Lunchtime. The Null CGs were all seated around the same table in one of the cafeterias nearby. All had various expressions on their faces as they ate within the hubbub of the place.
““...I’m dead…”” Both Willia and Nia let out at the same time, looking as if their soul would leave their body. For the whole morning, Rika had continued her lesson on discipline, and it had tired the two girls’ minds. Of course, Ticia was also present during all the lesson.
“Hang in there, sisters, we still have this afternoon’s lesson after that.” Mia said with a smile, but her comment did not help, it only made both girls let out pained groans as both of them had a hard time staying put on a chair.
“In the first place, I don’t get the meaning of that lesson…” Willia ended up commenting as she put the food into her mouth. Today’s menu was delicious, and it helped in raising her mood a bit at least.
“Also, did she have to do all of this to mother? It's as if she wanted to publicly shame her!” Nillia added, with a bit of spite.
“I don’t think she went too far. I think she’s right about discipline." Ria said, frowning at her sisters. "If all the soldiers under your command do not show you respect while at work, it can severely affect the unit in battle. If you take into consideration all those facts, then mother did indeed break the hierarchy many times, and it’s not like the punishments she got were that severe. Also, mother did not resist, meaning that she was actually okay with it.”
““...”” All her sisters stared at her with dumbfounded looks.
“W-what?”
“No, I just never thought you would be the one defending her out of all of us, Ria.” Licia said, still amazed.
“Don’t get me wrong.” Ria immediately responded with a serious face and strict tone. “I don’t like her, but I recognise her skills as a commander.”
That would explain to her sisters why she had been taking notes so religiously during the class, but it still made them uneasy…
“More than that, Licia, why is SHE here?” Ria redirected the conversation in another direction, looking with a frown at the thirteenth person who sat on Licia’s right: Evelyn.
She had been dragged to this table by Licia without even being able to refuse.
“Evelyn? That’s because I want to eat with her!” Licia immediately declared, hugging Evelyn protectively for some reason.
“...Licia, we don’t know who she is.” Ria said after a sigh. “You’re only endangering all of us.”
“It’s ok, it’s ok! Evelyn’s trustworthy!” Licia said back with confidence, which only made her sister raise her eyebrow even more.
“How do you know that?”
“No idea!” Licia replied with a full, innocent smile.
"..." The Null CGs were left dumbfounded by this answer, which came from their reliable oldest sister no less…
“Second sister, it’s ok! She’s definitely not a bad person.” Ticinia declared her support, giving a thumbs up toward Ria.
“Ticinia, are you sure?” Ria asked to confirm, and the cute twintail nodded.
“Yup, yup! Besides, it's sparkling everywhere around them when eldest sister is talking to her!”
““Sparkling?””
It was when Ticinia said stuff like this that her sisters were reminded that she sometimes did not see the world the same way they all did…
“By the way, Ticinia, are you sure you’re ok?” Nicia asked, concerned about that point. They were, after all, in a place filled with people, and she could feel some gazes on her.
“Perfectly fine, and all thanks to our sisters! I’ll give them lots of hugs as thanks!” Ticinia said, giggling. The ECGs had stood like a wall around their table, making sure nobody would interrupt the Null CGs during their meal, and limiting people’s vision on them. They were not ordered to do this, so this was of their own initiative, something the Null CGs were thankful for.
Still, Ria was not letting her guard down, she looked at Evelyn with suspicion.
“...You, how did you meet eldest sister?” She asked.
“Oh, it was at the party on that day, actually.” Licia answered casually.
“I asked her, not you, Licia.” Her sister said back, irritation growing in her voice. Still, Licia seemed unaffected, unlike Evelyn who was feeling awkward and out of place.
“Whatever, you’ll get the same answer anyway. I just helped her against a-mgouf!?” Evelyn immediately put her hand over Licia's mouth before she could finish.
“S-she helped me during that party when I had a little problem, that’s all!” She uttered quickly.
Ria stared at her with a suspicious look, making Evelyn more uneasy. For some reason, the thoroughness of the little girl made her nearly think she was meeting her love partner's family for the first time, which she was not. She still did not understand why Licia was so attached to her in the first place.
In the end, Ria sighed, giving up.
“...I feel like there is something else, but fine.” She got back to eating her salad.
Evelyn finally relaxed, removing her hand from the struggling Licia's mouth. The girl immediately looked at her with a cute pouting look.
“Why did you block my mouth?”
“S-sorry, but could you please keep for yourself the events of that day? I don’t like people knowing about it.” Evelyn whispered back, not wanting the subject to go out of hands while Ria was still looking at her with a distrusting look.
“...Okay.” Licia nodded obediently.
“I think she’s good too! She helped me find the classroom!” Willia said between two mouthfuls of her meal.
“Haaa… I knew it, and you made me believe you had a brain for a moment…” Nicia sighed, exasperated.
“Hah? That’s mean, Nicia.” Willia pouted.
“But the truth.” Lidia, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly said this, making Willia look at her with a look of utter shock.
“You too Lidia!?”
Evelyn looked at the Null CGs as they began to argue and bicker with one another, having totally forgotten about her now.
She had a hard time believing what she was seeing. Clones were believed to be expressionless killing machines. Brainwashed people from birth who were loyal only to their owner, who would obey any order without even a flinch. Or at least that was the legends she heard.
And yet, ever since she had met those clone girls, those thoughts were destroyed. The clones she had in front of her were as lively as any regular human kids, if not more. Even the adult clones called ECGs showed some hints of emotions, from those she had met.
That was why she could not help but utter to herself.
“...Are all clones like this?”
“Fueh?”
“Eh?” She turned on her right, now remembering that there was another clone there, one with low twintails, and it would seem she had heard her from her surprised look. “S-sorry, uhm, I didn’t want to speak out loud. I didn’t mean anything bad…”
“Uhm, it’s ok, I think I get what you mean, hehe.” The little clone girl ended up saying with some shyness, before giggling. “And no, not all clones are like this. The only reason all of us are so expressive is thanks to our mother.” A smile of affection appeared on her face as she then looked at her sisters. “My sisters are very lively, right?”
“...Yes, they are.” Evelyn said after gazing at the scene right next to her, and a wry smile appeared on her face.
“Uhm, can I ask something?” The clone girl asked Evelyn, holding her right sleeve with an unsure look.
“Yes, what is it?” Evelyn could only smile reassuringly at the girl.
“C-can you be I, Null CG-12 Vinia, my very first friend?” Vinia asked after gathering her courage, looking at Evelyn with watery eyes that dreaded the answer Evelyn would give.
There was only one answer Evelyn could give after seeing such a face.
“Of course.” She said with a smile, and Vinia's expression immediately beamed.
