CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Tom ran out of his house when he saw Roderick's car park in the driveway. "Have they left Las Vegas, yet?" he asked, referring to the Randall Clone and Kevin
"Yes sir," said Roderick, thinking that perhaps there should be a better title rather than sir, but they had not been here long enough to establish their own language.
Some of them were thinking of Leader, partly because their children were engrossed in a human television show soon to be offered in VHS format—if not already, called V. Its significance to the Dominants now was not identifying with the victims or victors, i.e, "We are being persecuted by the humans" nor "We are stronger than the humans, once we get rid of their leaders as the Visitors failed to do, we will succeed," but the timeline and the failure of the invading force to win. Having mostly everyone pretending to be humans and then having a few showing their true self, for instance, was not conducive to Victory. Having a few, the Chameleons, trained to be humans was a better method. Invading with a large army and bringing their families along with you was also anathema to their plans. A few would suffice; a few that would kill the humans in such a way as to avoid detection or to put the blame on another group, the Serial killers.
The result would be that the Dominants would gradually overcome the Sapiens before they were aware of it. Of course, that led to some problems, the Sapiens and Dominants might cooperate which was what was happening now.
"I will come with you." Tom went back in his house and got his gun.
"What's the matter?" asked Sloan.
"I will have a female of our species to look after you. They are stronger than you and will protect you until I return," he said and motioned to a young woman of about twenty who did not look like she could kill a fly.
Sloan looked at him strangely. "Her?"
Tom smiled. "No one will suspect that she is strong."
The Dominant female said her name was Donna and that is all Sloan knew. She was blonde, petite, had already produced twelve sets of children. Sloan could not get over that this woman at twenty had forty- eight offspring. The significance of the Dominants eventually replacing all Sapiens would have frightened Sloan if she did not know that skirmishes, accidental deaths, and other calamities had reduced the Dominant population, but not by that much.
In about one hundred years, there would be no homo sapiens left, at least in the Caucasian population. And Sloan was sure that once that was accomplished, they would eliminate rather than breed with the others.
The tests in that unknown location were the first steps of hope. If the Dominants could see that they needed them, there would be no need to breed the Homo Sapiens out of existence and if they could be regarded as equals rather than slaves, so much the better.
However, that was in the future and Sloan wanted to do something. She wanted to go with her husband, to get the killers of her mother and Donna sensed it.
"You wish to go with your mate, to hunt the killers?"
"Get in the back," said Roderick with a smile. The Sapien female showed good sense. A woman must hunt with her mate.
"I could have taken our car," she said.
Tom turned around. "This way is better. The Clone and Kevin will see the cars in the driveway and assume we're all home. I hope you prepared the house." He addressed this last sentence to Donna.
"Yes sir. I set the timer switch to random, and programmed the oven as well as the appropriate odors."
"What if they're looking for shadows?" asked Sloan as she imagined a Tom and Sloan clone moving about.
"There are other Dominants in the area. I put the signal for two, a male and female of your height. They will sneak in—we have ways—and pretend to be you," said Donna.
"How much do we owe?"
"Nothing. I am owned, a skirmish between two of our groups. It happened when I was a child."
"Oh."
"This car is equipped for desert driving," said Tom and handed Sloan what did not look like binoculars, this was different.
It had the normal two lenses, but was flatter, being more a combination of regular glasses and binoculars. It could fit over one's eyes or carried by a strap. With the Dominant prevalence of making certain not to be seen, anyone could assume that either someone was looking through binoculars or was a soldier engaged in night vision.
"Since you do not have our senses," said Roderick, "that will help you."
"What are you going to do with Randall Clone and Kevin once you catch them?"
"The Clone, of course, will be eliminated. He is a non entity. You have a human look on your face of astonishment. We have regulations, rules for the creation of Clones. Randall Lynch was not of the Chosen nor the Council. Even I, a Councilor do not have a Clone. The Chosen had his true birth sibling." Roderick turned the wheel. He had spotted someone.
"What about Kevin? He's a boy."
"He disobeyed," said Tom, "in killing your birth mother the Favorite of Paul. She was guarding his progeny. Even if she were alone, the crime would need to be punished for only Paul could make the decision to dispose of her and Lupe was past the age when this was usually done. That thing with glasses?"
