World War E-Book

C. M. Dancha

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Winds of war sweep across Europe.

The cloning company Phoenvartis has launched an inquisition of torture and murder, threatening to take over the entire planet.

After a revolutionary group gains access to the cloning machine, they plan to revive a madman from the 20th century. Meanwhile, the previously cloned Founding Father and a group of former Phoenvartis employees flee to the central highlands of Vietnam.

From their jungle base, they form a coalition of freedom-loving patriots from around the world. But can the forces of democracy beat fascism - or will evil triumph and release a plague upon mankind?

Leseprobe

WORLD WAR

THE RELIFE PROJECT BOOK 2

C.M. DANCHA

CONTENTS

Other Books by C. M. Dancha

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Request

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About the Author

Copyright (C) 2016 Charles Dancha

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2022 by Next Chapter

Published 2022 by Next Chapter

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

OTHER BOOKS BY C. M. DANCHA

The ReLife Project – 2156 (Volume 1)

The Buttputty Gang – The Mystery Begins (Volume 1)

The Buttputty Gang – In Trouble Again (Volume 2)

The Buttputty Gang – Versus Evil (Volume 3)

Found-(Volume 1)

Ten Light-Years to Insanity

Killing Gimpy

Scarpelli’s Heist

Thanks to my enthusiastic supporters.

CHAPTERONE

"Ekstrom, can you hear me?"

The full-body suit laying in the hospital bed groaned something that sounded like "Uh-huh".

"Mr. Ekstrom, I'm Jason Milkweed. I'm an investigator with the Medical Examiner's office. I know you're not feeling well but I'd like to ask you a few questions about the blast at the Opulenz apartments last night. Are you able to answer my questions, Mr. Ekstrom?"

Not feeling well? Was this kid joking? Klaus relished some pain in his life occasionally, but this was far beyond masochistic enjoyment. Every damn bone and muscle felt as if it had been removed from his body and beat on a brick wall. And the pulsating heat on his face and across much of his upper body was almost unbearable.

Thank God for the opiate-based numbing gas delivered to his skin by the DACS suit he laid in. The DACS was another brilliant product invented and marketed by Phoenvartis. It was a major leap forward in dealing with burn victims with broken bones and torn muscles who had to remain stationary during convalescence. The computerized suit was an automated, opaque polyvision shell. It delivered pain relief, cooling, and healing drugs to the skin while prohibiting the patient from moving around. When a doctor wanted to look closely or touch the patient, he could open it up like a clamshell. Klaus had no idea he would be wearing one five years after he approved the suit for release to the marketplace. If it wasn't for the DACS suit he would demand to be euthanized.

He fought through the pain of taking a deep breath to answer. All he could muster was a whisper. "Noooo. Hurt too much."

"I understand, Mr. Ekstrom. What if you raise one finger for ‘yes’ and two fingers for ’no’? Can you do that, sir?"

Klaus raised one finger. He would rather sleep but the kid was taking his mind off the pain. He sure hoped this kid was an investigator and not some government lackey honing his interviewing skills on a crime victim.

Klaus strained his eyes to get a good look at the kid. Luckily, he’d looked away from the blast milli-seconds before the detonation. Thus, the burns to his eyes were minor and would heal in short order.

If it wasn't for the excruciating pain, he'd swear he was in heaven. The kid had the face of an angel. His skin was smooth as silk without a flaw, mole, or birthmark. Klaus couldn't see any facial hair, not even peach fuzz. Put this kid in a white robe and he'd pass easily for one of God's flying servants. Of course, Klaus didn't believe in God, so he found a little humor thinking the kid better keep his day job as an investigator.

"Mr. Ekstrom, were you at the Opulenz apartments to see someone?"

Klaus raised a finger. Milkweed continued. "Mr. Ekstrom, I'm going to say the names of residents at the Opulenz. When I get to the person you were there to see, please raise a finger. Okay? Mr. Stevens, Mr. Crouthamner, a Laslo Trinklett, Ms. Sophia…" Before Milkweed could pronounce the last name, Klaus raised his finger.

"Very good. Was she a friend?" As he raised a finger, Klaus realized the kid was referring to Sophia in the past tense. Was she dead?

"Did she work at Phoenvartis?" A single finger went up.

"Was she your girlfriend?" Klaus guessed Sophia was dead, so he raised two fingers for the first time. He could feel the drugs taking over again and the shadows of sleep starting to crowd out his consciousness. He only heard the first half of Milkweed's next question before slipping into a dream reliving the events of the night before.

He saw himself standing in the shadows across the street from the Opulenz, watching Rollie and Sophia arrive arm in arm. He’d never considered himself an envious person but their kissing in front of the apartment building was enough to ignite a flame of jealousy. He couldn't wait to get into her apartment to teach her another lesson. This one would be about faithfulness to the person who paid for her luxurious living arrangements.

He didn't bother to knock on her apartment door. He passed his palm over the security panel to release the lock and open it. At first, he didn't see anyone but then noticed a pair of feet wearing women's shoes sticking out from behind the living room couch. That was the last thing he remembered until waking in the hospital emergency room for a few seconds. The nurses were injecting him with numerous drugs, so the doctors could work on his body while he was numb. The drugs took hold and he faded back into semi-consciousness. For several minutes, he listened to the nurses talk about some fellow who would be a hideous-looking cripple for the rest of his life.

