Chapter 9

"So, tell me one more time how this is going to work," I said as they were hooking me up. "Don't try to blow me off. I can stop this at any time."

"Okay, JED," Marjorie said. She sounded as cool as a cucumber. "We have the three of you hooked up to this machine. For want of a better name, we'll call it the Memory Transference Machine. When we start the process, each of you will have their memories transferred from your bodies to your clone's."

"You're sounding mighty glib, youngun. What happens to our old bodies? Are we going to be able to function in our new bodies? You're not really telling us anything we don't already know," I said.

"Some of this we just don't know, Jed. We've tried the Memory Transference Machine on animals and it has seemed to work. Once your memories are transferred, there may be a period of disorientation. You'll have to sort that out. The clones are on life support. Anything you need to know immediately will be taken care of by the machines. As for your old bodies, we're not even sure what's going to happen to them. They may go on living for a while, but then again, they may not."

"Are the clones all in the same room, as we asked?"

"They are in an eight bed suite," Marjorie said.

"Are the three beds close together?" I asked.

"As close as we could get them, Jed. There is a lot of life support equipment that we have attached to the clones. That'll all be removed as soon as it is obvious that you're not going to need it."

"Okay, Marjorie, give us a minute, would you?"

"Sure thing, Gramps. I'll check on the clones and be right back."

When she had left the room, I said, "Karen and Becky, I love you both with all of my heart and all of my soul. If we don't come out of this, at least we've had a wonderful life together. If we do make it through, I'm looking forward to another seventy years with the two of you."

"Johnny, I love you too. It still seems strange to say that to another woman, Becky, but I love you with all of me heart and all of my soul too," Karen said.

"Just think, loves, another seventy years. Think of what we can do. I have no idea what our love will grow to in the next seventy years, but I'm anxious to find out," Becky said.

Marjorie came back in and asked if we were ready. I took each of my lovleys' hands, and gave her the go. I don't know what I expected, just lying there, but it was nothing like I had ever imagined.

Memories flashed before me at an alarming rate. The first time I had seen Becky naked; mine and Karen's first kiss; the birth of mine and Becky's son. As they flashed before me, they were gone. I started to panic. Maybe it would have been better if I had been asleep. And then...

Okay, I was in a dark place ... At least it seemed dark. Actually I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't hear or feel anything either. I tested all of my senses and they were all blank. Now what?

Marjorie had said I should try hearing first. She said I'd understand why. So I tried to concentrate on my hearing. After a while, maybe a long while, I could definitely start (hearing?) something. It wasn't a sound, it was more or less an interrogatory. Something was wondering why I was here.

I wondered how I even knew what it wanted. It didn't say anything in words. It just kind of projected a kind of longing or ... something. I wasn't even sure what. I know it was confusing. I tried to answer it, but all I had at my disposal were words.

I worked for hours, trying to communicate with this other entity, but as luck would have it, I went to sleep before I managed to convey anything to it.

It's been 36 hours since we started the memory transfers, and we can see no sign that the Grans have established themselves in the clones. There has been no indication that they can hear, see, taste, smell, or feel. Lord help us, but I think we may have killed them.

<Hi, Johnny.> I heard just as clearly as if I was using my ears. I knew I wasn't though. <How's my handsome lover doing?>

<Uh, I can hear you, but I can't hear or see anything else. Is that you, Karen?>

Okay, I'll swear I heard both of my girls giggle. <It's Karen and me, > Becky said. <I'm afraid they've sadly underestimated our clones though. They're aware, Johnny.>

<Yeah, they kept them sensory deprived, but they were aware of each other. They couldn't see or hear each other, but they knew something was there. They learned to talk with each other by telepathy. We're using their telepathic powers to talk with you now, > Karen said.

<They're aware of us?> I asked.

<They've been aware of us since we moved in. We've been teaching our two to talk. We've made quite a bit of progress. We've even named them. The poor things haven't ever had a name. Say hello to Becks," Becky said.

<Hello, Becks, > I said.

<Hello, Jed Johnny," came the reply.

<Mine's name is Kara, > Karen said. <Say hello, Johnny.>

<Hello, Kara. Johnny is just fine.>

<Hello, Johnny, > Kara said.

<So, how do I contact my clone?>

<You should just be able to say hello. We've named him Jon. He's learned everything from the other clones," Karen said.

<Hello, Jon. I hope you don't mind having me for a companion, > I said.

<Hello, Johnny. No, I don't mind having you as a companion. Do you mind if I sort through our memories?> he asked.

