1899- Journey to Mars

“A singleton is a single egg fertilized by a single sperm cell and brought to term.”

“I’m still not clear on what you’re sayin’ about the situation, then.”

Guthrie said, “My father Tesla gave me magnification ability in my ocular functions. To the power of one-hundred-twenty. It allows me to focus on minute details when needed. I did this with the two men travelling with Titan.”

“How?”

“I measured the differences in their irises, the colored portions of their eyes.” Guthrie read Pat’s body and head movements indicating he did not understand. “Let me explain this way: Like a snowflake, every iris is absolutely unique. A subject's left and right iris is as different from each other as they are from any other individual's. It has been calculated that the chance of finding two randomly formed identical irises is on an order of one in ten to the seventy-eighth power, or in simpler terms, one in one quinquavigin-tillion.”

Pat looked at Ekka and raised his eyebrows. Ekka said, “It is a lot, Pat.”

“I gathered,” Pat said.

Guthrie continued, “It is one followed by seventy-eight zeros, if that is easier to cognitate, Master Garrett.”

“My cognitating is fine, and stop calling me Master Garrett. Pat’ll do fine.”

“I will do so, Pat.”

Ekka said, “So you scanned th

eir irises.”

“Yes, and their left irises were identical, as were their right irises. They are singletons, yet they are identical human beings.”

“Clones,” Ekka said, “I’ve read about such experiments, but not with humans.”

“So what you’re tellin’ me,” Pat said, “Is these clone folks are duplicate humans.”

“Exactly,” Guthrie said.

“Why in the blue blazes didn’t you say that in the first place?”

“What would be the fun in that, Pat?” Guthrie said.

Ekka and Billy burst out laughing. Pat followed.

Billy asked Guthrie, “What about the Westinghouse, anything unusual?”

“The men called it Titan. Titan appeared externally to be a third generation assembly model, so it was typical in construction and design. But the attack mode it used was unusual, and almost rendered me nonfunctional. Titan attacked me with a most impressive martial fighting style, one that I could not defend against for any length of time. I will research it when we arrive at the Argent.”

“Show me some of the movements,” Ekka said. Guthrie stood in the vehicle and demonstrated several kicks, blows and blocking maneuvers from the fight.

Guthrie said, “The blows and kicks were powerful, like none I have been trained for, or found in reading research. The damage from each blow was substantial.”

Ekka said, “The Koreans have a long history of scientific fighting. I observed them using a form called Taekkyeon in some tribal battles. It was quite effective, and the movements themselves were beautiful. But from the damage to you, Guthrie, I think it might be more like the new style they were developing for combat when I left. I believe they called it Dae Kwando. It was far more punishing and brutal, using hard strikes and kicks to break bones and render opponents unable to continue, even after a single blow. It was developed to end matters in an instant, rather than using lots of tripping and throwing to get an opponent on the ground, as is used in Taekkyeon.”

Pat said, “You were in Korea? Fighting?”

“I wasn’t always Billy’s wife,” she said as she leaned forward, hugged Billy’s neck and playfully bit his earlobe.

“Yikes!” Billy said.

Pat said, “You two are a pair to draw to, yessir.”

Billy asked Guthrie, “Are you all right?”

“I am functional, although I have several significant indentations and loose cabling that will need repairs. My left shoulder assembly will need restructure, the rotating gears and brachial cables are damaged, but I can return to full function when repairs are completed, and after I recharge.”