“Yay!” She celebrated to herself cutely, giggling at her success.
“Ah! How sneaky, Vinia!” Licia, who had heard the last part in between the back and forth she had with Ria, immediately turned to look at her youngest sister. “I didn’t ask her yet!”
“You mean you just dragged her along all this time!?” Ria exclaimed from the side with disbelief, with Evelyn nodding in awkwardness.
“Sorry, eldest sister, I didn’t mean to-” Vinia immediately tried to excuse herself as if she did something wrong, but Licia said with a big smile.
“It’s ok Vinia! If she’s your friend then she’s my friend too now!” She then inflated her cheeks a bit, pouting. “I just feel a bit jealous for some reason…”
“Licia, you-” Having come to a realization, Ria looked at her sister as if she was witnessing something impossible. But before she could say anything, she was interrupted by something else.
“Hehe.” Evelyn suddenly laughed out loud, her laugh becoming uncontrollable. When she began to calm down, all the Null CGs were all giving her questioning looks.
“What's so funny?” Ria asked for all of them, but with some irritation in her voice.
“Nothing.” Evelyn shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “I just thought about how your actions resembled that of normal kids.”
“Of course! What else did you think we were?” Nicia commented, stating it as if it was obvious.
“Yeah… Sorry, it was my fault.” Evelyn apologized. That was what she got for making her own image of the clones without getting to know them.
“It’s not just you, Evelyn.”
““Eh?””
A voice said beside her, surprising everyone as they focused on the source of the voice. Three people, one girl and two boys, had approached their table, wry smiles on their faces.
“Who are you, and how did you get here?” Nillia jumped in front of everybody, glaring at the new arrivants with a wary look. “Our sisters are-”
“They let us through.”
“Wha-!?” The ponytailed clone was left dumbfounded by this answer. The little sisters who they thought were protecting them actually did not!? When they looked over at the ECGs, they just ignored them as if none of this was their business, which made Willia mutter ‘deja vu’ as a result.
“You guys, what are you doing here?” Evelyn asked the group, which she knew of course, since they were her classmates.
“You thought you could get all the cuties for yourself Eve? How mean of you.” The only girl of the three said with a hurt look.
“I didn’t mean to-”
“How did you get to know them before us anyway?” She asked before Evelyn could even answer, already passing to something else.
“Uhm-”
“Hey!” A red face from shame, Nillia called out loud, unable to endure the fact that her question was half answered. “Who are you guys, and why did you all invite yourselves at our table!?”
“Oh, right, we didn't present ourselves.” The boy with glasses said, readjusting them on his nose.
“But that’s a no go, little cutie, how could you not recognise the people who went through the same hellish lesson as you…” The girl said, shaking her head with a disappointed look.
“Ah!” Nicia got up with surprise on her face and pointed at the girl. “She’s the person who asked all those weird questions about hugging us!”
“Correct!” Unperturbed by the way Nicia phrased it, the girl smiled in delight, before making a little bow. “Pleased to meet you, I’m Bianca Renard, heiress of the Renard food industries and holy defender of cuteness.” She then made a serious face. “Now, I must ask, can I hug you?”
““No!”” Every clone girl instantly said, even Ticinia.
“Instant rejection!?” As if she had taken a fatal hit, Bianca fell on her knees, a shocked expression on her face. Seemingly used to her antics, her companions decided to ignore her and present themselves.
“I’m Isaac Guiffart, son of a low ranking officer.” The handsome boy said, saluting in an easygoing way.
“As for me, I’m Zorion Alvis, just the son of your average civil official parents.” The boy with glasses said, readjusting them on his nose.
“Now that we've presented ourselves, it's your turn, right?” Bianca immediately added with a smile, having already recovered. The clone girls looked at each other with unsure looks, should they present themselves to those strangers? They seemed like a weird bunch, especially the girl… But then again, they were their classmates now. Even if some of them were not keen on trusting regular humans, they could at least tell them their name, so as not to get confused later on.
“I'm Lidia, the eldest, or number one if you prefer. I'm Evelyn's friend.” Keeping her calm, and playing her role as the eldest, Licia presented herself first. “I am looking forward to this year of class with you all.”
“Null CG-02 Ria, the second sister.” Ria said shortly after they looked at her, immediately going back to eating.
“I'm Willia, and I'm number three! I like to spar and exercise!” Willia said energetically, which was a contrast to the short and polite answer, but with a light warning in it, that Nillia gave after her.
“Greetings, I am Null CG-04, and I will protect my sisters from any harm.”
Nobody commented on it, and the presentations continued. All the Null CGs presented themselves in orders following that, with various greetings. Their presentations had some light reactions, but nothing too much.
“05, Miria.”
“06, Tiria.”
“Anybody told the two of you that you act like twins?”
““We know.””
“O-oh.”
“I’m Null CG-07 Lidia, let’s get along.”
“Yes, let’s all work together until our graduation!”
“I am Null CG-08 Nicia, I want to become a medic.”
“A medic huh? That’s sweet, I heard there’s a lack of them on the front.”
“I’m Mia, the ninth, I’m a bit shy, but nice to meet you all.”
“T-that one is quite cute too. Mwehehe, shy girls are the best-”
“I like experiments and dissecting things.”
“N-nevermind, she’s scary, but yet so cute at the same time!”
“Which one is it, Bianca…”
“I’m Nia! And you can already guess my number since it’s the same as a perfect score!”
“Ten is only half of the points in our notation system though?”
“For real!? Nooooo~! My perfect score…”
"You never had one to begin with…"
"So mean! But also true!"
“I'm Ticinia! Eleventh! I love hugs!” Ticinia declared with a cute smile that melted the hearts of everybody who saw it.
“You do!? Th-then…” Bianca began, but was cut short again.
““No!”” Ticinia and her sisters denied again, with Miria and Tiria going as far as hugging protectively their sister. Meanwhile, Bianca was left defeated again, but with a new determination in her eyes.
“Ugh… Mark my words, I won’t give up until I hug each and everyone of you all!”
““Not gonna happen.””
“Uhm, I'm Vinia, the youngest. Please take care of me!” Mia presented herself before the chaos progressed further, and the small group, including Evelyn, stared at her.
““C-cute…”” Some of them ended up muttering.
“Fueh?”
“Right, right? Vinia is cute, she and Ticinia are the cutests!” Licia bragged as if it was her own exploit.
“Umu, I agree.” Bianca nodded, a serious look on her face that disgusted the others.
“Nobody asked you, Bianca, also, you sound like an old man, it’s disgusting.” Zorion sighed.
“...You’re telling me this is ‘the best’ of this academy?” Ria muttered, a frown on her face. At first she had ignored the group, but then had begun to study their attitude. She could not believe those people were considered the best of the academy.
