The Clone who Didn't Know (The Genehunter) Read Free

was like he was haunted or something.
    ‘And say you do all this,’ said Devi. ‘What happens after you get the girl?’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Come on, Simms. You’d get bored within a week without genehunting. You’re always saying that. You’re not cut out for anything else.’
    ‘Yeah, well, maybe I should go over to the other side, hunt the genehunters for kicks instead.’
    ‘You? Join the GMA? Run around following Ballard’s orders?’
    ‘I’m talking about clONE. Kelly went over to them. I could too. Maybe that’s what they want. I could see myself heading up a death squad. The righteous fervour of the convert. Could be fun.’
    The truth was the thought hadn’t crossed his mind until that moment. As he said it he didn’t know if he was serious or not. By the look on Devi’s face she wasn’t sure either. But maybe it wasn’t such a crazy idea. He’d get clONE off his back. The GMA too. The GMA liked clONE, liked their direct approach. There were enough rumours: the GMA men who tipped off clONE death squads because they couldn’t get their man and stay within the law. He’d just have to sort out Forty Days and life would be sweet. He’d miss genehunting, sure, but hunting the hunters could be fun, too.
    ‘I thought you liked being the maverick, the lone wolf, walking the line between all these powerful organisations.’
    Simms shrugged. ‘You can’t beat them, though, can you? Sooner or later one of them will come for you. Might as well pick a side.’
    ‘OK,’ said Devi. ‘So, you need my help to become my mortal enemy. That about it?’
    ‘I guess.’
    ‘Well, you know what? I am gonna help you, Simms. Want to know why?’
    ‘Because you value my friendship so much?’
    Devi snorted with laughter. ‘Because your life is a train wreck. You’re a fucking slow-motion explosion , Simms. An ongoing disaster. And I want to see what parts of you are left at the end of it all.’
    ‘Thanks, Devi. I knew I could rely on you.’

     
    ‘I'd like a full body MRI scan.’
    The doctor assessing Simms blinked only once before replying. They sat in her cool, cream-coloured consulting room in Sydney Central Hospital. Tasteful pictures on the wall and interestingly elegant ornaments on the shelves. She wrote something on the tablet resting on her knee. Completely obsolete technology, of course, but it made her look professional, thoughtful. Simms suppressed a smile.
    ‘I see, Mr. Alietev,’ she said, using the ID Simms had adopted for this little jaunt. ‘And can you tell us why you would like us to carry out that particular procedure?’
    A fair question. He was tempted to tell her the whole thing with Gideon Jones. But she wasn't going to believe it was she? He wasn’t sure he believed it himself.
    ‘I need you to look for any anomalies.’
    ‘Could you explain what sort of … anomalies we’re looking for?’
    ‘Just anything that shouldn’t be there.’
    ‘Perhaps an object has been … inserted into you?’ she prompted. She remained utterly expressionless, professional. Seen it all before.
    ‘No, it’s nothing like that,’ said Simms. ‘I simply have reason to believe someone has left a message within my body.’
    ‘A message.’
    She couldn’t help a flash of incredulity passing across her face. Simms was really quite pleased to have surprised her. He’d be a good story for her to tell her colleagues.
    ‘A message,’ said Simms. ‘Maybe a single word. I have reason to believe someone has … tattooed … it within my body.’
    He could see her longing to ask him what had happened, how such a thing was possible. What the hell he was talking about.
    ‘But you must have checked yourself?’
    ‘I've checked my skin, of course. I need you to scan inside me.’
    ‘You’re aware you can’t have a tattoo inside your body? A tattoo is a skin decoration, ink injected into the dermis.’
    ‘Sure. Obviously. Not a tattoo as such. I don’t know what you’d call it. I need