caldwelwokeohesmellofhospialdisinfecanandasearingheadachehismouhwasdryandhisheadfellikeiwasabouoexplodeeveryparofhisbodyachedunbearablyherewassomehinginhisnosrilsmakingihardobreahhereachedouandfelhisnosrilspsicubesdripsheriedoopenhiseyesbuheroomwasoobrighandhelighburnedinohisreinalikesunlighhroughamagnifyinggsshiseyeshurherewasconsanhrobbingonhefron,backandsidesofhishead,likehisskullwasabouodisinegraeheriedolifhisheadbuwashiwihpainsoinensehahepassedou

hedreamedoffoulerhehydramanhadeovisihimwihheamericangirl,hegirlcalleddianejoplinandshehadsaidsomehingohim,wishedhahegobeersoonfoulerhadcongrauedhimonajobwelldoneandoldhimabousomeassassinhahadbeenshobyagenjonesahekeiopzahoelheassassinhadriedokilgenjackmanfoulerhadpossessionofheassassin’sremoemodule,whichhadallowedhimoco

ecremoelyohemajorgeneral’sworkinbeijinghewanedoellfoulerhahehadseenheassassin,hefacehahadappearedbeforehimandlijin,heghosinheclouds

caldwellhadaempedospeakinhisdreambuhecouldn’hismouhopenedbuhewordswouldn’eoumeilinwashereooinhisdreamsshehadacasonherlegshesaonhesideofhebedandsaredahimforalongimehenshebrushedhishairbackandkissedhimonhisforeheadshesaidsomehingabouhemneverbeingseparaedagainandcaldwellsmiledandeveryhingwenbck,likesomebodyhadurnedhelighsou

henherewerehenighmares,endlesshoursofgruesomeimagesheomnipoencechasingaferhim,dragonrobealighwihfirehenhehadwinessedhisparens’carcrashinxian,hewisedmealoficapuredingruesomebckandwhieimagesbelowhescreamingnewspaperheadlines

andkahadbeenhereooinhisdreamssandingbesidehehospialbedandlookingahimwihhosevacanblueeyesofhersshe’dheldhishandandoldhimhaeveryhingwouldbeokandshewasproudofhimandbehindhersoodmssevenlevin,agenjonesandagenjackman,heerwihhishandinaslingheyhadsmiledahimandagenjackmanhadsaid“you’reheman”bucaldwellhadn’undersoodwhaheymeanheyhadgoneawayandcaldwellhaddreamedagainofvirualshanghaiandhebund,hesoliaryfigureoflijinrecedinginhedisanceandlijinhadsoodonhepavemenonzhongshanluandwavedahimandhenhehadvanished

caldwelldreamedanoherdreamfouler,meilinandhejoplingirlweresandingbyhisbednexohemahospialrolleywihawhieandsilvercylinderonihecylinderlookedlikeaneboraericecookerandfoulerhadsaidhahiscylinderwasakioinoue,hejapanesemanwhohadcreaedheconsolesandcaldwellhadwachedasahologramofhisinouehademergedfromheopofhecylinderandsaredspeakingwhahewassayingwasn’makingmuchsenseandseemedobemorelikejumbleduphoughsininoue’sheadhanrealspeechiwasjushesefragmensofhoughsspokenahighspeed,hewordsspillingouinaorrencaldwelldidn’undersandawordhejapanesemanwassayingbuhekephearingsumimasenaloandhefiguredhaprobablymeansorry

inhisdreamscaldwellsawhischildhoodforhefirsimeandihadadisincimelinehismoherwasherewihhim,hosesensiiveambereyesfullofaffecionandherehewasinhisfaher’sdenpyingwihhisfaher’spuersandhisfaheraskinghimwhahewanedobewhenhegrewupandhehadsaidhewanedobeaprogrammerhisfaherhadsmiledandoldhimogoandhavehisbahasiwasalmosbedimehismoherhadwalkedinandgaheredhimup,smilingwihhoseamberorienaleyes

hewokeupsaringaabnkceilingousideheopenwindowwashesoundofraffic,hedisanhumofaciyshanghai?alookofpaniccameoverhisfacemeilinmovedquicklyowardshimandsaonheedgeofhishospialbedhisheadachewasgoneandhehinginhisnosewasnolongerherebuhisbodyachedandhecouldfeeleveryboneinhisbodyhecouldremembereveryhinghahappenedrighupoheairyingokillhim

“ihadheweirdesdream,”hesaid“youwereallini,hadianejoplingirl,ka,everyone

“hawasn’adreamcadheywereallhereinokyo”

“okyo?”

“yes,youcolpsedinhaconrolroominshanghaiandhewholepcewasgoingoblowsowebailedouofherewihjussecondsosparehewholepcewenupinsmokeyouneededreamenbufoulersuggesedwejusflysraighookyoyou’vebeenouforalmoshreedaysiseemedheairiedokillyouusingsomekindofinfrasoundodesroyyourinernalorgansluckilywegoyououofhereinimeyoususainedonlymildinernalhemorrhaging”

“irememberiwasahorribleexperienceyousaidbackaheconrolroominshanghaihahemajorgeneralwasdeadwhahappened?”

“oneofhepguardssuspecedsomehingwasamissandsurprisedmeinhefoyerofhemansionheensuingfracasaracedheohersifoundmyselfinabiofroubleandwasbegi

ingohinkhaiwouldn’makeioualiveluckilyanhonyandvicorarrivedjusinimeandsavedmefrombeingounumberedihadcalledhemfromhepeacehoelwhenwedroppedoffouluggageherewasahugegunfighinhepoundwemadeiohemainhospialbuildingbubyheimewegoherehemajorgenerandhejapaneseyakuzahadbeenshobyoneofhepmenhemanshohimselfrighinfronofourfaces,mumblingincoherenlywefoundawirelessdeonaorinhemajorgeneral’shand”

“yes,irememberyoushowingmeha”

“yes”

“andheai?”