When Milkweed didn't get a response to his next question, he looked through the eye holes in the DACS suit and saw that Ekstrom was asleep. He was amazed that Ekstrom could answer any questions considering his condition. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Leaving the apartment door open had saved his life. The blast catapulted him through the doorway and down the hallway for forty feet. If the door had been closed there would have been another murder victim in the Opulenz bombing.

So much for collecting information to solve the murder. He would have to wait until Ekstrom was in better shape to talk. With luck, there would be better days ahead for Klaus Ekstrom. In the meantime, Milkweed would concentrate on the other person of interest and the charred remains of the victim.

There were already some clues discovered in the burned-out apartment. Most were identified by the Fire Investigator.

Apartment 4A was occupied by a Sophia Groetschow. It was ground zero for the blast. Fragments from combination explosive-incendiary devices were found attached to permanent fixtures on the perimeter walls of the apartment. In all, there were six devices, each pointing at a 30-degree angle toward the middle of the apartment. When detonated, these devices decimated virtually every square inch of the entryway, kitchen, and living room.

The Fire Investigator had determined there were no tripwires or timing devices. This meant the explosives were set off remotely by someone outside the apartment. Milkweed needed to learn who that person was. But first, he needed to identify the charred remains of the dead woman found in the apartment.

The corpse was burned beyond recognition on her posterior. The only reason he knew the victim's sex was because the vaginal passage remained partially intact. There was less damage to the woman's front side which told Milkweed she was lying face-down at the time of the explosion. It was obvious that she had made no effort to move after the bulk of the blast passed over her. He expected further forensics work to show she was either dead or unconscious before the blast and fire.

Other than being female, the only clue found on the corpse was a chain of black pearls around her neck. These weren't fake or imitation pearls; they were the real thing. Much too expensive for a mid-level executive at Phoenvartis to afford. They were lavish, just like the Opulenz apartment. Both were way out of reach for a single woman with no other means of support other than a ‘so-so’ salary from Phoenvartis. Milkweed made a note to himself to find out who paid the lease on the apartment.

As Milkweed sat at a table in the hospital cafeteria having lunch and making notes, Sophia was winding her way through the Tyrolean Alps. She boarded a magnetic float train in Zurich. The first two hours were spent changing her appearance from a brunette with shoulder-length, curly hair to a blonde with a pageboy cut. Her stylish clothes were discarded and replaced with ratty, blue-collar work clothes. She made sure to wear only clothes scrubbed of all government tracking devices. Years of living underground taught her that people ignored and avoided anyone who looked poor. That's exactly what she wanted; to move unnoticed among the masses anywhere in the world.

She no longer had a micro monitoring device lodged in one of her kidneys. Before her entire family was interned by the central government, her father found a qualified surgeon who removed the devices from Sophia and her brother. Without the micro monitor, she wouldn't have to worry about the World Government tracking her movements and activities. All she needed to do was live a conservative, reserved life. Simply keep to herself and avoid the thousands of government snitches. These bottom-feeders were everywhere and profited by reporting citizens who appeared to live beyond their means.

Every so often she looked at or felt the five-inch-long scar on her backside just above the buttocks. Until the recent beating by Klaus, it was the only noticeable scar on her body. It had faded over the years but could still be seen by anyone looking closely. Rollie was her only lover who noticed and affectionately caressed the scar. He knew why it was there but didn't say one word about it.

Her first destination was Innsbruck in the former country of Austria. She would stay there for a couple of weeks, skiing, dining, shopping, and getting plenty of rest. She would check into a modest hotel and start to give some thought to her immediate future.

She was torn between going home to Moldova or heading north to Germany. Going to either or both destinations would be for the express purpose of killing a foe. In Moldova, it was her former boyfriend, who turned her anti-government group into the central government for a reward. He’d escaped her vengeance years before but this time he wouldn't be so lucky.

In Germany, she would track down and take care of that foul-mouth prick known as Mr. Sun. She had already won a partial victory by stealing his twenty-five percent World Credit down payment. But that wasn't enough. She dreamed about running a knife over his throat and watching the expression on his face when she introduced herself as Catherine, his former contact at Phoenvartis.

Now, she had the element of surprise on her side. But it wouldn't be long before the authorities in Zurich identified the body in her apartment. They would realize it wasn’t Sophia. The corpse belonged to the missing Phoenvartis employee who filled in for sick and vacationing employees.

It was a shame Claudette died in the explosion. She was a sweetheart and one of the few people at Phoenvartis who Sophia socialized with. Sophia imagined her in heaven, standing too close to God as she jibber-jabbered his ear off.

She pushed the green button on the relaxachair which inflated it into a full-size bed. She stretched out on the bed wondering how a bag of air could be so comfortable. She took the thermal shell out of her escape bag and had a few nibbles of the dinner she hadn’t eaten the night before.

Falling asleep didn't come easy. She thought about Rollie and how there was a hole in her heart for him. This separation was going to be the most difficult of her life. It wasn't often that she connected with a man who was so charming, caring, and considerate. She gradually convinced herself that it was a good thing that Rollie turned down her offer to flee Zurich together. Rollie was tolerant, but would never agree to take part in the assassinations she planned. He was too much of a humanitarian to tag along and put up with a killer.

