I didn’t quite get how it worked yet—something about the connection between Tair and me—but I’d figure out the specifics later.

For now, it only mattered that it worked.

And Darren was dead.

Permanently.

Because there was no turning back from here.

“We have to destroy the lab.” Tair eased away from me. “I’ll try to download some data while I set my charges, but we have to run.”

“Get what you can,” I said, finally working up the courage to let go of him. I still shook a little, but I could work through it. I had to work through it. “I’ll deal with the tanks.”

“If you’d rather—” Tair started.

“No.” I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “I’ll do it. If anyone’s going to kill them, it should be me.” I staggered on my first step away from him. He held my shoulder steady and the second step was more confident. “I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

No. Not even a little. But I wanted to do this myself. “Just hurry.”

He gave me a look like he knew I was lying, but neither of us had time to screw around. While he went to work on the consoles, I headed deeper into the lab, bracing myself against walls and tables. I hurried through the clean room, but when I opened the lab door, ammonia-scented air blasted me back.

Clapping a hand over my nose and mouth, I tried not to gag. The smell was going to haunt me the rest of my life.

But at least I had a life now. Or a chance at one.

Focusing on that, I crossed inside.

I tried not to look at the floating things as I moved from tank to tank. All I had to do was turn off the life systems and they’d go peacefully. Tap and done. They’d die without waking up, so it was pretty humane considering the fact they existed had to be a huge ethical no-no.

Still…

Dizziness and nausea spun my head as I pulled their digital plugs.

It was mercy, but that didn’t make it feel good. The opposite. They should never have been made and now there was nothing I could do but end their suffering.

The last tank was the largest and its control panel was higher. As I reached for the touch screen, my gaze flicked up—

I froze.

She looked exactly like me. Just shorter hair, fanned out around her chin, fluttering like seaweed in the liquid. Pressing her palms against the glass, she stared like she was looking at a ghost.

Maybe she thought she was the real one?

My heart stuttered. I couldn’t.

I stood staring until something touched my shoulder, restarting my brain. I jumped.

“We’re ready,” Tair said. He swallowed as his gaze swept NotQuanta who gaped at us.

“This one…”