Chapter 2
“Why are we leaving early?” Gary asked as Garret stood in his room waiting for him to finish dressing. Garret had dressed in a pair of soft levvin pants. Unlike the shiny, tight lomex material, they were soft and brown in color and while they weren’t exactly baggy, they weren’t skin-tight either. Over his gray lomex undershirt, he wore a long-sleeve yellow cotton dress shirt, green tie, and a brown levvin sports coat. To his surprise, Gary was finishing putting on a similar outfit, although the levvin pants Gary wore were much tighter and a dark blue in color, while the shirt he wore was just as tight and white in color. A matching blue levvin coat and a bright red tie finished his outfit.
“I need to stop by the bank, first.” Garret explained for the third time as Gary brushed his medium-length blond hair again.
“Okay, let’s go.” Gary said with a smile, posing for Garret’s inspection.
“You look good.” Garret said, knowing from long experience the pleasure model was fishing for a compliment. Sure enough, Gary smiled and sauntered over towards Garret, looping his left arm around Garret’s right before they turned to leave the rather garish room.
“So do you.” Gary said as they entered the hallway and headed towards the stairs. In the entryway, Lorana, one of the female clones, checked them out of the building. They passed a pair of True Born customers, both young men barely in their twenties, who were on the way in.
New Prejat was a city of nearly one point four million people, and as the sun ambled towards the northwestern horizon, it rippled with haze. The pleasure house was located on the northeastern edge of the downtown district, and it was only a short walk for them to the nearest mass transit tube. They left the city’s skyscrapers behind them as they went underground and bought two tickets that would take them further downtown. For the purchase, they both used their pleasure house identification cards. It would charge the tickets to the pleasure house, and the house would charge their individual accounts for the cost of the ticket.
“I love the tube.” Gary whispered into Garret’s ears as they stood amongst a group of about fifty True Borns waiting for the next train. Garret didn’t respond, and instead studied the occasional glances the two clones were receiving. Gary still had his arm wrapped around Garret’s, and while it wasn’t exactly unheard of for two men to stand like this, it wasn’t all that common either. For the two to be clones added just a little more novelty to the scene.
Including military models, clones made up just two percent of the Elacrar Republic’s population so they weren’t exactly a common site and when people saw two moving around together, it always attracted a few stares. Not having grown up with that, whereas most clones did, Garret never took it for granted the way Gary and the others did.
When the train arrived, they boarded and stood in the crowded center. Clones could use seats of course, but tradition required them to surrender any seat to a True Born. It wasn’t law, and they wouldn’t be arrested for sitting on a crowded train, but very few clones ever insisted on the right to sit. Up in the front of the train, Garret spotted a 09 model, so much like Deci that he felt his stomach do a queasy roll. His friend wasn’t even gone yet, and might not have his contract purchased by his visitor tonight, but Garret missed him already.
“Why do you have to go to a bank?” Gary asked. “Don’t you keep your money with the house?”
“I got a tip last night.” Garret explained in a low voice. There were too many True Borns around for him to feel comfortable sharing his business so openly. “Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”
“This play better be good for me to wear all this junk.” Gary stated with a hand reaching up to pull his collar out a bit. Funny, he wore skin-tight clothing all the time, but put him in a dress shirt and a tie and he felt claustrophobic.
“It will be.” Garret assured the younger model that looked so much like him and yet was so radically different.
It was at the second stop that they disembarked the train and headed back above ground. It was already twilight as the tall skyscrapers of downtown Prejat blocked out the failing rays of the sun. Both of them were glad for the coats as a definitive chill filled the air. It was the heart of winter, and while New Prejat rarely got snow, thanks to its equatorial location, it did get chilly at night. This deep into winter, the nights were long, and the days were very short, something Garret had still not become acclimated to experiencing thanks to the unusual tilt of the planet Peladon.
“Would you look at that?” Gary said in a slightly awed voice as they entered the nearby bank. The New Prejat branch had been in existence since the day the city was founded nearly three hundred years ago. The skyscraper it was now housed in had been built specifically for it, and the opulent lobby showed how rich the bank had become. It was also very exclusive, and the greeter who stood in the middle of the lobby had a frown on his face as he saw two very obvious 10 model clones approaching him.
