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Zane shook his head "Uh, no, that would only make me feel more like an invalid Describe the station This room I like to think I remember it, but since I can only see it in my mind now …"

She nodded, realized he couldn’t see that, and said, "Sure Of course" Tania glanced around "The carpet is a lush red," she said

"Neil’s fingerprint"

"Yes, he did love his red floors"

Zane chuckled "Sorry, go on"

"You’ve two paintings hung on either side of the door I’m not familiar with either, but they’re both lovely One depicts ait Elephants and footive hing, Tania described the second painting, the doors the as possible, covered in gifts as it was Eventually it was the only thing left "A number of people stopped by ishes for you and left tokens on your desk Flowers, mostly artificial, of course Someone even left chocolates ithin their Preservall date"

"Oh, noe’re getting soine the doctor’s reaction if she ca, but she found herselfacross the roouese written on it that she assued object, of course

Zane’s terminal slate lay under the red box A tiny LED on the surface of it winked on and off, an indication of waiting es "Looks like you have electronic ishes, too," Tania said as she tucked the red parcel under one arm and picked up the slate

"Oh?"

"I could read those to you," she said "Zane the invalid"

He grunted a laugh "All right then Bring it over here so I can thuuided his cold hand to the slate, placing his thumb on the small scanner

Zane waited for the chime and spoke a word, "Byzantine"

The slate unlocked

"Chocolate first," Zane said

She opened the box by feel alone as she scanned the es since the day Platz Station arrived Mixed with those were hundreds of autoes the station had filled his inbox with despite his long absence No one had had time to turn them off The realization made Tania wonder if Zane’s access to the station coe from the security cao back further than that, she realized, and watch the assault that killed Neil Or even further, and sio about his daily routine

She handed Zane a chocolate and he popped it into his iggle at the expression of pure joy on the man’s face as he chewed

When her attention returned to the screen, the list of es had scrolled back to the first one in the list, the oldest e there

From Neil Platz

Tania sucked in a sharp breath The tablet dropped fro

"What is it, Tania? Is so the slate "It’s … there’s a e from Neil in here"

"Frorew still "Read it to me, would you?"

Tania sed "The subject is ‘A secret I can’t take to the grave’ Still want me to--"

"Yes," Zane said "It’s not like I can do it"

He kneell as she did that the terminal could be set to audio mode, and handle the task and even be controlled by vocal commands Zane wanted her to hear whatever it said

Tania cleared her throat, and read

no time - enemydoor

builders came before darwin el sandeep and i found ship 2238 he destroyed it before we could truly learn spare tania of that--

She froze, staring at her father’s na on her like an avalanche They knew? Neil and her father knew of the Builders and kept it secret?

"Keep reading, dear," Zane said quietly, placing a reaffir hand on her arm

His voice broke her trance, and she read on, her hands shaking

spare tania of that sandeep had noble intent, died for it u need to know: 6 builder events total incooodbye brother

Tania set the slate down on the bed and wept

With each racking sob a new revelation hit her like a hammer

She felt Zane’s hand reach for her shoulder, pull her down to lie next to hiht as his frail state allowed, and she buried her face against him to cry