Plug

The little group jogged back up the hill to where Xavier had left Kim and the other two in the car. Jean-Claude had recovered and was the first to greet Kim.

‘Mon Dieu, I am zo pleased to be ‘ere. Zere were so many of zem. We ‘ad to fight-’

Kim’s hand flew to her mouth.

‘Fight? Thank goodness you’re safe.’ She nodded at the newcomers. ‘Hello, hello.’ And then she looked past the group, her face showing her confusion. ‘Wait - where’s Joe?’

‘He’s right behind us,’ said Xavier, looking round.

‘No, he’s not.’ 

She ran a few steps out of the trees and called. ‘Joe, Joe.’ 

‘Come back Kim.’ Xavier drew her back into the trees. ‘He’ll be here in a moment. He was right there as we left the place.’

‘Xavier - he’s not on the road - if he was just behind you, we would be able to see him. 

‘Maybe they have taken him?’ said Delphine.

‘But why would zey do zat?’

Jean-Claude shuddered. remembering his sojourn in the dark cupboard. 

‘I  don’t understand any of this,’ said Kim. ‘Maybe those people - Osborne and Griffiths - want to gather you up, for whatever reason-’ she was glossing over the whole deconstruction issue, ‘but what would they want with my husband?’

Xavier froze and his right hand went to his ear. Kim saw each of the other clones do the same.

‘What is it? What are you doing?’ Kim was close to tears. She tugged at Xavier’’s sleeve. ‘Speak to me. What’s happening?’

‘It’s some kind of broadcast from the central communication channel. Something about - they are pulling the plug on production and all units not currently with their purchasers are to return to the depot immediately.’

‘They mean us, obviously,’ said Alain. 

‘But-’ Kim was staring at him as he held up a hand.

‘Shh. There’s more. The broadcast refers to the obedience protocol and cites severe consequences if the instruction is disobeyed.’