Swans and Klons Read online

  They burst out the door, through the parking lot, and into the underbrush.

  “The bike is no good for three people,” Rubric said.

  Dream cradled her head in her hands. “What kind of thicko am I? Why are we only thinking of that now?”

  Rubric went to get the bike anyway. She didn’t know what else to do.

  They crept through the scrub to the car parking lot on the other side of the factory, Rubric pushing the e-bike. The trees were thin, and they could have been seen easily if anyone had looked in their direction. But no one was. Although the parking lot was jammed with every Factory Klon, they were all gazing up at the building.

  It was a magnificent fire. Rubric was surprised it had spread so quickly. Walls of red fire shot up everywhere, and the brick building was blackening. Every now and then, there would be a small explosion from within. The roof was warping and buckling. Glass windows burst outward.

  In the parking lot, Kapo Klons began taking attendance. Then a fire truck pulled up, sirens wailing. Firefighters, Klons in green uniforms and Pannas in dirty white ones, leapt out of the truck and began uncoiling a long hose. Rubric was watching with interest when Dream grabbed her arm and pointed to something.

  A van. The key was in the ignition. Nearby, a Repair Klon and her human manager were standing around, gawking like everyone else. They had probably arrived in the van right before the fire started.

  “Do you know how to drive?” she asked Dream.

  “No. Do you?”

  “No.”

  The Klon was shaking her head.

  “I’ve played a lot of VR driving games,” Rubric said.

  “Well, great! How hard can it be?” asked Dream.

  They walked nonchalantly over to the van. Rubric could see there were only two seats.

  “You climb in the back,” Rubric told the golden-eyed girl and brought the e-bike around to the rear of the van with her. Was the back unlocked? Yes. The girl silently helped Rubric lift the bike inside and then climbed inside herself, wedging herself among tools, hardware, cans of paint, and the bike. She swung the doors in but didn’t close them all the way. Probably afraid it would be too loud. The van’s rightful owners were still standing around, looking at the blazing building.

  Rubric hopped into the driver’s seat and Dream into the passenger seat. Quick as she could, she turned the key. The engine started up, but so did a horrible dinging sound. The repair people turned around.

  “Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Dream shouted unhelpfully. Rubric accidentally hit something that made the windshield wipers turn on. She tried to move the gear stick to a different position, but it wouldn’t move.

  There was a woman running up to the car. Without hardly looking up, Rubric swung the door open and hit her with it. Oh, in the VR games you had to step on the brake! She found the brake and was able to move the gear stick. She stepped on the gas and the car zoomed backwards.

  “Wrong way, wrong way!” Dream shouted. Again, unhelpfully.

  It took Rubric a little while to find the brake again, but a tree stopped them, anyway. While she was trying to figure out the gear stick, a woman ran up to the passenger side and opened the door, grabbing Dream. She shrieked.

  Rubric stepped on the gas again, and they lurched forward. The woman holding Dream fell, and Dream slammed the door shut again.

  Rubric made a very wide turn out of the parking lot. They began careening down the road.

  “Can’t you go any faster?” Dream asked.

  Rubric sped up. She accidentally clipped a couple of mirrors off parked cars. “Oops.”

  “There’s a Security vehicle behind us,” Dream shouted, looking into her own side mirror. “Do something!”

  “Like what?”

  “Oh wow!” Dream said. She rolled down her window and stuck her head out to get a better look. She was almost decapitated when Rubric risked a look in her own mirror and swerved all over the road. Every time Rubric moved her eyes, her stiff, terrified arms gripping the steering wheel followed.

  “Gold Eyes is throwing stuff out the back,” Dream reported. “Good gravy! She just threw a can of paint, and it smashed into their windscreen. They’re slowing down.”

  But Rubric had to slow down too to go around a corner.

  “Quick, turn here,” Dream said. “While they can’t see you.”

  “Here?”

  “No, not into the bush! Where the road is.”

