Fights with Somatotech, I thought. Roxanne had gone through the same training as I, with one exception. She had completed hand-to-hand combat as well. "What did you do?"
"When?"
"Whenever they decided not to train the rest of us in hand-to-hand combat because of you?" That part of my training at ST went conspicuously missing.
"They installed the electronic submission system after me as well." A wry grin slipped across her lips. "Mrs. Tolbert, that training witch, had been forcing me to say some stupid phrase and I couldn't take it anymore. This was right after my first hand-to-hand training session, and I knew I could incapacitate her, to stop the torture, and so I reacted. I jabbed her just as I hit you near that cell tower, right on the trachea, under the voice box. She lost her balance and crashed through the glass door behind her. Her trachea collapsed, she couldn't breathe.” She paused to take a deep breath and closed her eyes. “And then blood began to seep from the thousands of cuts on her back and head. She died right in front of me. All I wanted to do was stop saying it, I..." She couldn't continue, tears ran down her face and into her mouth. She paused to wipe them away. "She would have died soon anyway."
"Roxanne, that couldn't have happened. Mrs. Tolbert helped trained me; I saw her, I knew her."
She wiped the tears from her face again and replied, "You saw one of the Mrs. Tolberts. By my estimation, there are at least three or four. They keep dying; something about the cloning process doesn't work well with older adults."
"Wait, they’re all clones?”
“Yep, including your beloved Mr. Collins,” she said, sensing my next question.
Mr. Collins, my personal trainer, my friend during capacitation, was a clone?
“So, what do they die of?"
"Cancer. Spreads all over their clone bodies." She paused to wrap the scarf over her face, now dry. "Ironic isn't it? The very therapy that is supposed to cure cancer breeds cancer in the clones it creates, at least in adults. Although who knows, maybe we’ll get it someday as well."
My own health didn’t concern me; I didn’t really have a future anyway. Adult clones are more susceptible to the process for whatever reason, and Mr. Collins had told me he was dying of cancer, he wasn’t lying to me. Maybe Somatotech had actually promised him “the cure” in exchange for my cooperation.
“Well, enough talk, you need practice. Let’s go observe someone.” She smiled and sauntered out of the garage. I followed, and we found a tree near the guesthouse. Red Cloud tinkered with their van’s door below.
Roxanne pointed to him and the pointed to her eyes. I watched his movements, how his muscles contracted and relaxed. He walked over to the guesthouse to retrieve tools. I noticed he pushed off with his left foot when he started walking; also, he was right-handed but preferred his left arm when tightening nuts on the van door. After a few minutes, Roxanne hopped down.
“Hey Red Cloud, wanna spar?” she yelled out and he looked up.
“With you?” He pointed to Roxanne. “No, thanks.” He went back to working on the door.
“Not me, the chosen one.” She pointed to me high up in the tree.
“Hmm, been watching me? Think that little training session with Roxy will make you a better fighter than me?”
“Only one way to find out,” I said and dove out of the tree, rolling out of the landing to a few feet from him. He snorted as if he wasn’t impressed.
“Let’s get this outta the way. I gotta finish this crap.” He gestured at the door then dropped the crescent wrench to the ground. At least he won’t kill me with that hunk of metal, I thought.
“Gentlemen, please take your places in the open field,” said Roxanne, imitating an announcer’s voice.
Adrenaline surged through me as we walked the few yards to open ground. I can do this, I thought. My confidence faded as I noticed Red Cloud’s muscles were at least double the size of mine. He turned around and assumed a fighting position, with one leg in front of him and his chest angled away from me. I readied myself as well, putting my fists up like a boxer. Red Cloud grinned.
“Ding, ding, ding,” said Roxanne, obviously pleased with this little exhibition.
