by Jake Bible
"What I meant," Roak said, "was it was stupid to create someone like me. Making me the ultimate survivor just brought on the inevitable. I broke free."
"And killed Father," Reck said. "Or tried to."
"I killed something we thought was Father," Roak said. "It was probably some poor sucker that he'd taken over."
"That is exactly what he did," Pol said. "Once that body died, it set him free to try with other beings. In a way, Roak, you made Father considerably more powerful by killing him in the controlled body."
"Good job," Reck snarled.
"Bite me," Roak said, but held up a hand. "Don't."
"You're not worth the effort," Reck said.
Pol grinned as he looked back and forth between the two.
Reck and Roak waited for him to stop grinning, but the smile only widened.
"What?" Roak snapped. "Spit it the fuck out!"
"Neither of you are getting what this means," Pol stated. The grin faded. "I would think it would be obvious."
"Nope," Roak said. "I'm a little dinged up right now to grasp the obvious."
"And I'm just pissed off," Reck said.
"What, Pol?" Roak asked.
"You are clones," Pol said.
"Yep. You've said that," Roak said. "Several times."
"Which means you can be recreated," Pol said. "New bodies."
Roak and Reck exchanged a puzzled and suspicious look.
"Why would we want to do that?" Reck asked.
"So you can heal!" Pol exclaimed. "I have been basically connecting all the dots for you. How can you not see the significance of this?"
"Yeah, um, not going through puberty again," Reck said.
"Did we go through puberty?" Roak asked.
"I assume we did," Reck said. "We were kids at some point and then we became adults. Puberty is in the middle there somewhere."
"You can be cloned as fully grown adults," Pol said, exasperated.
"But would we be us?" Roak asked. "I don't want to be just a different version of me, but exactly me."
"You mean psychologically?" Pol asked.
"I mean everything," Roak said.
Pol pointed at his own body. "Other than your new physical body, yes, you would be everything that makes you…you."
"Not a bad deal," Reck said. "How soon can we do this?"
"Right… That is the issue," Pol said. "I had this body made for me and waiting. Waiting for decades. The being I enlisted to create the tech needed is no longer alive."
"So? Recreate the tech," Reck said. "Or give me the schematics and I'll do it."
"I do not have the schematics," Pol said. "I have none of the data that went into creating this body. It was all lost after I created my first body."
Roak struggled up onto his elbows. He took several shallow breaths, closed his eyes against the excruciating pain that radiated through his ribs, then opened his eyes and focused on Pol.
"You're not from here either, are you?" Roak asked.
"Say what now?" Reck exclaimed.
"Same universe as us and Father?" Roak asked Pol.
Pol fidgeted. Roak glared.
"We can wait all day if you-"
"No, no… I'm from a different universe," Pol said. "I knew of your universe and was doing everything possible to reach it. I even infiltrated a consciousness in a similar manner as Father has. But we worked synergistically, not parasitically. When I transferred over there was energetic back flow which killed my partner. I survived in my new body and had a backup body when needed. But it took me decades upon decades to recreate the mind transference technology. So much was lost in that initial crossing over. So much…"
Pol trailed off and stared at the med bay wall. Roak and Reck shared a look and both rolled their eyes.
"You need to go have a good cry?" Reck asked Pol.
"What? No. And that is rude," Pol said. "Where I originally come from, we-"
"Don't care," Roak said. "So, you can transfer our minds into the new clone bodies?"
"Oh, yes, that is easy now," Pol said. "Well, perhaps easy is not the correct word…"
"Nothing ever is," Roak said.
"You don't know how to create the clone bodies," Reck said.
"No, unfortunately," Pol said. "My facility has technology and resources that rival both the GF and the Skrang. All those trillions of credits came in handy. But cloning has never been a success I can brag about."
The med bay's temperature dropped about ten degrees as Roak and Reck's demeanors took on an icy coldness.
"Ah…yes…well," Pol said. "I have neglected to mention the facility I built. Please know that I have intended to share that information with you, but with our many crises it slipped my mind."
