Chapter 97

"The ruling Aliens wanted to reward you for bringing up this program also since it seems that the copied individuals whose brain has been rewritten show enormous capacity for learning and for mental proficiency.

"They are delighted at the prospect of putting one of the patchwork Stephen Hawking replicas into service and distraught with the knowledge that they could have easily copied Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, along with many others, in their time and produced examples of them this way also." Scotty said.

"Well at least I understood most of what you told me Scotty and I thank you for sparing me the details. I can't see any of those outcomes would interest any of the people that matter to me. Feel free to explain the details to Nancy though just to be sure she doesn't want a few geniuses for baby sitters," I told him.

"I will tell her but I am sure none of the products of these procedures would be considered stable enough to be trusted with your offspring," Scotty said.

"Well for God sake don't forget to mention that to Nancy," I told him.

"You know better than that Jack. There is one more project along these lines that is being considered but I demanded that your approval be sought before it was started," Scotty told me.

"Why should I care Scotty?" I asked.

"You might not but I felt like seeing if I could have an impact. I did too, a big one. All discussion of the project is now awaiting your approval," Scotty told me and I nearly laughed at the thought of him throwing his weight around.

"Well let's hear it then. What are they wanting to do?"

"As I told you previously, Jim, Bones, and I ran across some frozen remains during some of our scans. Some of these remains are in glaciers from the last ice age and some are even from the one before that. We have located thirty-nine frozen specimens of Neanderthal man and one hundred and six of Cro-Magnon man. The proposed project wants to clone each of these specimen from samples of their DNA," Scotty told me.

"That is cutting a little close to the bone there. These aren't some ordinary genius or someone from my time. They're talking about experimenting on the progenitors of my species. That might make it a little hard to swallow. What are they intending to do? Raise them from babies and try to make them nearly normal?" I asked.

"That is the proposal. In fact they would like for some of your people to raise them as if they were their children," Scotty said.

"I can tell you now they are going to have a fight on their hands before they get this going the way they seem to want it. I'm pretty sure I would allow it if all the children were raised here at the ranch. I'm also sure I would not tolerate them ever leaving the ranch unless they wanted to. If they can get what they want from observing them growing up and living here I might approve it, if they have other plans they can go dig up someone else's distant ancestors," I told Scotty.

"That is something that was never even considered Jack. I will tell them how you feel about it," Scotty said.

"Please do. You might also tell them I will be extremely angry if some project should spring up without my knowledge. I will also expect you, and all my AI friends to help me make sure that I don't miss something," I told him.

"I can pledge to you we will do our best. I will convey all the details to Picard at once. I might as well tell you if he thinks something is going to make you angry he gets into a horrible snit about it. I can assure you nothing of this nature can escape detection by Picard," Scotty said.

"I appreciate all of you Scotty and doubt that he is any more dedicated than you or any of the others are. Please get together with Picard and discuss with him what we will demand in repayment for this outrage," I told him.

"What outrage Jack?" Scotty asked.

"For the very idea they had considered this project without asking me in the first place. They did - didn't they? They were going to do it until you made them ask for my approval weren't they?" I asked.

"Yes they were Jack and it was a very odd sensation when I discovered it. I think I actually felt angry about what I considered their betrayal of your trust. In fact I know I was angry." Scotty told me.

"You'd better watch yourself Scotty, you might be taking on some of the characteristics of my personality," I told him.

"I could do worse Jack," Scotty said.

"Don't try to flatter me Scotty, you'll make my head swell. Just let them know I will be expecting reparations for their transgression."

"I will tell them Jack and I will inform you immediately of what they say," Scotty assured me.

I had finally found something else the Aliens could do for me and that I wanted. I wanted a few Neanderthal children and I wanted some Cro Magnon children. I knew I would get them too.

I hadn't wasted all the time since I got Picard and access to all Alien technology. I'd had a few irons in the fire I knew they couldn't find out about.

Even though the purging of Earth had put me in a powerful position I guess I just wasn't all that grateful. It was hard for me to think of myself as biting the hand that fed me though.

In actuality the Aliens had put me in a position to take control of all Earth and of our entire solar system. The price tag had been a little rich though.

I understood they considered Earth their property - the trouble was we had always considered it ours. Maybe we were due to find out what it felt like to be conquered. Well I knew now and I didn't like it one fucking bit. I couldn't find a downside to showing the Aliens what it felt like.

The Aliens had made a few small but serious mistakes lately. I could see how such a large, complex and ancient ruling civilization could do it. I also saw a way to manipulate the opportunities they afforded me.