“What business do you have here?” He said coldly, in the manner of True Borns who are forced to deal with clones when they would rather be doing anything else.
“I am here to collect on this account.” Garret said in a cold voice he had learned from Marja, the woman he had once called ‘mother’. As he spoke he held out the credit card that represented his ‘tip’ from the Brigadier. The greeting clerk took it with a frown, checked the seal and then handed it back to Garret while nodding his head towards a nearby teller who was not busy.
The last time he’d been in a branch of this bank, the branch manager had pushed aside the greeter to fawn over both Billy and Garret, and had handled their every need, even offering hot coffee and snacks while they waited for their business to be completed. Now that account was most likely long gone, and Garret had no desire to risk humiliation in checking. Sure, the account had held a good sum of money, almost half of his contract price and could have helped him reach the state of being ‘Valued’ in half the fifteen years he was projecting, but he didn’t want to face the humiliation he would feel when he found the account had been closed.
“How may I help you sir?” The young female teller asked. She had long brown hair and a sweet smile. Unlike the greeter, she seemed to have no problem dealing with two clones. Gary still hung on his arm, and the long look between the two of them as Garret held out the ‘tip’ card made him wonder if Gary might get another customer out of this.
Most bank tellers couldn’t afford regular trips to a pleasure house, but then this bank paid all of its employees well.
“I wish to cash this in and transfer it to my account with my contract holder.” Garret stated clearly, not allowing himself to feel any shame at the statement.
“I see, one moment.” She said as she took the card and swiped it. Her eyes went wide at whatever she saw on the screen, and he wondered what trouble he might have landed in now. The young woman, Aliciat according to her nametag, blinked again, cleared her throat hastily. “Just a moment, sir.”
“No problem.” Garret said as if nothing was wrong while she stood up and went to the teller manager whose desk was behind the row of fifteen tellers. She spoke quietly and urgently while he stood rock-still and waited for whatever doom was approaching. How bad was it that she’d actually call a clone ‘sir’? That term was rarely used regularly outside of the military, even for True Borns.
“What’s wrong?” Gary asked. Of course he’d know Garret was tense, still draped on his arm like he was.
“We’ll find out soon enough.” Garret said calmly, evenly, not letting his anxiety show. It was the training from the Academy that let him do this. A good officer never let his men know how anxious or afraid he was. Was that the whistle of the axeman behind him? The teller manager was on the comm system now, and he knew something was really wrong. Still, the teller returned to her station and smiled at him, although it was very apparent she was very nervous.
“Sir, he will be with you in just one moment.” She said breathlessly. “We’re very sorry about your reception, but we did not know you would be coming at this time. We do apologize, sir.”
“It’s no problem.” Garret assured her as a spike of hope and wonder filled him for a moment. The sound of footsteps led him to turn around to see a man in his late fifties approaching. He had on a suit of the finest denim, and an expression that warred with itself between being fawning and nervous.
“Mr. Lars!” He said as he reached a point just a foot away from the two clones. “I am so sorry… uh, you are Gospedene Garret Lars, are you not?”
“Yes, I am.” Garret replied evenly.
“Oh, I was, um, our file indicates you have green eyes.” The bank manager said warily and Garret smiled slightly at him. If his file said Garret had green eyes, than it was not necessary to keep up that façade. Without a thought for Gary still hanging on his arms, Garret reached up and removed first the left contact and then the right.
“I do have green eyes, although my… employer does not wish to advertise that fact.” Garret said softly as he felt Gary go rigid in shock and the bank manager shook his head slightly.
“If you will follow me, then, sir.” The manager said with a grand sweep of his arms, indicating a direction towards the rear of the bank. Garret nodded before following the manager towards the back vault, where safe-boxes were kept. They moved in silence until the manager had cleared them into the vault room and they stood in front of a large security vault, nearly three foot across and two high. “This vault will require a retinal scan.”
“Very well.” Garret said with a haughtiness he remembered using long ago at that other bank in a city on the other side of the world. He bent over to the security scanner at the top of the vault and let it scan his natural eyes. Clones were clones, but each had a different retinal pattern, although it took an expensive scanner to reach deep enough to see the differences. This scanner, as with everything at the bank, was nothing but the best. When the scanner beeped, and the security vault’s door opened, the manager let out a sigh of relief.
