"We think so," Juliet said. "We haven't connected it to any computers for fear it could infect them."

"Right, good thought. Set up a computer that is not connected to the Arwen in any way. In fact set up a computer that has no communication devices at all. I don't want them to be disabled, I want them gone completely. Then try to read the disk and let me know what it says. Do that now, I'll head down to talk to Ann."

"I'll get right on it, Captain."

Captain Cook watched as Juliet walked away. She looked down into the room again. Ann was sitting at the table looking around, she tapped her fingers on the table, then yawned. She had to have been tired. Marjorie wondered if she's ever had coffee before, it could be something for her to try given her short lifespan.

She took a quick walk to the galley and asked the somewhat surprised chef for two cups of coffee with all the trimmings. Within minutes she had two filled cups, some cream, sugar and cinnamon. She thanked the chef and walked back to the brig.

When she walked into the room the smell of the coffee made her glad she made this choice. It was nice and familiar, reminding her of calm mornings as well as frantic nights trying to stay awake reading reports or, when she was 20 like Ann, nights trying to stay awake getting ready for an important test.

Ann turned and took a sniff. "It's weird, I know what that smell is but I've never actually had coffee before. I'm pretty sure, based on what I remember; I'm going to like it."

"You're going to love it." She gave her one of the cups. "Now I like my coffee with cream, sugar and a little cinnamon but you can experiment to see what you like best."

She took a sip from the cup and pulled back, her face scrunched up. "That's bitter."

"Try it with sugar, that'll take the bitterness away. The cream will make it even sweeter."

"I'll just try with sugar first, thanks." She took a packet of sugar and poured it into the cup.

"You might want to use two, maybe three. I like the coffee strong on my ship."

She took two more packets and put the sugar into the cup. She took another sip and then smiled. "That's much better."

Captain Cook let her take a few more sips before sitting across from her. "Ann, we need to talk and we need to talk fast. You haven't been very forthcoming about anything since our first talk."

"That's because I wasn't talking to you. Now, Commander Monrow is a very nice lady but I wasn't ordered to talk to her, I was ordered to talk to you."

"Okay, I get that. I'll spend as much time with you as is needed. We're heading to a remote location and it'll take us a while to get there."

"But I only have five days left, right?" She almost smiled when she said it. "They told me that I had about six days once I got onboard. From what I can tell a full day has gone by so that leaves me with five days. Six if I'm lucky."

"We don't think you'll get lucky, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, us clones were born to die quickly. I just consider myself lucky to have gotten out of the lab and into a space. No other clone has gotten as far as I have."

"I don't plan on having you in jail the full time you're here. I don't think you'll hurt us and I don't think you're a threat."

Once again she smiled, lowered her head and wrapped her hand around the warm coffee mug. "I don't think that's very smart. I don't know what I'm capable of. If they can teach me their language in a week, teach me your language in three days, fill my head with all your memories who knows what else is in my brain. No, I think for the sake of the ship I should stay here."

Captain Cook considered this for a moment before replying. "Okay. If you change your mind let me know. I can always have some guards following to protect you and the ship."

"Thanks, I will. I might change my mind when I'm too weak to really be a threat."

"They were very forthcoming with you about your condition."

"Weird, huh?"

"Very. Normally we're very careful when we have to tell people bad news, especially bad news about their health."

"The Handler's who made me are very kind and dedicated to their cause. If the others knew what they had done they would be killed and killing a fellow Handler is almost unheard of."

"So, are you going to tell us about them?"

Ann leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs then folded her arms across her chest. Captain Cook hasn't been able to do that since the Fullerton first started effecting her joints, she missed the flexibility this younger clone had. "Well, that's a complex question to answer. Like I said before, there is a large group of Handlers who don't believe we should destroy everyone. They want to start a dialog, they want to talk peace."

"We've been at war for five years, peace would be welcomed."

"They agree, which is why they made me. Well, not made me, more like stole me. You see, ever since you left they've been building clones of you hoping your memories would help them find Earth. There is an entire room of Marjorie Cook clones being grown to different stages of development. They plug them into the memory reading machine and ask them questions hoping that one will remember something that'll tell them where Earth is."

