“Denied. We’re not going outside, Nicia.” Ria said as Nicia asked for her permission to go outside once more.
“Why?” Nicia asked. “If we all go together, we can help!”
Ticia’s last words haunted Nicia. Even though her mom said that she did not want them to go outside, the fact that she could not promise to Nicia that she would come back safely worried her to death. Anxious, she had asked Ria if they could all go outside together, and provide support to their mother. She had even managed to convince all her sisters this time! All except Willia and Ria.
As the eldest present, and somebody who followed orders by the letter, Ria was strongly opposed to Nicia’s move, and so, to Nicia’s growing frustration, her sister had been blocking her request each time.
And to temper her sisters’ impulsive temperament, she reminded them of one thing…
“Didn't you hear what mother said? We'll only bother her!”
““Ugh”” That was enough to bring the other clone girls back to their room, discouraged. But Nicia was stubborn.
“B-but still, I-I don’t want mom to be injured… There must be a way!” Nicia said hopefully as her other sisters left the tea room. She was now alone with Ria and Willia in the room.
"Nicia, just stop." Ria said sternly, keeping a serious expression all the time. "I understand you're worried, we're all worried! But disobeying mom is something I will not tolerate, is that clear?" She said menacingly, and Nicia knew she would stay true to her words.
Nicia and Ria had a good relationship, and they shared common likings. If it were before, she would never have imagined the situation to take such a turn, but here they were now, staring at each other in a context of will. The problem was, to what point would the both of them be willing to go? And this, Nicia knew… If she made a move without Ria’s consent, chances were her sister would ‘neutralize’ her until Ticia came back, waiting for further punishment.
"...Yes…" She said, after some time. It was not that she gave up, just that she did not want to begin another conflict between the sisters… One was enough.
"Good.” Ria nodded, before looking at the other clone girl that was staying still in the room. “Willia, keep an eye on her."
"Huh? Me?" Willia pointed to herself. She did not expect to be designed as a ‘watchdog’.
"Yes, you. Right now, you're the only one besides me who does not question mom’s orders. And I’ve had enough with Nicia’s fusses."
Oh, great, now I have an overseer… Nicia rolled her eyes. Way to go, Ria… If that’s how you want to keep the trust of your sisters, that’s the wrong move…
She did not blame Ria though, she was just ranting. She knew her sister was just worried that she would put herself in needless danger stupidly, but she could also not deny that Ria had enough, and would not tolerate anymore pleading.
“Now go, and don’t bother me anymore if it’s not anything urgent.”
“...” Nicia silently left the tea room, followed by an unsure Willia.
What to do now… She thought, already trying to come up with another solution. She increased her pace through the hallway as her face grimaced, searching for the right way, which caused Willia to call out to her.
“P-please cheer up, Nicia.” She said as she caught up with Nicia.
“Cheer…up?” Nicia stopped, she suddenly turned and faced Willia, saying angrily. “You want me to cheer up in this kind of situation!?”
“Uh-Uhm…” Willia was trying to say something, but Nicia did not let her.
“Our sisters are in danger, Willia, we might never see them again. We might even not see mom ever again! And you… You want me to stay put and do nothing!? Are you stupid!?”
“I-I, sorry…” Willia said, avoiding eye contact, this reaction only made Nicia more angrier.
“Sorry for what, Willia? Why are you so meek right now!?” She snapped and yelled at her sister. “You love to fight, how can you back down from one!?”
“B-but, I'll only be a bother! I don't want to hurt my sisters again, fighting is bad!” Willia replied by raising her voice too, tears appearing in her eyes as she defended herself.
“Even if that’s the case, you love fighting, you musclehead! Only denying it is making you depressed, and everybody’s noticed that!” Nicia pointed out the fact to her third sister, which froze the latter for a moment. They stared at each other for a while, before Nicia sighed.
Releasing my frustrations on Willia isn’t something I should do… She thought. Willia hadn’t done anything, she knew that. She was still hurt from the incident with Ticinia and Vinia, even though both clone girls had just before forgiven their sister.
“...Honestly, I don't understand why you're making such a fuss about it even though everybody already forgave you…” She said, trying to make Willia realize she did nothing wrong.
“B-but…”
“Look, do you want something to happen to mom?” Nicia said as she closed in on Willia, staring into her eyes.
“N-no! Of course not!”
“Then help me find a solution to all this!”
“O-ok…” Willia ended up agreeing to Nicia’s strong pressure.
Good, two brains are better than one, even if the other one is Willia’s. Nicia nodded, and she began to search for a solution again as she wandered in the hallway, followed closely by her sister.
“Ugh, if we can't go there, there might be another way…”
“Did you ask A-4 if it had any idea?” Willia suddenly said, which made Nicia freeze in place.
“... How did I not think about that?”
“...You didn’t?” Willia tilted her head, the thought was clearly obvious to her, only making Nicia even more ashamed. She had been so focused on finding the answer herself that she had forgotten about the AI!
“Wh-what are you talking about? O-of course I did! I was just about to ask A-4!” She said, refusing to admit she had made such a mistake, and that Willia, someone she considered as a musclehead, thought of it.
“Oh, is that so? Sorry…” Willia apologized, believing the clearly obvious lie. This only made Nicia feel guilt, so she just acted as if nothing happened and continued on.
“Ahem, A-4, do you have any plans prepared in case mom’s life is in danger?” She asked the AI, and a drone suddenly appeared next to her.
“Answering Null CG-08 Nicia’s question: In case of an emergency, this unit has prepared countermeasures to prioritize owner Ticia’s safety.”
“Really? Can you show them to me?” She asked expectantly. Perhaps there are some things that could help mom…
“No restrictions have been set on emergency countermeasures. Null CG-08 Nicia’s request is as such achievable.”
The AI said after a small time, and Nicia nodded.
“Show me then.”
The drone’s eyes became green, and a small datapad came out from a hatch on the drone. Nicia grabbed the datapad, and immediately read it. Curious, Willia peeked over her sister’s shoulder, also reading the content.
After having read all the information present, Nicia mumbled, pointing at one plan the AI had made.
“This one… This one could work…”
“Yeah… But Nicia…” Willia surprisingly agreed with Nicia, still, knowing what the plan entailed, she worriedly looked at her sister.
