by MJ Blehart
The trio climbed back into the hovercar and departed before Yael took off and returned to the Daedalus.
As they started to drive out of town again, Jace asked, “What do you have in mind for me?”
Onima told Jace how she intended to have him join her and Kara to get into the warehouse. He didn’t relish getting near someplace the virus might be, but he also was too invested in the investigation not to want to participate.
After she explained her plan, Kara said, “That’s going to involve a lot of moving pieces. Things might get a bit crazy.”
“Agreed,” Onima said. “But then, how much crazier can this situation get in the first place?”
They said very little during the rest of the drive. The sun was beginning to set as they drove back into Pao-hui-burg.
Once more, a group of clones met them. Onima immediately recognized Frank and Charlie.
“You haven’t somewhere better to be than here?” chided Frank as the trio climbed out of the hovercar.
Onima grinned. “And miss your hospitality? Not at all.”
“What brings you back here, Marshal Gwok?” said Charlie.
“Can we go in and talk?” Onima asked.
Once more, they followed the clones into the meeting space. There were the same number as before seated with them, but a greater number milling about. There were a lot more clones present than there had been earlier in the day. Onima surmised that many who may have been working in a city had returned.
“We are going to pay a visit to the warehouse tomorrow,” Onima informed them without preamble.
“Are you looking for those who were last taken?” asked another Rojas clone Onima had not learned the name of.
“Partially,” Onima admitted. “But we have a different mission.”
“Then why did you return here?” asked a Zang clone.
Jace spoke. “We were just getting to that. Are there restrictions for how many clones can travel on the monorails?”
“No,” Charlie replied.
“Good,” Jace said. “Because we need as many of you as are willing to help us.”
“Help you?” asked a clone Onima could not identify. “You’re with them and need help, Rojas?”
“Yes,” Jace said and held up a hand to stop further argument. “But this is more about you than us. We understand that many of you have been taken, and we know where. We suspect we know why. What we want to do is help you get your people back.”
“The CBI wants to help clones?” asked Charlie.
Onima sighed, “Officially, the CBI isn’t a part of this. Rather, I have been given a fairly broad mandate to do as I need to in my investigation. It just so happens that I feel that the clones who have been abducted need to be freed. So, in that respect, yes, the CBI wants to help clones.”
“The two of you and your pet clone are not the CBI,” remarked a Lavrinenko clone.
Onima grinned. “That’s true. But I am a marshal of the Bureau, and there is a CBI ship in orbit of Terre Ursa under my command. That includes a decent number of CBI agents.”
“What do you want us to do?” asked Frank. “How do you feel we can aid you?”
“Jace?” Onima said.
They had discussed this on the drive to the slum. Jace, both Onima and Kara agreed, was the best person to try to convince the clones of Pao-hui-burg to help them.
Onima’s comm beeped. She saw who it was and stood up to step away a moment. Jace and Kara had the narrative well in hand and were detailing the idea to those present.
Checking the audio was on private, Onima tapped on her comm. “Go ahead, Teru.”
“Everything is set on our end. And for the record, I think you’re a little crazy. But I like it.”
18
Onima had been up with the sun, in part because of the unusual sleeping conditions, and in part due to the day’s plan. It had been a fitful night of sleep.
Fortunately, Onima had done enough field work over the years that she didn’t need a ton of sleep. At least for a few days.
The clones of Pao-hui-burg were excellent hosts. They had provided rooms for Onima, Jace, and Kara in one of the former hamlet’s buildings. The evening meal had been unfortunately fairly tasteless, though Frank had told them the food was largely a matter of who was on prep duty.
Both Jace and Kara were awake soon after Onima. Checking her comm, Onima saw where Yael would be landing the yacht.
The first set of clones made their way to the monorail. It was a large crowd heading into Lebassier City for work that day. Onima and her companions got into the hovercar to drive back to the city.
They began the drive. As they did so, Kara said, “Jace, I know this might sound weird, but...are clones always so hospitable?”
“How do you mean?” Jace asked.
“For the second time, we requested a place to stay with clones. Once again, they offered us food and shelter with tremendous courtesy. It’s particularly odd because, realistically, there’s a debt we non-clones kind of owe them. But even most communes and communities of supposedly generous people aren’t nearly as gracious or pleasant.”
Onima glanced to her right, where Jace was seated.
He seemed to ponder his response before saying, “I guess so? It’s hard to say, frankly, because in Copy Slum on Raven, we mostly keep to ourselves. Conversations occur between individuals, but for the most part, people keep themselves to themselves. We’re not much of a community, really. Both clone communities—on Calvert and here—are communal. Which, given our military background, is fairly logical.”
