B Clones, page 7
“I understand.”
“Big, did they clone your body from someone who used to be alive? Do you have any memories from that person?”
“I was created to be a security officer for Clone World. I’m not certain if this body was molded after someone who used to exist or not. All my memories were transferred into my mind as I was grown inside the factory. They aren’t really memories the way you’d understand them. My life didn’t begin until I woke on Clone World and was assigned my duties. I have no childhood to remember.”
“What kind of memories did you get?”
“It was as if they’d put a camera on someone, had them go through all the training for my job, then replayed those videos repeatedly inside my head. I woke with the knowledge of how to fight, all the skills I’d need to be good at my job, and a basic desire to be the best at what I was created to do. They also taught us what we are, and the laws we must live by, in that same way. I developed a personality after I awoke and lived for a time. My job molded me.”
“Being a security officer?”
“Yes. And occasionally I was assigned as a bodyguard to wealthy guests visiting Clone World.” He paused. “I was a clone created to defend against injury by unauthorized persons, give support to security measures at Clone World, and protect it from any forms of danger. We kept the peace.”
“They make clone bodyguards, too? So weird.”
“They make all kinds of specialty clones.”
She mulled that over. “What other ones are made?”
“Another security clone escaped with me, but two of us were models created to do financial work at Clone World. Free and Fig are exceptional with math, computers, and contracts. They are trained to deal with all aspects of anything fiscal and technological. That also includes everything to do with computers and the ability to hack them. They were trained to protect the CW computers against other hackers.”
“They’re the brains and you’re the brawn?”
“All male service clones are physically fit as well, but they weren’t trained to fight. I taught my clone friends self-defense after we escaped CW.”
“What other kinds of clones are there?”
“Service-model clones hold various duties and skills. Everything from maintenance upkeep, giving massages to guests, to preparing and serving food. Entertainment models amuse the guests and perform on stages. There are medical clones who treat guests for everything from a skinned knee to complicated emergency surgeries.” He paused. “Every task you can think of that someone might need to hire, there is a clone programed for that skill.”
“What am I?”
“You are illegal. Clone classifications are assigned to those with loaded programs, to enhance what they were meant to do. You fall into none of those categories.”
“Wouldn’t I be an entertainment model if they thought I was that singer?”
“I’m certain Rico Florigo purchased you for his private collection. It would have been foolish to put you on display for the guests, since your memories are intact. He might believe he’s above the law, but he’s not. Someone would have reported you as a clone who hadn’t been blanked of real life memories, and the authorities would have investigated. He’d have been heavily fined and all future transactions concerning clone orders would have been monitored, at best. Worst case, they would have seized all his money, closed down Clone World until a new buyer could be found, and sentenced him to death.”
“A new buyer?”
“Clone World is a very popular vacation spot. I’m certain they would reopen it. JDJ Cryo Corp is a powerful company on Earth. They would have put pressure on the authorities to make certain it reopened. That planet is where a good portion of the clones are sent.”
“Wow.”
He nodded.
“I hope the current owner doesn’t order another me. That would just be too weird.”
“I’d pity her if she reached Clone World. She’d end up being very unhappy.”
“Maybe we should tip off the authorities to make certain that doesn’t happen.”
“No. We need Clone World operational. I raid their shuttles to gain plasma for us to survive. It would also alert the authorities that some of us had escaped and are free. I’m known to them as a pirate, but they’d put much more effort into catching me if they were aware that I’m really a clone.”
“Why the bother for just one clone?”
“I’ve told you. I guess I haven’t stressed how deeply humans fear our kind. We’re genetically enhanced. That means we’re stronger than birthed beings. Faster. We’re also harder to kill because a little clone plasma heals us quickly. I could break a thigh bone, but give me fresh plasma and I’d heal within an hour. Add in the fact that we’re also smarter than a birthed person, with the ability to learn new skills within minutes, and it makes all of us a serious threat if we wished to do them harm.”
Gemma gaped at him.
“It’s best if Earth doesn’t realize that any of us have escaped. The ones running Clone World don’t want anyone to know we’re missing. I’m certain they hope we deteriorated and died.”
She swallowed hard. “Got it.”
He led her to a lift and pushed a button. “I also don’t want JDJ Cryo Corp to realize you aren’t the Gemma they believe your source material came from.”
“Why?”
The doors opened and he pulled her inside. He didn’t answer right away but instead told the computer to take them up three levels.
He finally looked at her. “They would destroy your original source material. I don’t want that, in case something ever happens to you.”
She frowned, not understanding.
The lift opened and she found herself in a long, wide corridor. It reminded her of a hotel hallway. There were tables and lamps placed at intervals down the space. He stepped out and firmly gripped her hand.
“You’re not going to continue that thought?”
He faced her, holding her gaze. “I’d have Fig or Free break into Clone World’s accounts and order another model of you to be made, if you were to die. As I said…I don’t want to lose you, Gemma. I refuse, now that I’m coming to know you. I’d have you illegally cloned with your memories intact and intercept the shipment to Clone World to steal you all over again.”
