—What the fuck…? —Mickey8 whispers.

And in that instant, Mickey7 understands just how screwed he really is. Royally screwed.

Two versions of the same person can’t exist at the same time.

Let me know if you approve this translation, and I will proceed with Third Part: Two Cannot Exist.

Third Part: Two Cannot Exist

Mickey7 and Mickey8 stare at each other, frozen. Two versions of the same person. A system error. An anomaly.

The protocol is clear: if an Expendable survives after their replacement has already been activated, the original must be eliminated. Quickly.

Mickey7’s throat goes dry. If someone finds out, they’re both dead. No discussion, no trial. An extra Expendable means wasted resources in a colony where every calorie is measured down to the last gram.

Mickey8 is the first to react.

—How the hell are you still alive? —his voice is a rough whisper.

Mickey7 swallows. Telling the truth is a bad idea. If the colony finds out the natives helped him, they might see it as a threat—or worse, as treason.

—It was a mistake, —he improvises—. I fell, but I didn’t die. I managed to get back on my own.