It was true that she pursued Rollie because of his position in the ReLife project. But it didn't take long before she realized what a gentle soul he possessed and how it influenced everything he did in life. He had a genuine passion for life, and it could be seen and heard by the way he treated others. Even the way he treated the puppy showed what a softy he was. And the way his eyes watered, and he stumbled over his words describing Callie and Maxine's death, was heart-wrenching.

The magnetic float train was exceptionally quiet compared to the old trains which ran on rails. The only sound this one made was repetitious drumming in the undercarriage as the opposing fields in the magnets made contact and then released. The percussive sound was perfect to drown out loud-mouthed passengers and kids playing in the hallways.

Before falling asleep she needed to think through what happened the previous night. Someone was trying to kill her and the faster she figured out who that someone was, the better her chance of survival.

She replayed her memory back to when Rollie dropped her off at the Opulenz. Her peripheral vision picked up a slight movement across the street when she reached up to kiss him goodnight. She had a bad feeling about whoever was standing in the shadows.

Once she passed the lobby, she ran to her apartment, taking the stairwell instead of the transport. She unlocked the entry door and tiptoed over to the window facing the street. With the lights off, she separated the window blind slats and looked down. A figure materialized from the shadows and then walked across the street toward the Opulenz. It looked like Klaus Ekstrom, but she wasn't sure.

She didn't want to deal with this lunatic again. He had access to her apartment, so she grabbed her getaway bag and headed to the entrance door. Halfway there she tripped over something lying on the floor. There was only enough light coming through the window to see it was a woman's body. It looked like Claudette, the fill-in employee from work she’d befriended. She checked for a pulse but found none. That was the last reason she needed to leave Rollie, Phoenvartis, and Zurich.

She ran into the hallway and headed for the stairwell. As the door shut behind her, she heard the lift bell ring which indicated the intruder had made it to her floor. She hurried down the stairway, jumping two to three steps at a time. As she reached the ground floor a tremendous blast rocked the entire building. It was powerful enough to throw her against a nearby wall. She could tell by the sound that it originated on an upper floor and wasn’t an accident or ‘act of God’. This was the sound of an explosion set by a human. She had heard many of these during her revolutionary terrorist days. Simple deduction told her that someone was gunning for her.

She ran into the lobby, hoping the building wouldn't collapse before she made it to the street. She didn’t stop running until she got to the train station.

Her eyelids were slowly closing, but she was still conscious enough to ask herself a couple of pointed questions which might help identify the killer stalking her. First, did she know the killer or was he a professional contract killer? Secondly, how did he get into her apartment to set the explosives? Lastly, did she know anyone with enough experience with explosives to create a kill zone in her apartment?

After some deductive reasoning, she concluded the killer was probably someone she knew. Somehow, the killer found out she would be gone to meet Rollie for dinner. And there were a couple of people who she thought had the expertise to set kill zones and bypass security entry systems.

She added up the speculative guesses and it pointed to two possible suspects. But her suspect list fell apart when she tried to figure out the motive for killing her. As far as she could reason, neither of the suspects benefited from her death. And conversely, none of them were harmed in any way by her staying alive. What could be their motive for killing her? It didn't make any sense. And it made even less sense when Claudette was added to the equation. Why would the killer drag her into an assassination ‘hit’?

She gave up trying to identify her killer. She needed to rethink this entire situation. There had to be more clues that she was overlooking, but that could be done later.

The last thing which crossed her mind before falling asleep was what happened to Klaus. She hoped the blast took him apart and he’d died a slow, agonizing death.

CHAPTERTWO

GETTING TO KNOW A NEW WORLD

"What do you mean the clone was a man?

"Mr. Slice, you know I wouldn't lie to you. The replicant we took out of the CR47 an hour ago was a man. I don't know who he was but believe me, I know a penis and scrotum when I see them."

Slice was infuriated. The ReLife project had been a constant thorn in his ass for over two years. Several years ago, when he and the other World Council members first heard of ReLife they found the idea tantalizing and supported it. It fit perfectly with a couple of projects they had wrestled unsuccessfully with for years. If human cloning could become a reality, the World Council's leadership and geopolitical problems would be solved. He was so pleased when he was assigned oversight of ReLife by the Council. Now, two years later, he regretted the day he first heard that Phoenvartis had a way to produce human clones.

It was one roadblock after another. Direct sabotage of the CR47 incubator followed by manipulation of the ReLife schedule. Then the incubator was used to unnecessarily recreate an ape who was killed along with a consulting scientist from the Congo, a very important scientist who wielded a good amount of influence in central Africa.

Slice mistakenly believed things couldn't get worse. The mismanagement of ReLife had to get better after Klaus Ekstrom was severely injured in a bombing at his girlfriend's apartment. The girlfriend who was a mole for a revolutionary group in Europe. The same woman who collected intelligence on ReLife by sleeping with Phoenvartis executives.

When Claude called, he was ecstatic to hear the clone was a perfect human reproduction. This euphoria lasted until Claude announced that the clone was a man, not a woman. What happened to the female remains he’d personally packaged and sent to Klaus?

