Out of Pod Experience

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As Kuto drove through the city streets, taking Indah to the appointment with Dr. Marjois, Indah was feeling nervous. She feared that the row of bad news hafn't ended yet and what the doctor would find in his checkings. Strangely, the meeting had been appointed at a hotel, rather than a hospital, and so Indah also feared that the appointment would be just an interview and she'd had to wait for the actual checks.

Kuto stopped the car adn cehcked wether the hotel doorman had seen the crest on the car. He did and recognized that the vehicle was from the Fazmarai states, and so the doorman opened the car's back door and waited for the miss inside. He noticed she was young and pretty, and recognized Indahmawar Fazmarai. He gave a quick glance to the back of her neck... there was, the capsuleer plug. The doorman accompanied the young Lady Fazmarai and delivered her to the receptionist.

An assistant guided Indahmawar to a private meeting room and introduced her to the man waiting inside.

- Lady Indahmawar of the Fazmarai family. She appointed you today, doctor Marjois.
- Of course. Thank you, now you can leave. Welcome, mademoiselle Fazmarai. Does that chair suit you or you want to seat elsewhere?

Indahmawar entered the room and noticed how the doctor was not alone. A woman was inisde the room, leaning on the wall by the door, in a dead angle to anyone standing outside and peeking through the doorway.

- I hope you don't oppose if Ms. Kuvan accompanies us...

Indah looked at the doctor, then the woman. Dr. Marjois was a typical Gallentean in his fifties and she recognized him from the recorded interview with her parents, but the woman was totally unknown. She looked like a Jin Mei, with very pale skin and large eyes of undefined gray color. She walked to the chairs and sat neither too far nor too close to the doctor and Indah, once Indah sat on the chair offered by doctor Marjois.

- Well, Mlle. Fazmarai, i guess your parents already shared the recording on what we know about your mother's disease, and your father probably warned you that he wanted you to talk with me about the genetical implications for you...
- Yes, he is afraid that my own specialness may be related to my mother's disease.
- Well, let me be frank, Mlle. Fazmarai... that was a kind of arrangement so this interview happened. The chances that you carry the disease are very slim and we can plain neglect thm (albeit we can check you if you want). Let me talk you about the disease itself and eventually why you are here... and Miss Kuvan too.

Doctor Marjois leaned on the chair and started talking, in a didactical tone:

"Gallentean RDG 503 is not a genetical disease from birth, but a disease that develops in a haplogenetical level. The patient will develop it as his or her genes are exposed to the environment and other factors. This is what makes it difficult to predict from a genetical mapping. A person can be healthy check after check, be exposed to any kind of trigger, and develop the disease. In that sense it is akin to the old cancer diseases.

As you know, when extensive organ damage is implied, the usual therapies include therapeutic cloning. Beyond a certain point, the risks of mind transfer are overcome by the need to implant the mind in a healthy body. Needless to say, many use therapeutical cloning for... say.. aesthetical uses, but it is a powerful tool for present day medicine. And of course, that was the first your father thought -despite Amarrian dislike for cloning, he was aware that a clone could be the solution to the disease... unfortunately, we had to disappoint him."

Indahmawar sighed. She had been wondering why nobody was talking about clones...

"As a clone is manufactured like a literal copy of the person, it will carry on any genetical damage suffered by the original body and which can't be removed. Cloning a person with RGD 503 is like copying software with a virus... the disease will come back again, and albeit I know of patients who have been shifting clones regularly to extend their lifes, they aren't accounted for in medical records. RGD 503 damages the brain and that increases the risks of cloning, and a fatal mind miscarry is the unavoidable result of recursive cloning."

- So there is no hope?
- As far as standard medicine goes, not... but then, as I said, this meeting was arranged so we could discuss certain topics of interest. Your cousin, mademoiselle Ishtanhuck, is quite a cunning person and she could see the implications of the disease and figured what strings to pull to get an answer.... this is why i was assigned to assist your parents' doctors, and also why Miss Kuvai is here...

Miss Kuvai smirked, and then sat by doctor Marjois. Suddenly, Indahmawar noticed that she coudn't determine miss Kuvai's age. Was she young? Old? Her pale, spotless skin was almost supernatural. Her eyes were unexpressive... Indah recalled the words, "clones for aesthetical uses". Smirking again, miss Kuvai talked:

- Well, miss Fazmarai, let me start by saying that, albeit what doctor Marjois said about clones is factually right, it also is a factual lie...

(continues)

*enters the bar and walks straight to the backrooms where the Kaltana stables are located after waving around to the guests*

Zoe is busy in stowing 10 and .03 hay balls in one of the backrooms.

After finishing, she calls up Chloe, dresses her in a pony harness and hands her a letter with a name and a room number.

Chloe nods silently and is getting on her way...

your like virginity is mine, *****

*7 is rocking out to the jukebox, she's paid the bartender 10 million ISK to turn the PA system up to 11.

it's obvious who she's thinking of

Me?

Oh and you look delicious tonight 7.

Random entered the bar and noticed that there was some activity by the billiard tables, consisting mostly of Yiole playing alone by one of the tables. Random closed in and started watching her play, enjoying a series of views which consisted of largely interesting feminine curves, both standing and in motion. Moving stealthily, Random began circling the table in look of the nicest views, and it took a while until he stopped focusing on the player and noticed that Yiole was hitting the balls apparently randomly.

- Errr... what are you playing?
- Huh?
- What's the game? You're hitting the balls randomly!
- No, i am not. I am hitting a warm colored ball with a cold colored one, then a cold colored one with a warm colored one.
- But that's not a pool game...!
- Of course it is. It's Calvinball.
- Calvinball??
- Yay, you make up the rules for each game.
- But... don't you know to play pools?

