Joshua hadn’t seen Brian since before Lee’s death. After nanites rewrote both his and Lee’s bodies—erasing Lee’s scars and improving Joshua’s health and extending his youth—Joshua had thought nanites were the answer to every doctor’s and patient’s prayers. Not to mention the anti-aging effect of nanite creams, which repaired cellular damage to surface skin! Joshua was vain enough to enjoy the fact that, for anyone who could afford it, it was possible to look years younger than one’s actual age. And then, of course, there was Dale’s success story. The nanites had repaired his leg and all the nerve damage, and that had been the cherry on top of the proof pudding, as far as Joshua and Lee had been concerned.
But in the end, the prototype nanites that had removed Lee’s scars had also caused Lee’s death. And in the darkness of grief, Joshua had found himself asking a lot of difficult questions about whether or not he could stomach funding further nanite research. The increase in nanite-related deaths in recent years indicated to Joshua that an overzealous application of a too-new technology had been allowed without appropriately rigorous testing and trials.
It’d been almost two years since Lee had collapsed and died. Joshua was gradually coming out of the worst of it, but despite many persuasive grant requests, he still hadn’t authorized any more nanite funding to be sent out. And he wouldn’t. Not until he was guaranteed he’d be working with someone responsible and fastidious enough to go through the rigorous testing that Joshua would require now before any nanite experiments went to human trials. That’s part of what Brian was promising him.
“Where’s your protégé?” Joshua asked just as the young man entered the conference room. He was the entire reason Brian had wanted to meet in person.
“Dr. Green is a genius,” Brian had said during their conference call. “If you don’t at least meet him, you’re not being fair to yourself or to the world at large. Admittedly, he’s egotistical and demanding as hell, but that’s why he’s so impressive. Brilliant. Knows more about nanite development than I do and has a mind that can solve problems before they even start. So while he might not be the sweetest pill to swallow, I hope you can look past his poor social skills, Mr. Stouder.”
But Joshua didn’t know if he could look past what he saw now.
His chest went tight, and he couldn’t breathe. He stared at the kid in front of him, dressed casually for such an important business meeting in a black button-up shirt and dark jeans, both of which made him look even skinnier than he already was. He couldn’t have been more than twenty, with blue eyes and curly, chestnut-brown hair, a long neck, and a jawline that was remarkably similar to…was very much like….
The realization struck him like a blow, and he felt the world tip as though going off its axis.
The boy was identical to Neil at that age.
Joshua knew it. He knew it without any pictorial evidence, or reason to believe, but it remained true all the same.
“Mr. Stouder,” Brian said proudly, “may I introduce Dr. Green? He’s the young man I’ve been telling you about.”
Joshua licked his lips and put out his hand, taking Dr. Green’s long, cool fingers into his own to shake. The grip was firm and too familiar. Joshua let go and, still feeling the tingling imprint of Dr. Green’s hand on his, tucked his hands under his arms to stamp out the sensation. He tried to say something, but nothing came. Dr. Green’s lips twitched into a small, familiar smile, and Joshua blinked. Memories flooded through him, hard and fast. He pressed a hand over his eyes, trying to get a grip.
“Mr. Stouder?” Brian asked, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”
Joshua took a deep breath through his nose and forced himself to be present. He tore his gaze away from Dr. Green’s blue eyes and looked at Brian. Dots swirled in his vision. “I’m sorry. I need a moment. I’ll be right back,” Joshua said, and he stepped out into the hallway, booking it toward the balcony facing the lake.
He pulled open the exit door, and when it was safely closed behind him, he took a few long, deep breaths of the cooler air. A few memories of Neil raced through his mind as he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes again. What would Neil say? He muttered to himself, “Get a grip, Joshua. You can do this. Go in there, hear them out, and tell them whether or not they can have your money. He’s just a kid, not a ghost.”
Not a ghost.Joshua took another long breath, studied the shimmering lake for a moment, and on the exhale shook his head. He laughed softly at himself. He’d been silly to freak out like that. He didn’t know why he’d even let the resemblance get to him. It probably wasn’t even as strong a resemblance as he’d imagined.
Joshua stepped back into the conference room and swallowed. The kid, Dr. Green, looked so much like a young Neil that Joshua was immediately awash in sweaty panic.
“I apologize,” Joshua said, breathless again. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” It was true enough. He’d had nightmares most of the night about Lee’s death.
Dr. Green looked at him with an expression that could only be described asperceptive, and Joshua felt exposed, like Dr. Green knew exactly why he had taken off out of the room.
They all sat down at the conference table as Joshua went on, “I’m ready to hear your proposition, though I have to warn you in advance, because of my past, your chances aren’t great.”
“I guess some things don’t change,” Dr. Green murmured, and Joshua blinked at him.
“Excuse me?” Joshua asked.
“Ignore him,” Brian said. “Social niceties escape him at times, despite being the most amazing student I’ve ever met.”
“Scientist,” Dr. Green corrected. Even his voice sounded like Neil’s had.
Joshua shivered hard, like he was cold, and his teeth chattered a bit.
“And he’s great with dogs,” Brian said, obviously trying to take the edge off the strange moment. “He trained my Muppet to behave in just a few hours’ time. My wife was thrilled.”
Dr. Green shrugged, not meeting Joshua’s eye any longer. “I like dogs.”
“I don’t know why you don’t have one,” Brian said with a smile. “Might get you out of the lab more if you did.”
Dr. Green shrugged, a gesture so intimately familiar that Joshua couldn’t breathe.
Joshua put his hand over his mouth to hold back a sound. He wasn’t even sure what it would be, exactly—a sob? A moan? Something that hurt deep down, something that shouldn’t hurt as much as it did. That much he knew for sure.
