Gene Drifters: The Clone Soldier Chronicles-Book III by D.J. Takemoto

already estimated
the costs, and selected the happy donors to the rebels’ clone soldier
elimination society. What are you doing after your finals? Will you be coming
back home right away, or doing some partying?” Dina, spoke softly in Hopi,
looking all over for possible spy drones. She’d already fried three before she
closed the security-hut door. While they could not gain entry once locked, some
may have already infiltrated the plasmon-lined security hut before her entry.
    “Roxanne is scheduled for down-time tomorrow night, here in
Tokyo. I already made reservations for us at that eel place. Do you want to
join us?” Gimlet was being polite to her mother, whom she had not seen since
fall break. She turned the corner into the low-way tram station, and the signal
momentarily burned out, until Dorian did a wave shift for them. He’d been
listening in, wanted time to talk to his daughter and wife.
    “Can you hear me now?” “Yes, you just phased out for a
second. Dorian, did you want to say anything to Gim before I tune out?” Dina
was on bot-multicom so that they could all talk, as a family. It was getting to
be a rare occasion as Gimlet grew up, and was so busy at University, and now
Dina was away on yet another stupid clonie elimination clean-up.
    Dina was so tired of this. Really, she’d already lost her father
Jordan, and some of her best friends in battles against these remaining pockets
of clone soldiers. They had enhanced muscles, could see in the dark, had serial
killer-modified brains, and like her, could read minds. Dina had made it her
final rebel mission to rid the world of these beasts, for the safety of
humanity, and yes, as revenge because they had killed her father.
    “Dorian, I have some great news. The Stemworm Inc. guy’s
legal said they estimate only several hundred remaining clonies still running
free. I thought we got the rest the last time, at Point Barrow. But it looks
like we’re almost there.” Dina looked up and swatted a spy bot nano-drone,
careful to remove its transmitter.
    “Not to worry, Dina. I saw that one and scrambled it before
it could transmit. I do not detect other drones in your security hut at present.
Hello my lovely daughter Gimlet, how have your exams been progressing? Will you
outshine all of your fellow colleagues?” Dorian did his best to use normal-speak
with his family. But, it still came out too formal. He knew this. So did Dina
and Gimlet. They tried not to laugh.
    “Hi Dad, I guess I did okay. Did you get a chance to speak
to Roxanne or Eldridge about Thanksgiving?”
    “Yes most certainly, and I have a shopping procurement list
for either of you. I thought that perhaps you would be able to procure
Thanksgiving dinner supplies easier in Tokyo or Hong Kong than here at the
rebel headquarters. As you know, we are rather limited here in our warehouse.
Shall I transmit to either or both of you?”
    “Send it to me, Dorian, Gim’s not finished with her exams
yet, and wants to take some time off to visit with Roxanne before her east
bound tunnel haul. I’ll be heading back directly via hover, but can get the
stuff at the station markets. I can use the Narita push tunnel and send whatever
you need, directly to Eldridge.”
    Dina felt a slight pang of guilt when using Eldridge’s name
with Dorian. She knew that, despite Dorian’s intense politeness to Eldridge, he
still harbored some less than happy feelings about that whole episode. Dina had
left Donner Pass, and Dorian, for five years, blaming Dorian and the rebels for
the death of her father at the hands of five clone soldiers, during the Battle
of Kyoto. She’d left him without a word, in the middle of the night, for five
years. At first, she could not think of where she’d go; then she just sort of
drifted through the desert and over the Rockies, until she found herself with
her thumb out on low-way #25 southbound for Albuquerque.
    Of course Dorian had been following her on his sat-hack
system. He’d