“‘Best’, you say… Actually, nobody except the teachers thinks of us like that.” Having heard her mutter, Isaac said this with an awkward smile.
““Eh?””
“It’s one of the academy’s weird new policies, actually.” Zorion continued. “It's not uncommon for them to make something new and unexpected like that. Last year, they gathered all of us and told everyone we were ‘the best of the batch’. In reality though, it’s a bit more complicated…”
“Certainly, we are all quite capable, but I wouldn’t call us ‘the best’ there is.” Bianca said next. “Besides, apart from Eve, Irvin, and that idiot Steve, none of us have any big influence, which is contrary to the academy’s policy of ‘heterogeneous classes’. Just what the academy’s board had in mind when they made this decision…”
It was indeed weird not just for them, but the whole academy. More than ‘being the best’, they were considered as a bunch of outcasts by the majority of the students, which caused the class to stick to one another for support most of the time, whether they wanted it or not.
“Well, I don't think we'll ever see Steve's annoying face again, but Eve’s the real deal when it comes to talent and influence.” Isaac said, pointing towards Evelyn with a smile.
“Right?” Bianca smiled too. “Must be hard to be the heiress apparent to a faction, and the Pellian one at that.”
“Stop it, you two, my position isn’t that good and you both know that.” Evelyn said, a bit exasperated. She did not like it when people talked about her as a ‘faction heiress’ when the Pellian themselves were as divided as the Borkians on the inside… “Where are Irvin and the others anyway?” She asked, changing the subject.
“At our usual hangout place.” Zorion answered. “We talked with each other and they decided to send us as a small group to be less intimidating to our new classmates.”
Evelyn nodded in agreement with Zorion’s words, believing this was the best move, seeing how the little clones were.
Before anybody knew it, the three students sat at the table with their own meal, despite some clone girls feeling somewhat wary. They chatted about some things together, the students being curious about the clone girls, and some of the clone girls also curious about some things.
“So what's your goal exactly?” Ria suddenly asked, interrupting the chatter. “‘Own’ us?”
“...Own?” Evelyn tilted her head, not understanding.
“Nono, that's not gonna happen. Not anymore at least.” Isaac said back in a bittersweet look. “As soon as we saw how human you all were during class, those of us who thought like that immediately changed their minds.”
“That, and the Unkillable Valkyrie's request to treat you all normally.” Bianca added. “I still can't believe she's become our teacher.”
“A hellish one at that…” Isaac sighed, and the clone girls agreed for once. Rika’s teaching methods were somewhat unique…
“Still friendly enough though, and that's enough for me.” Zorion remarqued, readjusting his glasses again, which made the clone girls wonder why he was wearing such things if he had to do this every minute.
“Uhm, is Ri- I mean, is teacher really that popular?” Vinia asked curiously, nearly calling Rika by her name instead. They had only seen glimpses of Rika when the latter was working seriously, and since her atmosphere was always casual around them or their mother, they had a hard time believing in this popularity.
“Popular?” Isaac raised an eyebrow. “That's an understatement. She's the idol of all the female students of the academy, and much more.”
“How can she not? She's the youngest brigadier-general the Borkian Confederation ever had who climbed ranks with only her achievements and nothing else!” Bianca said, passion in her voice. “She's a role model not only for those who think of themselves as neutrals but also for ambitious people like me!”
““Eh?”” The Null CGs were once again surprised, was the Rika they knew really the same one people idolized here?
“But everybody was surprised when she decided to create her own faction.” Zorion added, before looking at Evelyn. “Hey, Eve, you were at the party on that day with Steve as fiances, right?”
“Y-yeah, I was…” Evelyn was startled, not expecting the conversation to go her way. She immediately corrected something that bothered her. “By the way, I'm not engaged to Steve anymore.”
“"Really? Tha-”
“That's great!” Licia exclaimed, cutting Bianca as she was saying something. “He was so mean that day!”
““Eh?”” Various people around the table reacted to her words.
“Licia, right?” Bianca said with a serious face. “Could you tell us more?”
“Nope! Evelyn made me promise to keep it a secret!” Licia said with a big smile, which made the three stare at Evelyn with questioning looks.
“A-anyway, about the party.” Evelyn quickly brought the subject back on its track, her comrades staring at her with some worry, but understanding she did not want to talk about it. “I did meet her that day, and a lot of other clones too…”
“Even the one who was with her this morning? The clone mother?” Bianca asked curiously. Ticia was the only adult clone who showed many expressions after all, and she was everywhere Rika went.
“Yes.” Evelyn confirmed, the image of Ticia at the party contrasting with what she’d seen this morning.
“Really… That's kind of interesting… Why does she call herself like this anyway?” Bianca continued, a thoughtful expression on her face. “She seems way too young to be a mother after all.”
“Of course, it's because mom is mom. Why else?” Ticinia tilted her head cutely, the other clone girls nodding their heads in agreement as the three regular humans looked at them with incredulous looks.
“...Don't take the image you've seen this morning to make her personality. She was very serious at the party, as well as loyal.” Evelyn said with a wry smile, and Licia nodded in support.
“...Right, she was like that during the military parade too.” Isaac said after a while, also letting out a wry smile.
“Well, I can understand why she would be so loyal if such punishments were at the end of the line…” Bianca shivered a bit, imagining herself taking the said punishments.
“Mom doesn't seem to care though…” Ticinia added.
““...”” This left everyone silent for a moment.
“T-Ticinia, dear little sister.” Nicia sweated a bit as she looked at Ticinia with a strained smile. “Please tell me you saw nothing ‘strange’ at that time…”
“Mh? No, there wasn’t?” Ticinia shook her head after thinking about it for a bit. “I mean, it wasn’t the usual good feeling, but it was still positive.”
““...”” The Null CGs stayed quiet. Should they worry about the direction their mother seemed to be going in?
“So? How about we all become friends?” Isaac said, breaking the strange mood that had surfaced. “I get that some of you are weary of us, but as a reminder, we’re all outcasts here, so even if we did something, we’ll be easy to deal with.”
“That’s not very reassuring for us…” Nillia commented.
“Ticinia.”
“Yes, eldest sister?”
As the clone girls were pondering on what to do, Licia asked her sister with a serious face.
“What do you think?”
“Mmmmh…” Ticinia stared at the three new arrivals with a serious look for a moment, making them wonder what the cute twintail was doing.
““???””
“Yup! All good! There’s no greed, only earnestness!” She said, making a thumbs up.
“Good.” Licia nodded, coming to a decision. “Then we all agree.” She declared in the name of all her sisters.
“Hmph, only because mom said we needed to make friends.” Ria added, puffing out her cheeks.
