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“Perhaps I might be of some assistance?”
Serena had seen a sophont who looked like the one standing before them, but that had been Paul, occupying Franz 2’s shell. And that particular Franz was back in Marvin’s truck.
Paul, on the other hand, realised immediately who the android was.
“You’re Franz. Franz 1, aren’t you?”
Franz 1 recognised neither of the sophonts before him.
“Do I know you?”
Paul put out his hand for Franz 1 to shake, a human custom that he liked to emulate.
“We’ve met, yes. In fact, you rescued me from Proxima b, along with Coppélia 1.”
“You must be Paul, then. However, you look different.”
“This is my original shell. The Franz shell – your double – is in storage.”
Serena immediately understood what this meant.
“You’re from the space cruiser the Sir Isaac Ne
