by Ryk Brown
“To what end?” Jessica asked, still confused.
“It was not about an end,” Sora replied, “it was about the science. The eventual cloning was done out of desperation, as all of the survivors of the plague were left sterile.” The doctor shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “But you did not come to discuss the history of Nifelm.”
“No, I did not,” Jessica admitted. “I seek a favor. I wish to save a life. The life of a very close friend.”
“From what illness does this friend suffer?” the doctor asked. “We can easily clone failing organs and tissues.”
“I’m afraid the problem is greater than that. I seek to have my friend cloned, using a small tissue sample.”
“I see,” Sora replied, leaning back in her chair, seeming awkward herself. “And who is this person you wish us to clone?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“No matter,” Doctor Donly said. “The answer would be the same, regardless. I am afraid we cannot help you.”
Jessica was surprised. “Doctor…” she began, hoping to change Sora’s mind.
“It is not a matter of not wanting to help you; it is a matter of being unable to do so.”
“I don’t understand.”
Doctor Donly sighed, obviously frustrated with her position. “Nifelmians have been genetically altered, through numerous cloning cycles, in order to facilitate the consciousness transfer. Without such alterations, all memories, education, training…they were all lost during the transfer process. The problem set us back centuries, as each time we were cloned, we had to relearn all that we once knew. I’m afraid your friend would be no more than an empty shell, if even that. That would be a fate worse than death, I’m afraid.”
“Isn’t there any way around that problem?” Jessica pleaded.
“That is precisely what the Jung were forcing us to try to solve,” Sora explained. “They too were unwilling to accept the limitations. They wanted immediate immortality for their warrior and leadership castes. But there was none.”
“Is there nothing you can do?”
“Perhaps in time a solution will be found, but for now, it is simply not possible for us to create a fully functional clone of a non-Nifelmian, complete with the source host’s memories and personality intact.”
“What if the source host, my friend, agreed to the risk?”
“The answer would still be the same. I am sorry, Miss Nash. We are not the solution to your problem.” Doctor Donly studied her guest’s body language in response to her flat refusal. She could see the disappointment in the young woman’s eyes. “I am truly sorry.”
“Thank you,” Jessica replied quietly after a few moments. “Thank you for your time,” she added as she rose.
“Would you like someone to show you out?” the doctor inquired as she stood.
“No, thank you,” Jessica replied politely. “I can find my way out.”
“I do hope you find a way to save your friend,” Doctor Donly said, offering her crossed hands again.
“Thank you,” Jessica said, shaking the doctor’s hands. “Good day.”
“Good day.”
Jessica turned and exited the chief administrator’s office, moving quickly through the outer office and into the corridor. After a few steps back towards the building’s entrance, Jessica paused, then turned around. She looked around, pretending to be confused, before continuing down the corridor. However, she was not headed for the exit, and she knew it. She was headed deeper into the facility.
* * *
Naralena was led into the same secure conference room, with no more details than Jessica had received. “Commander?” she queried, barely able to make out the silhouette of a man standing against the back wall of the dimly lit room. The sound of the door lock and the crackling of a faint voice over the man’s comm-set followed, after which the man stepped forward into the light.
“My apologies for the clandestine nature of our meeting,” Commander Telles said. “I assure you, it was necessary.”
“I was told you needed help translating some obscure Jung dialect?”
“It seemed a logical cover story, considering your linguistic talents.”
“What is this all about, Commander?” Naralena asked, a look of suspicion on her face.
“Tell me, Miss Avakian, are you planning on returning to the Pentaurus sector?”
“I was, yes. Why do you ask?”
“Might I ask why?”
“It is my home,” she replied curtly.
“No other reason?”
“I wasn’t aware that I needed to explain my reasons to anyone.”
“You do not, of course. I assure you, I only ask out of curiosity.”
“A curious Ghatazhak?”
“Please, indulge me,” Commander Telles begged.
“Well, if you must know, I am leaving because I do not feel I have anything else to contribute. With the addition of the Cetians, the Alliance now has more than enough people who speak Jung, and most of the core worlds speak English as well as their native languages. Besides, I have been away from home for some time now. It is time to find a more peaceful lifestyle.”
“Settle down? Start a family?”
“Perhaps.” Naralena was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the commander’s line of questioning. “I’m assuming there is a point to all of this?”
“What if there was still something you could contribute? Something very important. And although I cannot tell you what it is, I can say that if you knew, you would want to help in any way possible.”
“I would be suspicious, to say the least.”
“Rightfully so,” the commander agreed.
“And what would I have to do?” Naralena wondered.
“Teach me to speak fluent Jung.”
Naralena’s eyebrow went up. “How long do I have to accomplish this task?”
“I cannot be sure,” the commander admitted. “However, I suspect that time is of the essence.”