“Thank you!” Bianca said with a smile. “And now that we’re friends… Surprise attack!” She jumped onto the nearest clone girl to her, which was Lidia.
“To!” With her reflexes, the clone girl avoided Bianca’s arms, meaning that the arms were now on the course to the next capture target: Nillia.
“Wha-!?” Nuillia was immediately caught in Bianca’s embrace. “Wh-what are you doing!? Release me!” She yelled with a glare at Bianca, while struggling to become free, but Bianca was surprisingly stronger than her.
“Fweheheh, nope! You’re mine! I’ll hug you until the end of the year!” Bianca declared as she rubbed her cheek against Nillia’s, the latter looking utterly disgusted and flustered.
“Nillia.”
“We’ll help you.”
““‘Begin operation ‘knight in distress’”” Both Miria and Tiria got up and declared.
“Their synchronization awes me…” Isaac muttered from the side.
The twins acted quickly, but Bianca acted just as quick.
““!?!””
Before they knew it, Miria and Tiria had joined their sister in Bianca’s embrace, and were now struggling to get out.
“Got them! Now I got three plushies!” Bianca said with a look of utter bliss.
“Mission failed.”
“Sisters, help.”
The twins said as they looked with pleading looks at their sisters, but they did not act, scared to end up just like their sisters…
“Fufu, nobody’s gonna help you!” Biannca declared, fueled up by the twin’s words.
“Kuh! Kill me already!” Nillia said with a glare, resignation in her eyes.
“...Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve become one of those goblins that’s about to do something horrible to the female knight from those fantasy novels?” Bianca asked herself out loud.
“Maybe that’s what you are deep inside…” Isaac commented.
“Hah?” He only got a deathly glare from Bianca, which was enough for him to back down and look towards Evelyn.
“Eve, please do something…”
“I get it…” Evelyn said with a sigh. She had a feeling things might turn like this at some point. She got up, went behind Bianca, and hand chopped the back of her head. “Stop it already, Bianca.”
“Gufu!”
“We’re free!” Nillia declared as she distanced herself, relief on her face.
““Run away!”” The twins declared, and like scared little kitties fleeing danger, they and Nillia escaped the room as fast as possible, going back to the classroom.
“That should calm her for now…” Evelyn said, releasing another sigh, now three of the clone girls had run away because of Bianca’s actions. she guessed those three would be wary of them for a while longer after this…
“Evelyn… So cool!” She then heard somebody mutter.
“Eh?” When she turned, she saw not only Licia but also Vinia with stars in their eyes. What had caused such a reaction?!
“Hehehe.” Licia immediately clinged to her while giggling, leaving her unsure about what to do next.
“I’m so jealous of you right now, Evelyn.” Bianca commented with an envious look, having already recovered.
“Oh shut up.” Evelyn let out with a tired sigh, before looking at the little girl who was hugging her without a care in the world. “Say, Licia.”
“Mh?” Licia cutely raised her head to fix gaze with Evelyn.
“Is there anything I can do for you and ECG-046? I want to thank you for what happened at the party.” Evelyn finally asked what she had wanted to since the beginning.
“Mmmmh…” Licia seemed thoughtful for a moment, before smiling. “I’ll ask 046, but for me, I think I already know what I want!”
“Really? Say anything, I’ll be sure to make it happen.” Evelyn immediately said back, which made Licia’s smile deepen.
“Okay then! This Saturday, come take a stroll with me around town!” She declared.
“Eh?” Evelyn was surprised, she expected something more than just that. Why would Licia want to go around town with her anyway? Seeing the little girl’s expectant look, she smiled wryly. “Uhm, okay, if that’s what makes you happy?”
“Yay!” Licia jumped in the air, making a victory pose.
“Agh! I’m so jealous you get to go on a date with such a cute little girl!” Bianca commented again, becoming even more envious. “Should I follow behind you guys?”
“Should I call the police?” Evelyn replied with a false smile.
“No, don’t do that. I was only joking.” Bianca said back, sweat on her back, which made Zorion, Isaac, and some of the Null CGs laugh.
The clone girls were unsure of what would happen next, but at least for now, it seemed like they would not have to be wary of their classmates… probably.
***
“Oh dear…”
“Oh dear indeed…”
Both Ticia and Rika commented, looking at the same screen within the room that had become Rika’s new office. The screen had a window open, in which a mail was displayed for both of them to read.
| Code Red Order: |
That was the name of the private mail Rika received, and it was official, looking at the people who signed the mail.
“I knew this would come, but I didn’t expect it would so soon…” Ticia sighed.
“Same.” Rika nodded in agreement. “But I guess it’s to be expected after you baited them like that.”
“Yeah, they want a return on their investment, that’s understandable.” Ticia said. Of course, she was talking about all the good favors she got until now, whether it is from this new faction, or the Borkians overall.
“I’m gonna miss the girls…” She said sadly, and sighed again.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.” Rika said back with confidence.
“Yeah, I know I can trust you.” Ticia said back with a small smile, before fiddling with her watch terminal.
“I just sent you a file, there’s some personal info on each of my girls and some instructions on how to treat some of them. I want you to read those and pay extreme attention to them, no matter what. You must follow those instructions, it’s important for their growth.” She said seriously. “Also, I’ll leave around twenty ECGs behind, take care of them for me.”
“I understand Ticia, I’ll do that.” Rika replied with the same amount of seriousness. “So? Is their information correct at least?”
“It is.” Ticia nodded, before fiddling with har watch again, and a new window appeared on Rika's computer. This time it was a map of the galaxy with red and green dots.
Ticia zoomed on one system in particular, which was the location of her mission. Its name was Nolam, and on the third planet of the system, there was a green dot.
“Clone Installation 26, from A-4’s database, it’s one of the Clone Installations that’s still emitting a signal.” She commented.
“Then it won’t be a waste of a time.” Rika added, analyzing and comparing the details of the system, available information left behind by A-4, and the mission’s orders. They matched not on all points but on most of them.
“Yeah.” Ticia nodded, crossing her arms, before smiling fearlessly. “Nolam 3’s Clone installation, here I come.”
Chauchat
Author's monologue;
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter!
So, our girls made some friends? Finally!
Well, not all seem to be happy about it, but hey, it's a begining at least, the clone girls need to open their hearts.
And it seems like Ticia got a new job to do, I wonder what's inside this clone installation? also, what are the goals of the Borkians?
Little interlude here, last week's weather was terribly hot, it left me in a state where I didn't have any streght to do anything! Heat waves are scary, and such temperatures are very uncomon where I live. Fortunately the weather cooled down now, perhaps a bit quicker than I expected but hey, can't complain about that.
I don't know how it was for all of you, but I do hope you're all doing ok!
