Chapter Five
Chapter Five
“It’s been a week,” MC-1 pointed out. “That shuttle hasn’t returned. No one has come or reached out to us. It’s time to find a planet to live on. We’ll run out of food and water if we don’t.”
Marisol was tired of arguing with the tall, opinionated medic. She tried to use logic. “We have months before that happens. Let’s give it a few more weeks.”
“No. We did things your way, but it’s not working.”
“How about one more week? We’re outside of a travel lane, and nothing is out this way. It will take time for that shuttle to fly wherever it went and bring another one back.”
“The other clone could have sent a transmission and stayed at this location if he didn’t plan to abandon us for good.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stubborn.
Her temper was beginning to rise. “Are you serious? And say what? The woman who helped us escape Clone World is waiting at this location with four clones. Please haul ass there to speak to her. Oh, and if anyone is listening, which is highly likely, this is exactly where we are.”
He scowled.
“That kind of conversation being broadcast would get the authorities motivated to come after us. You know how terrified humans are of clones. They’ve fucked our kind over in every way imaginable by giving us zero rights or considerations. It’s a miracle there haven’t been rebellions. They know it, too. It’s why they panic at just the thought of clones running around free.”
MC-3 approached, placing her hands on the tall male. “Marisol has a point. We should give it at least another week. It would be best if we find the other clones that escaped. They can help us learn how to survive since they’ve been doing it for years.”
He glared down at the female. “I didn’t ask you.”
She jerked her hands away and glared back at him. “You are not in charge, and I have a say in the matter. We all do.”
MC-2 and MC-3 nodded.
“Fine, we’ll vote,” MC-1 stated. “Raise your hand if you believe it’s best if we go find an uninhabited planet to live on.”
Marisol couldn’t stay silent. “That means going to a planet humans deemed too terrible to try to live on. So horrific storms, animals that will kill us, or something is terribly wrong with the environment. Like the air is barely breathable or the gravity is so strong it will mess up our bodies.”
MC-1 sneered at her but didn’t say a word. He did raise his hand, though. No one else did.
The muscle in his jaw clenched. “Raise your hand if you believe we should wait for what I’m starting to doubt anyone is going to come meet with us.”
Marisol and the other three clones raised their hands. She didn’t miss how quickly the dynamics had changed since they’d left Clone World. The four medics had gone from taking orders from her to using a voting system.
“You’re fools!” MC-1 stomped toward the back of the shuttle. There was cargo storage and a bathroom for him to step into if he wanted some alone time.
Once he was gone, Marisol forced a smile at the other three. “Thank you for agreeing with me. I―”
A loud beeping cut her off. Marisol bolted toward the front of the shuttle and entered the cockpit. The alarm going off showed that something had shown up on long-range sensors. A vessel was coming from the direction of the Balarian system.
MC-3 stepped next to her. “It’s the authorities, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think so. They’d be traveling from Vista’s system. That’s the closest base they have in this sector of space. Clone World doesn’t allow them to keep a base there. My gramps doesn’t want Earth keeping an eye on what’s going on there. That ship might be who we’ve been waiting for.”
“Hail them,” MC-2 hissed. “Find out.”
Two more vessels showed up on sensors coming from another direction. There were no known space stations or colonized planets that way. Both were traveling close enough together, making her hope it was Figures and Free.
More beeping signaled yet another vessel coming within sensor range. It was coming from another part of space that was known for nothing being out there. The vessels were far enough away that the readings weren’t very clear about their models or class. They could be a freighter, a transport, or a shuttle. The only thing for certain was that none of them were huge enough to be a pleasure cruiser.
“The authorities have come to kill us!” MC-3 rushed out of the cockpit, fleeing toward the back.
“Is that what is happening?” MC-4 crouched down next to Marisol, her eyes huge with fear. “Did the other pilot you spoke to turn us in?”
“Figures wouldn’t do that.” Marisol ran deeper scans. More information came in. “They are all shuttles.” She frowned. “Neither of the two seemingly traveling together have the same configuration as the previous shuttle we had contact with.”
“What does that mean?”
Marisol started to buckle into the pilot seat. “I’m not sure, but I want you all to belt in.”
“You believe they’ve all come to capture or kill us.” MC-2 threw himself in the other seat, grabbed MC-4, and yanked her onto his lap. He began strapping them both in.
Marisol went over her options. She could make a run for it but it was possible that one of those incoming shuttles was Free. It was a huge risk, but she started the engines and sent out a general communication hail, hoping to find out who was flying those other shuttles.
Seconds ticked into almost a minute before there was a response. It was coming from the farthest away shuttle heading at her. She opened a channel.
“Alpha, Roger form, line six. The two incomings are slightly spaced apart. Do you understand?”
That voice belonged to Figures. At least, she was almost certain that it was him. A.R. forms on Clone World were for stolen property losses. Line six meant a group of thieves. Marisol stared at the two close-together blips on her sensors. He was implying they were pirates.
“Are you sure?” Marisol wanted verification.
“Affirmative. Red, nine, seven, zero, bar, ten.” He took a breath. “Seven, seven, seven on the other inbound.”
