The Clone Conundrum by MJ Blehart

Author:MJ Blehart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sci-fi, science fiction, conspiracy, clones, genetic engineering, colonies, starships, space, adventure
Publisher: Argent Hedgehog Press
Published: 2023-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

13

ONIMA RECOGNIZED IMMEDIATELY that Barnedorp was a resort town.

The beach was a gorgeous blue-gold sand against the green sea. No building in the entire village was more than two stories tall.

Every home had a small courtyard, and many had swimming pools. There was no clear distinction between residential and commercial, but then Kara explained that Barnedorp was very upscale and catered to an especially “persnickety” population.

Or—as Yael put it—snobs.

A very specific flight corridor kept air traffic away from flying over the village. The spaceport was several kilometers inland and surprisingly large.

No motorized vehicles of any sort were allowed in Barnedorp. Rickshaws and bicycles, Kara explained, were the norm.

“You’ve been here before?” Onima had asked as they landed, the morning sun streaming through the shuttle’s viewport.

“Yes,” Kara had replied. “There are houses on the coast that, since they are second homes of Gerritwereldstad residents, get rented to tourists. My parents brought me here to visit when I was twelve.”

Yael remained with the shuttle as Onima, Jace, and Kara rode the monorail into the village.

Because the village was so small, it could be walked east to west in an hour, and north to south in four or five hours.

Kara pointed out that, in the manner of snobbery already evident, the bicycles, tricycles, and rickshaws had small solar motors: pedaling was an option, not a requirement. But it kept their speed regulated to never more than sixteen kilometers per hour.

Ms. Hansen’s home was near the village’s center. Onima carefully consulted her datacard from time to time to make sure they were going in the right direction.

The largest problem was that Jace stood out. He had offered to return to the ship and send Yael to join them, but Onima wanted him with them.

“Clones are rare,” Kara said, “but not completely foreign to people here. Like I said before, Aarde saw a lot of the war.”

“I presume there are clone communities outside of the larger cities or in tenements on city outskirts?” Jace asked.

“Yes,” Kara said. “Jacobastad, to my knowledge, has a clone shantytown to the west somewhere. Gerritwereldstad, on the other hand, has tenements for clones at a couple of points on the outskirts.”

Jace nodded. “We do get variable housing options, depending on the planet. I always find it interesting when a city sets up tenements for clones.”

“Given that Gerritwereldstad is a megalopolis, it should come as no surprise,” Kara said. “There are few cities larger.”

“How big is it?” asked Jace.

“At its widest point, nearly a hundred and twenty kilometers,” Kara said. “Population is about fifteen million or so.”

“Not counting clones,” Jace commented.

“Probably not,” Kara agreed.

“So, why would there be clones here, in a semi-private village like this?” Jace asked.

“Like I said before, residents of Gerritwereldstad have vacation homes here.” Kara paused for a moment. “Listen.”

The only sounds Onima heard were a few conversations, birds, buzzing insects, and ocean waves lapping the shore. Right away, she was struck by the lack of technological sounds. “That’s almost eerie,” she said.

“When you live in one

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