B Clones, page 15
It could be used as a weapon against Blade if she dosed him. She disposed of it, though. He hadn’t hurt her so far, and the thought of being left alone on the big shuttle was terrifying.
A ship-wide search had proven they were the only two persons onboard. The cargo area was stacked high with crates. Access to the cockpit and the engines were locked. Blade hadn’t lied about that. She wiped down the tables and sighed.
She didn’t know what to think of Blade. It may have been a mistake to abandon his knife. Hailey always tried to be a reasonable person. The huge guy would have no problem attacking her if he had a mind to. He was strong enough to do a lot of damage. But he’d helped her instead. Her hand felt a hundred times better after he’d treated it.
She missed her parents badly. They had to be worried. Prospect was a small planet with a few groups of small mining settlements in close enough proximity to be considered one colony. She’d never lived alone, since it wasn’t safe. Some visitors or short-term workers might mistake her for one of the few women who sold their bodies, using their homes as a place to conduct business.
Jacob crossed her mind, and she felt a bit of guilt. He’d be worried about her, too, but that didn’t upset her as much as it should have.
He’d started courting her months before. They were both teachers, and he’d had the most in common with her of all the other men who’d asked her out since she’d turned eighteen.
The problem was, she didn’t love him. She’d mostly agreed to date him to get her parents off her back. They expected marriage and grandkids from her eventually. Her mother especially had begun to hassle her to find a husband. Most women on her planet got married by twenty-two. She was four years past that already.
She took a seat on one of the chairs. Jacob was a nice-looking man, a few inches taller than her and soft spoken. He also bored her when they engaged in conversation. His entire world seemed to revolve around his job teaching science. That’s why she’d dragged her feet when he wanted their relationship to progress.
She’d previously dated at least a dozen men at the urging of her parents, but rarely had gone out with any twice. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t wanted to find a husband. She just knew she’d be miserable if she locked herself to someone she had no feelings for.
Ninety percent of the men who lived year-round on Prospect were miners. They weren’t that dedicated to bathing and their hands were disgusting. The minerals they mined stained their fingers yellow. They also smelled. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, most miners felt that dust coating their skin was considered good luck. Like, if the planet considered them a part of it, fewer accidents would happen on the job. She had a serious problem with a dirty man wanting to touch her.
The off-worlders who were hired to run the landing port never stayed for long. She’d seen too many of her friends get involved with them. It never resulted in anything but the heartbreak of being left behind. The promises of lasting relationships were usually lies. Those men always left when the job was done. Most didn’t even have the courtesy to tell women they were leaving. Just up and gone without warning.
It was also a reasonable fear that she’d get pregnant and be abandoned, like many other women had, if she’d let someone get her into bed.
She pulled her knees up and hugged her legs. There’d never been a man who had tempted her to take that chance.
Until meeting Blade…
The two weeks she’d spent locked inside the captain’s quarters had given her a lot to think. Mostly about regrets. She was a twenty-six-year-old virgin, which was a bit depressing. But in all those years, she’d never met one single man who’d tempted her to change that. She’d also concluded she didn’t want her first exposure to sex to be the nightmare experience it would have been at the hands of her kidnappers.
Blade was a clone. She’d heard once that they were all sterile but wasn’t sure if that was true or not. The thought of asking him outright had her burying her face against her knees to groan. He’d saved her life, and the memory of him in just those lounge pants kept flashing through her mind. He had a lot of muscles, a lot of golden skin. The glimpse he’d given her of the side of his hip had been the closest thing she’d seen to a man’s bared lower half. He’d also just bathed, and he smelled wonderful even from across the room.
“Pathetic,” she muttered.
“What is?”
Blade’s deep voice had her jerking her head up. He stood just a few feet away. He hadn’t put on a shirt but he’d changed into another pair of pants. They hung low on his lean hips and were light gray in color, accenting his tan. He took a seat in a chair opposite from her and leaned back. The position stretched out his flat stomach and broad upper chest. He rested his thick forearms on the arms of the chair.
“Nothing.”
He glanced around the room. “You didn’t need to straighten up. I planned to do it myself.” He held her gaze. “There’s no need for you to do manual labor, but I appreciate it.”
“It’s what I do when I need to think.”
“You should take it easy.” He glanced at her taped thumb.
“It’s feeling great. You wrapped it really well, and I almost forget that it’s even hurt unless I try to bend it at the knuckle.”
He nodded, turning his attention to her face. “Are you going over escape plans? Ways to kill me? I left the door to my sleeping cabin unlocked. That should make it easier for you.”
He astonished her with the crazy things he said. “Stop it.”
He tilted his head slightly, regarding her with his dark blue eyes. They were arresting. “I’d do the same.”
“I’m not strong like you.” Helpless. It’s how she felt, but she wasn’t going to say that word aloud. “I can’t fly a shuttle or hack the communication systems. I wouldn’t even know who to contact. With my luck, I’d reach out to the pirates and lead them right to me. I teach people how to read, that’s the extent of my skill. Most of my students are children, but I hold an evening class a few times a week for adults.”
