Read Online Vigilantes by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online

again, slowly, as if he could not bear to look at Nyquist.
    Then even more slowly, Uzvaan opened his eyes. His skin tone remained the same for the first time in their entire meeting.
    “I followed each and every instruction. I did not deviate, even when I wanted to. One could argue that I am breaking the rules now, but one could also argue that the rules no longer apply because I no longer exist. The end date did come. I did not physically die. But I am no longer Uzvaan. I am nothing.”
    So that was how Uzvaan justified this conversation. Or this series of conversations.
    Nyquist waited. He wanted Uzvaan to be done before continuing.
    They sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Uzvaan said, “That is the entire assignment, Detective.”
    Nyquist wanted to ask the psychological questions. He would have if this were a standard crime. But it wasn’t.
    “You mentioned a mask upgrade packet,” Nyquist said. “I’ve never heard of that. I thought Peyti got their masks locally, in the various shops here on the Moon.”
    Uzvaan shifted a little in his seat. “I do not know about other Peyti,” he said. “Ever since I left for school, I have received a mask upgrade packet each quarter. I was told I could only use those masks or it would impact my health adversely. The older I got, the more I believed there was some kind of tracking within the mask, something that allowed them to watch over me.”
    “Them?” Nyquist asked.
    “The ones in charge,” Uzvaan said.
    “Who are they?” Nyquist asked.
    Uzvaan closed his eyes again, then tilted his head. “I do not exactly know.”
    “Someone ran you around,” Nyquist said, and instantly regretted the word choice. “Ran you around” was antagonistic.
    “Yes.” Uzvaan opened his eyes. Their expression seemed more distant. “Many someones. They never told me who they worked for and I never asked. They were simply The Ones In Charge.”
    “How did you recognize them?” Nyquist asked.
    Uzvaan’s head tilt grew more pronounced. “What do you mean?”
    “Could any Peyti come up to you and tell you that he was in charge of you? Would you have believed that?”
    “No,” Uzvaan said. “They had to call me by my number.”
    That stopped Nyquist for a moment. “Your…number?”
    “We did not have names for the first ten years of our lives. Some did not have names until we left for school. We were numbered.”
    “What’s your number?” Nyquist asked.
    “Private,” Uzvaan said.
    “It doesn’t matter now,” Nyquist reminded him. “That person no longer exists.”
    Another shudder ran through Uzvaan. “I am…” and then he let out a sigh. “I cannot tell you. You could use it to control me.”
    “In case you hadn’t noticed,” Nyquist said, “we already control you.”
    Uzvaan nodded. “I am….” And again, a sigh. “I am not to tell anyone.”
    “You weren’t supposed to live this long either,” Nyquist said. He wanted to add, Overcome the damn training. Get on with this .
    “True enough.” Uzvaan shifted. It almost looked as if he were about to stand. Movement reflected in the bubble around Nyquist.
    He glanced over his shoulder.
    The android guards had also shifted position. Apparently, Uzvaan wasn’t supposed to move out of that chair.
    “I am,” Uzvaan said, not noticing that Nyquist wasn’t looking at him. “I am Eighty-Five of Three Hundred.”
    Nyquist turned, wanted to say, See, that wasn’t so hard , was it? But the words stuck in his throat as he realized what Uzvaan had said.
    Eighty-five of Three Hundred.
    It was a clone name, meant to mark the run. Three hundred clones, and Uzvaan was 85th. Or, the three hundredth branch from the Uzvekmt DNA.
    “Do you know what that means?” Nyquist asked.
    “No,” Uzvaan said.
    “Were there any others in your group who were ‘of Three Hundred’?” Nyquist asked.
    “Originally,” Uzvaan said. For a moment, Nyquist thought he would continue and give a number. But he said nothing