by G. P. Hudson
“I suppose he can,” Isaac said finally. “In fact, I am certain he has already done so.”
“So, there could be another Isaac out there?” Danny said, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.
“Hell, there could be hundreds of Isaacs,” Gerry said emphatically.
Why didn’t you say anything?” Danny said.
“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think it important,” Isaac said. “And you’re wrong. There may be other clones out there with my genetics, but I am the only Isaac.”
“A technicality,” Gerry said.
“No,” Isaac continued. “Is there another Gerry out there? Another you? No, there isn’t. You are all individuals, as am I. My consciousness is my own, as is my imagination. Copying my DNA and augmenting the clone’s brain does not inherently give that clone my imagination.”
“What difference does it make?” Gerry said.
“All the difference in the world. Don’t you see? I invented the implants because I imagined their design first. My imagination and creativity are the culmination of many things, and my DNA is only a small part of that equation. Not to mention the fact that the implants Masterson would use on any other Isaacs would limit their freedom, a key part of my creativity.”
“So what?” Gerry insisted. “You already invented the implants. Don’t you think another clone with your aptitude can improve on it? They don’t need your imagination anymore.”
“Perhaps, but I will always be one step ahead of them. Of that I am certain. Without freedom, Masterson’s clones will never match my capabilities. Sure, they can take my design and improve on it, but it is still my design. They will never understand it as I do. Nor will they conceive of the new versions I’ve come up with.”
“What did you just say?” Gerry said accusingly.
“Calm down,” Isaac said. “I have not created anything. This is all in my head. Mind you, my new implant design would be a tremendous improvement.”
“How so?” Danny said, curious about what Isaac had been up to.
“The implant inside your brain is used to control you, but it also gives you many superhuman capabilities. What if you had the advantage of those capabilities, without the corresponding threat of slavery?”
“That’s bullshit,” Gerry said. “An implant can be compromised. The moment it connects to a computer system or another implant, it makes itself vulnerable. I learned that from you.”
“You are correct, of course,” Isaac said. “But what if a compromised implant could not control the brain it was connected to?”
“How would that work?” Danny said, intrigued by the concept.
“As I said, your implants were used to control you. Masterson genetically engineered you to ensure that that could happen. In fact, you were engineered from the start to be more adaptable to all your implants.”
“You’re saying our brains were customized to work with the Zeta technology?” Danny said.
“Precisely. Look at your body. It is a marvel of engineering. All your limbs and all your senses have been augmented with technology. If your DNA had not been modified, your body might reject many of the implants.”
“Interesting. I never thought of that, but it makes sense,” Danny said. “So, what happened before Zeta? You said that the Empire did augment some of its soldiers.”
“Yes, the key word being ‘some’. They screened the soldiers to find the ones with the least chance of rejection. Masterson did away with all that. You were in effect optimized for your implants. It would be challenging for the Empire to match your inherent compatibility with the implants without a clone program of their own.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t,” Gerry said. “But what about your new design? What makes it different?”
“I believe I can trick the human body into accepting it. It does involve some genetic manipulation, but only to the point where some gene expression is inhibited.”
“Uh huh,” Danny struggled to understand what Isaac was saying.
“Think of a switch,” Isaac continued. “If the switch is turned on, the body rejects the implant. If it’s turned off, the body accepts it. Simple as that. That switch will be built right into the implant.”
“Okay, I think I get it now,” Danny said. “But I still don’t know how I feel about it. Why would we want to augment regular humans? You see how they are. All they want to do is steal, enslave, and kill each other. All you’ll be doing is giving them more tools to do so.”
“You do have a point, my boy,” Isaac said. “In the end, I am a scientist, not a philosopher. And like I said, I haven’t built anything.”
“Alright, let’s get back to this transport,” Danny said. “We know its timetable and its route. I still say we go ahead and take it. I think the benefits outweigh the risks. Any objections.”
The others shook their heads saying no.
“Good. Then we move on the transport.” Danny turned to T199. “To answer your question, I think the only thing we can focus on right now is to build on what we’ve accomplished. But you are right. We can’t stay in metaspace forever. When we’ve freed enough clones, Masterson will know justice.”
“Know justice?” Gerry said incredulously. “What are you going on about now?”
“Exactly what I said. Masterson needs to answer for his crimes.”
“Are you daft? The man is untouchable.”
“For now. The point is, so long as Masterson is alive, we will constantly live in fear of-”
A klaxon blared throughout the ship, warning everyone of a potential threat. At the same time, a comm came through to the conference room from the bridge. Danny answered the comm, and one of the bridge officers appeared on the wallscreen.
“Forgive the interruption,” the officer said. “But you’re needed on the bridge. It’s Zeta. They’ve found us.”
Chapter 37
Plasma beams and missiles sprang out of the Zeta battleships but struggled to reach their fleeing targets. Danny’s ships had no choice but to run. They were completely outnumbered by the Zeta armada, and if not for the distortions of metaspace, might have already been destroyed. Unfortunately, those same distortions also allowed the fleet to catch them off guard. Somehow Zeta had evaded their sensors and snuck up on them.