Red Cloud didn’t hesitate. His fists came strong and straight at my face. I blocked the first one by sheer luck, but the second made contact just below my left eye. The impact pushed me back and brought swirling lights to my vision, but I kept my balance and led with my own strike. He blocked it with a simple swipe and led in again, pushing off with his left leg, stepping once before letting his fists fly. I parried to the side and let him try again. Two steps again, opening up a short window that I could take advantage. I let his fist hit me in the chest, knocking me back. I knew exactly how hard he punched and where the force came from. My mind took the data about his style and formulated a plan.
“I know what you’re doing, Coyle. I’m doing the same.” He grinned and stepped back, staring at me. “Who do you think taught me?”
He jumped toward me, pushing off both feet and extending his knee out just as I tried to push him away. His knee rammed into my right shoulder, sending me spinning to the ground. He knew I couldn’t defend that particular attack well, that my left hand didn’t respond as quickly as my right.
“You’re not learning fast enough, Coyle,” he said taking a few steps back to let me up.
Little did he know that my mind loved crunching the data he’d just given me. I put together more moves in my head. I stepped toward him, and he jumped back, placing him on his right foot. He swung as I came closer, but he lacked power because he couldn’t push off his left foot. I easily deflected his punch, jabbed him in the stomach, and followed it up with a sweeping kick to his right leg. As he flipped in the air, I connected two more times, once to his ribs and the other on his back. He landed hard on his shoulder and rolled onto his back, the air knocked clean out of him.
“Oh, I think I’m learning plenty quickly,” I said and extended my hand to help him up. He grabbed it, still gasping for air.
“Solid work, clone of Coyle. You’re ready,” said Roxanne.
“Ready for what?”
“You haven’t forgotten our side of the takedown, have you?”
“Yeah, ‘bout that.” I brushed off the dirt from my pants. “We’ve decided to appeal to the public, Roxanne. Take our story global.”
The smile Roxanne bore from the fight dissolved away, replaced with a stone cold stare.
“Why’s that?” she said monotone.
“I’ve analyzed it over and over. Your tactic will eventually lead to an investigation, just like ours, and it will reveal exactly what we can reveal right now. Why not skip to the real news that can lead to real action?”
“Because our lives as we know it will die with that news, Coyle.” Her eyes bore into mine, but her face showed no emotion.
“Our lives? What lives do we have? We’re clones; we’re living someone else’s life.”
Her eyes shifted slightly, and her heart rate picked up for a millisecond and then returned to an even pace.
I continued, “After we reveal them, you can take off and go into hiding somewhere in South America or the Caribbean. They’ll never find you, you’re smarter than them.” Sure, she could leave, but I intended to be the face of the revolt.
“I’m not running away, Coyle.” She shook her head in disgust.
“It’s not running away. Once we’ve accomplished our goal, we’ll be free.”
“So, just to be clear. You won’t participate in our mission?” she asked while taking a small step toward me.
I shook my head and pursed my lips before speaking, “Sorry, Roxanne, I just don’t think it’s the right way to go.”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she turned to Red Cloud and made a signal with her hands with her back towards me. I couldn’t quite make out the signal with her back turned and the dark of night beginning to grow. It looked as if she swiped from one shoulder down to her flank. Red Cloud walked off after a curt nod.
“OK, clone of Coyle. What’s your plan and how can we help?” She smiled without the slightest hint of deceit.
“Uh, change of heart?” I furrowed my brow and turned my head to the side.
“You’re critical to bringing down Somatotech. If we don’t have you in our mission, we’ll join yours.” She flashed another quick smile.
“But, you just told me our lives would end,” I said, squinting one eye.
“Change of heart, I trust that you know what you’re doing. Plain and simple. So, what’s your plan?”
“OK,” I said slowly. I went through our plan to reach out to the reporter, distribute the video, and publically expose Dr. Tessel at the Nobel Prize ceremony. I didn’t reveal my plan to give myself up. She listened intently without questioning. At times, she even looked bored, as if my plan didn’t register, or maybe she just didn’t care.
“Got it?” I asked, expecting her to want a recap.
“Of course. Would you like it if my crew made a video as well?”
