Clone Ch. 01

First, credit to the Editor of this one: Finchly. This is a story that is a few years old, I thought I'd get it out the way before I begin publishing my newer ones. The ending leaves the door open to a sequel which will, in all probability, never get written.

*****

Android.

A change of circumstances

I know why I was recruited, and it wasn't only my academic record they looked at. The fact that I was single with distant family attachments played a part. They were looking for someone in my discipline, a Nanogenetisist, to run a small outworld breeding program.

I had presumed that it was in the field of fast growing food animals, like an egg to a fully formed chicken in a matter of weeks. My particular research for my PhD had been in bovine studies, from calf to cow in a matter of months.

We grew them in artificial uteruses, then in stalls. Yes I know it sounds like the old factory farming of the twentieth century but it was a lot more humane. On our new world outpost we also grew their natural foodstuffs, and made sure that they were exercised.

My job was at the sharp end, meat was a luxury product, naturally grown meat that is. You could grow muscle tissue in vats, even stimulate it to mimic exercise, but you couldn't beat the flavour of real beef. My job was to ensure the genetics produced the optimum flavour, a kind of quality control.

My first big surprise was when we transferred to the orbital station, the planet was classed as earth normal, with some 102% gravity and a 10 to 30 centigrade temperature gradient. The surprise was that it had primitive humanoid inhabitants.

Legally speaking, according to the interplanetary charter, this planet should have been quarantined. Any potential intelligence was supposed to be isolated and studied, that was only the first rule that was being broken, alongside the meat production was a breeding project for androids.

Androids, the sex slaves and harems of the super rich, had been outlawed since it became possible to create them in the twenty first century. Yet here was a covert program that I was expected to join and even improve. Genetic constructs made to order.

My options were severely limited, once I'd popped out of the wormhole this was all company controlled space. I'd been here a week before my introduction to the secret side of the operation, my skills tested in the normal side with the food animals first.

I'm sorry now that I tried so hard to impress that first week, otherwise I might never have known and my life could have retained some semblance of normality. As it was I was tumbled helter skelter into the most bizarre world I could imagine.

-oo00oo-

"Frank, let me be the first to welcome you," my new boss, Maery, said.

"Thanks. It's not what I expected when I signed up, but now that I'm here you'll have no complaints," I replied, I was between Scylla & Charybdis, I'd give them my best effort for the sake of my own skin.

"I'm sure we'll get along fine, Dani thinks you have some originality to your thoughts and approach, something you'll find rewarding over here."

Dani, the guy who recruited me all those weeks ago, I'd like to get back to Araphis, my home world and meet him again. He'd have a different opinion of me after he got out of hospital.

"Now," she continued, "you can have the day to move your stuff over here, and I'd like to see you in my office in the morning."

With that she looked down at the papers on her desk, effectively dismissing me. I turned and waited for the door to dilate before exiting to return to my former living quarters.

Here I gathered up the belongings I'd just a week ago unpacked and loaded them up on a grav trolley for the long journey back. At least my new quarters were larger with more luxurious fittings.

My evening meal in the executive dining room brought me a number of introductions, there were a mixture of scientists like me and a smattering of senior managers. It was the scientists who welcomed me into their midst.

One in particular who was to be my lab mate and mentor, who came and ate her meal with me. She was a redhead, probably in her thirties some ten years older than me. Though she didn't state it out loud she seemed to sympathise with me.

"So, you're the new recruit to our exclusive little club, I'm the one you're working with, Shelia. I've got to show you the ropes over the next few days," was how she introduced herself.

"You'll get to know the layout of the place in no time," she went on.

"So," I asked. "What's this place like to live in?"

"It isn't so bad. Yes we are rather isolated but it has its advantages as well, we have real food, no synthetics, all the latest entertainment, and you'll be very rich in twenty years time," she explained.

With a day to contemplate my situation I was resigned to being here all my working life, trapped until I'd outlived my usefulness, I'd signed on for two extendable to five. I would be the prodigal son if my parents were still alive. If I was to be freed in twenty years then that was at least something to look forwards to.

