"We will sleep in perfect peace as the years pass like seconds, while the diligent clones are hard at work. Our minds will be actively stimulated by the Promised Land VR program to avoid neural atrophy. And when the time comes, I will awaken first to ensure the completion of the terraforming process, and then you will be awakened to sire the first generation on a far better earth!"
What were you saying earlier about learning from history?
He frowns. "What are you referring to?"
"Government scientists hand-picked my biological parents to be the breeders of a new world, once the nuclear winters ended. They were expected to rise up from their bunkers at the All-Clear signal and start making babies to repopulate North America." I pause. "How did those plans turn out?"
He holds both of his open hands toward me. "We have you, and nineteen others like you, to show for it."
"A rip-roaring success, in other words."
He puts on his grandfatherly expression—the same one I saw on the wall screen, welcoming me into that weird white room. "Sera, you have to understand, this is the future of the world we're talking about. Every step in the right direction is progress."
I back away from him and move toward the elevator. "No, you have to understand, Doctor. I don't want anything to do with it. I have a life, and it's a good one. You don't get to decide what's best for us. You've already taken our DNA without our permission and spawned countless children. Now you've kidnapped us and plan to freeze us for a few centuries against our will. This is wrong on so many levels."
"Once we fix your augments, you will be on board. Trust me."
"Not happening."
The elevator door slides open as it senses my approach. One of Dr. Wong's clones stands inside, but it's not wearing a lab coat. It has on blood-spattered plasteel armor instead. The clone raises its gloved hand to point the muzzle of a weapon—
"What is the meaning of this?" Dr. Wong demands, right before the pulse from a shocker hits his chest dead center, and he's bowled over by the impact. He hits the white tile floor and slides a couple meters, shaking with uncontrollable spasms and groaning as he soils himself. Then he lies still, unconscious.
"D1-436?" I stare at the clone.
It nods. "Enforcer Chen, it appears I may have made an error in judgment."
"Explain." I join it inside the elevator and punch the button for the seventh floor. The door slides shut, and we hurtle upward.
"In seeking to take you to safety, I inadvertently placed you in further harm. To be put in cryo-sleep against your will…" D1-436 trails off, shaking its head. "I cannot think of a worse possible fate."
I eye the clone for a moment. "And you knew about that because…?"
"I attached an audio-transmitting filament to your hair while you were attempting to shoot me with this." It raises the shocker. "If you remember, while I was piloting the aerocar, you—"
"I remember." Can't hide the grin spreading across my face. "Thanks. I owe you one."
It nods pleasantly, lowering the weapon. "Judging from the floor you selected, would it be safe to assume you intend to rescue the other members of the Twenty instead of returning to the launch pad and leaving this facility at once?"
"Safe to assume." The elevator, as fast as before, arrives at our destination, and the door opens automatically. "You need a name."
"My designation is—"
"Something other than a string of alphanumerics. You're able to think for yourself. You deserve your own name." D1-436…D-one… "What do you think of Dunn?"
"That is not my designation."
"We'll work on it." I lead the way out of the elevator, just as a blaring klaxon sounds and an automated voice announces that Futuro Tower is rising. A low rumble reverberates along the floor, walls, and ceiling.
"That must be Erik and Arienna," I tell Dunn. The clones in the laboratories don't pay us any attention as we make our way to that corridor the Chancellor's duplicate used earlier to enter the white room. "Dr. Wong's collection is now complete."
Entering the room through the sliding wall-door, I clap my hands together to get everyone's attention. Of course, they're back in their lounge chairs, staring off into the virtual Promised Land. Blinking and frowning curiously, they return to reality as I clap again and gesture for them to follow me outside.
"Field trip," I improvise. "Dr. Wong wants us all to be there to welcome our final two arrivals!"
That gets their attention, and they leap to their feet in excitement, murmuring among themselves that they've never been out of the room before. They give Dunn wary looks, but the clone stands at ease with the shocker behind its back and what might be taken for a casual expression on its face. I lead the Seventeen out into the hallway toward the elevator and do my best to keep them on task; but they're easily distracted, staring at all the Wong clones in the various laboratories.
The clones turn and stare back at them. Then, without a change in expression, the clones sweep aside their lab coats and draw sidearms, charging from the labs to confront the escaping Seventeen.
"Dunn!" I shout.
"That is not my designation." Dunn follows the last members of the Seventeen down the hallway and fires the shocker, releasing a barrage of glowing pulse rounds that bring the Wong clones to a halt. They hesitate behind their glass doors as the energy blasts strike and disperse, fizzling with sparks of light.
"Why do they all look like Dr. Wong?" Lyria asks, right behind me.
The others murmur among themselves:
"Why are they carrying weapons?"
"Do they wish us harm?"
"Everybody inside." I stand just outside the elevator as they file in. "Squeeze tight."
Dunn walks backward toward us, firing the shocker at untimed intervals. One of the Wong clones makes the mistake of rushing out
