each other. It took about—what? twenty minutes?—after I kissed her the first time for some yahoo to run me into a cement wall with a pickup truck. We stuck together through that. We destroyed an airport together, killed our best friend, and brought the world to the brink of World War III, all in a day’s work.
Don’t you see? The two of us ending up together is either the biggest cosmic joke ever, or it was somehow meant to be. The real funny thing is, I don’t believe in fate. Like I said, Kara and I will be fine. If I were you, I’d be more worried about the next mess we’re gonna make.
FILE NO. 250
INTERVIEW WITH CW4 KARA RESNIK, UNITED STATES ARMY
Location: Undisclosed location, near San Juan, Puerto Rico
—Mr. Couture has been through a lot.
—You think it’s been a walk in the park for me? I was there too, remember! He abandoned me! Didn’t call, didn’t write. It’s not like I have really high standards for relationships. If you need some time alone, fine, but if you’re gonna just bail on me, at least let me know that you’re OK, and—I don’t know—maybe tell me if you’re coming back or not. Is that too much to ask?
—I am increasingly uncomfortable with the direction in which this conversation is heading.
—Just tell me! Am I being unreasonable?
—A modicum of communication would seem like a sensible requisite.
—Thank you!
—Your sudden gratitude worries me, deeply. Please do not take anything I have said to mean that I am taking “your side.”
—What would you have done?
—I will pretend you did not just ask me that. The truth is: Neither you nor I can understand what went through the mind of Mr. Couture, as he bears the better part of the responsibility for the death of Dr. Franklin.
—That’s a horrible thing to say. I’m just as responsible as he is for what happened.
—That is very generous of you. However, both of us know it to be inaccurate. The hands that pressed the buttons that caused the energy burst belonged to Mr. Couture, not to you.
—That’s not fair! The robot tripped!
—Yes, the robot tripped while Mr. Couture was controlling the legs. Had Dr. Franklin been crushed under a giant thumb, I might point…blame the person who was controlling the hands. You should talk to him.
—We talked.
—I do not mean exchanging pleasantries. I mean talk. When I last visited him, I had serious doubts about his mental status, about his willingness to continue, and yes, about the nature of his feelings for you. I no longer have these doubts. While it may be difficult to understand, his prolonged absence, and what he did during that time, is a validation of his commitment to this project and, to an even greater extent, of his devotion to you.
—You said he played with toys.
—That is not exactly what I said. I may also have been more affected by the accident than I wished to believe when I first visited Mr. Couture, enough to miss certain things that, in retrospect, should have been obvious. I realize now that my rendition of the event may have compounded an already difficult situation, and I sincerely apologize for my shortsightedness.
—You’re right about one thing for sure. Whatever he did in Montreal, it sure as hell made him better up there in the sphere. We had our first trial this morning.
—In the simulator?
—No, the real thing. They retrieved the last part during the night. She was fully assembled and ready to roll by the time we woke up. I don’t know if I like this private-business thing, but we sure have more staff.
—Has the water caused any damage?
—The chamber was as dry as the day we left it. Anyway, we were a bit rusty at first, but after about a half hour, Vincent had us running in circles in the room. Running! Last time we strapped ourselves in, he could barely take a few steps. Now he’s running…He’s even able to work the console while walking. I just didn’t think he had enough muscle left to do this.
—It is amazing what someone can accomplish once they really set their heart to something. I am very interested in the fact that the sphere remained sealed after being subjected to such incredible pressure. I would like to know if we can operate the robot underwater.
—Alyssa’s one step ahead of you on this one. We’re supposed to have a trial run in the sea-lock room on Friday. If it