The Captain shook his head and remarked, "As I said, I see no sign of intelligence."
When Christa giggled again, he used the whip, and continued using it until her back was crisscrossed with bloody cuts. He only stopped because he feared that he would kill her. He knew that the Raiders wouldn't pay for a corpse. In reality, Christa was only play-acting, but the Captain believed every fake scream and groan, once she had gotten her giggling under control.
* * *
Chapter Fifteen
~ June 6th, 2270 ~
Lt. Commander Spence called Eliza's room as soon as he arrived at the BOQ. He was early for his date and informed the handmaiden who answered that he was in the lobby, then sat down to wait. Almost twenty minutes later the lift doors opened and four women emerged from the car. It was quite a spectacle. The two Terran women in front were wearing the tightest gowns that Spence had ever seen on a woman. The two women in back, Nordakian handmaidens who were well over six-foot tall naturally, were even taller now because of the high heels they wore.
Lt. Commander Spence jumped up from his chair. There was no doubt that the Terran women were Jenetta and Eliza, but it was impossible to tell which was which. Wearing beautiful gowns made of shimmering fabrics, both stood six-foot three-inches tall in their high-heeled shoes. The woman on Zane's left wore a red and gold satin gown while the other was similarly clad in a gown of blue and silver. Although restricted to taking such tiny steps that it seemed they would never reach the lobby, the women were obviously walking as quickly as possible. Zane didn't wait and walked forward to greet them.
"Wow! Jen?"
The two women looked at one another and smiled.
The one on the left said, "Which do you think…"
"…is Jen?" the other finished.
Zane's mouth opened a couple of times but nothing came out. Finally he said, "I can't tell. You're both Jen, after all. You're not going to do that to me again, are you?"
The one on the left, in red and gold, said, "I'm Jen, Zane. You can tell by my long hair. It extends to one-finger width above the floor. Eliza's hair is only as long as my natural length, so she has to wear the headdress."
"I see," Zane said smiling. "I'm glad I have a way to tell you apart. Now you won't be able to play that 'twins' game on me anymore."
"Unless I cut my hair tomorrow," Jenetta said mischievously. "I've only left my hair this length so that it would be appropriate for this party. I hope that you don't mind escorting the both of us tonight."
"Mind? Escorting the two most beautiful and sexy women on the station? Never! Besides, it's more like you're escorting me," Zane said grinning. "I'm only six-foot-one. All four of you are taller than I am."
"We have to wear such high heels because the Nordakians appreciate height, but we won't mind being a little taller than you for a change. It's only an inch and a half, after all, since your shoes add more than a centimeter."
Eliza possessed all of Jenetta's memories about her time on Nordakia, so there hadn't been any opposition to wearing the restrictive gowns, but both women had moaned as the corsets were tightened sufficiently for them to fit into the dresses. Jenetta would have had them altered, but the palace dressmakers hadn't left enough fabric to let them out. The handmaidens were well practiced, so the dressing process had moved along quickly, despite the tightness of the gowns.
Zane took his place between the two Terran women and extended his elbows for them to slip their arms through. "Ladies?"
The slow pace that the women were forced to walk gave the group lots of time to talk, but they had a dinner party to attend so they hailed a driverless cab to take them to the Nordakian embassy. The trip, only a few minutes by cab, could have taken an hour if they'd walked. As they rode, Zane enlightened Jenetta and Eliza with the facts of his investigation into the rights of clones.
"Human cloning was outlawed before any were successfully produced, so the subject of rights has never come up."
"So that means they have no rights?" Jenetta asked. "Not even basic human rights?"
"By current legal definition, they're not people, so we're at the mercy of the Galactic Alliance Council to establish their status. I've been ordered to drop my investigation and let the Council decide their fate."
"They'd better make the right decision," Jenetta said grimly, her jaw set in determination.
