SOTOPIA: Artificial Pseudo-God

"Boyfriend?" Maynard chewed on Steven's answer playfully.He probably didn't realize that there was an indescribable sense of unwillingness and sadness in his mocking expression at the moment. "I have something to talk to him about, and you'd better avoid it."

Steven didn't compromise: "Moskevich had nothing to do with Mrs. Renault's death, and you have already reached an agreement with Sotopia. You should know that he is not a dangerous product."

Maynard shot back sharply: "'You' know, but we don't." He glanced at Moskevich, and added casually: "He is a legal citizen of the United States, and we will not do anything excessive."

Of course, in the eyes of Steven, who is well versed in the history and inside information of this department, this is simply a joke: "You will only make him 'legal' when you need it."

"Special cases and special cases, isn't this our usual style?"

Steven looked at Moskevich, who was silent, and threw out what he thought was a weighty threat: "Are you planning to violate the basic provisions of Agreement No. 23?"

He didn't expect that the other party's actions were far more extreme than what he thought.Maynard replied with a sneer: "The repeal of that document has been put on the agenda, and the principle of 'informal counter-terrorism cooperation' is now prevailing. It seems that you have not been well-informed since you left the FBI, Mr. Krebs."

When Maynard and Steven were in a stalemate, Moskevich finally said, "Steven, go back quickly. You'd better not interfere with this matter." His eyes turned to Maynard, and he spoke The sound is not loud, but it is as cold as the ice of the deep sea in the extreme north.

Steven glanced at Moskevich again, but without responding, turned around to continue the argument with Maynard.

"—Didn't I tell you not to interfere?!" Moskevich suddenly yelled at him without warning, and immediately looked away, as if he was inconceivable by his outrageous behavior.

The Oleg Cafe, which had been cleared by the staff, was suddenly silent, and everyone's eyes were on them.

Steven froze—this was the first time he had seen Moskevich express his emotions so openly.Different from the threat on the edge of despair in the hospital two years ago, the venting this time is obviously more direct and forceful, so that Steven almost forgot what he originally wanted to say.

An awkward silence lasted half a minute.

Finally, Steven lowered the hand he was about to reach out to Moskevich. "What, so you can be angry too." He smiled wryly with a complex expression, and those fragments of emotion and soul hidden in time played back in his mind like a lantern.

He finally ushered in this day.

"However, this is also a good thing." After saying this, Steven shook his head - no one knew who he was expressing his opinion to.

Maynard's expression softened slightly.He took the key, uncuffed Steven himself, and walked out of the cafe with him.Moskevich was still under control without any resistance, looking blankly at Steven's back.

Facing the former boss whose temperament changed drastically, Steven clenched his fists, and his questioning tone was like a tight string, trembling at the critical point: "What are you going to do to him? Why did you become like this? ?”

"You're looking more and more like a movie hero, the old-fashioned kind." Maynard pulled out a cigarette case from the inside pocket of his coat, but didn't seem to be planning to ask Steven for one. "Sometimes, losing someone important can give you more peace of mind."

"There is no way out."

Maynard's hand holding the cigarette froze for a moment, then quietly raised it to his mouth and took a puff.He directly changed the subject: "We will not make it difficult for Moskevich. You can come to pick him up in two days—or let us send him back."

Steven didn't know what medicine was sold in Maynard's gourd, but he already knew what choice Moskevich had made. "But I don't know if you can still be trusted, after all we all know the nature of how this system works."

"If you think Moskevich is trustworthy, then he's safe," Maynard replied tactfully. "If you don't mind, I suggest you go home, that little girl is still waiting for you. My colleagues and I still have a country to protect."

Moskevich knew the place well.

Maynard sat across from him, the one-way glass on the wall was dark, and everything seemed to be back to the summer two years ago.Only this time, Moskevich was not handcuffed, I don't know if it was a blessing in misfortune.

Maynard was very clear about the reason for Moskevich's previous anger, and his tone of voice was much gentler now, with a hint of persuasion, but this actually made Moskevich realize that what he was about to say next might not be anything good thing.Maynard said: "You deliberately dismissed Steven, you should know what we are going to do."

"Yes." Moskevich didn't seem to want to speak, but the necessary statement was sufficient. "As long as they don't get involved, I don't care what happens."

And Maynard first expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, this is something only you can do."

Moskevich looked up, waiting for Maynard's next request.

"Do you remember this man? Alexander, you have seen him." Maynard held up a wanted warrant, and the attached photo was the dangerous man who made them worry. "After the high-ranking treason case, he and his henchmen quickly disappeared from the United States. But recently, they seem to have reappeared. Mrs. Renault's death is probably the best evidence. Some intelligence shows that he is looking for you. In fact, he already knows your exact location, the only problem is how to take you away."

Hearing the name "Alexander", Moskevich only felt a chill in his heart.Although it was two years ago that he was imprisoned and injected with drugs, the dull pain in his bones when he was grabbed by his wrist, he was fixed on the hospital bed and watched the medicine flow into his blood vessels, and the beautiful phantom created in his heart was bit by bit. The pain of destruction is tantamount to tearing open his unhealed wound again.

"No need to say any more, I agree to cooperate." He chose to compromise.

