“But you’re a person, not a fact—how do you feel about it?”

“Partials live in a caste system,” said Heron. “The soldiers are the best fighters, the generals are the best leaders and problem solvers, the doctors have the most knowledge and manual dexterity. It’s how we were built—there’s no shame in knowing that you’ve been outsmarted by a general, because they are designed, from the genetic level, to outsmart everyone.” She bowed slightly, an immodest smile creeping over her face. “But I’m an espionage model, and we’re designed to beat everyone at everything. Independent operatives who function outside the normal command structure, facing problems in every category and overcoming them without outside assistance. How could I not feel superior when I demonstrably am?” She paused, and her smile turned more serious. “When I suggested that you might be an espionage model as well, that’s pretty much the best compliment I can give.”

“You don’t get it,” said Kira. “You or Samm or any of the other Partials.” She stopped walking again, throwing up her hands in frustration. “How do you think this is going to end? You kill us and we kill you until nobody’s left?”

“I’m pretty sure we’ll win,” said Heron.

“And then what?” asked Kira. “In two more years you’ll all be past your twenty-year limit, and you’ll be dead. And if any of us live through the war, we’ll die with you, because we need your pheromone to live. And what if we avoid the war? What if we find something in this data center and we cure RM and expiration and we go on with our lives? We’ll both live and we’ll both hate each other and sooner or later we’ll have another war, and we’re never going to escape it unless we change the way we think. So no, Heron, I don’t like your facts or your attitude or your self-righteous explanation of why it’s okay to be a racist, fascist jerk. Damn it, where is there a hardware store?” They turned another corner, and Kira saw a sign that looked promising, storming toward it in waterlogged boots. She didn’t bother looking to see if Heron was behind her.

The store was odd, a kind of combination pet store/home repair store, but they did have paint thinner, and Kira loaded up with two gallon cans per fist. When she turned around, Heron was right behind her, and she grabbed four cans as well. They stomped back through the water to the generators, being careful to follow the same exact route in case there were any collapses or sinkholes they’d missed on the way out.

By the time they got back, Samm and Afa had managed to open the gas valve, and Afa was probing the tank with a long piece of rebar.