I Dreamed This One Too

Account Cloning
by Zaratustra

I woke with ten thousand bells inside my head. Four AM. The phone must have turned itself back on with something I said. Cursed first-gen.

"Hello," I subvocalized, still groggy.

"Mick, for god's sakes, I've been trying to get to you all day."

"W... Who is this?"

"It's Jane, Mick. I need your help!"

"... what Jane?"

"'Slept with each other for three years' Jane! Wake up, Mick!"

"OK, OK. I'm awake. What's wrong?"

"Remember the injections we took? You said they'd protect us from all the cloning crimes that have been going on--"

"Yes, the gene locks. So people can't take your cells and use the genes to unlock your bank account."

"Mick, someone did get to my bank account."

"Oh?"

"Mick, I saw her leaving the bank. She looked just like me."

"That's not possible."

"Mick, there's someone that looks just like me and that someone stole four thousand off my account."

"So... someone cloned you, actually cloned you whole, just so they could get some money off your savings?"

"I don't know what they did or why they did it, Mick! That's what I saw and I need your help! The cops don't believe me! Nobody believes me!"

"OK, calm down. I believe you."

"God, Mick, I think I saw her around daycare. If she wants to steal my son--"

"Jane, calm down. Lock the doors and windows, I'll be there in the morning."

"Mick, couldn't you come now? This is--"

"I'll get some things done, first. Things that will help you. Do you trust me?""

"-- OK. Be here at eight?"

"I promise. T.R.Off."

The phone turned itself off.

I looked at the sleeping woman beside me.

"Jane?"

"Mm?"

"I'm glad we got back together, but I think we have to discuss our relationship."