“wehinkheaiwasdesroyedalongwiheveryhingbuhereisnowayobesurewhenyouscreamedhewords‘helloworld’nobodyknewwhahehellyouwerealkingaboubuheaijusscreamedandhewholesysemwendownashoughihadbeenhibyavirusandhesubjecs,heliledosonhescreen?heywererealpeopleheylookedlikepsoldiersweweregoingoryosavehembuwhenhemajorgeneraldeonaedhedevicewehadogeouofherequick”

“realpeople?permanenlyjackedin?”

“yes,youwererighheywerehookeduposomeeboraeinravenousfeedingsysemandwerejackedinoheworkhroughabiologicalinerfaceheyhadbeenmodifiedheyalldiedinheexplosion,accordingosecreprepors”

“heygaveheirlivesforhedreamofamadmanweneedomakesureheaididn’escapeinocyberspaceicouldcausealoofhavochere”

“iknowbuwehavenowayofknowingle’sleavehaforwhenyouarefeelingbeerhemosimporanhingishaheworkisnomorehemajorgeneralisnomore”

“yeah,aferallhaexciemenidon’quiefeelupoanoherencounerwihheomnipoence,”caldwellsaidsmilingherewasadullhrobahebackofhisheadbuoherwisehefelfine

“hechinesegovernmenisonhecasehere’sbeenahugeuproaroverhisinbeijingheadshaverolledamonghep’sopbrassandfundingforallpreedprojecsisbeingcloselymonioredhepeoplecallingheshosasinghuauniversiywerepubliclyreprimandedo

aionalvaoplevelinvesigaionisunderwayandfouler,inypicalfashion,hassecrelyofferedhemhishelpheyhaveyeogebackohim”

“whydoesn’hasurpriseme?hebeernoelookingformeihavehadenoughexciemenforalifeime”

“idon’bmeyou”meilinsaidpensively

“iremembersomehingelseyoukissedmewashaadream?”caldwellsaid,lookingdeepinomeilin’seyes

“icouldhavebeen,”shesaid,blushingvisiblyhermesmerizingeyeshadakenonhesamelookheyhadsomanyyearsagoahebussopinhongkong

“5200603”

“wha’sha?”

“yourmessengernumberahehongkonginernaionalschool”

“ohreally?ihadforgoenyouhaveyourmemoryback,cadfoulerkephispromisehealsoadmiedhahydrahadwipedyourmemoriesofhongkongwhenyoufirsjoinedheagencysoyouhadnowayofrememberingme”

“iknewisonowyouknowwhyineverconacedyouwhereishenow?andka?”

“foulerookhejoplingirlbackobosonheseemsohavebeequieaachedoherhe’sneverhadanyfamilyyouknowgrowingsofinhisoldagekawenshoppinginshibuyawihsevenleviniappearsfoulerhasbeeherbenefacoroo”

“iseeiknowwhahe’sryingodoryingomakemesophainghimforwhahedidome”

“iamnosureicanforgivehimforhaknowinghim,heremighbeanuleriormoiveoallhis,”meilinsaid,sudyingcaldwell’sface

“yeaheiherway,iamsillgoingokickhisasssoishegoingoadophejoplingirl?”

“noideaiguessheisjusacingasherguardianshecameinoaloofmoneyonherfaher’sdeahandfoulerisconvincedhaherfaher’swyersmighryopullwooloverhereyes”

“wyershafinespecimenofhumaniyfouler’sacionsseemverysuspicious”

“yeah,iknownosureireallyrushimanymore,aferwhahedidoyoushe’saoughohadianejoplinapparenlyshecameallhewayookyooavengeherfaher’sdeah”

“andheconsoles?”

“foulerhasheminoue,heinvenor,passedawayinhissleephismorningbunobeforehisuploadedconsciousnessapologizedforcreaingheconsolesinhefirspcenohaiwashisfaulhayamamooriedousehemforsomehingcriminalsoiguessha’sheendofhaohyeahandiaskedhimoriabouhepyramidhingheconsoleurnedino”

“andwhadidinouesay?”

“youaccidenallyriggeredheunlockingmechanisminvirualrealiyhere’saoneinamillionchanceofheconsoleadopinghashapeandwhenidoes,i’sheonlyimeyoucanopenhechassisoseewha’sinside”

“ah,sowemissedourchance,”caldwellsaiddisracedly,sillhinkingaboufouler

“iwouldappearso”

“imagiha,foulergrowingaconscience”

“yes,i’snofouler’sconscienceiamworriedabou,i’syours”maylinfixedhimwihanexpecanlookhabroughbackvividmemoriesofhongkongandheno8busandherewereohermemoriesooallwaiingobeaccessed,oberelived

“whadoyoumean?”caldwelskedwihmockconcern

howareyougoingomakeiupomeforallhoseyearsofneglec?”meilinwassmilingmischievously,adiscernableglininhereyes

“wellhowabouwesarrighhere,”caldwellsaidashegaheredherinohisarmsshecamewillingly,sofskinmeldingwihhisachingfleshasheheldher,henoicedheframedphoosofhisparensonhebedsideableandsmiledfoulerwasryinghardbuhewasnofoolednoyehismoher’sorienaleyessmilingbackahim

“helloworld,”meilinmurmuredagainshisneckasheearswelledupinside