Stormy Weather

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

"I'm sorry Miss" the secretary answered Snowaters request. "I'm afraid that Mr. Hilaris is presently in Copenhagen attending a stockholders meeting. May I be of any assistance?"

Snowaters grimaced, 'It never rains but it pours' she thought. "mmm No" she replied. "Not unless any other of the Hilaris family is available. It really is important."

The secretary smiled, that plastic mass produced style corporate employees all had. "Just a moment, if your walk over to that monitor I will patch you directly into the executive secretaries desk" she replied, pressing several buttons as she spoke softly into her microphone.

Smiling in return as best she could, Snowaters walked over to a small privacy booth. 'This is one time I wish I had my normal hearing' she thought to herself. 'These human ears are just not good enough for whispers.' Stepping into the booth she waited as yet another human receptionist faded in on the screen, the ACME logo prominently displayed behind her.

Crystal beamed her Corporate smile into the pickup as she ran checks through her security program, searching for any reference on her visitor. 'Certainly there couldn't be many young oriental women with knee length white hair' she thought. "Good morning Miss" she started, giving a radiant smile that hurt Snowaters still pressing hangover. "Ms. Hilaris is on site, but she is currently taking a rather important call. May I have your name please, and can you wait?"

Sighing softly Snowy gave a light nod, "Please tell Ms. Hilaris that Keeshilla c'Fellana, na Snowaters is here to speak with her on an important subject. That it involves her brother Jack and his human female companion Rachelle Lockland."

Crystals computer modified image nodded. "Very well Miss c'Fellana. If you will please take a seat in the waiting room I will inform her as soon as she is available."

Snowaters groaned in frustration. Hours of waiting was not going to help her hangover. Still, without an appointment she couldn't expect more and resorting to her standard tricks on this combat happy planet, well it just wasn't the best of ideas. Exiting the booth she turned towards the nearby waiting area. "Wonder how old their magazines are" she grumbled to herself. Even though on this planet the oldest magazine would be new to her.

Crystal was getting worried. For such a unique woman the little oriental couldn't be found anywhere in her security files, and the fact that she had stressed that Jack's girlfriend was human meant she either knew, or suspected the truth. Suddenly her private line opened and she found herself looking into Jacqueline Hilaris's unexpectedly serious face. "Front desk, Crystal" she answered worriedly.

"Crystal. I'm expecting a young lady visitor" Jacqui replied. "You can't miss her, she has long white hair, send her up immediately please." Pausing a moment to speak off-screen she turned back to the suddenly flustered flamingoid. "And get a line to Jake as soon as he gets out of his meeting."

Snowaters waited patiently as the elevator rose to the buildings highest floor, changes in air pressure doing her returning headache no good. The sudden message and VIP treatment had her a bit confused. Corporations simply didn't do things on a lark, and treating her as a VIP certainly qualified as unusual. Suddenly the elevator slowed, the doors opened and she came face to face with a very large pink flamingoid. For an instant she believed it to be a by product of her private party the night before, then the bird woman spoke and everything fell into place.

"Good morning Miss c'Fellana" Crystal called, waving one wing towards a huge pair of brass doors just beyond her desk. "Ms. Hilaris will see you immediately."

Glancing at the flamingoid, an rare creature even to her own experience, Snowy walked towards the doors as they opened into a cavernous office beyond. Jacqueline Hilaris stood as she entered, offering one hand as she motioned to a large chair with the other.

"Welcome to ACME Multiversal Miss c'Fellana. Or may I simply call you Snowaters" she asked, settling back into her own chair as Snowaters sat.

"Snowy will do fine" she answered, spotting the blinking light on her comlink as she settled down. "Since you know who I am you may know why I'm here. It seems that Rachelle has contracted me to recreate clones for your brother Jack. I'm here to try to arrange access to the records of the Hilaris families creation."

"Actually" Jaqui responded, "I'd rather thought it was the sudden problem on your ship that brought you here." Jaqui grinned openly at Snowaters shock. "Your Kalith AI has been talking with me, it appears that your ship has been invaded by one of my errant family members."

Grumbling Snowaters tapped her come unit, heedless of the poor social graces she was exhibiting, and in no mood to care. "Lith, status report" she ordered.

"Standby. I'll be with you in less than thirty" she responded, tapping her call button as she placed her com unit into stand-by. Looking up into the taller woman's eyes she shook her head. "How important is this AI to you" she asked, mentally figuring how much danger she would be in if she allowed yet another clone to be lost. Quickly coming to the conclusion that it would place her at the edge of her self appointed safety margins.

"Very important" the Hyenaoid answered. "Very, very important. Will you explain just what your AI said? I'm afraid I didn't quite follow him."

