23
Simon stared at his rescuer.
“Do I know you?”
The man grinned.
“It’s Paul. Or – if it makes things easier – Franz 2.”
Simon’s mind took a couple of seconds to register what the android had just said.
“You look... You look different.”
Paul grinned.
“This is the real me. My original shell. I’ll explain what’s happened later but, for now, we’ve got to get you out of here.”
Simon climbed through the square that Paul had created and saw a woman standing outside the adjoining cell, talking to the prisoner inside.
“Is she with you, Paul?”
“Yes. Simon, that’s Serena.”
“Is she?”
“A sophont? Yes. And my closest friend.”
Paul tossed the C-Spanner to Serena and she released Holly, who was so pleased to see Simon that she rushed over and leapt into his arms, hardly allowing him time to
