Clones, Replicants and Other Duplicities

Oct. 23 - Caliban

I had three objectives for coming to Caliban.

First, on behalf of Deputy Lilybell, I wanted to try to convince Krenshar to stop 'cutting up cubs'. She approached me and her good favour would be useful. Besides, despite her eccentricities, dubious acquaintances, and shadowy origins, I found that I liked her. She was a fellow law woman, of sorts. My plan had been to speak with her about her request first, but then she and Cody Winterwolf had torched the laboratory on Caliban and had gone to ground. I would have to approach Krenshar directly.

Second, I wanted to inspect the damage for myself. It was a little known fact that the Alliance has been funding the laboratory and Krenshar's research on Caliban. Most people believe that the Alliance left Caliban after the Miranda Incident. It was more of a downsizing and outsourcing. I had UAP funds with me to restart the operation.

Third, I wanted to ensure that Cody Winterwolf if captured was unharmed.

As I approached the dome, I monitored Caliban radio traffic.

-----

**Mercedes Celestalis: Are there commercal flights to Caliban?**

**Krenshar Magic: This is Caliban control, we have not got any yet, the new ion cannons have just been installed.**

**Mercedes Celestalis: You have not paid for them, you naughty boy.**

**Krenshar Magic: This is Caliban control, may I ask your rank before I answer that question?**

**Mercedes Celestalis: I did not ask you a question that requires rank. Heard you are in the market for some cloning equipment. No warranty, you are a high risk.**

**Krenshar Magic: Yes I could be. I am not sure how I will be able to pay for them.**

**Mercedes Celestalis: We could make a trade.**

**Krenshar Magic: If you would like to come to Caliban and talk about your equipment I am sure we can work something out.**

**Mercedes Celestalis: Be there tomorrow. I will have arranged transport by then.**

**Krenshar Magic: We will expect to see you soon. Over.**

**Mercedes Celestalis: It's a date.**

-----

**Xzariya Khandr: Caliban control, this is Shephard Khandr. Do you know of any shipments arriving your station in the near future?**

**Krenshar Magic: We have a new shipping office opening next to the Cortex building: Sorrowman Shipping Ltd
He is very proud of his fleet of ships.**

**Xzariya Khandr: Thank you Caliban, Blessings upon you and yours.**

-----

I entered the dome and proceeded directly to Alliance Lab 81. I climbed the stairs until I came to the charred laboratory. The walls were blackened, the cloning tanks cracked.

"Mr Krenshar," I greeted the replicant has he entered the laboratory.

"Are you here under orders?" he asked.

"I am here to inspect the damages," I replied

"Under orders?" he pressed.

"And to talk with you," I added.

"Are you here for me?" he asked.

I did not confirm or deny anything. I was not ready to make this official. "I am here to talk. Was all the research destroyed in the fire?"

"Everything, what wasn't destroy was taken."

"What do you need to rebuild?" I asked as I tapped the surface of the growth tank.

Krenshar sighed. "To pay the Alliance, I owe them for two ion cannons and all the equipment in here."

"I have seen the notice on the wire... for LilyBell and Winterwolf..."

"Yes," said Krenshar, "The dome computer and two eyewitnesses have proved they where the ones to start the fire."

"...what do you plan to do next?" I asked.

"Fix Lilybell and Aurora as I have always been trying to do."

"She is concerned that you are 'cutting up' the cubs. Will you put her mind at rest?"

"You know where Lilybell is?" Krenshar asked.

"No," I said truthfully, "She sent me a message on a private channel."

"Aurora has been here with me for some time. Since she ran away everyone thinks I am dangerous but they don't really know me if they would think I would kill my own child.

"Mr. Krenshar...," I began.

He continued undeterred, "I mean they didn't ask me when they shipped her off. Why should I tell people when she comes to me crying and asks if she can live with me?"

Was that despair that I heard in his artificial voice? or some trick of my mind?

"Then why is Lily convinced...."

