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Anna put her hand down. “Never mind. Now I have another question. “This Gemma woke up as a clone with memories of her life as a human? Is that what you mean? I’m still learning.”
“Yes.”
“Why is that illegal?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
That had Anna scowling at him. “We just verbally married each other, Fig. I don’t want secrets or lies between us. I might have a young body now, but I’m mentally old enough to have learned a lot of stuff in my long lifetime, so trust me on this. It’s bad to not be one hundred percent honest with each other. It makes for a shoddy foundation on which to build a relationship. We’re now married. I’m your partner in all things. Just spit it out.”
“Unblanked clones went insane.” He suddenly lifted the tray between them, rose to his feet, and placed it on a nearby table. Fig took a seat on the bed again, took her silverware, and placed it on the nightstand.
“Oh.” That wasn’t exactly what she was expecting to hear.
He clasped both of her hands in his. “Do you feel depression over being a clone? Are you having a difficult time accepting it? Please don’t harm yourself if you’re feeling any of those things. I’m here to help you adjust, and I swear I’ll make you happy.”
Anna saw worry on his handsome face and heard it in his voice. She could read between the lines. “They committed suicide?”
“Some did,” he softly admitted. “A few murdered the staff caring for them in fits of rage or despair. No one asked their permission to do that to them.”
Pain flashed in his eyes, and his hold on her tightened. Anna instantly guessed what he must be thinking.
“I’m not mad at you. Or upset. I died. It wasn’t like you could ask my permission, Fig. I’m so damn grateful you made that decision for me. It was the right one. We’re okay.”
The relief on his face was almost comical for a split second. His hold on her hands relaxed. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Tell me about the clones that weren’t happy to wake up as one.”
“Some of them emotionally shut down, refusing to eat or speak to their caretakers. They didn’t handle having the memories of being a human but existing in a clone body.”
“Ah.” Anna slowly nodded, her mind working. “They picked the wrong candidates, and it blew up in their faces.”
Fig frowned.
“I lived for eighty-five years as a human. Ralph and I were poor, so I couldn’t afford any fancy procedures to get replacement parts when stuff on my body started to wear out. I couldn’t bend down without struggling to get back up.” She paused. “Everything ached all the time. I had arthritis in all my joints. Hell, getting dressed every morning was my version of a workout. It wore me out.”
The horrified look on Fig’s face almost had her laugh. She resisted. “I told you that my heart was about to call it quits once I didn’t have any more pills the doctors had me taking. They were the only thing keeping me going, and even that was limited. My life clock was about to run out of time. I’d come to grips with my death and tried to make the best of it. I also didn’t have anyone left alive except a few friends I had said goodbye to when I left Earth. Do you know what that means?”
He shook his head.
“I’m thrilled to be a clone.” Anna grinned. “All my normal aches and pains are gone. You have no idea how wonderful that is. I forgot what it felt like to not have them. I’m also not on death’s door anymore. Hell, I’m young again and feel terrific. I’ve already said goodbye to my human life, and I’m excited about having a future with you.”
She paused to let what she’d said sink into him. Then she started talking again. “This is like getting a second chance. Whoever did that experiment picked the wrong kind of candidates if it went that bad. They should have chosen older people with nothing to lose and everything to gain by becoming clones. The results would have been drastically different. They’d have had a lot of grateful ex-senior citizens on their hands.”
Fig seemed to contemplate everything she’d said. He finally smiled. “I understand. You’re sincerely happy to be a clone.”
“I’m beyond happy, and I have you to thank. I just want to know about everything clone, so I’m up to speed. So far, I’ve learned that this body is way better than my old one, even when I was young. We do eat food, and I need clone plasma, but how long do we live?”
“It’s unknown. Theoretically, we can live indefinitely as long as we keep getting transfusions every three months.”
That shocked her. She gaped at him.
“The plasma we’re given revitalizes our bodies, and any damage is repaired.”
“We can’t have kids, though, right? You said that on the station.”
“No. We have the same sexual organs as humans do, but they don’t function properly because of the clone plasma. You won’t ovulate or have periods. My sperm is sterile.” He looked sad. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. I stopped thinking about having children a long time ago. I have you. That’s more than enough.” She paused. “Tell me about the other clones you escaped with. Especially the ones you want us to live with.”
