Clone Girls

At night, Rika sat at her desk in her office within the barracks, still working.

A lot had happened during the week of the opening ceremony, both good and bad things, and Rika still had to deal with some of those things.

The main one was classwork, as she had to plan up lessons for her class that corresponded to the criterias of the academy. 

The academy had surprisingly strict terms on its lessons. She had heard from some colleagues that a lot of their propositions got vetoed by the academy’s board as ‘taking a political side’ or ‘not interesting enough’, and while she was worried her lessons, which differed a lot on some points from the Borkian’s traditional thoughts, would be rejected, none had been so far. In fact, her lessons were promoted by the academy, they even encouraged her train of thoughts, which was a bit strange.

It’s like somebody is supporting us from the shadows…

Whoever that was remained a mystery, but Rika could not help but think that some secret agenda was being made behind her back. Just in case, she was planning some countermeasures to ensure the security of the clones.

One of the other problems she had was with David Fika. She had spent a good amount of time with the man this week to plan ahead their joint lessons and the way to teach their class, and she could not help but think the man was a bother sometimes…

His goals are so obvious… She thought, releasing a sigh. She was not an idiot, and it was clear that Fika was trying to get as close as possible to her in an intimate way with afterthoughts clear to anyone in the knowns, which bothered her a lot.

If it was me from the past, I might have fallen for him, but not anymore.

True, David Fika was a charismatic handsome young man, and a lot of women had fallen for him, but Rika was not interested in love right now. Moreso when she knew what the person’s goals were.

But what’s annoying is how intense he’s been pursuing me…

David Fika made sure to stick to her, always with a smile on his face as he engaged in a conversation. He always made sure to bring flowers with him, and to give them to Rika, which she could not refuse since it was a ‘gift’ from a superior officer.

Ticia had been a perfect barrier, surprisingly enough, as everytime the man approached Rika, she went in front of her and always received the gift for Rika with a neutral, somewhat hostile stance, and that was enough to keep the man at bay. But ever since Ticia went on her mission, Fika had been more and more proactive in approaching her.

Even now, even though Rika was always accompanied by at least two ECGs for her security, the general did not relent.

What’s more, our military thoughts are completely different…

David Fika was a conservative in its military thinking. He insisted on the importance of the command structure and a slow but effective planning approach, while Rika promoted officer’s initiatives and rapid strikes doctrines.

While she considered those kinds of debates healthy in the military, others did not say the same. She had already been criticized for her teachings by staunch conservatives of the Twill faction. Unexpectedly though, the academy sided with her, saying that new approaches would help the Borkian confederation keep its level as a highly modern, elite force that was feared on the battlefield.

As for the classes themselves, while she noticed Fika raising his eyebrows at some of her tactics, he did not comment directly, and instead focused on proposing his alternative and creating a healthy debate that would benefit the students’ progress.

Still, I would do without all those annoying approaches… She let out another sigh.

“Is there a problem?” A voice asked from the side, making Rika look to the side as two Null CGs looked at her.

“No, don’t worry about it, Licia, Lidia. I was just lost in thoughts.” She smiled at them.

“Mh, if you say so.” Licia shrugged it off, and the both of them went back to whatever they were doing. Rika kept her gaze on them for a bit.

She was thankful to those two. Licia, acting as a responsible eldest daughter, tried to help Rika as much as she could, relieving Rika from some small problems with the clone girls and assisting her wherever she could. As for Lidia, for some reason, she kept hanging out in her office, insisting on doing ‘secretary work’ for her, and Rika had to admit she was good at it.

I could even say those two are my strongest allies… Rika smiled at the thought. Her relation with the Null CGs had been… variant from one clone girl to another. Licia was just doing what her mother told her to do, if not more, and Lidia sided with her on every decision she made so their relationship was cordial.

As for the others, Nicia did help her from time to time, and Rika would say they had a good relationship, but that was it, Nicia was overall indifferent towards her. When it came to Ria and Nillia, those two were still hostile to her. Ria, she could understand, but Nillia’s reason remained a mystery to her.

There’s also Nia’s case… Another sigh escaped her lips as the little devil prankster came to her mind. Ever since Ticia had left, Nia had been going wild with her pranks because Rika was too kind in her scoldings. The only person keeping her in check was actually Mia, who took it upon herself to stop her sister if she went too far.

Then there were Willia and the twin’s cases.

It was all linked up to the specialization requests that had been submitted by the girls just before Ticia went away, and the girls received their corrected version today. While some classes were modified according to Ticia’s wishes for each clone girl, Willia and the twins were the only ones who got their schedule entirely denied and replaced.

Willia, being the musclehead that she was, took every outdoor class that she could, from simple, classic exercises to specialized, special forces training, and while Rika did not have anything to say about it, Ticia did. She modified her daughter’s schedule so that half of Willia's classes were theoretical or mathematical ones while keeping the special forces lessons. When Willia learned of this, her mother was, of course, not here anymore, so she came and pleaded directly to Rika, putting her in a rough spot.