A room full of clones? The thought sent a shiver down Captain Cook's spin. The image of her being grown in tanks at different ages played in her head over and over again and she feared it would be there for the rest of her life. "Since we haven't been attacked yet I guess they haven't found it?"

"We don't know for sure but there hasn't been anything to indicate they have. They only reason they found Ulliam is because they followed the Arwen there."

"That's what we figured," Captain Cook replied.

"But they're looking very hard for Earth. They have probes all over the place. They will find Earth, no idea when since we don't know how far away you are, but they will find it."

"We know, and we're getting ready for that."

"You'll never be prepared enough. Can you even guess how much resources they have? How much further advanced they are in technology? There's really no way you can win a war with them, they have infinite resources, infinite firepower and infinite time."

"We have some tricks up our sleeves they don't know about. We will not go quietly into the night."

"Which is another reason why they want to talk to you."

"What if we do talk? What can they offer? You said they were a large group, that doesn't mean they're a majority or that they have power. As far as I know this could be a trap to trick us into revealing the location of Earth."

"I-I don't know about that that," she stammered, unsure with her answer.

Captain Cook decided change the subject. "What's on the data disk?"

"Data disk?" Ann replied. "What data disk?"

"The one we found, what's on it?"

She looked genuinely surprised. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We found a small disk. It looks like some sort of data storage device. What's on it?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm serious, Captain, I don't know."

Captain Cook leaned back in her chair and stiffly crossed her legs. Her posture and appearance matched that of Ann's. It was almost like looking into a mirror that showed a younger version of yourself. "So if you don't know what it is. Could it be dangerous?"

"They don't mean you any harm, but I wouldn't take the chance."

The computer chirped and the Arwen broke into the conversation. "Captain Cook, you're needed on the bridge."

"Is it an emergency?"

"Yes. Commander Monrow needs you right away. She said she didn't want our guest to worry."

Captain Cook stood. "I'm sorry, Ann, but they wouldn't have bothered me if it wasn't important. I'll be sure to get you some food and more clothes. I'll be back to continue this conversation when I can."

Ann nodded and took another sip of coffee. "I'll be fine as long as I have this. Looking forward to seeing you again."

Captain Cook placed her hand on Ann's shoulder then left. When the door closed she walked briskly down the hallway toward the elevator. "Arwen, what's the emergency?"

"The Corps contacted us a few minutes ago. They want us to change our course and to head to Regal. The Handlers have found it and are attacking. They need us to help defend the planet."

Chapter forty-one.

The Arwen was three days out when they got the call from Regal. The news they received while in transit was depressing and confusing. When the Handler's attacked Ulliam it was quick and devastating. There was no regards for the planet, no regards for preserving anything on the surface. It was viewed as nothing more than a giant rock of material that would be used to help build the Dyson sphere. With Regal they were being careful, methodical even. The first wave of slabs was held off by the massive fleet protecting Regal. The Corps learned a huge lesson from the destruction of Ullliam. Most agreed the planet would have been saved had the fleet protecting it moved closer to the planet and if the planet itself have better defenses. Those lessons were put to the test at Regal and so far they had worked.

"We'll be leaving Wormhole space in ten hours," Commander Monrow said. "We'll be coming out near the fleet. It should take us five minutes to charge the main guns once we get out there. All missile stations report they're fully armed and ready."

"Good," Captain Cook replied. "Is the rest of the fleet ready?"

"Yes, the Gyssyc ships are even reporting excitement at the coming battle."

Captain Cook smiled, those two Gyssyc ships had as much firepower as a small armada, having them in the fleet was a major advantage.

"Sounds like we have everything under control. Tell them to get some rest before the battle, we don't know how long we'll be out there or how long we'll be fighting. Arwen, I'd like to talk to Ann please."

"I'll have the guards take her into the interrogation room."

"Thank you," Captain Cook stood from her chair. "Commander, you have control. Alert me if there's any problems."

"Will do, Captain." Commander Monrow walked over to the chair and sat down as Captain Cook walked out the door and into the elevator.

