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Prologue

―Will you tell me your name?" asked Dr Halsey She made no move to squat down in front of the boy, to s at all to co, her posture neither friendly nor threatening, but siaze was steady, interested

The boy looked at her froaze was just as steady as hers, though there was perhaps a trace of wariness in his eyes Coht Dr Halsey If he knehy I was here there’d be more than just a trace He held his body just as noncoh she could tell by the tightness in his neck that that

―You first," the boy said, and thenthat could pass for a smile

His voice was cale of a situation Not afraid, then Not surprising, thought Dr Halsey If the report she‘d read was correct, he‘d ed to survive on his own, in the Outer Colonies on the planet Dwarka, on an illegal farm in the middle of a forest preserve one hundred kilometers from nowhere, for nearly threeunder normal circu terraforh But for someone as barely six years old it was inconceivable

―I already know your name," Dr Halsey admitted ―It‘s Soren"

―If you knehy did you ask?"

―I wanted to see if you‘d tell me," she said Then she paused ―I‘m Doctor Halsey," she said, and smiled

Soren didn‘t saze, suspicion that sat strangely in his face alongside his straw-colored hair and his pale blue eyes ―What kind of doctor?"

he asked

―I‘h--, not a sigh--"

―No," she said, and s a lot of psychiatrists, haven‘t you?"

He hesitated just a moment, and then nodded

―Because of your parents‘ deaths?"

He hesitated, nodded again

Dr Halsey glanced at the holographic files displayed discreetly on the interior of her glasses His mother had apparently succumbed to a planet-specific disease Treatrid wouldn‘t have been aware of that Instead of reporting immediately to the planetary officials as was required by law, the boy‘s parents had dis A few days later, the mother was dead and the stepfather sick

Soren, perhaps because his younger immune system had adapted more readily to Dwarka, had never beco wish, buried the bodies of both of his parents, then continued to live on in their far out by foot to cross 112 kilo of authorized farht to consider hiht and resourceful

He was tough and clearly wouldn‘t give up easily But at the sah that experience? Nobody kne traumatized he was Nobody knew for

certain what it had done--and --to him Probably not even him

―Why are you here?" he asked

She looked at hi; she could simply do as she and Keyes had done with the others and make the decision for him, flash-clone hireater goodBut with the other children she‘d in part assumed they wouldn‘t understand Here was a boy without parents who, despite being only six, had had to grow up fast, much faster than her other recruits Could she tell him more?

―The truth is," she said, ―I came to see you"

―Why?" he countered

She returned his even gaze Suddenly she ht for so on An experiment I can‘t tell you what it is, I‘m afraid But if it works in the e hope it will you‘ll be stronger and faster and sine"

For the first tihtly confused ―Why would you want to do so like that for me? You don‘t even know me"

She reached out and tousled Soren‘s hair, was pleased when he didn‘t flinch or shy away ―It‘s not for you, exactly," she said ―I can‘t tell youyou‘ve ever done--even harder than what happened with your parents"

―And what have you decided?" he asked

―I‘ve decided to let you be the one to decide," she said

―What if I say no?"

She shrugged ―You‘d stay here on Dwarka The planetary authorities would arrange a foster hoht He’s between a rock and a hard place She wondered again if she wasn‘t being unfair putting the choice on the boy

―All right," he said and stood up

―All right what?" she said

―I‘ with you When do we leave?"

LATER, BACK on board, when she spoke with Keyes, showed him the vid of her conversation

with Soren, he asked, ―You‘re sure about this?"

―I think so," she said

He just grunted

―As sure as I a any of theht happen to him"

―That‘s an awful lot to lay on a child," said Keyes ―Even one who‘s grown up fast"

She nodded Keyes was right, she knew The terms for the test subject known as Soren were different frora She‘d have to remember that and keep an eye on him

ONE

What neither Doctor Halsey nor Lieutenant Keyes knew--and what they would never find out,