The 'oh gee' cab glided silently up to the embassy entrance on a gentle cushion of opposed-gravity waves and dropped its landing struts as the doors of the open-topped, driverless vehicle slid down beneath the frame. Swinging her legs out of the cab and standing up, Jenetta's hair fell to within an inch of the deck, whereupon the doorman at the entrance gate immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head, his closed hand pressed tightly to his chest. Jenetta asked him to rise and then offered her hand to Eliza as she struggled to get out of the cab. Zane was followed by the two handmaidens.
The embassy was more like the floor in an office building on Earth, than one of the separate high-security buildings typically found on planetary surfaces, but their floor space was nevertheless considered foreign soil. They had their own security staff, but weapons were not permitted outside their 'territory.' Since this was a Space Command base, the Space Marine Corps was responsible for security outside the walls of the embassy. Of the kilometers of common area, hardly a single square meter wasn't monitored constantly by cameras or on-duty Marine personnel, and patrols could be dispatched from any one of dozens of remote security offices, in seconds, if trouble was detected.
As Jenetta's party approached staff members inside the embassy, the males immediately dropped to one knee while the females bowed their heads until they had passed. "What are they doing?" Zane whispered to Jenetta.
"They're paying their respects to me as a member of the nobility," she whispered back. "The custom on Nordakia is for males to drop to one knee while bowing their head and pressing their closed right hand against their chest when encountering a Royal. The length of my hair and tightness of my gown signify that I'm ranked just below the Royal Family."
"I understood about your becoming a member of the nobility. How did you become a Lady of the Royal House?"
"Treat this as top secret. The honor was bestowed because one of King's sons was aboard a freighter delivering supplies to Obotymot. It was never publicly released for reasons of national security, and awarding the honor doesn't require that the specifics be released. The proclamation only states that it was awarded for personal service to the crown."
As the party reached the main reception area, the ambassador stepped forward and greeted Jenetta by pressing his hand to his chest and bowing his head briefly. He didn't drop to one knee but Jenetta certainly hadn't expected him to. As a representative of the King, on official business, he was only required to bow his head and offer the proper salutation. Also, he was the Queen's cousin and so a member of the extended Royal Family himself. "Welcome, Azula Carver. We are honored to have you here with us tonight."
"Zrand chekkora u kareerdu," Jenetta said in Dakis. Then switching to Amer for the benefit of Zane she repeated the same phrase "It's my honor to be welcomed here."
"Your Dakis is flawless, My Lady, but I think we should stay with Amer for the benefit of most of our guests."
"Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Allow me to introduce my sister, Eliza, and Lt. Commander Zane Spence."
The ambassador welcomed each and then Jenetta held out the small wrapped package that she had brought with her. "Mr. Ambassador, I have a gift for the King and Queen. It's extremely precious and somewhat fragile. I ask that it be sent to their Majesties on a military vessel at your earliest convenience."
The ambassador handled the package delicately as he accepted it. "Might I inquire as to the nature of the gift? The captain of the ship will want to know if there's a danger."
"There's absolutely no danger, other than that it be damaged or stolen. It's a priceless, ancient artifact that I discovered on Mawcett. I believe that it hold
s great significance for the Nordakian people. Its value is— inestimable. Space Command has officially approved of its presentation to the Royal Family. Their Majesties will understand."
"On behalf of their Majesties, I thank you for this most precious gift."
The ambassador left, and then returned after locking the gift in the embassy safe. They talked for awhile until the guests began arriving and then formed a receiving line. The Ambassador and his wife were first, followed by Jenetta, Zane, and Eliza.
"You look ravishing, Commander," Admiral Holt said as Jenetta greeted him.
"Thank you, Admiral. You look very dashing in your dress uniform. You've won your bet, by the way."
"My bet?"
"You told me last year that you bet I'd be the first of my graduating class to reach the rank of captain, officially."
"Yes, that's true," he said tentatively.