“May I bring you and your companion some refreshment, sir?” The manager asked and Garret shook his head as a shelf emerged from the vault. It held several boxes, and a holo-recorder.
“You may leave us.” Garret ordered, keeping Gary with him for the moment. His knees were shaking, and he wanted Deci to be there with him, but at least he was not alone.
“What’s going on here, Garret?” Gary’s voice was tinged with worry. “They treated you like you were a True Born. And your eyes! How did you get green eyes?”
“I was born with them.” Garret muttered as he hit the play switch for the playback device. A life-size hologram appeared, and he hissed with surprise to see Marja Lars standing before him, wearing a white dress with a brown leather belt. In the history of the Lars Family, that outfit had a very specific meaning. As the matriarch of the family, for her to be wearing it told Garret everything he needed to know before her first word was spoken. She grew blurry at the sudden tears in his eyes.
“Who is that?” Gary asked quietly but was ignored as Marja began to speak.
“My son.” Marja Lars’s image said with a sigh of relief. “We have found you at last. I shudder to imagine what you must have been thinking since you were taken from us. It is easy to imagine you thought we had abandoned you, but please believe never once have we stopped our search for you once we learned you were taken from the Academy.”
A sob wracked Garret at her words, so accurate, proving how well she knew him. Gary reached up, touching a trembling hand to the tears that dripped down from his green eyes, and then the younger clone gave him a comforting hug. Garret returned it with one hand while watching the holographic figure of his mother.
“Garret, you are no stranger to the politics of the Great Houses.” Marja continued with a small frown. “Speaker Tremere pushed through the legislation that allowed him to buy your contract. While we were still debating the long-term affects of the legislation, he used his contacts at the Academy to purchase your contract.
“I am sorry, my son. We had thought the military would finish your training, and we could either buy your contract or you would continue in government service until your period of service was completed. When Billy informed us you were gone, we began our search.
“It has not been an easy search. Timat has been to nearly every pleasure house on this side of the planet. Finally, two weeks ago we found records of a clone whose contract was purchased by Tremere being sent to New Prejat. Brigadier Plona has been to every Tremere-owned pleasure house in that city. Last night, he reported he had found you. My son, I weep to think of you being used in one of those places.”
“What’s wrong with a pleasure house?” Gary asked indignantly, but calmed down at a touch from Garret.
“Nevertheless, you are our son. I do not blame you if you are angry with us for failing you so miserably. If you do not wish to return to us, I will understand, but I beg you not to reject the things we have sent to you. If you can forgive us for failing you, make use of these items and return to us. If not, I beg of you to at least take them and use them, and if you have any feeling for us, at least let us know you live and are doing well.
“We wait to hear from you, my son.”
The image winked out and Garret used his free hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. Her words were like a balm for his soul, and he felt a sense of peace and belonging that he never thought he’d feel again settle upon his heart.
“Who are you?” Gary asked him with wide eyes.
“Later, Gary, I’ll tell you later.” Garret told his… friend as he reached down and opened the first of the two boxes. This box held a number of items that touched him greatly. At the top of the box were several more holodisks, each labeled with messages from different people. Billy’s was the first of them, followed by disks from nearly everyone he had known at the Academy, and a disk from his father, Timat. There would be time to look at the others later, but he put the disk in from Billy first.
“Garret, if you’re seeing this then it means mother and father found you at last.” Billy’s image said as it formed in the room in front of them. Billy looked the same as Garret remembered him. He had short brown hair, piercing hazel eyes, and a strong build from hours spent doing physical training. In the recording, he wore the working uniform of a Lieutenant, telling Garret the recording was a few months old. “I can’t tell you how upset I was when I found out you were taken. Kimar had to restrain me from leaving without permission from the Academy. I wanted so much to search for you, but mother promised she would not rest until you were found. Please, accept my apologies that I wasn’t there for you.”
“None are necessary.” Garret whispered aloud even though his friend, his brother, could not hear him. For the first time he realized that while he still loved Billy, it had changed from a bright burning passion into a slow-simmering flame that warmed his heart.