“How did they reach that age without learning?”
“Some families are poorer than others on my planet. They send their boys to the mines to work instead of to school. Most of them don’t have an interest to learn until they have children of their own. It’s tough to help them with their homework otherwise.”
“Do girls work in the mines, too?”
“No. I mean, there are a few, but not many. Most of us become teachers, run stores, or work in the food-growing industry. We have large gardens outside of town where we grow our fresh vegetables in greenhouses to feed the colony. A lot of supplies come in through the port, but few can afford to buy off-world stuff. Mostly it gets stored there for transports to take deeper into space, to other worlds.”
“Why don’t women work in the mines?”
“Mining is strenuous work and there are gases that can harm us. And any pregnant women can’t work there for their safety. They won’t stay pregnant long, or the few babies who survive are born with heartbreaking defects. We aren’t medically advanced enough to do much to help them. My colony is too poor.”
He grimaced.
“Exactly. Girls are encouraged to follow in their mothers’ footsteps and sons work in the mines.”
“Did you follow in your mother’s footsteps?”
“Yes. She teaches math. I was never good with numbers, but that’s okay because that job was already taken by her. The school is small in my town. I only have thirty-one kids in my class, all ranging in different ages, and nearly a dozen adults for the evening ones.”
“Your father works in the mines?”
“Yes. He always dreams about leaving Prospect, but that’s all it is. A dream.”
“Why?”
“I’m part of the second generation born on the planet. My grandfather was one of the first settlers on Prospect, when they opened the mines. Once there, you’re kind of trapped. The pay isn’t great and it’s expensive to resettle. Besides, mining is all my dad knows. We’d just exchange one rock for another if we moved. I’ve been saving up, though, to gift him and my mom with a vacation.”
“Where do you want to send them?”
She bit her lip.
“Is it a secret?”
She shook her head.
“Then where?”
“They watch a lot of those old films that come from Earth…”
“Clone World.” He scowled.
“I didn’t want to upset you. And I won’t be sending them there now, after what you’ve told me. Maybe they can visit Jebler, though I’ll be saving up a lot longer in that case, since that planet is farther away. It doesn’t offer discount packages.”
“You’ve done a lot of research.”
“I grew up hearing my father talk about how much he wanted to see the stars and visit another world at least once before he dies. It’s been a lifelong dream of his. He goes down to the space port to watch vessels take off and land in his free time. He’s made friends with security, and they’ll let him sneak a peek inside vessels when one is docked for any length of time. It’s how I knew about some of the features of the captain’s quarters on the Morgan.”
Blade nodded. “What were you thinking about when I first walked in?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“Nothing worth sharing.”
“I disagree.” Blade smiled. It changed his features from just handsome, to making it difficult for her to breathe. He was far too good-looking.
“I was just contemplating my life.”
“I’ll keep you safe, Hailey. Stop worrying about whether you have a future. You do. I’ll get you home somehow, at some point. That’s a promise.”
“I was thinking more about my past,” she admitted.
“What about it?”
She decided to change the subject again. “What’s it like being a clone?”
His smile faded. “I’m as alive as you are. I feel the same emotions that you do. Is that what you want to know?”
“I wasn’t trying to insult you. I’m just curious. You’re the first one I’ve ever met, and I don’t know much about your kind.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Do you eat food?”
“Of course.”
“I already know you sleep…”
“I need less than you do, but that’s genetics.”
“But you’re basically human?”
“Basically. We were created from human genetic material and then those were manipulated inside a laboratory. They screen out any hereditary flaws, and to put it in very simple terms, they screw with us until we’re stronger and healthier than most humans. At that point, they grow us in a type of artificial womb, although much larger than a real one, since they grow us until we’re at the age they desire. It depends on the use the clone was created for. Medical clones, for example, appear older than I do. I heard that it makes humans feel more at ease with their skill set. At the desired age, they stunt the growth and lock it in.”
“How do they do that?”
“They sequence the cells to duplicate in the same way, over and over. It means I don’t age. Without those cells being fed by new ones every three months, my body would begin to decay. I’d die in a matter of months. It’s not a pretty death, either. Lesions will open and I won’t heal. My internal organs will begin to fail.” His voice deepened. “That’s how we’re different.”
“How are you alive if you left Clone World?”
“I stole clone plasma from transports. The pirates I lived with had plenty of it from raiding those same shuttles. They gave it to me, since it’s useless to humans. They only kept the food supplies they stole from JDJ.”
“I thought plasma was just blood. We must donate it to our hospital on Prospect, so we have a good supply handy in case there’s a mine accident and a lot of miners get hurt. It’s mandatory every six months for everyone.”
He shook his head. “Clone plasma is different, and it’s created to only work on our bodies.”
