I was cornered, and I was about to get caught.


    "The door definitely moved, I swear, Constable," said another voice.


    "I don''t doubt that it did. Look, footprints in the dust." Damn, damn, damn! I didn''t think of that. "Come on, you take that aisle between the shelves, and I''ll take this one.”


    On the one hand, there were three aisles, so if I could get to the third, I''d be home free. On the other, there was no way to slip from my hiding place without revealing myself to either Frod or the cleaner who was with him. My thighs burned with the haphazard crouch I''d put myself in, but if I moved at all, I risked discovery.


    The only thing I could think to do while I waited and listened to the twin footsteps approaching was warm up my speed mods. Damn it, this was going to hurt. I hate using these things.


    "Ahem... Constable Frod?" A heavily-shrouded masculine voice came from the entrance to the room. I dared to peek past my filing cabinet towards the door.


    There stood a tall and frighteningly slim figure all in black. His limbs were thin and long, his head was like that too, a sort of extension of his torso with a neck just as thick as both. It was a kind of armour I was looking at, I suppose, shiny and black, but I didn''t have the time to boot up my visual mods to get more data on exactly what he was.


    Whoever he was, he was important enough that Frod turned and listened to him. "What is it, Nadir? I''m busy."


    "The Black Rose has a message for you."


    The time had come. Frod was walking back toward Nadir. Nadir was walking towards him. The cleaner was staring at Nadir, edging closer to hear his message too. I whipped out of my hiding place as quickly as I could, into the third aisle, keeping my feet light on the ground. There was no sound of pursuit or surprise or anything. I paused at the end of the aisle, waiting until I heard them talking again. No one was between me and the door. I ran for it, and out towards the Atrium -


    - bashing straight into the other cleaner coming out of another office.


    I kept running as I stumbled over them. If I looked back, there was every chance they''d get a decent ID on me. So I kept my head forward, my speed mod engaged, and spun up my audio-visual mods too so I would be able to hear any pursuers better.


    The Atrium on this level was deserted, but the sound of the casinos, restaurants and other nighttime entertainments several floors below carried up and stung my over-sensitive perception mods. I was going to pay for this with a headache tomorrow.


    I made it to the corridors to the private offices with no tail. It didn''t mean I was in the clear yet, but I was confident enough that I could turn my speed mod off and walk. As I did, the afterache set into my bones. Stupid cheap mods, I wish I''d never wasted my time and money on them. I made it back to my office, shambled through to the backrooms, and collapsed on my bed -


    - right on top of a body. I sat up and screamed, falling on my backside, and setting a recursive ringing in my audio-visual mods that threatened to explode my head.


    Hands on my shoulders shook me, then stroked up and down my upper arms, until I finally heard Xen''s voice whispering, "Marys, Marys, it''s OK. You''re safe. I''m sorry, I just put the decoy there while I cleaned up the floor and recharged for a bit. I meant to have it off your bed before you got home." Even Xen’s whispers were too loud, but Xen’s voice was so soothing, it was almost like a massage at maximum pressure, on that fine edge between pleasure and pain.


    I finally remembered to switch off my audio-visual mod, and kept my eyes closed as the afterache of that played out in my head, echoes ringing and afterimages flashing across my eyes. "I''ll be all right in a second, Xen, I just... I have these cheap mods which make everything worse... hold on a minute..."


    Xen got up and walked away, then I heard the tap in the bathroom going, and the next thing I knew, Xen was pressing a cold cloth to my forehead. The moisture was delicious after the constant dryness of the station air. I opened my eyes and smiled up at Xen. Xen smiled back.


    "Again, apologies for using your bed for the double."


    I glanced behind me. The eerie marionette version of Xen lay there on my bed, askew after my unfortunate encounter with it. "I don''t know how I didn''t see it before I lay on it. These damn mods aren''t worth the pain."


    Xen got up from crouching in front of me, and held out both hands to help me up. "Come on, your food''s been waiting. I hope it''s not too stale now."


    Out on the desk, another bag of cafe leftovers awaited me. I descended on them with a ravenous hunger that I hope didn''t disturb Xen too much. After using so many mods to get through that little infiltration of mine, I needed the energy. I tried to answer Xen''s questions without food in my mouth, but it was hard to maintain a balance between feeding and talking. The food was so delicious, but I so very much wanted to answer everything Xen wanted to know.


    "Where were you?"


    "On the case. It''s best you not know the details in case Frod comes asking questions. But let''s just say, I needed to enter a place to get some information, and Frod nearly caught me. If it hadn''t been for this weird long guy all in black, I would have been caught."


    "Oh, Nadir?"


    "Yeah, who is he?"


    "Black Rose''s personal manservant."


    "Well, I''m eternally grateful to the guy. How''s the double coming?"


    "It''s not perfect, unfortunately. I''ve been working on it every spare minute I''ve got, but I''m not sure it''s going to be ready in time. Plus I still have a shift to go to tomorrow."


    "Can I take over any part of the process?"


    "Are you sure? I know you''re busy with the whole Lisia affair..."