The woman's body parts were rare, and the only samples known to exist. Someone had obviously switched host samples. He cared less about the clone who was replicated than his host samples. He needed to find those samples, otherwise, most of the World Council's goals would go up in smoke. This was in addition to the credibility he was losing with his peers on the World Council every time something went wrong. He didn't want to think about the consequences of not finding her samples.

Things had spiraled out of control and Slice would have to take a more direct role in the continuation of ReLife. "Claude, here's what I want you to do. First, take several images of the male clone and send them to me. Next, I want you to spend as much time with Rollie Sweats as possible. He is most likely the leading candidate for being the culprit who switched the host samples. It's critical that I find those samples. It will be a big feather in your cap if you can discover what Sweats did with the World Council host samples."

By the time Slice finished, Claude had a list of a half-dozen assignments. The most important was shadowing Rollie to find the World Council samples. He didn't know what Slice meant by a ‘big feather in your cap’ but assumed there was a major reward for finding the missing samples. None of the six assignments were dangerous or difficult, but all would take time to complete.

"Claude, do you have any questions about what I want?"

"Mr. Slice, I understand completely. But I do have one question. With my uncle in the hospital, who will run Phoenvartis?"

Slice wanted to tell Claude the truth by saying his uncle never had control of the company. He had been a failure from day one who let the inmates run the prison and allowed his sexual deviance to taint good judgment and leadership.

"Claude, I'm running Phoenvartis. For the time being, you'll be my eyes and ears at Phoenvartis. Maybe sometime in the future, you can assume a bigger role in the company's management and direction."

There was another subtle hint from Slice that he might be an upper management candidate. "How are you going to direct the company from England, or wherever you are?”

"I'll be there on campus quite a bit in the future. Do you have any further questions?"

"No, that's all, Mr. Slice."

"Good. Keep an eye on things and report daily to me. The ReLife project is the most important thing. Report everything related to ReLife. Understand?"

Before Claude could respond, Slice broke the connection. He had a World Council meeting to attend in twenty minutes and needed time to prepare. He brought up the auto-secretary feature on his CPS station and spoke a letter into it.

To: Phoenvartis Associates

From: Your World Council

We are deeply sorry to report that your company CEO, Klaus Ekstrom, has been injured in a terrorist bombing. This is another unfortunate example of the mentally deranged who walk among us. These terrorists want to destroy the safe and pleasant living conditions all law-abiding citizens enjoy throughout the world. Your World Council will hunt down and bring to justice those responsible for this anarchy and crimes against society. Rest assured, we are very concerned about your safe and secure existence.

During Mr. Ekstrom's convalescence, our representative, Mr. Sedgewick Slice, will be directing the day-to-day activities at Phoenvartis. He will arrive on campus within the next week. We expect you to follow Mr. Slice's direction to a new level of superior performance. Remember, your cooperation affects the lives of all citizens.

Slice sat back and reread his letter several times. When he was satisfied with the content and wording, he left his office for the World Council meeting. It wasn't going to be easy explaining another failure to his peers. For a moment, he considered not saying anything about the clone being a man instead of their female host. It took about two seconds to see the stupidity of that thought. With the number of snitches each member of the Council had, there was zero chance of the clone screw-up staying secret. There was a good chance the Council already knew the clone was a man, considering how fast news leaked out of Phoenvartis.

As Slice took the podium to present his report on the clone debacle, Rollie was sitting in the primate lab observing the only human clone on the planet. The replicant had awakened about a half-hour earlier. It took over twenty minutes for the cobwebs to clear enough so he could attempt lifting off the temperature-controlled bed. His arms and legs were weak from non-use and he was in his third attempt to reach a sitting position. The exercise equipment Raul put in the primate lab was going to get a lot of use.

Rollie was the only team member in the lab with the replicant. The remaining team members were behind a one-way window watching and recording everything taking place in the lab. There was a unanimous belief that only one person should greet the replicant when he woke up. Having more than one team member might result in some type of sensory overload. The last thing they needed was the first human clone freaking out in fear or withdrawal.

Claude returned to the observation room after contacting Slice. "Has he said anything yet?"

"No, he's trying to get off the bed. It's like watching a new colt trying to stand up after birth."

At that moment, the clone swung his legs off the bed and sat erect. His arms crossed over his lap and his head hung forward on his chest. He stayed in that position for five minutes, building up enough energy to raise his head and scan the lab.

When his eyes fell upon Rollie, he asked, "Does thou have wine?"

Rollie didn't know whether to laugh or be serious. He hadn’t expected the clone to speak a variation of older English and make wine his first request. He could understand how a replicant might ask for something to drink, but wine? What was that all about? This guy, whoever he was, obviously had a love for the nectar squeezed and fermented from grapes.

"White or red?"

"Red, kind sir."

Rollie activated his micromic and spoke to Raul. "Can you have one of your guys get a bottle of Merlot or Cab and bring it down here, pronto?"

Without thinking, Raul responded loudly enough so the replicant could overhear his response. "Will do, Rollie."

The replicant's eyes doubled in size. "Sir, there are ghosts or evil spirits in the room with us?"

"No, I asked a friend to bring your wine." Rollie paused for a moment to think about how to explain Raul's voice to the replicant. He finally elected to try the truth, even though it would sound stranger than a lie.