Well, that's it for me for today! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
Lunchtime. The Null CGs were all seated around the same table in one of the cafeterias nearby. All had various expressions on their faces as they ate within the hubbub of the place.
““...I’m dead…”” Both Willia and Nia let out at the same time, looking as if their soul would leave their body. For the whole morning, Rika had continued her lesson on discipline, and it had tired the two girls’ minds. Of course, Ticia was also present during all the lesson.
“Hang in there, sisters, we still have this afternoon’s lesson after that.” Mia said with a smile, but her comment did not help, it only made both girls let out pained groans as both of them had a hard time staying put on a chair.
“In the first place, I don’t get the meaning of that lesson…” Willia ended up commenting as she put the food into her mouth. Today’s menu was delicious, and it helped in raising her mood a bit at least.
“Also, did she have to do all of this to mother? It's as if she wanted to publicly shame her!” Nillia added, with a bit of spite.
“I don’t think she went too far. I think she’s right about discipline." Ria said, frowning at her sisters. "If all the soldiers under your command do not show you respect while at work, it can severely affect the unit in battle. If you take into consideration all those facts, then mother did indeed break the hierarchy many times, and it’s not like the punishments she got were that severe. Also, mother did not resist, meaning that she was actually okay with it.”
““...”” All her sisters stared at her with dumbfounded looks.
“W-what?”
“No, I just never thought you would be the one defending her out of all of us, Ria.” Licia said, still amazed.
“Don’t get me wrong.” Ria immediately responded with a serious face and strict tone. “I don’t like her, but I recognise her skills as a commander.”
That would explain to her sisters why she had been taking notes so religiously during the class, but it still made them uneasy…
“More than that, Licia, why is SHE here?” Ria redirected the conversation in another direction, looking with a frown at the thirteenth person who sat on Licia’s right: Evelyn.
She had been dragged to this table by Licia without even being able to refuse.
“Evelyn? That’s because I want to eat with her!” Licia immediately declared, hugging Evelyn protectively for some reason.
“...Licia, we don’t know who she is.” Ria said after a sigh. “You’re only endangering all of us.”
“It’s ok, it’s ok! Evelyn’s trustworthy!” Licia said back with confidence, which only made her sister raise her eyebrow even more.
“How do you know that?”
“No idea!” Licia replied with a full, innocent smile.
"..." The Null CGs were left dumbfounded by this answer, which came from their reliable oldest sister no less…
“Second sister, it’s ok! She’s definitely not a bad person.” Ticinia declared her support, giving a thumbs up toward Ria.
“Ticinia, are you sure?” Ria asked to confirm, and the cute twintail nodded.
“Yup, yup! Besides, it's sparkling everywhere around them when eldest sister is talking to her!”
““Sparkling?””
It was when Ticinia said stuff like this that her sisters were reminded that she sometimes did not see the world the same way they all did…
“By the way, Ticinia, are you sure you’re ok?” Nicia asked, concerned about that point. They were, after all, in a place filled with people, and she could feel some gazes on her.
“Perfectly fine, and all thanks to our sisters! I’ll give them lots of hugs as thanks!” Ticinia said, giggling. The ECGs had stood like a wall around their table, making sure nobody would interrupt the Null CGs during their meal, and limiting people’s vision on them. They were not ordered to do this, so this was of their own initiative, something the Null CGs were thankful for.
Still, Ria was not letting her guard down, she looked at Evelyn with suspicion.
“...You, how did you meet eldest sister?” She asked.
“Oh, it was at the party on that day, actually.” Licia answered casually.
“I asked her, not you, Licia.” Her sister said back, irritation growing in her voice. Still, Licia seemed unaffected, unlike Evelyn who was feeling awkward and out of place.
“Whatever, you’ll get the same answer anyway. I just helped her against a-mgouf!?” Evelyn immediately put her hand over Licia's mouth before she could finish.
“S-she helped me during that party when I had a little problem, that’s all!” She uttered quickly.
Ria stared at her with a suspicious look, making Evelyn more uneasy. For some reason, the thoroughness of the little girl made her nearly think she was meeting her love partner's family for the first time, which she was not. She still did not understand why Licia was so attached to her in the first place.
In the end, Ria sighed, giving up.
“...I feel like there is something else, but fine.” She got back to eating her salad.
Evelyn finally relaxed, removing her hand from the struggling Licia's mouth. The girl immediately looked at her with a cute pouting look.
“Why did you block my mouth?”
“S-sorry, but could you please keep for yourself the events of that day? I don’t like people knowing about it.” Evelyn whispered back, not wanting the subject to go out of hands while Ria was still looking at her with a distrusting look.
“...Okay.” Licia nodded obediently.
“I think she’s good too! She helped me find the classroom!” Willia said between two mouthfuls of her meal.
“Haaa… I knew it, and you made me believe you had a brain for a moment…” Nicia sighed, exasperated.
“Hah? That’s mean, Nicia.” Willia pouted.
“But the truth.” Lidia, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly said this, making Willia look at her with a look of utter shock.
“You too Lidia!?”
Evelyn looked at the Null CGs as they began to argue and bicker with one another, having totally forgotten about her now.
She had a hard time believing what she was seeing. Clones were believed to be expressionless killing machines. Brainwashed people from birth who were loyal only to their owner, who would obey any order without even a flinch. Or at least that was the legends she heard.
And yet, ever since she had met those clone girls, those thoughts were destroyed. The clones she had in front of her were as lively as any regular human kids, if not more. Even the adult clones called ECGs showed some hints of emotions, from those she had met.
That was why she could not help but utter to herself.
“...Are all clones like this?”
“Fueh?”
“Eh?” She turned on her right, now remembering that there was another clone there, one with low twintails, and it would seem she had heard her from her surprised look. “S-sorry, uhm, I didn’t want to speak out loud. I didn’t mean anything bad…”
“Uhm, it’s ok, I think I get what you mean, hehe.” The little clone girl ended up saying with some shyness, before giggling. “And no, not all clones are like this. The only reason all of us are so expressive is thanks to our mother.” A smile of affection appeared on her face as she then looked at her sisters. “My sisters are very lively, right?”
“...Yes, they are.” Evelyn said after gazing at the scene right next to her, and a wry smile appeared on her face.
“Uhm, can I ask something?” The clone girl asked Evelyn, holding her right sleeve with an unsure look.
“Yes, what is it?” Evelyn could only smile reassuringly at the girl.
“C-can you be I, Null CG-12 Vinia, my very first friend?” Vinia asked after gathering her courage, looking at Evelyn with watery eyes that dreaded the answer Evelyn would give.
There was only one answer Evelyn could give after seeing such a face.
“Of course.” She said with a smile, and Vinia's expression immediately beamed.
