The Clones of Mawcett (11 page)

By dinnertime, Jenetta's brain ached. The worst part of the day had been the protocol session because the internal workings of the palace seemed to make it a world unto itself. The second worst part of the day had been receiving her new hair, because she either kept sitting or leaning on it, or it was getting caught on, in, under, or around things. Having very long hair requires a discipline all its own.

For the first week, Jenetta would take her meals in her suite, but thereafter her presence might be required at formal dinners. Vronnesa, Znanna, and Tkusa served Jenetta's dinner and steadfastly refused to join her at the small table. They just stood around her, waiting until her cup needed refilling, or she needed a napkin, or, anything. She understood that this was the way things were done in the palace, but being unaccustomed to such behavior, she was uncomfortable.

She filled up quickly due to the tight constriction of the corset, and the dishes still contained most of the food when the handmaidens cleared them away. To pass the evening hours, the handmaidens took turns reading Nordakian poetry to Jenetta, so when it was time to go to sleep, Jenetta was feeling quite sleepy.

The_Clones_of_Mawcett

Chapter Six

~ October 13th, 2269 ~

“This is unprecedented, Edward!” Doctor Zhang shouted angrily, while waving his arms in emphasis as they stood in the underground chamber. “To make a monumental discovery like this and not inform the rest of the planet's scientific community for four months is unconscionable!”

Although roughly the same age as Doctor Peterson, Doctor Jin Wei Zhang was quite his opposite in appearance. Peterson is tall, while Zhang is barely five-foot two-inches; and where Peterson is lanky, Zhang has a roly-poly body from too many years of easy living and rich foods in his role as museum curator and funds raiser.

“I'm sorry, Jin,” Doctor Peterson said, “but you have to stop looking at this purely from a scientific perspective for a moment.”

“How else am I supposed to look at it? You're part of the scientific expeditionary party, and your contract requires you to immediately inform the rest the community if you make any significant discoveries. I'd say this is kilometers above significant.”

“I wanted to inform you, Jin, but we felt it better that we wait until we knew what was going on in the complex. Then, when the clones emerged, we were faced with a whole new dilemma. We still don't know if the machinery is trying to shut down, or if it's making more clones. We felt that secrecy was best.”

“More clones?” Zhang said, his face reflecting horror. “You think that it could be creating more?”

“We have to face that possibility.”

Zhang was quiet for a few seconds, then said calmly, “You should have notified my office. If I hadn't stopped here for a routine inspection, I still wouldn't know about any of this.”

“We were afraid that if the news got out, every scientist on the planet would drop whatever they were working on and beat a path to our dig immediately. You must keep this discovery a secret, Jin, until we figure out how to disable the equipment.”

“I'm not sure I can do that. My shuttle crew has been associating with your team members so they probably know everything by now. I'll do my best to keep it from spreading too far, but I must notify the board of directors at the expedition museum headquarters on Anthius.”

“If you report this to Anthius, the entire galaxy will know within a fortnight.”

“I'll impress upon them the need for utmost secrecy.”

“Humph!” Dr. Peterson replied. “They couldn't even keep the route of our artifact convoy secret.”

* * *

It was still dark in the room when the three handmaidens arrived to awaken Jenetta in the morning, but that was quickly rectified as Vronnesa and Znanna pulled open the draperies to reveal a bright, warm sun in a cloudless blue sky. Jenetta couldn't believe that she had slept so soundly during the long night.

Whisked into the bathroom where a tub full of scented, soapy water waited, Jenetta's nightgown was quickly stripped off by the three women. Half helping her, and half lifting her, Jenetta's naked form was lowered gently into the warm water. She tried to resist when they begin using soft sponges to wash her, as they had yesterday, but six persistent hands are difficult to avoid, and she finally gave up and let them bathe her. Three to one odds are just too challenging to overcome graciously. At least they let her brush her own teeth, and she idly wondered who had brushed her teeth yesterday when she was mostly asleep.

Propelled back into the bedroom after being dried, powdered, and dressed in clean underwear, three pair of hands continued to dress her in corset, stockings, shoes and a full-length slip. Jenetta was distracted by a new gown lying across the bed as shoes were put onto her feet, but she immediately felt the difference.

“These aren't my shoes,” she remarked as she looked down at the glistening silver and blue footwear on her feet. Rather than the solid vamp that should have covered her toes, a wide piece of leather like material crossed over the area just behind her digits, leaving her stocking-covered toes exposed. Two straps at the ankle held each shoe onto the foot. As with her original shoes, the heels were thirteen centimeters high.

“Yes they are, My Lady,” Znanna stated matter-of-factly. “They were custom-made for you using a pattern created yesterday. They were delivered this morning.”

“A pattern was made yesterday?”

“Yes, when the palace dressmakers came to measure you, a shoemaker accompanied them. It was just after breakfast.”

Jenetta said foggily, “I don't even remember eating breakfast yesterday.”

“You were quite sleepy, My Lady. Vronnesa had to feed you.”

“I definitely don't remember that. What else happened?”

“Nothing. After you were measured, we helped you get to the beauty spa. That's all.”

“Was I dressed or undressed when I was measured yesterday?”

“Dressed, of course.”

Jenetta groaned to herself. That probably meant the new gown on the bed would have the same waist size as the other gown.

Before being dressed in the new gown, Jenetta's new hair was carefully groomed. The three girls combed and brushed it until it sparkled, then applied makeup to her face. Since first meeting aboard the Prometheus, the three handmaidens had adopted the same skin coloration as Jenetta. The make-up they used now was designed for Terran coloration.