Rollie stood up, walked over to the one-way window, and turned back to the replicant. "Behind this window are a few men like me. You can't see them because the glass is only one-way. But they can see you."

He then walked toward the replicant and continued his explanation. "This little device on my collar is how I talk to the men behind the one-way window. You heard me request your wine and then one of them responded with “Will Do, Rollie”. In other words, a man on the other side of that window is retrieving your wine now. And, by the way, my name is Rollie."

The two men stared at each other for what seemed like an hour. Rollie wondered if his explanation made any sense to the replicant. And the replicant was trying to decide if the man who spoke strangely was mentally ill, playing a prank, or drunk. Whatever this man's ploy, the replicant realized he was in no condition to overpower his jailer. He felt very weak and hoped the wine was really on its way. Besides, if he could escape, where could he go buck-naked?

Their staring contest was interrupted by Raul. "Rollie, I've put the wine in the interlock. You'll find glasses and a corkscrew in the kitchen area."

The replicant looked toward Rollie's shirt collar which is where he thought the phantom sounds came from. Maybe that part of the jailer's story was true.

"Thanks, Raul."

Rollie retrieved the bottle of wine and poured a glass for the clone. In two gulps the clone drained the glass and held it out for a refill. This time, Rollie doubled the amount in the glass. The replicant took another large drink and then put the glass on the floor between his feet. The wine seemed to have invigorated him and given him enough energy to stand up. He wrapped the bedsheet around his naked body and tested his legs and balance. Neither had been used for centuries.

After a few minutes, he could take small, cautious steps like an infant learning to walk. Soon he was walking with more authority but still had to catch himself every so often when his balance became wobbly. He retrieved his glass of wine and proceeded to walk around the lab asking Rollie question after question.

"Sir, what is this large box?"

"That's a cooler. It keeps things cold until they are used. Here, let me open it for you."

"This box will keep the meat from lacking valor after butchered?"

Lacking valor? What was that? The clone's English was getting harder to understand so Rollie turned on his micromic to talk with his fellow team members. "Do any of you understand this dialect of English?"

Rollie didn't expect Claude, the German national, to respond. "Rollie, it sounds like early modern English to me."

Once again, Rollie marveled at Claude's worldly knowledge. The young man obviously had interests and a life outside of Phoenvartis.

Rollie spoke “settings" into his micromic and then followed with, "Broadcast. Translate early English to modern English and vice-versa." He made sure his fellow team members could hear his database instructions, so they could do the same if the translation was correct.

Hopefully, Claude knew what he was talking about. Understanding the clone would be easier when the micromic translated and broadcast each dialect of English. The only hard part would be waiting for the micromic to repeat the translated sentences.

"Yes, that is one of the things this box will do. Foods will keep fresh longer than if they sat out in the open air on this shelf, for example."

Rollie was amazed by how fast the micromic translated his sentences and broadcast them loud enough for the clone to hear. It sounded like a foreign language, but the expression on the clone's face showed how much he appreciated the translated version in his tongue.

Rollie opened the cooler door and said, "Put your hand into the box."

The clone was reluctant to do as his jailer suggested. After all, this guy might be mentally deranged. When he hesitated too long, Rollie stuck his hand in and then withdrew it.

His jailer, the one who called himself Rollie, was still in good health from what he could see. His hand and arm looked fine. He took a chance and put his hand in the cooler. He could feel the cold work its way up his arm. He withdrew his arm to examine it. There was no damage like frostbite, not even a mark or evidence of a burn. For the next five minutes, he played with the cooler's refrigeration trying to understand the science of this invisible force.

The clone moved into the kitchen and started examining all the eating utensils and food preparation appliances. "What is this, sir?"

Rollie was hoping the clone would bypass the high-frequency, sound-induction heater. The science behind this way of cooking food was far beyond the clone's comprehension. Rather than try to explain this appliance, Rollie got a piece of ham from the refrigerator and put it in the heater. He turned it on for five seconds and then removed the ham. He tore off a piece and put it in his mouth and then gave the rest to the clone.

"It is hot, sir. Is there fire in this box?"

"There is a different type of fire in this box. Not like the fire you know." Rollie contemplated going on with a description of how the high-frequency, sound-induction cooked food. But he elected to drop the idea because he couldn't think of a simple analogy to use.

"This is most mysterious, sir. I don't understand this witchcraft, but I admit, the food tastes good."

The clone continued his survey of the lab. Rollie was waiting for the other awkward questions about how the lights worked and why there were no windows in the lab.

"Why can't I see outdoors?"

Here we go, Rollie thought to himself. "This part of the building is underground."

"Do you mean like a storage basement?"

"A little deeper than that. This room is almost a quarter-mile or about a half kilometer under the earth."

Just when he started to believe Rollie was sane, such balderdash came from the jailer's mouth. A half kilometer. "Does he think I'm an idiot to believe such nonsense"?

Rollie knew his answer about being so far underground destroyed his credibility. He should have said nothing more than they were underground. There was no good reason to assign a depth. It was too late now to do anything about it. Rollie concluded this was the first of many times his answers were going to sound insane to the clone.

"What is your name, sir?" Rollie hoped this simple question would take the clone's mind off the crazy surprises of the modern world.

The clone turned to face Rollie, finished the rest of the wine, and said, "I'm not sure, sir. It might be Randolph or Thomas, but I don't know. May I have more wine, sir?"