"You've won your bet. I was commissioned as a Captain in the Nordakian Space Force while on Nordakia."
Admiral Holt laughed heartily before saying, "I don't think that qualifies in my wager, although you are technically a captain. My bet concerned your attaining the rank of captain by virtue of appointment from Space Command Supreme Headquarters. It's okay, I'm patient. I still believe that you'll be the first of your class to attain that rank in Space Command, if those shoes don't kill you first. I seem to remember you being a full head shorter."
Jenetta smiled. "Only thirteen-centimeters are the shoes, but I'm still growing, thanks to the Raider DNA process. The doctors believe that I'll make five-foot-eleven without the assistance of shoemakers."
The guest list for the party was like a who's who of the space port, and the queue behind the admiral continued to grow, so he and his wife moved along. In addition to both admirals and many of the captains from Space Command, dozens of Nordakians had come to the event. Most of the Space Command personnel were wide-eyed when first observing Jenetta and Eliza since they were unaware of the requirements for female attire on Nordakia. Unlike state dinners at the palace on Nordakia, few of the female guests were required to wear even moderately restrictive attire or maintain very long hair. Female Space Command officers wore their dress uniforms, while the non-military female guests wore normal ball gowns. Other than Jen and Eliza, only the wives of the Nordakian officials wore traditional restrictive garments. Even so, theirs were not nearly so tight, nor could their hair be worn as long. The hair of the ambassador's wife only extended to within twenty-five centimeters of the deck, and her gown allowed easy movement.
Mingling prior to dinner being served, Jenetta spoke in Amer, but slipped into Dakis when exclusively in the company of Nordakians. Doctor Dakshiku Vlashsku and Glawth Djetch were among the invited guests, but the guest list hadn't included their clones.
The ambassador had arranged for a photo session prior to the meal so Jenetta was called away for that. Dinner was announced upon their return, and everyone moved into the dining room. Jenetta was willing to bet this room had rarely seen such a large party as this.
Following dinner, the Ambassador rose and gave a long-winded speech about the contribution that Jenetta had made to the Nordakian people and the galaxy. His times in the spotlight were infrequent, and he made the most of this one. At the end of his speech, he proposed a toast to Jenetta, and then indicated that she should speak. Jenetta hadn't prepared anything, but she smiled and stood up as she desperately tried to think of what to say.
"Ambassador Tlekulva, Mrs. Tlekulva, honored guests, thank you for this great honor. It's been my privilege to be in a position to serve the Nordakian people and the citizens of the galaxy. I'm very grateful to the King and Queen of Nordakia, the Galactic Alliance, and Space Command for the honors they have bestowed upon me.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to speak to you about a topic dear to my heart. I was accompanied here tonight by my lovely sister, Eliza, whom you met earlier. Most of you already know that Eliza was born only a couple of months ago, the result of a process accidentally initiated during the discovery of ancient equipment on Mawcett. A civilization that we thought long dead has reached through the millennia to impact us significantly in our time. Although galactic law prohibits cloning of sentient life forms, we know now that the process existed some nineteen-thousand years ago. Seventy-nine new individuals were created before we could safely disengage the equipment, and the status of these new people is still in question. As a citizen of both Nordakia and Earth, I request that these new people be granted citizenship, and the full rights and privileges normally accorded to all of us.
"I'd also like to take this occasion to announce that I today received permission to publish a book, co-authored by my sisters Eliza, Christa, and myself, on the history of Mawcett. During our investigation into records we uncovered there, we've learned that Mawcett is none other than Dakistee, the original home planet of the people of Nordakia, and that the cloning technology was developed in an effort to repopulate a planet devastated by a viral infection that left the population unable to reproduce. The ancestors of the people of Nordakia had already taken to the stars before the infection spread. Although Dakistee scientists were able to successfully eradicate the virus that caused the problem, they were unable to restore the reproductive capability of the planet's citizenry. Through cloning, they hoped to ensure the survival of their people, but it was a fruitless venture because the clones also lacked reproductive capability. I hope that this new information will assist the archeological teams that are currently working on the planet. Thank you."
