Chapter 20: The Clones

“May God have mercy upon my enemies because I won’t.”

— General George Patton Jr.

“Are we ready to begin the planning process,” Jason asked, “and do we have everybody here that we need?”

“Connie, might I suggest that your group takes the floor and updates us on where we are going and how we are fulfilling his lordship’s onerous demands?” Janet asked.

Jason looked at Janet and frowned.

Janet grinned and blinked.

“Three Marines died during the first stage of boarding the first two cruisers, and one in the next two. We have twenty-four Marines in medical pods, eight seriously injured,”

“How did the other ships do?”

“They performed as we expected.”

“How long do you need for repairs of the enemy cruisers?” Jason asked.

“We estimate we can repair two of the three in six hours. We need a dock to repair the third. We are checking our missiles and recalibrating the cannons.”

“How did the mines perform?”

“The mines worked exceptionally well, as did the cyber-warfare attack and communications blocks.”

“Patton told me we test-fired the cannons and again had target calibration problems. How bad was it?” Jason asked.

“Our aim was appalling as the saboteurs messed with our weapons calibration. The AI missed the first four missiles before we hit our asteroid targets. Both Patton and the ship compensated, but the calibration changed randomly, frustrating the task. Our long-range targeting was way off. We tested a selection of our missiles. Forty percent of our new missiles proved defective. We examined two missiles thoroughly and discovered someone had sabotaged them. The mines saved us from serious damage.”

“So, we redo our calibration and recheck our missiles?” Jason asked.

“The engineers are correcting the sensors, and the cyber-warfare group and engineers are reviewing the software controls of firing systems. Patton and the ship AI are working well, but we found the linking and aiming software at the weapons level is again defective in the long, medium, and short-range cannons. The point defense systems were also inefficient. The missile aiming software was corrupted. The saboteurs messed us up once more. The onboard missile software is screwed, and we can’t help the missiles as our control software randomly corrupts. These are deeper problems than simply issues of calibration. The calibration mechanism degrades minutes after we recalibrate the weapons.”

“We are lucky the late arriving two cruisers fell into our trap,” said Jason.

“We can find the simple problems quickly, but we must find why our systems reverted or how the saboteurs succeeded once more. We intensified our ship-wide search for the remaining saboteurs. Marines searched the ship for the priest implants’ characteristic patterns. We increased our guards in critical areas. Once more, the saboteurs fooled our internal surveillance. We must discover how they evaded and accessed our weapons control systems. Interfering with a missile is not a simple process. It takes time and energy. Fixing the problem is a big job.”

“Can we get anything else out of the other priests?” Asked Jason.

“The priests confirmed there are others, but the priests don’t know where they are. They are a smug group that believes they are better than anyone else. We are intensively monitoring all computer traffic and will pick up further acts of sabotage and track them to their source. The first group made a mistake; we must make the others expose themselves. They know we know about them, but they are sophisticated operators familiar with the ship and how it operates,” said Connie.

“Can we move on to the planet?” Asked Jason.

Connie smiled and gave Jason a half bow. “As you order, I will obey. The priests are activating the clones in stages. They activated the flag and general officers and are planning the staged awakening and final training of the clone army.”

“What about weapons and equipment?” Janet asked.

“They have all their weapons and equipment on the surface. They must load it when they embark. The officers and the senior priests share a large dormitory and conference facility. We can see and monitor what they say and do.”

“Excellent, well done, Connie,” said Jason.

“I have holograms of the facility and maps of the areas we observe. We sent insect-sized micro-drones into the facility to locate underground connections to other facilities,” she then proceeded to show pictures of the facility and the maps.

“Why did you suspect underground connections?” Phoebe asked.

“We observed the building and confirmed there is no outside traffic. There are two hundred clones in the facility and seventy-five senior priests. Twenty-five priests run the place, thirty manage the education of the clones, and twenty lead the senior technicians and doctors responsible for growing the clones. Next door, there is an administration building that houses thousands of priests.”

“What is the makeup of the senior officer group?” Jason asked.

