“I told you to leave me the fuck alone,” Boone growled in a low, furious voice. Jimex looked amazed by his anger; he wore a look of blank astonishment, as if he were a baby watching someone make faces.

“I am sorry,” Jimex said. His silver eyes seemed fixed on a point past Boone’s left shoulder. “I meant to assist you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Boone said roughly. “If I did, I would have asked for it. Didn’t anyone ever tell you to mind your damn business?”

“No,” Jimex answered, with bland politeness.

The military specialist gave him a hard shove. Despite the fact that she knew better, Park found herself stepping out from behind the wall that obscured her from Boone’s point of view. Jimex staggered back against the wall behind him, then shot upright again, as if he were a weighted bowling pin.

“Boone,” Park said. “What’s going on?”

He saw her standing there and rolled his eyes. “Oh, boy,” he said, as if he were speaking to some invisible audience. “Here we go.” He gave Jimex a contemptuous gesture. “Call off your little clunk, Park. The damn thing won’t leave me alone.”

She looked at Jimex. “Sergeant Boone was told by Commander Wick to look for Dr. Holt,” the android said, in answer to her unspoken question. He didn’t look surprised to find her coming to his rescue—but then again, he rarely did. “Dr. Holt is missing.”

“What does that have to do with you following Boone?” Park asked.

Jimex’s eyes moved from Boone to Wick’s door. His head gave a little buzz. “I did not know why it was necessary for him to return to his room,” he answered. “Dr. Holt is not there. I thought he might be disobeying his directive.”

“That’s not your business, even if he is,” she told him, signaling him to come stand by her. She was aware of how her body slid in front of his, shielding him from Boone’s gaze—as if the custodian android, one head taller than her, was a child for her to protect. Boone watched Jimex retreat behind her with disgust.

“Why are you over here?” Park asked him.

“This is my bunk, too,” Boone answered, sniffing. “Not just Wick’s. Why are you here?”

“I needed to talk to Wick. Shouldn’t you be looking for Holt?”

Boone sneered. “That’s why I came back to my locker. I wasn’t going to start the search without this.”