“Aren’t you a clever little thing?” Louisa asked mockingly. “I read your file, you know. Before I came here. So pathetic. So focused on having a child.”
“It’s easy to say that when you have one.”
“Me?” Louisa raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have any children. I had that taken care of as soon as I was old enough to consent to the operation.”
“But I… I heard that you were pregnant. A long time ago.”
Louisa’s eyes narrowed, then she laughed. “Now how did you hear about that? It wasn’t true, of course, but my husband at the time was getting a little too interested in some wretched creature from the slums so I had to… refocus his attention. He was so disappointed when he found out it wasn’t to be.”
“Your husband at the time?”
“Yes. Once he found out I wasn’t pregnant, he started all over again with another little homeless waif, and I didn’t feel like playing the game a second time. He had a rather unfortunate accident.”
She couldn’t find it in her heart to feel sorry for Justin, but the complete lack of concern in Louisa’s voice made her shudder.
“But that makes you perfect for my needs,” Louisa continued. “I had actually intended to send for you and here you are.”
“Perfect?”
“To become Patient 237, of course. Renfrey has been blathering on about being the next in line but really? That antiquated old man? He wouldn’t be much of an advertisement for the program. You, on the other hand…” Louisa surveyed her impassively. “They’ll sit up and beg when they see you.”
Serena’s aching head only added to her confusion. “Who will?”
“My clients, of course.”
“What clients? I didn’t think there was anyone on Mars with enough money to tempt GenCon.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not talking about this godforsaken planet. I—we—will be returning to Earth.”
“But you can’t!” Aside from the expense involved, the settlers’ bodies were too adapted to the conditions on Mars to handle life on Earth.
Louisa raised an eyebrow. “Why not? The expense? All of GenCon’s considerable resources are at my disposal.”
“But…” Her protest died away as a chill swept across her body. Her hands flexed.
“I see you finally understand. With the nanites in my system, I don’t need to worry that my body has been weakened by the time on Mars. I’m stronger, better, now than when I left.”
The chill intensified. “And what are you going to do with that strength?”
“Whatever I want. Everyone is so eager to come to Mars and start over again.” Louisa’s patrician nose wrinkled. “But it’s just a dusty rock. I much prefer Earth. And now I have the power to… modify it to suit me. I don’t think I’ll have any difficulty finding associates who share my goals. But that’s where you come in—in case I need any help… persuading them.”
“But I don’t want to go back.”
“Nonsense. Your looks and brains are completely wasted up here. I’ll have Renfrey start the treatment before we leave, and by the time we get back to Earth, you’ll be perfect.”
Perfect. Able to have a child at last. And locked in hell with the woman she hated. Mars—John—out of reach. She had thought she was willing to pay any price, but this one was too steep. She pulled herself painfully to her feet.
“I’m not interested,” she said coolly.
“You don’t have a choice. Now are you going to come with me voluntarily or am I going to drag you? It makes no difference to me.”
She had no doubt the other woman meant it. Physical resistance would be pointless—she would have to rely on her brains instead. “I’ll come.”
“How disappointing. I do hope you find some spirit, or it’s going to be a very boring trip back to Earth.”
Boring? she thought hysterically. It wasn’t the word she would have chosen. But she kept her face calm and followed Louisa through a lab they had visited that afternoon, then through a concealed panel into a much larger lab.
If only John had known what was going on. She had no doubt that he never would have left her if he thought she was in danger. But at least he was free and safe.
Dr. Renfrey was bent over a lab table when they entered but he jumped up and scurried over to them.
“This is your next candidate, Doctor,” Louisa announced.
“But I thought…”
“I told you it would be my decision. And an attractive woman is a much better advertisement that a doddering old man. Now, get started. I want to be ready to leave the planet as soon as possible.
The doctor seemed to wilt. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll tie her down for you. I doubt you have the strength to restrain her.”
Those icy fingers clamped down on her again, and nothing she did made any difference. She was breathless and bruised by the time Louisa fastened her to a lab table, and the other woman didn’t have a hair out of place.
“Now get started,” Louisa ordered and swept out of the room.
Renfrey avoided her eyes as he bustled around setting up equipment before diffidently approaching her.
“I need to take a blood sample.”
“To which I do not consent,” she said coldly.
He made a distressed noise but he still took the sample. To her surprise, he was both quick and gentle.
“Why are you doing this? You have to know it’s wrong.”
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer her, then he sighed and tapped his skull. “Brain tumor. Inoperable. This is my only hope.”
“But how did you pass the physical for the trip to Mars? Oh, of course, Louisa.”
“Exactly. She made sure that our physicals looked perfect even while she made sure that every one of us had something to gain.” He twisted his hands together. “Either for ourselves or someone we… care about.”
“Which is why you’ve been experimenting on your own staff.”
He shrugged nervously. “They all volunteered.”
“What if
