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me.
    “I have to do this,” she says.
    I shake the ghost from my shoulder and take a deep breath. “I won’t screw up, I promise you that.”
    James lets the silence fill the space between us until even the echo of my words drifts away. “Good. Remember what Mira wanted and try not to reveal your anger to Socrates or George Eliot. Yes, they are Firsts, but they are not the heinous monstrosities you believe them to be.”
    A hollow laugh fills the air, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s mine. “I’m pretty sure we’re all monsters, every last one of us, and the key is figuring out who is worse.”
    James’s mouth twitches at the corners. “When you figure that out, please let me know.”
    A few minutes later, James stands up and brushes his pants off. “I’m afraid I have to cut our conversation short. The longer we talk, the greater a risk of drawing undue attention. We’ll talk soon.” He tips an imaginary hat to me and turns away.
    After the doctor disappears, my com unit flashes. “Will,” a tinny electronic voice says. “You’re wanted back at Socrates’s quarters immediately.”
    “Of course I am.” A bitter resignation drenches my words.
    “Immediately.” The light on my com blinks off.
    By walking as slowly as possible, I’m able to waste almost twenty minutes before lifting my hand to knock on Socrates’s door.
    “Come in,” Eliot calls from inside.
    As soon as I enter, I realize Ellie’s alone. Part of me is relieved, but another part, some traitorous spot deep within my soul, yearns to see Mira’s face again.
    “Where were you?” Eliot demands.
    My back stiffens. “Out. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in need of my assistance.” Be careful, Will. Your mother always told you to watch your mouth. It could get you in serious trouble someday.
    She jerks her head toward the bathroom. “That’s fine, I suppose, but in Santa Fe, I expect to be kept aware of your location at all times. You can’t just up and disappear there.”
    I barely resist the sudden urge to salute her. “Understood. It won’t happen again.”
    “Good. See that it doesn’t,” Eliot says. “The physicians have cleared Soc, so we’d like to leave as soon as possible. Would you mind overseeing the transport of our bags to the pods?”
    “It would be my pleasure.” I force my voice to remain flat. “Do you need me to pack them for you?”
    “That won’t be necessary,” Socrates says as he emerges from the bathroom. Even with the added weight of so many lives and centuries, he still appears so achingly identical to the girl I loved.
    “Yes, sir.” I turn on my heel and march from the room, eager to leave them, and my conversation with James Scoffield behind, even if it’s just for a short time.

Every Step
    Mira
     
    “This is it?” I tear my gaze away from the squat, reddish-brown structure that rises above a thick, rough stone wall and peek at Ellie.
    “Yes.” A wistful smile transforms her face. Smaller buildings, built like little houses, match the main one and surround the outer barrier.
    It’s not just Socrates’s house. “It’s your house, too. Isn’t it?” A flush creeps up my cheeks.
    She nods curtly and murmurs in my ear, “Of course, we both live here.”
    That thought slowly sinks in. I have a house, an actual house. It’s not an apartment enclosed by paper-thin walls and surrounded by noisy neighbors and their noisy problems. It’s an actual freestanding building with rooms I can walk around in. I bet the walls are so solid I couldn’t hear someone scream if they were at the other end of the hall.
    As the rusted, red four-wheeled vehicle the driver called a Jeep putters down the road, I grab the door handle to steady myself. I can’t believe these were popular once. Who would choose to ride in one of these when there are pods and airborne transports?
    “Only you would want to keep an ancient gas-powered clunker like this.” She makes a clucking sound. “It’s