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"They could have killed me," I concluded "But my body--Sally’s body, I ht?" It was a surprisingly easy sentence toThat, or I was still in shock I hoped for the former, but I’d take either one if it keptan active part of my own future

"Not necessarily The brain controls the body to a very large degree, and your distress sent the body into anaphylactic shock when you were given antiparasitics If they had been continued and h epinephrine, yes, they could have killed you without killing your hued it severely" Nathan looked aleneration of woruarantee the antiparasitics would work even that well They’re too hu for treaterous to the hu parasites"

"So everybody dies, or everybody lives," I concluded "Why would that seeood idea? Aren’t the antiparasitics supposed to, u new ones to people?" The idea was suddenly repellent to me Every time I’d discussed antiparasitics in the past--even demanded them, only a few hours before--it had been with the idea that they would improve the quality of a person’s life As I was forced to reconsider what made a person, they suddenly looked like hts

But I wasn’t adjusting too fast: not really I had known the truth for a while, allowing it to integrate itself withand knotting its way through the first I had invaded Sally Mitchell’s ins had invaded ood idea," said Dr Cale "If Steven did this, it’s because he was trying to orchestrate the current crisis I just… I can’t…" Her face fell, allowing honest dish her so carefully constructed oing to destroy SymboGen There’s no way he can recover from this As soon as people realize that the implants are responsible, he’ll be finished, he’ll be lucky to walk away a free man--and even then, he’ll need to keep his eyes open for the rest of his life, or the fa that life to a short and brutal end It doesn’t make sense for Steven to have done this"

I frowned "Is surgery an option? Couldn’t they, you know…" Imotion with one hand, like it was a pair of scissors "That’s how you got Adaht? You had your assistants cut you open"

"We don’t have the facilities or the personnel for that sort of ical intervention," said Dr Cale "That also assurated with Sally Mitchell’s brain tissue at this point that we couldn’t remove you even if anted to There’s a point past which there is no going back"

"That ically or otherwise," added Nathan "That ship has sailed"

"Oh," I said quietly "So, un on the implants? I know I’enerations I probably don’t have that enerational cycle of D syenesis--it’s co in a lab environment, outside of a human host--you could increase the huive or take a few quality control tests Maybe a little longer, if you wanted to be absolutely sure of stability Maybe a little less time, if you weren’t worried about side effects," said Dr Cale

"Side effects like growing through theto take them over?" I ventured "I mean, apparently I did that too, but not until after Sally had her accident, when it was all a matter of survival If I hadn’t taken over, ould both have died"

"Yes, those would be considered side effects," said Dr Cale

"So, uo all AWOL on you?" I frowned a little "He’s been at Sy as I can remember, and he had friends in the science department--Dr Sanjiv and Dr McGillis at the very least Um, they used to do my MRIs, so I know they knehat I was, and Dr Sanjiv was also I think in the genetics department? And Dr McGillis was all about internal medicine, and anyway, I think he could probably have done it"

"Sherman?" asked Nathan

"You remember how I had those two handlers at SymboGen? The really pretty, really chilly lady and the tall dude who always had a tan even though he round?"

Nathan nodded "Yes He… ah, well, he tried to convince o out to dinner with him once" He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand "This was after I had told him I was there to pick you up,dinner with him would make me a better boyfriend for you Fortunately, you showed up about that time, and he didn’t have the chance to press the issue"