“I know. Mom won’t be happy, but it’s still worth doing it if it can help her.” Nicia said, determination building up within her. This is the best solution we have if we want everybody to come back…
“...Are you sure?” Willia asked for confirmation, still anxious. Not just Ticia, there was a high risk Ria would also react very badly to what Nicia was about to do.
“I’ll take full responsibility, Willia.” Nicia answered, not taking her eyes off the datapad. “Besides, since Ria ordered you to guard me, you can still stop me before I begin, you know?”
Willia froze a short instant, before debating the idea. After this short internal debate, she shook her head, having made up her mind.
“...I won’t stop you, Nicia. After all, me too… I want mommy and our sisters to come back safely…”
Nicia smiled, she just got another ally, now nothing stood in her way! She looked at the drone for confirmation.
“Then, I only need to check with you, A-4. You only need me to use a Null code, right?”
“Answer: A Null code is needed to overrule owner Ticia’s orders and consider the current situation as a maximum level emergency.”
“Alright, I’ll use it then.” Nici said, closing her eyes. There’s no turning back now…
Then, she opened her eyes, and with a determined look, she declared. “A-4, Null code 005, activate the highest emergency countermeasures.”
The drone beeped, and its eyes blinked green for a moment, before becoming red.
“Null code received: Emergency levels raised at maximum.
Locating owner Ticia… Error… Owner Ticia’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Calling owner Ticia… Error… Unable to reach owner Ticia.
This unit has confirmed that owner Ticia’s current situation is unknown.
Warning: Analyzed data affirms the strong presence of hostile entities surrounding Clone Installation 3.
Conclusion: Owner Ticia might have encountered danger with high risk of death. Emergency protocols activated: Searching for a suitable answer…
Suitable answer found. Necessary resources have already been collected.
Passing Clone installation into emergency mode…
The whole hallway was illuminated red as the AI launched its emergency protocols, and sirens began to echo within the whole facility. All its occupants would know that something was happening, and Ria would probably react badly to this. But that was fine, Nicia would receive punishment from her sister. Nobody could stop the process anymore anyway...
Having finished its protocols, the AI finally began enacting its countermeasure.
“Initializing emergency production… Codename: ECG.”
***
Licia advanced in the vent as it went deeper into the building, looking from time to time at openings to see what was happening on the over side.
Not there… She immediately continued on after confirming her sisters were not present in the room she had been looking at. I must continue…
This was already the fifth opening she was looking through, and still no signs of her sisters. She would have already given up, were it not for the presence of people in the building who attested to the presence of two little girls with white hair within the building…
It was a good thing she had confirmed this fact, but another problem had surged up. Those people all said that the two ‘subjects’ were currently in the head scientist’s laboratory, and that some ‘analyses’ were already ongoing.
I need to find them fast before it’s too late! Lidia reminded herself. But it was hard to find the right room through the maze that were the vents, and it’s not like she could leave them either…
Too many people were present in the building, and there weren’t enough hiding spots to be kept hidden. Even if Lidia decided to eliminate them on the spot, chances were high that they would have the time to set up an alarm, and her and Licia’s plan would end in failure.
Worst, it could end up with all of them being captured, or… dead… Lidia did not want that, her priority was to get her sisters out of here, not to create more drama!
The next vent she followed was slowly going up, signaling to her that she would be positioned on the ceiling of the next room on her way.
Oh great, there seems to be only two people in that one… She noted as she heard the distant voices of people exchanging with one another. She was reluctant to go, but there was a slight chance that her sisters were also within the room. And so, she approached the opening in the vent, and overheard the people’s conversation.
“... The genetic structure is truly fascinating…”
“Yes, quite so…”
“Healthy body, strong muscle structure, enhanced natural healing… It’s as if humanity's strongest genes were gathered up in one body.”
“That's to be expected from ancient clones…”
“!!!” Lidia tensed up. What the two men were discussing was probably her sisters. She peeked her head, and identified the two men. One was wearing a white laboratory coat, while the other wore a green military uniform.
“I agree, but I still do not understand why they have white hair…” The man in green said, to which the other answered.
“Oh, maybe this ended up as a prerequisite for such genes to coexist within the same entity. I’m more interested in the black tinges, honestly.”
“Why, Doctor Michy?”
“Well, from what we can see here and there, the genetic code corresponding to those traits do not seem to match up well with the rest of the genetic code… In my professional opinion, they look more like impurities than anything else…” The man called Doctor Michy said as he pointed at his datapad.
“Still, despite that fact, those subjects seem relatively stable and lively. Truly fascinating…”
“What does all of this mean then?”
The man in a white lab coat did not answer, instead, he asked something to the other.
“Sir, I would like to ask for the subjects to be brought to my laboratory on Ionian Prime.”
“The reason?”
“I believe this characteristic of theirs could help us find out the secret behind the cloning method. And perhaps, with enough funds and a team picked up by myself, I might be able to create clones…”
“So you want more funds, huh? Well, that’s fine, you’re the best in this field after all.”
“That is not what I said, general.”
“Hmph, don’t try to fool me. Very well, I will contact the higher ups and notify them of this. Can I have a closer look at those clones before going though? I want to take a closer look for myself.” The man asked, to which he received a positive nod.
“Of course, general, the subjects are just behind that door”
They began to move to the next room. Meanwhile, Lidia continued through the vent until the next opening, which, fortunately, was the other room the two men were going in.
“!!!” Immediately after looking in, Lidia found her sisters. Both of them were attached to tables, and seemed unconscious.
“Hooo… I can see why you said they had the best genes, they would make beautiful ladies in the future. But I do hope they are not just pretty, Doctor Michy.” The general said as he came closer to Mia and Nia, inspecting them.
Lidia just wanted to jump in immediately, but knew it was not the time yet. She would first need to open the vent hatch without being noticed.
“Of course not, the genetic codes are proof of that. If we put them on the battlefield, I’m pretty sure they would instinctively know what to do.”
“Ngh…” Mia let out a pained grunt, and everybody’s attention was now on her.
“Oh, looks like one of them is still awake.”
“That’s surprising, to still be awake after receiving such a strong dose of tranquilisers and so much blood drain… This is why those clones are truly fascinating…"
“Why…” Mia said weakly.
