Merv helped her from the trolleys lid. Thats right. The clone is ready.
Scant peeled back a sealed-foil false bottom in the trolley. Inside lay a cloned replica of Opal Koboi, wearing an Argon Clinic coma suit. The clone was identical, down to the last follicle. Scant removed an oxygen mask from the clones face, hauled it from its resting place and began cinching it into the harness.
Remarkable, said Opal, brushing the clones skin with her knuckle. Am I that beautiful?
Oh yes, said Merv. That and more.
Suddenly Opal screeched. Idiots. Its eyes are open. It can see me!
Scant closed the clones lids hurriedly. Dont worry, Miss Koboi, it cant tell anyone, even if its brain could decipher what it sees.
Opal climbed groggily into the trolley. But its eyes can register images. Foaly may think to check. That infernal centaur.
Dont fret, miss, said Scant, folding the trolleys false bottom over his mistress. Very soon now, that will be the least of Foalys worries.
Opal strapped the oxygen mask across her face. Later, she said, her voice muffled by the plastic. Talk, later.
Koboi drifted into a natural sleep, exhausted by even this small exertion. It could be hours before the pixie regained sustained consciousness. After a coma of that length, there was even the risk that Opal would never be quite as smart as she once was.
Time? said Merv.
Scant glanced at his moonometer. Thirty seconds left.
Merv finished cinching the straps exactly how they had been. Pausing only to dab sweat from his brow, he made a second incision with his scalpel, this time in the clones arm, and inserted the seeker-sleeper. While Scant sealed the cut with a blast of magical sparks, Merv rearranged the cleaning paraphernalia over the trolleys false section.
Scant bobbed impatiently. Eight seconds, seven. By the gods, this is the last time I break the boss out of a clinic and replace her with a clone.
Merv spun the trolley on its castors, pushing it through the open doorway.
Five four
Scant did one last check around, running his eyeballs across everything they had touched.
Three two
They were out, pulling the door behind them.
One
Corporal Grub slumped slightly, then jerked to attention.
Hey what the ? Im really thirsty! Is anyone else thirsty?
Merv stuffed the night-vision goggles into the trolley, blinking a bead of sweat from his eyelid. Its the air in here. I get dehydrated all the time. Terrible headaches.
Grub pinched the bridge of his nose. Me too. Im going to write a letter, as soon as the lights come back.
Just then the lights did come back, flickering on, one after another, down the length of the corridor.
There we go, grinned Scant. Panic over. Maybe now theyll buy us some new circuits, eh, brother?
Doctor Argon came barrelling down the passageway, almost keeping pace with the flickering lights.
Your leg is better then, Jerry? said Merv.
Argon ignored the pixies, his eyes wide, his breath ragged.
Corporal Kelp, he panted. Koboi, is she? Has she
Grub rolled his eyes. Calm yourself, Doctor. Miss Koboi is still suspended where you left her. Take a look.
Argon flattened his palms against the wall, first checking the vitals.
OK, no change. No change. A two-minute lapse, but thats OK.
I told you, said Grub. And while youre here, I need to talk to you about these headaches Ive been having.
Argon brushed him aside. I need a cotton bud. Scant, do you have any?
Scant slapped his pockets. Sorry, Jerry. Not on me.
Dont call me Jerry! howled Jerbal Argon, ripping the lid from the cleaning trolley. There must be cotton buds in here somewhere, he said, sweat pasting thin hair across a wide gnomes forehead. Its a janitors box, for heavens sake. His blunt finger scrabbled through the trolleys contents, scraping across the false bottom.
Merv elbowed him out of the way before he could discover the secret compartment or spy screens. Here we are, Doctor, he said, grabbing a tub of buds. A months supply. Knock yourself out.
Argon fumbled a single bud from the pack, discarding the rest.
DNA never lies, he muttered, punching his code into the keypad. DNA never lies.
He rushed into the room, roughly swabbing the inside of the clones mouth. The Brill brothers held their breath. They had expected to be out of the clinic before this happened. Argon rolled the cotton buds tip across the sponge pad on his clipboard. A moment later, Opal Kobois name flashed on to the boards mini-plasma screen.
Argon heaved a massive sigh, resting his hands on both knees. He threw the observers a shamefaced grin. Sorry. I panicked. If we lost Koboi, the clinic would never live it down. Im just a little paranoid, I suppose. Faces can be altered, but
DNA never lies, said Merv and Scant simultaneously.
Grub reset his video goggles. I think Doctor Argon needs a little vacation.
Youre telling me, sniggered Merv, rolling the trolley towards the maintenance lift. Anyway, we better get going, brother. We need to isolate the cause of the power failure.