Only Human (Themis Files #3)(74)
[And you gave up all our friends anyway! IIIIII HAAAAAATE YOOOOUUUUU!]
AAAARGH! Do you think the empress fucking gave a shit whether you did it or not? AAAAGH! COME ON! You can hit harder than this! She was going to get them. She had all of their names! She was going to kill you! I did it, Eva. I gave up everything. I gave up who I was. I turned on everyone I loved. I betrayed an entire fucking planet to save you, Eva.
[I hate you—]
I know you do, Eva. If you want to kill me, go ahead! Do you think I care if I live or die after all that? I don’t have anything left. I lost you! I was willing to lose you if it meant you could live. I was willing to lose everything. And I have. But you’re alive. You’re alive, Eva. I don’t give a shit what happens to me now.
…
Do it, Eva! Finish this!
FILE NO. EE463—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Personal Log—Dr. Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture
Location: Assigned residence, Etyakt region
—I did it, Rose. It’s done.
—Where’s Eva?
—Eugene’s house. I didn’t want to bring her back to our place.
—The Imperial Guard?
—They left with Iyets right after we found him.
—I was hoping they’d escort us to Themis. I suppose we’ll have to get there without them. We need to go, now.
—Now?
—Yes, now. Enatast was just here. The insurgents, or so we’re told, seized control of … hundreds of robots. They’re marching on Osk right now. There are hundreds more lining up to stop them.
—How can they do that? Take control of the robots?
—I don’t think they can.
—It doesn’t make any sense, Rose. The empress can put up signs, blow up a few buildings, but I can’t imagine the Imperial Guard fighting against itself just to put on a show.
—I don’t know, Vincent. All I know is we have to leave before this turns into a full-blown civil war.
—All right, I’ll go get Eva. Then we grab Ekim and go. I know where we can find him.
—Do you think he’ll do it?
—He doesn’t have a choice. I can’t fly Themis through space, and I wouldn’t know where to go if I did. We’re not going anywhere without him.
—This is it, Vincent. It’s really happening. Are you OK with all this?
—I don’t regret anything if that’s what you’re asking. Are you OK?
—I’m scared. I’ll be honest, I’m having second thoughts. I’m not so sure we’re doing the right thing. Maybe we could have stopped this.
—You know what, Rose? We didn’t start it. We couldn’t stop it, but we didn’t start it. That’ll have to be enough. I’m sure the Ekt will forgive us for not trying to intervene.
—Haha! Must be really nervous. That’s not funny at all. What is that?
—It’s a gun. One of the guards gave it to me.
FILE NO. 2195 (CONTINUED)
MISSION LOG—VINCENT COUTURE AND SERGEANT ALEXANDER VASILIEV
Location: Aboard Themis. Sinuiju, North Korea
—Finish it, Eva! Just keep hitting if you hate me so much.
…
[I can’t hit you anymore, Dad.]
Eva, I love you. You have no idea how much I—
[I said hit, Dad, not hate.]
I know, Eva.
[I mean I literally can’t hit you. I can’t lift my arm anymore.]
That’s a start, Eva. That’s a start. Can you get up?
[No. My copilot’s legs are gone.]
Mine’s unconscious. Does that mean we’re done killing each other?
[Dad, I … Yes, we’re done killing each other.]
Good.
[We’re in trouble. I’m in trouble. The—]
<Vincent, what the fuck is going on?>
Hold on a sec, Eva. I gotta talk to Moscow.
We’re on our back, Katherine. Lapetus is lying on top of us. I think that about sums it up.
<We can see that, Vincent.>
Then why are you asking me?
<Jeez, Vincent, I don’t know. Oh! Yes, I remember now. There are a million Chinese crossing the bridge right now, and the North Korean Army is marching on your location with a few hundred tanks. What else? Oh, the Chinese aren’t taking my calls, so … If you’re not too busy, I’d like to know … what the fuck is going on!>
Well, like I said, we’re on our back.
<Can you, maybe, not be on your back?>
Maybe, if Alex ever wakes up. He looks pretty banged up.
<Wake him up!>
I’m not even sure he’s alive, Katherine.
<Well, you better find a way to get up on your own then, because if the Chinese, or the Koreans for that matter, get to you while you’re lying down, they’ll take Lapetus, kill your daughter, then they’ll come in and shoot you. They’ll shoot each other. Yada yada yada, they have two robots and pretty soon all our kids are singing the Chinese national anthem, watching the red flag go up on Mondays.>
That’s sweet of you to worry about me, I—
<Oh, I forgot. Just in case they don’t shoot you, I’ll have to kill you. You know how much I’d hate to do that. That would be so unpleasant.>