“Hn? Looks like she’s saying something.”
“What is it, subject 1? What do you have to say?”
“Why are you… Doing this…?” She asked innocently, not understanding why those people had put her in such a situation. Both men seemed surprised for a moment at the question, before looking at each other, and exploding in laughter.
“Ha~, that’s one question I cannot answer, how about you tell her the reason you’re doing this, Doctor Michy?”
“Hahaha… Sure. You see, I’m a curious person, and I’m very curious about clones…”
“...Eh?” Mia seemed surprised at the man’s reason, who, seeing it, continued on with an eerie, almost mad smile.
“And since I’m being presented with such perfect subjects, of course I would do anything to satiate my curiosity! Ah, How can I hold back? I just want to dissect you and subject 2!”
“Don’t go too far, Doctor Michy. We still need those two alive to present to the higher ups if you want to receive your funds.” The general intervened, only caring about the outcome of all this.
Lidia could not tolerate it any further. She would kill those people before they hurt her sisters more! Fortunately, the man called Michy was standing just under the vent hatch and seemed distracted. It was the perfect time to act.
“I know, I know~, I was only joking around with the subjects~. Anyway, now it’s time to-”
*clank*
The hatch of the vent suddenly went down, and crashed directly on him, crushing him under the weight. In the momentum, Lidia jumped down too, landing on the now crushed man before immediately closing in to the other man.
“Wha-” He tried to react by reaching for his pistol, but before he could, Lidia reached him, and slashed at his throat, slicing it cleanly.
Silence reigned in as the man stared at Lidia in disbelief, his blood splashing over Lidia as he slowly lost consciousness. When he finally went limp on the ground, Lidia turned to look at her sisters.
“Mia, Nia, are you alright!?” She called out to them.
““Lidia!”” Both of them answered, seemingly happy to see her. While Mia had been scared, it seemed that Nia was just pretending to be unconscious, as she seemed fine to Lidia.
“Hold on, I’m gonna free you in a moment.” Lidia declared as she lit on her communication device.
“01, I found 09 and 10, proceeding with their liberation.” She said, and an answer came immediately after, to her relief.
“This is 01, well done 07, what is their state?”
“... 09 and 10 are conscious and lively, but weakened due to what they’ve been through. They should be able to move, though.”
“Good, if possible, could you destroy any unwanted information?”
“I’ll do that after further checking on both of them.”
Lidia had no intention of letting information about her family to unwanted persons… She’ll make sure to erase the data, permanently.
“Very well, be safe, 07, 01 over.”
“Fuuuu…” Lidia let out a long sigh as she calmed down. She was relieved, Mia and Nia were fine, and they would probably be able to leave without a hitch.
“L-Lidia, where’s mom? I’m scared…” Mia asked her sister, but Lidia did not know how to answer this question. How could she tell her sister that she and Licia had come alone to save them?
“...Let’s just focus on getting out of here for now… Eldest sister is waiting for us outside.” She said, redirecting her sister’s curiosity towards Licia.
“Eldest sister? Licia came?” Nia asked again for confirmation, they did not know if Ticia was there, but just knowing that their eldest sister was there calmed them, even though they did not have the best relationship with her. They even forgot the fact that Licia might have come because Mia had used a Null code, and what that would entail. But it was not like Licia was going to act on it anyway.
“Yes, she’s keeping guard outside. Do you know how to free yourself?” Lidia asked as she inspected the cuffs that detained her sisters.
“...No…” Mia weakly answered.
“What about you, Nia?”
“Search the man with the white coat, he has the keys.” Nia said to Lidia, which was exactly what she was looking for. But before she could go, Nia reminded her of something.
“More importantly than us, Lidia, destroy that computer! It has all the information on us!”
“...Got it.” Lidia knew what computer Nia was talking about, it was the big one in the corner of the room. If Nia insisted that much, that meant the data the man had collected on them was important.
She unlocked the computer, it had luckily no passwords, and then proceeded to search for the corresponding files. As she was doing this in silence, Mia suddenly apologized.
“Lidia… I’m sorry.”
“Now,’s not the time to apologize, Mia.” Lidia said, concentrating on deleting the files. She knew why Mia was apologizing, but first, they had to get to a safe place before excusing themselves.
“Done. I should destroy the PC too, just in case.” Lidia said as she took out her pistol.
“Whoa, whoa, if you do tha-” Nia tried to warn her about something, but before she could finish, Lidia had already shot the device.
*bzt bzt*
Sparks flew in the air as the computer died, and smoke came out. She had to fall back from it, as it was clear it would explode. It was when it was going to detonate that, at the very same time…
*psh-KABOOOM*
“Whoa!?”
The earth shook and a loud explosion was heard, it clearly did not come from the computer.
“Wh-what was that?!” Mia asked, beginning to panic.
“01, 01 do you hear me? Was it you?” Lidia asked, maybe her sister was the one responsible? But the answer she received was negative.
“No, it wasn’t me!”
The voice that came back was just as confused as Lidia.
“What’s happening outside?”
“I can hear gunfire and screams, it seems like the base is being invaded by another party! Join me fast, we need to get out of here!”
“Roger!”
“S-sister…” Mia and Nia looked at Lidia with anxiety.
“I know, I’ll free you now!”
Lidia immediately jumped into action, she reached the body of the crushed scientist, looking if she could find the keys, while this was happening, she received another communication which made her freeze.
“07, this is 01! My position has been compromised. I repeat, my position has been compromised!”
“What? Are you alright?!”
“I’ll manage, but you’re on your own from now on, you need to find a new exit while I distract them!”
“...Roger, 01, please stay safe and contact me once it’s over.”
Lidia did not receive an answer, which meant that Licia could not answer her right now.
“Wh-what’s happening, sister?” Mia asked, the worry was growing more and more, and could now be read clearly on her face.
“We’re getting short on time, that’s all.” Lidia said, making sure to not worry her sister more. But as she finally found the keys, gunshots and screams reverberated.
Oh no, they’ve entered the building! Lidia immediately stopped what she was doing, and looked over to the only door in the room, after peeking through it, she could see projectiles from a weapon she did not know fly around, with some laser beams coming the other way as a reply from time to time. Whatever it was, it was clear that the laboratory had been overwhelmed by the enemy, and that they would soon reach this room.