Jace paused as though he was considering what more to say, then continued, “In war, there is a chain of command. Soldiers of more or less equal status have a tendency toward courtesy because it’s a matter of discipline. ‘Please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘be my guest’ are logical extensions of ‘yes, sir’ and the like.”
“I get that,” said Kara. “When a group of CBI agents and special agents are working together, that’s how it tends to work. Wouldn’t you agree, Onima?”
“Yes,” Onima replied. “For the most part, agents are very much team players. And, like the military, there’s a chain of command, of sorts. Special agents have some added autonomy. Once you reach deputy marshal, you’re a more independent operative and often have authority over agents and special agents. I’d guess, in a civilian setting, it would make sense that group behaviors like we’ve encountered in the clone collectives are a logical progression.”
“Sure,” Kara agreed. “But given the overall treatment of clones, it’s still a surprise.”
Jace grinned. “When the two of you are with me, treat me as an equal, and never demand the designations of the rest of the clones you meet, it discourages animosity that might otherwise exist.”
“Give courtesy, get courtesy,” Onima remarked.
“Exactly,” Jace said. “Of course, there’s also the fact that, overall, clones who are rude to non-clones get beaten or killed.”
“Is it really that nasty out there?” asked Kara.
“Oh, yes,” Jace replied. “Multiple times, returning to Copy Slum through Garden Mesa, I had to cross a street to avoid a small group intent on confronting me. I’ve had things randomly thrown at me. But I’m good at avoiding situations where I might get into a fight.”
“And if you fight back, I presume, the odds of your survival decline,” Kara said.
“Yes,” Jace agreed. “And most law enforcement authorities keep out of it unless it’s somewhere really public or disruptive.”
Onima said, “I’ve not seen this while you’ve been with us. But that’s because you’re with us, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Jace answered. “Most people aren’t going to start in with a clone randomly if it’s apparent they serve another non-clone in some way or other.”
“Wow,” Kara said. “Clone life is a lot more challenging than most people understand.”
“Or care about,” Jace added. “In Copy Slum, this has c
aused us to largely keep to ourselves. Here and on Calvert, however, the clone population has formed a community. I can see how that creates a sense of belonging that otherwise tends to be lacking.”
The trio spoke further about the night’s accommodations and the meals. They compared the experience to the clones in the tenements in Emerson City.
Onima drove them into Lebassier City proper, taking a few unplanned detours, toward the spaceport where Yael had landed the Minotaur. It was under a different name and registration, set to mirror a corporate craft like Gray and Chuang might engage.
Arriving at the spaceport, Onima saw that the transport had been offloaded as she parked the hovercar in the bay of the Minotaur. Neither Yael nor Teru were present. She presumed they were with the transport.
Onima, Kara, and Jace parted ways as both Onima and Kara went to change their outfits. Yael had been instructed to retrieve new business suits for both women from the Daedalus. Jace was also likely changing into a fresh outfit.
Onima made sure she had both of her pistols and full plasma charges. At the external hatch, she met Kara.
“Jace went over to the transport,” Kara told Onima.
“Ready?” Onima asked.
“As ready as I can be,” Kara replied.
They made their way to the transport.
Unlike their usual unmarked hovervans, the transport was larger. It was, in fact, an armored personnel carrier, though it looked more like an oversized hovervan.
The Confederation Bureau of Investigation was not part of the Confederation military in any way. However, given circumstances and situations, CBI agents were outfitted with military-grade armor and weapons. For the most part, hovercars and vans were all the Bureau needed. But for when the need arose, more advanced transports were carried on every CBI starship.
Truth be told, the CBI Daedalus and its kindred starships were nearly armed and armored similarly to military capital ships. This was part of why the Bureau didn’t operate their own ships, but instead used the Office of Confederation Defense for that purpose. Though not the same as the AECC military, they had a mandate and authority that allowed them to operate heavily weaponized vessels.
The transport was divided into two sections. The front was the command capsule, able to accommodate eight. The rear section could handle a variety of equipment or two dozen agents, such as a pair of warrant teams.
If packed tightly, more than the two dozen could fit.
As Onima climbed into the command capsule, she found Yael, Teru, and Jace awaiting them. Yael and Teru were both in official CBI jackets and caps.
“Morning, Onima,” said Teru cheerfully. “Morning, Kara.”
“Teru,” Kara said, climbing in.
“Any problems getting everything set?” asked Onima.
“As far as anyone knows, the Minotaur is an executive transport for Gray and Chaung,” said Yael.
Teru passed Onima and Kara lanyards with badges attached to them. “Your credentials, as requested. Contact was made with Dr. Deng, though he was a bit put out by the request. He’s awaiting you.”