Yiole shook her head humorously.

- There at the mines, we played Calvinball.
- I can't believe it.
- But it's true -Yiole smirked- You see, with everyone and his dog coming from all corners of New Eden, everyone wanted to play HIS game by HIS rules. So we the female miners made up our own game. To be honest, it took a while to convince those cantankerous thugs, but saturday night Strip Calvinball helped a lot.
- Strip Calvinball???
- Whatever the rules for the play, when you miss, you remove a piece of dress, and dress up again if you hit.
- And when you run out of pieces?
- Then you lose and become the prize for the winner -Yiole stared at Random, naughtily.
- Jesuschrist! You're making that up, aren't you?
- Maybe yes, maybe don't... -said Yiole, winking.
- Houm... could we...?
- No Strip Calvinball this early in the morning, Mr. McNally. But, if you want to teach me some game... i may be interested to learn.
- Doh. Do you know wether there are snooker tables here?
- Probably... but, what's snooker?
- Better let me show you...

After finding the appropiate table and balls, snooker lessons began, and quickly the billiard tables began drawing the attention of other patrons...

Strip Calvinball

I want one too, i'm hungry!

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- This is going to cost you dearly, babe... -said miss Kuvai.

Indah gathered her forces and struggled to find a suiting answer. But she only could come up with:

- What is the price?
- The price? No, we're not selling you anything. We're offering an agreement, with you and that murderous cousin of yours. You have been lucky as the recent events with Mr. Heth and his colleagues have damaged the sheltering for our activity in Caldari space, and so we are forced to end it before it becomes too public. We're moving into Gallente space, and you're so lucky that you mother could be the third clone we engage in our Gallentean setup. And guess what? Your financial contribution would be helpful. You capsuleers have got access to richess hard to come by to the rest of mankind.
- So you want money? How much?
- First let me tell you what we can do. As I said before, culturing clones it's not fast. It takes time. I made a little schedule on the development of a cultured clone suit to your mother.

"Developing a clone from the primer cell to an age of 6 months takes 6 weeks. That's the most difficult part, at least in terms of failed clones. Developing it from 6 months to 12 years takes another 6 weeks, and it's pretty safe. Sexual maturation is slower, and moving from 12 years to 15 years takes 3 weeks. Then we can fully develop into an adult easier, and moving from 15 years to 25 years only takes 5 weeks. Once the clone is adult, we can age it even faster, at a pace of 4 years per week, so for your mother aging would require some 8 weeks.

This totals 28 weeks. The price for the process, your share of the deal, will be 500 million to start, and then 250 million each week, and 500 million for each succesful critical stage. Those are 7 bilion in development costs and 3 billion more in bonuses. You being you, that's just 100 times higher than the usual fare, and roughly twice the amount your cousin earned killing our brothers and sisters."

Miss Kuvai's smirk twisted into a emotionless rictus. She stared at Indah like trying to pin her on a wall with her gaze, as Indah made some quick calculations. Then she realized and asked:

- 28 weeks? Those are almost 7 months... how will be my mother in seven months?
- Oh, probably she won't be suffering brain damage yet -said Miss Kuvai in a false jovial tone.
- Brain damage? And what if her brain is already damaged?
- Then the mind transfer will carry the damage onto the new body. Maybe you could try praying so your mom's brain stays healthy for a few months starting now? We make science, not miracles.

Indah set her teeth, trying to control herself and the stinging long to cry like a baby.

- I accept the deal. I can give you the 500 million tomorrow. What else you need to start?
- Oh, almost nothing. Dr. Marjois already got all the matherial we need; obviously the Khanid doctors couldn't tell what he was doing as the expert in RGD 503. We can start culturing 100 primer cells within 24 hours, and from them we will pick 10 "birth" candidates. Once they're 6 months we'll pick 3 growth candidates, one as a main clone and the others as backup. Once the main clone is ready to release, we'll offer you the chance to euthanize the others. We don't want to mass clone anyone...
- Did you said 10 birth candidates?
- Yes, and we may lose a few and have to euthanize the rest. But don't bother yourself with pity: they only look like toddlers, they don't have a conscious brain. Not until we force a mind structure into them.
- And what about Ishtanchuk?
- Another agent is dealing with her. I'll let you her tell the good news on how she can repay her violence against us.
- So we have a deal?
- Just send in the money. But, mind this, babe: i don't think you have the galls to even try to, but if you think about crossing us, mind that your initial payment is way, way higher than the fee for an assassination in this planet. Don't do anything stupid.

Indah paled and had to swallow before she could talk:

- Of course. We have a deal. But let me remind you that you Sanshas don't last long when we capsuleers face you, and so far, you have never been anything else than a roadside fun to my kind. We never had a reason to pick on you.
- Are we in space, young lady Fazmarai? -laughed miss Kuvai.

After miss Kuvai and Indah made some arrangements on the payment procedures, Indahmawar left the room, feeling a bittersweet taste in her mouth. As the door closed behind her, Dr. Marjois talked to miss Kuvai:

- What do you think? Will she be worth? Those capsuleers handle billions like pocket change...
- Heh. She's harmless and probably will be able to find the money. Easy startup for the Gallentean operation. But her cousin... that b*tch just pulled some strings and found us in less than two days, despite our cover, and we didn't even saw her coming. She just contacted us as if we had a sign hanged by the door.
- She contacted you...!?

Miss Kuvai nodded slowly and then spit:

- Bloody capsuleers...