Rimmer sat blinking as he took in the information, he hadn't moved or uttered a sound for more than ten minutes; in fact Lister was getting quite worried that a man with an opinion on everything had nothing to say about the fact that he was dead and the girl he had just offended was most likely half way in love with another version of himself.
"You okay man?" Lister asked, he couldn't keep friendly affection from his voice even though he was itching to get to Paige and see how she was faring after Rimmer's outburst. "Look I don't know what else to say, I have explained all of this as best as I can. I told her we shouldn't have switched you back on – you aren't the man she knows!"
When Rimmer didn't answer him Lister stood up, he was rather impressed if truth be told, the first time Rimmer had been told he was dead it was all Lister had heard about for hours afterwards, now Rimmer just seemed in shock at the idea that a woman had cared for him albeit another version of him.
"Rimmer? Look I am going to check on Paige okay? I will be back yeah?"
Rimmer blinked and looked round silently; he nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to the dent in the floor he had been staring at for the last few minutes, as soon as Lister had left the drive room he told Holly to lock the doors.
"Holly load up the black box and show me the last two weeks – I want every file on Paige and the anti Rimmer and I don't want to be disturbed.
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Lister cracked open a beer and passed it to Paige, opening one of his own he sat beside her on the bunk and smiled. "So? What's new?"
"I'm such an idiot, why didn't I listen to you? That wasn't him! I don't know him, he just looks like him and somehow it feels so much worse knowing he is gone and now an imposter is walking around in his skin"
"Im sorry but that is him. Same memories, same annoying habits he's just a good few years different that's all. I don't know, I don't know what to advise you but maybe you should try spending some time with him, see if anything about him reminds you of your Rimmer. It's worth a shot surely?"
"This is going to sound crazy but .. with him being so different, it almost feels like I would be cheating on him. I mean I am still thinking he's going to come walking through that door any minute …"
"I know. It's going to be weird." Lister took a swig of his beer and didn't miss the look of disgust on Paige's face as a little of his can dribbled down his chin and onto his t-shirt. Unfazed he wiped the beer into his clothing and stood up. "Try him out. I'm going to find Cat – I haven't seen him since Rimmer … I mean. Since earlier" Lister winced at the memory of finding out his friend was dead and walked out of the room leaving Paige to her beer and her thoughts.
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Paige downed hungrily on her beer and slightly considered drinking herself into oblivion; a drunken stupor would feel a lot better than she did right now, even is Lister was right she just wanted her Arnold back. Not that awkward rude man she just had the misfortune to encounter. That wasn't her Rimmer, though Lister said that's what her Rimmer used to be. It was so confusing for her. Drinking more of her can she stood up in determination, threw the remainder of the can in the bin and stomped to the Drive room.
"Holly open the door!" Paige ordered.
"He has asked not to be disturbed." Holly whispered meekly.
"Well if he's paying me by the hour I think he would prefer me in there don't you?" she retorted still smarting from the prostitute comment.
"It's your funeral!" Holly muttered opening the door and relocking it once she had entered.
Rimmer didn't look up; his eyes were glued to their first kiss. He had watched it 21 times now and still couldn't stop watching it. It was like watching some sort of fairytale; she looked so completely involved in everything he was saying, everything he was doing. He was hugging her close, he looked confident with the woman he was sitting with, not tense and nervous. It wasn't him; it wasn't anything he remembered doing it felt so strange to see himself so relaxed he felt emotion rattling through him.
"You took me out there as a surprise" Paige whispered, she stared at the screen and watched herself kiss his cheek, she remembered how much courage she had summoned to do that.
Rimmer turned round and looked at her, Paige's eye's filled with tears at the sight of him, "You were so lovely to me." She sobbed, "We lay out there talking for hours and hours. You kissed me so awkwardly and strange and then it all clicked together and it was perfect." Paige looked at the screen again, Rimmer spun back round to watch himself pull her close and kiss her gently on the lips. Paige looked away, it was too painful to watch she hugged her body and walked over to the window looking out. "You stayed with me when I was unconscious. Stayed and held my hand and made everything better, you even went back to the ship to get some things to make me feel more at home."
"It wasn't me" Rimmer stammered standing up, "I mean I just found out under an hour ago that I am dead and now I am stood with someone another version of me was close to and I have no idea what to say to you at all. I don't even know you"
Paige turned and looked at him sighing, "It's like some sick nightmare" she cried, her eyes fell on the screen behind him and there she was pinned against a wall with Rimmer kissing her all over. "That was a few hours before you blew!" she muttered.
Rimmer stared longingly at the image and turned back to her, "I didn't blow. I am here" he insisted stubbornly. "This is me here and whatever he did or you did it is nothing to do with me."
Paige stepped closer to him and stared into his eyes, "Rimmer look at me, please. Do you really not remember anything? You don't feel anything?" she was near to tears again as she found herself clinging pathetically to his jacket.
Rimmer said nothing he just looked away from her, "I don't know what you want me to say Paige? I really don't. I don't know you. I have no memories at all, nothing"
Paige's eyes hardened "I don't believe for one moment that you don't want to throw me on that table right now. You may be a different man but you still have his drives and his emotions. Lister was right, I made a terrible mistake in thinking I could ever make you look at me like he did, and I don't know why I even wanted to. I should have known that there is no one like him, all I have to do now is try to stay out of your way because I can't look at you and think of him" Paige stared at him, she wanted to kiss him and punch him at the same time but couldn't work out which one to do. Instead she swallowed the lump in her throat and spun on her heel and left.
Rimmer stared after her as she stormed out he didn't know why but he felt like he had just taken the hardest slap of his life. "Holly lock the door" he ordered, "and next time I say 'I don't want to be disturbed' try following an order you jumped up little goit". After getting no reply Rimmer re-watched every conversation he had ever supposedly had with Paige and found himself smiling at their antics and shared kisses. It wasn't him though, it wasn't something he would ever dream of doing, and he wasn't capable of the feelings that the other Rimmer seemed to be expressing. It just wasn't him, he switched off the monitor and stared into space, what the hell was he supposed to do now? All he could do as far as he could see would be to stick to his plans, if the crew were mad at him he would simply keep out of their way. He was still the highest ranking member of staff aboard this ship, he would simply rise further, he may be dead but he could still touch things and move things. There was nothing to stop him passing the officers exam and taking control of his own ship.