Sloan nodded.
"When we kill, we take those as tokens, as proof, not because of their weak eyes. Our Medicals can cure eye diseases. Besides none of them were Favorites. They would have been taken already and their garments burnt and the Medicals would have restored their vision to normal as well as performed gene therapy on them, if necessary."
Suddenly, Roderick twisted the wheel to one side, almost causing Sloan to drop the binoculars. She quickly picked them up, and looked out the window to where a truck sped along the highway, pursued by several cars and trucks.
'The gangs have joined together," said Tom, reaching for his gun.
"They must not catch up with them, for if they do, they will find out about us," said Roderick. He pressed on the gas pedal, and the car shoot ahead, going over the bumps, gravel flying in all directions.
Sloan and the Dominant female both checked their seat belts, which had extra padding in the area that protected the stomach. "To protect the future," said the latter.
Sloan understood why. Girls of eight, even Dominant girls, did not have much fat in that area so they needed extra protection.
The car almost every bump in the desert until it came back on the highway. Now they were between the Clone's truck and the Crip and Blood vehicles following them.
"We speed up," said Roderick, "get your weapons ready!" He held his gun in one hand, and steered with the other.
Now Tom had his weapon out, and looked back to see if the followers would be able to retaliate if he shot at them. "Put your head out!"
"What?"
"Sloan put your head out."
She did so and the cars and trucks following them, slowed down. "Why?"
"I told them that Randall Clone got a girl pregnant. They'll assume that you are that girl and that Tom is your man getting revenge. A matter of honor among them."
Tom turned back. The gang vehicles were going down another road. "They're going to cut the Clone off a different route. They'll get to him first.:"
"No they won't," said Roderick, "Our cars are equipped to go faster." The speedometer now registered 200.
It happened in an instant. The bullet sped out of Roderick's gun, hitting with deliberate aim, Randall Clone who lost control of the truck and crashed into a gulley.
Tom and Roderick wasted no time. They rushed over to the truck, and climbed down. The Clone was still there, his head to one side and the blood trickling from his neck where Roderick had aimed. .
Randall Clone was dead, but Kevin had gone.
Tom ran out of his house when he saw Roderick's car park in the driveway. "Have they left Las Vegas, yet?" he asked, referring to the Randall Clone and Kevin
"Yes sir," said Roderick, thinking that perhaps there should be a better title rather than sir, but they had not been here long enough to establish their own language.
Some of them were thinking of Leader, partly because their children were engrossed in a human television show soon to be offered in VHS format—if not already, called V. Its significance to the Dominants now was not identifying with the victims or victors, i.e, "We are being persecuted by the humans" nor "We are stronger than the humans, once we get rid of their leaders as the Visitors failed to do, we will succeed," but the timeline and the failure of the invading force to win. Having mostly everyone pretending to be humans and then having a few showing their true self, for instance, was not conducive to Victory. Having a few, the Chameleons, trained to be humans was a better method. Invading with a large army and bringing their families along with you was also anathema to their plans. A few would suffice; a few that would kill the humans in such a way as to avoid detection or to put the blame on another group, the Serial killers.
The result would be that the Dominants would gradually overcome the Sapiens before they were aware of it. Of course, that led to some problems, the Sapiens and Dominants might cooperate which was what was happening now.
"I will come with you." Tom went back in his house and got his gun.
"What's the matter?" asked Sloan.
"I will have a female of our species to look after you. They are stronger than you and will protect you until I return," he said and motioned to a young woman of about twenty who did not look like she could kill a fly.
Sloan looked at him strangely. "Her?"
Tom smiled. "No one will suspect that she is strong."
The Dominant female said her name was Donna and that is all Sloan knew. She was blonde, petite, had already produced twelve sets of children. Sloan could not get over that this woman at twenty had forty- eight offspring. The significance of the Dominants eventually replacing all Sapiens would have frightened Sloan if she did not know that skirmishes, accidental deaths, and other calamities had reduced the Dominant population, but not by that much.
In about one hundred years, there would be no homo sapiens left, at least in the Caucasian population. And Sloan was sure that once that was accomplished, they would eliminate rather than breed with the others.
