"I thought she was mad when she broke up with me, but that is a side of Lara I'm glad I never saw," Ernesito said.

"Just do you job," Runan snapped. "Unless you want us all to get arrested."

Ernesito placed the memory cap on Ju'rah and played around on the tablet. Runan assessed his receding hairline, his bulkier nose, thick hair and wide shoulders. Was this the man Solara wanted now? Was it his physique or career and status that drew her in? It wasn't his personality, although Runan wasn't winning any awards in that department, especially after reliving his idiot teen days and reminding Solara why they hadn't spoken in ten years. Not that it'd be easy to forget.

Ernesito focused on the screen, tapping and swirling around with his fingers in ways that Runan would never understand. When Ernesito's hand stopped moving, Runan stepped closer and asked, "What are you doing to him?"

"I isolated your body's actions related to walking and am transferring them to Ju'rah's chip. This would take longer on an unchipped patient, but you two toyed with the right mem-puppet today."

"His name is Ju'rah."

Ernesito set down the tablet and took the cap off Ju'rah's head. "Help him to his feet so we can get him out before we're caught."

Runan placed his arm under Ju'rah's shoulders and lifted him until they were both standing. Ernesito motioned toward the door, and Runan transported the man over. With his legs supporting him but unable to move, it was like dragging a very tall sack of flour. Runan couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in his stomach. After Ernesito opened the doors, and they made it to the balcony, he clicked a few times on the tablet. Ju'rah's body straightened, balancing on its own.

Ernesito laughed with a grin on his face. "Remarkable."

"Yeah, you've programmed a human-robot." If the Uppers ever learned of such a thing... Runan shuddered for the fate of his community. Ju'rah began his descent down the stairs. The procedure had some flaws as Ju'rah's feet missed several steps. Runan stayed at his side to catch him and save his body the trauma Ernesito didn't seem concerned about.

A door clicked shut upstairs and a pair of light footsteps fell in step with Ernesito. Runan concentrated on helping Ju'rah until they reached uniform ground. From there, Ju'rah's pace slowed to the brooding trudge Runan had taken home that night, pausing at the fountain, but not sitting and growing upset as Runan had. When Runan dared to meet Solara's eyes, she smiled slightly and came to walk beside him.

"I've never apologized for... the unforgiveable things I yelled at you."

Her hazel eyes met his. "I may have felt better at the time if I'd known you were hurting as much as me."

"I was, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve it, certainly not from a good friend."

"Good friend? You were my best friend."

Runan could hardly smile. It made his actions that much more deplorable. "The spot's still open, though I'm too much of an asshole for most people."

Despite his self-deprecating tone, Solara laughed, her cheeks dimpling. "I'll think about it, but you may have some competition." She nodded toward Ju'rah's hunched shoulders and dragging feet.

"I can't be the only one who finds it deeply concerning that in two minutes that man created a robot out of Ju'rah's vacant body."

"It's terrifying, but one problem at a time."

When Runan, Solara, and Nesito arrived at a battered back door, Runan sorted through Ju'rah's pockets for a key, and after a few tries, the lock clicked and handle turned. He switched the keys out for the phone and typed out a message to Ju'rah's sister, asking her to bring over soup and medicine as quickly as she could.

Inside, discarded items littered most of the small apartment's floor space, from clothing to empty liquor bottles to sporting equipment. Pictures of Ju'rah, Messita, and the rest of their crew hung on the walls, causing Nesito to stop. Runan navigated through the labyrinth of possessions to the bedroom where he helped lay Ju'rah's body on the bed that occupied most of the room. The man looked peacefully asleep, but Runan sighed, knowing better. Ju'rah's sister had messaged she would be over in half an hour, and he'd finally get some real help. The whole situation still made him queazy.

Nesito rustled through items on the nightstand, inspecting them under the light of his phone. Runan teared up as he looked at a picture of Messita swept up in Ju'rah's arms, their eyes locked.

"They were quite the couple, so loyal and loving," Solara said.

Messita had fought any effort by the memory companies to pair her romantically with another creator. She argued that customers knew the difference between genuine and airbrushed love. No matter how often she and Ju'rah disagreed, her feelings and loyalty never wavered. As much as her career choices made Runan cringe, he'd always envied her unrelenting certainty about her love life.

He drew in a shaky breath, considering the couple's state now. Messita was gone forever and Ju'rah's soul was missing.

