“Yes, Reverend, I still prefer the company of women in my recreation time.”
“There are so very many things this can be and as well so many things it should not be,” said the Reverend. “There is great potential to welcome a new soul into this congregation. Even if she’s a ninety-day wonder.”
“Then you have seen these creatures before? In your congregation?”
“Yes. We live with three created souls in our flock. Judy, Darla, and Karma. Good Christian women, mothers and active members of our group.”
“Do they look Asian?” Lawrence asked.
“No, not at all, my son. The only part that is Asian is the genetic data recorded in the shell of the egg itself. They extract an ovarian human egg from a donor mother, then they denucleate it. All of the inside genetic material is removed. Perhaps ten percent of genetic data comes in through the egg’s shell. Our sister Karma has blond hair, blue eyes, and a permanent suntan. Judy has jet-black oriental hair and the brightest blue eyes you ever saw. Darla is the essence of Iowa. The ninety-day wonder part comes in that the total gestation period from one cell to a nineteen-year-old female human all comes to fruition in ninety days. They go from zero to voting age in three short months. They get teaching implant data so they don’t spend two years in diapers like ordinary children. They are novices. They have implanted knowledge but no experience using it. That’s why it’s called sponsorship. You raise your clone. You teach her. You help her. You can be charged with a crime if you don’t pay attention to her needs. Expect to spend the first three months in close contact. You may want to take a leave of absence from work so you can be with this new sister.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, Reverend. I will be back for more talking soon. I am on my way to the Lotus Flower Office right now.”
“You’re a good man, Lawrence. You can make something like this work well.” He paused a moment and spoke. “I once delivered an Easter sermon on how God changed the lives of the women in Christ’s life. Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James, and Salome came to the tomb and the stone was moved out of the doorway. They had brought spices to anoint the Lord Jesus and God had other plans for them. Perhaps the Lord has plans for you, Lawrence.”
“I’ll be back when this is all over. Then we can figure out whether we are blessed or cursed.”
* * *
Lawrence walked into the high-rise office building and noted the directory table. White letters arranged in alphabetical order told of the contents of the building. Lotus Flower was the office he was looking for. ‘Legendary Cruises’ was followed by ‘Lotus Flower.’ Suite 403, it said.
Lawrence walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. After a moment of transit and stops, he walked out of the metal box and onto the fourth floor. 410 to 420 went to the left. 400 to 409 went to the right. He followed the suite numbers to 403 on the right. He turned the knob and was greeted by a statuesque blonde woman receptionist. “Would you be Mister Davies?” she asked.
“Yes, Lawrence Davies,” he replied.
“This catalogue is yours.” She handed him what appeared to be an ultra slim laptop computer. Each side was a quarter of an inch thick with a hinge on one side. “It’s interactive, just fill out your preferences in the questionnaire section. It’s electronically sorted data. A paper catalogue would weigh ten pounds. If you can remember page one-one-seventy-four, you’ll find me. I was created six years ago. I am so popular over sixty copies of me have been made. Not all exactly the same but I do have my fans. I am Shawna. Your counselor will be with you shortly.”
Lawrence sat in a plush chair and opened his catalogue. It was filled with people. Men, women, teenaged boys and girls, all seemingly available. All races, all hair and skin colors.
“Mister Davies,” said the tallish white man in the charcoal-gray suit. “Come back to my office and we can talk about this.”
Lawrence followed the man down the hall to his office and within were three chairs, a desk, a window, and a view screen on the desk.
“Jack Havens is the name, I work for Lotus Flower on credits and payments. I assume you are aware that we don’t do this for free. Purchasing a perfect companion is a big step, like a home mortgage.”
“I pull in about eighty thousand credits a year as a legal researcher for the university.”
“Well, then I think I see that you should take this as seriously as your job. You can be charged with a neglect or abuse charge. These people may be created but they are still human. Take some time and look through the catalogue and fill out your questionnaire thoroughly. The onboard computer built into the catalogue will guide you to the sample DNA bullets that we have on file here at Lotus. We do require a nonrefundable ten-thousand-credit creation fee and then a sliding fee scale by age and success of the relationship. Your satisfaction is guaranteed, in writing and according to law.”
