The Clones

“They are coming,” the Director said. “I have reported you. I said I would, so I have.”

“But,” the Doctor hesitated unsure what to say.

“Typical, couldn't just wait another week, or a day at least,” she thought.

“I told you cloning is wrong, morally and legally,” the Director said. “It is my duty as a citizen to report it.”

“I get it,” she thought. “So who or what's rattled your cage?”

“What's going to happen?” the Doctor's assistant asked.

“You will be arrested,” the Director replied. “Both of you.”

“And you've wriggled out of it, no doubt,” the Doctor thought. “Knowing you, you'll claim it was all done without your consent, behind your back.”

“And the clones, what about the embryos?” the Doctor asked.

“They will be destroyed,” he said, a smile of satisfaction crossing his face.

“It wasn't your idea, so you've been trying to find a way of shutting this project down right from the start,” the Doctor thought.

“How could you do this?” she asked.

“I told you not to, to go ahead with this line of research,” he said.

“No you didn't,” she snapped.

“You told us to find a solution,” the assistant reminded him.

“But not cloning. I didn't think you'd do that. There had to be another way,” he said.

“No, there wasn't and you knew that,” she replied.

“Look,” he hesitated.

“Leave us,” she snapped.

“I can't stand having you in this room any more, you two faced, manipulative little! Oh God! I can't even think of a good insult,” she thought looking past him through the window.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

“I think you've done enough, more than enough,” she said icily

“What now?” asked the assistant as the door shut behind him.

“We have two embryos .”

“Which we can't use,” he assistant reminded her.

“And two unviable embryos for couples who are hoping to become parents.”

“They have nothing to do with this,” said the assistant.

“If we give them the clones, they'll be happy,” she said.

“Only because they don't know the truth,” the assistant exclaimed.

“They'll be happy with a baby, any baby,” she said, the idea gelling in her mind. “We can do this, one embryo looks just like another. They can destroy the unviable ones and the couples can carry the clones.

“But,” her assistant hesitated.

“Do nothing, the clones die and the couples loose any chance of being parents,” she said.

“The clones may not take,” he assistant mused.

“It's the best chance, for all of them,” she said.

“Then we'd better get a move on before they get here and stop us,” the assistant said. “Before I change my mind and before anyone tells the couples that their embryos aren't viable,” the Doctor thought.

“We will need to sort out the paperwork,” the Doctor said.

“Leave that to me,” the assistant replied. “I'll make sure they can't trace anything.”

Next morning, as two hopeful couples left the clinic via the car park at the rear of the building, a Police car pulled up at the front entrance.

“They are here Doctor,” the assistant said.

“It's time you left,” said the Doctor.

“But,”

“There's no point both of us being locked up,” she said.

“But,”

“Your job here has finished and you have three days to get to your next job in Africa,” she said.

“It's in,”

“I don't want to know where it is, it's been good working with you and maybe we'll meet again. But now you need to leave,” the Doctor smiled.

“If you're sure?”

“Yes,” she said.

“This is for your protection,” she thought. “If I don't know where you are, I can't tell them.”

Five minutes after her assistant left ten armed Police Officers crashed through the door of the lab to find the Doctor going through the paperwork at her desk.

“Doctor Mathews?” asked the first Officer.

“Yes?” she replied peering over the top of her glasses.

“Where is your assistant?” the Officer asked, looking round the room.

“She left,” the Doctor replied vaguely.

“When?” he demanded.

“I'm not sure, she was here at midnight, if that's any help, so it must have been after that.”

“And the clones?” he asked. “Where are they?”

“Destroyed, they weren't viable.”

“That's something at least, however I still have to ask you to come with us,” the Officer said.

“So I'm not under arrest,” the Doctor thought beginning to worry.

“Fair enough,” she smiled standing up. “Is it OK if I ring someone to tell them what is happening?” she asked holding up her mobile phone.

“No,” said the Officer, taking the phone from her and handing it to another officer.

“I want a full list of all the contacts and details of all calls made and received,” he said.

“Why are you doing that?” she asked.

“Do you have anything to hide?” he asked.

“Like I'm going to answer that,” she thought.

“Be my guest,” she smiled.

“I've only had that phone for a month or so and I only use it for a limited number of things,” she thought. “The only thing they'll find is, is what? Phone orders to the supermarket? Can't think of anything else. I've taken photos of flowers and that's about all. I think they'll soon work out that either I don't use the phone or I have another and they'll want to know where that is and what it's number is.”

“Do you have any other phones?” he asked.

“Why would I have more than one phone?” she asked.

“I don't know, you tell me?” he said.

“Can't think of any reasons,” she smiled. “It would just cause confusion.”

“I can't imagine you getting confused,” he smiled leading her out of the room.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“You'll find out when you get there,” he smiled.

“You're just trying to worry me,” the Doctor thought. “And you are succeeding.”

by Janice Nye © 2018