Under A Winter Sun by Johan Dahlgren (ink ebook reader txt) 📕

“Gray was not the first immortal with the idea to clone himself and take over the world. But he was the first to succeed. The immortals on Earth panicked when they learned Gray had succeeded in playing god where they had not. They wanted Gray's secrets for themselves, so they offered Solana a life in comfort if he gave himself up and agreed to work with them. They betrayed him. A research team dissected him alive, hunting through his immortal body for the secrets to Gray's success. They studied the technology, and they learned, and they started a project of their own using Solana's DNA. Project Shard. The first generation was a horrible failure. So was the second, but the third one was the charm. So, you are sort of our great-grandfather, Perez.”

Fuck. And here I was, hoping to get Soledad into bed.

“But how come you're all female? If you were cloned from Solana, you would be male.”

“Generation two only succeeded after the scientists mixed in DNA from another host. They needed someone tough, and so they spliced in a woman's genes.”

“Because women have higher pain thresholds?”

“That's a myth, Perez, but yeah, something like that. The project's director was a woman, and she thought it was an outstanding idea. She was right.”

OK, so we're more like siblings. Not better.

“And what about generation three?”

“For generation three they spliced in genes from one of the other immortals. They were hoping to create something stronger than Gray's original soldiers.”

I nod, relieved. “So, we're cousins.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Did I say that out loud? “Do you have the same mods I do?”

“Yes. Hypercarbon skeleton and tendons, but decades more advanced than you. And yes, we have the nanites too.”

“But your eyes aren't blue,” I point out. “Or do you wear contacts?”

I always wear coloured lenses. The iridescent blue of my eyes is far too conspicuous for my liking.

“We have the nanites, but I never said they were the same.” A look of unease passes between the women over their beef stew bars.

I lower my bar, half bitten through. “What's wrong with your nanites?”

Jagr licks a crumb from the corner of her mouth. “They never refactored the nanites in Solana's blood completely. The tech was impossibly advanced, unlike anything they'd ever seen before. Decades, maybe centuries more advanced than anything they had on Earth. They got close, but not all the way. Nobody knows where Gray got his tech.”

So, that explains why Soledad didn't regenerate as quickly as me. I glance at her. She appears fully recovered now.

“And what does that mean?”

“When the nanites repair our bodies, the result is never perfect like yours. Every time we're injured, our bodies degenerate. We sometimes grow odd appendages.”

I glance at Braden.

“Hey, don't look at me, man,” she says around a mouthful of meat. “I was born like this.”

“She's right,” Jagr confirms. “Braden was a lucky accident in the cloning process.”

Braden beams at Jagr and Jagr smiles back.

“But you're all fine.”

I survey the three women around the table. “If you tell me you've never been injured in the line of duty, I quit right now. I don't work with desk jockeys.”

“Don't worry Perez. We've all seen our fair share of combat trauma. The degeneration is not always physical. The Shard was once a big outfit. Now it's only the three of us left, and we all bear our scars. Both visible and invisible, so don't fucking call us desk jockeys. All right?”

“Sorry.” I take another bite of my bar.

There are voices from outside and five officers float into the mess. They look like shit.

Jagr leans back. “Well, there you have it. That's who we are.”

The newcomers check us out. No amount of acceleration sickness can keep them from ogling the three beautiful women.

Soledad gives them the finger. “What? Never seen how proper soldiers handle a little acceleration sickness? Fucking navy softies.” Braden claps her on the back and laughs. One of the naval officers looks like he wants to make something of it, but he's restrained by his friends. They point discretely at Jagr and whisper something to the troublemaker, and he stops at once.

Jagr unstraps from her seat and floats into the air. “Well, ladies, grab something more to eat. We've got another hour before they turn on the thrust again. I suggest you enjoy the break.”

Soledad moves to unstrap. “Where are you going?”

Jagr stops her with a hand on the shoulder.

“You stay and eat. I'll fill Perez in on our mission details. Somewhere without nosy navy people.” She pushes off towards the passageway. “Come on Perez.”

“Excuse me, ladies.” I unstrap and kick off after her.

“Perez,” Soledad calls after me.

I turn around in mid-air as I sail through the door. “What?”

“Keep your fingers to yourself. Remember, she's the boss.”

I throw her a mock salute. “Duly noted. You're the only girl for me, Soledad.”

“Haha, funny, Perez. Behave.” She throws a packet of stew after me. I laugh and turn around in time to stop myself from careening into the opposite wall.

Jagr is already at the door to her suite. “Are you coming?”

“Sorry, boss.” I grab the stew packet as it sails past. “On my way.”

I pull myself along the passage and swing into the opening after Jagr. I'm finally getting the hang of this Zero-G shit. Then again, it could be the General's muscle memories kicking in. He spent most of his adult life in and out of space. His body must know Zero-G like a second home.

Jagr waits for me inside the cabin. Her expression is impossible to read. “Be careful with Soledad, Perez. She's dangerous.”

“I know.” I rub the back of my head where Soledad cracked it on the concrete back in Masada. It seems so long ago, yet it was only the day before yesterday. My hair is still crusty with blood. I need a shower.

Jagr seems to have the same idea.

“You should clean up. Use my shower.”

“You've got a shower?” I knew there was a reason she picked the cabins.

She nods. “We have fifty