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  “Samples?” Lauren shrank back. “Uh, you mean like chopping off one of our fingers?”

  Slk made a burbling sound and after a moment she realized it was laughter. “Nothing so barbaric, my dear, I assure you. I am an artist—not like those crude butchers who roam the tunnels looking for fresh meat to splice. They need so much tissue because they make so many errors. A vial of blood from each of you is all that I truly require.”

  “Oh, well I can do that. No problem.” Lauren started to step forward and hold out her arm but Xairn held her back.

  “Before we begin, let’s agree on a price,” he said, frowning at Slk. “I don’t want to be surprised by any hidden charges after the alteration is complete and it’s too late.”

  “Most wise.” Slk rubbed his hands together again—they made a dry, papery sound that got on Lauren’s nerves. “Very well. What have you to offer?”

  “Some valuable food cubes containing a rare delicacy—grieza worms all the way from Twin Moons.”

  Xairn pulled them out of his pocket but Slk shook his head, his eyes blinking. “I agree that they are indeed tasty but I have grieza worm DNA in my stock—I can synthesize a batch of them whenever I desire. No, what I really want from you is something quite different, my friend.”

  All three of his vertical eyes were fixed on Lauren as he spoke and she felt a cold shiver go down her spine. Immediately, Xairn pushed her behind him.

  “You can’t have Lauren or any part of her. So forget it.”

  Slk’s eyes opened wide. “Not even a single extra vial of her blood for seed cloning? For that is truly all I desire.”

  Lauren frowned. “Seed cloning? What’s that?”

  “Seed clones are mindless, expendable clones made mostly for pleasure or brief service,” Slk explained smoothly. “They live only a few days and are never fully cognizant of their surroundings.”

  “So…sex dolls?” Lauren said, feeling a little sick. “You want to make a bunch of sex dolls that look like me?”

  “Essentially, yes.” Slk nodded. “An exotic like yourself would make the most exceptional seed clones, I’m certain.”

  “But…to make them just to use them,” Lauren protested. “That doesn’t seem right.”

  “Seed clones are mindless, my dear. They can do and say only what they are programmed to and they do not experience pain or pleasure or emotion as we do.”

  “Xairn?” She looked up at him for guidance.

  “I don’t like it,” he growled, glaring at Slk. “But it will have to be your decision, Lauren. It is your DNA.”

  “Why don’t you like it?” she asked, wanting to get a more in depth answer. “Do you think it’s morally wrong or—?”

  “Xairn cannot bear the thought of you with another male. Not even a seed clone which only bears your appearance,” Slk answered before Xairn could speak.

  Wow. Lauren looked up at the big warrior and saw a muscle clenching over and over in his jaw. This was turning out to be a most informative session!

  “I know you are upset with me for stating your thoughts aloud,” Slk went on, addressing Xairn. “But my time is valuable. And I find that things go so much more quickly when everyone involved knows exactly where they stand.”

  “I’ll do it,” Lauren said, making a decision. The thought of a bunch of living sex dolls that looked just like her creeped her our something fierce, but there didn’t seem to be any other way to get what they needed done. She dropped Xairn’s hand and held out her arm. “Go ahead and take our blood. How long will it take to get the, uh, alteration done?”

  “Not long at all, my dear.” Slk was already bustling forward with an exotic looking blood collection kit in his many hands. “I have only to feed your data and genetic material into my instruments and manipulate the genes—that I do myself of course. It takes finesse and an artist’s skill to correctly mix DNA. Once I am finished I will inject you both with the finished product.”

  “And will we see immediate results?” Lauren winced as the alien needle pierced the vein in the crook of her elbow. The vials of blood Slk was drawing seemed awfully large but she supposed she really couldn’t complain.

  “No, the new sequence needs time to merge with your existing DNA. You will probably see the final results tomorrow morning. In fact…” He looked up at Lauren as he withdrew the needle. “I’ll be happy to offer you overnight accommodations. I have a guest suite for just this purpose.”

  “And what will that cost us?” Xairn growled, holding out his arm as Slk finished with Lauren and moved on to him.

  “No extra charge.” Slk’s three eyes blinked slowly. “I merely wish to keep you both close until your transformations are complete.”

  “Why? Do you expect complications?” Lauren couldn’t quite keep the nervousness out of her voice.

  “No, but it’s best to be prepared just in case,” Slk said smoothly. He finished with Xairn and withdrew the needle. “Now then, I will combine your respective DNAs in the way that will suit each of you best. I’ll only be a moment.”

  Lauren frowned. A moment? He’s messing with our genes, making permanent changes in us and it’s only going to take a moment?

  “You forget, my dear, I am a skilled artisan,” Slk said. Taking the vials of blood to one of the tables, he fed two of them into a slot on the side of a complicated looking machine and then peered at the attached screen. At once a series of colored blocks appeared. “And, not to insult you, but you both have extremely primitive DNA. I could do this alteration with my hands tied behind my back.”

  “I see,” Lauren murmured. She watched in fascination as all eight of the aforementioned hands flew over a touch-pad, changing the colored blocks until they were a rainbow blur on the screen.

  “Ahh, hmmm.” Slk nodded and sat back at last. “There we have it.” He pressed a button and two new vials popped out of the slot he’d deposited the blood in moments before. “Xairn first,” he said beckoning.

  Xairn came forward and held out his arm stoically while Slk injected the contents of the first vial into his arm with a needle roughly the size of a harpoon. Lauren watched, biting her lip. She didn’t have a problem with needles in general but this thing was huge. Why did it have to be so much bigger than the one he’d used to draw their blood in the first place?

  “I know what you’re thinking, my dear,” Slk said, finishing with Xairn and motioning her to come forward. “But I must use a larger needle this time. The size of the altered molecules makes this liquid much more viscous and difficult to inject.”

  “All right.” Taking a deep breath, Lauren moved forward. Slk hovered over her arm with the giant needle for a moment and then looked up at Xairn. “Hold her while I do this. She needs comfort.”

  “Hold her?” Xairn sounded uncertain but he came forward willingly enough. Awkwardly, he put an arm around Lauren’s shoulders. “Like this?”

  “No, like this.” Lauren leaned against him, glad of the warmth of his big body at her back. Then she reached up to wrap his other arm around her waist. “There.” Tilting her head, she looked up to give him a smile.

  Xairn looked back at her quizzically. “And this makes you feel…better?”

  “Yes.” She squeezed his arm. “Much.” Then she held out her arm to Slk. “Okay—hit me.”

  “Very well,” Slk murmured, leaning over her arm again.

  At the last moment Lauren squeezed her eyes shut and pressed back hard against Xairn. She felt him shift uneasily but then the giant needle bit into her arm and all she could think of was how much it hurt. Not just the sharp hollow tip of the needle but the liquid being injected—it was cold. So cold it burned, sending a line of ice and fire shooting up her arm.

  Though she tried not to make a noise, a little squeak of pain escaped Lauren’s lips. Behind her, she felt Xairn’s big body stiffen instantly and his arm tightened protectively around her waist.

  “Are you all right?” His deep voice in her ear was filled with concern.