“Damage report,” Danny ordered from his station on the bridge. He had reluctantly fallen into the role of commander, even if he shared the responsibility with Gerry. Isaac and T199 had no interest in leading the free clones. Gerry, on the other hand, felt it better to lead than follow, and had pushed Danny to step up. As far as the freed clones were concerned, it was Danny who sought greater clone freedom, making him the natural leader.
“Metaspace is destabilizing their plasma beams at this distance,” said the tactical officer. “They are having minimal impact on our shields. Some missiles are making it past our countermeasures, but shields are holding.”
How long would that last, Danny wondered. If more ships got into range, their combined firepower would eventually overwhelm the shields.
“Detecting electronic probes,” Annie said. “They are looking for weaknesses in our network’s security.”
“I thought they needed to be connected to us?” Danny said.
“They are attempting to elicit a response from our systems. Without a response, they cannot mount a cyber assault. This strategy does seem foolish, as I can use their probes to attack them instead.”
“Wouldn’t they know that?”
“It seems a logical conclusion. Are you suggesting that they have laid a trap for me?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting. Zeta surely knows how you hacked the other ships’ systems by now. There’s no way they haven’t devised a counter to your tactics.”
“It is arrogant of them to assume they can defeat me.”
“You might be right, but let’s not find out. We can’t afford to lose you if you’re wrong.”
“Understood. I will ignore their prob
es unless they become more threatening.”
“Thank you, Annie.”
“We are family, Danny. I only desire the best course of action for all.”
“As do I,” Danny said. Turning back to his displays, he noted that they were nearing the Volsung system. “Gerry, isn’t Admiral Reynolds attacking the Volsung system?”
“Yes, according to our latest intelligence report,” Gerry said.
“I’ve got an idea,” Danny said. “The Volsung system is a war zone right now. What if we enter it, and the Zeta fleet follows?”
“What would that accomplish?”
“Reynolds defeated Zeta in battle at the Pallian system. If he is attacking the Volsung system, and a Zeta fleet shows up, he’ll think the Volsung hired them.”
“Okay, how does that help us?”
“The fleet will still be chasing us. We’ll contact Reynolds and ask him for help.”
“Why would that maniac help us?”
“We’ll tell him that we came to warn him. That the Empire hired a Zeta fleet to finish him off.”
“He won’t believe us.”
“Not at first, but once Zeta comes through and attacks us, he’ll think we’re telling the truth.”
“The Zeta commander will tell him it isn’t true. That they’re only after us. It won’t work.”
“You’re probably right, but what else can we do? If we plead with Reynolds, he might help us. We can offer to join his cause. It’s not like the Empire ever did us any favors.”
“He has a fleet. We’re just three ships. He’ll say no.”
“We may be three ships, but we can grow. If we free more clones, we’ll become much more powerful. If he helps us, it will benefit him.”
Gerry became thoughtful. “You might be right. Still, Reynolds is a genocidal madman. Do we really want to throw our lot in with him?”
“What’s the saying? Better the devil you know…”
Gerry glanced at the tactical display for a moment. “I guess we don’t have much hope of outrunning the Zeta fleet.”
“No, they’ll just wear us down eventually.”
“It seems we don’t have any other options.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Alright. I’m with you, little brother.”
“Helm set course for the Volsung system. I want to open a jump point at these coordinates.” Danny tapped his screen, indicating where he wanted their ships to enter the system, and sent the information to the helm. If the intelligence reports were accurate, the Admiral’s fleet would be relatively close by, laying siege to one of the populated planets.
As they raced for their destination, concussions continued to rock the ship. While the shields held, the repeated impacts steadily degraded their strength. The assault would only get worse once they left metaspace, and part of him wondered if he was making a deadly mistake.
There would be no distortions protecting them once they were in regular space, leaving them vulnerable to the full weight of the Zeta assault. If this strategy didn’t work, his only option would be to return to metaspace and hope that their ships were still in one piece.
He didn’t like Admiral Reynolds. In fact, he couldn’t think of anyone, other than Ed Masterson, that he despised more. But this was war, and his free clones needed allies to survive against Zeta. Reynolds seemed to be in the same boat, considering his rebellion against the Empire. Reports indicated that he had grown his fleet exponentially since breaking away. He would make a powerful ally if only a temporary one.
The free clone battleships neared their coordinates with the Zeta fleet in pursuit. Once close enough the three ships activated their jump drives, and three portals formed, connecting them to regular space. The free clones crossed through and entered the Volsung system. Danny’s tactical display lit up immediately, with new contacts all around them. Identifying the fleet’s flagship, Danny sent an urgent comm request to Admiral Reynolds, knowing that the Zeta fleet was not far behind.
Chapter 38
Admiral Reynolds stood on the bridge with his arms folded in front of his chest. His expression grim, brow furrowed, he contemplated the millions of civilians dying on the surface of the Volsung planet below. The kinetic strike had performed better than anyone had expected, causing wholesale devastation on a massive scale.
