"Replica02 - Pursuing Amy - Kaye, Marilyn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kaye Marilyn)

Her mother nodded. "I've been able to reach Dr. Jaleski over the years through David when I needed special papers for you. Vaccination records, that sort of thing. He arranged for your birth certificate."

"I know," Amy said. "When was the last time you talked to him?"

"It's been years. I thought he was still in the Washington, D.C., area. But David tells me he's living with his daughter out here now."

"Well, if his daughter answers the phone, hang up," Amy told her.

"What are you talking about?"

Amy made a confession. "I saw my birth certificate not long ago, and Dr. Jaleski's name was on it. So I tried to find him. The woman who answered the phone wouldn't let me talk to him. And when I went to his address Ч "

Nancy gasped. "You went to see Dr. Jaleski?"

"I tried to. He was listed in the phone book," Amy said. "But the house was empty. It was like they'd suddenly vanished."

Nancy nodded. "Your call must have worried his daughter."

"But what does she have to worry about?"

"Amy, Dr. Jaleski was the director of the project. He knows more about it than anyone. Maybe his daughter was afraid someone from Ч from the organization wanted to talk to him. Question him."

"About me?"

"About all the Amys."

"I wish I could meet him," Amy said. She hopped off the bed and moved restlessly around the room. "This is so creepy. These organization people who are after me . . . maybe I should just let them do whatever it is they want to do to me."

"Don't talk like that!" Nancy said. "Those people wanted to create a master race that they could use to take over the world. They're evil."

Amy shuddered. "I feel like something in a sci-fi movie." She looked at her mother desperately. "Like a monster!"

Nancy rushed toward her and hugged her tightly. "You are not a monster Ч don't you ever think of yourself that way! You're flesh and blood; you're a human being. You're just Ч well, you're just sort of an advanced version of a human being."

"But I'm not normal," Amy said.

"You're better than normal," Nancy said staunchly. "That's why those people want you."

"To clone me," Amy murmured. "To make more things like me."

"Don't call yourself a thing," her mother said. "They want to replicate you so they can have more advanced human beings . . . but I don't think that's all they want."

"What do you mean?"

Nancy held her at arm's length, and there was no way Amy could miss the desperation in her mother's eyes. "You have to remember, Amy Ч all the research we did, the scientific notes, everything was destroyed in that fire. It was the first successful human cloning experiment, but there are no records of how we accomplished it all. They can't simply clone you, Amy. They need to know . . . more."

"Like what?"

"They'd Ч they'd want to examine you, like a specimen under a microscope. Your mind, your body Ч they'd want to know how it all works." She paused. "And I doubt it would be pleasant."