“Yay!” She celebrated to herself cutely, giggling at her success.
“Ah! How sneaky, Vinia!” Licia, who had heard the last part in between the back and forth she had with Ria, immediately turned to look at her youngest sister. “I didn’t ask her yet!”
“You mean you just dragged her along all this time!?” Ria exclaimed from the side with disbelief, with Evelyn nodding in awkwardness.
“Sorry, eldest sister, I didn’t mean to-” Vinia immediately tried to excuse herself as if she did something wrong, but Licia said with a big smile.
“It’s ok Vinia! If she’s your friend then she’s my friend too now!” She then inflated her cheeks a bit, pouting. “I just feel a bit jealous for some reason…”
“Licia, you-” Having come to a realization, Ria looked at her sister as if she was witnessing something impossible. But before she could say anything, she was interrupted by something else.
“Hehe.” Evelyn suddenly laughed out loud, her laugh becoming uncontrollable. When she began to calm down, all the Null CGs were all giving her questioning looks.
“What's so funny?” Ria asked for all of them, but with some irritation in her voice.
“Nothing.” Evelyn shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “I just thought about how your actions resembled that of normal kids.”
“Of course! What else did you think we were?” Nicia commented, stating it as if it was obvious.
“Yeah… Sorry, it was my fault.” Evelyn apologized. That was what she got for making her own image of the clones without getting to know them.
“It’s not just you, Evelyn.”
““Eh?””
A voice said beside her, surprising everyone as they focused on the source of the voice. Three people, one girl and two boys, had approached their table, wry smiles on their faces.
“Who are you, and how did you get here?” Nillia jumped in front of everybody, glaring at the new arrivants with a wary look. “Our sisters are-”
“They let us through.”
“Wha-!?” The ponytailed clone was left dumbfounded by this answer. The little sisters who they thought were protecting them actually did not!? When they looked over at the ECGs, they just ignored them as if none of this was their business, which made Willia mutter ‘deja vu’ as a result.
“You guys, what are you doing here?” Evelyn asked the group, which she knew of course, since they were her classmates.
“You thought you could get all the cuties for yourself Eve? How mean of you.” The only girl of the three said with a hurt look.
“I didn’t mean to-”
“How did you get to know them before us anyway?” She asked before Evelyn could even answer, already passing to something else.
“Uhm-”
“Hey!” A red face from shame, Nillia called out loud, unable to endure the fact that her question was half answered. “Who are you guys, and why did you all invite yourselves at our table!?”
“Oh, right, we didn't present ourselves.” The boy with glasses said, readjusting them on his nose.
“But that’s a no go, little cutie, how could you not recognise the people who went through the same hellish lesson as you…” The girl said, shaking her head with a disappointed look.
“Ah!” Nicia got up with surprise on her face and pointed at the girl. “She’s the person who asked all those weird questions about hugging us!”
“Correct!” Unperturbed by the way Nicia phrased it, the girl smiled in delight, before making a little bow. “Pleased to meet you, I’m Bianca Renard, heiress of the Renard food industries and holy defender of cuteness.” She then made a serious face. “Now, I must ask, can I hug you?”
““No!”” Every clone girl instantly said, even Ticinia.
“Instant rejection!?” As if she had taken a fatal hit, Bianca fell on her knees, a shocked expression on her face. Seemingly used to her antics, her companions decided to ignore her and present themselves.
“I’m Isaac Guiffart, son of a low ranking officer.” The handsome boy said, saluting in an easygoing way.
“As for me, I’m Zorion Alvis, just the son of your average civil official parents.” The boy with glasses said, readjusting them on his nose.
“Now that we've presented ourselves, it's your turn, right?” Bianca immediately added with a smile, having already recovered. The clone girls looked at each other with unsure looks, should they present themselves to those strangers? They seemed like a weird bunch, especially the girl… But then again, they were their classmates now. Even if some of them were not keen on trusting regular humans, they could at least tell them their name, so as not to get confused later on.
“I'm Lidia, the eldest, or number one if you prefer. I'm Evelyn's friend.” Keeping her calm, and playing her role as the eldest, Licia presented herself first. “I am looking forward to this year of class with you all.”
“Null CG-02 Ria, the second sister.” Ria said shortly after they looked at her, immediately going back to eating.
“I'm Willia, and I'm number three! I like to spar and exercise!” Willia said energetically, which was a contrast to the short and polite answer, but with a light warning in it, that Nillia gave after her.
“Greetings, I am Null CG-04, and I will protect my sisters from any harm.”
Nobody commented on it, and the presentations continued. All the Null CGs presented themselves in orders following that, with various greetings. Their presentations had some light reactions, but nothing too much.
“05, Miria.”
“06, Tiria.”
“Anybody told the two of you that you act like twins?”
““We know.””
“O-oh.”
“I’m Null CG-07 Lidia, let’s get along.”
“Yes, let’s all work together until our graduation!”
“I am Null CG-08 Nicia, I want to become a medic.”
“A medic huh? That’s sweet, I heard there’s a lack of them on the front.”
“I’m Mia, the ninth, I’m a bit shy, but nice to meet you all.”
“T-that one is quite cute too. Mwehehe, shy girls are the best-”
“I like experiments and dissecting things.”
“N-nevermind, she’s scary, but yet so cute at the same time!”
“Which one is it, Bianca…”
“I’m Nia! And you can already guess my number since it’s the same as a perfect score!”
“Ten is only half of the points in our notation system though?”
“For real!? Nooooo~! My perfect score…”
"You never had one to begin with…"
"So mean! But also true!"
“I'm Ticinia! Eleventh! I love hugs!” Ticinia declared with a cute smile that melted the hearts of everybody who saw it.
“You do!? Th-then…” Bianca began, but was cut short again.
““No!”” Ticinia and her sisters denied again, with Miria and Tiria going as far as hugging protectively their sister. Meanwhile, Bianca was left defeated again, but with a new determination in her eyes.
“Ugh… Mark my words, I won’t give up until I hug each and everyone of you all!”
““Not gonna happen.””
“Uhm, I'm Vinia, the youngest. Please take care of me!” Mia presented herself before the chaos progressed further, and the small group, including Evelyn, stared at her.
““C-cute…”” Some of them ended up muttering.
“Fueh?”
“Right, right? Vinia is cute, she and Ticinia are the cutests!” Licia bragged as if it was her own exploit.
“Umu, I agree.” Bianca nodded, a serious look on her face that disgusted the others.
“Nobody asked you, Bianca, also, you sound like an old man, it’s disgusting.” Zorion sighed.
“...You’re telling me this is ‘the best’ of this academy?” Ria muttered, a frown on her face. At first she had ignored the group, but then had begun to study their attitude. She could not believe those people were considered the best of the academy.