"Oh, I doubt that," Reck said.
"We'll get to that facility later," Roak said.
"We will?" Reck asked. "Because I'm thinking now is a better time."
"Later," Roak said and fixed his gaze on Reck.
She frowned as they locked eyes then she shrugged and nodded.
"Whatever," Reck said.
"You need a facility that can create clones," Roak stated. He smiled. "That's not a problem."
"What?" Reck asked.
"How so?" Pol asked. "Cloning has never been a process that science has mastered. The failures far outweigh the successes. And all of those that have been successful are now under Father's control."
"You're wrong on the first point and might be wrong on the second," Roak said.
"Again, how so?" Pol asked.
"Yeah, Roak, how so?" Reck echoed, but with a good amount more venom in her voice.
"The beings may be controlled, yeah," Roak said, "but not the facility. We get rid of the beings and we use the facility. No problem."
"He'll be waiting," Reck said.
"I don't think so," Roak said. "He'll know once we're there, and the clock will be ticking, but I don't think he's expecting this. And he may not have been able to take them over at all. They do have excellent security in place."
"What in all the Hells are you talking…?" Reck paused. Her face scrunched up and she looked like she was going to punch either Roak or Pol. "The House of Teeth."
"Oh dear," Pol said. "No, no, no. That is not a good idea."
"Gonna agree with Pol," Reck said. "There's something wrong with that place."
"No shit," Roak said. "The Klav that run that facility aren't exactly mentally stable. That seems to be the fad these days, so who fucking cares?"
"Unstable Klav, especially the ones that run the House of Teeth, are not something to sneer at, Roak," Pol said. "If I had wanted their help, I could have gone to them many decades ago. But I chose not to. I'm telling you it is not a good option."
"But it is an option," Roak said. "You two are being paranoid. I've dealt with them before. I know how to make it work."
"Except," Reck said, the venom in her voice increasing exponentially with each word, "you won't be the one going in there. I will."
"Like all the Hells you will," Roak said. He pushed up a little more on his elbows and his eyes widened.
"How'd that feel?" Reck asked, the venom changing to cruel amusement.
Roak just breathed slowly. Very slowly.
"You want to scream so much right now," Reck said.
"I'm…fine," Roak responded. He choked back a gasp. "I can…handle…the job."
"Not well, you can't," Reck said and sighed. She stepped to an interface and swiped a holo into the air. "Cortch System." A star system filled the hollow. Reck zoomed in. "The House of Teeth is in this cluster of asteroids." Reck studied the asteroids for a minute. "I don't think Father has gotten to them."
"Oh? Why is that?" Pol asked and moved closer to the holo. He pointed at a specific asteroid. "That is the House of Teeth there. It is not exactly hidden."
"Except this holo is dated eight weeks ago," Reck said. She swiped up and the holo's data began to stream across the image. "See? This isn't even close to recent."
"I had a feeling they'd lockdown," Roak said. "They're blocking all scans into the system. They may be able to block Father too."
"If they are so capable then how did you manage to infiltrate their facility?" Pol asked. "The House of Teeth's mainframe has been one of the few closed systems that I could never break into. A peek here or there, but nothing significant."
"I didn't break into their mainframe," Roak said. "I broke into the facility and made them give me what I wanted."
"Jonny Nebula," Reck said. "That was when I thought Father was still…"
"Yes?" Pol asked.
"Nothing," Reck said. "Old history. Different universe now."
"No shit," Roak said. "Hessa?"
"Yes, Roak?" Hessa replied.
"Have you been listening?"
"Of course, Roak. Don't ask stupid questions."
"Then here's a smart one. How much of the House of Teeth did you map while I was in there?"
"All of it. It was neither easy nor safe. Their security is some of the best in the galaxy."
"Can we get in there again?"
"He means, can I get in there?" Reck asked.
"No way to know until we get there," Hessa said. "Are we going there?"
