Cloneworld - 04 (58 page)

When finally she pulled away, her eyes were closed.

Franco rubbed his beard which, admittedly, he'd trimmed, and was now looking rather smart, even if he said so himself.

"Why?" he said.

"Because," she said.

"I can live with that," he said.

"I know you can," she said.

Franco grinned. "Want to do it again?"

"I think I will," she said, and leant forward, and kissed him. This time, Franco's arms encircled her waist and he held her tight. So tight. As if this was the last embrace he would ever enjoy... as if the world and life and the entire Quad-Gal might end tomorrow.

Over the city of Org, a machine moon sparkled.

EPILOGUE

VOLOS

"Did it work?"

"It worked."

"So you've
opened
the core?"

"Oh, yes."

Steinhauer stood in the QGM Central Intelligence Computer Suite on the Heavy Accelerator,
Killer.
His new false legs - powered by Org Inc. technology - were working well, and that made him
very
happy. But even more so, the 3Core delivered by Pippa and Franco really
had
been used by the junks. And the organic codes given by Franco after his, frankly, insane story of aliens with snake heads had, indeed, been the right codes to fully unlock the chip.

"Is there information on the junks contained therein?"

The programmer glanced up at Steinhauer. His hands were shaking. In a small voice, he said, "There's everything. History. Politics. Religion. Science. Schematics for starships, their computer technology, artificial intelligence,
everything.
"

"So we can begin," said Steinhauer, his voice little more than a whisper.

"Yes."

"I want you to call in every damn expert mind we have on the junks, on computer virus technology, the decoding of historical texts - I want every expert assembled here in twenty-four hours. You get that? Twenty-four hours!"

The programmer nodded and scuttled off to send out the most important messages of his career. Steinhauer clanked through to his office and poured himself a fine brandy, and pulled free a cigar. He took a sip, then a larger swallow, and slowly lit the cigar.

A chance!

They had a chance!

To end the nightmare. To end the invasion. To end the war.

Steinhauer sat for long hours throughout the night, thinking. At some ungodly hour there came a knock at the door to his office, and he buzzed the man in. The man was Combat X, small in stature, his eyes dark and fixed on Steinhauer with careful contemplation.

"A message, General."

"Go ahead."

"It's from VOLOS. He congratulates you on your - discovery. He hopes you can pacify the threat of the junks."

"Good. And the answer to my
specific
question?"

The Combat X assassin lowered his head, then looked up again, eyes bright, a half-smile on his lips. "VOLOS agrees. He is willing to release Keenan back into the welcoming arms of the Quad-Gal Military machine."

Acknowledgements

A big thanks to all those who supported me whilst writing this novel - you know who you are, and you deserve Big Kisses. Writing
Cloneworld
has been an insane, intense, ragged whirlwind of joy, sausages and whiskey - and I thank you all!

Andy Remic
is a larger-than-life action man, sexual athlete, sword warrior and chef. His exploits have garnered him acclaim in the Guinness Book of Galactic Records, and he once worked as a biomod technician pioneering illegal nano-tek for underhand government agencies. His writing has picked up numerous esoteric awards for visceral hardcore action, clever plotlines, black humour and a willingness to push the boundaries of science fiction and sexual deviancy, all in one twisted whiskey barrel.

When kicked to describe himself, Remic claims to have a love of extreme sports, kickass bikes and happy nurses. Once a member of an elite Combat K squad, he has retired from military service and claims to be a cross between an alcoholic Indiana Jones and a bubbly Lara Croft, only without the breasts (although he'd probably like some). Remic lives in Lincolnshire and enjoys listening to Ronan Keating whilst thinking lewdly about zombies.

Cloneworld
is his ninth novel.

Find out more about Andy Remic at

www.andyremic.com
.

Also in the Combat-K series:

Ex-soldier Keenan, a private investigator with a bad reputation, is about to take on the biggest case of his career. To have any chance of success, however, he must head to a dangerous colony world and re-assemble his old military unit, a group who swore they'd never work together again...

Also in the Combat-K series:

The City: a planet filled with corruption, guns, sex, and designer drugs. Zombies roam the streets and are out for blood. The Combat K squad are dropped into this warzone to uncover what's turned this planet into a wasteland of murder and mutations. Soon their focus is on the Nano-Tek corporation itself...

Also in the Combat-K series:

Sick World: a long-abandoned hospital planet, with possible information on the origin of the alien Junk scourge. As daylight fades, hibernation ends: the Medical Staff - the doctors, nurses, patients and deviants, a thousand-year gestation of hardcore medical mutation - can smell fresh meat, and Combat K face their toughest battle yet.

Also by Andy Remic

Combat-K

War Machine

Biohell

Hardcore

The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles

Kell's Legend

Soul Stealers

Vampire Warlords

The Spiral Series

Spiral

Quake

Warhead