Quoted By:
You whisted in appreciation.
<span class="mu-r">“Either this hospital has an outrageously oversized budget for their surgical-medical wing, or you guys have been doing some major redecorating while we weren’t looking.”</span>
Joyce either didn’t hear you, or she was too transfixed by the sight of her friend being in such a miserable state. She took a few steps forward, but she stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she noticed that Warren was also here. Their eyes met, and even without being able to see the lower half of his face, you knew that the man was smiling at her with the warmth of a proud father.
Her breath caught, and she looked torn between smiling and frowning.
<span class="mu-b">“Warren…!”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Can someone explain to me what’s going on here?”</span>
You asked.
<span class="mu-r">“What’s it look like? We’re rebuilding your friend with body parts from her genetically spliced clones over there.”</span>
Ada replied, inclining her head towards the cloning vats.
Your stomach turned a bit at the thought of them dissecting Iara’s clones. But…how could they have even produced so many clones in such a short amount of time? It took Warren way longer to clone the Silvertongue. Even if he’s upped his game since then, that level of progress shouldn’t be possible for him yet.
The man responsible for the act interjected before you could address your concerns.
<span class="mu-g">“They technically aren’t sentient. They’re only alive in the barest sense, without any memories, and I remove their ability to feel pain before I begin the procedure.”</span>
Warren corrected.
You supposed that was…a <span class="mu-i">little</span> bit better, but it still didn’t answer your question of how any of this was possible in the first place.
As your gaze roamed around the room, your eye caught Letty, wearing white scrubs and waving at you enthusiastically.
<span class="mu-r">“Oh, hello there. It’s been a while hasn’t it?”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“It’s barely been a day.”</span>
You retorted.
Warren shook his head and carefully removed his surgical mask. His beard had grown out since the last time you saw him yesterday!
<span class="mu-g">“I’m afraid that time flows differently for us here. It’s why we’ve been able to make as much progress as we have.”</span>
Ada nodded and stretched her hands out. A pair of blueprints was being projected in the air in front of her, but it just looked like a mess of lines and words to you.
<span class="mu-r">“This is my own personal time-dilation chamber. I had your friend wait outside while we prepared everything in here ahead of time. Warren grew his clones, spliced their DNA with that of a Starshark, harvested their flesh and organs, and I grafted them onto your friend after imbuing them with my own…’augmentations’.”</span>
Okay. Now you just HAD to ask.
<span class="mu-r">“What the hell’s a ‘Starshark’?”</span>
Letty jumped at the chance to answer your question before anyone else could.
(Cont.)