“‘Best’, you say… Actually, nobody except the teachers thinks of us like that.” Having heard her mutter, Isaac said this with an awkward smile.
““Eh?””
“It’s one of the academy’s weird new policies, actually.” Zorion continued. “It's not uncommon for them to make something new and unexpected like that. Last year, they gathered all of us and told everyone we were ‘the best of the batch’. In reality though, it’s a bit more complicated…”
“Certainly, we are all quite capable, but I wouldn’t call us ‘the best’ there is.” Bianca said next. “Besides, apart from Eve, Irvin, and that idiot Steve, none of us have any big influence, which is contrary to the academy’s policy of ‘heterogeneous classes’. Just what the academy’s board had in mind when they made this decision…”
It was indeed weird not just for them, but the whole academy. More than ‘being the best’, they were considered as a bunch of outcasts by the majority of the students, which caused the class to stick to one another for support most of the time, whether they wanted it or not.
“Well, I don't think we'll ever see Steve's annoying face again, but Eve’s the real deal when it comes to talent and influence.” Isaac said, pointing towards Evelyn with a smile.
“Right?” Bianca smiled too. “Must be hard to be the heiress apparent to a faction, and the Pellian one at that.”
“Stop it, you two, my position isn’t that good and you both know that.” Evelyn said, a bit exasperated. She did not like it when people talked about her as a ‘faction heiress’ when the Pellian themselves were as divided as the Borkians on the inside… “Where are Irvin and the others anyway?” She asked, changing the subject.
“At our usual hangout place.” Zorion answered. “We talked with each other and they decided to send us as a small group to be less intimidating to our new classmates.”
Evelyn nodded in agreement with Zorion’s words, believing this was the best move, seeing how the little clones were.
Before anybody knew it, the three students sat at the table with their own meal, despite some clone girls feeling somewhat wary. They chatted about some things together, the students being curious about the clone girls, and some of the clone girls also curious about some things.
“So what's your goal exactly?” Ria suddenly asked, interrupting the chatter. “‘Own’ us?”
“...Own?” Evelyn tilted her head, not understanding.
“Nono, that's not gonna happen. Not anymore at least.” Isaac said back in a bittersweet look. “As soon as we saw how human you all were during class, those of us who thought like that immediately changed their minds.”
“That, and the Unkillable Valkyrie's request to treat you all normally.” Bianca added. “I still can't believe she's become our teacher.”
“A hellish one at that…” Isaac sighed, and the clone girls agreed for once. Rika’s teaching methods were somewhat unique…
“Still friendly enough though, and that's enough for me.” Zorion remarqued, readjusting his glasses again, which made the clone girls wonder why he was wearing such things if he had to do this every minute.
“Uhm, is Ri- I mean, is teacher really that popular?” Vinia asked curiously, nearly calling Rika by her name instead. They had only seen glimpses of Rika when the latter was working seriously, and since her atmosphere was always casual around them or their mother, they had a hard time believing in this popularity.
“Popular?” Isaac raised an eyebrow. “That's an understatement. She's the idol of all the female students of the academy, and much more.”
“How can she not? She's the youngest brigadier-general the Borkian Confederation ever had who climbed ranks with only her achievements and nothing else!” Bianca said, passion in her voice. “She's a role model not only for those who think of themselves as neutrals but also for ambitious people like me!”
““Eh?”” The Null CGs were once again surprised, was the Rika they knew really the same one people idolized here?
“But everybody was surprised when she decided to create her own faction.” Zorion added, before looking at Evelyn. “Hey, Eve, you were at the party on that day with Steve as fiances, right?”
“Y-yeah, I was…” Evelyn was startled, not expecting the conversation to go her way. She immediately corrected something that bothered her. “By the way, I'm not engaged to Steve anymore.”
“"Really? Tha-”
“That's great!” Licia exclaimed, cutting Bianca as she was saying something. “He was so mean that day!”
““Eh?”” Various people around the table reacted to her words.
“Licia, right?” Bianca said with a serious face. “Could you tell us more?”
“Nope! Evelyn made me promise to keep it a secret!” Licia said with a big smile, which made the three stare at Evelyn with questioning looks.
“A-anyway, about the party.” Evelyn quickly brought the subject back on its track, her comrades staring at her with some worry, but understanding she did not want to talk about it. “I did meet her that day, and a lot of other clones too…”
“Even the one who was with her this morning? The clone mother?” Bianca asked curiously. Ticia was the only adult clone who showed many expressions after all, and she was everywhere Rika went.
“Yes.” Evelyn confirmed, the image of Ticia at the party contrasting with what she’d seen this morning.
“Really… That's kind of interesting… Why does she call herself like this anyway?” Bianca continued, a thoughtful expression on her face. “She seems way too young to be a mother after all.”
“Of course, it's because mom is mom. Why else?” Ticinia tilted her head cutely, the other clone girls nodding their heads in agreement as the three regular humans looked at them with incredulous looks.
“...Don't take the image you've seen this morning to make her personality. She was very serious at the party, as well as loyal.” Evelyn said with a wry smile, and Licia nodded in support.
“...Right, she was like that during the military parade too.” Isaac said after a while, also letting out a wry smile.
“Well, I can understand why she would be so loyal if such punishments were at the end of the line…” Bianca shivered a bit, imagining herself taking the said punishments.
“Mom doesn't seem to care though…” Ticinia added.
““...”” This left everyone silent for a moment.
“T-Ticinia, dear little sister.” Nicia sweated a bit as she looked at Ticinia with a strained smile. “Please tell me you saw nothing ‘strange’ at that time…”
“Mh? No, there wasn’t?” Ticinia shook her head after thinking about it for a bit. “I mean, it wasn’t the usual good feeling, but it was still positive.”
““...”” The Null CGs stayed quiet. Should they worry about the direction their mother seemed to be going in?
“So? How about we all become friends?” Isaac said, breaking the strange mood that had surfaced. “I get that some of you are weary of us, but as a reminder, we’re all outcasts here, so even if we did something, we’ll be easy to deal with.”
“That’s not very reassuring for us…” Nillia commented.
“Ticinia.”
“Yes, eldest sister?”
As the clone girls were pondering on what to do, Licia asked her sister with a serious face.
“What do you think?”
“Mmmmh…” Ticinia stared at the three new arrivals with a serious look for a moment, making them wonder what the cute twintail was doing.
““???””
“Yup! All good! There’s no greed, only earnestness!” She said, making a thumbs up.
“Good.” Licia nodded, coming to a decision. “Then we all agree.” She declared in the name of all her sisters.
“Hmph, only because mom said we needed to make friends.” Ria added, puffing out her cheeks.