As they helped her into the new gown, Jenetta's worst fear was realized. The new gown seemed even tighter than the original. Groaning to herself as Tkusa used the controller to make the corset constrict, she stood patiently as the three handmaidens fussed and pulled at the fabric of the gown while the zipper was closed. Ensuring that her gown looked as perfect as possible was a matter of great pride to the handmaidens, because their own status within the palace depended upon Jenetta's groomed appearance. After carefully arranging her hair, they used several ribbons to hold it properly in place.

When the three girls were done fussing, Jenetta was escorted out to the sitting room where her breakfast was waiting. Not only did the new gown seem tighter than the other one, Jenetta felt that her walking had been restricted even more, and it seemed to take forever just to reach the small table where she had been taking her meals.

The dishes were cleared away as soon as breakfast was over and Jenetta was prepared to receive the first of the day's tutors. The history tutor from yesterday arrived promptly, and by midmorning Jenetta's eyes were crossing from the struggle to remember dates, names, and historical events that every schoolchild on the planet was allowed to slowly absorb over many years. She was grateful beyond words when the tutor announced that his time was up. Jenetta smiled as he stood, pressed his closed hand against his chest, and bowed his head. Before leaving he remarked that he had seldom had such an interested and intelligent pupil. Jenetta, in time-honored diplomatic fashion, replied that she'd seldom had such a learned tutor. The tutor smiled widely at her compliment and left. As the door closed behind him, Jenetta rolled her eyes and sighed in relief.

With a ten-minute break before the next tutor was scheduled to arrive, Jenetta leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She must have fallen asleep because she never heard Vronnesa approach and wasn't aware of her presence until she felt her arm being gently shaken.

“What is it, Vronnesa. I was just resting my eyes.”

“Of course, My Lady. I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but Prince Chazurz wishes an audience.”

Jenetta came instantly awake. She knew from her lessons that Prince Chazurz was the youngest son of the King and Queen. “How soon?”

“He's waiting in the corridor.”

“What do I do?” Jenetta asked nervously.

“You should be standing when he comes in, My Lady.”

“Yes, of course. Help me up, please.”

With Vronnesa assisting, Jenetta was able to rise from the chair and walk to the middle of the room. Tkusa and Znanna worked furiously to brush her hair and straighten her gown as Vronnesa fixed her makeup. In a matter of minutes they were ready. As Jenetta stood in the center of the room with her head suitably bowed and her hand held against her chest, Tkusa and Znanna moved to the side of the room and assumed their proper stance. Vronnesa went to the door to admit the prince.

Jenetta stared down at the carpet and stayed like that as a pair of uniformed legs moved into view about a meter in front of her.

“Kareer a Nordakia, Hetrowd,” a male voice said. (Welcome to Nordakia, Captain.)

Jenetta, surprised at hearing the familiar voice, replied, “Zrand Chekkora u Lyuddro.” (It's my honor to be welcomed here.)

Still using Dakis, the prince said, “Your Dakis is as excellent as I've heard, Captain.”

“I'm sure that it's not nearly so expert as your excellent Amer, your highness.”

The prince laughed, then said, “Please raise your head, Captain. I wondered if you would remember my voice.”

Jenetta looked up at the handsome Nordakian Prince now in his mid-thirties, and smiled. He had temporarily adopted her skin color. “I didn't know that Captain Phuth Yuixotical of the Nordakian Merchant Fleet was a prince of the realm.”

“It's a closely guarded secret. I'll tell you about it, but first…”

Prince Chazurz turned to the handmaidens, who were still standing with their heads bowed. “Would everyone leave the room, please?” The three girls immediately turned and walked towards Jenetta's bedroom, but one of the half dozen men that had entered with the Prince stepped closer.

“Your highness, security regulations require that at least two guards remain by your side whenever aliens are in your presence.”

“Major,” Prince Chazurz said slowly and deliberately, a definite edge of anger in his voice, “Captain Carver is soon to become a Nordakian citizen and has my complete trust. With citizenship she becomes an Azula, and a Lady of the Royal House. I already owe my life to her, and she certainly isn't a threat to my safety. Please leave us.”

The security officer opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. He placed his hand against his chest and bowed his head before backing out of the room.

Prince Chazurz turned back to Jenetta. Shaking his head and scowling, he said, “And mother wonders why I spend as much time away from here as possible.”

“I understand completely, your highness,” Jenetta said smiling.

The Prince brightened and took a good look at Jenetta. “You're much taller than I remember, Captain, but still just as beautiful.”

“Thank you, your highness. I'm wearing stilts in the form of shoes with thirteen-centimeter heels. But I've also grown six-inches since we last met, courtesy of the procedure the Raiders performed on me while I was their captive.”

The Prince's face turned serious. “I read the report about that. They were trying to mold you into their idea of the 'perfect' Terran woman?”

“Yes. Since I was destined for their brothels, they wanted to maximize the rate they could charge for my— attentions. The procedure that they developed will completely rewrite my DNA over an eight to ten year period, with most of the reshaping taking place during the first two years. It's been twenty-six months now so the changes have slowed considerably, but the doctors believe I'll grow another inch.”

“We never suspected while we were busy repairing our damaged ships that you were in such danger.”

“There wasn't anything that you could have done, and things worked out well in the end.”

“Much more than just 'well'. There hasn't been a single Raider attack in this part of the galaxy since the Battle for Higgins. We've been sending a convoy of supplies to Obotymot every three months and we haven't even seen another ship on any of our runs. Like most freighter operations in this part of space, our AutoTect equipment is now active from departure until arrival at our destination. Its use has lowered stress levels aboard ship immensely, especially when we cross the busy shipping lanes between Earth and Higgins.”