Marisol felt terror. R970B10 was the accounting budget they used for everything from security on Clone World planet to the massive ground cannons that could take down vessels trying to land or take off from the surface.
Was he telling her to fight if she needed to? To open fire on the advancing two shuttles if they tried to dock with her? He also wanted her to wait for further input.
No. He’s telling me that the other ship is probably Free. Or at least another clone.
“Understood.” She wanted clarification, though. “Are you saying nine, six, zero?” That would be the first three numbers for weapon purchases.
“Nine, six, zero. Confirmed.”
She ended the communications and brought the weapons for the shuttle online. Insecurity was a terrible thing to feel. The few piloting lessons she’d taken over the years left her ill-equipped to fight a battle. Those pilots sure hadn’t done more than give her a general rundown of how the weapons system could protect the shuttle if the need ever arose.
MC-1 suddenly rushed inside the cockpit, slightly out of breath. “Three said we’re being surrounded. Get us out of here!”
Marisol was in no mood to deal with him. “Shut up, go in the back, and strap in. We have two pirate shuttles inbound, but two more shuttles are the clones we came looking for. I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to learn the weapons system.”
“You need to learn? Don’t you know how to use them already?” MC-1 seemed outraged as he shouted.
“I’m not an actual pilot. It would have been too suspicious if I’d asked anyone to teach me how to target and fire on other shuttles. I made it seem like I wanted to learn how to fly a shuttle for the fun of it. So yes, I need to learn how to use the weapons system. Go in the back.”
“Do it,” MC-2 barked. “Listen to Marisol. You’re not helping. Fill a few syringes with plasma in case the human pirates are able to dock and board our shuttle. That’s how you can help.”
Marisol inwardly flinched overhearing that. Clone plasma injected into humans would cause their deaths. It had been a possibility that they might have to kill or be killed. She just had hoped it wouldn’t come down to that. It seemed like it might be the case.
She didn’t protest that drastic defensive plan, memorizing the weapons controls instead. They had seven laser cannons mounted on the shuttle exterior and eight missiles. That didn’t seem like a lot to her.
Marisol really hoped that the shuttle coming from the Balarian system was Free. Not that she should be thinking about him right then. Their lives were on the line.
Please be him. I hope he still loves me.
The two inbound pirate shuttles were bearing down on them fast. She made a split-second decision, hit the thrusters, changed course, and flew toward the shuttle she hoped Free was on. All she could do was pray that whoever was flying it knew how to fight off pirates and they’d save her and the four medics.
* * * * *
Free ignored that his engines were running hot and that the shuttle exceeded the safe speed parameters. He’d been in a daze for the past three and a half days since he’d been in contact with Figures and Big. They’d given him the shock of his life by saying that Marisol was looking for him.
Memories replayed through his head, tormenting him ever since. Marisol Florigo should have been everything he was supposed to hate. She was human. Also, the granddaughter of the man who’d enslaved his kind, buying and treating clones as if they were nothing more than mindless products.
She even stood to inherit ownership of Clone World one day if Rico Florigo allowed himself to die and stay dead. He highly doubted that was the case. Free had seen and learned too much about the old human over the years he’d been trapped on Clone World.
The proof of how cruel, calculating, and malicious Rico Florigo could be had been constant. Free had seen it by how the old human had reacted when a guest murdered a clone. The killers weren’t prosecuted for their crimes. They were billed hefty fees and replacement charges instead.
The old man bought unblanked clones knowing they’d go insane and have short, miserable lives. Rico Florigo had built a lucrative business on the suffering and exploitation of clones. The bastard was proud of the immense wealth he’d amassed with their blood, sweat, and tears. Even their brutal deaths at times.
Marisol wasn’t anything like her grandfather. That’s what Free had quickly learned working with her. They’d spent at least six days a week, hours each day, in close proximity, going over budgets, profit and loss statements, and purchasing orders for Clone World.
She didn’t treat him the way other humans did. They were cold, demanding, and insulting. Some went out of their way to anger him, hoping for a reaction. That would have meant immediate termination. Death was the consequence of an aggressive or insolent clone. No exceptions were made. They weren’t even permitted to defend themselves if a human attacked. Clones were supposed to just take whatever abuse was dealt, even if it meant certain death.
Marisol was kind, considerate, and even funny when they were alone. She made Free feel seen and heard for the first time in his life. His ideas were welcomed, and she encouraged him to help her run the finance department. She saw him as a person.
She’d also shown him absolute trust by sending the human guards out of the room while they were working closely together. The other human employees he’d had meetings with never did that. They ordered an armed guard to remain within eyesight, watching his every move. He knew they feared him and worried that a clone might snap and harm them.
Marisol had treated him as if they were equals. There was no way he could have avoided falling in love with her. She had become the center of his world. He lived for her smiles, teasing jokes, and the warm look in her soulful brown eyes.
She had a heart-shaped face and kissable-looking lips he longed to taste, and she always kept her light brown hair in a tight bun. He had been excited the first time she’d worn it down and free. The tresses fell like a silky curtain to her shoulders. It had tormented him a little since he’d wanted to feel the texture to see if it was as soft as it looked.