"You'll get a little estate on Raynard's world, a country house and an acre or so of the most sought after real estate in the galaxy," she went on. "And you'll get to design your own android to take with you."

That brought the subject of sex to my mind, I wondered if she was sleeping with anyone. Over in the other place we had access to a, well I suppose it was a brothel, it was a bar with a lot of hostesses, I would like to have a more permanent relationship, something one to one.

"So," I asked her. "What exactly goes on over here, I mean I know the basics, but are we expected to design for facial features and body morphology?"

"Oh, that part is already standardised, as well as skin tone, height and hair and eye colour. We're researching subtle variations such as nipple size and labias. You'll see when I show you the notes."

"Ah, so I will get a chance of original research then."

"Yes, we do a lot of research here. You see that one with the blond hair over there." She turned and nodded towards a guy in his late twenties. "He's just formulated a better distillation of Co-Prodmial. The drug extract from Zeang Fu that modifies the action of PKMzeta."

The drug that all students wanted to get their hands on, it switched off your normal memory and allowed you to write information directly into the brain. Great for learning, you could program an entire encyclopaedia into your mind, but if you got the input or dose wrong you could lose your own identity.

"His friend next to him, Dr Bremner. He's made a breakthrough in reprogramming behavioural responses; you can use it to teach an old dog new tricks."

It would also be very useful in teaching the androids.

"Professor Graham over there, he's from behavioural sciences, his electro-encephalographic lab can make a personality into a pure submissive or an animalistic lover. It's amazing how he can fine tune a person's characteristics into Doms or subs."

They seemed to have the complete setup here, you wanted it you could have it, from zygote to finished product in two years. In the wrong hands this technology could make you a super soldier as well. I'd bet that was also happening somewhere, producing the ultimate bodyguard.

My routine was established the next day. I was taken by Shelia from the lab and into the production unit, I got the grand tour. The natives did all the labouring, they were cheaper than automations, there were humans in the low level jobs where understanding as well as rule following was needed.

The tour ended at the last stage, it was a revealing look at the security of the place as well, they coped well with the privacy laws. Your company tag, melded to your wrist was all that was normally monitored.

At the borders of each domain was a physical check, a simple scan of the capillaries in the eyeball, and a body scan. This last stage, the one when they were first brought to awareness, was the most secure of all.

It was here we took the raw data for our research. The DNA, and the physiological examination, via 3D holographic and contour plotting.

This could have been automated again, but what the hell, it got me out and about. I wondered also when the next 'recruit' would replace me. With only two or three 'bodies' to scan per batch it wasn't very onerous, just a time waster.

My ostensible job was to research the data correlated by a mainframe, comparing the genetics flagged with the physical characteristics of the labia minor, I was destined to become an expert on the female genitals.

My colleague Shelia was working on nipples, as a female she was probable immune to them, I was going to become immune to pussies, except the aesthetically pleasing ones I hoped.

My first days were the establishing of a routine that framed my life, from work to some sort of entertainment. I even took a stroll outside, the day length was an amazing sixteen hours, where we were sited was in the lee of a valley between chalk like hills.

One shear edge of cliff backed the complex with the bulk of it buried into the chalk face, around us were scattered blocks quarried out. I found that it carved quite easily. I had sculpted with gypsum, this wasn't as silky soft but it was a fair substitute.

I now had something else to do besides inhabit the bar, or play in the games room. Twenty years from now someone would inherit a whole load of carved rock.

My routine became routine, my first hours were exercise, then the occasional boring hour of data collection, then studying pussies and piecing together DNA sequences that average the different types, across a range of sites.

It was educated guessing but the inferences grew sharper, adding more refinement to the model held in the mainframe. It was research with a small 'R'.

My white coat singled me out, the humans wore yellow and the natives orange. At the sight of my coat men found work elsewhere leaving only the supervised 'Thals, to whom I was as a ghost.

I went to the bar quite frequently, it was the pick-up place, here you found the company girls and guys paid to entertain us.