“Garret, you should be here, with me now.” Billy whispered, even though there was no obvious need for it with this recording. “It’s more wonderful than I had ever dreamed, being here in space. I know it’s where we belong, even if we’re not together. I’ve talked with mother and she’s agreed. You belong in space. We know the military won’t take you but I’ve had her give you your family inheritance as soon as you’re found. Use it Garret, you can join me in space on your own. You know how, and… Garret I wasn’t the only one outraged by the way you were removed before you could finish your training.
“In the boxes mother has sent, you will find learning strips. They’re recordings from everyone who felt the same way I did. They will… allow you to finish your training, no matter what path you would have chosen for your final year. All the paths are in there, Command, Engineering, Navigation, Loadmaster, Piloting, Stores, Intelligence, everything they teach in the final year. From all of our friends, we’ve collected their experiences of the final year of training. Remember that dream we discussed? You and I, sailing the stars together hauling cargo from one port to the next? Seeing the entire galaxy and all the planets, not just the Republic? I know it’ll be years before that is a possibility for me, but with the money Mom is leaving you, it is something you can start with right away. Think about it, please? More than likely I’ll be deployed somewhere when you are found, so leave a message for me, please. I love you, Garret, my brother.”
“I love you too, brother.” Garret whispered as more tears came to his eyes. They didn’t fall this time, as the image winked out, but instead a slow smile formed on his face. His inheritance. Yes, it would be enough to do what they’d dreamed of in another lifetime. He didn’t even need to know the specific amount. The Lars family was among the richest and most powerful of the Great Houses of the Elacrar Republic. His inheritance would be a small portion of their wealth, but it would be more than enough for just about anything he wanted to do, much less starting their dream.
“Isn’t the Lars House really rich?” Gary said with wide eyes. “How much is this inheritance do you think?”
“More than enough that I could buy everyone’s contract at the pleasure house and not really use up much of it.” Garret answered softly as he continued looking through the box. He took out the ten learning strips. Each was labeled with the subject and the person who had recorded it, and more tears came to his eyes.
When he’d first joined the Academy, the elite learning institution of the Republic, they had been beyond cruel to him. Over a period of months they had tortured him in every way imaginable within the law, and if it hadn’t been for Billy’s constant support, he might have given up. By mid-term, though, they’d become convinced they couldn’t make him quit, and a grudging respect had developed. When the first term ended and they were sent out to the fleet to perform various duties, and Garret’s ordeal at the Battle for Braxix, he’d found that they had become friends, accepting him as one of them and not just some clone.
This gift from them was beyond measure.
He put the strips carefully into his pocket, along with the message disks from them. The rest of the box contained books from his days at the Academy, along with some of his favorite historical and fictional novels. Books were expensive in this day and age, but he loved them. The feel of them, the weight in his hands as he read them gave him a connection to the past that he didn’t feel with a data reader. Knowing time was growing short, he opened the second box to find it filled with various outfits from his closets both at the Lars Estates and the Academy. None of them were military uniforms. It was all very expensive civilian clothes. Gary whistled when he saw them, and the expensive materials from which they were made.
“Those are nice.” Gary whispered, reaching a hand out to run along a pair of denim pants. Garret knew in the old days of Earth, denim was the common work material of clothes. Out here in the first of the colonies, denim had been priceless, not something that could be created easily from the materials on hand, so it was a popular import from earth. Somewhere along the line, denim had come to symbolize wealth on Republic worlds, and so now it was among the most expensive of materials.
“There’ll be time to look at all this later.” Garret said as he closed up the boxes and returned them to the vault. He included the holo-recorder, but kept all the disks to himself, along with the learning strips. He’d take out the strip from the pleasure house when he returned there later tonight, and begin to feed these into his Oberman implant.
“What are we going to do now?” Gary asked in a slightly awed voice. Garret smiled at him.
“We’re going to dinner and then a play, after I talk to the bank manager.” Garret answered and Gary frowned.
“B-but aren’t you going to Value your contract?” Gary asked. “You’re rich now… and those people care about you. Aren’t you going to call them?”
“Yes, I’m going to do all that, but I promised you dinner and a play, and I’m going to keep that promise.” Garret said, earning a wide-eyed smile from Gary.
