And the headaches, the strange visions—just as Kaine said, he’d been experiencing Decay. It had nothing to do with the KillSim attack at the Black and Blue Club. Tangents could only last so long before they began to break down. It also explained why his parents and Helga had disappeared without explanation. He’d always been told that was what happened—that elements of your life began to vanish from the programming and you didn’t even realize it half the time. At least, not at first. He remembered the sinking feeling he’d had when it hit him that his parents had been gone for weeks and it hadn’t seemed strange until that moment.

Michael wasn’t real. He was fake. It sickened him. As if someone had poured poison down his throat in big, choking mouthfuls. He didn’t want to be alive anymore. He didn’t deserve to be. He was a Tangent.

But Kaine had given him life. Had stolen a human body, made it Michael’s. The Path had been a test—but one he wished now that he hadn’t passed. Michael was nothing but a guinea pig for a Tangent that had somehow become self-aware. And now he wanted him to help make it happen again and again. Take over the entire human race, maybe. It all fit, and he understood why the VNS had wanted to find Kaine.

And what about Bryson and Sarah, his parents, Helga? Had anyone in his life been real? Could he ever find them if they were? A rush of despair overwhelmed him.

Michael turned off the NetScreen, leaned his head against the wall, and closed his eyes. His first thought was of Tanya, and how she’d ended her life by jumping off that bridge. If he really was a human now—flesh and blood—then he could do the same thing. And perhaps it would even upset Kaine’s plans—slow them down a bit. Maybe they needed Michael as a template so they could duplicate what they’d done.

But even as he thought it, he knew that following Tanya’s path wasn’t an option.

There was only one thing he could do to make things right.

Live.

Live to face Kaine again.

The doorbell rang.

4

Michael walked through his unfamiliar apartment with his unfamiliar body. He was tense, his heart beating rapidly. There was no way of knowing who else lived there, who might come home, who might be waiting outside in the hall. But he knew, absolutely knew, that he had to answer the door.

When he pulled it open, Agent Weber stood there—all dark hair and exotic eyes and long legs. Her expression was hard to read. It seemed like another lifetime when he’d met her at the VNS headquarters. He almost laughed out loud when he realized that, indeed, it had been. Michael could never have known if she was real or not until that moment.

“You must have a thousand questions,” she said, her voice tight.

“More like two thousand.” His new voice sounded strange to his new ears.

“Our meetings were real,” Weber said. “Our interactions—your mission—were real. We were all duped by the Tangent. By Kaine.”

“You did know I was a Tangent, though. Right?”

She nodded. “Of course we did. We knew he was gathering Tangents to his lair, testing them somehow. That’s why we used you. We met you in Lifeblood Deep and used you. I’m sorry, Michael, but it was the only way.”

Michael felt a hitch in his gut, but he had to ask the next question. “And Bryson? Sarah? Are they …”

“Yes.” Weber nodded. “They’re real, Michael. And they didn’t know that you weren’t. You’ll have to do a lot of explaining to them yourself.”

Michael laughed. He had no idea where it came from, but he laughed.

“So,” he finally said, “what’s next? I’m sure Kaine knows you’re here.”

“I just wanted you to see my face. To know that I really exist—that you’re not alone. To know that the VNS is still determined to catch Kaine and stop his plans. I’m going to leave now, Michael.” Weber paused. She looked almost sad. “We’ll be in touch with you. In the meantime, do your best to play the part of the human you’ve replaced. There’s simply no other choice.”

And with that, Agent Weber turned from him and walked away, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor of the apartment hallway. Michael stared after her until she was gone, then closed the door and headed for the kitchen.

He was hungry.