michael think of ice. Big chunks of ice, cold and hard. “Bryson? Get up.”
For a second Michael had totally forgotten about their friend. He’d been so quiet, sitting on the ground, not moving.
“Hey,” Michael said. “You
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