Bad Behavior (The Last Time Traveler Book 3)

by Aaron J. Ethridge

  “And, we're going to do that in less than two hours?” Morgan asked, glancing at the clock.

  “Much less,” the traveler assured him.

  He was wrong. For one thing, they spent close to forty-five minutes going over the video again and again, taking careful note of the fact that she touched almost nothing inside the ship that wasn't blown up at a later point in time. Robert had a theory that she might have left some trace of DNA on the computer she used to upload the virus but, such proved not to be the case.

  “Quick question,” Morgan said, about half-an-hour into the hand-scanning. “Why would you make clone DNA obviously clone DNA.”

  “What do you mean?” Robert asked, scanning a section of hall for the third time.

  “I mean,” he replied, “why make it obvious that a clone is a clone? The point of a clone, as far as I can tell, is to make people think they're not dealing with one. So, why make it obvious that they are?”

  “Several reasons,” the traveler replied, modifying the sensitivity on the scanner. “For one thing, trying to make a perfect clone is not only highly illegal...”

  “Which I doubt our foe cares about.”

  “It's also highly unethical...”

  “Which I also doubt they care about.”

  “Then, there are the practical issues,” Robert continued. “First, a normal brain is much more difficult to program than a clone's brain. Not to mention that, even if you made an exact copy and managed to wake it up, which no one ever has...”

  “What?” Morgan asked. “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly what I said,” the traveler replied. “Early in the days of cloning, the goal was to make exact copies of people. None of those copies ever became conscious. They were alive physically but, none of them ever had any mental activity.”

  “Why not?”

  “Nobody knows,” Robert shrugged. “Doc believes it's because they don't have souls.”

  “What's different about the not-exact-copy clones?”

  “Their brains are literally just meat computers. You can turn them on and off whenever you want. But, they're not really real. For instance, they don't have any genuine emotions.”

  “Which is why trying to have kids with them is taboo.”

  “Exactly. Plus, if they were really alive, they might not want to jump into a meat grinder or fly into a star.”

  “I suppose I can understand that,” Morgan nodded. “So, really, there's no way to hide the fact that a clone's a clone.”

  “Eh,” Robert replied, rotating his hand back and forth. “The words no and hide have a lot of flexibility. Let's just say that it's not an easy thing to do and that, fortunately, our opponent didn't do it this time.”

  “Fair enough,” the young man replied.

  An hour-and-ten-minutes' worth of undiscovered clues later, Morgan was beginning to get concerned with the time.

  “There's nothing here, bro,” he observed aloud.

  “We can't be sure of that.”

  “Maybe not. But, we can be sure we're out of time. We need to get showers.”

  “Five more minutes.”

  After five minutes of clock checking, Morgan spoke again.

  “That's it,” he said, taking the scanner out of Robert's hand. “You're done for the day. Go get ready.”

  “Uhhh,” Robert sighed. “I guess you're right. We do need a break and, I readily admit, I'm beginning to feel like I really need some quality time with Cleo.”

  “I'm glad to see...” Morgan began.

  “Rob, bro,” Vox's voice interrupted over the intercom, “we've found something. Meet us in the medi-bay.”

  In spite of the young man's protestations, the pair immediately answered this summons.

  “We're going to be late,” Morgan pointed out, as they stepped into the bay.

  “What have you found?” Robert asked at the same moment.

  “This,” Doc said with a wide smile, holding up a vial with a single blond hair in it.

  “Is that Miss Summers'?”

  “Miss Summers' clone's,” Vox replied.

  “That is perfect!” Robert said with a wide smile. “Where did you find it?”

  “In one of the air filters,” Vox nodded.

  “Of course! I should have thought of that myself.”

  “Maybe you should have,” Morgan replied. “But, for the moment, you need to be thinking that we don't need to be late.”

  “This'll take like five minutes, Morgan,” Robert asserted. “All that will do, is give the girls a few more minutes to get their motors running.”

  “No,” the young man said, “it will give them just enough time to get furious at us for taking them for granted.”

  “That's not what we're doing!” the traveler insisted. “This is putting them first.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “We're trying to protect them from our faceless foe,” he explained.

  “Well, we need to be trying to be on time!”

  “Alright,” Robert chuckled. “Go get ready. I've got to call Sister and then I'll get myself ready in a flash.”

  Morgan showered and dressed as quickly as he could but, what with the teeth brushing and the flossing and mouth washing and finding a fresh pack of cinnamon gum, it took him just over twenty minutes. He feverishly sprayed himself all over with cologne before flying out of the door and onto the bridge. He was dismayed to find Robert still chatting with Sister when he arrived.

  “Rob!” he barked. “I am seriously about to hurt you, man!”

  “Just find out what you can, Sis. Thanks!” he laughed, before switching off the comm. “Would you calm down, bro? We're not even twenty minutes late yet.”

  “Give me strength!” the young man cried to the ceiling. “Robert, if you don't get in that shower...”