  Their new road was straight and empty. Rubric pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

  After a while Dream said, “There’s no one back there. Maybe you should pull into one of these driveways. Woah, slow down!”

  The van was nicely hidden, half behind a hedge and half in the hedge. Rubric turned the key. “Wait, was I supposed to put it in park before I turned it off?”

  They spilled out of the van and ran around the back to check on Gold Eyes. She was unharmed and glowed at their praise of her quick thinking. A minute later, they saw the Security vehicle fly by. Dream thought they should get back on the road right away, but Rubric’s hands were shaking too bad to drive. To calm down, she started questioning the girl about her life.

  Her garbled account suggested she had been working in the factory since she was nine. They had need of small nimble hands. She had fond memories of the Klon academy, where she had grown up until then. Dream was able to draw her out to a certain extent by talking about Klon academy games and customs.

  Then Rubric got the idea to paint the van so it would be hard to recognize. Forty minutes later, the van was bright orange and said R.D. Construction, since 2379 in Rubric’s neat lettering.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Rubric wanted to rest some more, but Dream insisted they move on to their second task immediately. “We have to hit them boom, boom, boom,” she said. “Once they realize we do stuff like this, it’s going to get a lot harder. Plus, I told Prospect it would take no time.”

  “Of course,” said Rubric, getting up quickly. She thought of her last glimpse of Salmon Jo, waving on the other side of the fence.

  It was two hours’ ride to Velvet City, and they arrived at dusk to Dream’s old eth-fruit farm. They knew they would both be recognized there, and they knew there was no way Gold Eyes could pass for a Panna. Rubric couldn’t even identify the quality she had that made her Klon-like. But she had it and she couldn’t pass. So they sent her in posing as a Delivery Klon, and while she was there, she passed the word to the Picker Klons that there was going to be a big fire in forty-five minutes. Instead of going to the rehearsed fire drill location, they should all go to the tree closest to the front gate and get in the van.

  This fire was harder to light, and less spectacular. But the smoke smelled better, almost sweet, as the eth-fruit trees caught alight. The flames crackled against the black sky.

  “Do you think our Jeepie Type is a pyromaniac?” she asked Dream.

  “Some kind of maniac,” she agreed.

  It was chaotic as the Klons showed up at the van, some dragging pillowcases full of possessions. They all piled into the back.

  “There are supposed to be twice as many as this,” Rubric said.

  “Scheiss, I hope we haven’t burnt them up,” Dream fretted.

  “We need to go before the fire trucks get here,” Rubric told her.

  “Let’s wait a little longer,” Dream said. “I think more are coming.”

  But Rubric heard the sirens. “We go now,” she said, and started the engine. Dream sucker punched her. Rubric saw stars, just like animated characters did on edfotunement.

  “No, no, we’re leaving,” Rubric said through the stars, and the van lurched forward. Screams from the back, as Klons fell over. She heard someone shut the door. Good, very good. She took off as fast as she dared down the bumpy road, heading northeast, back toward the Land of the Barbarous Ones.

  They pulled over about ten minutes later so the Klons could cut out their chips. Even with their well-stocked first aid kit and
sterilized scalpels, the leafy ground looked like an abattoir within two minutes. Rubric couldn’t stand it and thought she might throw up, so she climbed back into the driver’s seat of the van. First she left the door open, but she could still hear the Klons’ gasps of pain. She chunked the door closed and rolled up the windows. As keyed up as she was, she was even more tired, and she was almost asleep when Dream got into the van.

  “We’re ready to set out,” she said. She had blood on her tunic. “Onward!”

  “I just couldn’t help,” Rubric said. “I just couldn’t.”

  “That’s okay,” Dream said. “You Pannas are a bunch of softies. I’m sorry I hit you. But I think Klons were still coming when we left. I feel bad about leaving them behind. I wonder if they’re going to get in trouble.”

  “I made the decision that it was time to go,” Rubric said. “Someone had to do it.”