I sampled one or two but it was too much the mechanical side and the sexual thrill. I wanted more; I was greedy for the emotional satisfaction that comes with sexual bonding. So far it'd been vanilla.

I was on my way to take one of those occasional tests, way up into the heart of the cavern, walking through the corridors, almost up into birthing, when I was shocked to see a supervisor beating a native 'Thal, standing next to him was the creature's overseer. Both had canes in their hands but only the supervisor was beating the poor sod.

I moved to intervene, catching the man's arm as I came up behind him.

"What the fuck..."

He turned and saw me, and saw the white coat.

He wrenched his arm from my grasp.

"I'll have those canes, thank you!" I held out my hand, the overseer put his there straight away, I played eye games with the supervisor till he blinked and reluctantly handed his over.

"What are you doing?"

"We're teaching this 'Thal how to load properly."

"By beating it half to death? That's not the way, at least not on my watch."

They were grumbling under their breath as I took the canes, knowing they were in the wrong but resenting my interference.

I tucked the canes under my arm and went on to the initial processing section, where I would take my daily tests and photo's. Yep, I've probably made an enemy in that bully, he was a sadist and a man to watch

I never saw anyone much in the birthing room, where I did my tests, their chemically induced 'sleep' was terminated slowly so that they just awoke with blank minds.

When the life monitors registered their awareness the trolley would automatically trundle them off to the next stage, and an empty one would replace it to receive the next delivery.

ooO0Ooo

I was awake, my eyes wouldn't focus so the room around me was like some impressionist painting, blobs of colour and light, the voices didn't make much sense either.

"Those idiots have done it again," she complained.

"Done what?" Another female voice answered.

"There's no ID on this one," came her voice again.

"Shall I get onto prebirth and-."

"No," she cut in. "You don't want another inquiry like last time, we'll sort him out an identity here, this was probably one of Melanie's last favours, we can keep it as a pet, maybe relieve some stress at the same time, eh."

I felt the trolley start rolling, the view overhead blurring as I was wheeled through a set of doors.

"Marrie, put this one through the 'gigolo' program, I need to sort out some documentation for him, he's one of Melanie's little projects, the last one I hope."

"Okay Jant, give me a mo," a new voice replied.

Things went quiet for a minute or so then the trolley moved again. My sight was coming back, I could make out the equipment around me, I was being backed into a bay. A pretty redhead came around to the side of me.

I could see her wielding the hypo gun, doing a quick swab of my arm before giving me the spray injection. The sudden cold spot on my arm jolted me, had I muscle control I would have jerked away but even turning my eyes was a struggle.

I saw her go behind me again, then the buzz started and I felt the cold head of the shaver travelling across my head, which gave my brain a jolt, she was shaving me prior to programming me. The rubber helmet in my peripheral vision would impose a new personality on me.

I began the fight to control my arms or legs or more importantly my vocal cords to stop the process, I suddenly knew what the shot she'd just given me was for, it was the learning drug, in preparation for the new me she would program in, it would chemically suppress my own memories.

When it was done to eradicate 'deviant' personalities they at least had their original one wiped first, I would be co-hosting mine, if I survived the process that is.

It wasn't set to print over mine, so it loaded it up besides mine, making it the dominant one as it rerouted control of my body over. I huddled in the corner, fighting the effects that were stripping me of my memory, steadily ebbing away from me as my brain was flooded by the learning drug.

My mind was a churning chaos as she lowered and fitted the helmet on me; I slipped back into the darkness as I felt the tingle start on my scalp.

ooO0Ooo

Awareness seeped back to me, from my corner of my mind I looked out into a different world,

The subservient mindset of an inferior was implanted, along with an urge to serve them sexually, serve and please them when they desired it. He was programmed to answer to my mistress first and others if commanded.

I was now resigned to undergoing the whole process of learning, my realisation that I was programmed and brainwashed into becoming a houseboy, a sex slave, a plaything focused on pleasing my mistress's every wish and desire.

