The Cimalian Princess: Clone
by AJ Marks
Part 17
Ann walked out of the restaurant trying to figure out a way she could get away from Randy for a few seconds to get a message to the nearby operatives. She casually glanced up and down the street knowing that Randy would be suspicious of anything she might do especially after the conversation they had early in the meal. He was keeping a close eye on her and what she did.
She continued down the street towards the transportation back to the military base looking for a way to get away from Randy. Halfway there they passed a park and she spotted something which might work in her favor. Quickly thinking it over she decided to go for it.
“I need to freshen up for a second, do you mind waiting?” Ann asked over at Randy watching his reaction as he gave it some thought.
“Sure,” he finally replied.
Ann turned away and headed to the park bathroom. She quickly headed through looking for the window, seeing that it seemed a bit too small for her to get through. Now she had to rethink her plan as sneaking out through the window to reach her operatives now seemed unlikely.
“You appear to be in a conundrum here,” a woman’s voice said causing Ann to freeze. She recognized the voice and turned around to see a woman about her height facing her but wrapped up.
“You are?” Ann replied on the defensive, ready for anything which might happen.
“No one you know, but we do know a mutual associate,” the woman said, unveiling herself a bit more so Ann could see her face and felt a bit shocked. Her initial reaction was to wonder how Meia could leave Cimalius. “Don’t worry,” the Meia in front of her said. “Meia’s still back on Cimalius II and won’t be leaving anytime soon. I’m your replacement.”
“Good, I’m getting tired of trying to be her, a goody-two shoes if you ask me,” Ann said. “We can’t switch here, Randy is already suspicious and coming back with blue hair will do that for him.”
“Hmm, yes, you’re right about that, pity, but don’t want to arouse his suspicion any further,” the other clone said.
“Perhaps the Emperor shouldn’t have killed off that other captured man so quickly,” Ann stated.
“Victor, perhaps, my memory is better than yours is,” the woman said in a superior way causing Ann to narrow her eyes at her. She would place this clone in her place soon enough. Ann’s plans went beyond pretending to be some traitor to the Empire, Ann wanted to be Queen. Soon she would cause his downfall and he would never even know it.
“Memories are not everything,” Ann finally said.
“Of course not,” the woman said.
“We’ll have to figure out a way to make the change without causing any suspicion among the Alliance leaders. They seem to think this traitor Meia is their ticket to winning this war,” Ann said rolling her eyes at the thought.
“That’s because she’s saved many of them more than once, and in more than one way,” the other woman replied back.
“Whatever, she’s still a traitor and I hope she’s been eliminated already,” Ann stated with hostility. “Now, I think I can get down planet-side tomorrow after the staff meeting. I can claim I want to think, whats-his-name, Randy, should believe that. “I’ll find you and we can make the switch.”
“Sounds good, where?”
“Here, its close to the base, but a bit private,” Ann replied. “If anyone’s watching they’ll think I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Then tomorrow it’ll be,” the woman replied.
“I look forward to it,” Ann replied not waiting for a reply before walking out of the bathroom. She could not wait to get off this horrible piece of rock and away from these narrow-minded people. She noticed Randy waiting and headed towards him.
“Ready?” he asked.
“All set,” Ann replied, seeing a distant thunderstorm in the distance.
*****
The operative watched as the woman returned back to where he was hidden. She had told him to stay here but now he quickly moved over to her, she could not be seen in public much yet. Now he wondered what she might say about this meeting.
“We’ll be returning tomorrow, same place to keep an eye out for her return and then we can carry out the mission,” the woman said to him.
He paused slightly at the cold tone the woman used but did not understand what she meant. He knew his place in the Cimalian Empire but did not understand this woman’s, or why following her orders was so important.
“Of course, but I don’t be able to take off many more days, the dock captain will sstart getting suspicious, especially if someone sees me out and about,” the operative said, thinking about his ‘regular’ job in the Alliance.
“Do not worry about it, it will all be taken care of,” the woman said, wrapping her cloak around her even more. “Now, let’s get back before it starts to rain, I don’t feel like getting wet.”
“Of course,” he replied, quickening his step to keep up with her. He had no idea how such a small woman could walk so fast. He felt a bit relieved he only had to provide her with shelter for a short time and not actually be part of her mission. From what she said he only had to do his job for a short time. He would feel better when the Empire no longer was looking so much at him.
*****
Meia woke taking a second to look around and recalling everything which happened. She was not sure to relieved or not, but at least being in the cell meant she had some hope for escape, but the time to escape was fading fast if she nothing. She realized a second problem, even if she managed to escape she had no allies or way off the planet.