She put her feet down on the floor, concern filling her. Fear, too. She needed him. He knew how to fly the shuttle they were on. “What are you going to do now?” She didn’t want him to die on her.
“I’ve got a year’s supply with me. I took it off the other shuttle before I undocked it and left it floating in space. I always carry at least that much wherever I travel because of how I got stranded once. It’s better to be prepared. Big and I will get more if he doesn’t already have a stockpile of it. There are multiple monthly transports from JDJ Clone Corp, on Earth, to Clone World. CW supports over eight hundred clones, which means they need constant shipments. Each transport carries enough to last us for quite a long time.”
She relaxed. “Good. I mean, that you’re going to be okay.”
“You could search for my stash and destroy it. I need an infusion in the next few days.”
He'd shocked her again. It wasn’t becoming pleasant. “Why would I do that? I told you that I can’t fly a shuttle and I’m not technologically savvy. I don’t want to kill you, Blade. That would be committing suicide, and I don’t want to die. Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little paranoid?”
He grinned. “I’ve been accused of that before. I just can’t understand how you can accept this situation so matter-of-factly.”
“I’m not a moron. I need you. Otherwise, I might as well lock myself back in the captain’s quarters until I run out of air, food, or water. I’d rather avoid that. I thought that’s how I might go out before you found me. I’m grateful to you.”
“Fair enough. Do you have any other questions?”
“How did you get your name?”
“I’m really good at throwing knives, and with using them. The human in charge of overseeing newly awakened clones believed I was defective. I woke with some weakness in my limbs and swayed on my feet when I stood. My nervous system wasn’t flawed, it was just a lack of nutritional intake during transport. Defective clones are destroyed and a replacement one is sent. So I grabbed a blade off his belt to show him that nothing was wrong with my reflexes. I threw his knife and killed a bug across the room. He was impressed enough to reassess me, and he gave me the name Blade.”
“And your friend, Big?”
“He’s slightly larger than I am. That made me the second tallest in security. The one in charge took one look at him and said, ‘damn, he’s big.’ It stuck.”
“Have you ever thought about changing your name?”
“It’s the only one I’ve ever known. How did you get your name?”
“My parents picked it when I was born. They thought it was pretty.”
“It is. Do you ever think about changing it?”
She smiled, amused. “Point made.”
He leaned forward and stood. “Are you hungry? I’m starving.”
“Can I ask you one more question?”
“Sure.”
“Um…”
“Just ask, Hailey. You won’t offend me.”
“Is…is it true that clones are sterile?”
His lips parted, closed, then opened again. “It’s true. We can’t reproduce. We were designed that way. What made you ask that particular question?”
She dropped her gaze. “Nothing. Just curious.”
Blade didn’t believe her. He could guess where her thoughts lie, since she’d brought up his sterility.
“I might be a clone, but I have all the same sexual needs and parts as any other man. That being said, I’d never force my way into your bed. I’m not a rapist, so stop worrying about it. There’s no need for you to be concerned about me getting you pregnant, either. You’re safe.”
“I’m not worried that you’ll attack me.”
He paused, studying her. “Good.” He turned and left her in the lounge area to enter the kitchen. The shuttle had been well stocked and the cargo filled with supplies, including more food. He threw out all the food supplies in the cabinets that had already been opened and removed some of the sealed boxes to check what inventory remained.
A slight noise alerted him that Hailey had followed. He turned, glancing at her.
She stayed near the door. “Can I help?”
“Pick something that sounds good, and I’ll hydrate it.”
She came up next to him and started reading the labels of packets inside the box he’d opened, removing one. “This.”
He grinned, taking it from her. “I like the steak and gravy with potatoes, too.”
“There were a lot of them in the kitchen inside the captain’s quarters. I’ve never had such high-quality food before. We couldn’t afford this stuff at home. Meat is super rare, since most of our livestock is for producing dairy instead of for eating. Sometimes when one dies of old age or by accident, they sell that meat. But it’s expensive.”
“The owner of this vessel is wealthy. There are large crates of food packets in the cargo hold. We’ll eat well for a long time.”
“That’s good.” She smiled back. “I can’t complain that I’m suffering, being aboard the Morgan.”
He could relate. The luxury shuttle was much larger and nicer than his last ship, plus he liked sharing it with a woman. Hailey had a pleasant voice, and he found her very attractive. He just hoped she meant it when she said she didn’t fear him and had no plans to cause him harm.
He attached the packet to the food hydrator and hit a button. The bag inflated as hot water mixed with the contents. It took less than a minute to finish. He removed it, unsealed the top, and poured the contents onto a plate.
The smell of food made his stomach grumble. He’d gone too long without eating. He picked up the dish, offering it to her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He grabbed a food packet for himself and hydrated it, very aware of her moving to the small table behind him.
He opened one of the cold storage units to remove two drinks and placed one near her. He got his own food plated and two sets of silverware. They didn’t speak as he took a seat across from her and dug into his own meal. It was a comfortable silence.