With my personality set and a limited knowledge of social behaviour I was sent to the next stage, interacting with other androids. There were both female and male all naked accepting the white coated one who took me in there.

She turned me to face her. "I am your mistress, you will obey me and any other in a white coat." She commanded in a crisp voice.

The programming was triggered, my significant other responded as cued. "Mistress, may I serve you?"

"Yes, you may wait here on my command, know the ones around you, they are your new companions."

With that she left.

My companions, her other servants, were just sat around in a selection of chairs. No one was doing very much. Mine host in charge had nothing to say and simply sat down, awaiting his next command.

I/we sat and then ate and then were sent to sleep, filing into a barracks like room fill with bunk beds. They turned taking the first available bed, my alter ego followed suit. Pulling the thin blanket over himself and curling up, falling asleep quite quickly.

As soon as he slept I tried to move my limbs, I concentrated on one of my hands, willing it to make a fist. My fingers bent then I felt them freeze, I tried my eyelids and could make them flutter in my attempt to open them. It became plain I was just along for the ride if breaking free was impossible.

Ghostly whispers from my limbs woke me as my alter ego was getting out of bed, yesterday's slight feeling of bewilderment was gone. I felt the hunger in our belly, his arousal at the naked girl clambering down from the top bunk, his confusion at his needs for sexual intimacy without permission to proceed.

His hand reached out to her waist as she descended the last few steps.

"Thank you," she said as she put both feet on solid ground.

"You're welcome," he replied, releasing her and offering his hand. "Can I take you to breakfast?"

She giggled, putting her hand to cover her mouth. "I guess so."

He walked hand in hand with her to the 'day room' where the same hatch in the wall was disgorging trays of food onto a conveyor. He took one and accompanied the girl to a table, besides wanting to be with her and the need to have sex he was lost, he could only talk about the food in front of him, thoughts of the decor, the lighting, the people round them.

My mind was a blank, I had all my reasoning ability, but nothing to reason with, every event played out in front of me was like a scene from a film. But I couldn't unravel the plot, things made sense but I didn't know why, even the name Beckett, which flew by from nowhere held a distant familiarity.

My alter ego was making small talk with the girl, eating the tasteless processed pap that I would scorn. More sourceless knowledge that filtered through, it was like a word on the tip of your tongue, the harder you thought the further away the answer.

"Attention."

We looked round, although the sound had come from speakers in the wall, attention focused on the woman in the white coat the stood by the wide screen display.

"Right boys and girls, you may be a little confused, wondering what's happening. Well we are going to give you your memories back; you were exposed to a drug that temporarily suppressed your mind. You will all be undergoing further medical procedures and then we'll be doing a few tests to see that your functioning perfectly again and then you can go home and restart your lives.

I knew she was lying, I knew that they were going to have false memories implanted, memories that were designed in consultation with the new master or mistress, was this to be my fate? I could only hope that it wasn't forever, I needed to find my true memories. A sex toy grows old quick when the next is only a matter of money.

They came for us one or two at a time, I was next to the only one left at the end, the woman who came for the last look took me with her as well.

"We can't leave you behind," she murmured to herself.

She took me with the other guy who was left, leaving me standing just inside the door. It was ten minutes or so till she came back.

She took my arm and led me over and out into a lounge on the other side.

"Janna, what do we do with the 'M' one? There's no profile for it, Jant wants to keep it as 'stock'."

"He's not an it, he might lack a functioning mind but he's as human as you or me," came the admonishing voice. "Leave him here and get onto Jant and tell her to come sort it out, you can put him down as a test model for the moment. Seeing as she was stupid enough to put him into the system, she can deal with him. Officially I know nothing about him, okay?"

She sat me down.

"There's coffee and snacks over there if you want it," she informed me. "You can put the vid on if you want."

She left me, exiting through the door back the way we came. I looked round, Janna had disappeared as well. Sat alone in the comfort of the lounge I felt my alter ego's boredom level rise, as it did I tried subtly to move his hand, edging it towards the remote on the cushion next to him. When it was near enough I sent a sudden surge and pressed the on button.