by C M Dancha
"Lieutenant, do you hear that racket out in the hallway? What the hell is that?"
"It sounds like someone singing. Sergeant, go out there and shut that asshole up."
The sergeant wearing a lavender beret opened the door and spotted the maintenance worker making all the racket. "Hey, you! Shut the hell up." With his back to the sergeant, Raul kept on singing, pretending he hadn’t hear the military man's order.
The sergeant got three steps into the hallway before he was cut down by blasts from two energy guns. Murphy, Zeggler, and Krieger ran to the kidnap room and burst through the door before the Lieutenant could close it. For the next ten seconds, a hellish firefight took place in the kidnap room. All three lavender beret soldiers were killed and the Rollie Sweats replicant was rescued. He looked terrible, but at least he was still alive.
Raul entered the room and removed a set of clothes from his phony maintenance cart.
"Rollie, are you okay?"
Through bloodshot and swollen eyes, Rollie stared at his friend. "Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure how much longer I could have held out, Raul."
"You remember me?"
"Yeah, I remember everything. These guys kept telling me that I'm a clone. Is that true?"
Raul didn't know whether to tell Sweats the truth or lie. "Rollie, hurry up and put these on."
"Raul, am I a clone or not?"
"Yes, Rollie, you are. But… but, who the hell cares? Would you rather be dead?"
Rollie didn't answer. He finished dressing and stood up, leaning most of his weight on Raul.
Raul started for the door when he realized he was missing something; something was very wrong.
"Murphy, where is Zeggler?"
"He's dead, boss. He's in the other room. Took one to the head."
"Shit. Krieger come over here and hold Rollie up. Murphy, you go into the hallway and make sure it's secure."
Raul raced into the other room and found Zeggler face down in a pool of blood, and it was obviously there was no sense checking for a pulse. He took out his close combat knife and cut a tooth from Zeggler's jaw. He didn't know if he’d ever get a chance to bring him back to life but if the opportunity presented itself, he was prepared. Zeggler had been too good a man to fade into history at such a youthful age.
The three rescuers and clone made it to the street without any unwelcome attention and sped away in a hover vehicle. Murphy pushed the glaze button on the console to make the windows tint over. The last thing they needed was an inquisitive busybody reporting their peculiar activities. For one fleeting moment, Raul thought about waving at the next image collector mounted along the thoroughfare. He was sure that Milkweed was in the city's video system control room watching the rescue from start to finish. But it didn't seem right to give Milkweed a wave and a thumbs up after losing a good man like Zeggler.
For the next twenty minutes, Raul worked on Rollie, pumping him full of energy and antibiotic drugs. Some of them were the same drugs Mr. Todd had used to sober up and make Klaus Ekstrom presentable to meet Slice after a weekend-long drug and liquor binge. After applying the drug patches to Rollie's skin, Raul went to work on his battered face. Healing compresses, invented by Phoenvartis, were applied over every cut, bruise and the swollen areas around his eyes. In six to eight hours the swelling would go down and the cuts would be covered over with new skin. With a hat on his head and a bulky overcoat, Rollie should be able to move about in public without drawing too much unwanted attention.
The hover vehicle pulled into a stall in the Phoenvartis parking terminal.
"Rollie, you stay here. Don't get out of the vehicle and don't open the doors for anyone. We're going in for Easton and to get a few things done before we hit the road. Whoever brings Easton to you will give you instructions on what to do. Please don't waver from your instructions. Got it?"
"I understand."
When Raul, Krieger, and Murphy were out of sight, Rollie laid back and shut his eyes. He needed the rest but wasn't sure he should sleep until Easton got into the hover vehicle. Staying awake was a wishful thought. As soon as his eyelids shut, he fell asleep and dreamed of his Grandmother's maple box with the ‘H’ carved into its cover.
As they walked across campus to the Phoenvartis corporate office building, Raul gave last-minute instructions to Krieger and Murphy.