  “Yeah,” Dream said. She let out a quavering sigh.

  “Do you think we should paint the van again?” they both said in unison.

  Sometimes Rubric felt like she was Dream.

  They decided the darkness of the night would be their best disguise, so they set off. The driving was easier when Dream discovered a mechanism to turn on the van’s headlamps. Rubric could go a lot faster now. They arrived at the wall around three a.m.

  “I can’t believe I just crossed the fence less than twenty-four hours ago,” Dream said. “This has been the longest day of my life.”

  “I hope the Klons will be okay crossing the fence,” Rubric said.

  “Poor little piglets,” said Dream.

  When they opened the back of the van, for a second Rubric was afraid all the Klons were dead. They were all sprawled on the floor in a big heap. But they began lifting their heads and blinking.

  “Wake up, my companions!” Dream said. “It’s time to cross the fence to your new life.” One by one, the women and girls hopped out of the van.

  “Here’s flashlights, a grappling hook, and a rope ladder,” Dream said. “Empty your pockets of metal before you cross the fence, and don’t hold hands. It hurts like you wouldn’t believe. If anyone falls down and starts twitching, just make sure they don’t hurt themselves, and don’t put nothing in their mouths. Roll them on their sides when they’re done having a fit, and wait for them to feel better. Here’s a map to get you to Hot Buttered Toast Town. By the way, there aren’t actually any vodka waterfalls—I know that’s disappointing. Take care of Gold Eyes here. If you run into any bad trouble, our friend Salmon Jo made these flares you can light, and she’ll come get you. But she made them herself and she’s a bit of a nut, so who knows? It might blow up in your face or something, so be careful. We’re crossing tomorrow ourselves if all goes well. Is that all clear?”

  Rubric could barely follow all the information Dream had just spewed out, and she knew it all already. There was no way these Klons could have taken all that in. But they just nodded and began gathering their belongings.

  “Clear as mud,” said one older woman. “Let’s go! See you on the other side.”

  “Tomorrow,” Dream agreed.

  Rubric watched them leave, but they were invisible almost instantly. Little bright spots from their flashlights bobbed in the dark like fireflies. After a while, she started hearing clanks and thumps.

  “They’re climbing over the wall,” she whispered. She didn’t know why she was whispering.

  “Good gravy, imagine doing that in the dark,” Dream said in her normal voice. “I bet they wish they’d stayed at the farm.”

  Soon there were no more thuds, and all was silent.

  “Are they over?” Rubric asked.

  “How should I know?” Dream said. “Let’s go. There’s sweet scheiss nothing we can do for them now.”

  As they returned to the van, Rubric wondered how they had become brutal adventurers so quickly. She had been motivated by her desire to help these people and by her squishy feelings about how much she loved justice and fairness and humanity. But while they were doing the operation, as she now thought of it, the Klons became just so many logistical problems, and she had no squishy feelings at all. Bundle them into the van, bundle them over the wall. Maybe later on, when she got back to the Land of the Barbarous Ones, they could all get together and sing songs and share their thoughts and emotions.

  They started driving, toward Lvodz. Rubric thought she was getting good at this driving thing, except her eyes kept closing for half a second.

  “Talk to me,” she ordered. “Sing, whatever.”

  “Um, what do those dials and lights on the dashboard mean?” Dream wanted to know.

  “I have no idea! And if I take my eyes off the road to look at them, we may swerve right off.”

  “It’s just that two red lights are flashing.”

  “Not good.”

  Soon they came to a red stoplight. There was no one around, so Rubric wasn’t sure if she had to stop, but she figured it was better to obey the guidelines of the road when you were a serial arsonist fugitive. While she was stopped, she dared to glance at the dashboard, but she couldn’t interpret the flashing lights, either.

  “Hmm. There’s a screen with instructions in that mitten department thing. You could look at that,” she suggested to Dream.

  “In the what?”

  “I’m not sure what it’s called, okay? It’s that little hatch right in front of you.”