Her mouth fell open as his words sank in.
He shrugged. “I won’t lose you. We’d have to start over from the moment you woke on that shuttle. All the current memories you’ve made wouldn’t be there, but I’d have a second chance to get you through the initial shock of finding out you’re a clone. I just hope that doesn’t happen.”
She didn’t know if she should feel hurt or angry. “In other words, this is basically a test run to see if I can stay sane, or you have to hit a reset button by getting another me?” She felt insulted for sure.
“No. It would be insanely dangerous to hack into Clone World to place that order. Foolish even. So far, it hasn’t been cost effective for Rico Florigo to send a death squad to hunt us down, but that wouldn’t be true anymore if we began tapping into Clone World financial accounts to order more clones. They haven’t linked the stolen plasma shipments to us. Piracy is expected, but all known thieves are human. It would be suspicious if they were hacked, a clone was reordered, then that same clone went missing. But I’d do it. That’s how determined I am to make certain you survive.”
It was kind of sweet and flattering, when put that way. Her ex-husband came to mind. He had been too lazy to take out the trash and couldn’t be bothered to remember her birthday when they’d been married. Big was prepared to commit major crimes and risk his life to keep her.
She released his hand and gripped his shirt, going up on her tiptoes.
He leaned forward a little with a confused look on his face.
She kissed him on the lips, then eased back down. “Thank you.”
He arched his eyebrows. “You aren’t upset?”
“I’m a little freaked out, but I understand what you’re saying. I’m going to be fine though. I am grateful to be alive. I’ll focus on that instead of flipping out that I’m suddenly living in the future. Just don’t expect me to learn fast. I was always techno challenged. I couldn’t even program names and numbers into my cell phone in the past. I doubt I’ll be able to run an entire moon base station when you’re out doing your pirate gig.”
“It runs itself. I just want you to monitor the systems and make corrections if there’s a malfunction.”
“I’ll try my best to learn.”
“Everything about you has been enhanced. You’ll learn faster now. I’m very glad you’re in my life, Gemma. I was extremely lonely here.”
She could relate to that. Once her sons had turned into young adults, they’d had college classes, friends, and the occasional girlfriends. They’d spent less and less time with her. She had a few good friends but most of them had been married and occupied with family.
There had been a lot of nights spent alone, wishing for someone to talk to or share a meal with. Now she had Big. He was sexy, handsome, and he seemed desperate to be with her. Life was looking up, even if it wasn’t the one she was used to.
He stopped at the very end of the hallway and pressed his fingertips to a panel. The double doors opened, revealing a huge suite. She entered, still holding his hand.
“Wow!”
“I hope you enjoy our home.”
It had to be one of the biggest living room areas she’d ever seen. A kitchen sat along the far back wall, with a massive island and several barstools. It even had a dining room area to the side, with a table that could easily seat twenty. A wide corridor opened off the kitchen that she assumed led to at least one bedroom.
“Who lived here?”
“The owner of the mine. I took it as my own since, I’m the one who remained.”
“Nice digs.”
He chuckled. “I agree.”
“The owner liked to entertain, I guess.” She glanced at the table again. It would be weird to ever use it with just the two of them.
“I read the logs. He invited the mine operation heads to dinner often and they held business meetings here.”
Movement had her gasping as a tall metallic thing came out of what she’d assumed was a tall closet in the kitchen. It looked humanoid, but even with clothing on it was scary as hell. Gemma shoved her body up against Big’s.
“Easy,” he chuckled. “That’s just Magna. She’s a kitchen-aid android.”
The thing stopped on the other side of the island, hands neatly resting on the gray stone that made up the countertop. “Are you hungry, Big? What may I make for you?”
He wrapped his arm around Gemma and led her closer to the robot. She could admit that her steps might have dragged a bit. More horror movies were reeling through her head. Killer robots. And it was in a kitchen. Which meant it had access to knives.
“Easy, sweetheart,” he rasped. “Magna is harmless. Are you hungry?”
“That thing cooks?”
“Yes. Magna, this is Gemma. She lives here now, and you’ll take orders from her as well. Do you understand?”
Metallic round eyes fixed on Gemma, and the thing smiled, revealing silver teeth. “It is a pleasure to serve you, Gemma. What would you like to eat?”
She was beyond thinking at the moment. “Do you have a menu?”
“Of course.” The appliance behind the robot, what she’d assumed was maybe a modern-day version of a fridge, lit up, now looking more like a computer screen. A list of words ran down its length.
Big gently maneuvered her around the island. “We’re well stocked. Chose something. I’m sure you’re hungry. I am.”
“This is going to take a lot of time to adjust to.” Gemma’s gaze darted to the lower half of the robot. It had wheels on the bottom of what passed for feet. It had two arms, legs, a human shape, but with smooth metal for skin. The loose white dress it wore covered it from throat to just below the knee.