"Pol?" Roak asked. "Are we going there?"
"I would prefer not to," Pol said. He sighed deeply. "It is against my best judgement. But Father has not left us with much of a choice."
"He never does," Reck said.
"Make the call, Pol," Roak said. "If Reck can get you access to their system, can you steal the tech needed to make our clones?"
"I should be able to…" Pol said.
"What's with the hesitation?" Reck asked. She moved on Pol, causing the old tech in the young body to stumble back a few steps before he caught himself against an empty med pod. "Huh, Pol? You brought up cloning even though you knew you didn't have what is needed to make the clones. What are you up to?"
"I…I'm not up to anything," Pol stammered.
"Well, he's lying," Hessa said. "But I doubt either of you need his vitals to know that."
"Nope," Roak said. "It's fairly obvious."
"Did you have a different plan in mind, Pol?" Reck asked. She pressed up against the man, forcing him to bend over backwards against the med pod. "Where would you rather we go, Pol? The GF? Is there a facility they have that can clone beings?"
"Not that I am aware of," Pol said. "It's just…"
"This should be good," Roak said.
"Can't wait to hear this," Hessa said.
"It's just…" Pol repeated.
"Just…what?" Reck asked.
"There may be a blood vendetta on me by the Klav," Pol said. "I had hoped to avoid being in close proximity to any Klavian facility."
"Especially one run by less than stable Klav," Roak said. "What's the blood vendetta?"
"Better to tell us now," Reck said.
"Much better," Hessa added.
"My partner," Pol began, "the one that died… She was Klav. And from a prominent family. A very prominent family. They blame me for her death."
"There it is," Roak said. "How'd you think you'd make the clones if you couldn't use the House of Teeth?"
"There is a GF facility that may have the technology needed," Pol said. "I was going to steer you there so we could steal it."
"But you forgot Roak had a job that took him to the House of Teeth," Hessa said.
"Oh, no, I didn't forget," Pol said. "I simply hoped Roak had forgotten."
"I'd love to forget all kinds of terpigshit," Roak said, "but so far that hasn't happened."
Roak studied the man then nodded and painfully eased back down onto his back.
"Let him be, Reck," Roak said.
"You know he's still not telling us everything, right?" Reck said.
"Yep," Roak said. "Nothing new there."
"So we trust him?" Hessa asked.
"Fuck no," Roak said and grunted as he shifted positions. "Hear that, Pol? We don't trust you. Not with this."
"Then we try the GF facility?" Pol asked as Reck backed off and gave the dark tech some space. "We aren't going to the House of Teeth?"
"Oh, we're going to the House of Teeth," Roak said.
"We are already there," Hessa said. "We arrived in the Cortch System two minutes ago. We're in full stealth mode and should be undetectable. I have also increased our shielding due to the radiation that permeates this system. But increased shielding does not mean we are impervious to harm. We are now on the clock."
"Great," Reck said. "I love being on the clock. Come on, Pol."
"What?" Pol exclaimed. "Come on where?"
"You're going with Reck into the House of Teeth," Roak said. "Did you think you were going to stay here and talk her through it all?"
Roak and Reck laughed. Then Roak started coughing and groaning and finally swearing.
"Yeah, I could really use a new body," Roak said.
"I do not believe-" Pol began, but was cut off as Reck grabbed him by the back of the neck and steered him out of the med bay.
"What do you think he's up to?" Hessa asked once they were gone.
"Not sure yet," Roak said. "But that was total terpigshit about the GF facility. I believe the Klav blood vendetta. Makes sense. Except…"
"Except it feels like he wanted us to go to the House of Teeth from the beginning," Hessa said.
"Yeah. It does," Roak said. He closed his eyes. "Wake me when they're ready to infiltrate the House of Teeth."
"I will," Hessa said and the lights in the med bay dimmed to almost nothing. "Rest up."
6.
The holo projection was realistic enough that it looked like Pol and Reck were standing right there in the med bay. If it wasn't for the backgrounds not meshing together, Roak would have had no idea he was looking at a holo image.