"Murphy, you go to the central station and take down the video and audio systems in the primate lab and CR47 lab. Make sure you also disable the systems in all the hallways going to and from the labs. Make sure the systems are down for at least five hours. When you're done, meet me and Krieger outside the CR47 lab. Got it?"
"Roger that."
Raul smiled. "Murphy, you've been watching too many old-time movies."
Before the three men entered the building, Raul contacted Claude. "Claude, I'm coming into the building. You should get calls from the front lobby guard and God knows who else alerting you to my arrival. Thank the callers and act as though they’ve been very helpful. If the front lobby guard calls you before I get past him, ask him to direct me to your office. Do you understand?"
"Damn, Raul. Do you know how pissed Slice is because he can't find you? What if someone calls Slice and then he calls me?"
"Take it easy, Claude. Everything is going as planned. If Slice hears about my arrival, tell him that you tricked me into meeting in the CR47 lab in about fifteen minutes. Okay?"
"Raul, you better know what the hell you're doing. Slice is an exceptionally dangerous man."
"I know, Claude. That's why I've already taken out half his men. He just doesn't know it yet."
As Claude and Raul broke contact, a new contact came in from the lobby security desk.
"Mr. Ekstrom, this is Charles at the front desk. Thought you might want to know that Raul Hakala just entered the building. Should I notify Mr. Slice also?"
"I'll call him, Charles. And, thank you for letting me know. If you would tell Mr. Hakala to come to my office. I'd like to speak with him."
"Will do, sir."
After getting the proper entry credentials, the three men headed to their assigned destinations.
Raul and Krieger entered the primate lab with their energy burst guns drawn. If another lavender-beret soldier was still on guard, Raul wanted to make sure he was neutralized immediately. The only person in the lab was Easton who was sitting in front of the halo monitor sipping a glass of red wine.
Easton spotted Raul's reflection in a mirror he’d hung on the wall next to the halo monitor. By moving the mirror to the viewing room, he could see everyone entering or leaving the lab without turning to face the interlocking door.
"Mr. Hakala, how nice to see you again. To what do I owe this visit?"
"Pack up Easton, it's time to go."
Easton was out of his chair without a single word or question. He checked his appearance in the mirror, ran his hands through his hair and grabbed two bottles of wine.
"That's all you're taking? Two bottles of wine?"
"What else do I need?"
Raul stared at Easton and almost burst out laughing. The expression of innocence on his face was comical.
"Easton, grab a jacket. Nights are cool this time of year."
Before they left the lab, Raul made a stop at the cooler and retrieved the thermal box which had been hidden there for several weeks.
When they got to the hallway, Raul introduced the two men and added, "Krieger, Easton is a replicant."
Krieger looked Easton up and down as though he were examining an alien from another galaxy. In German, Krieger said, "He looks normal to me."
Raul knew enough German to understand what Krieger had said and responded, "He is." Easton knew they were talking about him but didn't waste any time asking for an explanation. All he could think about was finally leaving the cell and getting a look at the world which his wildest dreams could only imagine.
"Easton, Krieger is going to take you to meet Rollie Sweats. Don't dawdle or make a spectacle of your
self on the way. Act as if you've been in this city your entire life and you're familiar with everything you see and hear. I don't want anyone thinking there is something not right or strange about you. When we get to safety, you can ask all the questions you want."
"Am I to assume we’re in danger?"
There was no use lying to Easton; in fact, telling him the truth might keep him alert and alive. "Yes, there are people trying to find Krieger and me and they would kill us if given the chance. And, they’d kill you too just because you’re with us."
"Krieger, when you get Easton into the hover vehicle, tell Rollie to drive to the transport complex and park near terminal thirty-two. Tell him not to stop along the way and wait in the vehicle for us. It will be about five hours before we get there. Also, I'm going to pick up Gretchen, so he doesn't have to worry about her. Stress how important it is that he and Easton stay out of sight. As soon as you’re done, come back here and meet me in the cloning lab which is on the third floor. Do you two understand what you have to do?"