“But I thought the cost was about two hundred thousand credits. This looks more like a mere fifty thousand credits,” said Lawrence.
Havens replied, “There have been some changes in how we do things here. Some cost savings. Lowering of our laboratory overhead, etcetera. We also have a new European egg purchase program for an additional six thousand credits.”
“I like some of the Asian traits. Still, I will look it over,” said Lawrence.
“When you are check in hand and set to go, we begin the ninety-day clock. In three months you have a nineteen-year-old person of your choice in language and customs memory implants and capable of holding down a self-supporting job. Your personal data goes into that memory implanting. They come out with a predisposition toward you in particular,” said Havens.
“That’s impressive,” said Lawrence. “I’d like to see the contract. I’ll give it a look and if it checks out, I’ll be back with a check.”
* * *
Lawrence, Kermit, and Eddie pored through the book, looking at all the potential selections. Kermit was partial toward Polynesian women while Eddie liked the statuesque blondes.
Lawrence settled on a small group of Icelandic pixies. He also found an additional fee option of “maximized autonomy/leadership.” That sounded good.
Finally he made his mind up on the blue-eyed, almost black-haired brunette Icelander. He opened the contract with his thumb in the fingerprint scanner. He ordered the pixie named ‘Marie Celeste 112.’ He paid his ten-thousand-credit fee with his credit signature on the catalog’s script pad.
Then something happened that he didn’t expect. The catalog didn’t register the payment. He looked at the screen and all it said was “Please contact Jack Havens for a personal conference.”
He wondered if his request was being taken seriously. Kermit and Eddie said it looked like trouble. Lawrence left them and caught a cab uptown to the high-rise office building of Lotus Flower Offices. After paying the cabbie, catalog clutched in his arm, he entered the building and quickly went through the lobby, the elevators, and up to the Lotus Flower suite.
Suite 403 was just ahead. He paused a moment and composed himself. He leaned forward, opened the door, and saw Jack Havens and the receptionist looking at a catalog just like his, or so it seemed. “Mister Davies, how good of you to come so soon. Can you come with me into my office? I have some good news for you.”
Lawrence didn’t believe him. How could getting his fee rejected be good? He followed Jack into a hall and into an office. Lawrence sat in a green upholstered chair and Jack took the place behind the desk.
“What’s this about? Why was my payment judged unacceptable?”
“You just won a betrothal lottery. All your expenses have been paid in advance. It’s what we in the business call a ‘dowry.’ The original tissue donor put specific requirements on the use of her ‘pound of flesh,’ as we call it. You went for the leadership option on Marie Celeste 112. That combination guarantees you and your recipient of sponsorship a fortune valued at about twenty-seven million credits. There are taxes, of course, and insurance policies and
such. You’re a very lucky man. Just sign the papers and you and your companion can start living a very luxurious special life together.” Lawrence inked the contracts and watched his credit card upload a credit limit of a million credits. After Jack congratulated him, he took a deep breath and said, “I think I’d like to get some fresh air.” He strolled out of the suite, the elevators, and finally out onto the street.
He walked past an automobile dealership. Turbine cars powered by propane went really fast. He walked into the dealership and asked about a smaller four-door model set up as a touring sports car. Four hundred horsepower and all-wheel drive. Automatic pilot and computer-linked communication. He could take the office with him. At last now he could afford to park, drive, and fuel up such a monster.
He bought it and drove home.
Unknown to him, the receptionist at Lotus Flower picked up the phone and dialed in a number. A woman answered, “Yes, Mary speaking.”
“We’ve got a piñata,” said the statuesque blonde receptionist.
* * *
Mary Case looked over the boardroom table at Tracy and Faye. Joyce joined the three and Carmen came in late for a total of five.