It would be helpful to have more evidence on tape, the more clones, the better, I thought. “Sure, or you could join ours.”
“Deal, we’ll make our own. What’s the timeline?”
“We’ve already made our video and I’m gonna meet up with Gary Middleton tomorrow. I don’t plan on revealing everything to him until I know he’s on our side and not in Somatotech’s pockets.”
“He’s not,” she said abruptly.
“How can you be sure?”
“We know everyone who’s funded by Somatotech, and he’s not.”
I stood there with my mouth slightly agape. Medital has dug deep, from each and every scientist to even investigating the press. Medital held many cards, but I’m sure Somatotech guarded similar info on Medital.
“Well, sounds like I need to get a video together. Come find me when you have other projects for us.” She turned without another word and walked to the guesthouse.
The abruptness of her decisional turn around bothered me as I strolled up to the hacienda. I paused at the door. Something wasn’t right. I glanced back at the guesthouse and saw shadows of the crew walking past the windows. I wondered if the “watch Roxanne” group had set up the surveillance again.
Someone came up from behind and wrapped their hands around my eyes. Each person has distinct breath sounds as the air enters and escapes their lungs, each are unique and inevitable. I could hear a person’s breath sounds from about thirty feet, their heartbeat from about ten. Jamie’s had a quick in breath and longer out breath, with a certain high pitch escaping near the end of exhalation.
"Guess who?"
"Hmmm... someone reckless enough to hang out with an unpredictable clone of her boyfriend."
"You are my boyfriend," she stated.
"But who am I, really?" I took her hands down from my face and spun around to meet her misty eyes.
"You are a human being with feelings, insight, concern, and compassion. A soulless being couldn't express love like you can, Coyle. I know that deep inside.”
“Is it my own soul or the soul of your dead boyfriend?” I turned away and stared out at the lights of Denver.
“Don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that.” She pulled on my shoulder, and I let her turn me around to face her. “My heart isn’t deceived so easily, Coyle. I’ve gotta believe you feel it too, somewhere deep inside, the truth, the truth of our love that started before any of this.”
"Maybe so," I lied and turned away to avoid the pain.
She searched for my eyes, but I avoided her gaze.
“Well, I love you, Coyle Murray.” She slipped her arms through mine and wrapped them around my waist. “I’m headed to bed.” She squeezed. “You should get some sleep as well,” she said and placed a warm hand on the side of my face. Her eyes beamed up at me.
“I don’t really want to. I don’t wanna to connect again with you-know-who,” I said making eye contact and falling for the depth in her eyes.
Her brow furrowed for a moment. “You gotta sleep sometime, Coyle. Just fight that connection. Can I stay up with you for a while?”
I answered with a quick shake of my head to which she turned and moved towards her room down the hall. “Suit yourself. Love you, Coyle Murray,” she said as she continued down the hall. Dang, I’m a lucky guy, I thought, but almost instantly a swift kick of guilt replaced the thought. I suppressed it deep and continued to watch my angel.
Once Jamie stepped out of view, my mind instantly switched to Roxanne’s turnaround. What was the signal she made to Red Cloud? Roxanne wasn’t impulsive with any of her actions but seemed calculated with everything, how could she just change her mind? Was it possible she had been planning for my answer?
I walked out to the back patio and built a fire in the pit. There’s nothing like a crackling fire to draw the pensive mind. I thought about Aedan and Roxanne, how Aedan seemed happier lately, at least with everyone other than me, how Roxanne was probably using him, and how I didn’t have the heart to tell him. My mind also analyzed our contact with Gary Middleton. Could he be trusted? Or, had Somatotech already gotten to him? If they had, we were feeding the beast exactly what it wanted, Dr. Strayer’s report and our plan on how to expose them.
I lasted three hours, mulling over plans, but I couldn’t avoid sleep any longer. My eyelids drooped and then fell. As if a switch flipped on cue, my mind went to him, my other.