I got no time…
She looked at her sisters who were now visibly in a panicked state, and said to them.
“Stay silent, I’ll hide over there and protect you.”
““...Okay…””
Lidia hid under a desk, from which she could not be seen by anybody entering the room. She concentrated, erasing her presence like never before, trying to regulate her breathing and her heartbeats.
Soon after, the voices could be overheard from the other room.
“Room clear.”
“Room clear.”
“Continue advancing, I’ll check up on the next room myself.” A feminine voice said.
““Understood.”” the others seemed to agree, which made Lidia feel relieved, she would only have to deal with one person this time, and once she did, she'd quickly release her sisters and get out of here!
*slam*
The door was broken open with a kick, and a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes entered the room. Immediately after entering, she saw Mia and Nia.
“...What the hell…” She silently said as she got closer. She then found the body of the scientist and sighed.
“Another psychopath, huh? A gruesome death, but probably one he deserved for playing around with kids, as for the other dead one… I’ll need to ask the two of you about it…”
The woman now directly looked at Mia and Nia. “You two over there… I don’t want to harm you, can you tell me what happened?”
““...”” Both clone girls stayed silent. Mia was scared of the new arrival, while Nia seemed to not trust the woman.
“I’m not part of those people, I’m a Borkian officer, and we’re here to chase the people who hurt you…” the woman said, trying to sound reassuring, but to Lidia, who could only see the left side of the woman’s face, the scars the woman had on her face made her look anything but kind… And she was not the one who thought that strongly, rather, it was Mia, who seemed frightened.
Seeing that, the woman changed strategy, instead of closing in on the two clone girls, she asked them questions, making sure to affirm she was not part of the same group. And Lidia had to agree with that. The military uniform and the emblems on it did not correspond to the ones she had seen around the base.
“Were those people… doing bad things to you? Don’t worry, you won’t suffer anymore, I promise.”
She said, and it was at this moment that Lidia chose to strike. She made eye contact with Nia, who immediately understood her sister’s intention.
“...You promise?” Nia asked, trying to keep the woman’s attention on her.
“!!!” The woman froze when she heard Nia’s voice, but quickly got back on her tracks. “Y-yes, so will you tell me what happened here if I free you?”
“...Alright…” Nia agreed, meanwhile, Lidia had slowly but surely sneaked behind the woman, a knife in both hands.
“Good, first, what are you-!!!!” She striked, but somehow, the woman reacted at the last moment and dodged the blow.
The woman immediately faced Lidia, pointing her gun’s muzzle at her, but when she met eyes with Lidia, her eyes grew big from surprise.
“Another one?” She mumbled, but Lidia did not stay put, rushing to kill the woman by slashing at her vitals. Despite that, the woman continued to avoid the blows.
“Hey, calm down, I don’t want to hurt you!” She said, trying to talk to Lidia, but the latter did not see it like that.
Trying to bluff huh? That won’t work on me! She immediately assaulted the woman again.
“...I recognise some of those moves… Who taught you that, girl?” The woman asked, but Lidia was not listening. The woman could only sigh.
“... You leave me no choice then. Sorry, but it’ll hurt a bit.”
The woman immediately disappeared from Lidia’s sight.
“Wha-” Lidia was surprised, this move was very similar to her mother’s one she wanted to learn…
Now the woman stood behind her, and she immediately tried to dodge, but the woman grabbed her arms, and placated her to the ground, sitting on top of her legs.
“Gah!”
““Lidia!”” Both Mia and Nia called out as they saw their sister struggle.
“Phew, sorry about that.” The woman said, apologizing again for some reason. She began tying up Lidia with a wire that was lying nearby, rendering the girl unable to move.
“Release out sister!” Nia yelled at the woman in desperation.
“...Sorry kids, I really didn’t want to come to this, but she left me no choice…” The woman said as she got closer to Nia and Mia.
“No! Don’t come closer to them!” Lidia cried out in desperation. She did not want her sisters to be captured again!
“It’s alright, I won’t hurt them.” The woman said as she took out a pair of keys. Lidia now realized that it was the keys for the cuffs she had on her!
The woman proceeded to free Mia and Nia, who both staggered from their current state of fatigue, before going near Lidia.
Now facing Lidia, the woman exclaimed with a smile that was clearly forced. “See, I freed your sisters!”
“...” Lidia did not answer, still giving a death glare to the person, which made her comment.
“Poor girls, what happened to all of you to become so untrusting… Well, at least you’re not attacking anymore... Now, what should I do…”
The woman seemed to think as she looked at Lidia and her sisters, and after a moment, she spoke out.
“Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll take care of you for now.”
““Eh?”” All clone girls reacted like that. What was this woman trying to say by that? They looked at her with uncertainty as the woman nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll say this, but you girls got lucky I was the one who found you. If it were anybody else, it could have ended badly.”
““...””
“Oh well, in truth, I still have a lot of questions for the three of you, but let’s take our time and get to build trust between each other, alright?”
“...Why should we believe you?” Lidia asked defiantly, still not trusting the woman.
“Because you don’t really have a better choice ‘Lidia’.” The woman said, using Lidia’s name, before continuing on. “I have the authority to do so without problems. Besides… you all remind me of someone I know. Most particularly you, you have the same killing intent as her. So? What will it be, girls?” The woman asked, and the clone girls looked at each other.
“...” Lidia did not know what to do. But going with the woman seemed like the safest choice they had, just like she had said. She looked at her sisters, and it seemed they had reached the same conclusion.
“...Got it, we’ll go with you…”
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there, I'm back with another chapter! And... very tired...
Sorry about being late and not anoucing the delay, but it was work related, so I couldn't do anything about it...
Anyway! Another chapter written that I had a hard time writing, but not for the same reasons. In this one, I just wondered if Nicia's part should really be there or not, but I kept it there in the end. Well, this one is longer than my regular chapters too...
Writing aside, what is happening? hat is this ECG plan? Nicia, what have you done?
Lidia is doing her best, but problems keep coming their way, fortunately(?) they met somebody friendly, right?
That's it from me for today! I would normally rant more but... I'm just too tired, so yeah, I guess I'll see you all in the next chapter!