"Did he say, Randolph or Thomas? Thomas or Randolph who? Can you guys think of anyone famous with the name Thomas or Randolph?” Claude, Helmer, and Raul were all in deep thought trying to identify the clone's host, and didn’t respond.

Rollie was also trying to piece together the clues to identify the clone. He now had two possible names for the man who spoke a variation of early modern English. The micromic's database had identified his English as the dialect spoken from the 16th to the 18th century. This man knew his wine and loved to drink it. He had a ravenous curiosity for knowledge and understood the basic principles of food preservation. If only he could remember what Grandma LeeLee said about the box engraved with the letter ‘H’ and whose remains were in it.

The clone continued to walk through the lab touching, smelling, and asking questions about everything he encountered.

At the only door to the lab, he stopped and asked, "What is an interlock, sir?"

This wasn't going to be easy to explain so Rollie opened the first door, so the clone could see the second door. "To leave this room you must go through two doors. This is the first one and that is the second one. The second door won't unlock until the first door shuts and locks."

The clone thought about Rollie's explanation for a moment and then asked, "Why two doors?"

"Good question. There used to be a wild animal in this room, so we wanted to make sure it didn't escape."

"What type of animal?"

"Do you know what an ape is?"

"Yes. I remember seeing one. It was in a cage somewhere."

"You don't remember where you saw it?"

"No. It might come to me later. Why was an ape in here?"

Rollie had to think fast and come up with a plausible answer. "We were testing a new product on the ape." Rollie prayed the clone wouldn't ask him what new product.

"Will I be able to leave this room, sir?"

Rollie realized the clone considered this large room as nothing more than an elaborate jail cell. "Yes, but first we want you to build up your strength and get acclimated to your surroundings. Plus, we want to test your physical condition to make sure you are in good health. And, we want to give you training on what you'll see and hear once you leave this room." Rollie intentionally left out the battery of psychological tests the clone would be subjected to. Until these tests were completed there would be no leaving the lab unless it was an emergency.

Before the clone could ask more questions Rollie didn't want to answer, he said, "Come with me and I'll show you the bathroom." He looked at the clone and could tell immediately that he had no idea what the word ‘bathroom’ meant. "It's the room where you can relieve yourself." Rollie hoped he understood what ‘relieved’ meant. He certainly didn't want to give the clone a demonstration.

The explanation of how to get water out of the sink faucet was easy. And, getting the clone to realize the toilet bowl was for liquid and solid waste was easy to explain. But, getting him to follow the reason for flushing the toilet was more difficult. Rollie finally had to wad up several slices of ham and flush them before the clone grasped the idea of how waste was carried away.

As the two men left the bathroom, Rollie thought how his team had grossly underestimated the amount of time and work necessary to welcome a replicant to the 22nd century. For a host that died recently, re-education would be easy. But, for someone like this clone, who had died hundreds of years before, it would be very time-consuming. He ended this line of thought hoping Grandma LeeLee had a damn good reason for using this guy's genetic samples.

The clone walked over to the one-way window and stood looking at it. Rollie assumed he was trying to see or hear the men behind it. He began pounding on the window. Maybe he believed someone on the other side would do the same. Somewhat frustrated, the clone made several funny faces at the window. Rollie could see them reflected in the window and started to laugh. At least this guy, whoever he was, had a sense of humor. His teammates thought the clone's antics were funny also. They started laughing loud enough to be heard over the micromic.

With a half-smile on his face, the clone returned to the kitchen, sat down, and poured the rest of the wine into his glass.

"Sir. May I have supper? And, another bottle of wine?"

Over the next two hours, the clone ate a hearty meal and drank another bottle of Merlot. This guy could certainly hold his liquor and showed no indication of being drunk. Rollie knew he would be sauced to the gills if he drank two bottles of wine in a couple of hours.

One by one, the ReLife team members came into the lab and introduced themselves to the clone. After each left the lab, the clone whispered some interesting comments to Rollie. For Raul, the clone said, "military man, I surmise.". He described Helmer as a decent, fun-loving chap. And, he had a one-word description for Claude; "stuffy". This man was a good judge of character.

Rollie was about ready to ask for a description of himself, when the clone asked, "Sir, are you a slave? Are those men behind the window your masters?"

The clone's question caught Rollie off guard. Why would he ask such strange questions? Then it hit home. This man came from a period when many of Rollie's ancestors were slaves in the Americas. It had been so many years before that Rollie had forgotten about his family history. With his darker skin and natty hair, it was logical for the clone to ask if he was a slave.

He was ready to answer the clone's questions when he remembered what Grandma LeeLee told him many years before about the host samples in the maple box. This clone was a very important man from the old colonial America. A man of great power who was a leader of a country. A man Grandma LeeLee believed she and her forefathers and descendants were biologically related to.

The clone's name exploded in Rollie's head; Thomas Jefferson.

CHAPTERTHREE

I THINK HE'S A GIRL

Rollie sat down before he fell. He was most likely looking at his great grandfather. How many ‘greats’ should precede grandfather could be figured out later. He stared at the clone looking for physical similarities to support Grandma LeeLee's claim that he was their great grandfather.