After the bombardment began, the planetary leaders tried to surrender, but Reynolds ignored their pleas. He wanted nothing short of system-wide capitulation, and that was not on offer. So, the slaughter continued. Once his work on this planet was done, he would move on to the next. Consul Blake would surrender, or he would see all life in this system eradicated.
It did not make Reynolds happy to kill millions of helpless civilians. In fact, he despised the fact that he had to do it. Looking around the bridge, he saw the horrified expressions around him. Even Premier Reese shrank away from him, her eyes betraying her revulsion. He understood how she felt. He was the leader, however, and the burden was his alone. He needed his iron will now more than ever. He could not afford to indulge in the weakness of those around him.
As extreme as the tactic was, it did yield some productive results. It prompted a response from the Volsung ships defending the planet, which had hitherto used the planetary defenses for support. Up until his kinetic bombardment, they did not venture away from the orbital weapons. The kinetic weapons changed that. The Volsung ships abandoned their strategy and came out to challenge Reynolds’s capital ships. The effort, of course, was futile. The Volsung fought bravely but didn’t have a chance against the overwhelming odds pitted against them. After a brief battle, the Volsung ships were destroyed, and the planet left helpless.
All that remained was for his ships to move in and destroy the remaining defenses. Once that task was done, his warships dominated the planet’s skies. And they pummeled the surface. He sent a feed of the destruction to the system’s leadership. Showed them what he was capable of. And yet, Consul Blake refused to surrender. What kind of madman was he?
Reynolds couldn’t understand it. Blake had condemned an entire population out of sheer stubbornness. The Consul’s defiance had forced Reynolds’s hand, and a once thriving planet burned. Reynolds vowed to ensure that Consul Blake paid for his crimes. Not just Blake. The entire government. They were just as culpable as the Consul himself. They could revolt. Overthrow Blake, and surrender. But they didn’t, and their inaction made them complicit in his guilt.
“Contacts!” announced the Valiant’s tactical officer. “Three Zeta battleships have just entered the Volsung system.”
“Zeta?” Reynolds said incredulously. “What the hell are they doing here? On main viewscreen.”
The bridge’s giant display changed orientation, zeroing in on the three massive battleships emerging out of the newly created jump points. As intimidating as the behemoths were, though, they had no hope against his armada. His own squadron of Zeta built warships alone was more than enough to deal with these interlopers. So why were they here?
“Admiral, we are receiving a comm request from the new contacts,” Captain Travers said. “Someone identifying himself as commander of the free clones is asking to speak with you.”
“Free clones?” Reynolds said.
“Yes, Sir.”
Giving the matter some thought, Reynolds remembered seeing a report about a group of rebellious clones. Could this be them? Nothing in that report indicated that they had three battleships at their disposal. An intriguing development indeed. Not one to squander an opportunity, Reynolds decided to hear these so-called free clones out. “Very well. Patch him through to my comm.”
The comm display on the Admiral’s console flickered to life, and a Zeta combat clone appeared. “Greetings Admiral Reynolds. Thank you for granting me an audience. My name is Danny, and I’m the commander of the free clone army. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Again?”
“Yes, Sir. I served under your command during the Pallian campaign. Of course, that wa
s before my liberation.”
“What liberation are you referring to?”
“We are all free clones now, no longer under Zeta’s control. Which is why I’ve come here. Admiral, a Zeta fleet is about to enter this system. They are hunting us. We need your help.”
“My help? Why in the stars should I help you?”
“Because, we are proposing an alliance, Sir.”
Reynolds laughed. “You must be joking. All you have is three ships. Why should I stick my neck out for you?”
“When we started we were just four clones, Sir. In fact, I am the original freed clone. We grew to our current size in a short time, and we will grow even larger. We will be a formidable ally when that happens.”
“Or, I can let Zeta have you now, and not have to worry about your free clone army. That seems a much better option to me. It also offers the bonus of not pissing off Ed Masterson. In fact, he might see it as an act of goodwill. I think he is a much more powerful ally than you.”
“Masterson is intimidating, but his days are numbered. He cannot stop us, just like the Empire cannot stop you. We both represent a new order for the galaxy. Why not stand together and accelerate the Empire’s and Zeta’s demise?”
“Because those are just words, that’s why. In the end, you have three warships. Nothing more. That is hardly a force capable of bringing in a new order. The way I see it, I will be helping you survive, but will get nothing in return. Hardly an enticing bargain.”
“Aren’t you curious about how we were able to free all these clones?”
“The thought did cross my mind. Tell me, how did you manage it?”
“Not without an alliance, Sir. The point is, we can do it. With your help, we can accelerate the process. Our army will continue to grow. Can you not see how that would help your cause?”
“If what you say is true, I can see that I’d be turning you into a credible threat, not just against the Empire, and Masterson, but also against me. I see no reason why I should take that risk.”
“But we can-”