    "I think I''m going to have to lie low tomorrow anyway. What with Frod having almost caught me, and I''m probably going to have a stinking headache after using so many mods." I already had said headache, but I didn''t want to bore Xen with that right now. "So yeah, I''ll get on it, just show me what you need me to do."


    "You''re too good to me, Marys. I don''t know what I''ve done to deserve you." Another one of our patented awkward silences extended between us, but I was too busy filling my mouth with some delicious fruit laden pastry thing. "So, you''re modded, huh?"


    "Yeah."


    "But not the high-end stuff."


    "Nope. Which was stupid of me, because it''s all cheap rubbish which takes time to spin up. And they tend to have major drawbacks either when they''re on, or afterwards."


    "I''m sorry to hear. The price for improvement is difficult. I know, I''ve had mods too."


    "Yeah?"


    "Nearly everything you perceive of me is a mod from my original state. All the better to be me, after escaping my previous owner."


    My eyes drank Xen in for a few moments, then I averted them. I didn''t want to think too hard about that past of Xen''s. Everyone knew what gynoids were purchased for most of the time. The things Xen must have gone through... "It''ll be good to be well shot of him after this fake death, hmm?"


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    "Indeed. And what about you?"


    "Me?"


    "When you find Lisia Astrantia Helianthe, what will happen?"


    I finally paused in my eating, stomach feeling heavy. Not sure if it was the food or the talk. "I want to say I''ll bring her to justice. I want to say I would be professional, and not take revenge for my world. But... honestly, I won''t know until I''m there. She''s responsible for so many deaths, Xen. Both my parents... well, I assume. My father, definitely. So I can''t really answer that until I''m there."


    Xen nodded and smiled that beatific smile. "I appreciate your honesty. If you''re finished, let''s go through and go over what''s left for the double. Oh and... we''d better give me a haircut."


    "Huh? Why?" I was way too upset about that, more than I should reasonably have been.


    "I need to cut my hair exactly in half, and collect the excess to plant on the head of the double when the synthaskin is ready. That way, I have all day tomorrow for people to compliment my new haircut, and then on the day after that, they see a double with the same haircut go down..."


    "Right. Of course. Just show me what to do."


    "No, no, I can handle that part. Come on, let''s get started."


    ---


    I spent all of my third day on the station in my back rooms, working on the double. Joints needed bolting and oiling, a few more barcodes needed scraping, but most importantly, the synthaskin needed rehydrating. I filled multiple buckets with the stuff in the base of my shower cubicle, and let them soak all day. As Xen had asked, I took them out every hour or so for five minutes breathing time, then soaked them again. The skin was beginning to feel real again, beginning to remind me, distractingly, of touching Xen in those few instances we had touched. Certainly, it was distracting me from the headache hanging around in my head all day.


    I knew there was something between us, but neither of us had gone deeper into that yet. Perhaps until the job was done, and Xen was in the clear, it was for the best to keep things polite and friendly. I could live with that.


    When Xen came home that evening, it was with rollerblades on Xen''s feet.


    "What the -?" I asked, my words giving away to a snort of laughter as Xen crashed into my desk.


    Xen huffed and laughed at Xen''s self. "I have spent all day on these ridiculous things, establishing a precedent for... tomorrow."


    "Oh. Right. Of course." I tried to smile to cover the grimness that Xen''s impending ''death'' brought into the room. "And what did everyone think of your new haircut?"


    Xen bounced the high bob in Xen''s hands. It was a lot cuter than I''d thought it would be than when it had just been a hypothetical haircut. I felt stupid for ever thinking Xen might not suit it. Xen would suit any hairstyle. "Lots of compliments." Xen held up today''s parcel. "Take a break and eat. I''ll look over the work and see what we have left to do."


    Five minutes later, Xen walked back into my office to find me with cheeks stuffed full of fried bread. "It''s perfect, Marys. Well, almost perfect."


    "Yeah? What more can we do to make it perfect?"


    "A couple of finishing touches. The stuff I really need your help on, that I absolutely cannot do alone."


    "Oh yeah?"


    "Finish your food first. And then wash your hands. This part is delicate work."


    When I was done, I followed Xen''s instructions, and walked back into the back room to find Xen looking solemn. "So, what is it that''s so sensitive?"


    "We''re going to make a backup copy of my identity chip. This is something I cannot do alone, because I''ll be offline for the duration."


    There was fear in Xen''s projected face as Xen said this, behind the normal pleasant easy expression. Xen''s eyes were just a hair too wide. How real was such an emotion, if one could even call it that?


    No, it was silly of me to think that. Xen didn''t need to manipulate me with vulnerability right now. Xen was really in trouble without me – or with me, even, if tomorrow went sideways – and had every reason to be scared.


    "Talk me through it."


    Xen held up the double''s chip and patted the bed behind Xen. "I''m going to lift the hatch in my neck. You''re going to press the little red button and then my ID chip will slide out. From that point on, I will be completely in your hands. Unresponsive. I need you to take my chip and put the other one in, and wait for the little green light to flash to say it''s done. Then you can pop that one out and replace my real ID chip. Oh, and you shouldn''t put it down anywhere. Hold it carefully between your fingers on the thin side, and try not to drop it or touch the flat sides."