“We may be able to put a stay on this Davies fellow from being able to spend any more of the target assets. He bought a car for the first time in ten years. He has a very mundane lifestyle. Our petition for a carnival coming-out party will go into court tomorrow. Our status as a charity will stop any probes into our finances until tax time, and we should have this young created personality fleeced and trimmed back down to what her real station in life is.”
Mary was the chairman. She said, “This urchin is to be welcomed until she is lightened of her burden. Remember that two percent of the earth’s population owns ninety percent of the world’s property. The C.O. has asked the Off Our Backs Women’s Consortium to spearhead this piñata. It is being processed by the Lotus Flower corporation so we can put an injunction on the sponsor getting into the clone. If we can get her into command of her dowry trust, then merely getting her to tithe one percent grants us one million, two hundred seventy thousand credits. The longer we have to stall, then the longer we have to teach this ‘ninety-day wonder.’ ”
Faye spoke while Joyce and Carmen took notes. “Society can break this piñata on the party-girl circuit. If they can get her to buy the next round of drinks, then it’s a rip-snorting good time. When the piñata explodes, then all the spectators get the candy.”
Tracey took her cue and continued the briefing. “This is one huge piñata.”
“Ordinarily we would argue against the flesh trade totally as racist and sexist, but right now we need that clone in our bullpen batting for our team.”
Mary summed up. “We need that little queen to dine at and pay for the circus and its carnival. En-CARN-ay. The carnivores party where we rejoice in spilled blood and the bond only women can know.
“See if we can get an article in American Lesbian about the flesh trade: ‘The Chains of Biology’ or something on that line,” Mary said, then faced the others and said, “If we can win her over with a carnival and get a power of attorney from her, then we might have a chance. If she chooses the fun of a carnival over the droll companionship of one man, then we could get the next revolution’s payroll.”
* * *
Jack Havens looked at Lawrence and said, “In two months we will begin our merger process. You will be in direct communication with our Marie Celeste 112. That means your brain will be registered on magnetic induction. So will hers. Then you two can have a chat about this all. For right now you both are under the Lotus Flower legal team. The legal contract was very seriously written for MC 112. We have had a look at the legal initiative put forward by our competition and it is common. There is nothing new there. They say she is a virgin and can’t be trusted to make her own decisions,” said Jack.
“But what about her memory implants? You told me she has the memories of over fifteen women to consult,” said Lawrence.
“She does and that’s in her favor. These are just court documents and thusly are a collection of every crackpot idea that ever came down the pike hunting for a free ride. They say she’s a virgin, they say she rates a debutante’s ball and/or carnival of earthly delights. They say she has a station in life that you don’t equal or complement. They say they have rights to do this because she can’t learn about women’s revolution under your wing. Fact is this whole revolution is coming from a communist outfit calling itself the ‘C.O.’ or ‘Communist Organization,’ they’re Maoists. Last of all they have a religious clause to their organization’s by-laws so it’s nearly impossible to shut them down. They call girls like Marie by the name of Piñata. That means that with a little motivation, they can explode with little bits of candy for all the spectators to grab at.
“The party people get a good feeding at the trough, and the real professionals steal everything they can get their hands on. So far things are secure. We had one of their people here on staff. There have been some changes. Our receptionist is seeking alternate employment,” said Jack.
“So I just cool my heels for two months, then we do this mind-connect thing, then another month and she comes out of fetal position and begins to use her muscles for the first time in her life, right?”
“That’s the plan. Don’t get kidnapped. The C.O. plays rough. We have set up alternate housing for you downtown. Your security team can be reached anytime by clicking this GPS cricket.” Jack handed Lawrence a small square of plastic. It looked like a key ring.
Lawrence held it in his hand.
* * *
For two months Lawrence did cool his heels. He stayed in an apartment in a high-rise tower and ate well from the room service that was provided. He contemplated talking to Marie Celeste 112 over and over again and always he came to the same point. He couldn’t guess at what her reaction would be.
He visited museums, ate in restaurants, all with at least two bodyguards with him.
He worked out in a gym, watched his ex-employer, his ex-coworkers, and spent his time wasting time.