“Are you going to tell me all about this over dinner?” Gary asked and Garret nodded after making sure the vault was secured. This time he held out his arm for Gary to cling to, and once everything was in place, he strolled out of the vault where the bank manager was waiting in the hallway with several sheets of paper in his hands.
“Ah, Gospedene Lars, I have here a summary of your accounts if you care to look at them, as well as your account codes and access keys…” He began while holding out the papers. Garret took them, and nodded at the summary balances that he saw. Yes, Marja had given him all the money he could possibly need.
“These look satisfactory.” Garret said casually. “Transfer another hundred-thirty to the active spending account and have another two hundred standing by as security for major purchases. Prepare a prospectus on long-term investments for the remainder. I will return to look them over once I have completed some business.”
“Yes, sir.” The manager said with a slight bow of his head. Garret turned and left, with Gary still on his arm as they sauntered past the greeter, who now bowed to them with a worried look on his face. That gave Garret a sense of pleasure, but he didn’t let it show on his face.
“Wow, you just told him to move over three hundred thousand credits around like it was nothing.” Gary said as they exited the bank. He was chattering excitedly and Garret let a smile split his face.
“Not thousand, Gary.” Garret corrected him. “Million – three hundred and thirty million.”
“You’re prodding me!” Gary nearly shouted, turning a few heads. Garret just shook his head and led the way to a nearby restaurant. As they walked, he replaced the purple contacts in his eyes. Until he had Valued his contract, he was still obligated to wear them in public.
“Let’s eat.” Garret said softly. The average clone contract went for a little over one hundred thousand credits. Gary’s contract, as a 10 model pleasure clone went for just over one-eighty. Garret’s contract was just over two hundred thousand. When he had said he could buy the entire pleasure house’s contracts, he had meant every word.
Garret knew that when the hostess seated them in a secluded corner of the rather expensive restaurant, it was because they were clones. This time he didn’t mind, though, because he wanted privacy. Telling his story to Deci earlier in the day had released the dam he’d built around his past, and he actually felt at ease telling the story to Gary over dinner.
“Amazing.” Gary said in a tone that did not remind Garret the younger man was a pleasure clone. “It sounds just like an adventure from a novel!”
“You read stories?” Garret asked in surprise and Gary blushed as he nodded.
“I… I like reading.” Gary admitted. All clones knew how to read and write, at least at a basic level, but few pursued things like reading books. “When I saw all those books in those boxes, I wanted to just reach out and touch them.”
“I saw no books in your room.” Garret murmured.
“They… I hide them.” Gary admitted with a blush. “I can’t afford more than one a year, but I hide them under my mattress. Deci has seen them, because I knew he would never tease me about them. Marna’s seen them too. If Damion saw them he’d laugh his head off.”
“Yes, Marna and Deci aren’t like the others.” Garret admitted, and he was a little ashamed he’d never really realized that before. Clones were gestated for a purpose, and the mass nature of their education produced very little variation, but sometimes a few clones would extend their interests into areas not covered by their training. Marna and Deci had both shown at least a great deal of understanding for the differences in Garret, and it now seemed true with Gary as well.
Garret paid for the dinner, and debated about what kind of a tip to leave. In the end, he left a tip slightly larger than he should have. The service had been prompt, if not overly enthusiastic, and there had been no sneers or signs of disdain from the servers. Nor had the restaurant refused to serve the clones, just relegated them to an out-of-the-way table that Garret would have asked for anyway, given the option. Maybe the tip would remind them that clones too, could have money and should be treated with kindness.
Their seats in the Grand Play House were decent, nearly halfway up the lower levels. The seats weren’t so far away they could not see the faces of the actors, and not so close that the ‘gentry’ of the lower levels would sneer at them. From the moment the play began, Gary sat totally enraptured. He laughed, he cried, and he clapped as the curtain came down for intermission. A warm spot filled Garret’s heart at the sight. He was enjoying watching Gary’s excited reactions as much as he was enjoying the play itself.
During intermission they joined the throngs for some wine, and Garret hid his frown at the cheapness of it while Gary raved about how excellent it was. That was to be expected, since the pleasure house rarely had wine up to this quality, much less what Garret was accustomed to having. To Garret’s surprise, a man in his late forties approached him with a woman of the same age on his arm. Both were dressed well, and Garret held in his breath as the man stopped in front of them, studying him up and down.