  Dream fumbled around and found it. She pulled out a screen, which was attached to the inside of the hatch by a cable. “I’ve never really used a screen before,” she said. “And I’m not much of a reader. Oh good, there’s lots of graphics.”

  While Dream was consulting the screen, Rubric pulled over for a nap. She woke up feeling refreshed, but when she tried to start the van nothing happened.

  “Oh,” said Dream. “I was afraid of that. If I’m understanding this right, we’ve run out of electricity. We need to plug in somewhere.”

  They both looked around at the desolate landscape. There were woods. There was the road. Off in the distance, Rubric could see a stream.

  “But it was sunny all day, and there are panels on the roof,” Rubric protested.

  “Send a pulse to whoever designed the van and complain to them,” Dream said. “There’s sweet scheiss nothing I can do about it.”

  “It looks like it’s back to the electric bike for us,” groaned Rubric. “And we’re still fifteen klicks from Lvodz.”

  “Let’s get some more sleep first,” Dream suggested. “I can barely think. This is a pretty isolated area. I want to go into those scraggly woods there, where we can keep the van in sight.”

  Rubric would have preferred to stay in the van. The driver’s seat was surprisingly comfy. But Dream insisted that they not only go to the woods but bring the e-bike and all their stuff.

  In the end, Rubric was glad they had. They slept later than they had planned to, and soon after they awoke, a security vehicle pulled up beside the van. A bunch of people swarmed out. From their hiding place, the girls couldn’t tell if they were Klons, Pannas, or both, and they couldn’t quite hear what they said. But they practically tore the van apart. They were still there when Rubric and Dream dragged the bike through the woods so they could emerge on another road.

  Even though Lvodz was such a small city, they found a Comfort Station. It made Rubric think of the night she and Salmon Jo had gone to the Comfort Station at home in Mountain City and eaten tea and toast, the same night they had broken into the Hatchery. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Rubric forced herself to think about the present. She wasn’t there for reminiscing or even resting. Rubric had to use the bathroom to change and freshen up. For the last leg of their operation, she had to again look like a clean, glam Panna, not a stinky, smoke-blackened Klon. In fact, this time, she had to look like a Doctor.

  Rubric and Dream had chosen the final Klon to free because she was another of their Jeepie Similars, and it was such a nice coincidence to find one in Lvodz, the close
st city to where they had crossed the fence both times. Rubric felt almost relaxed after having slept, washed her face, and put on clean clothes. This should be the easiest of the three Klon-freeing adventures, since she didn’t plan to set any fires. It was just a simple impersonation.

  Theodorica was a great hand with a needle. From Rubric’s sketches, she had created a wonderful replica of a Doctor’s saffron robe. She’d had to sew weights into the hem to make it fall just right. The Klons in the Comfort Station lowered their heads respectfully when Rubric emerged, ostensibly a Doctor.

  According to the information she had, the Jeepie Similar Klon was just Rubric’s age, with a nice assignment as a lifeguard at the city pool. Rubric walked to the pool, only about half a klick away, while Dream rode the e-bike. Rubric couldn’t picture a Doctor riding an e-bike and thought it would look suspicious. When she arrived at the pool’s entrance, she saw Dream waiting with the bike. But she didn’t acknowledge her. Rubric swept magisterially through the building to the poolside. No one questioned her. Girls screamed and splashed in the saltwater pool, while Pannas swam laps in one roped-off lane.

  The Lifeguard Klon sat on a tall white chair by the deep end. Rubric didn’t think she could ever get used to seeing her Jeepie Similars. This girl looked more like her, even, than Dream. The only distinction that Rubric could make was this girl had a mole on her right cheek. And freckles, probably from being in the sun all the time. She wore her hair a bit longer and had bangs.

  The girl had been lifting her whistle to her lips, but she let it drop when she saw Doctor Rubric. Rubric had never seen such horror on anyone’s face.