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read comics, and gotten into trouble together. And boy had they been entrepreneurs of trouble. Even in the least likely places, they'd find a way to do something requiring a quick and powerful response from their parents. For a while they'd blamed Andy, believing that there was no way their son could get into trouble. But one fine evening when the boys were sixteen and in police custody, David had admitted his guilt, as well as his culpability in a hundred other past events. He'd never been in so much trouble and was terrified that the police would lock him up and throw away the key. Rebecca remembered him shivering on a stool as the policeman explained to their grandmother who'd raised them that it was David who'd chained 173 shopping carts to the back of a semi whose driver failed to discover what he'd been dragging until he'd traveled a mile through city streets, around corners and onto the interstate. The devastation was legendary.
    She put her hand to her throat. "What are you doing here?"
    "I just heard."   His gaze dropped to the floor. "I can't believe it."
    "Me neither. Are you...were you still friends?"
    "Oh, yeah. We're partners, of sorts."   Looking up, he saw Kumi for the first time. He stepped smartly across the room and offered his hand. "Andy Hoke."
    She accepted it. "Kumi Rasangawan. I'm Rebecca's reintroduction specialist."
    Andy nodded like he knew what that meant, then turned to Rebecca. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, as if he'd just stepped out of 2020. "You look good, Rebecca."
    She studied him. His large brown eyes. His lopsided grin. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been as much a punk kid as her brother, but she couldn't detect any of that in his demeanor now. "Thanks Andy. So do you."   She hadn't meant to say the last part, but as soon as it came out of her mouth she knew she meant it.
    "How did it happen? Does anyone know?"
    "They say a stroke."
    Andy frowned in disbelief and shook his head. "Stroke? Ridiculous."
    Rebecca's eyebrows rose as she nodded. "That's what I said."   She picked through the pictures on the table, noticing one of Andy and David as boys. Never did a more guilty pair of fifteen-year-old scoundrels grin into a camera. "Was he in good health? Was he okay? You know, they wouldn't let me contact anyone from prison. He knew that, didn't he?"
    Andy walked to the table and pushed several piles aside, looking for something. He jerked free a square piece of electronics roughly the size and shape of a palm pilot. A stack of computer parts cascaded to the floor.
    "Here. This is his vid album. Nothing special, just some of the things he liked remembering."
    Rebecca reached out for it, but found herself pushed backwards as Kumi interposed her body between Rebecca and Andy.
    "Sorry, Rebecca, but this is a violation of your parole. Only class one automations, remember?"
    A fury rose in Rebecca stronger than anything she'd ever felt. How dare this woman deny her access to video of her brother. Her dead brother, she reminded herself bitterly. She balled her fists and, even though her nails were cut to the quick, dug them into her skin. "Get out of my way, Kumi."
    "I'm really sorry. A violation, any violation of your parole will result in return to San Berdoo Max. I'm trying to help you. I'm your friend."   Turning to Andy, "Let me have that."
    Some friend. What could Rebecca possibly do with these videos? As if she even cared about changing the world anymore.
    "It's just a video. What's the big deal?"   Andy jerked the miniVid over his head and out of Kumi's reach.
    "You know what Rebecca's capable of. Regardless of her current intent, part of her agreement—"
    "Are you crazy? Who cares about agreements? Her brother died and she wants to see what kind of man he grew to be. Jesus, lady!"   Andy held the miniVid beside his face and pressed a button. The screen came to life with David waving from a place near the beach. The sound of sea gulls and the wind momentarily filled the apartment.