    I took the double''s chip and looked at it, flipping it in my fingers, mostly to avoid looking at Xen and letting Xen see how worried I was. "Why are we copying your ID? Isn''t that dangerous? Couldn''t he take your chip and rebuild you - or like, a copy of you, to torment anew?"


    Xen winced, and shook Xen''s head. "No, you see, it won''t really be me. It will be a factory standard backup that I create. It won''t have what''s actually me. My personality, my lived experience. All of that doesn''t come built into the chip. It''s created over time, with all the neural patterns I''ve worn into it over the years of being me. That part cannot be copied, not even with the best computers available."


    I breathed out, trying to keep calm and cool. This was a huge thing Xen was asking me.  "I did wonder where... you... were. Like, I''ve only met a few synthetics, and I did wonder about how any synthetic being has a unique personality... but it''s all in one of these. This makes you you?"


    "I know it can be hard for organics to understand, but it''s true. After a time we start to develop what you could argue is a soul."


    "Oh, I understand. I mean like, as much as one can understand souls and sentience and all that. Don''t get me wrong, I''ve never doubted your sentience or anything. I was convinced since the moment I met you." I mean come on, if a synthetic can flirt, it''s got to have something behind those projected eyes, right?


    "Thanks." Xen looked down at the chip, then up at me again coyly. "I''ve never trusted anyone with this before. So... are you ready?"


    "As ready as I''ll ever be."


    Xen turned Xen''s back on me, sitting on the edge of my bed. Xen lifted the small hatch in the back of Xen''s neck.


    I hovered my finger over the slim red button. "I''m going to press it."


    "Go ahead."


    I pressed the button and Xen''s chip popped half out of the slit beside the button. Like the chip in my hand, it was blue-green and not even a quarter the size of my palm. I pried it out by the thin sides, holding it in my left hand, while I slotted the fake chip in. A whirring started up behind Xen''s skin, and the light flickered orange as Xen''s processors wrote the backup to the empty chip.


    The chip in my hand was the totality of Xen''s existence now. How bizarre. The body in front of me was only a shell, despite everything Xen had done to make it Xen''s own since winning freedom. After a few minutes of waiting alone, I slipped up and around the front to look in Xen''s face.


    Nothing. No light behind the face, the humanoid oval devoid of features. Xen''s skin was dulled without Xen''s full presence behind it. Without Xen animating the body before me, I realised to my surprise that I wasn''t attracted to the shell of Xen all that much.


    It really was the being inside the chip held gingerly between my fingers that I wanted to know better.


    That''s when I knew how deep in I was.


    Half-laughing, half-sighing to myself, I got back on the bed behind Xen and waited for the light. A few minutes later, the orange light ceased, and the same spot blinked green. I jabbed the button to take out the impostor and put Xen back where Xen belonged.


    Xen rolled Xen''s shoulders and sighed. "Thanks," Xen whispered, looking over a shoulder at me. "Everything went to plan?"


    "Perfectly." I handed over the chip and Xen planted it in the back of the double''s neck.


    "It''s not going to wake up and talk to us now, is it?"


    "It doesn''t have an invigorator. Those are stupid expensive. So instead I''ve put in a burnt-out motivator, which should look convincingly similar in its damaged state. It''ll look like it got melted in the death event. But no, it will never talk, or do anything other than what we make it do."


    "So let me guess. Just the synthaskin next?"


    "Synthaskin, and then a bit of driving practice." Xen tapped the remote control.


    "Driving - oh, right, that part. Of course."


    "But first, the synthaskin."


    Xen complimented my attention to detail when we got to the bathroom and all the strips of synthaskin were hanging up drying out, perfectly plump and real-looking. We spent the next hour smoothing the stuff over the double''s body, using a mixture of water and a special paste to glue the seams together. It was intricate work, and weirdly intimate, to be touching all these soft, silky pieces which were formerly part of Xen. Our hands met a number of times as we did the job. I never got used to it. Every time we touched it was like an electric spark ran through me. Somehow, I do not know how, I managed to get through that time without losing my cool, calm, professional demeanour.


    But I really did need a cold shower after that, so while Xen did driving practice in the office, I did just that.


    If I was worried about struggling to sleep after all that skin contact, I needn''t have worried. Instead, I struggled to sleep for another reason entirely.


    Xen stood over me, to the left of my bed, charging up on a footpad plugged into the wall. Xen''s face was off again, but with a gentle glow behind the featureless oval. This time, I knew Xen was in there. It might not look like sleep as I knew it, but that''s what I was looking at.


    Xen’s presence wasn’t what haunted me, but rather the question: What if we failed? What if Xen was forced to go back to that life Xen had escaped? And to go through all of what Xen must have gone through early in Xen''s life, all over again... but this time after knowing freedom...


    I wanted to cry just thinking about it, but I didn''t want to burden Xen with comforting me.


    After all, in less than twelve hours, Xen was going to die.