  “Alright, alright,” the traveler chuckled. “I'm going.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Morgan left Doc and Vox on the bridge to see if the limo would take him to Paris on the Half-Shell alone, so that he could explain things to the girls. Unfortunately, the driver was a friend of Robert's and insisted that Cleo was used to dealing with him. Morgan almost blew a gasket when he strode back on the bridge minutes later, only to find Robert on the comm with Chairman Ross. Five minutes after this, they were all climbing into the car.

  “You are seriously overreacting, Morgan,” Robert laughed as he closed the door. “When I explain to the girls what's going on, they're not going to be angry at us. Trust me, bro, they'll understand.”

  Chapter 5: A Second Date

  “I don't want to hear it,” Morgan almost barked as the limo pulled off. “I just can't believe you actually did this.”

  “Did what?” Vox asked, gazing at the young man who was sitting directly across from him.

  “Messed up date night for a second time,” Morgan replied, shaking his head. “It's not like...”

  “Wait a minute,” Robert interrupted, “what do you mean: for a second time?”

  “Are you kidding me?!” the young man snapped, turning his head toward the traveler. “What would you call our last date night, if not, messed up? I don't know about you, but I sure didn't want it to end in The Great Slapping.”

  “That's not the point I'm arguing,” Robert replied. “What I don't get is how you come up with: I messed it up. That was clearly: we, brother.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Are you serious? Because, if memory serves, which it does, you said something along the lines of: What do we do?! We give these young ladies a tour!”

  “Okay, I did!” Morgan exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “But, as you like to point out constantly, you're the one...”

  “Try to calm down, Morgan,” Vox interrupted with a laugh. “I'm sure it'll be fine, man. Celeste has been looking forward to this for years now and...”

  “Years?”

  “We had to live out most of a lifetime from when Rob dropped us off until he picked us back up.�
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  “You're right,” the young man nodded. “I hadn't thought about that.”

  “So, we haven't been to Paris on the Half-Shell in a long time. Not to mention that, I only took her once while we were working to fix the ship.”

  “Then, I can certainly understand wanting to go again. The food's awesome.”

  “It's alright, I guess,” Vox shrugged. “I always just get a steak and baked potato.”

  “You should expand your horizons,” Morgan asserted. “Escargot is epic.”

  “It's okay,” Vox replied, “but, it ain't worth the price difference. Either way, for some reason, women all over the universe like going out to French restaurants. So, Celeste has been really looking forward to going again. She's not too likely to be too upset because we're an hour late, and neither are the girls. Especially after Rob explains that our delay was work related.”

  “I hope you're right,” Morgan sighed.

  “Don't worry, brother,” Vox smiled. “I am.”

  The limo pulled up to the restaurant just minutes after this conversation. The four companions leapt out, made their way inside, and were quickly escorted to the table where the ladies were waiting for them.

  To say that the young women looked breathtaking would be an understatement. Each of the three was the very image of loveliness. Celeste was attired in a silver dress that perfectly complemented her jet-black skin, star-ruby eyes, and long white hair. Cleo had chosen a short white dress that Morgan felt was probably intended to fill Robert's imagination with images of both a wedding dress and a honeymoon. Azure's outfit was a shade of purple that coordinated exactly with her hair and lips, and that was cut in such a way as to accentuate all her many assets. If Morgan hadn't already known who they were, he would have assumed they were a trio of goddesses.

  Unfortunately, the expressions on their faces as the men approached the table made Morgan think that they would have been the goddesses of war, of vengeance, and of wrath; respectively. Morgan felt the candles on the table must have been one-hour-candles because they were about an hour late and the candles had burned themselves almost out. One thing was certain, he wasn't going to be the first to speak. Robert has made this mess. Fixing it was his problem.

  “Well, ladi...” was as far as he got before Cleo spoke.

  “You're late!” she snapped.

  “Are w...”

  “Don't try that, Rob,” she replied with a serious tone of warning in her voice.

  “Alright, but...”

  “Sit down!”

  The menfolk instantly obeyed this command. For several silent seconds, Cleo glared at Robert; Azure glared at Morgan; and Celeste refused to look at her husband.

  “Did you,” Cleo said, her brows extremely knitted, “or did you not, say that I didn't have to worry about you keeping us waiting?”

  “I did, but...”

  “But, you're an hour late!”

  “True, but...”

  “But, you didn't even bother to call the restaurant so that we would know you were going to be late.”

  “Okay, that's...”

  “I'm going to ask you some questions, Robert, and you're going to tell me the absolute truth. Do you understand me?”

  “I do.”

  “Was whatever made you late unavoidable?”

  “No...”

  “Was it an emergency?”

  “Not exact...”

  “Could you have called?”

  “Yes...”

  “Anytime you wanted?”

  “Yes...”

  “Alright,” she sighed. “Well, at least you've been man enough not to lie about it this time. I suppose that is something.”

  “I'm glad you feel...” he began.

  “However,” she interrupted again, “unfortunately, the fact that you told the truth about it, doesn't alter the fact that you showed absolutely no regard for our feelings.”

  “Be fair, small girl,” Vox interjected, risking a slight smile. “Rob...”

