Wonderland was full of holographic projectors.  Some belonged to Chester, and despite its nearly insatiable curiosity, DEE left those alone -- partially from fear of the boobytraps which might have been coded into them, and partially as part of an unspoken truce between the hacker and the AI.  But even without utilizing Chester’s tech, DEE could create an avatar nearly anywhere in the club.  And it did so now, appearing beside the chair where Chester was sitting.<br/><br/>Tilting its head, the hologram appeared to watch Chester work -- although, of course, DEE’s perception came from sources very different than holographic eyes (or any eyes at all).  The AI rarely created a visual representation of itself when it wasn’t directly connected to Dumas.  When it did, the difference was obvious to anyone paying attention.  Without continuous feedback from a human mind, the hologram moved more like a marionette than a person, while the emotions it displayed bounced between nonexistent and greatly exaggerated.  DEE understood how humans expressed their feelings, and even possessed detailed memories of a particular human expressing his feelings.  But it was still creating a rough approximation.<br/><br/>“You saved him.”  DEE didn’t entirely comprehend why humans responded so strongly to a basic act like copulation.  But it did know that Dumas was balancing on a very thin ledge, and this had nearly shoved him over the edge.  It understood the terrible meaning behind Dumas’s request to go home and sleep.  If Chester had let him leave...DEE’s circuits shuddered when it thought about what might have happened if Chester had let him leave.  “You saved us.  Thank you.”<br/><br/>*****<br/><br/>Dumas closed his eyes as Mari wrapped her arms around him.  She was so small, so fragile.  Her embrace felt very different from the last person who’d held him this way.  And yet, the deep sense of safety that filled Dumas was exactly the same -- like he’d been transported to a place where all the pain in the world couldn’t reach him.  Perhaps it wasn’t Davy’s muscle and bone which had built the shelter they shared during their brief time together.  Perhaps, ironically, it was a soldier’s tenderness that had triumphed over the horrors of war.  And now he’d found that tenderness again, dwelling in an equally heroic heart.<br/><br/>“It’s not your fault,” Dumas assured, after Mari apologized for her other self.  “She’s not you.  And I’ll handle her better when she shows up again.”<br/><br/>Gently pulling from her embrace, Dumas swept Mari up into his arms.  He’d intended to set her down on the bed, but instead, he found himself reluctant to let her go.  Cradling her against his chest, Dumas smiled tenderly at his Bunny Girl.  “Ches will do research to find the best doctor.  Then we’ll make an appointment, and I’ll go with you.  I’ll be with you every step of the way.”<br/><br/>Dumas couldn’t forget what the bitch had said about being the original self.  So he wanted to be present, just in case a doctor reached the same conclusion and got any ideas about erasing<span style="font-style: italic">his</span>Mari.  There was no way in hell Dumas would let that happen.  But could he really support the destruction of her other self?  Wouldn’t that be murder?  Could they justify murdering a personality, just because it was a dangerous bitch?  Of course, the bitch had also been working for The Cards, and Dumas had cheerfully murdered several of their rank this morning.  It was all so complicated.<br/><br/>Carefully, Dumas set Mari down on the bed, and then lay down beside her.  As he pulled her close, he hoped she felt as safe in his arms as he felt in hers.  “But that’s all business for another day.  Right now, we should rest.”