“You said it wasn’t safe to call my parents, but you made a call. Why can’t I?”
“The signal I sent went to a private relay that only other clones have access to use. It’s set to explode if anyone attempts to take over or even get too close to the hidden satellite that protects our locations. It scrambles our signals, making us untraceable. Making a direct call to your planet would means they could trace us.”
“Can’t you use that relay to contact my parents?”
“No, Hailey. Your planet won’t be able to find us, but they would find the relay and it would be destroyed. Then clones would have no safe way to contact each other. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Oh.” She eased her grip on her arms.
“Any other questions? I told you, I won’t lie to you, Hailey.”
“What is it going to mean for me when we go meet this Big person?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“Yes, you do.” She backed up just enough that she seemed ready to flee. “I might have been raised on a small mining colony, but I do hear the news. I know what happens to women without family to protect them. Are you going to sell me to some loser who can’t find a wife? Or worse, are you and your friend going to hurt me?”
Blade frowned. “I’d never sell you into slavery. I’ve been there, Hailey. That’s what clones are. We’re property someone has ordered. We’re considered just mass-produced bodies without emotions or rights. It’s horrible to be treated that way. I also swear that I’d never allow anyone to hurt you. We used to clean up that shit on Clone World. It sickened us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes guests believed they should get more than just a show. A few of the performers were attacked. We didn’t always reach them in time.” Anger simmered in Blade at the memories.
She paled.
“Clone World makes the resort look beautiful and fun in the advertisements they send out. And it is for the guests. It’s another matter for the clones. Do you know how the owner punishes guests who hurt or kill a clone? He fines them whatever he feels the damage is worth. As if suffering sexual assault or death has a monetary value. It all goes into the pocket of Rico Florigo. I’ve also seen some of his personal clones, and pitied them.”
“Personal ones…”
“He’s a perverted old man who keeps his own harem, hidden in the basement rooms under his home. He’s too old and feeble to physically cause them injury, but he forces them to have sex with him. That’s still abuse. They agree to it because a useless clone not performing their duties isn’t allowed to live.”
Hailey gasped. “How can he get away with that?”
“We’re clones, and therefore aren’t seen as real people. It isn’t considered abuse or murder to the authorities because we’re property. We don’t have the right to say no, or even to live unless a human allows us to. Most people think we don’t have feelings, but they’ve never witnessed a clone’s pure suffering the way I have. I killed three men to prevent you from ever suffering that kind of torment. I’ve seen the results of a man abusing a woman, Hailey. I will never allow that to happen to you.”
He reached up into one of the cabinets and removed a knife he’d found there earlier. He offered it to her handle first. “Here.”
She didn’t take it, just at him in surprise.
“It’s for your personal protection. I want you to stab me if I ever try to hurt you. And I’ll let you. Take it.”
She still didn’t move.
He set it down and backed away. “It’s not a trick or a test. I mean it. Keep the knife with you, Hailey. I want you to feel safe. You’re not my prisoner. Think of us as partners. We’re in this together until I can find a safe way to get you home.”
She inched forward and took the knife, backing away quickly. “I don’t know what to think about you,” she confessed.
“We’ll get to know each other. I’m going to alter our course to take us to Big’s location. The pirates who captured me don’t know about it. We’ll be safe there until we’re not being hunted so hard. It will also give me time to hack into the ship’s computer to change the coding in the outgoing transmissions. That could take a few weeks. It’s complicated work.