Both men acknowledged Raul's instructions as the lift doors opened onto the main floor.
"Hide those wine bottles before you leave the building. Be careful and aware of what’s going on around you."
Raul ducked into the 3Z room off the main lobby and started contacting people who needed an opportunity to leave Zurich before the totalitarian takeover. There would be enough room for at least twenty people on the transport he’d chartered. How many would take up his offer was anyone's guess. Raul understood the reluctance of people to pick up and move, even when faced with pending destruction and devastation. There was some unknown force which kept most people in familiar surroundings rather than reaching for freedom in some other part of the world. His last call went out to Claude.
"Claude, have you heard from Slice yet?"
"No, nothing yet. I'm thinking about calling him because I told the front lobby guard that I would let him know about you entering the building. I don't want him to think I was withholding information."
"Claude, you have to give me at least three to four hours. Make yourself unavailable for that period so Slice can't reach you. Go home and have lunch, or go to an exercise salon, or walk the streets of Zurich. I don't care what the hell you do, just disappear for at least three hours. I've got what I promised you, but I need your cooperation. Claude, trust me this last time. You'll be rewarded handsomely; I guarantee it."
"Okay, okay. Dammit Raul, you better not be screwing with me."
"I'm not. Leave and don't tell anyone where you’re going. Wait a minute, I just thought of something. Go to St. Peter's hospital and check into the emergency ward. Make up some ailment like you’re having chest pains. That should burn up at least a few hours and it's a perfect excuse for being gone. In fact, you can tell your assistant that you aren't feeling well before you leave."
"Okay. It sounds better than your other excuses."
"Good. Contact me when you get back from the hospital."
There was nothing more to do before meeting his co-conspirators in the cloning lab. He thought about the route he would take to the lab, to avoid as many people as possible. It would only take one employee to call Slice's office and report seeing him to complicate, if not, destroy his plans. He was about to start the trip to the cloning lab when he remembered something Mr. Todd had shown him months earlier. Raul raked through the drawers searching for the theatrical makeup kit Mr. Todd used on Klaus Ekstrom to make him look presentable. In the last drawer, he found it. Fifteen minutes later Raul left 3Z looking like a new man. He was confident he could pass Claude, Slice or his assistant in a hallway and not be recognized.
"Hello, Murphy." Raul had walked into the cloning lab and approached his right-hand man without a single sign of recognition. When Murphy reached for his energy gun, Raul said, "Slow down, buddy. It's me."
Murphy craned his head forward to get a good look at the intruder. "Is that you, Mr. Hakala?"
"Sure is. How do you like the new me?"
"I'm… I'm stunned. You don’t look like you at all. By the way, you're better looking now."
"Real funny, Murphy." Raul paused for a moment so both men could get a much-deserved break from the stress they were under.
Krieger appeared a few minutes later and turned to flee when he saw the new Raul.
"Krieger, it's me. Get in here."
Krieger recognized the voice. He turned, entered the lab and cautiously walked up to the two men, both of whom were laughing at him. It took a minute or so before he was convinced the stranger was Raul. Finally, he released his grip on the energy gun and joined the laughter over Raul's new ‘face’.
"Okay guys, enough screwing around. Krieger, give me your host samples."
Raul started the initialization phase on the CR47 and removed the host samples from Krieger's thermal pack. There were two teeth and a lock of hair.
"Krieger, are you absolutely sure all three of these items are from the same person? If they aren't, the cloning will be unsuccessful."
"I was told they’re all from the same man."
Raul stared at Krieger and contemplated what options he had. Using more than one host sample was better for a successful cloning, but it was imperative that all the samples were from the same host.
"Okay, I'm going to use all three. Let's hope your information is correct."
Raul was relieved when the initialization phase completed without any complications. He’d paid attention when Maxine and Rollie were cloned but didn't have any idea how to remedy any start-up problems with the CR47. When the samples were loaded, Raul pushed the START button. He stepped back to observe and hoped no error codes appeared on the machine's message screen.