"I can't understand how a man as successful as Ju'rah lives in such squalor." Nesito brushed aside piles of food wrappers.

"Why are you rifling through his things?" Solara hissed.

"I'm looking for a tablet."

Runan's flashlight illuminated a large satchel on the floor for a second. It'd come to the farmhouse dozens of times. He stepped around containers of protein shake powder and dug through the bag for something cool and metallic.

"You think he could afford a tablet?" Solara asked.

"Mem-Stem would have issued him one for quick memory transfers," Nesito said.

"You want to see the memories he transferred to Mem-Stem?" Solara asked.

"No, just the ones he was hiding from Mem-Stem."

That wasn't a terrible idea. Runan's fingertips connected with a plastic case, and he pulled out a silver, rectangular object. "Found it." When he turned on the screen, the device was locked.

Nesito reached out his hand. "I can take it from here."

Runan held onto the tablet, his fingers gripping it tighter. "Why should I trust you?"

"Do you know how to access deleted memory files or have the tech to copy them to your device? If you even have one."

Messita had gotten him a phone a few birthdays ago. He only used it to keep in touch with her when she was away for lengthy periods of time. Otherwise, he stored it in his closet. He frowned as he slowly handed over the tablet.

"You should be grateful for my help. I didn't ask to be here, and now I'm an accessory to a cover-up. If I can prove something else occurred, it'll save my career and both of your lives."

His fingers flew over the electronic keyboard and the device illuminated the room. He held his phone to the device, and Runan scrutinized his every move while Solara moved about the room. After five minutes, a check-mark appeared on Nesito's screen, and he handed the tablet back to Runan.

"Did you get everything?" she asked.

"I just recovered the deleted files."

"What about the other memories?" Runan asked.

"If Mem-Stem had access and didn't discover what Messita and Ju'rah were up to, this was an unfortunate coincidence or your sister was smart enough to cover their tracks. We don't have time to upload them and get caught."

Runan scratched at his forehead. "Why do you think they were conspiring?"

Nesito tucked his phone in his pocket. "Because there were deleted files, and the common element during their death is too odd."

Solara stepped closer to Runan. "And Ita left you as her memory guardian, not Ju'rah."

Runan furrowed his brow. "I'm her brother. We share the house and support each other. Why wouldn't she trust me with them?"

"Did she include you in her career or life plans?" Solara asked.

"We kept the farm going together. She told me about her and Ju'rah's dream to move to Mid-Caldozza, and to create content for a single client."

Solara offered him a sad smile. "But those were her and Ju'rah's plans, not yours. You're more against the memory-selling business than anyone I've met. If she left you in charge, she must have wanted something hidden from her employer."

"If Ju'rah knew about it, wouldn't he keep the secret?" Runan asked. The man was far too smitten with Messita to betray her.

"It'd look too suspicious since they both work for Mem-Stem. But a stubborn, grieving brother would stall the process," Solara said.

"I can only stall for so long. I don't have ten thousand dozis to get her body and memories back. Even if I sold the farm..."

"Your sister assigned you as a memory guardian for a reason, and it may not have been to keep all her experiences private. She was crafty and very intelligent. It feels like a betrayal, but you're projecting what you want instead of focusing on her. She needs her brother to find out what the hell happened to her, not to destroy himself to make that payment and hide her memories from the world."

He took deep breaths and avoided looking Solara in the eyes. Otherwise, he'd crumble. Those hazel irises had always been his downfall.

"Do you believe Messita would have sold those memories?" He'd never wanted to see her work, and she'd never showed him.

"She produced a lot of varied content that didn't show much restraint, but you really knew her."

Runan leaned his head against the wall. "It's amazing how you can live under the same roof without knowing each other."

Ernesito cursed as he looked through the tablet. "There's a home invasion at Messita's place."

"How could you know that?"

"Loverboy had an app set-up on. Luckily your sister was more of a tech-head than you."

Runan glanced at his longtime friend and practically brother-in-law lying on the bed. This didn't feel right. The phone beside his body flashed with another message from his sister that she was heading over.

"Ru, we should go," Solara spoke softly. "Even if we stay, we can't help. We don't know how. We should check-out the farm and make sure everything is all right."

"Okay," Runan muttered with a last look at Ju'rah's rising and falling chest. At least the man was alive.

They left the apartment and sped down the alleys to Solara's to retrieve her and Ernesito's vehicles.