‘But how could you be in touch with Delphine, to tell her where to meet us?’ said Joe.
‘We’re using APRS over packet radio, enhanced by telepathy. This allows messaging and position reporting with the aid of GPS, using very few watts of power.’ Seeing Joe and Kim’s incomprehension, he added. ‘Automatic Packet Reporting System - it’s a little like text messages on a phone, but over radio waves. Hard to pick up if you’re not hunting for it.’
Kim didn’t understand the technical bits of Xavier’s explanation and her mind baulked at his casual mention of telepathy, but she had pretty much sorted out who knew what now.
‘What’s the relationship between Jean-Claude and Osborne and Griffiths?’
‘Jean-Claude works for the manufacturing company responsible for clone development and distribution. As I told you, his responsibility is primarily product nurture. He worries for the sentient ones and has done what he can to protect us, by preparing us for delivery and tracking our destinations. He is wary of the management, because, of course, clones are supposed to be entirely unfeeling. Simple carriers of spare parts. Once it becomes apparent that a clone is deficient in any way, they are deconstructed and recycled.’
Kim shuddered, she couldn’t help it.
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