"Krieger, it's been an hour, and everything looks good to me. I'm going to get one of the cloning scientists up here and see what he thinks."
"Can you trust any of them?"
"Yeah. He's been part of the ReLife program since the start and is good friends with Rollie Sweats. The bottom line is that my knowledge of this machine is limited, so we may need an expert’s help."
"Helmer, this is Raul. What are you doing now?"
"Raul, where are you? Do you know everyone is looking for you? I've been asked so many times where you are, I'm thinking about charging a fee for saying, I don't know."
"Yeah, I know that Slice has launched a massive manhunt. What are you doing now? Are you available?"
"I can be. What's up?"
"Come to the cloning lab. I need your help."
"Okay, I'll be there in five minutes."
As Raul waited for Helmer to arrive, the CR47 hummed along, making a replicant of someone the Black Cross thought was important enough to bring back to life.
Raul pointed at the body taking shape in the CR47 and said, "Krieger, do you know who this is going to be?"
"I don't. All I was told is get the clone done and return to Berlin."
Raul found his answer conflicted because Krieger didn't strike him as the type of man to do anything without knowing all the background and reasons. He would have called Krieger a liar but there was no reason to get into an argument. Before this day was over, he might have to rely on Krieger to save the lives of his people escaping from Zurich.
"Do me a favor, Krieger. When you figure out who this is, let me know."
"I will if I can."
Outside the cloning lab, Raul could hear raised voices. Murphy was in the hallway to stop any unwanted guests or intruders.
"Boss, is it okay for Helmer to come in?"
"No problem, Murphy. I asked him to come here."
"Helmer, thanks for coming on such short notice. This is Krieger."
Raul followed Helmer's gaze to the CR47. "I'm making a replicant for Krieger. I'll explain why, later. Helmer, I'm leaving Zurich with Rollie, Easton and a few other people. Do you want to come with us?"
In a matter of thirty seconds, Helmer's life had been turned upside down. He found the CR47 replicating a clone for some g
uy carrying a couple of energy guns in his waistband. Then, Raul tells him that his closest friends and associates at Phoenvartis were leaving Zurich for parts unknown. He knew things had been bad since Slice showed up, but what the hell was this all about? There had to be a lot more to this decision than merely getting away from Slice.
"Can I bring my wife, Raul?"
"Yes."
"I don't know what to say. I want to check with her before giving you an answer. How much time do I have to make a decision?"
"As soon as this clone is done, we're out of here. So, you know, we're leaving because…"
As Raul explained why his group was leaving, Helmer's assistant was busy reporting the latest gossip to Slice's assistant. "Helga, my boss went to the cloning lab. I'm sure he went there to meet Raul Hakala. Something is going on, but I don't know what."
This was the information Helga needed to save her job as executive assistant to the top man at Phoenvartis. She knew that Slice was not happy with her performance. In fact, it seemed like he wasn't impressed with anyone's performance at the company. With this tidbit of information from one of the rumor mill gang, she could get back in his good graces. If she got really lucky, this information might be enough to catapult her to a position at World Council headquarters.
Helga thanked Helmer's assistant and entered Slice's office without waiting for approval.
Slice was obviously irritated by her unwanted intrusion and seemed ready to chew her out but stopped when she announced, "Mr. Slice, I found Raul Hakala for you. He's in the cloning lab."
Slice immediately went into action. "Helga, get those two guys with the lavender berets in here. Then, call Claude and tell him to meet me in the cloning lab." He turned on his UCN network and tapped into the security video system. In less than fifteen seconds he realized the cloning lab video and audio systems were off-line. He then tried to contact the Lieutenant at the facility where Rollie's clone was being held. All he got was a triple pulse sound which indicated the person contacted was unavailable. Raul was obviously up to something which he wanted to keep from prying eyes.
Helga waited for some type of thank you, or acknowledgment for a job well done. Instead, she got a, "Helga, what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!" She turned and left Slice's office in a huff.