A horrible thought struck. Had this been Big’s um…girlfriend…before her? “It’s not atomically correct, is it?” She turned her head, shooting Big a suspicious look.
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Does Magna do more than cook for you? Is she like a sex robot?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “No. She’s not atomically correct, as you put it. She cooks my food and cleans the kitchen. That’s it. Her conversational skills are also lacking, unless you’re discussing chores or what you’d like her to prepare for a meal. It’s been very lonely for me until you came along.”
She relaxed slightly. “She won’t go nuts by trying to murder us?”
Big looked highly amused. “No. Where do you come up with these ideas?”
“Movies,” she admitted. “Robots tend to go insane and become murder machines.”
“She’s programmed not to harm living beings.”
Gemma thought about that. “Are we considered human?” She purposely didn’t mention the clone word. She jerked her head toward the silver lady.
He sobered. “Yes. Magna doesn’t understand the difference.”
That was a relief. She faced the surface of the appliance, reading her options. It stunned her. She’d been to large restaurants with fewer items on their menus. “I think I’m going to be happy here if any of this tastes the way it did in the past.”
Big calmed a bit. Gemma seemed to like their home, but she also confused him. The kitchen-aid android had frightened her. They had a long way to go before she got used to present-day technology. He hesitated to mention the other droids on the station, including the living quarter ones. Would they frighten her just as much?
Gemma picked something for them to eat after she consulted with him and then he led her down the hallway, leaving Magna to prepare their meal. It boasted two spare bedrooms and the master suite.
“That bed is huge!” She left his side and, to his amusement, dove on it. “So comfy!”
He walked to the edge. “Do you like our bedroom?”
She flipped onto her back and smiled as she sat up. “It’s the most luxurious one I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m glad. This is your home now. Ours together.” He held out his hand. “Let me show you the bathroom features.”
“Good plan. It’s going to take me a while to get used to all this fancy crap. I can’t believe we have a chef robot. That’s kind of cool, if she can actually cook.”
He pulled her up and led her into the adjoining room to show her how to use everything. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll get you some outfits. The choices are limited but you won’t have to keep wearing my shirts.” He glanced down her body at her exposed legs. “Or perhaps not.”
She chuckled. “I’d like some pants.”
“We’re alone. I like you better without them.”
“I’m going to need more than your baggy shirts if you plan to teach me how to help you run this massive station.”
He nodded. “Let’s get you fed…then we’ll try out that bed. Tomorrow, we’ll begin.”
“Oh joy,” she answered sarcastically. “To be clear, I want to go to bed with you. It’s tomorrow I’m not so thrilled about.”
Her nervous expression had him smiling again. He felt gratitude that she’d come into his life. “Magna will serve the food soon. It doesn’t take her long.”
“And you’re sure she won’t poison us or attack?”
“I promise.” He chuckled. “I’m glad I haven’t seen these movies you mentioned.”
Chapter Seven
Gemma woke feeling terrific, the night before replaying in her mind. She and Big had shared a delicious dinner. The robot had served them on the island counter, then disappeared behind a door. She hadn’t dared venture toward it to see what was inside, not really wanting to know if Magna just stood dormant in a closet-sized room or disappeared somewhere else. That would take some adjustment to think of as normal.
Big had carried her to bed at that point, stripped off their clothes, and made love to her. She grinned at those particular memories, snuggling her cheek against a plush pillow. The sexy pirate was the perfect distraction from her new reality, making her come twice before he’d even entered her. She’d screamed his name in ecstasy three times last night. It was a record for her. Hell, the fact that he got her off even once was unusual.
The ex was batting zero. Big hits hit home every time and then some. She chuckled. Talk about a life upgrade!
She reached out to touch him, but he wasn’t there. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, looking around the room. A few lights in the ceiling had been left on but at a dim setting. Big wasn’t within sight. She had no guess as to the time. There were no windows, and there sure wouldn’t be sunshine to indicate morning even if there had been. It sank in once more that she lived inside a crater, inside a moon. And not the one she’d grown up seeing in the night sky.
Gemma dropped her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes. The reality of her situation overwhelmed her. It wasn’t a drug-induced dream. She’d actually woken in the future, now had a cloned body, and it was years younger than the one she’d lived in before. Upgraded. Improved.
She noticed the changes once again as she lie there. Her knuckles didn’t ache from arthritis. She’d slept through the night without waking to use the bathroom. Her left knee usually throbbed if she didn’t put a heating pad on it before bed. It felt fine now. She didn’t have to worry about moving too fast or twisting wrong, causing back pain.
Then there was Big. He was everything she’d always wished for in a man. Sweet, kind, sexy, and he had a body on him that didn’t quit. He cared about what she was thinking and feeling. He was just…attentive. It was wonderful.
He talked about commitment, too, and being with her, taking care of her, as if they were already married. It was a forgone conclusion that they were a dedicated couple, to hear him speak. She’d noticed immediately but hadn’t said anything, not about to complain. She was onboard with keeping him forever; there had to be some tradeoff to all the panic.