The tests in that unknown location were the first steps of hope. If the Dominants could see that they needed them, there would be no need to breed the Homo Sapiens out of existence and if they could be regarded as equals rather than slaves, so much the better.
However, that was in the future and Sloan wanted to do something. She wanted to go with her husband, to get the killers of her mother and Donna sensed it.
"You wish to go with your mate, to hunt the killers?"
"Get in the back," said Roderick with a smile. The Sapien female showed good sense. A woman must hunt with her mate.
"I could have taken our car," she said.
Tom turned around. "This way is better. The Clone and Kevin will see the cars in the driveway and assume we're all home. I hope you prepared the house." He addressed this last sentence to Donna.
"Yes sir. I set the timer switch to random, and programmed the oven as well as the appropriate odors."
"What if they're looking for shadows?" asked Sloan as she imagined a Tom and Sloan clone moving about.
"There are other Dominants in the area. I put the signal for two, a male and female of your height. They will sneak in—we have ways—and pretend to be you," said Donna.
"How much do we owe?"
"Nothing. I am owned, a skirmish between two of our groups. It happened when I was a child."
"Oh."
"This car is equipped for desert driving," said Tom and handed Sloan what did not look like binoculars, this was different.
It had the normal two lenses, but was flatter, being more a combination of regular glasses and binoculars. It could fit over one's eyes or carried by a strap. With the Dominant prevalence of making certain not to be seen, anyone could assume that either someone was looking through binoculars or was a soldier engaged in night vision.
"Since you do not have our senses," said Roderick, "that will help you."
"What are you going to do with Randall Clone and Kevin once you catch them?"
"The Clone, of course, will be eliminated. He is a non entity. You have a human look on your face of astonishment. We have regulations, rules for the creation of Clones. Randall Lynch was not of the Chosen nor the Council. Even I, a Councilor do not have a Clone. The Chosen had his true birth sibling." Roderick turned the wheel. He had spotted someone.
"What about Kevin? He's a boy."
"He disobeyed," said Tom, "in killing your birth mother the Favorite of Paul. She was guarding his progeny. Even if she were alone, the crime would need to be punished for only Paul could make the decision to dispose of her and Lupe was past the age when this was usually done. That thing with glasses?"
Sloan nodded.
"When we kill, we take those as tokens, as proof, not because of their weak eyes. Our Medicals can cure eye diseases. Besides none of them were Favorites. They would have been taken already and their garments burnt and the Medicals would have restored their vision to normal as well as performed gene therapy on them, if necessary."
Suddenly, Roderick twisted the wheel to one side, almost causing Sloan to drop the binoculars. She quickly picked them up, and looked out the window to where a truck sped along the highway, pursued by several cars and trucks.
'The gangs have joined together," said Tom, reaching for his gun.
"They must not catch up with them, for if they do, they will find out about us," said Roderick. He pressed on the gas pedal, and the car shoot ahead, going over the bumps, gravel flying in all directions.
Sloan and the Dominant female both checked their seat belts, which had extra padding in the area that protected the stomach. "To protect the future," said the latter.
Sloan understood why. Girls of eight, even Dominant girls, did not have much fat in that area so they needed extra protection.
The car almost every bump in the desert until it came back on the highway. Now they were between the Clone's truck and the Crip and Blood vehicles following them.
"We speed up," said Roderick, "get your weapons ready!" He held his gun in one hand, and steered with the other.
Now Tom had his weapon out, and looked back to see if the followers would be able to retaliate if he shot at them. "Put your head out!"
"What?"
"Sloan put your head out."
She did so and the cars and trucks following them, slowed down. "Why?"
"I told them that Randall Clone got a girl pregnant. They'll assume that you are that girl and that Tom is your man getting revenge. A matter of honor among them."
Tom turned back. The gang vehicles were going down another road. "They're going to cut the Clone off a different route. They'll get to him first.:"
"No they won't," said Roderick, "Our cars are equipped to go faster." The speedometer now registered 200.
It happened in an instant. The bullet sped out of Roderick's gun, hitting with deliberate aim, Randall Clone who lost control of the truck and crashed into a gulley.
Tom and Roderick wasted no time. They rushed over to the truck, and climbed down. The Clone was still there, his head to one side and the blood trickling from his neck where Roderick had aimed. .
Randall Clone was dead, but Kevin had gone.