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USHI-ONI paused on the top floor of the dilapidated building The stairwell to the roof was blocked by debris, but he could see the orange glow fro He marched toward it, scaled the ramp-like section of the caved-in roof panel and paused at the top Scanning the entire roof before exposing himself, he saas empty

He cliain and stood on the rooftop He saw no soldiers or police an assault on the island was beginning, but there was soleaht, unlike every other dulled and corroded surface on the roof

The twelve-foot wing looked like so that had fallen from a plane But it was obviously in one piece He found the parasail stuffed hastily beneath it

“Austin,” he said to himself

He turned with a start and charged back into the building, racing down the stairwell, as the first echoes from Han’s helicopter reached hi

46

HASHIMA ISLAND

“JAPAN will never be an ally of China”

Kurt listened to the words and could hardly believe how like his voice they sounded Not in the odd way one’s voice sounded on a recordedfrom his own body

The screen flickered A new video appeared On it, the Pri the possibility of warmer relations with China

“We’ll see about that,” Kurt’s robotic doppelgangers said

The voices were off this time, especially the second robot’s, which slurred the words just a bit The scene repeated on the monitor

“We’ll see about that,” the robots replied, sounding nowat the same time

“They’re learning,” Kurt said “Practicing”