Snowy closed her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. "First, Kalith is non-sexual, it reproduces by budding so sexual labels don't work in its case. It isn’t an AI, it’s a true lifeform. Second, and most importantly, whatever has happened to the AI of yours has made it impossible for it, her, to survive within the confines of a computer system anymore." She looked up at the ceiling. "Its not a matter of memory Jaqui, the Diamond has more free RAM than every computer on this planet together. Its a matter of structure. Computers are on-off, no matter how advanced they are just on-off switches. Sentients though, their memories have grey areas, on-off-maybe. Its the maybes that make it impossible for a sentient to be fully loaded into a computer. The actual time required varies depending upon the individual, but the results are always permanent madness."

She paused, looking at her wrist com. Small numbers were quickly counting down on one face. "'Lith has activated my counter, telling me exactly how long she has. It suggests we simply transfer her to one of my clones, but that will take me to the edge of my safety margin and I haven't any idea what will come out of the tank."

Jaqui sat upright. "Why not use one of my clones" she asked, "That is how it was done last time."

The little scientist stood slowly, rubbing her pounding head. "Something I thought you knew" she started, turning away to walk to the huge windows beyond the massive desk. "I received a urgent call from Rachelle just after we entered orbit. Jack told her his last three clones have failed." She turned, looking into the larger woman's eyes. "I think that all your clones have failed, and I think the reason is your creator, no matter how brilliant, simply didn't have the technology he needed to create stable replacements." She paused, turning away again. "Anyway, check first and let me know. If we use one of my clones, well they've been changed by the same magic that changed me. Besides," she turned back to her chair, sliding slowly into its comfortable embrace. "Each persons emotional makeup is dictated by their chemical makeup. Judyth would not be the same, not emotionally I mean. Anyway it takes an hour to flush the memories in one of my clones, if you decide to use mine we need at least two hours because full transference takes that long." Frowning she looked back at her watch. "Organic brains can't take a faster load, they burn up. You have fifty two minutes to decide."

"What if our clones are gone" Jaqui asked, "We've always been so confident about having them there if we needed them. Why would they fail now?"

"Lot of questions" the Diamonds owner/Captain sighed. "Ok, one; I'm already working on Jacks DNA. There are ways to improve the viability, your quality of life." She groaned, "Sorry, I have a weakness all my own, and I overdid it last night" she answered Jaqui's worried look. "Anyway, no matter how much I can fix your DNA problems there will still be a lot of surgery, and I don't know the techniques used on you. I have to see everything you have, and I mean everything. The notes, laboratory, failures, everything."

Noticing Jaqui's worried look Snowaters frowned. "No matter how painful honey, I have to know what went wrong as well as what went right. Look, even if I'm successful. Well Diamond isn't set up for mass production. I'll need larger facilities downside, here on the planet I mean. With luck I can make two, maybe three clones for each of you but it's a a labor intensive job. In six months I'm going to start having problems with heavy workloads. I'll need the best non-magical help you can give me."

"And the cost of all this?" Jaqui asked, "I've heard about your prices, even ACME isn't a bottomless well of money."

"I'll make you a deal" Snowy decided, "You supply the materials, equipment, lab and personal, as well as all the data you have. Free access to the original lab if it still exists and any failures, no matter how painful it may be." She hadn't missed the emotion crossing the face of ACME's president. "I'll do it for cost because I've heard nothing but good about your family, and I like Jack & Rachelle."

"I think we can manage that" Jaqui answered, writing the last down. "All right, I'll contact you how?"

"Channel D will be open for you anytime" Snowy answered. "I'll get to work as soon as I reach my ship."

"Very well" Jaqui decided, "Depending on what condition our clones are in I'll make up a contract for you by nightfall." She stood, reaching out one hand, taking the tiny woman two hands easily within it. "By the way, how are you getting back? Kalith mentioned something about your transporter being dead as I remember."

Laughing Snowaters nodded to the window behind the Hyenaoid, "In Cybersnake of course."

Jacqueline Hilaris turned towards the windows, beyond which hovered an battered ancient craft of deadly appearance, heavy scars proving its capabilities and survival.

"Oh my God" she exclaimed as she recognized the scarred emblem on its side. She had seen it just last year in an ancient history text Jack had left long ago. "I thought you were a pacifist."

"I am" Snowy replied, sliding her hands from the trap Jaqui had made for them. "But my last love wasn't, she left it to protect me."

"Any word from ACME" Snowaters asked as she exited Cybersnake, running for sickbay.

<Negative. Channel Delta open. Heavy communications between Copenhagen, ACME, and the KLIPPER. Your plans.>

"Start flushing Prime two, its the oldest" she answered, peeling clothing as she ran towards the medical section. "How much time do I have?"

Stepping into her ships medical lab she slipped into the special seat, slipping her feet into the waiting stirrups, "Ok, start procedure" she ordered, forcing herself to relax as machines began moving around her.

Snowaters, Kalith, Cybersnake, Star Diamond; copyright Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Hilaris Clan, Crystal, ACME Mulitversial; copyright Johnny Amburn