The clone did have a narrow, hawk-like nose like his own. And, his lips and eyes bore a striking resemblance. But those were the only facial features Rollie could identify like his own. Otherwise, their bodies had some similarities. Their legs were longer than their upper torsos. Their butts rode slightly behind the center of their bodies. And, they were muscular through the chest and shoulders. They shared what was referred to in sports as a runner's physique.

Physical traits alone were not enough to confirm a family bloodline. In the next couple of days, Rollie could have a comprehensive DNA comparison done between himself and the clone. Taking blood samples from the clone would be part of his scheduled physical exam. All Rollie needed to do was take a sample of his blood and put both into a comparison hemotank. In less than five minutes, Rollie would know for certain if this replicant was a relative.

In the meantime, Rollie needed to think through what consequences a clone related to himself might create. The first thing he decided was not to tell anyone, including the ReLife team. There was no reason for anyone to get wound up over something which might not be true.

A search of all databases looking for a picture of Jefferson might be beneficial in determining if this was the former President of America. Unfortunately, any picture he found would be a painted portrait. The days of film photography came long after Jefferson's death.

Rollie made a mental note to research Jefferson's biography. Doing so might give Rollie insight into how this man lived his former life and what he may do now in a strange, new world. Rollie needed to learn everything he could about the real Jefferson. What were his interests, strengths, weaknesses, and what beliefs did he hold dear? What did he own, how did he make a living and what were his major accomplishments? On a personal level, was he married, did he have children, and, was there anything interesting about his extended family?

As he prepared a mental checklist of the things he needed to do, Grandma LeeLee's instructions of so many years before spilled forth from his memory. Rollie was a young lad when LeeLee promised the maple box would be his one day. He was about twelve when she showed him how to open the secret drawer in the box. She made him practice the correct technique for opening the drawer several hundred times throughout his teen years. His interest in the box grew as the years went by. He eventually got around to asking her about the chiseled ‘H’ in the box lid.

"Sunny Boy, this ‘H’ stands for a distant relative of yours. The relative was a woman by the name of Sally Hemings. She was a slave long ago and the concubine of a very important man; Thomas Jefferson. Our family heritage can be traced back to Sally. She had several children by Mr. Jefferson and you, and I are descendants of one of those children. Mr. Jefferson gave this maple box to Sally. Most likely, it was a gift for many years of faithful service, especially after Jefferson's wife passed away. When Jefferson died, Sally cut off some of his hair and somehow got his severed finger. She put them in this box as keepsakes. Only God knew that hundreds of years later those keepsakes would be used by you, Sunny Boy. Sometime in your future, Jefferson's remains in this maple box will be very important to you and the world."

The last thing Rollie debated before leaving the lab was whether he should tell the clone about his host. He convinced himself that this would be a mistake. Part of the scientific analysis of the clone would be to record how long it took to recover memories. If Rollie told the clone about Jefferson, that part of the evaluation would be tainted. Corrupted data would be worthless in formulating theories about the mental recall of future clones.

"Rollie, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Raul, what's up?"

"I think we better call it a day. There's something out here we need to go over."

"I'll be right out."

Rollie turned to the replicant who smiled and said, "Sir, it's time for me to get some sleep. It seems that I can't hold my wine as well as I once did. Thank you for a very interesting day. Tomorrow, you can tell me how I got here."

Rollie keyed in on the clone's request to be told how he ended up a quarter-mile underground in a room equipped with modern conveniences far beyond his knowledge. He knew that these surroundings were not from his past.

"The pleasure was mine. Tomorrow, I have a couple of sets of clothing coming for you and we'll begin your medical evaluation. Also, I'll try to answer your question. If you need anything to eat or drink tonight the cooler is full. Goodnight." Rollie got up from the chair he was sitting in and headed for the interlocking door. Before he opened it, he turned back to the clone and said, "Tonight, think about what name you would like to be called."

When Rollie left the primate lab the only person in the hall was Raul. "Where are Helmer and Claude?"

"They left quite a while ago. Do you realize you've been in there for over eight hours?"

"No wonder I'm so tired. I feel like I've been teaching a post-graduate course the entire time. I'm mentally drained." Rollie and Raul started down the hallway. At the lift, Rollie said, "Shit, I forgot about my date tonight with Gretchen. I better call and tell her I'm going to be late."

In Rollie's office they drank, smoked and relaxed.

"Rollie, look at this." Raul leaned over Rollie's desk and turned on the halo feature of the CPS. He scrolled to the correct entry and then projected it into the room. It was the memo from the World Council.

Rollie read the memo to himself three times. After the last time, he looked at the ceiling in his office and said, "This isn't good."

"I share your feelings, exactly. Having Slice here is the kiss of death. No one will be immune from his harassment and odd behavior."

Rollie lowered his gaze from the ceiling and looked at Raul. "Especially, me. I'm going to be in his cross-hairs from the first moment he walks into the building."

"Why you, Rollie? There are plenty of people here who should have been fired years ago. At least you’re the leader of ReLife, the hottest project we have going now."

There was no reason to keep Raul in the dark. He would find out soon enough. "He's going to deal with me first because I switched the human host samples. The clone we produced wasn't the one the World Council wanted."

Raul stared at Rollie for several minutes and then started laughing. He laughed so hard that his eyes watered. He inhaled a mouthful of cigar smoke which resulted in a violent coughing fit.

