Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)(63)

—Yep. I was asked to report to med bay again this morning.

—I will take the lack of details to mean that you did not comply. That may have been ill-advised. She might not take no for an answer.

—She’s just gonna have to learn to live with disappointment. I mean, what’s she gonna do? Drag me there?

—I would not discount the possibility.

—I’d like to see her try. Why does she need all this anyway? Dr. Franklin already determined there’s nothing out of the ordinary in our DNA.

—I do not know precisely. She wants to understand why the helmets only activate for you and Mr. Couture and to remove these limitations if at all possible.

—Oh yeah, she’s open about it. She wants to have a “B team.” She says her first priority is to get the helmets to work for anyone. She’s gonna have a hard time finding someone with legs like Vincent, but if she gets her way with the helmets, she might be able to replace me.

—I do not believe she wants to replace you, but she is evidently uncomfortable having this entire project depend on the health, or the will, of a single person. I would be lying if I said I did not share the sentiment. It would be incredibly easy for anyone to remove the robot as a threat by simply having either of you killed.

—I understand. I just hope it takes her a while to do it. I don’t think she’ll keep me around if she doesn’t have to.

—What makes you think she would prefer to see you go?

—Oh, trust me, she’d love to get rid of me. If you fall in love with someone, there’s a good chance the person won’t love you back. Hatred, though, is usually mutual. If you despise someone, it’s pretty much a given they’re also not your biggest fan.

—I did not realize you disliked her this much.

—Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. I don’t really hate her. I just don’t like her, a lot. I think she loathes me.

—I wish I could be more helpful. Unfortunately, my relationship with her is not all it could be. She is a strong-willed woman, perhaps too assertive at times. Her determination is commendable, but she is somewhat…defiant.

—You mean she doesn’t agree with everything you say? Now, I’m beginning to like her…

—I meant to say that I fear it will become increasingly more difficult for me to help you.

—I’m just thankful she’s stuck with me for the time being.

—Speaking of thankfulness, I realize I may not have properly expressed my gratitude for what you did in Bosnia.

—You don’t need to. You were right. I didn’t really notice it until I was on my way to the airport, but I didn’t want to leave. The people there are so…They’re so strong, and they’re so vulnerable at the same time. Everything there just feels more…

—Real.

—Yes. Thank you for sending me.

—Thank you for finding Fata.

—You’re welcome. I won’t forget her either. That poor woman. What she had to endure, it’s…I can’t find the words. It’s inhuman. What kind of monster would do such a thing to another person?

—War brings out the worst, and sometimes the best, in people.

—Speaking of war, I’m worried about what we’re doing here. We started this as a research project. I don’t have a degree in physics or anything, but it felt somewhat like science. This is not. It’s not a research project anymore, and I’m starting to feel like a soldier again.

There’s just too much money riding on this thing not to use it. At some point, we’re gonna take her out, and we’re gonna kill people, a hundred, a thousand…ten thousand. It’s hard to see it for what it is, because it looks like a person, a woman, but what we have is a weapon, at least that’s the way we’re treating it. If we had found a bomb, a giant missile…

—Would you be a part of this project if we had?

—Maybe. Probably. Somehow it would be easier if I weren’t the one driving this thing. I mean there’s no one else. Well, there’s one other person. But they’ll send us out there, and we won’t have a choice but to kill whoever comes at us.

You know they’ll have absolutely no idea what they’re up against, no clue that they don’t stand a chance. I guess what I’m saying is: It’s easier to be just one more soldier in a giant army than being the whole army by yourself.

—It does not matter whether you are all alone or one in an army of thousands. You have a choice. You have always had a choice. You should be grateful to be in a position to make it when the stakes are so clear. They rarely are.

—I’m not sure I understand.

—You are in control of a formidable weapon, but one that is designed for close combat. This means that you will always see whomever you choose to kill. That is a clear choice. Destroying a bridge in a night incursion is a much harder decision to make. You just never took the time to think about it. Removing it could prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line. That bridge could also be the only escape route for civilians. How many people will you save? How many will you send to their deaths? That is a complicated decision to make, especially without all—

—Is that your phone or mine?

—Yours, I believe…

—Then that must be yours.

—Indeed it is. We seem to be popular at the moment.