As Jenetta sat down, she saw the stunned expressions on the faces of the Ambassador and his wife. She had intended to brief him in advance of a public announcement, but the impromptu speech had suddenly seemed like the perfect opportunity to break the news. Obviously, the news had surprised the usually knowledgeable guests as well because it was several seconds before the stunned invitees began to applaud. Several members of the media, invited to the dinner, slipped out quickly to relay the information to their offices.
Following dinner, the guests moved back to the reception ballroom where an orchestra had begun to play. Some of the couples danced to the music, but Jenetta and Eliza wouldn't be joining them. Even if people hadn't been surrounding them, firing questions about the 'Dakistee' revelation, their gowns would certainly have prevented dancing.
They continued to answer questions about the new book until the event began to break up. To the people who kept pressing questions as they tried to say goodbye to departing guests, they simply resorted to a standard line that the book would be available very shortly now that it had been approved for release.
When all of the guests had gone, Jenetta and Eliza thanked the ambassador and his wife once again while Zane went to summon a cab.
"You're sure of your facts about Dakistee?" Ambassador Tlekulva asked.
"Yes, Ambassador."
"Then I understand now how something you found on Mawcett could have great significance for our people. I admit to having been puzzled earlier by your statement."
"I'd intended to tell you tonight, before making it public. I decided at literally the last second to release it during my speech. I'm sorry that it took you by surprise."
"I would have been surprised in either case. I look forward to reading your book with even greater eagerness. Thank you for honoring us with your presence tonight, Azula."
Returning to the BOQ, where Jenetta would stay overnight, both Jenetta and Eliza thanked Zane for escorting them, but Jenetta stayed downstairs while Eliza went up. She came upstairs a short time later, after sharing a few kisses with Zane in a less visible area near the lifts.
Eliza seemed unusually pensive as Jenetta helped her remove the headdress and gown. Jenetta knew that her sister was in pain, and had felt her own anxiety growing steadily for several hours as they approached this moment.
"I'm sorry about Zane," Jenetta said. "I know how uncomfortable you must feel."
"It's awkward–– and it hurts," Eliz
a said, forlornly. "I inherited strong feelings for him from you."
"I'm sorry. It's going to be like that until we separate our lives a little more and you develop your own romantic relationships. Unfortunately, that won't work with people that we already know. At least he was my only love interest before I became we."
"Not your only love interest; you love the Prometheus also. That's another love that I can't share."
"You'll develop your own attachment to a ship once they settle your status. Look at the way we began to feel about the Song after we were put in command."
"You just don't understand how difficult it is to have lived a life that isn't yours anymore. It's as if I've suddenly been cut off from everything and everyone that I know and love. And I'm supposed to just accept it and blithely move on."
Jenetta reached out and pulled Eliza to her and the two women hugged tightly. The action initiated the release of pent-up emotions and Eliza began to weep, causing Jenetta to join her. They stayed like that for several minutes.
"I can imagine how you feel," Jenetta said tearfully. "I wish that I could do something."
"You can't," Eliza said sniffling. "As you've said, it's just going to take time; time to create my own identity; time to create a new life. I hope that I can. I'm standing in a very big shadow right now."
"Don't think for a minute that you weren't equally responsible for creating that shadow. We're one and the same. You have as much right to claim a share of the honors as I have. They're your accomplishments as well."
"I know, and you know, but will they know? Will the powers that be acknowledge Christa and me as part of your past achievements and establish a proportionate status for us?"
"We'll just make sure that they do."
"How? I don't know what more we can do."
"I don't know either right now, but something will turn up." Jenetta wiped away a tear, smiled and said, "Now stop talking and help me get out of this damn corset and gown so that I can take a full breath."
The Clones of Mawcett Page 25