"What are you laughing about? I'm in deep shit."

Raul finally caught his breath so he could talk. "I thought I was the only sneaky son-of-a-bitch around here. Turns out you're as bad as me. If you don't mind me asking, who did we end up cloning?"

"I think I know but I won't know for sure until I see the clone's medical evaluation. It's best that I don't tell you who it is. Even after I see his test results it might be wise not to tell you. That way, you won't have to lie to Slice."

"Rollie, don't worry about me and Slice. My days are numbered regardless of who is in the primate lab now." Raul took a drink of water to relieve his raspy throat. "Who knows you switched the host samples?"

"Well, the only people who know for sure are the two of us. Others will find out soon enough. When Slice finds out, there’s no doubt that everyone will know."

"I have a feeling that Slice already knows the clone downstairs isn't who it's supposed to be. Otherwise, this memo from the World Council wouldn't have been sent. This memo has Sedgewick Slice written all over it. It gives him the perfect excuse to come here and start looking for his host samples and figure out who switched them. By the way, where did you get his samples from and where are they now?"

"Klaus gave them to me and I've got them hidden. But I need to find a better hiding place or destroy them before Slice gets here."

"Whatever you do, don't destroy them. There's a good chance you'll need a bargaining chip and I can't think of a better one than the World Council host samples."

"Yeah, and I can't think of a better way to get myself fired from Phoenvartis and become a has-been begging in the streets."

"You worry too much my friend. Did Klaus know who the host was supposed to be?"

"I don't know. All I know is that the thermal box was still sealed when he gave it to me. Besides, mixed up host samples is the last thing he's worried about now."

"Well, that narrows the list of suspects down to you and Klaus, but someone else could have made the switch. Someone like Claude. or even me. But I agree, he'll be looking at you and Klaus first. I hear Klaus is in such bad shape he might not be able to tell Slice anything. Maybe you'll get lucky and Klaus will die before Slice gets here."

Both men quietly wrestled with their thoughts for a couple of minutes.

"Rollie, I'd ask you why you made the switch but I'm not sure I want to know the answer."

"My grandmother told me to."

Raul rolled his eyes. This wasn't the first time he’d heard about Rollie's mystical grandmother. This was the woman who was over a hundred years old, who talked to God and communicated telepathically. "Now I know I didn't want to hear the reason. One day you can walk me through her reasoning, but right now we need to focus on getting you out of this mess."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"I don't know. I've got to think about this more. In the meantime, don't tell anyone anything. You and I are the only ones who know. At least, we're the only ones who know it was you."

"Raul, what do you think about the terrorist angle in Slice's memo? Do you think it's true?"

Raul knew who was responsible for the blast at Sophia's apartment complex but gave Rollie a misleading answer. Rollie had enough problems to worry about; there was no reason to add to them. "It might be true, but if I had to bet money on picking the bomber, I'd say Slice's accusation is bullshit."

"I agree with you, but I'm not sure either. We both know she was working undercover for the Black Cross. It's possible they got fed up with her and decided to end the relationship."

"That's possible, but I'm still betting against Slice's explanation."

"Raul, I've got to get out of here. My head is ready to explode. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rollie walked past Raul and patted him on the shoulder. Raul stayed in his chair to finish his cigar. He thought about searching Rollie's office for the World Council host samples but dropped the idea. It was a waste of time. If he wanted to see the samples all he had to do was tell Rollie he’d found a good hiding spot and ask for them.

As Rollie left the building and walked home to meet Gretchen, Raul sat in Rollie's office twisting, turning, and calculating how to handle the latest bit of information he’d learned. Finally, his head hurt from over-thinking the facts and speculative guesses. He got up and headed home for some rest. This was one of those nights when he was jealous of Rollie's life. At least he had a girlfriend to be with the rest of the night. Raul promised himself to find a partner as soon as he left Phoenvartis and made enough World Credits to quit this cloak and dagger existence.

From the other side of his apartment door, Rollie could hear two voices. One was Gretchen's. The other was a man's voice which sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. He opened the door to find Gretchen and the only man he knew who looked like a boy. Rollie's puppy was in Inspector Milkweed's lap half asleep and savoring the non-stop petting and scratching behind the ears.

"Inspector, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Sweats. I'm sorry to interrupt your evening with Gretchen but I need to ask you a couple of questions. Can you spare me a few minutes? It's either here and now or tomorrow at my office."

After the day he’d had, the last thing he wanted to do was put up with Milkweed's slimy questioning. Plus, the way he referred to Gretchen was a little too pushy for Rollie's taste. He considered throwing Milkweed out but then he would spend the rest of the night explaining his rude behavior to Gretchen.

"Alright, Inspector. You've got ten minutes. Gretchen, dear, could you take the dog into the bedroom, so the Inspector and I can be alone and get this over with?" Gretchen got up, smiled at Milkweed, and grabbed the dog.

When the bedroom door shut, Rollie started. "Milkweed, don't ever come to my home again. We can meet in a hundred other places; you don't need to come here."

"I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to get you mad." Rollie could tell by the tone of his voice that Milkweed was elated he’d pissed Rollie off. Telling him never to come to his home was like telling a seven-year-old to keep his hands out of the cookie jar.