I stopped as in walked the ubiquitous Jai Raghilda. She really does get around.

"Well, well," I said, "Ms. Raghilda."

"Major," she acknowledged and stood off to the side.

Krenshar did not seem to notice the new arrival. He did however answer my half-formed question.

"Could be the unborn fetuses she stole from my lab. That is the last time I was her."

"Mr. Krenshar ...as a sentient machine... you could possibly be the next step in evolution. Why are you pulling the wings off flies?"

I glanced around the lab at the cracked growth tanks, aware of the dissection lab on the floor beneath us.

He didn't understand.

"Why would I pull the wings off of flies? They wouldn't be flies anymore."

"Lily asked me to tell you to stop cutting up the cubs."

"It's a metaphor," explained Ms. Raghilda helpfully.

"You want to cure your child..." I continued.

Krenshar interrupted, "I have the solution, but I don't have much time."

"Oh? Tell me what is your solution." I insisted.

Krenshar was resistant to elaborate. "I am not sure I can trust you with that uniform on. I owe the alliance way too much to mess up all I have worked for."

"I see," I replied.

"Is Mindo cooperating?" asked Ms. Raghilda. Her question surprised me. Good question.

"No, just x0x0." answered Krenshar, "She won't let me have Mindo because I would pull his wings off."

Ah, the machine that learns.

"Is this not an Alliance uniform?" I asked, returning to the original line of questioning.

"Yes it is," he replied, "That is why I asked if you came for me."

"Would you come if I asked?"

Krenshar sighed. "I would not fight you, but I need more time before I can come. I will come without a fight but I need more time. Once Aurora and Lilybell are repaired you can do what you want with me.

"Very well..." I decided "You will have your time..."

"I know this," continued Krenshar, "I sleep on the floor next to her bed every night and watch her get worse everyday."

He paused.

"There are 2 things I need to finish the job."

"Go on," I said.

"I need Aurora's teddy bear and 10 pieces of junk that are not really junk but they where sold by Lilybell."

I blinked, "I see." Actually it made no sense to me. The sudden absurdity set my mind momentarily spinning.

"Teddy bear?" asked Ms. Raghilda,"Like robot babies?"

"No," replied Krenshar, "It's her teddy bear, stuffed animal."

"Okay," said Ms. Ragihilda, "What about this junk?"

Krenshar explained, "The junk is really parts that are the same as my necklace."

"And how will that help?" I asked regaining my presence of mind and rejoining the interrogation.

Krenshar sighed, "x0x0 must merge then with Lilybell. This will fix what I have messed up.""

Fine, I thought. "Tell me about the necklace. "I took a closer look.

"It was a gift from Lilybell a long time ago."

"You care a great deal for her," I remarked.

"It makes us very close," said Krenshar.

"She is hurt by what you are doing," I pointed out.

"She made me who I am today. If she would just ask me I would tell her but people feel they need to guess at what I am doing and then spread rumors. I don't really care what people think, but ask if you want to know something..."

Jai Raghilda suddenly decided she needed to be somewhere else. "You will excuse me, I have a meeting. Mr. Krenshar, Major."

"Ms. Raghilda," I said as she departed.

Krenshar continued "...she understands me better than most, she just didn't bother to ask me. She took my subjects and ran and I haven't seen her since."

"Tell me about your subjects," I said.

"They were genetic tests on Aurora's DNA so I could figure out how to fix her."

"You grew clones of your child?" I admit I was horrified.

"I never let them develop they where because I wanted to make sure I was right, I couldn't hurt Aurora."

"But the clones were fair game..." I said following his line of logic.

He nodded.

"Don't you see how this would upset Lily?" I asked.

"No, she was worried about how much coin I was going to make. Aurora and Lilybell do not like each other."

I found this hard to believe. But you never know.... families, eh?

"Let me play back the message for you...from Lily then you can decide." I played back the recording

LilyBell Snoodle's voice echoed in the burned out laboratory: **Mercedes taked cubs and brain too. Not let Krenshar cut up no more cubs name Aurora. Thank you**

Krenshar was puzzled. "By you own organic laws, they where not alive yet, I do not see the problem."