“There are several levels of Admirals and Generals, beginning with five-star Generals and Admirals and their most senior staff. The lowest-ranked are Majors. The clones are the top management of a significant military force. The clones are an exciting group. They are intelligent and physically impressive individuals.”

“What training do the clones receive?” Jason asked.

“The priests did a poor job creating the clone propaganda. It’s unconvincing and of a low standard. The clones are not loyal to the priests and are unconvinced by the information they receive. The priests don’t impress them. The clones do the war college military training while in the pods.”

“What is the process of growing the clones?” Jason asked.

“They grow the clones to adulthood in the pods, and as they start maturing, they educate and train them using learning machines built into the pods. The pods stimulate their muscles. The priests activated the senior group of clones five months ago. They work half the day on the simulation machines. They work the rest of the day, planning to load the ships. The clones do as they wish while pretending to do the priest’s bidding. If they have a war AI, developing a loading plan would take five minutes.”

“How long does it take for a clone to become effective after they leave the pod?” Jason asked.

“The priests should ensure they receive training and exercise for six months outside the pod to become effective,” said Connie. “The senior group exercise, learn, and develop their skills. Those in the pods will only have a week to orient themselves. It is grossly ineffective and inefficient.”

“Tell me more about the top clones group,” Jason requested.

“The more we listen to them, the more impressed we are with their abilities and how much they have learned so quickly. They don’t take anything at face value and question everything the priests tell them.”

“What do they know of the priests and the situation?” Jason asked.

“They penetrated the priests’ AIs, communications, and connections into Nirvana and the Empire. They use the local networks to learn more about what is happening,” said Maj. Connie Ross.

“They seem like a special group of people from what you describe, Connie. Do you know what they discovered and believe about the priests?” Jason asked.

“They didn’t find anything that reassures them of the integrity of their future masters, and they dislike them. The clones researched their backgrounds and knew who they were. They are bitter and angry as non-citizens and second-class people with short lifespans. The clones intend to avoid being used and abused.”

“Where did the priests get the genetic material?” Jason asked.

“The priests stole the stored DNA of the most outstanding past military leaders of the Empire. That explains their superior intelligence and rapid grasp of the situation. They have educated themselves on the history of the Empire and clones. They pretend to be pleasant cooperative flunkies of the priests and pretend they are loyal soldiers of Papa Zora,” said Connie.

“For the priests, they are a nightmare waiting to happen!” Exclaimed Janet.

“Is there a central repository of military DNA?” Jason asked.

“Yes, several facilities in the Empire hold reference material. The doctors use it to make body parts. It also forms part of the military identification register,” said Janet. “Connie, how will they react to us?”

“Many clones, if not most or all, have strongly identified with their original selves. They were loyal and devoted citizens of the Empire. They know the priests are disloyal and immoral. Jason, they uncovered the same material you did and more. The clones penetrated deep into the AIs in Nirvana. I don’t believe they will be hostile to us. They will listen to us and are likelier to favor an offer rather than work for the priests.”

“What plans have they made?” Jason asked.

“The clones are planning to take over the arriving fleet.”

“What was the substance of the propaganda the priests fed them?” Jason asked.

“The priests spun a yarn about the terrible Empire and how the clones are fortunate to be part of the priests’ vengeance. The clones don’t accept that nonsense. They have the values of the people they were cloned from and identify with them and their families. None of the originals are alive.”

“Well, let us assume they take the fleet. What will they do next?” Jason asked.

“They don’t know what they will do. They want to frustrate the priests’ purposes and don’t want to be under their control but are stuck trying to work out how to survive after they have fleets at their disposal. They know that they’re non-people. They regard their ancestors as their family and wish to meet them. They would love to return to their original families. They are like orphans, determined to know about their origins and history. They are angry, bitter, and resentful that they have such a short lifespan.”

“How many are men?” Jason asked.

“We haven’t seen any,” said Connie.

“We must find a way to give them a purpose and create opportunities for them to live productive and happy lives,” said Jason.

“They would rather not depend on the priests, and they want to avoid being trapped on the planet with few options,” said Connie. “They are acutely aware that the planet does not produce food.”

