Digital Copy of a Dead Man

Let Them Call Me Crazy

Daniel

The chamber fell silent.

Dr. Elias stared at the darkened containment units for a moment before turning away. “Secure the chamber.”

The security officers moved immediately, locking the doors behind the scientists as they left the containment room.

——————————————————————

The filing had already been submitted, and several documents were spread across the dining table in front of me. I went through the evidence again, checking the records from the neural relay and the information I had gathered about Veyron.

Camille stood across from me, watching without touching any of the papers.

“You actually filed it,” she said.

I didn’t look up. “Yes.”

She let out a frustrated breath. “Daniel, do you understand what you’re doing?”

“I do.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” She folded her arms. “They offered us five million. Five million, Daniel. And now you’re taking them to court?”

“They attacked me.”

“And you think they will just sit there and accept that?” she asked. “These are not ordinary people. Veyron has money, lawyers, connections. They have influence everywhere.”

I finally looked at her. “So what was I supposed to do? Take their money and pretend nothing happened?”

Camille hesitated. “That money could have changed everything for us,” she said quietly. “But now you’ve made them our enemies.”

“They made themselves my enemies when they put that relay in my head.”

She looked away, rubbing her forehead.

I knew she was worried about what Veyron could do, but there was something else bothering her. I could see it in the way she kept looking at the documents, as if she still couldn’t understand why I was willing to risk everything over this.

“I’m not doing this only because of what they did to me,” I said.

Her eyes returned to mine.

“I’m doing it because of Adrian.”

She stared at me. “Daniel…”

“He’s my friend.”

Camille’s expression changed immediately. “Are you an idiot?”

I frowned.

“Are you actually an idiot?” she repeated. “Your friend is dead, Daniel.”

My jaw tightened.

“Adrian is dead,” she continued. “Whatever they made in that system, whatever is walking around in there, it isn’t your friend. You need to accept that.”

“He remembers.”

“So what?”

“He remembers his life.”

“That doesn’t make him Adrian.”

“It does to me.”

Camille shook her head. “You’ve lost it.”

“No. I haven’t.”

I pushed the documents together and placed my hand over them.

“If that is Adrian in there, then he has a right to live. He has a right to make his own choices. He has a right to be free. And if there is even a chance that Veyron has created a consciousness that can think, feel, remember and understand what is happening to it, then they have no right to keep controlling it like property.”

Camille stared at me as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “They are not going to release him just because you asked”

 “Then I’ll make them.”

“Daniel, listen to yourself. You are one person. They are Veyron.”

“I know.”

“They have the money to drag this out for years. They can hire the best lawyers. They can make problems disappear.”

I looked down at the papers again. “I know what they can do.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“Because if I don’t, they’ll do it again.”

She was quiet.

I looked at her. “Maybe they did this to Adrian because they thought nobody would fight for him. Maybe they thought because he’s dead, nobody would care what happens to whatever remains of him.”

Camille shook her head slowly. “Daniel, you cannot save a dead man.”

I held her gaze. “Then I’ll fight for whatever part of him is still there.”

She didn’t answer.

I turned back to the documents. The five million was gone now. Whatever deal Veyron had offered was no longer the point.

I had already chosen my side. And somewhere beyond our reach, Adrian was still out there.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my face. “I know I might sound crazy, but I don’t care.”

Camille stared at me for a few seconds. “You are crazy.”

“Maybe I am.”

“No, Daniel. You’re being reckless.”

I lowered my hand and looked at her. “Reckless?” I repeated.

“Yes.” Her voice rose. “You’re putting yourself in danger. You’re putting us in danger. All for someone who is dead.”

“He’s not just someone.”

“He is dead, Daniel!”

“He’s still Adrian.”

“And what happens to us while you’re busy trying to save him?” she demanded. “What happens when Veyron comes after you? What happens when they come after me? Are you going to tell me that it’s worth it because your friend needs you?”

I didn’t answer immediately.

Camille laughed bitterly. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You don’t even care what happens to us anymore.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Then stop.”

I looked at her. “I can’t.”

She stared at me in disbelief. “You can’t?”

“I won’t.”

Her expression hardened. “Then don’t expect me to sit here and watch you destroy our lives over this.”

“I never asked you to fight Veyron.”

“But I’m already involved because of you!” she snapped. “You brought this into our home. You let them come after you, and now you’ve decided you’re going to take them to court because you want to rescue a dead man.”

“Camille—”

“No.” She stood up abruptly from her chair. “I’ve had enough of this.”

I watched her move toward the door.

“You’re choosing him,” she said, her voice quieter now. “You’re choosing a dead man and this fight over the life we have.”

I swallowed. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Maybe that’s not what you think you’re doing.” She opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

“Camille.”

She stopped.

“I love you,” I said. “And I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She stood there for a moment before finally looking back at me. “Then you should have thought about that before you decided to go against Veyron.”

I said nothing.

She looked at me with a mixture of anger and hurt.

“I know you love me, Daniel. But right now, you’re acting like saving Adrian is more important than keeping us safe.”

“Ofcourse not…don’t say that, please.”

Her hand tightened around the door handle “But that’s where this is taking us!”  

“Calm down, okay.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do this tonight.”

Then she walked away. I listened to her footsteps disappear down the hallway before slowly returning to the table.

The room was quiet again.

I sat down and looked at the evidence in front of me.

The relay records, the greement Veyron had sent, the documents concerning Adrian.

I picked up the last file and opened it again.

If Veyron was willing to pay five million dollars just to find Adrian, then there had to be a reason. And whatever it is, I wasn’t going to let them have him without a fight.