Corsairs: Kaspar (Corsair Brothers 2) - Page 128

"Actually," Mathiras says slowly. His expression is grim. "It makes perfect sense. We've been running a few diagnostics on the sleepers since they arrived here to Lord va'Rin's home. We figured it'd be best before introducing a large population in with the locals, and there's still a question of if we even should. Anyhow, we discovered that all of the males and quite a few of the females show genetic manipulation and specific marker chromosomes."

Before I can ask what that means, Mathiras sighs dramatically, his expression tired.

"Someone's creating and distributing illegal clones. Our Crulden is a clone. The one you saw is either the real thing or another clone."

I frown. "But—"

"They're not denoted with the red skin? Exactly. They're not a'ani, either. They're cloning human females and gladiators and trying to flood the market on the cheap. Or they were, since this batch has been missing for over three years. It's entirely possible there's an underground network that we've stumbled into, or this is a one-off situation." He gives a grim smile. "I suspect it's not a one-off, though."

There's utter silence in the bridge. I look down at Alice—my Alice—and her jaw is clenched.

Someone claps, and then Helen squeezes into the camera with Mathiras again. "Yay! We're all clones!"

87

ALICE

I'm not a clone. I'm not.

At least, I don't think I am. I don't feel like a clone, but how do I know what a clone feels like? Does Helen feel any different than the rest of us? It's not something I've ever thought about.

Kaspar is grim-faced as he leads me toward the med-bay on the ship. "It changes nothing, Sunshine." His hand on me is tight, possessive. "I just want you to know that. I don't care if everyone in that ship's cargo hold was a clone. It changes absolutely nothing."

I lick my lips. I don't know what to say. I try to think about my memories of home, but they're slightly hazy. They always have been. Is it because it's been so long since I've seen Earth and I've spent three years trying not to think about those kinds of things and now I'm panicking? Or are there really no memories—just impressions of them—and all that's left are fragments from the original Alice that I was cloned from? Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

Sterre presses up against my side, a heavy, reassuring weight. Kas's grip on my elbow is firm, and I get the impression that both of them are holding me up so I don't crumble.

A clone. I could be a clone. A clone tinkered with to make half-alien babies. I inhale sharply at the thought. Helen's a clone. We knew something was weird when she came out of stasis with such…innocence. She knew the basics—how to feed herself, how to speak, how to walk and run and any basic function—but she didn't know obvious things. We assumed she was just clueless or sheltered, and then we'd found out she was a clone, and it all made perfect sense.

This makes no sense.

Kaspar runs his hand under the panel to the room that must be med-bay. It chimes with an error, and his nostrils flare. He slams a fist down on the panel, then stabs at the intercom. "Zoey."

"On it," she calls back. "Don't break shit, okay?"

The ship pings, and then the door slides open a moment later. We step into a room filled with computer equipment and screens, and something that looks like a CAT-scan tube that goes into the wall itself. Robot arms hover over the tube like spiders, just waiting to shoot medicine or cut open livers or whatever they do. It all looks incredibly ominous and I want to run away. We'd never really used the stripped-down med-bay in the Star, and seeing all this reminds me why. It looks like every alien abduction fantasy come to life.

Kaspar senses my worry, and he reaches out and strokes my cheek. "We're just going to check to make sure the baby's all right, okay?"

"What if I'm not pregnant?" I ask, and the thought physically hurts me. I didn't realize how much I wanted this—wanted a family with Kas—until now. "What if we're just misreading signals in my body because I'm a clone? What if clones don't have periods like normal people? What if my clone ovaries are failing? What if I'm a faulty clone? What—"

"Sunshine," Kas says firmly, and puts both hands on my shoulders. "Look at me."

I blink at him, terrified.

"None of this changes anything. If you're a clone, I'll keffing love you as much as I do right now. We'll talk to someone at one of the underground flesh-modders and see if they have something that can hide the clone markers in your system. We can dye your hair, or get surgery to change your features. I don't care. It doesn't change a thing between you and me. You're still my Sunshine, my fearless, clever corsair mate. Got it?"

Tags: Ruby Dixon Corsair Brothers Fantasy
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