The machine sent power to the cube and the clamp rotated under the laser. Ian looked at a screen off to the side for the last calibration date. Cliveʼs wide-eyed face appeared. Ian shot back.

“Ian, stop!” Cliveʼs body floated in empty space. “Thereʼs a way around this.”

Ian steadied himself. “I canʼt. And... how the hell are you doing this?”

Clive took a few breaths in his little virtual. “Iʼve got some decent hacking modules installed on my cube. The defenses in this section of the building are pretty shit. I guess whoever built this room assumed the light security was okay because thereʼs no outside connection.” He shook his head. “Listen, I have a plan that can get us both out of this.”

“There is no getting out of this,” said Ian. He tried to fight back tears. “My commanding officer is right outside the door. If I donʼt do this, he will. Iʼm sorry. My backʼs against the wall.” He pulled up another system menu screen, trying to deploy countermeasures.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Ian, do you really want to do this? Didnʼt you tell me earlier that you were one of the good guys? Is that how you really feel right now? Standing there, acting as the executioner?”

Ian stopped typing. What the fuck was he doing? Following orders. Doing whatever Rourke said because he feared to do otherwise. “I have to do this.”

“I thought you saved people,” said Clive. “Thatʼs what you said to me, that youʼre a hero and that you save people. Is that what youʼre doing right now?”

“Shut the fuck up,” growled Ian. “Youʼre already dead.”

Ian found the systemʼs countermeasures.

“Just hear me out for 30 seconds. This room is directly connected to the transfer center next door. I can stage a security glitch at both doors and give us enough time for a pair of cube swaps.”

Ian leaned back. “What?” The idea sounded insane. Put Clive in one of the cloned bodies? He couldnʼt pull that off.

“That wonʼt work. Your cube doesnʼt have the proper security measures installed. It wonʼt take to the cloned bodies.”

Clive nodded. “I know. But your body is original, with no security in place.”

It came to Ian. “Oh,” he said. “I get it now.”

“Iʼm locking the doors now. Get over to the transfer center and set yourself up. I can handle the rest from here.”