Tornen's hand. "It is good, if surprising, to have you here, sir."
"I look forward to speaking to you later, Jarix. For now, I need to talk to my daughter. Will you allow me to take her for a walk?"
He inclined his head. "I will accompany you at a distance, sir."
"Tornen, please."
"Tornen then. I will follow you, but I will stay near my mate."
Her father nodded in agreement and together, they took a walk through the ornamental gardens that formed the central hub of the dome.
"I have been worried about you, Zoe. When Dorsos's home was attacked, there was an immediate search for the culprit. It was said that someone had tried to destroy the archive in hopes of driving up prices for their own collections." He slowed his step to match hers and looked around him at the gardens. "This is beautiful."
"It is one of Mama's designs. She drew it when I was fifteen." Zoe looked around her, appreciating it more than she ever had before. Fountains spilled into basins and trickled into streams. Carpets of grass made a lovely play area for Aliisha. Maasha brought her here every day to show her the sky above them. It was a small confirmation of freedom that touched Zoe's heart.
"It is wonderful. But, what I came to tell you is that while the lives of you and your set are covered by the treatise, the rest of the clones and altered beings you took with you are considered property."
Zoe stopped walking. "What? How is that possible?"
Her father looked down at her with an expression close to pity. "It is simply a fact, seedling. Now, I can arrange to purchase them from Dorsos's estate if you like. That will allow you to grant their freedom and they can live here or anywhere they choose without fear of reprisals."
She felt like she was going to hurl again. "Please. I don't want them to lack choice. I also don't want them to know about it. Some are barely sane as it is. Knowing that no matter where they run, they would be considered property might be too much for them."
A shadow shifted behind one of the trees. Maasha came out of the shadows with little Aliisha in her arms. "We already know."
Zoe saw Jarix shift to alert, but he didn't move forward while she turned to the young mother. "What do you mean, you know?"
"We were raised in labs and sold as test subjects. We were never adopted, we didn't know love or respect until we got here. You are teaching us what we can be day by day, and what our children can be." Maasha looked down at her baby and a soft smile crossed her features. "I want so much for her now and I will fight to make sure that she can have whatever she wishes when she grows up. She is free and no one will cage her for science again."
Zoe swallowed. "All right then. Papa, please purchase the paperwork for all of the clones that you can find. I will sign over one of my accounts for that purpose."
He chuckled. "Ah, seedling, it isn't necessary. I have all of the papers already. T'shnadar sent me the data for your acquisitions and I got into gear immediately. So, everyone here is owned by the Purple Monkey Corporation and the paperwork is ready for your archives. It's in my shuttle."
She squealed and hugged her father. He was always good at planning ahead and this was no exception. "How is Mama doing?"
"She is fine. She sends her love. Now, do you want possession of those documents or not?"
There was something in his eyes. He was keeping a secret from her and the telltale twinkle was in full operation. "Fine. Take me to your shuttle, but I warn you, Jarix won't take kindly to a kidnapping attempt."
"I stand forewarned. It was a pleasure to meet you, madam." He bowed to Maasha and Zoe remembered her manners.
"Oh, geez. Maasha, this is my father, Tornen. Papa, this is Maasha, the first mother in our little gathering, and little Aliisha."
"Your baby is lovely, my dear. You should be very proud. Daughters are a joy that every family should experience."
Zoe teared up, but she walked with her father out of the dome and
"I look forward to speaking to you later, Jarix. For now, I need to talk to my daughter. Will you allow me to take her for a walk?"
He inclined his head. "I will accompany you at a distance, sir."
"Tornen, please."
"Tornen then. I will follow you, but I will stay near my mate."
Her father nodded in agreement and together, they took a walk through the ornamental gardens that formed the central hub of the dome.
"I have been worried about you, Zoe. When Dorsos's home was attacked, there was an immediate search for the culprit. It was said that someone had tried to destroy the archive in hopes of driving up prices for their own collections." He slowed his step to match hers and looked around him at the gardens. "This is beautiful."
"It is one of Mama's designs. She drew it when I was fifteen." Zoe looked around her, appreciating it more than she ever had before. Fountains spilled into basins and trickled into streams. Carpets of grass made a lovely play area for Aliisha. Maasha brought her here every day to show her the sky above them. It was a small confirmation of freedom that touched Zoe's heart.
"It is wonderful. But, what I came to tell you is that while the lives of you and your set are covered by the treatise, the rest of the clones and altered beings you took with you are considered property."
Zoe stopped walking. "What? How is that possible?"
Her father looked down at her with an expression close to pity. "It is simply a fact, seedling. Now, I can arrange to purchase them from Dorsos's estate if you like. That will allow you to grant their freedom and they can live here or anywhere they choose without fear of reprisals."
She felt like she was going to hurl again. "Please. I don't want them to lack choice. I also don't want them to know about it. Some are barely sane as it is. Knowing that no matter where they run, they would be considered property might be too much for them."
A shadow shifted behind one of the trees. Maasha came out of the shadows with little Aliisha in her arms. "We already know."
Zoe saw Jarix shift to alert, but he didn't move forward while she turned to the young mother. "What do you mean, you know?"
"We were raised in labs and sold as test subjects. We were never adopted, we didn't know love or respect until we got here. You are teaching us what we can be day by day, and what our children can be." Maasha looked down at her baby and a soft smile crossed her features. "I want so much for her now and I will fight to make sure that she can have whatever she wishes when she grows up. She is free and no one will cage her for science again."
Zoe swallowed. "All right then. Papa, please purchase the paperwork for all of the clones that you can find. I will sign over one of my accounts for that purpose."
He chuckled. "Ah, seedling, it isn't necessary. I have all of the papers already. T'shnadar sent me the data for your acquisitions and I got into gear immediately. So, everyone here is owned by the Purple Monkey Corporation and the paperwork is ready for your archives. It's in my shuttle."
She squealed and hugged her father. He was always good at planning ahead and this was no exception. "How is Mama doing?"
"She is fine. She sends her love. Now, do you want possession of those documents or not?"
There was something in his eyes. He was keeping a secret from her and the telltale twinkle was in full operation. "Fine. Take me to your shuttle, but I warn you, Jarix won't take kindly to a kidnapping attempt."
"I stand forewarned. It was a pleasure to meet you, madam." He bowed to Maasha and Zoe remembered her manners.
"Oh, geez. Maasha, this is my father, Tornen. Papa, this is Maasha, the first mother in our little gathering, and little Aliisha."
"Your baby is lovely, my dear. You should be very proud. Daughters are a joy that every family should experience."
Zoe teared up, but she walked with her father out of the dome and
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