“I see a bit of the scar you received at Galundon when my flagship was hit by the nuclear barrage.” Lefhaus Admiral Heinrich Lumbardon said with a huff. Garret reached a hand up to the tip of his right ear. It was barely visible; most of his clients never even knew it was there. “I don’t know why you’re wearing contacts, boy, but I knew as soon as I saw you standing there you were Garret Lars.”
“Admiral, it’s a pleasure.” Garret said with a bow of his head.
“Why didn’t you graduate with young William?” Lumbardon asked in his usual blunt style.
“My contract was sold at the end of the war, sir.” Garret answered and the older man frowned.
“Then why in the fourteen colonies didn’t you Value yourself?” Lumbardon swore, earning a startled look from his wife.
“It’s a long story, sir.” Garret said with a sigh. “To make it very short, I was led to believe that I had no other options, that I was abandoned. I have had no contact with my family since I was picked up in the middle of my watch shift at the Academy and handed over to a pleasure house.”
“Horsedung!” Lumbardon’s voice was loud now. “I swear, as soon as I return home I will call Marja and tell her about this! I have to imagine she’s been worried frantic!”
“I… I have been made aware that things were not as they seemed, sir.” Garret told him with a smile and he calmed down a bit. His wife was staring at Garret with a small frown. “Mother was able to send me a message, and in the morning, as soon as the Bureau opens I will set about paying my Value.”
“Well, you make sure you do that boy.” Lumbardon said with a frown. “You showed your mettle on my bridge when you got that little scar. If you ever need my help, just look me up. I’m in command at the Supply and Transportation Command Hub.
“Thank you, sir.” Garret said as he snapped to attention. The admiral nodded and led his wife away, muttering to her in such a low tone Garret couldn’t quite catch what he was saying.
“You know a lot of important people.” Gary whispered as the lights dimmed.
“Let’s go watch the rest of the play.” Garret said in response and led the younger clone back into the theater. For the rest of the play, Garret sat in his chair, not paying much attention to the play, about a pair of lovers who fled persecution on Old Earth and joined the first settlers of Peladon, nor to Gary’s rapt attention and enjoyment of the play. Instead he thought about the admiral’s words, and he wondered how he could have been such a self-pitying fool. He’d doubted his family’s love for him, instead of trusting them. If he had trusted them, things could have been so different.
When the play ended, he led Gary out of the theater as quickly as he could, hailing a taxi that was waiting nearby. As the taxi took off, heading into the middle-altitude traffic lanes for the trip across town, Garret let out a long breath while Gary babbled excitedly about the play, reenacting several of his favorite scenes. At first Garret thought the other clone wasn’t paying much attention to his silent brooding, but before the cab had reached the half-way point of their destination, Gary proved him wrong again.
“What’s the matter, Garret?” Gary asked. “Didn’t you enjoy the play?”
“It was good, I just have a lot of things on my mind.” Garret answered as Gary put a comforting hand on his leg.
“I can believe that.” Gary said with a sigh. “It’s almost like finding out you are secretly a prince and have been kidnapped and raised by an evil witch!”
“More like being Adam and finding out God really didn’t kick you out of the Garden of Eden.” Garret said with a small chuckle. At Gary’s look of confusion his smile grew wide and he knew of a present he could get the clone. “The story comes from the Christian bible, and from the Judaic and Islamic holy books as well, really. Their creation myths have a single man and woman being created by God and living much of their lives in a beautiful place called the Garden of Eden. It was never too warm, or too cold there. They were able to eat from the trees and fields with total happiness. Then the woman learned something evil, and shared it with the man. God, in his anger at them for doing that which was forbidden, cast them out of the Garden and they learned hunger, and pain, and eventually death.”
“Oh wow, that sounds really neato for a story.” Gary said with wide eyes.
“Don’t let an Earther hear you call it a story.” Garret laughed. Earthers were so touchy about their state religion.