Time moved slowly, but it moved. After 60 days had gone by, he was finally ready to link minds with a 60-day-old person, physically a teenager, mentally 15 persons all crowding for a chance to take control. One real mind going through the awkwardness of teenage years.
Lawrence rode in a driven car to the Lotus Flower lab. There he was led to a room with what looked like a dentist’s chair and a pilot’s flight helmet. Jack Havens was there.
“So how’s that thing work, Jack?”
“It’s targeted magnetic induction that taps your brain’s electronic impulses and we patch her to you and you to her. It’s sudden. In a moment you two will be so thoroughly intertwined that you might get a little compressed. You won’t have the same breathing room you had as individuals,” said Jack. “Do you feel ready to link?”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Lawrence sat in the chair as two technicians strapped on the helmet and restraints on his arms and legs. He waited a moment. “Go ahead and hook us up.”
Jack watched the doctors and techs, waiting for their approval. Only after it was a consensus did he say, “Go ahead.”
The doctor said, “On my mark. Five, four, three, two, one.”
Lawrence was instantly inside the mind of a 15-year-old child bride. In a moment he absorbed the feelings, the faintest and slightest insecurities of teen life as a girl. There were physical worries. How do I look? Am I fat? What’s my grade point average going to be this quarter? How’s my mom and dad? All these questions flooded his mind.
No, you’re fine. No, I like you as you are. Nope, no need for a nose job just yet. No, you look too skinny if anything. Don’t worry about it for another month. Bees make honey, we got money, tell me what is sanity.
Lawrence endured through a multitude of 9th grade humor. Clearly she was enthused to speak, to communicate. “I was worried about you but you seem to be fine. Are you sure you’re okay in there
?”
She spoke to him. “Let me be serious for a moment. You are my sponsor. You’re the human who picked out my DNA out of a catalog and ponied up ten grand to grow me.” She continued, “My implants are not virgins or unwise. I am not so simple or cloistered. My implants have lived good, fully experienced, rich lives. I think I am prepared for it. As long as we have fun, I think it will work out just fine.
“I am fond of you, Lawrence. We could be lovers or best friends or just get along. I think it will be a great adventure. You don’t own me, though. That slightly barbaric tradition is not going to be part of the deal.”
Lawrence said, “Perhaps we can unleash a sense of humor on the world. I like the ‘as long as it’s fun’ part. I am here because at sweet sixteen, you fall in love hard. First love.”
She said, “The C.O. can’t come between us for the moment. We are friends. Even if I am a piñata.”
“You’ll be nineteen years big when you get out.”
“How old are you, Lawrence?”
“I’m just twenty-nine,” he replied. “You are, at this point, a screwball kid. We have a large bank account left you and me by your tissue donor. Got any ideas on how you want to use it?”
“Go skiing. Save the third world. Make love and make babies. Can I do that in a month?” she said.
“I recommend you have some fun and get acquainted with the folks out here. Mostly I want you to know I brought you into the world to both cure my loneliness and for the fun of making some art. You’re a big piece of self-animated sculpture.”
“Are we in the clear yet?” she said.
“For the most part, yeah,” he replied. “We’ll get through this, no problem.”
* * *
Courtroom Stage I. The Honorable Marilyn F. Hobart presiding.
“May it please the court,” Mary Case said. “We have put forward this injunction on behalf of Marie Celeste 112, or rather, Jane Doe.”
The judge put on her glasses and was handed the file papers on the case. Her slender fingers leafed through the stack.
“We believe this is a Fourteenth Amendment case. A select group has been created without rights given to it. This cloned person needs to be in the company and culture of women at some time in the near future. We can only imagine what the intent was when this Davies fellow paid in fifty thousand credits to buy an underprivileged girl to maul to his own desires. This is not the way to raise or bring into the world a human who is heir to one hundred twenty-seven million credits. She should be with her peers and this dowry should be given back to her, as she is the reason for its existence.”
Surrender Aurora Page 18