The darkness around me forced me to check if my, or rather his, eyes were open. I blinked, and the darkness remained.
“Welcome back, AM1.” I couldn’t see whoever spoke, but I knew it wasn’t Dr. Tessel. I’d recognize his condescending voice anywhere. The man flipped on a small desk lamp and revealed himself. The nose guy with the thick glasses sat behind a metal desk. He squinted his eyes against the bright lamp and slid his glasses up his honker.
“AM1, thank you for connecting again. I removed the block to permit it, but only for a few moments. I’m Dr. Gerter, the lead scientist in the telekinetic department.”
The nasal high pitch of his voice grated on my eardrums. I tried to withdrawal my connection but the same mental block that locked me in before prevented it. He glanced at the computer and frowned.
“Sorry to keep you here, but I needed to speak to you. As you already know, you’re in grave danger, as are your adopted family and friends. All the pain and suffering that will soon come crashing down on you does not have to be. I can end it; end your misery, your torment. Turn yourself in, reverse the pain, and I’ll take care of you. Your very own, Dr. Gerter.”
He shuffled over and kneeled down in front of my other’s head.
“I so wish I could hear your voice right now, AM1, you’re quite the wonder.” His eyes searched my other’s face scanning from eye to eye to nose and mouth. “I hope you know that, I hope you know how unimaginably special you are. That’s why I want to protect you, keep you whole, so… ” He pushed up his sagging glasses. “So we can accomplish great things together.”
The creep placed his hand on my other’s barely-living head, stroking his hair back as if he was petting an animal.
“Think about it AM1, please.” He stood up, walked back to the table, opened a laptop and made a few staccato key strokes. The connection broke, and I awoke instantly in the wooden seat, drenched in sweat.
33 Star Power
I stayed up the rest of the night, terrified that if I slipped back into slumber I’d have to be with that creep again.
Stefan found me on the back porch at 5 a.m.
“Gary Middleton is planning on taking his family to Heritage Square outside Golden, may be a good contact point.”
“Creep up on him while he’s with his family? That may scare him away.”
“True, but these reporters typically have more of a spine than most people. Also, conveniently, the surveillance is down at the alpine slide.” Stefan winked.
“Stefan, you never cease to amaze. Thank you for setting this up.”
&nbs
p; “You’ve been distracted, my young friend. What was that brawl near the guesthouse about?”
“Training. Roxanne showed me a better way to fight.”
“Let’s hope you never need to use it,” he said and gazed out to the mountains. “Coyle, I sometimes look back on my life and the only moments I regret are those when I let my fists decide my future.”
“I’ve already had many of those,” I said, instinctively rubbing the knuckles of my right hand.
He let out a deep breath. “You and your friends, you’ve seen too much and, unfortunately, there’s no going back.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve passed a threshold. Medital knows where we are and what we do. Somatotech clearly also knows our doings. Sooner or later they will find us if we don’t bring them down. But, regardless, our time here at the hacienda is running out. We need an escape plan.”
“Do you have somewhere you can go?”
“Me? Don’t you mean we?”
“Stefan, once this hits the press and once the police become involved I’m going to be arrested or captured in some way. I’ll never speak of you or the group, and I’ll likely never see you again.”
He let out another heavy sigh. “We do have a place; it’s off of—”
“Don’t tell me. I want to be able to deny any knowledge truthfully.”
“Do you want me to come to Heritage Square?”
“Yeah, I’d like the company.” I smiled just as he slapped me on the shoulder.
“Let’s do it,” he said and pulled car keys out of his pocket.
We drove to the Heritage Square’s parking lot a half an hour before Gary and his family arrived. We had a crew following him from his home in Parker. Stefan remained at the base of the slide and hid himself behind a nearby grove of trees.
Rather than take the ski-slope style lift up to the top, I ascended among the trees and waited for them at the top.
“Heads up, T-minus two minutes,” Stefan called over the radio. I stayed out of sight from the attendants and waited.
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