ic contact; MoM

[coppelganger]

Hey, it's Sarah. Leave a message.

Comments

[jacksonian]

[ A grunt. ]

That second part is something Theron decided. I never said anything of the sort. Do you really think it requires an informant to figure out that you're clones?

[coppelganger]

No. [ She knows their cover story was shaky at best. ] But I notice you're not denying it.

[jacksonian]

Of course not. You can look on the network and see that I've spoken to her. That's a matter for public consumption, if you want to consume it. So the question in response: does that matter?

[coppelganger]

It matters. I don't want anything to do with her.

[jacksonian]

[ Abruptly: ]

Are you the progenitor?

[coppelganger]

[ She laughs incredulously. ]

Does that matter?

[jacksonian]

Yeah. It does.

[coppelganger]

Why?

[jacksonian]

Because Sarissa's treating you like some leader of your group. And it's one thing if you've earned it. But it's something else if it's just because you're their progenitor.

[coppelganger]

I'm not the original. I'm just another clone.

[jacksonian]

Why were you made?

[coppelganger]

Nature-nurture experiment.

[ There's no way she's going to mention anything else about why the clones might have been created. At least not now. ]

[jacksonian]

[ A hesitation, even as he feels a slight loosening of tension. That's barely even horrible. ]

That's it? Nothing worse than that?

[coppelganger]

I mean. Yes, that's what the intention was. The execution's been less pleasant.

[jacksonian]

[ ...Oh. Too much to hope for. ]

Go on.

[coppelganger]

Keeping clones in the dark about what they are, not telling 'em the truth about their health problems, having monitors spy and report back to headquarters about their behavior, that's not very ethical, is it.

[jacksonian]

[ And again, he relaxes a bit, letting out a breath that's faintly audible. ]

They didn't hurt you, though?

[coppelganger]

Oh, they've hurt me plenty. And Rachel's been right there with them.

[jacksonian]

[ He didn't come here to argue Rachel's case. But a defensiveness bubbles up in him - ]

Rachel was used by the people who made you, too.

[coppelganger]

Yeah, and now she's one of them.

[jacksonian]

That's not how it works. [ But that argument isn't going to fly, he knows - ] Do you think you wouldn't have been the same, if you were in her place?

[coppelganger]

I think that Rachel's had plenty of chances to turn her back on DYAD, and she's decided to screw us over every time instead. That's what I think.

[jacksonian]

[ There's maybe just a little too much heat in his voice when he says: ]

It's not like it's easy to do. You're asking her to change her life and her beliefs all at once, and that's not...You can't pretend like that's something someone can just do. It's not like you've been especially good to her, either, have you?

[coppelganger]

Mate, [ she says, sounding like she could not consider him less of one, ] I don't know what she's said to you, but anything I've done to her's only come because she's made direct attacks on me and my family. Not just my sisters. My family who've got nothing to do with this.

[jacksonian]

But -

[ He snaps his jaw shut on further arguments. Is this really the hill you want to die on, Mark? Or, more accurately: is this the hill he's willing to let them die on? Life first. Reconciliation after. ]

Look, I didn't come to you to make her case. That's not what this is about. I came to you because I want to offer you my help.