“Well done,” Onima said. She turned to look toward the rear section of the transport.
Inside were about thirty clones.
“Sorry for the tight space,” Onima apologized to the clone nearest the partition.
“We just hope this will be worth it,” Frank called from somewhere farther back.
“You know the plan,” Onima said, in part for Teru and Yael and in part for the clones. “After Kara, Jace, and I go in, you give us five minutes and then do your thing.”
“What about the support you offered?” asked a clone Onima didn’t recognize.
“There’s a large container at the front of the compartment,” Onima said. “It’s loaded with weapons. Pistols and rifles, but I am trusting you not to go on a killing spree. That’s just to support your rescue operation. Teru will also supply you with a map of the warehouse they’ll scan before you go.”
“Thank you,” Frank called.
Onima looked to Yael, who was in the driver’s seat. “Let’s go.”
As they started out, Teru said, “What do you want us to do?”
“You and Yael stay with the transport,” Onima said. “You’re our backup if we need it.”
They made their way to the warehouse. When they arrived, Onima, Kara, and Jace climbed out and entered the warehouse on foot.
The lobby area was unmarked, save a transparent aluminum security wall and doorway for access to the rest of the warehouse. No company name or logo was visible.
“Can I help you?” asked the receptionist.
Onima and Kara both showed their fake credentials. The receptionist scanned them. After a moment, they were granted access.
“You’ll be met by your party on the other side of that door,” the receptionist told them.
Onima, Kara, and Jace stepped up to the door. It slid up and into the ceiling.
As they walked through, an unmistakably old man in a lab coat came up to them.
“You must be the deputy directors I was told are coming today,” he addressed them. “Very unusual. I am Doctor Yagnesh Deng.”
Onima noted he didn’t offer to shake her hand. “I’m deputy director Onima Wei.”
“Deputy director Kara Lopez,” Kara introduced herself.
Teru had been particularly clever. They had used the credentials of actual Gray and Chuang employees – taking their surnames but applying Onima and Kara’s first names to their false identifications. In such a corporate culture, it was the surname that drew the most attention.
Dr. Deng looked at Jace. “And this?”
“Rojas,” Jace said. He wore an expression of thorough confusion. “AC J7-2274.”
“Infantry clone,” Dr. Deng acknowledged. “What are you really here about, ladies?”
“Him,” said Onima, gesturing to Jace.
Kara took up the narrative. “2274 has been, for lack of a better term, breaking down over the past few weeks. He’s been dropping things more and more, he keeps stumbling, and he occasionally has a tough time finishing sentences, like he can’t hold his thoughts.”
“What led you to me?” asked Dr. Deng, not unkindly. But he clearly had eyes only for Jace.
“An old associate of mine dropped your name in passing,” Onima said. “Before she disappeared. Jun Varma mentioned you and some sort of ongoing research. We did a little checking and made the connection.”
Dr. Deng nodded, still not taking his eyes off Jace. “I see. Follow me, please.”
Onima followed. Jace did as well, but only after a slight push from Kara.
Fortunately, Jace had seen the effects of the virus on a clone. Onima had been there at the end as Zee Alpha Three had died and liquified. It was not something she expected to ever forget.
It wasn’t a long walk, but Jace stumbled and looked appropriately confused along the way. They turned into a comfortable-looking office—at least, on one side. The other held a considerable amount of lab equipment and various monitors and scientific gear.
“Have a seat here...2274, was it?” asked Dr. Deng.
“Yes,” Jace said, with just a touch of tentativeness in his tone. He sat.
Dr. Deng performed an examination on Jace, checking him over much like any doctor would examine a person in their care. He didn’t say much as he did so, but there were occasional grunts, nods, and other sounds as he checked on Jace.
As he finished, he paused to look at Onima and Kara. “Would you excuse me a moment? I need to check on something.”
“Of course,” Onima said.
Dr. Deng left the office. Onima, Kara, and Jace all remained where they were. Onima, however, shifted ever so slightly to make it as easy as possible to get at her pistols if needs be.
Dr. Deng returned after just a few minutes, trailed by a gentleman in his early seventies in a well-tailored business suit. He eyed Jace, then Onima and Kara.
The man in the business suit ap
proached Kara first, offering his hand. “Director Kaji Ivanov.”
“Deputy Director Kara Lopez.”
He shook her hand, then stepped over to Onima. She took his offered hand and said, “Deputy Director Onima Wei.”
“I am not familiar with either of you,” Ivanov said, “but I do know that Jun Varma is dead.”
“We know,” Onima said without hesitation. “That’s why we looked into things and determined to come here directly, since it wasn’t possible to go through Jun any longer. I’m sorry if we’ve breeched protocol in the process, Director.”