“Denied. We’re not going outside, Nicia.” Ria said as Nicia asked for her permission to go outside once more.
“Why?” Nicia asked. “If we all go together, we can help!”
Ticia’s last words haunted Nicia. Even though her mom said that she did not want them to go outside, the fact that she could not promise to Nicia that she would come back safely worried her to death. Anxious, she had asked Ria if they could all go outside together, and provide support to their mother. She had even managed to convince all her sisters this time! All except Willia and Ria.
As the eldest present, and somebody who followed orders by the letter, Ria was strongly opposed to Nicia’s move, and so, to Nicia’s growing frustration, her sister had been blocking her request each time.
And to temper her sisters’ impulsive temperament, she reminded them of one thing…
“Didn't you hear what mother said? We'll only bother her!”
““Ugh”” That was enough to bring the other clone girls back to their room, discouraged. But Nicia was stubborn.
“B-but still, I-I don’t want mom to be injured… There must be a way!” Nicia said hopefully as her other sisters left the tea room. She was now alone with Ria and Willia in the room.
"Nicia, just stop." Ria said sternly, keeping a serious expression all the time. "I understand you're worried, we're all worried! But disobeying mom is something I will not tolerate, is that clear?" She said menacingly, and Nicia knew she would stay true to her words.
Nicia and Ria had a good relationship, and they shared common likings. If it were before, she would never have imagined the situation to take such a turn, but here they were now, staring at each other in a context of will. The problem was, to what point would the both of them be willing to go? And this, Nicia knew… If she made a move without Ria’s consent, chances were her sister would ‘neutralize’ her until Ticia came back, waiting for further punishment.
"...Yes…" She said, after some time. It was not that she gave up, just that she did not want to begin another conflict between the sisters… One was enough.
"Good.” Ria nodded, before looking at the other clone girl that was staying still in the room. “Willia, keep an eye on her."
"Huh? Me?" Willia pointed to herself. She did not expect to be designed as a ‘watchdog’.
"Yes, you. Right now, you're the only one besides me who does not question mom’s orders. And I’ve had enough with Nicia’s fusses."
Oh, great, now I have an overseer… Nicia rolled her eyes. Way to go, Ria… If that’s how you want to keep the trust of your sisters, that’s the wrong move…
She did not blame Ria though, she was just ranting. She knew her sister was just worried that she would put herself in needless danger stupidly, but she could also not deny that Ria had enough, and would not tolerate anymore pleading.
“Now go, and don’t bother me anymore if it’s not anything urgent.”
“...” Nicia silently left the tea room, followed by an unsure Willia.
What to do now… She thought, already trying to come up with another solution. She increased her pace through the hallway as her face grimaced, searching for the right way, which caused Willia to call out to her.
“P-please cheer up, Nicia.” She said as she caught up with Nicia.
“Cheer…up?” Nicia stopped, she suddenly turned and faced Willia, saying angrily. “You want me to cheer up in this kind of situation!?”
“Uh-Uhm…” Willia was trying to say something, but Nicia did not let her.
“Our sisters are in danger, Willia, we might never see them again. We might even not see mom ever again! And you… You want me to stay put and do nothing!? Are you stupid!?”
“I-I, sorry…” Willia said, avoiding eye contact, this reaction only made Nicia more angrier.
“Sorry for what, Willia? Why are you so meek right now!?” She snapped and yelled at her sister. “You love to fight, how can you back down from one!?”
“B-but, I'll only be a bother! I don't want to hurt my sisters again, fighting is bad!” Willia replied by raising her voice too, tears appearing in her eyes as she defended herself.
“Even if that’s the case, you love fighting, you musclehead! Only denying it is making you depressed, and everybody’s noticed that!” Nicia pointed out the fact to her third sister, which froze the latter for a moment. They stared at each other for a while, before Nicia sighed.
Releasing my frustrations on Willia isn’t something I should do… She thought. Willia hadn’t done anything, she knew that. She was still hurt from the incident with Ticinia and Vinia, even though both clone girls had just before forgiven their sister.
“...Honestly, I don't understand why you're making such a fuss about it even though everybody already forgave you…” She said, trying to make Willia realize she did nothing wrong.
“B-but…”
“Look, do you want something to happen to mom?” Nicia said as she closed in on Willia, staring into her eyes.
“N-no! Of course not!”
“Then help me find a solution to all this!”
“O-ok…” Willia ended up agreeing to Nicia’s strong pressure.
Good, two brains are better than one, even if the other one is Willia’s. Nicia nodded, and she began to search for a solution again as she wandered in the hallway, followed closely by her sister.
“Ugh, if we can't go there, there might be another way…”
“Did you ask A-4 if it had any idea?” Willia suddenly said, which made Nicia freeze in place.
“... How did I not think about that?”
“...You didn’t?” Willia tilted her head, the thought was clearly obvious to her, only making Nicia even more ashamed. She had been so focused on finding the answer herself that she had forgotten about the AI!
“Wh-what are you talking about? O-of course I did! I was just about to ask A-4!” She said, refusing to admit she had made such a mistake, and that Willia, someone she considered as a musclehead, thought of it.
“Oh, is that so? Sorry…” Willia apologized, believing the clearly obvious lie. This only made Nicia feel guilt, so she just acted as if nothing happened and continued on.
“Ahem, A-4, do you have any plans prepared in case mom’s life is in danger?” She asked the AI, and a drone suddenly appeared next to her.
“Answering Null CG-08 Nicia’s question: In case of an emergency, this unit has prepared countermeasures to prioritize owner Ticia’s safety.”
“Really? Can you show them to me?” She asked expectantly. Perhaps there are some things that could help mom…
“No restrictions have been set on emergency countermeasures. Null CG-08 Nicia’s request is as such achievable.”
The AI said after a small time, and Nicia nodded.
“Show me then.”
The drone’s eyes became green, and a small datapad came out from a hatch on the drone. Nicia grabbed the datapad, and immediately read it. Curious, Willia peeked over her sister’s shoulder, also reading the content.
After having read all the information present, Nicia mumbled, pointing at one plan the AI had made.
“This one… This one could work…”
“Yeah… But Nicia…” Willia surprisingly agreed with Nicia, still, knowing what the plan entailed, she worriedly looked at her sister.
