18. New Pods

"I thought you were still on vacation today."

"I was. Spent all day on the beach with Andre. Transfer Transit is a godsend. I'll never ride a transport again!"

"Oh. Does Andre know about… the 'work' you've had done?"

"No. And he won't. The newest pods have an optional upgrade to scan your face. So your hair and makeup don't have to be redone when you get there. It made sure my new nose was waiting right along with the rest of me."

Normally the conversations held in the hotel lobby weren't worth eavesdropping, but this one caught Five's ear.

19. Before

"Do you think it's possible," One looked up from the table towards Five, "That before, you know, before stasis, I was… a moron?"

Five laughed. "Who says you aren't one now?"

One forced a smile. He didn't mind the insult, but it had been a serious question. When he looked at some of the stuff he'd done, it just seemed… stupid. His financial records were an incomprehensible mess, his business memos unintelligible. Maybe that wasn't his fault, maybe someone in the company had mucked things up in his absence. But there was one decision he knew had been his own.

20. Evidence

He'd turned his life upside-down, thrown everything he had away, in favor of revenge. Fine, people did dramatic, even crazy, stuff in love and grief and anger. But wouldn't a reasonably intelligent person at least have directed that crazy in the right direction? The evidence against Three, or rather Marcus Boone, was razor thin. And yet One, or rather Derrick Moss, had undergone painful, expensive surgery to make himself look like a lowlife mercenary just to get a shot at Marcus Boone? Even if he succeeded, what was his plan after that? Did he intend it as a suicide mission?

21. Decoded

Darius had been extremely reluctant to give One any files from before his departure, but eventually he had brought him his old computer. Buried in amongst thousands of digital files had been some encrypted data. One set Five to work decoding it. The results were unsettling.

An unofficial study determined that the substance, after six months of low-level exposure, causes skin lesions, decreased lung-capacity, breathing difficulty, and can trigger asthma in small children. It was determined that the side effects, not nearly as serious as those associated with the Alpha Centauri accident, do not outweigh the costs of halting production.

22. Charity

There were lots of "unofficial studies" and "unreported test results" within the encrypted data.

One had always known the three major corporations were corrupt, but he'd just assumed his own company was not. In fact, the first article he'd found when researching himself had described the trillions of bars he'd donated to charity. Maybe they weren't good-natured donations so much as guilt-induced reparations. Or just a cover-up.

Derrick Moss may not have been a wanted criminal, but that didn't mean he was innocent.

One turned off the computer. Holding his head in his hands, he tried to catch his breath.

23. Recognized

Five had spent the day exploring the city and doing a little shopping. As she returned, she saw One in the hotel lobby. She smiled to see him outside the hotel room for once. As she approached, she noticed he was wearing a new shirt, that was strange because he'd specifically said he didn't want to go shopping with her. She would definitely have to give him a hard time about that. Then she noticed his hair was different, and she figured she would have to comment on that too. Then it hit her. She stopped dead in her tracks.

24. Hunted

Five proceeded directly to the elevator, moving as quickly as possible without drawing attention to herself. She pounded the button for the penthouse and hissed when three other people entered the elevator. After the slowest elevator ride of her life, Five burst into the penthouse. One was at his desk, though his computer was dark.

"We have a problem," she blurted. "We have to go."

Startled, One turned toward her. "What? You just got back. What's going on?"

"I saw him, in the lobby. He's here for you, I know it. We have to go now."

"Who's here?"

"Jace Corso."