Mickey8 doesn’t look convinced. Of course he doesn’t. In theory, they share the same memories up to the last upload. They think the same way. If the situation were reversed, Mickey7 wouldn’t believe it either.

—No one can find out, —Mickey8 finally says.

Mickey7 nods, breathless. At least they agree on that.

But there’s a bigger problem: the colony is a closed system. Two Mickeys consuming food, taking up space, running into the same people... There’s no way to keep this a secret for long.

—Where did you sleep last night? —Mickey7 asks.

—In your bed, —Mickey8 admits, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Shit.

In the following days, Mickey7 and Mickey8 do everything possible to stay off the radar. Mickey7 hides in the maintenance tunnels, avoiding being seen. Mickey8 continues the Expendable routine—going on suicide missions, returning with wounds that heal in a matter of hours.

But the balance is fragile. Commander Marshall is paranoid. Always watching. Always suspicious. And Nasha, the only person in the colony who actually seems to care about Mickey, starts noticing that something doesn’t add up.