The last problem she had was the fact they drugged her before taking her out of the cell. They recognized her ability to escape and she had been trained for such things taking every precaution they could think of to prevent such a thing from happening. She briefly wondered if the drugs were there to alter her mind as well.
Dismissing those thought she refocused on her first priority, getting out of the cell and the building. She had been watching the hallways and noticed where the security camera were and where there were some gaps in security, a bit surprising considering. She had a point she could consider her escape, perhaps if things went well and would allow her some time to get away.
She gave some thought about where she might go after escaping, who she might be able to trust. Trina came to mind, she spotted the older woman last time she was taken out of her cell. It meant the woman had a home somewhere close by and within walking distance. The woman might know some people in the underground who might help her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a plate pushed through the opening on the door and shut closed again. She eyed the plate as the smell of the foot wafted through air of the cell but it did not smell as good as the meals she had while living in the Alliance.
The doctors and officials were trying to appease her to eat the meal. That usually meant it was drugged why else would they make it appear so good. Now she had a choice and quickly as the opportunity seemed to present itself. She could eat the food and sate her hunger or try and attempt an escape.
Quickly thinking of the past couple of times she had been drugged she finally made a decision. She would attempt her escape this time.
*****
Trina made her way to work for another day. She spent the night wondering not only how, but if she could help Meia. Trina felt certain now that Meia was the child of Didi, and that she was also the daughter of Boris Cimal and rightful ruler of the Empire. Nothing else made any sense to her due to all the secrecy surrounding this project and how much they tried to keep from her.
“Trina,” a voice said startling her. She turned to see Carl walking towards her and she slowed down waiting for her to catch up. She quickly made a decision not to tell him anything of what she had been thinking unsure if he would keep the secret.
“Carl, what are you doing here?” Trina asked having never seen him on her way to work.
“Actually I was hoping to catch you before you made it to work,” Carl said.
Trina began walking again when Carl caught up, the last thing she needed to be was late to work especially with what she was planning.
“If you need to talk to me we must do so while walking, I don’t need to be late to work,” Trina said to him wondering what he would say, and if she even wanted to hear what he had to say.
“You really think highly of this woman, don’t you?” Carl asked keeping pace with Trina
“I spoke my peace about her Carl, if they refuse to see the opportunity in front of them I can’t change that,” Trina said with some annoyance about the entire thing. They had made a mistake in her mind.
“I’m not speaking about them,” Carl said quietly. “I’m asking you.”
Trina stopped and looked at Carl for a second before replying. “Yes, she is that important Carl.”
She watched as he thought about what she said but expected nothing else from him as his shoulders slumped slightly and he looked away from her.
“Truth is we didn’t talk to them about her,” he finally told her shocking her.
Trina glared at him for several seconds before making her way away from him quickly. She didn’t want to look at him right now if he thought so little of what she thought was important. The irresponsibility irked her more than anything else and wanted nothing to do with the rebellion ever again.
“Trina wait,” Carl said, quickly catching up with her but she would not look at him. “Let me explain.”
“Then you better explain fast, I don’t have much time,” Trina said not breaking her pace.
“I think there’s a spy in the rebellion,” Carl stated. “That’s why we didn’t tell them, if we did then they would know what we know and everything is over. I don’t trust the leaders anymore.”
Trina slowed her pace thinking about Carl said. If the rebellion had been infiltrated then it meant a lot of people would be in danger by the authorities. It also explained so much why the leaders did so little and the authorities were always a step ahead of everything they did.
“I’ll ask again, is she that important?” Carl asked one more time.
“Yes,” Trina said stopping to look at him. “I’m positive she’s the one who can bring a new era to the Empire, make it better if she so chooses or dissolve it as well.”
“How can she do that?” Carl asked, his voice uncertain and Trina didn’t blame him for that. It was impossible to think of someone so powerful they could challenge the authority of the Emperor.
“Because, she is the daughter of Boris Cimal,” Trina said to him, her voice full of conviction about who Meia was. She had no doubt about the woman’s identity despite no real proof and watched Carl think about that.
“We don’t have the resources to get her out,” he finally stated after a few seconds.
“Don’t’ worry about that,” Trina finally said not giving up anything else of what she might do.
“But,” Carl said, stopping as he tried to think of the right words to say to her.
“No buts,” Trina finally said waling again and reaching the building she worked at and paused at the doorway. “I have no doubts, but will you be there later on?”
“I don’t know, if it all checks out, yeah,” Carl finally promised
“I might take you up on that,” Trina said and walked through the door. She felt slightly better and hoped she could do something for Meia and get her out of here. That part she still had no idea how she might do that. It all centered around getting her out of this building, without that nothing else mattered.
End part 17