“Jung is a complex language, Commander.”
“I am a fast learner, Miss Avakian.”
“I see. And am I to know why you are learning Jung?”
“It would be better if you did not.”
“I would need to know where you plan on using the language. There are local nuances that could pose problems in certain situations.”
Commander Telles studied her for a moment. “It would be safer, for you, if you did not know that, either.”
“I’m afraid I must,” Naralena insisted. “That is, if you want to be able to speak like a native.”
“I see.” The commander contemplated his options for a brief moment, realizing that he had none. “You are to speak of this to no one. Do you understand?”
“I do.”
“Very well. I shall be going to Nor-Patri.”
A smile came over Naralena’s face. “You are correct, Commander.”
“About what?”
“I do want to help.”
“Then shall we get started?” the commander suggested, taking a seat.
* * *
Jessica walked up the Mirai’s aft cargo ramp, looking like she wanted to kill someone.
“Uh-oh,” Marcus mumbled.
“What happened?” Loki wondered, almost afraid to ask, based on the look on Jessica’s face.
“They turned us down, that’s what happened,” Jessica replied angrily.
“Why?”
“Some bullshit about not being able to transfer the source host’s memories and shit.”
“What? I thought they do that all the time here,” Josh said.
“They do, but only with Nifelmians,” Jessica explained as she reached the top of the ramp a
nd entered the cargo bay. “Apparently, the Nifelmians have been genetically altered to work with whatever apparatus they use to transfer their consciousness and memories from one body to the next.”
“What happens if they try to clone non-Nifelmians?”
“‘A fate worse than death,’” Jessica replied dryly. “At least, that’s how the chief administrator put it. He’d be an empty shell.”
“What are we gonna do?” Josh wondered.
“I’ve got half a mind to go kidnap a couple of them and force them to go with us, but I don’t think that will work.” Jessica plopped down on one of the cargo crates. “Besides, there were like a thousand pairs of eyes on me everywhere I went. It’s kind of hard to blend in when you’re the black sheep.”
“The what?” Loki asked.
“There are only two hundred and fifty-six different types of clones on this world, and apparently, none of them look anything like me.”
“Really?” Josh moved toward the cargo ramp, wanting to look outside. “That’d be something to see.” He turned back toward Jessica. “How many of those two hundred and fifty-six are women?”
“Josh,” Loki scolded.
“Are they hot?”
“Shut your yap, kid!” Marcus warned.
“Maybe there’s someone else you could talk to?” Loki suggested. “Did you tell them it was Captain Scott that you wanted to rescue?”
“I couldn’t take the chance,” Jessica replied.
“This is probably going to sound stupid,” Marcus warned, “but what’s wrong with an empty shell?”
Jessica cast a disapproving look toward him.
“Seriously. Why can’t we just rescue the captain, and leave an empty shell behind in his place?”
“Wouldn’t the Jung figure out something was amiss when they found a comatose clone in his cell?” Loki said.
“Just kill the clone before we go. Make it look like he killed himself.”
“It’s going to be hard enough to just get to Nathan,” Jessica said, “let alone to haul a comatose clone along with us.”
“I’m confused,” Josh admitted.
“What else is new,” Marcus quipped.
“How were you planning on pulling this off to begin with?” Josh continued, paying no attention to Marcus.
“We didn’t really have a plan just yet. We didn’t have enough information on the whole cloning process to formulate one. My job was to secure their assistance, and gather intel so that we could formulate a plan. All we know for sure is that we need to make the Jung believe that Nathan is dead.”
“Then my idea would still work,” Marcus insisted. “Get a clone of the captain, leave it in his cell on the Jung homeworld, then blow it the fuck up. The Jung will find his DNA in the rubble, right?”
“And why did his cell just suddenly blow up?” Jessica wondered.
“Like I said, a dumb idea.”
“Pardon me,” a faint voice called from the bottom of the cargo ramp.
Josh spun around to look, as Jessica quickly rose from her seat to look down the cargo ramp.
“I am looking for a young, brown-haired…” The cloaked woman at the bottom of the ramp stopped mid-sentence, spying Jessica at the top of the ramp. “I believe it is you that I seek.”
“What can I do for you?” Jessica asked cautiously.
“May I come aboard?” the cloaked woman asked meekly.
“Why?”
“I must speak with you,” the woman said nervously. She looked to either side, making sure she was not being watched. “I believe I can help. May I?”
“Sure,” Jessica replied.
The woman cast another furtive glance around, and then moved quickly up the ramp.
“I’m Jessica Nash,” Jessica greeted, offering the traditional crossed-arm Nifelmian handshake to the young woman as she entered the cargo bay.
The woman removed the hood of her cloak, allowing it to fall to her back. She was a petite woman, with barely noticeable oriental features. “I am Michi Sato,” she said, shaking Jessica’s hands. “You wish to clone someone not of this world?”