“Have they discovered the relationship between the priests and the Mob?” Asked Janet.

“They have not linked the priests to the Mob, or we haven’t heard them mention it. They don’t know to whom the arriving fleet belongs,” said Connie.

“Do you know what options they are considering once they capture the fleet?” Jason asked.

“They discussed becoming freelance mercenaries, but they don’t like the idea. They want to be a part of the Empire, and they pine for a full, normal life,” said Connie.

“What do we know of the planet’s defenses?” Janet asked.

“Capt. George Brown will present our findings on the planetary defenses.”

Maj. Connie Ross directed Capt. George Brown to the front of the room.

Brown was a tall, thin man with hair cropped close to his head. He was handsome but pasty and frail.

Jason wondered if George had been decontaminated and re-optimized. Would the men in the Empire recover their function?

“Experts designed layered planetary defenses. There are defensive missile stations in space above the planet. The priests placed anti-ship missiles on the planet, short-range missiles and cannon defenses. We assume they have fighters, gunships, and heavy tanks hidden in hardened underground facilities. We can see heavy doors and surface reinforcement, indicating several underground facilities nearby. The moon has massive cannons and buried missile defenses. The equipment is all of Empire manufacture. The priests have stolen enough military equipment to set up an army and crew two massive fleets of ships.”

“What equipment can you see on the surface?” Janet asked.

“There are tanks, transport shuttles, artillery, and armories full of weapons in depots spread around the clone facilities. The priest did not activate most of the clones. They have ample supplies to deal with the clones while their metabolic activity is low, but they don’t have enough stored to feed an army of twenty million for longer than two weeks. We cannot detect farming activity on the surface.”

“Where does the food originate?” Janet asked.

“We’ve seen cargo shuttles unload food, but we don’t know where they collected it. There is no farming activity on the surface of the planet. The shuttles carry interplanetary cargo and do not originate on the planet.”

George showed holo-images of the facilities and pointed out the location of the senior priests and general officers, the administration area, and the clone-growing areas. “Two garrisons of priests and their soldiers patrol the clone-growing areas. The priests call the clone-growing areas clone farms. We’ve heard mention of twelve thousand troops, but we cannot confirm the numbers as we can’t see them and count them. If they are fanatical, hardened troops, they will be a challenge. We have not seen elite units, but I guarantee they are on the planet. They seriously outnumber us if the numbers mentioned stack up. We don’t have enough Marines to fight them on the ground. We also don’t know how many fighters and gunships are at their disposal. The patrols make use of armored shuttles with small anti-shuttle missiles. They have fixed anti-fighter batteries and a few light tanks near the garrison.”

“George, one week of orienting the clones isn’t much. How will they function?” Jason asked.

“I believe this came up for some discussion previously. I can confirm they will not do well. I researched what we learned about clones. Clones do best when they are oriented after they wake up and receive intensive education and training. This is most effectively done over many months. Poor preparation produced higher rates of rogue clones. Clones became sensitive when they knew they were created for war and had a short shelf life. Many clones considered they shouldn’t expend their brief lives for their masters and ran wild, killing all and sundry. The priests did a poor job with the clone elite; there is no reason to believe they would do any better with the rank and file.”

“What options are you guys considering?” Jason asked.

“We think there’s an opportunity to take over the clones. Without them, we cannot take over the fleet. We must plan carefully to bypass the planet’s defenses, as there is more we haven’t seen,” said Janet. “If we intend to get them onside, the clones need a purpose and a meaning. We must overcome an armed priest cadre in every clone facility. They are there to protect the scientists, doctors, and technicians growing the clones.”

“The soldiers on the clone farms are pedestrian troops. The sophisticated, fanatical priest soldiers guard the priests and high-ranked clones. There are probably more fanatical troops, but we noted that we hadn’t seen three-quarters of the troops we suspect ready to deal with problems. We counted three thousand soldiers scattered in and around the facilities. Most of them stay in their smaller garrisons and very few of them patrol. They are vulnerable to space and atmospheric attacks,” explained George Brown, returning to his seat.