“Thank you!” Bianca said with a smile. “And now that we’re friends… Surprise attack!” She jumped onto the nearest clone girl to her, which was Lidia.
“To!” With her reflexes, the clone girl avoided Bianca’s arms, meaning that the arms were now on the course to the next capture target: Nillia.
“Wha-!?” Nuillia was immediately caught in Bianca’s embrace. “Wh-what are you doing!? Release me!” She yelled with a glare at Bianca, while struggling to become free, but Bianca was surprisingly stronger than her.
“Fweheheh, nope! You’re mine! I’ll hug you until the end of the year!” Bianca declared as she rubbed her cheek against Nillia’s, the latter looking utterly disgusted and flustered.
“Nillia.”
“We’ll help you.”
““‘Begin operation ‘knight in distress’”” Both Miria and Tiria got up and declared.
“Their synchronization awes me…” Isaac muttered from the side.
The twins acted quickly, but Bianca acted just as quick.
““!?!””
Before they knew it, Miria and Tiria had joined their sister in Bianca’s embrace, and were now struggling to get out.
“Got them! Now I got three plushies!” Bianca said with a look of utter bliss.
“Mission failed.”
“Sisters, help.”
The twins said as they looked with pleading looks at their sisters, but they did not act, scared to end up just like their sisters…
“Fufu, nobody’s gonna help you!” Biannca declared, fueled up by the twin’s words.
“Kuh! Kill me already!” Nillia said with a glare, resignation in her eyes.
“...Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve become one of those goblins that’s about to do something horrible to the female knight from those fantasy novels?” Bianca asked herself out loud.
“Maybe that’s what you are deep inside…” Isaac commented.
“Hah?” He only got a deathly glare from Bianca, which was enough for him to back down and look towards Evelyn.
“Eve, please do something…”
“I get it…” Evelyn said with a sigh. She had a feeling things might turn like this at some point. She got up, went behind Bianca, and hand chopped the back of her head. “Stop it already, Bianca.”
“Gufu!”
“We’re free!” Nillia declared as she distanced herself, relief on her face.
““Run away!”” The twins declared, and like scared little kitties fleeing danger, they and Nillia escaped the room as fast as possible, going back to the classroom.
“That should calm her for now…” Evelyn said, releasing another sigh, now three of the clone girls had run away because of Bianca’s actions. she guessed those three would be wary of them for a while longer after this…
“Evelyn… So cool!” She then heard somebody mutter.
“Eh?” When she turned, she saw not only Licia but also Vinia with stars in their eyes. What had caused such a reaction?!
“Hehehe.” Licia immediately clinged to her while giggling, leaving her unsure about what to do next.
“I’m so jealous of you right now, Evelyn.” Bianca commented with an envious look, having already recovered.
“Oh shut up.” Evelyn let out with a tired sigh, before looking at the little girl who was hugging her without a care in the world. “Say, Licia.”
“Mh?” Licia cutely raised her head to fix gaze with Evelyn.
“Is there anything I can do for you and ECG-046? I want to thank you for what happened at the party.” Evelyn finally asked what she had wanted to since the beginning.
“Mmmmh…” Licia seemed thoughtful for a moment, before smiling. “I’ll ask 046, but for me, I think I already know what I want!”
“Really? Say anything, I’ll be sure to make it happen.” Evelyn immediately said back, which made Licia’s smile deepen.
“Okay then! This Saturday, come take a stroll with me around town!” She declared.
“Eh?” Evelyn was surprised, she expected something more than just that. Why would Licia want to go around town with her anyway? Seeing the little girl’s expectant look, she smiled wryly. “Uhm, okay, if that’s what makes you happy?”
“Yay!” Licia jumped in the air, making a victory pose.
“Agh! I’m so jealous you get to go on a date with such a cute little girl!” Bianca commented again, becoming even more envious. “Should I follow behind you guys?”
“Should I call the police?” Evelyn replied with a false smile.
“No, don’t do that. I was only joking.” Bianca said back, sweat on her back, which made Zorion, Isaac, and some of the Null CGs laugh.
The clone girls were unsure of what would happen next, but at least for now, it seemed like they would not have to be wary of their classmates… probably.
***
“Oh dear…”
“Oh dear indeed…”
Both Ticia and Rika commented, looking at the same screen within the room that had become Rika’s new office. The screen had a window open, in which a mail was displayed for both of them to read.
| Code Red Order: |
That was the name of the private mail Rika received, and it was official, looking at the people who signed the mail.
“I knew this would come, but I didn’t expect it would so soon…” Ticia sighed.
“Same.” Rika nodded in agreement. “But I guess it’s to be expected after you baited them like that.”
“Yeah, they want a return on their investment, that’s understandable.” Ticia said. Of course, she was talking about all the good favors she got until now, whether it is from this new faction, or the Borkians overall.
“I’m gonna miss the girls…” She said sadly, and sighed again.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.” Rika said back with confidence.
“Yeah, I know I can trust you.” Ticia said back with a small smile, before fiddling with her watch terminal.
“I just sent you a file, there’s some personal info on each of my girls and some instructions on how to treat some of them. I want you to read those and pay extreme attention to them, no matter what. You must follow those instructions, it’s important for their growth.” She said seriously. “Also, I’ll leave around twenty ECGs behind, take care of them for me.”
“I understand Ticia, I’ll do that.” Rika replied with the same amount of seriousness. “So? Is their information correct at least?”
“It is.” Ticia nodded, before fiddling with har watch again, and a new window appeared on Rika's computer. This time it was a map of the galaxy with red and green dots.
Ticia zoomed on one system in particular, which was the location of her mission. Its name was Nolam, and on the third planet of the system, there was a green dot.
“Clone Installation 26, from A-4’s database, it’s one of the Clone Installations that’s still emitting a signal.” She commented.
“Then it won’t be a waste of a time.” Rika added, analyzing and comparing the details of the system, available information left behind by A-4, and the mission’s orders. They matched not on all points but on most of them.
“Yeah.” Ticia nodded, crossing her arms, before smiling fearlessly. “Nolam 3’s Clone installation, here I come.”
Chauchat
Author's monologue;
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter!
So, our girls made some friends? Finally!
Well, not all seem to be happy about it, but hey, it's a begining at least, the clone girls need to open their hearts.
And it seems like Ticia got a new job to do, I wonder what's inside this clone installation? also, what are the goals of the Borkians?
Little interlude here, last week's weather was terribly hot, it left me in a state where I didn't have any streght to do anything! Heat waves are scary, and such temperatures are very uncomon where I live. Fortunately the weather cooled down now, perhaps a bit quicker than I expected but hey, can't complain about that.
I don't know how it was for all of you, but I do hope you're all doing ok!
Well, that's it for me for today! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