“Where did you hear that?” Jessica wondered, not wanting to admit anything just yet.
“I have a friend who works in the administrator’s office. It was a most unusual request.”
“Why did your friend tell you?” Jessica asked.
“I was forced to work for the Jung for many years.”
“Doing what?”
“Trying to devise a way to transfer their consciousness to a new host, the same way we do for Nifelmians.”
“I was told it was impossible,” Jessica said. “Or at the very least, that it would take centuries to accomplish.”
“You are not Jung, are you?”
“Are you kidding?” Josh blurted out.
Michi looked at him, brows furrowed at his outburst.
“No, we’re not Jung,” Jessica assured her. “In fact, we’re from the Aurora…or at least, we were.”
“I do not understand,” Michi said, looking confused herself.
“The Aurora is the ship that liberated Nifelm from the Jung. I was the one firing the ship’s weapons on the day you were liberated.”
“I had a feeling…”
“You said you could help?” Jessica asked quickly, getting impatient.
“Perhaps we should talk somewhere more private?” Michi suggested, looking back at the open cargo bay doors and the ramp beyond.
“Close it up,” Jessica instructed Marcus.
Marcus stepped over to the ramp control panel and punched the button. Two minutes later, the ramp was fully retracted, and the doors were closed.
“I am a doctor in the cloning facility. It is my job to grow the clones. To bring them to maturity, so they can receive consciousness from the source host.”
“Not to be rude, but what’s the point?” Jessica asked impatiently.
“Before I continue, I must know who it is you wish to clone.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that,” Jessica replied. “I’d be putting your life at great risk.”
“My career is already at risk simply by being here, speaking to you,” Michi insisted. She looked deeply into Jessica’s eyes. “Besides, I believe I already know who it is you wish to clone.”
Jessica glanced at Marcus.
“Don’t look at me,” Marcus said, “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“We have heard of Captain Scott’s noble sacrifice. If he is, indeed, the one you wish to save from death, I wish to help.”
“I’m not saying you’re right,” Jessica warned, “but let’s just say, for the sake of discussion, that you are. Why would you help us?”
“Because Captain Scott saved us all,” Michi replied seriously.
“Then why didn’t the administrator want to help?” Jessica wondered. “He saved her life as well.”
“Perhaps she suspected you to be a Jung spy?” Michi suggested. “After all, we have been lying to the Jung for decades.”
“Then you can clone a non-Nifelmian,” Jessica surmised.
“It is possible, yes,” Michi admitted. “However, there is significant risk, and I cannot promise a successful outcome.”
“But it is possible?”
“Theoretically, yes. But it may take some time.”
“Unfortunately, time is something we don’t have much of,” Jessica replied. She looked at Michi. “How much time are you talking about?”
“It takes two years to grow a clone to maturity.”
“We’d be lucky to have two weeks,” Jessica said. “There’s no way his trial will go on for two years.”
“There may be another way,” Michi told them.
&n
bsp; * * *
“I think I have a few candidates for you,” Jessica announced, as she entered Commander Telles’s office on Porto Santo. “Burgess, in the Sherma system, seems like the best choice so far, but it is a bit far from the Pentaurus cluster.” Jessica closed the door behind her as she continued speaking. “Then again, that might be an advantage, you never know.”
Commander Telles nodded. “The room is secured,” he told her.
“The Nifelmians won’t help us,” Jessica said, changing topics on the fly, now that she knew no one could hear them. “At least, not officially.”
“I feared as much.”
“The chief administrator of their primary cloning facility gave me a bunch of excuses. The bottom line is that they claim the process is only successful on Nifelmians. Something to do with the way their brains have been reengineered over time. That’s what the Jung were trying to force them to solve.”
“You said, not officially.”
“After I got back to the Mirai, a young lady approached us. Doctor Michi Sato. She grows clones, or something. She explained it all to me. The chief administrator is sticking to her story because she’s afraid, if the Jung find out the Nifelmians have been exaggerating the problem, they’ll come back even stronger than before. I can’t say that I blame her, really.”
“So, non-Nifelmians can be cloned?”
“They can, but it is far more risky. Again, something about the way their brains have been reconfigured to work with the consciousness transfer system.”
“Will it work on Captain Scott?” Commander Telles asked directly.
“The best odds Doctor Sato could give me were fifty-fifty,” Jessica explained.
“What does that mean?”
“Fifty-fifty chance Nathan will come out not remembering anything. Perhaps not even his name.”
Commander Telles sighed. “Better than his current odds.”
“There’s another problem, though,” Jessica continued. “It takes two years to grow a clone to maturity. They can do it faster, but they would need specialized facilities, and the odds of a successful transfer of Nathan’s consciousness and personality would be even worse.”