I looked up at Krenshar, "Oh the problem is not with me... your problem is with Lily. I told her I would help."

"She will be returned to me soon or the order will just keep increasing the reward," Krenshar added with certainty.

"I see."

Krenshar continued, "I am not the only one to vote on this everyone of my brothers voted. I am just one of the 248 replicants on the moon."

"248."

"Yes, any replicant that seeks freedom is allowed to come to Caliban."

I nodded. "And what of Mr. Winterwolf?"

"I just want answers," said Krenshar,"If he is honest then nothing should happen, but if he tries to lie the order is not as forgiving as me. In my eyes he tried to destroy my family."

Time to get official.

"You are not to harm his eyes or the chip in his head," I instructed.

"These are Alliance property?"

"They are," I confirmed.

"Chip?" asked a mechanic working quietly in the rear of the laboratory and obviously listening in.

A big smile came to Krenshar's face.

I asked him again about the teddy bear.

"Do you have this bear?" asked Krenshar.

"I can get it," I promised. "Then perhaps the bear for Mr. Winterwolf.... unmolested."

Krenshar laughed.

I smiled.

"I can not say what the bounty hunters will do to him." said Krenshar.

Hands on my hips I looked about the laboratory. "Now.... looking at this lab.... what can I do to help you get back up and running. The Alliance wants it's research continued.

"I have found a way to get more DNA but I have nothing left to pay for new equipment."

"I can help with that," I said, "How much do you need?"

"I need a new one of these to grow my clones... and at least one of the large tanks. All three are for growing different parts but I can work around most of it."

"Now," I circled back,"... how are we .. you and I going to put Lily's mind at rest."

"Bring her to me and I can do that."

"That will be difficult ... she trusts me less that she trusts you..."

Krenshar proclaimed, "We are one. She is in me and I am in her."

"I see," I replied.

Krenshar frowned a little and looked at the floor, "I would give it up to save them both and it looks like the only way."

"You may have to find another way to fix your child. She makes no distinction between Aurora and the clones."

Krenshar suddenly stopped. "The dome is telling me there is a dangerous person in the dome to use caution. Did you send for more troops?"

"I did not. Like I said I came to talk."

The dome talks to him. Good to know.

"Unsafe," chirped the mechanic.

Krenshar paused, "hmm wonder what has the dome so spooked."

"Then we must be quick...," I said and I handed him some money.

"What is this for?" he asked.

"Use that towards restarting the lab," I replied.

"Is this money?"

"It is."

"I have lots of these papers," said Krenshar.

"Good, then you should be fine."

Exactly at that moment x0x0 Zhangsun walked into the room. She stopped and blinked.

"Ms x0x0," remarked Krenshar, "I see why the dome was spooked now."

"Ms. Zhangsun...," I said cheerfully, "A pleasant surprise."

x0x0 Zhangsun looks at me, then back at Krenshar "When you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you. I'll wait outside."

"A friend of yours?" I asked Krenshar.

"I am working with her, yes." he replied. "I will do as you ask."

"Thank you," I said.

The mechanic stopped his repairs and glared at the wall as though he could see Ms. Zhangsun standing behind it.

"Then I hope to see a report of the research once your lab is back up and running. I will in the meantime get the bear."

"If you have the proper clearance I will be happy to share it. Thank you Ms Pepper."

"Thank you Mr. Krenshar."

The mechanic nodded to me.

On the landing I passed x0x0 Zhangsun. I nodded in greeting, "Ms. Zhangsun."

"Major is it?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Good day," she said curtly.

As I walked down the stairs, I could hear them.

Ms. Zhangsun's voice: "Close the gorram door!"

Krenshar's voice: "Ms xOXO,"

Ms. Zhangsun's voice: "What in the hell are you doing putting a bounty on Lily?"

Their voices faded as I walked away.