Several centuries ago, when the great colony ships were first being constructed after the discovery of interstellar travel, a small cult had begun to grow. Three men, a Catholic priest, a Sunni cleric, and a Jewish Rabbi had joined together and formed what was to become known as Jordanism. Eric Jordan, the Catholic priest, had taught that the three major religious sects of the time, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam had been steered apart by men greedy for power. Their teachings, a blending of the three religions, became popular in a world weary of violence based on religious beliefs, and every year millions flocked to the new religion.
By the end of four decades, as Eric Jordan lay on his deathbed, revolution swept the world. Jordanists held all the key offices of the various nations of the world, and for the first time ever; a real world government was created. The First Prophet, Eric Jordan, had ruled for six months from his deathbed. He was followed by Mohammed Sistani, a distant relative of a famous Iraqi cleric.
It was under Sistani that those who did not wish to convert to the world’s new united faith were given the option of using the orbiting colony ships. All told, several hundred million left Mother Earth, and within a century had founded thriving worlds of their own.
“We’re here.” The taxi driver’s gruff voice brought Garret out of his thoughts on galactic history. He paid the man with his house card, deciding to not waste his personal money on the fare. It’s not like he’d be taking his house credits with him when he left in the morning. Gary still hung on his arm as they followed two young frat boys up into the pleasure house. One of the two, a handsome specimen was looking back at them with an appraising glance, and while Gary preened at the attention, Garret gave him a sharp look that warned him off. He’d never have dared that before seeing the message from Marja, but he’d received the message and while cute, he had no desire to pleasure the frat boy.
“Welcome back.” Marna’s voice greeted them as they entered the side entrance of the house off the entryway. Damion was greeting the two frat boys who spoke in hushed tones with the Director. Marna was just inside the entryway, making sure the entertaining room was kept well-staffed and tracking the return of those who were on Free Day. She smiled at them, and especially at the rapid torrent of words from Gary who was excitedly telling her all about the play. Garret let out a sigh of relief when Gary didn’t say a word about what he’d learned at the bank or at dinner. It seemed he really could be selective in what he chatted about.
“Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” Marna interrupted him with a smile and a hand on his arm. “Now, if you’re not too tired, we could use one more person in the entertaining room. You don’t have to…”
“No problem.” Gary said with a sudden smile. “I saw those two frat boys walking in and looking at me. They look like fun.”
“Go enjoy yourself.” Marna said as Leola quickly signaled she was taking a client to her rooms. The boy she had with her looked barely legal, and was probably here to ‘be made a man’ courtesy of his father’s checkbook. Marna turned back to Garret just as he started to head towards his own room. She stopped him with a hand on his arm and a look of concern on her face.
“What is it?” Garret asked.
“Just so you know, Deci is gone.” She warned him with a look of sympathy on her face. “The owner came himself! He barely looked at Deci before announcing Deci would serve at his estates. It’s technically a sale, the way the corporations are run, but you know what it means, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” Garret countered and saw the knowing look on her face.
“He… he had a long talk with Damion before he left.” She said. “I heard… part of it and I know you’re not just… you’re not like the rest of us here. It… I know you’ve got enough money to Value yourself somehow, and Speaker Tremere wants something from you, which is why he took Deci. There’s a message on your system waiting for you. Well, two messages really, one from Deci and one from Gospedene Tremere.”
“Thank you, Marna.” Garret said after a moment of hard thought. She was actually looking nervous at something she saw in his eyes. He smiled at her and patted her hand. “You know, I haven’t really accepted it, but I’ve known for a while that I’ve had three friends here, not just one.”
“You’re welcome, Garret.” Marna said with a kind smile. She was old enough to be his mother, of an age with Marja Lars, really.
“Please tell Damion that I am retiring for the night.” Garret continued with a small smile on his face. “Inform him that in the morning, at 0900 hours, I will wish to meet with him.”
“That is when the Bureau of Clone Welfare and Tracking opens.” Marna said with a small smile. Many clones dreamed of the day when they would wake up and be able to Value themselves the moment the Bureau opened at 0900 local time, wherever the locale.
“Yes.” Garret stated with another smile and a pat of her arm before walking back upstairs. He would sleep here, for one more night before his new life began. As he moved, he realized the thrumming in his stomach was still going strong.
As with all my stories, E provides immeasurable input, grammar checking, and all those other lovely editing thingies that make the story so much better!
Feedback,
an Author's Lifeblood
