Christ Clone by David McLeod Read Free Book Online Page A

without diluting share ownership or alerting the sharemarket to our position. The only things we've come up with are slashing expenditure or cutting staff. As you will read in the documents I've just handed out, we seem to have been given the opportunity to proceed in another way.'
    His voice was a little weak, but he felt sure his opening speech was good enough.
    With a show of slight reluctance, the group of men picked up their individual documents and began to read. While they did this, Klaus took a moment to revel in his discovery; his hand was shaking as he poured a glass of water. The cold water cleansed his tobacco-coated windpipe, easing his dry throat.
    Then the barrage of questions began. As expected, the chairman — a man who looked as though he had seen and experienced everything life could find to throw at him — took the lead. 'Klaus, this looks like a very dubious document. Where did you find this?' His manner was a little condescending, but not enough to rock Klaus' confidence.
    'As basic as it may seem, it was sent to my e-mail address. My first reaction was that it was a hoax, or contained a virus, but since there wasn't any attachment I decided to investigate further.' This was a lie; checking for a virus was very much an afterthought.
    The first round of questions was based on the validity of the e-mail:
Was it a joke? Where was the e-mail from? Was it some kind of test from the Cloning Federation?
    They were all valid questions, and ones that Klaus couldn't answer for certain. Yes, it could be a trap. Yes, it could be a hoax. Yes, it could even be a competitor trying to conduct some form of espionage. He knew he'd have to listen to a long line of negative questioning before proceeding.
    The room became a jarring mix of quick-fire questions and individual conversations, and Klaus realized it was time to take control again. Tapping the side of his glass in the manner of a best man about to deliver his speech, he called for their attention. 'Gentlemen, I am fully aware of the fact that this could be a wild-goose chase, but I want you all to think for a moment about the positive aspects of this challenge.
Let's just say — for argument's sake — that this is a legitimate challenge . . . let's also say there is twenty-five million US up for grabs
. . .' He was pausing between statements to emphasize his points.
    'Think about the achievement of cloning the most influential person of all time . . . the science that would be involved . . .' Klaus looked around the room, from person to person. They had all gone to their own special places of science fantasy. Were they thinking about the money? He thought not. To confirm this, the second batch of questions began: Could it be done? What would be needed? How long would it take? What would the budget be for such a project?
    Smiling inwardly, he responded in a concise but informative manner. Klaus explained what the opportunity could mean to them; only a handful of companies worldwide would be able to take up a challenge of this magnitude. He spoke frankly about the laws that would need to be broken, and the moral dilemmas involved.
    Then came the question he was waiting for: Who would head up this project? His answer prepared, Klaus opened his mouth to speak.
    'If it is to be done, Klaus will be the one to lead it.' The chairman's words were delivered quietly, but everyone in the room heard them.
    Startled, but taking a quick breath to compose himself, Klaus concluded his pitch: 'Then the only thing I need from you is a unanimous decision — yes, or no.' He took his place at the table and awaited their answer. It wasn't long before the silence was broken by the voice of the usually unassuming Raynard Schultz.
    'I can't believe you guys are even considering this.' He spat his words out as he rocked back and forth in his seat. 'Have we really sunk this low? When I joined this organization, I knew we'd be pushing the boundaries of what was right and wrong. I knew