“I know. Mom won’t be happy, but it’s still worth doing it if it can help her.” Nicia said, determination building up within her. This is the best solution we have if we want everybody to come back…
“...Are you sure?” Willia asked for confirmation, still anxious. Not just Ticia, there was a high risk Ria would also react very badly to what Nicia was about to do.
“I’ll take full responsibility, Willia.” Nicia answered, not taking her eyes off the datapad. “Besides, since Ria ordered you to guard me, you can still stop me before I begin, you know?”
Willia froze a short instant, before debating the idea. After this short internal debate, she shook her head, having made up her mind.
“...I won’t stop you, Nicia. After all, me too… I want mommy and our sisters to come back safely…”
Nicia smiled, she just got another ally, now nothing stood in her way! She looked at the drone for confirmation.
“Then, I only need to check with you, A-4. You only need me to use a Null code, right?”
“Answer: A Null code is needed to overrule owner Ticia’s orders and consider the current situation as a maximum level emergency.”
“Alright, I’ll use it then.” Nici said, closing her eyes. There’s no turning back now…
Then, she opened her eyes, and with a determined look, she declared. “A-4, Null code 005, activate the highest emergency countermeasures.”
The drone beeped, and its eyes blinked green for a moment, before becoming red.
“Null code received: Emergency levels raised at maximum.
Locating owner Ticia… Error… Owner Ticia’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Calling owner Ticia… Error… Unable to reach owner Ticia.
This unit has confirmed that owner Ticia’s current situation is unknown.
Warning: Analyzed data affirms the strong presence of hostile entities surrounding Clone Installation 3.
Conclusion: Owner Ticia might have encountered danger with high risk of death. Emergency protocols activated: Searching for a suitable answer…
Suitable answer found. Necessary resources have already been collected.
Passing Clone installation into emergency mode…
The whole hallway was illuminated red as the AI launched its emergency protocols, and sirens began to echo within the whole facility. All its occupants would know that something was happening, and Ria would probably react badly to this. But that was fine, Nicia would receive punishment from her sister. Nobody could stop the process anymore anyway...
Having finished its protocols, the AI finally began enacting its countermeasure.
“Initializing emergency production… Codename: ECG.”
***
Licia advanced in the vent as it went deeper into the building, looking from time to time at openings to see what was happening on the over side.
Not there… She immediately continued on after confirming her sisters were not present in the room she had been looking at. I must continue…
This was already the fifth opening she was looking through, and still no signs of her sisters. She would have already given up, were it not for the presence of people in the building who attested to the presence of two little girls with white hair within the building…
It was a good thing she had confirmed this fact, but another problem had surged up. Those people all said that the two ‘subjects’ were currently in the head scientist’s laboratory, and that some ‘analyses’ were already ongoing.
I need to find them fast before it’s too late! Lidia reminded herself. But it was hard to find the right room through the maze that were the vents, and it’s not like she could leave them either…
Too many people were present in the building, and there weren’t enough hiding spots to be kept hidden. Even if Lidia decided to eliminate them on the spot, chances were high that they would have the time to set up an alarm, and her and Licia’s plan would end in failure.
Worst, it could end up with all of them being captured, or… dead… Lidia did not want that, her priority was to get her sisters out of here, not to create more drama!
The next vent she followed was slowly going up, signaling to her that she would be positioned on the ceiling of the next room on her way.
Oh great, there seems to be only two people in that one… She noted as she heard the distant voices of people exchanging with one another. She was reluctant to go, but there was a slight chance that her sisters were also within the room. And so, she approached the opening in the vent, and overheard the people’s conversation.
“... The genetic structure is truly fascinating…”
“Yes, quite so…”
“Healthy body, strong muscle structure, enhanced natural healing… It’s as if humanity's strongest genes were gathered up in one body.”
“That's to be expected from ancient clones…”
“!!!” Lidia tensed up. What the two men were discussing was probably her sisters. She peeked her head, and identified the two men. One was wearing a white laboratory coat, while the other wore a green military uniform.
“I agree, but I still do not understand why they have white hair…” The man in green said, to which the other answered.
“Oh, maybe this ended up as a prerequisite for such genes to coexist within the same entity. I’m more interested in the black tinges, honestly.”
“Why, Doctor Michy?”
“Well, from what we can see here and there, the genetic code corresponding to those traits do not seem to match up well with the rest of the genetic code… In my professional opinion, they look more like impurities than anything else…” The man called Doctor Michy said as he pointed at his datapad.
“Still, despite that fact, those subjects seem relatively stable and lively. Truly fascinating…”
“What does all of this mean then?”
The man in a white lab coat did not answer, instead, he asked something to the other.
“Sir, I would like to ask for the subjects to be brought to my laboratory on Ionian Prime.”
“The reason?”
“I believe this characteristic of theirs could help us find out the secret behind the cloning method. And perhaps, with enough funds and a team picked up by myself, I might be able to create clones…”
“So you want more funds, huh? Well, that’s fine, you’re the best in this field after all.”
“That is not what I said, general.”
“Hmph, don’t try to fool me. Very well, I will contact the higher ups and notify them of this. Can I have a closer look at those clones before going though? I want to take a closer look for myself.” The man asked, to which he received a positive nod.
“Of course, general, the subjects are just behind that door”
They began to move to the next room. Meanwhile, Lidia continued through the vent until the next opening, which, fortunately, was the other room the two men were going in.
“!!!” Immediately after looking in, Lidia found her sisters. Both of them were attached to tables, and seemed unconscious.
“Hooo… I can see why you said they had the best genes, they would make beautiful ladies in the future. But I do hope they are not just pretty, Doctor Michy.” The general said as he came closer to Mia and Nia, inspecting them.
Lidia just wanted to jump in immediately, but knew it was not the time yet. She would first need to open the vent hatch without being noticed.
“Of course not, the genetic codes are proof of that. If we put them on the battlefield, I’m pretty sure they would instinctively know what to do.”
“Ngh…” Mia let out a pained grunt, and everybody’s attention was now on her.
“Oh, looks like one of them is still awake.”
“That’s surprising, to still be awake after receiving such a strong dose of tranquilisers and so much blood drain… This is why those clones are truly fascinating…"
“Why…” Mia said weakly.