  “What about you?” Celeste said, turning her wrath filled gaze to him. “How long have we been married, Vox?”

  “A hundred and one of the best years of my life,” he replied instantly and wisely.

  “After all that time, you haven't realized that I get worried when you're not where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be?”

  “I figured since we were in Never...”

  “Since we were someplace where people have managed to sabotage the ship, not to mention plant bombs on it, I'd just assume you were safe?”

  “I guess I didn't think...”

  “Oh, no,” she interrupted. “I believe we can very safely say that you didn't think. You didn't think at all.”

  “He wasn't the only one,” Azure added. “Morgan, why didn't you...”

  “I tried to!” he replied vehemently. “Rob wouldn't let me!”

  “You're a grown man, Morgan! At least, you're supposed to be. And, I'm sure Captain Robert didn't order you not to get on the comm and tell us where you were.”

  “Well, no he...”

  “Then stop trying to blame him every time you mess up with your girlfriend! You're his friend, Morgan; not his pet!”

  “Ladies,” Doc said with an understanding smile, “I'm sure that you've made your points.”

  “Not all of them!” Cleo replied, turning her eyes to him. “What about you? Normally, you’re Robert's voice of reason and common sense. Where were you this time?!”

  “You're right, my dear,” Doc nodded. “I failed you and I apologize.”

  “You're forgiven,” she replied instantly. “Robert's inconsiderate, self-centered, idiocy is contagious. Even I get infected with it sometimes.”

  “Do you want to know what it was that made us late?” the traveler asked.

  “Not tonight,” she replied, shaking her head. “Tonight was supposed to be about us enjoying ourselves together. Does it have anything to do with that?”

  “No, but...”

  “Then, we're not interested.”

  “You do realize,” he said with a hint of frustration, “that you're not even letting me try to explain, right?”

  “I can't,” she asserted. “If I listen to you, Robert, you'll find some way of making me feel like you were in the right and that I should feel guilty for ever getting angry with you. But, I shouldn't. You left us sitting here alone for an hour. You're the one who was wrong and you're the one who should feel guilty.”

  “You're right,” he sighed, “and I do.”

  “You should.”

  “I do,” he repeated. “Now, is this completely justified berating over with?”

  “Until I can think of more to say,” she replied.

  “In that case, are you girls ready to order?”

  “We already ordered, Robert,” Cleo snapped, having just been handed a new subject to fuel her fury.

  “In fact,” Azure added, glaring at Morgan, “we already ate.”

  “I don't think we can honestly say that,” Celeste pointed out, “It would be more accurate to say that the food already came, we already toyed with it until it was cold, and that our plates have already been taken away.”

  “Well, if you haven't actually eaten...” Robert began.

  “I'm not hungry,” Azure said.

  “Me, neither,” Celeste added.

  “I couldn't eat now if I tried,” Cleo assured him.

  “Okay,” the traveler said, his eyes locked on those of the green maiden, “Trying again: Ladies, it's all my fault that we're late. I had no idea that you would be anywhere near this upset, but I should have. If, in future – due to unavoidable circumstances – anything like this is likely to happen again, we'll be sure to let you know. Now, Cleo, as you don't feel like eating, would you care to dance?”

  “If I wanted to dance, Robert,” she replied, “I've had plenty of opportunities. The three of us have been asked to dance twelve...”

  “Thirteen,” Azure interjected.

 
“Thirteen times, since we got here. Which is hardly surprising, considering that every man here knows who we are and could see that our moronic significant others had stood us up.”

  “Well, if you don't want to eat and you don't want to dance...” Robert began, his own voice getting edged.

  “Come on, Morgan,” Cleo said, standing as she spoke. “You and I need to have a little talk.”

  “Stand up, Robert!” Azure immediately added, rising from her own seat.

  The young men instantly rose. Azure took Robert by the hand and led him to the dance floor, while Cleo pulled Morgan behind her to a spot a short distance from her fiancé and her best friend.

  “Now, Morgan,” the green maiden said, turning to face him, “keep your hands where they're supposed to be or I'll tell Azure as well as break your knees.”

  “That's not a very nice thing to say,” he pointed out, taking her right hand in his left and slipping his right hand into the small of her back. “You know I only think of you as a friend now.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “It's just that I'm furious with all four of you at the moment. Well... three. It's basically impossible to stay mad at Doc. I'm sure he just got distracted.”

  “I wish I could say that I had,” the young man replied, “but, that wouldn't be true. Trying to get here on time was basically all I was thinking about.”

  “Then, why didn't you manage it?” she asked.

  “Rob decided that we needed to search the ship for clues,” Morgan explained. “He figured we had plenty of time, which we did when we started, but, we found something just when it was time to start getting ready.”

  “We have hours of travel-time during every mission,” Cleo replied. “Why couldn't his search have waited?”

  “Alright,” the young man said, gazing directly into her eyes. “You don't want me to lie to you under any circumstances, right?”

  “Right.”

  “In that case,” he smiled, “you look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, “but, I don't think that's the truth you're afraid to tell me.”

  “It's not,” he agreed. “That was part of the buttering you up phase.”