It suddenly hit me that all of my memories were now his. <No, I don't mind. Ask me if there's anything you don't understand.>

<Girls, we need to start working on our hearing, and vision, plus the rest of our five senses. I'm sure Marjorie is beginning to worry, and I think we'll just keep it that way, > I said. <Does anyone have any ideas? Also, does anyone know if anyone outside the three of us can hear this?>

<I can hear right now, > Karen said. <The problem is, I can't do anything about it. I mean, I can't tell anyone about it. I think Marjorie thought I was just naturally going to know how to speak. I don't think anyone other than the three of us can possibly hear what's going on between us.>

<I don't think Marjorie had this thought through very well. Okay, I've got the hearing down now. I can see why she wanted it to be first. The music is beautiful, > I said.

Well, it's been a long time coming, but the Grams are now talking. Five weeks from memory transfer to talking. It seems a little ridiculous that we didn't think it would take but a few minutes. I guess we should be thankful it didn't take as long as it does for a baby.

<So, do we tell Marjorie about the clones, or about the telepathy?> Karen asked.

<I'd rather not, at least for a while, > I said. <Does anyone have a problem with that?>

No one, including the clones had a problem. Let me just say, right now, that no matter what I say to Marjorie, I'm glad we did the transfer. We have new eyes and hearing. Everything looks, sounds, feels, tastes, and smells better.

The clones are an interesting lot. Although we have taught them how to use our five senses, they still appear to seldom use them. They are content to talk to each other telepathically and have little use for the outside world. They respond quickly if you ask them a question, but I have never known of them volunteering anything.

Karen, Becky, and I have developed our own telepathic link now and we use it exclusively. We'd just as soon no one knew about the telepathy, but I'm afraid that someone will find out at some point.

Before we had agreed to participate in this experiment, the three of us had transferred a good part of our assets to a numbered, offshore account. We wanted something where we could access our money without question. We did this without Marjorie's knowledge. I also hid $5,000 in a safe place. I didn't know if I'd need it, but I felt it was better to be sure.

<Before anyone says anything else, anything we don't want everyone to know, we had better say using telepathy, > I said. <I'm pretty sure Marjorie has this place wired for sound.>

<Is that why you haven't made love to us?> Kathy giggled.

<Damned straight. You know I've always been shy about having anyone outside the three of us watch us make love. I'm pretty sure the place is set up for video observation as well.>

<Well, I'm about ready to tear down the walls, > Becky said. <I think it must be these infernal hormones, but I need you so bad it's terrible.>

<Girls, I've been thinking about shaking the dust of this place off my shoes.>

<Without telling Marjorie, I suppose, > Karen said.

<You've got that right. It does present some problems, though. We need clothes and money. These hospital gowns they have us wearing won't let us get far, > I said.

<We'll have to think on it, > Becky said. <We can get scrubs, so clothing isn't a problem. Money would be a problem though. I assume you just mean enough until we can set up some accounts?>

<Yeah, I have $5,000 hidden away that not even you girls know about. I figured we'd use that for getting us some false ID's. After we do that, we can set up a bank account, and transfer some funds to it.>

<Okay, they still have these patches for heart monitors on us, > Karen said. "What do we do about that?>

<Leave that to me, > I said with a grin.

Okay, so what's going on? Something is weird with the grands. They have always talked a lot, but now, they'll sit on their beds for hours, staring off in space. Then, once in a while one of them will start laughing. The rest of them soon join in. It's almost like they are telepathic or something.

"Marjorie, you have to take the heart monitors off of us," I said. "We'll agree to stay cooped up in this room, but the heart monitors have to come off."

"Jed, we want to monitor you for at least another week. We've given you an entire new life, can't you spare a week for us?" Marjorie asked.

"Why did you want to monitor us? Is there something wrong with the clones?" Karen asked.

"Of course not," Marjorie scoffed. "No one has ever survived a memory transfer though, so we're a little concerned."

"Don't you think we should be able to tell you if something is wrong?" Becky asked.

You could see that Marjorie was getting angry, and I didn't want that to happen. "How about a Holter Monitor?" I asked.

"I think we could do that," Marjorie said with a smile. "It's certainly better than nothing. They even make them now that broadcasts continuously."

"Now that's what we're trying to get away from," Karen said. "I want the old fashioned kind, or none at all."

"Okay, okay," Marjorie said. "The old fashioned kind it is." We didn't think for a minute that she was going to go through with it. I knew she'd try to monitor us anyway."

She did. Later that day, Marjorie brought in three Holter Monitors, and tried to palm them off on us. "These are the only type we have," she said. "They broadcast, short range only, to the receivers in the next room. They'll be just as private as anything."

Karen started pulling off leads, and Becky was right behind her. Marjorie yelled, "Stop! What are you doing?"

"We're taking these damned things off," Karen said. "We told you it was either the old fashioned kind or none at all. You don't have the old fashioned kind, so it's nothing."

"Wait a minute," Marjorie said. "Surely we can work something out."

By now, I was pulling patches as well, and the machines were going wild. I pulled off my last patch, and looked at the machine that was making all the noise. "Can you shut this thing off, or do I have to throw it through the window?" I asked. It was a rhetorical question, because there wasn't a single window in the room.