Van looked at the replica for a moment, before reaching out to gently stroke it's hair. "You're a replica," he answered in a soothing voice. "Do you know what that is?"

If this replica truly was nothing, then keeping it would be far too great a risk. Whatever resentment or anger it felt didn't matter, the knowledge it had would be enough to end things. He had to be absolutely certain that the replica did indeed have the potential to be useful and that he could keep it under his control.

He didn't allow it to answer. "It means that you're nothing."