"You're certainly armed," Roak said, amused.
"Not as much as I'd like to be," Reck replied.
"I am not armed," Pol said. "Should I be armed?"
"No," Reck and Roak said in unison.
"Moltransing directly into the facility is impossible," Hessa said. "They have the asteroid fully shielded against the radiation of the system's two stars. Readings show that the shielding has been increased to ten times its original power. At least, ten times more than when we were last here. And that is all the intel I can gleam. If Father can get through that shielding then we need to rethink our approach to this entire situation. He is more powerful than we can handle."
"He can't get through," Roak said, "or the place would be destroyed. Father knows how to make clones. He doesn't need the House of Teeth."
"Again, perhaps arming me would be a good-"
"No!" Reck, Roak, and Hessa shouted at Pol.
"Very well then," Pol grumbled.
"Roak?" Hessa called. "Pol's vital signs are spiking dangerously. I believe he is about to have a panic attack."
"Seriously?" Roak sighed. "Hey, Pol? What's going on?"
"I am entering a very dangerous facility while unarmed," Pol said. "It is rather nerve wracking."
"Nope, not buying it," Roak said. He brought up a holo of Pol's vital signs and whistled low. "You are about two heartbeats away from hyperventilating. Why?"
"Just a bit nervous," Pol replied.
"That was one of your worst lies," Reck said. She turned to face the dark tech head on. "What is going on?"
"Is this a trap?" Roak asked. "Are you setting us up and getting cold feet?"
"What? No!" Pol exclaimed. "I am loyal one hundred percent."
"He's not totally lying," Hessa said to Roak. "But he is still terrified."
"Pol! What are you hiding?" Roak snapped.
"I don't know!" Pol responded, panic evident in his voice.
"How do you not know what you're hiding?" Reck asked.
"What? That's not what I meant," Pol said and sighed. "I don't know what is waiting for us in there."
"None of us do," Reck said.
"No, he m
eans he knows something is in there, but he doesn't know what," Roak said. He scratched his chin. "You lied about not getting in. You cracked their security before I even brought up the House of Teeth, didn't you?"
"Not really," Pol said. "I was able to piggyback in through a couple of different benign systems, but I didn't get very far before I was kicked out."
"What did you see before they kicked you out, Pol?" Roak asked.
"I don't know," Pol said. "I honestly don't. But it wasn't…pleasant. There were hints that they have a new security system in place. Except I couldn't find any evidence of any new technology."
"Maybe you weren't in there long enough," Hessa said.
"That's not it," Roak said. He took a deep breath, regretted it, and slowly let it out. "I've gotten good at interpreting your terpigshit, Pol. You said you didn't find new technology. How about new biology? Did you find that?"
Pol swallowed hard and shrugged.
"Eight Million Gods dammit," Reck said. "They grew something, didn't they?"
"I believe so," Pol said, "yes."
"But you don't know what," Roak stated. "And you were going to let Reck go in there without telling her?"
"I am telling all of you now," Pol said.
"Because you have to," Roak said. "Last chance to be honest, Pol. What is in there?"
"I don't know," Pol said.
"What do you think is in there?" Roak pressed.
"It… The Klav were afraid of it," Pol said. "I saw some internal communications where they argued against the merits of the project. I could not get specifics, but the Klav were at odds with each other on whether or not it was worth the risk. Unpredictable was one word used."
"And what was another word used?" Roak asked.
"Two words," Pol said and swallowed hard. "Unrelentingly violent."
"Fucking lovely," Reck said.
"I should go with you," Roak said.
"No," Poq said from the med bay doors. "Hessa has already alerted me to the danger potential. You are not physically capable of handling any sort of violence, Roak. I, on the other hand, am a synthetic being and more than capable of handling whatever the Klav have created. I will go with."
"Gotta say I'm not heartbroken over the idea of having Poq covering my back," Reck said. "But you still have work to do on the-"