Ann's condition has been getting worse. She started exhibiting the symptoms of Fullerton's a few days after she arrived. She tried to hide it but Marjorie knew the signs right away and immediately put Ann on the same meds she was on. It helped but because of the damaged DNA it wouldn't last for long. Marjorie's Fullerton was well under control, the nanobots, expelled from her body more than five years ago, had worked on fixing her damaged nerve cells. They did a good enough job where the disease was completely under control and could be easily treated with medicines. Ann wasn't as lucky as she never had nanobots flowing through her body.

Captain Cook spend most of her free time with Ann now, trying to get more information from her. It appeared her only message was the one she gave the first day. Other than that all they talked about their shared memories with Marjorie trying to fill in some blanks or tried to explain to her what she was remembering. The discussion of men and all of Marjorie's high school crushes brought back many good feelings from her teenage years and she went to bed happy hoping that Ann had done the same.

She walked past the glass wall and looked down at Ann. The night had not been good to her clone, her once beautiful brown hair had all but fallen out now and she wore a hat to cover that up. Her skin looked thin and frail, as if a simple touch would tear it off her bones. She was shaking now, like a person who had been left out in the cold too long. Her left arm was curled, her left wrist bent at an odd angle, useless. She sat in a wheelchair, her head slumped downward. According to their calculations she was now 26 years old, she had only two days left before she died. Nothing they did could prevent that.

Captain Cook walked away from the glass wall and down the small set of stair then into the room. Ann didn't turn, she wasn't able too because she no longer had that kind of control in her body, but she did say, "Hello, Captain Cook."

"Ann, how are you feeling today?"

"No bad, I guess. What do you want to talk about today?"

Captain Cook sat across from her. "I think we should take a little stroll on the Arwen."

"I would like that. When?"

"How about now? We're going to leave Wormhole space in a few hours to help defend Regal, this could be the last chance we'll have."

"That sounds like fun," Ann replied. Her head lulled to the left. She grunted and managed to move it back to the center of her shoulders. Her face contorted as another wave of pain assaulted her. "Ouch," she laughed.

"What happened?"

"My darn head, I can't seem to keep it in one place for long. But, I'll be fine for our tour, do you think the crew will mind?"

"No, not at all." Captain Cook walked over and took her wheelchair by the handles and turned her around. The door opened and she walked out into the hallway. "I think we'll check out the engine room first, then head to the Strangelet bullet chamber visiting each section as we move from the back to the front of the ship, how does that sound?"

"Wonderful," Ann replied. "I'm looking forward to see everything."

"This is the strangelet bullet chamber," Captain Cook said as she wheeled Ann through the door. "They're busy right now but I'm the captain and I can have them stop any time I want." She stood there and cleared her throat. One of the woman working a station turned, saw the Captain and yelled, "Attention!"

The rest of the crew snapped to attention. Normally they didn't do that when she entered a room but Commander Monrow thought it would be fun if Ann saw the crew do that. From the squeal of delight that came from the chair she enjoyed the show. "At ease," Captain Cook said. They all lowered their hands and went back their stations.

"Captain," Ann said, "this tour has been fantastic. Thank you. I wish I could tell the other clones about this, we might be able to start a clone revolution."

"Would that be possible?" Captain Cook asked.

Ann laughed, then started coughing. Captain Cook placed her hand on Ann's shoulder until she was finished coughing. When she stopped she said, "I wish I could do that but since we die after five days it wouldn't be much of a rebellion."

"I guess not," Captain Cook laughed. "Ann, I need to take you back now and I might not have time to see you again."

"That's fine, Captain. I understand, you have your duty."

She turned Ann around and wheeled her out of the room and through the hallways. "Captain, have you been able to decipher the disk?"

"No, but we're working on it. We don't have the device to play it but we think we can get the information off it anyway."

"Good, that's good. I was thinking about that a lot. I wondered why they didn't tell me about it. Why they hide it from me. I don't think I have a good answer, but I'm sure it's important. Maybe they didn't trust me or maybe they wanted to test you. They're very big on testing for some reason."

"I know, I've had some experience with their tests as well."

"Whatever is on that disk must be important or else they'd never let you have it. If you find out before I die could you tell me? I'm very curious as to what it is."

"Yes, of course. We might even need you to help us understand the data."

"You might," Ann replied, her voice weakening. "I think I'm going to fall asleep now, hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all, you go to sleep, it's been a very busy day for you."