Orphans Beloved: "House of Clones…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…
Note-Well, someone high up had to have approved LEDA and CASTOR.
10 Downing St…Great Britain…
Rich, rolling voice addressing speaker telephone…
"Yes. Yes. Yes, I understand. Of course. An ethical nightmare, indeed. Well, we certainly can't have that. Such things cannot be tolerated by Her Majesty's Government…No. I think we'll have to see LEDA and CASTOR 'shut down'. Officially, at least, yes. No, not a trace. Yes, I think we have just the man to take over LEDA. The chief scientist from our contractor, Dyad Institute, Aldous Leekie. Frank? Are you still with us?"
"Of course, Francis…" genial slightly Southern drawl… "And I agree, completely. Aldous Leekie's the man for the job for LEDA. An eye for the ladies as well as a thoroughly competent scientist…And a man who does as he's told. As for CASTOR, I think we can split the command between our military chiefs."
"Frank…Dear boy. LEDA and CASTOR are British projects. We let you in as our dearest and chiefest allies…"
"Francis…" hearty chuckle. "Your little science project wouldn't have stood a chance in Hell of continuing if we'd not allowed it to. Endless super soldiers and lady agents for the Empire is all well and good but if this isn't a joint project and if we don't have equal control over at least the soldiers' production line, we're going to cut your balls off and grind them in a blender."
Francis Urquhart, condescending smile to us… "Dear Frank, such a master of the colorful American vernacular…"
"All right, Frank. As your closest allies, we'll agree to joint military control so long as the project remains based in Canada, at our own facility."
Urquhart, grim smile… "After all, was it not Canada that crushed two American invasions? It might well be time, after things have progressed a bit, to deal with our ever-so aggressive upstart former colony."
"Good enough, Francis…" genial reply. "And we'll want our own people on the Dyad board, to see how LEDA proceeds."
Frank Underwood, amused smile to us… "Good ole Francis, I truly do model myself on the ole fellow's style. But with all due respect, the Empire of Great Britain has had its day and the Empire of the United States will by no means be lost on Frank Underwood's watch."
"Frank?" Urquhart resumes… "The usual for the press, should any word leak?"
"Of course, Francis."
"You might very well think so…" chorus. "I couldn't possibly comment."
(FU's march theme from British "House of Cards" series playing...)
