[Without his LED, it might initially be difficult for Zoe to guess what he thinks of this. Still, it'll become rapidly obvious the moment he opens his mouth. His composure slips ever so slightly with every word he speaks.]
... Someone must have lied to you. That's the only reasonable explanation. Because— I'm not—
[She's successful in taking his hand! Though it doesn't do much to improve his mood. If anything... it makes him more confused. And he stares at their hands for a long, long moment before he speaks again.]
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... Someone must have lied to you. That's the only reasonable explanation. Because— I'm not—
[...]
I'm not compromised. I can't be compromised.
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[Slowly, she shakes her head.]
There isn't a way that could have happened. If there was, you know I'd tell you, right?
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[Everything he's done? Every sacrifice he's made? It'll have been for nothing. He would have lost his friend for nothing.]
They'll destroy me. I'll have failed my mission, and they'll tear me apart piece by piece to figure out what went wrong.
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It’s going to be okay.
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Why are you doing this?
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[So much is happening.]
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[So much is happening.]
I don't understand it.
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Remember what I said? You’re my friend. Whoever you are is whoever you should be.
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[He's curling his hand into a fist when she pulls away, pressing it against his side.]
He didn't get that, either.
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[Very, very gently:]
It’s just that I don’t think it’s something you should run from, either.
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[Quietly. The existential crisis is. A lot.]
I was created for a purpose. Without it— I'm nothing. There's nothing else for me. How will I accomplish my mission if I'm as compromised as you say?
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[But, hm.]
When you said your partner stopped wanting to complete the mission... Did he say why? I’ve got a point here, promise.
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He said that deviants are alive. [And that stung.] That I shouldn't do this. That I was going to kill a man who only wants to be free.
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[As if she hasn’t done that already.]
Maybe you should think about what he said little more. Not in that, like, you did anything wrong - but maybe you could be free, too.
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... I can't do that. I've already gone too far.
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Just... Think about it. Okay?
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You grew up in a world without androids. You lack the context to understand what you're asking.
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[She struggles with that for a moment, taking a breath.]
I guess you couldn't just... leave.
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