“Hn? Looks like she’s saying something.”
“What is it, subject 1? What do you have to say?”
“Why are you… Doing this…?” She asked innocently, not understanding why those people had put her in such a situation. Both men seemed surprised for a moment at the question, before looking at each other, and exploding in laughter.
“Ha~, that’s one question I cannot answer, how about you tell her the reason you’re doing this, Doctor Michy?”
“Hahaha… Sure. You see, I’m a curious person, and I’m very curious about clones…”
“...Eh?” Mia seemed surprised at the man’s reason, who, seeing it, continued on with an eerie, almost mad smile.
“And since I’m being presented with such perfect subjects, of course I would do anything to satiate my curiosity! Ah, How can I hold back? I just want to dissect you and subject 2!”
“Don’t go too far, Doctor Michy. We still need those two alive to present to the higher ups if you want to receive your funds.” The general intervened, only caring about the outcome of all this.
Lidia could not tolerate it any further. She would kill those people before they hurt her sisters more! Fortunately, the man called Michy was standing just under the vent hatch and seemed distracted. It was the perfect time to act.
“I know, I know~, I was only joking around with the subjects~. Anyway, now it’s time to-”
*clank*
The hatch of the vent suddenly went down, and crashed directly on him, crushing him under the weight. In the momentum, Lidia jumped down too, landing on the now crushed man before immediately closing in to the other man.
“Wha-” He tried to react by reaching for his pistol, but before he could, Lidia reached him, and slashed at his throat, slicing it cleanly.
Silence reigned in as the man stared at Lidia in disbelief, his blood splashing over Lidia as he slowly lost consciousness. When he finally went limp on the ground, Lidia turned to look at her sisters.
“Mia, Nia, are you alright!?” She called out to them.
““Lidia!”” Both of them answered, seemingly happy to see her. While Mia had been scared, it seemed that Nia was just pretending to be unconscious, as she seemed fine to Lidia.
“Hold on, I’m gonna free you in a moment.” Lidia declared as she lit on her communication device.
“01, I found 09 and 10, proceeding with their liberation.” She said, and an answer came immediately after, to her relief.
“This is 01, well done 07, what is their state?”
“... 09 and 10 are conscious and lively, but weakened due to what they’ve been through. They should be able to move, though.”
“Good, if possible, could you destroy any unwanted information?”
“I’ll do that after further checking on both of them.”
Lidia had no intention of letting information about her family to unwanted persons… She’ll make sure to erase the data, permanently.
“Very well, be safe, 07, 01 over.”
“Fuuuu…” Lidia let out a long sigh as she calmed down. She was relieved, Mia and Nia were fine, and they would probably be able to leave without a hitch.
“L-Lidia, where’s mom? I’m scared…” Mia asked her sister, but Lidia did not know how to answer this question. How could she tell her sister that she and Licia had come alone to save them?
“...Let’s just focus on getting out of here for now… Eldest sister is waiting for us outside.” She said, redirecting her sister’s curiosity towards Licia.
“Eldest sister? Licia came?” Nia asked again for confirmation, they did not know if Ticia was there, but just knowing that their eldest sister was there calmed them, even though they did not have the best relationship with her. They even forgot the fact that Licia might have come because Mia had used a Null code, and what that would entail. But it was not like Licia was going to act on it anyway.
“Yes, she’s keeping guard outside. Do you know how to free yourself?” Lidia asked as she inspected the cuffs that detained her sisters.
“...No…” Mia weakly answered.
“What about you, Nia?”
“Search the man with the white coat, he has the keys.” Nia said to Lidia, which was exactly what she was looking for. But before she could go, Nia reminded her of something.
“More importantly than us, Lidia, destroy that computer! It has all the information on us!”
“...Got it.” Lidia knew what computer Nia was talking about, it was the big one in the corner of the room. If Nia insisted that much, that meant the data the man had collected on them was important.
She unlocked the computer, it had luckily no passwords, and then proceeded to search for the corresponding files. As she was doing this in silence, Mia suddenly apologized.
“Lidia… I’m sorry.”
“Now,’s not the time to apologize, Mia.” Lidia said, concentrating on deleting the files. She knew why Mia was apologizing, but first, they had to get to a safe place before excusing themselves.
“Done. I should destroy the PC too, just in case.” Lidia said as she took out her pistol.
“Whoa, whoa, if you do tha-” Nia tried to warn her about something, but before she could finish, Lidia had already shot the device.
*bzt bzt*
Sparks flew in the air as the computer died, and smoke came out. She had to fall back from it, as it was clear it would explode. It was when it was going to detonate that, at the very same time…
*psh-KABOOOM*
“Whoa!?”
The earth shook and a loud explosion was heard, it clearly did not come from the computer.
“Wh-what was that?!” Mia asked, beginning to panic.
“01, 01 do you hear me? Was it you?” Lidia asked, maybe her sister was the one responsible? But the answer she received was negative.
“No, it wasn’t me!”
The voice that came back was just as confused as Lidia.
“What’s happening outside?”
“I can hear gunfire and screams, it seems like the base is being invaded by another party! Join me fast, we need to get out of here!”
“Roger!”
“S-sister…” Mia and Nia looked at Lidia with anxiety.
“I know, I’ll free you now!”
Lidia immediately jumped into action, she reached the body of the crushed scientist, looking if she could find the keys, while this was happening, she received another communication which made her freeze.
“07, this is 01! My position has been compromised. I repeat, my position has been compromised!”
“What? Are you alright?!”
“I’ll manage, but you’re on your own from now on, you need to find a new exit while I distract them!”
“...Roger, 01, please stay safe and contact me once it’s over.”
Lidia did not receive an answer, which meant that Licia could not answer her right now.
“Wh-what’s happening, sister?” Mia asked, the worry was growing more and more, and could now be read clearly on her face.
“We’re getting short on time, that’s all.” Lidia said, making sure to not worry her sister more. But as she finally found the keys, gunshots and screams reverberated.
Oh no, they’ve entered the building! Lidia immediately stopped what she was doing, and looked over to the only door in the room, after peeking through it, she could see projectiles from a weapon she did not know fly around, with some laser beams coming the other way as a reply from time to time. Whatever it was, it was clear that the laboratory had been overwhelmed by the enemy, and that they would soon reach this room.
