Chapter Five: Two Gu Linchuans

Neither Gu reached for the watch. The man on the left glanced first at Tang Qi. The one on the right stepped in front of Yanqiu. Both responses were reasonable. Both felt like Gu. Zhou coughed beside the painting, his restored face translucent at its edges. Counterfeit Zhou collapsed near the door, its blank head splitting into sheets of text. Once the original reclaimed his coordinates, the copy had nowhere to exist. “Help Tang Qi first,” said the left Gu. “Touch no personal object,” said the right. “Pei is using identity anchors.” The copy knew that too. Their memories were identical through the instant of duplication. Tang Qi had only been sedated. The doors were locked, phones dead, and Homeward in Rain had sealed into motionless paint.