Wolf Boy, Chapter 7, Part II

Cloning operations on the Moon were under review, but the Moon’s entertainment offerings, ranging from amusement parks to brothels, continued without apology. For Lider, the Moon was the “Vegas” of his past, the one before it became a family vacationland.

Junad said, “That clone—the one that looks after Panfilo, it stole documents. It proved the faithful can dig up the truth.”

That clone, Allec, would claim he was researching his origins when he walked off with digital devices full of lab information. But Junad had a point. Rebels were often pack animals—no pun intended—to a far greater extent than they imagined. What one did, another could do.

Lider said, his tone still belligerent, “Nobody on the forums has connected Panfilo to cloning.”

Junad scoffed. “Those wannabes. Protest through rallies, through laws, through our fancy words. Powerless cretins. An Anthros infiltrated the Moon’s defenses.”

Got hired and sabotaged the company. Allec, at least, had a personal reason to "steal" digital information about his genetic structure.

Lider went for sarcasm, “So you say. So that Anthros says.”

Killer rabbits.

Junad was not a trained assassin. A trained assassin would have succeeded in killing its target. Panfilo hadn’t been chaperoned since he arrived on the station as a young teen. A visitor could have found a way to encounter him alone—though, in fairness to Junad, Quin being in the corridor at the same time had been something of a fluke.

Junad snapped, “Not everything is in online forums. Animals don’t need that so-called human invention. Anthros don’t need it. Communication takes many forms.”

Ah. Like Allec, the thieving Anthros carried information away from the Moon on its person. No doubt that Anthros delivered the information in a secret meeting surrounded by the paraphernalia and rituals of all such societies. Did Junad and his companions meet at midnight in graveyards under waning moons? Did they use code to communicate? Did they slide notes into each other’s pockets, whisper invitations to new potential members? How seriously did they take themselves?

As seriously as we should take them, I suppose.

Lider said, “You never saw that document. You heard the story, I bet. But you never met that heroic Anthros.”

Lider kept his expression faintly skeptical. But he could tell immediately that he’d gone too far. Junad may not be an assassin trained to handle torture while never admitting to anything. But loyalty to the group was an engrained characteristic with all sentient beings, and Anthros—who alleged to possess the greatest amount of natural loyalty—would balk at giving up a member. Hence Queen Artia denouncing Junad while claiming him.

Junad squeezed as far as he could against the opposite side of the shield, eyes shut, mouth closed, teeth grinding. Lider got up and crossed to Rhys.

Rhys said, “Ironic that an evil clone inspired an Anthros to carry out an act to save Anthros from evil clones.”

“I don’t think Junad has a strong grasp of irony.”

“No. There are drugs that loose the tongue.”

“You know they are unreliable. Suspects conflate, exaggerate, invent.”

“Yes. Then we should go,” Rhys said. “To the Moon, to Earth.”

Lider agreed.