Connie Ross rose. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is the situation on the planet. Let us now consider our options. Jason, you look like you have something you want to say?”

“From what I can see, we have several choices. We have no impediment or immediate risk if we continue our mission and return to the Empire. I feel obligated to return to the Empire as soon as possible to help my great-grandfather. On the other hand, we have an emerging threat to the Empire we may be able to stop in its tracks. I can’t discuss the difficulty with the Emperor and Empress, as we know we can’t communicate directly with the palace, as the Emperor and Empress face spies and assassins. This discovery could easily trigger the assassins. I want to avoid pushing you guys to take an unnecessary risk.”

“We are increasingly aware that the Mob has infiltrated the Empire. We must ask ourselves how much we can communicate to the Empire and what impact it will have if the Mob and the priests discover what we know,” said Janet. “Jason, you talk of risk. If we don’t act, we risk having twenty million clones on the other side. You are Empire Royalty and have responsibilities to the Empire that extend beyond your grandfather. If you asked him what he would do in your shoes, I believe he would make a supreme effort to neutralize the priests’ efforts.”

“Phoebe and Connie, what do you think?” Asked Jason.

“I know my chain of command. Janet knows hers. Neither of us can communicate with our superiors without triggering an earlier-than-expected Mob attack and alerting the priests nearby. I suspect the same applies to Connie. Our intelligence service leaks worse than a cruiser hit by an asteroid. I must answer an unequivocal yes if we ask ourselves whether this is our fight. Do we have good reasons to get involved? We must do our duty to the Empire. I also know we must act on our own as we increase our odds of success,” said Phoebe. “We had no choice but to fight the pirates. Then we went further because we discovered a plot that had major implications for the Empire; we wanted to find out more than we discovered from our initial captives. We could have avoided the confrontations with the cruisers, but we knew we were doing what must be done.”

“We are getting ourselves hooked on pursuing a new set of objectives. Must we continue down the path we are going and deviate from the purpose of our expedition?” Jason asked. “Are we all sure this is what we must do?”

“Once the clones board a fleet, the priests have a powerful weapon. The clones hope to take over the fleet, but they are unarmed. I don’t think we can ignore this situation. I know I can’t communicate safely with my chain of command, and I doubt we can,” said Connie. “Jason, you know what you must do.”

Jason nodded. “I wanted to be sure you were prepared to go against your orders.”

“I cannot remotely imagine us landing in trouble with our chain of command if we act autonomously,” said Janet.

“Very well then,” said Jason. “We know we do not have the troops to face off against the priests’ ground troops. I believe we must first capture the senior priest and officer group. We will then know precisely what we face. We can do the job if we persuade them to work with us. They believe they can take over from the priests. Why should they ally with us? Also, are you sure we can’t report to your chains of command?”

“Jason, I am grateful for your concern, though it is unwarranted. Connie, would you mind analyzing the likely outcomes of us pushing the information up the chain of command?” Janet asked.

“Let me begin with what is likely. Jason, assume you report to Cassius and Alana. The Empress and Emperor are concerned about the behavior of the Patriarch. We know intelligence efforts to penetrate the inner circle of the priests have failed. However, they are in an awkward situation. The public will be sensitive to any action against the Patriarch and the priests. The Emperor does not have a legal judgment on his side. The priests are independent of the royalty, and the nobles neither he nor Alana can be seen to interfere. Most people respect priests and doctors. The history books are full of the great deeds that the priests did during wartime. The priests run a strong public relations effort and do well.”

“Those are excellent points, Connie,” said Jason.

“The Emperor, Empress, and the military will be reserved about acting against a planet technically independent of the Empire. We don’t know to whom the fleet belongs en route here. We have looked at the status of reserve fleets, and as far as we can tell, they’re all in place, but we know from our experience that information may not be correct. Likewise, we don’t have any proof of the clones’ origins,” said Connie.

“The fleet must be from the Empire. The Mob won’t give the priests a fleet. We know who the clones are. Yes, we can’t prove it, but that is irrelevant,” said Phoebe.