"Very good." Maynard showed a warm smile. "I want to find Alexander and destroy his plans, you want to be able to survive in peace; I want no more gunshots in the United States, and you want Steven and Caroline and others to be safe. You see, Our purpose is the same."

Moskevich closed his eyes, took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes again, and looked at Maynard calmly: "Tell me, what is your plan?"

If Caroline hadn't urged him to go to rest several times, Steven might have sat on the sofa, staring at the stack of books that Moskevich had read all night.

As soon as he was freed, Steven immediately tried to contact Rosa and Frank and other Sotopia members who still had their contact information, but the strange thing was that they seemed to be in a paradoxical state of "radio silence" by coincidence. Build a gully that cannot carry out information exchange.

In addition, Steven couldn't face Caroline's puzzled eyes honestly—when the little girl asked why Moskevich hadn't come back, he was stunned for a long time before he managed to make up a "Higgins please" He helped" and other unconvincing excuses.

The curtains have been drawn, the room is pitch black, and the neon lights of the city seem to be thousands of miles away.Steven lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.He simply got up, dug out half a pack of cigarettes from the pile of old sundries in the bottom drawer, walked into the kitchen in the dark, and turned on the ventilation fan.Steven felt that only the smell of tobacco could relieve his agitation a little, although it was a temporary solution, not a permanent cure.

Maybe it was because she couldn't sleep well and heard the sound of the guardian walking around. After a while, the small lights in the living room and corridor were turned on, and Caroline, who was wearing pajamas, came over rubbing her eyes, holding a plush rabbit in her hand. .

"Steven, didn't you say you would stop smoking?"

The girl's voice was sleepy and muffled, which made Steven's frown relax.He immediately extinguished the cigarette in his hand, picked up the cookbook at hand and fanned it a few times, trying to drive away the remaining smoke in the room.

He bent down, rubbed Caroline's head, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, just this time."

Caroline nodded in a daze, but didn't go back right away.She rubbed her eyes, sleepy but still asked politely: "Steven, when will Moss come back?"

Steven sighed helplessly, reached out and patted her on the back, and pushed her back to the room to sleep: "He will be back soon. After all, he is an adult and always has his own private affairs. Go to sleep, don't you want to Listen to me tell a boring bedtime story?"

Even if it was true, Steven might not be able to tell it.

Maynard kept his promise.Two days later, Steven received his notice and waited at the gate of the local branch an hour and a half before the appointed time.

Fortunately, the Moskevich he saw was normal, at least much better than when he was released two years ago.

The reunion after a brief separation should have been joyful, but the death of Mrs. Renault, Maynard's iron fist, the complicated and chaotic situation, and the anger and compromise in the face of choices made an awkward atmosphere pervade between them.Steven and Moskevich sit in an awkward standoff in the car, each waiting for the other to speak.

It was Moskevich who apologized first: "Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Steven was depressed due to nervousness and lack of rest, but he drove cautiously because there was another person sitting next to him.He turned his head, glanced at Moskevich who seemed to be introspecting, and responded calmly: "It's okay, I don't care." Steven decided not to ask unnecessary questions, and it was up to Moskevich himself to decide whether to confess or remain silent.

"Is Caroline okay?" Moskevich asked, apologetic in his voice. "She's sensitive and I worry about what she might find out."

Steven chuckled twice, and the awkward silence seemed to no longer exist: "She's fine, I'm afraid she's playing games with her friends again now."

There was no one in the apartment—Caroline had already taken Lehman to a nearby partner's house, and probably, as usual, would not return until the evening.Therefore, when Moskevich walked into the living room and put the coat that he had taken off on the coat rack beside him, he heard the sound of the door being locked, and Steven had already leaned up from behind in the next second.

The older man hugged Moskevich silently, kissing the side of Moskevich's neck through a dark brown turtleneck.Moskevich froze and didn't move, just receiving Steven's tentative caress without saying a word.The other party may be angry and anxious, and urgently need some special way to relieve the unrest about the future, but at the moment it is just covering this up with habitual tenderness.Moskevich was well aware.

But when Steven held a hand on his waist and began to slowly explore the space under the clothes, Moskevich was taken aback and grabbed his restless wrist.Immediately afterwards, he broke free from this silent embrace without a trace, took a few steps forward, and turned to face Steven.

Steven didn't force a compromise, just watched him silently, waiting for an explanation from Moskevich—or not.

After a moment of silence, Moskevich said softly: "I'm sorry Steven, I don't want to do it now."

— This is his second apology today.

Thinking so, Steven withdrew his hand. "It's okay, let's have a good rest. I can finally catch up on sleep." Hearing his cramped wry laugh, he felt a panic in his heart.

Moskevich returned to his room, and didn't lock the door of his room until he heard the slight sound of wooden boards when Steven lay on the bed.He pulled up the curtains, turned on the desk lamp, sat on the edge of the bed, lifted his shirt, and looked indifferently at the area on his side waist covered by gauze.

It was the wound of the minimally invasive surgery that he didn't want Steven to find out.It didn't actually hurt, it was just uncomfortable to watch.Under the soft skin and texture, the buried miniature GPS tracker is waiting for the moment of activation.