He’d spent every evening laying on his bunk, wishing they could spend time together outside the office. It was impossible, of course. That didn’t mean Free hadn’t fantasized about taking Marisol on picnics or to one of the fancy restaurants the guests dined at.
Humans dated. Free had dreamed about all the activities he’d like to do with Marisol. She deserved to be romanced. He’d gone so far as to spy on some of the guests with the help of a security clone giving access to the live feeds. He’d wanted to learn how to dance by watching couples do that activity. It would give him a valid reason to hold Marisol in his arms.
Clones weren’t permitted to have sex and shouldn’t even have those types of thoughts. His nutrient bars were laced with certain drugs to keep those urges from happening. Every three months, he had medical checkups when he was given plasma. Hormone levels were tested as part of the exam.
His had been erratic after spending so much time with Marisol. Not high enough to justify a chemical increase, but he’d begun to suffer from having erections. That wasn’t supposed to be possible for someone like him. He was an F Clone. His duties didn’t put him in contact with any human guests. Some of them paid extra to see a male stripped to view a clone penis. He’d heard horror stories about that being done occasionally from the males who shared his bunk room.
Free also had begun to have sexual dreams about Marisol. Just the idea of kissing her, getting her bare, and exploring her body had him hacking into databases to learn more about the topic of sex. The guests were given access to something called porn videos. He’d watched a few of them, so he’d be able to please her in bed if ever given the opportunity.
Marisol Florigo was forbidden to him in every way. Yet he’d still fallen in love. Over time, she seemed to start having those same feelings for him. She’d reach out to brush her hand over his. There were comments she’d made about how she thought he was handsome and attractive. Every wonderful word she had spoken only encouraged him to fall deeper in love with her.
She’d been the one to bring up escaping Clone World. It had been impossible for them to be together if they remained on the planet. Security was too tight. The few stolen moments they had were inside the office. At any given time, there were half a dozen human guards nearby. All of them stuck close to Marisol or checked on her every few minutes. The best they could do were a few hugs, some swift kisses, and whispered private words.
Free was an F Clone, which only gave him access to the housing he’d been assigned and the finance department. His knowledge of classified information kept him highly isolated. Human security officers escorted him from one building to the other every day. Even the clones he shared a bunk room all worked in other highly restricted areas.
Leaving Marisol behind when he’d escaped Clone World with five other clones had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. She had insisted she couldn’t go with them, certain her grandfather would go to any lengths to have them hunted and captured. Rico Florigo would see his granddaughter being with a lowly clone as the ultimate betrayal.
Her plan was to leave later. That way, she wouldn’t be linked to the clones’ escape. The two months they’d planned to be apart had seemed excruciatingly long. Free had no idea their plans wouldn’t work out, or he’d have stayed behind to be with her. His main motivation for leaving had always been for them to be together.
His heart had felt ripped from his chest when they’d flown to Barlish station and waited for Marisol to contact them. She was supposed to bribe someone there to put her in an emergency pod and eject it into space. Then they would have maneuvered their shuttle to catch it inside their cargo hold. Marisol would have been reunited with him.
The hours had turned to days of silence. No message from Marisol had come. Security on Barlish was too tight for them to attempt to dock and physically search for her. All sections of the station had scanners that automatically read every person coming or going. Clones didn’t have chips embedded in their palms. Security would have immediately realized they weren’t human and arrested them. Death would have swiftly followed.
All six of them had attempted to use their unique hacking skills to breach the station’s security office to gain information about Marisol, but it had been a completely closed system with no weaknesses to find. It had taken nine days before the other clones had convinced Free that Marisol wouldn’t be joining them.
Free had been heartbroken at first, but as the months passed, he’d become certain that something had gone wrong. Marisol loved him, and he refused to believe she’d changed her mind.
It had motivated him to be the first of their group of six clones to leave the home base they’d created on the mining station. He’d gained their help to steal a shuttle for his private use. The first solo mission he’d taken had been extremely dangerous. He’d flown close enough to Clone World, attempting to establish contact with Marisol. He’d failed.
Three years had passed, his heart battered, and his soul darkened with misery over her loss. The future they’d envisioned hadn’t come to pass. Then he’d gotten the communication from Big and Figures. Marisol had left Clone World and was on a shuttle trying to find him.
Free’s heart raced as soon as a shuttle showed on his sensors near an asteroid belt and moon that Figures called his secondary home. Marisol was on that shuttle. He couldn’t wait to see her, speak with her, and find out if she still had feelings for him.
Unfortunately, two more vessels immediately showed on the sensors. He knew they weren’t his fellow clones from the direction they were flying from. Blade had been captured by pirates and held against his will for a long time by them. One of their hubs came from that direction. Pirates were after his Marisol.
“I’ll kill you all before I allow you to harm her,” he snarled.
The shuttle that had to be Marisol’s suddenly moved, turned in his direction, and began flying right toward him. His Marisol knew he’d keep her safe. It warmed his soul thinking that she was depending on him to save her.
“I will,” he vehemently swore.