I got no time…
She looked at her sisters who were now visibly in a panicked state, and said to them.
“Stay silent, I’ll hide over there and protect you.”
““...Okay…””
Lidia hid under a desk, from which she could not be seen by anybody entering the room. She concentrated, erasing her presence like never before, trying to regulate her breathing and her heartbeats.
Soon after, the voices could be overheard from the other room.
“Room clear.”
“Room clear.”
“Continue advancing, I’ll check up on the next room myself.” A feminine voice said.
““Understood.”” the others seemed to agree, which made Lidia feel relieved, she would only have to deal with one person this time, and once she did, she'd quickly release her sisters and get out of here!
*slam*
The door was broken open with a kick, and a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes entered the room. Immediately after entering, she saw Mia and Nia.
“...What the hell…” She silently said as she got closer. She then found the body of the scientist and sighed.
“Another psychopath, huh? A gruesome death, but probably one he deserved for playing around with kids, as for the other dead one… I’ll need to ask the two of you about it…”
The woman now directly looked at Mia and Nia. “You two over there… I don’t want to harm you, can you tell me what happened?”
““...”” Both clone girls stayed silent. Mia was scared of the new arrival, while Nia seemed to not trust the woman.
“I’m not part of those people, I’m a Borkian officer, and we’re here to chase the people who hurt you…” the woman said, trying to sound reassuring, but to Lidia, who could only see the left side of the woman’s face, the scars the woman had on her face made her look anything but kind… And she was not the one who thought that strongly, rather, it was Mia, who seemed frightened.
Seeing that, the woman changed strategy, instead of closing in on the two clone girls, she asked them questions, making sure to affirm she was not part of the same group. And Lidia had to agree with that. The military uniform and the emblems on it did not correspond to the ones she had seen around the base.
“Were those people… doing bad things to you? Don’t worry, you won’t suffer anymore, I promise.”
She said, and it was at this moment that Lidia chose to strike. She made eye contact with Nia, who immediately understood her sister’s intention.
“...You promise?” Nia asked, trying to keep the woman’s attention on her.
“!!!” The woman froze when she heard Nia’s voice, but quickly got back on her tracks. “Y-yes, so will you tell me what happened here if I free you?”
“...Alright…” Nia agreed, meanwhile, Lidia had slowly but surely sneaked behind the woman, a knife in both hands.
“Good, first, what are you-!!!!” She striked, but somehow, the woman reacted at the last moment and dodged the blow.
The woman immediately faced Lidia, pointing her gun’s muzzle at her, but when she met eyes with Lidia, her eyes grew big from surprise.
“Another one?” She mumbled, but Lidia did not stay put, rushing to kill the woman by slashing at her vitals. Despite that, the woman continued to avoid the blows.
“Hey, calm down, I don’t want to hurt you!” She said, trying to talk to Lidia, but the latter did not see it like that.
Trying to bluff huh? That won’t work on me! She immediately assaulted the woman again.
“...I recognise some of those moves… Who taught you that, girl?” The woman asked, but Lidia was not listening. The woman could only sigh.
“... You leave me no choice then. Sorry, but it’ll hurt a bit.”
The woman immediately disappeared from Lidia’s sight.
“Wha-” Lidia was surprised, this move was very similar to her mother’s one she wanted to learn…
Now the woman stood behind her, and she immediately tried to dodge, but the woman grabbed her arms, and placated her to the ground, sitting on top of her legs.
“Gah!”
““Lidia!”” Both Mia and Nia called out as they saw their sister struggle.
“Phew, sorry about that.” The woman said, apologizing again for some reason. She began tying up Lidia with a wire that was lying nearby, rendering the girl unable to move.
“Release out sister!” Nia yelled at the woman in desperation.
“...Sorry kids, I really didn’t want to come to this, but she left me no choice…” The woman said as she got closer to Nia and Mia.
“No! Don’t come closer to them!” Lidia cried out in desperation. She did not want her sisters to be captured again!
“It’s alright, I won’t hurt them.” The woman said as she took out a pair of keys. Lidia now realized that it was the keys for the cuffs she had on her!
The woman proceeded to free Mia and Nia, who both staggered from their current state of fatigue, before going near Lidia.
Now facing Lidia, the woman exclaimed with a smile that was clearly forced. “See, I freed your sisters!”
“...” Lidia did not answer, still giving a death glare to the person, which made her comment.
“Poor girls, what happened to all of you to become so untrusting… Well, at least you’re not attacking anymore... Now, what should I do…”
The woman seemed to think as she looked at Lidia and her sisters, and after a moment, she spoke out.
“Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll take care of you for now.”
““Eh?”” All clone girls reacted like that. What was this woman trying to say by that? They looked at her with uncertainty as the woman nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll say this, but you girls got lucky I was the one who found you. If it were anybody else, it could have ended badly.”
““...””
“Oh well, in truth, I still have a lot of questions for the three of you, but let’s take our time and get to build trust between each other, alright?”
“...Why should we believe you?” Lidia asked defiantly, still not trusting the woman.
“Because you don’t really have a better choice ‘Lidia’.” The woman said, using Lidia’s name, before continuing on. “I have the authority to do so without problems. Besides… you all remind me of someone I know. Most particularly you, you have the same killing intent as her. So? What will it be, girls?” The woman asked, and the clone girls looked at each other.
“...” Lidia did not know what to do. But going with the woman seemed like the safest choice they had, just like she had said. She looked at her sisters, and it seemed they had reached the same conclusion.
“...Got it, we’ll go with you…”
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there, I'm back with another chapter! And... very tired...
Sorry about being late and not anoucing the delay, but it was work related, so I couldn't do anything about it...
Anyway! Another chapter written that I had a hard time writing, but not for the same reasons. In this one, I just wondered if Nicia's part should really be there or not, but I kept it there in the end. Well, this one is longer than my regular chapters too...
Writing aside, what is happening? hat is this ECG plan? Nicia, what have you done?
Lidia is doing her best, but problems keep coming their way, fortunately(?) they met somebody friendly, right?
That's it from me for today! I would normally rant more but... I'm just too tired, so yeah, I guess I'll see you all in the next chapter!