I’d love to grant her request, but I can't…

While the teary eyed look Willia gave her made her feel guilty, she had long decided not to interfere with the path Ticia had setted for her daughters, so if Ticia wanted Willia to take theoretical classes, Rika had nothing to say. In the end, she compromised with Willia, promising the little girl that she would be allowed to accompany her in her daily exercises, which seemed to satisfy Willia for now.

When I think about it, Willia was rather easy to deal with, the real problem is the twins though…

Just as she thought that, the door to her office was slammed open, and three very dissatisfied clone girls, staring daggers at her, entered the office.

Licia and Lidia immediately stopped what they were doing and glanced at the newcomers with a questioning look.

“Ria, Miria, Tiria, is there a problem?” Rika asked as she looked at the three girls, even though she already knew what they came to say.

“There is.” Ria began, still glaring at Rika. “We have quite a lot to say, actually.”

Rika closed the panel of her computer, becoming serious.

“Go on, I’m all ears.” She said as she crossed her arms.

“I just don’t understand, why did you do that?” Ria said, approaching Rika as Miria and Tiria nodded.

“What exactly? Be clear, junior officer Ria.” Rika feigned ignorance.

“You know exactly what I mean.” Ria hissed back. “Why did you entirely change Miria and Tiria’s classes!”

“Ria, careful with your tone.” Licia warned, only to receive a glare from her sister.

“Stay out of this, Licia. I'm doing this for our sisters.”

“Still, you’re breaking the li-”

“Enough.” Rika stopped the two of them before they went too far again. She fixed her gaze on Ria, Miria and Tiria as she rested her shin on her hands. Miria and Tiria immediately flinched under the pressure, their hostile looks replaced by pitiful ones as they shivered, but Ria stayed unphased. 

“I do believe I’ve already said it, but your classes were chosen according to your mother’s will. I simply acted according to that.”

“Lies, mom would never separate them!” Ria immediately answered, raising her voice.

“Even though you say that, that’s what Ticia planned for them.” Rika replied calmly. “Besides, it’s not like I’m preventing them from meeting one another, they just can’t be in the same classes.”

“Don’t joke with me. I’ve read what the proposed classes are.” Ria said confidently, remaining defiant despite the fact that Miria and Tiria were now hesitant to speak up. “Escort and Guard specializations are the same thing, so why the hell do they have to separate?”

There was a silence as Rika and Ria stared at one another for a while, none of the two intended to give up. In the end, Rika reopened her panel, getting back to work to the surprise of everyone.

“...Is there anything else you want to ask?” She asked, already onto something else.

“You- don’t ignore my question!” Ria was enraged by the act. She pointed her finger towards Rika. “This isn’t the end, you hear me? Until I hear a reasonable explanation, I’ll-”

“Annoying.”

“Guah!?”

Lidia suddenly hit Ria in the back of the neck, making her sister faint on the spot.

““Lidia!?”” The twins exclaimed in utter surprise, not expecting this move from their sister.

“Sorry sisters, but second sister was being disrespectful.” Lidia said with her usual neutral look as she caught the falling Ria in her arms, but her words did not reassure her sisters. They hugged each other as if it was the end.

“Lidia is right.” Licia jumped in, trying to sound as affectionate as possible. “I understand that both of you are unhappy with the situation, but those are mom’s orders, I can testify to that.”

““Eldest sister...”” Miria and Tiria stared at Licia with wavering eyes.

“Now come on, it’s time to go to sleep. Let me accompany you.”

“Don’t bother, eldest sister, I’ll do it.” Lidia cut in, before going to the exit. “Let’s go, you two.”

““Yes…”” Dispirited, the twins followed after their sister. Rika and Licia kept their gaze on them until the door closed.

““Phuu…”” Both Rika and Licia released a sigh of exhaustion at the same time, only to look at each other and smile awkwardly.

“They’re taking it badly.” Rika commented, closing the panel again. She had finished her work just before the clone girls entered anyway, so it was all an act.

“That's to be expected. I’ve never seen those two separate from one another. Their link is just that strong…” Licia replied, looking at the closed door with a wry smile.

“I don’t really understand it…” Rika scratched her cheek. She understood that the twins had a strong link, but from what Ticia had told her, they only seemed to understand what the other thought, like the two were one person in front of a mirror.

“Hehe, that’s normal. Even us don't really understand, it’s really something special to those two…” Licia admitted. If even she did not know, it just testified to how special of an ability the twins possessed.

Even though the twins normally appeared strong willed and laid back, it was only because they were assured to always be together. Now that they were ordered to separate from one another, they became uneasy. It was the painful truth behind the twins, who were unable to act without the other, and that was the main reason why Ticia insisted on separating them. Even though it was painful for everybody, they needed this problem to be fixed by any means, even forceful, radical ones.

As the two of them discussed, Rika noticed that Licia had become a bit depressed.

“You okay Licia?” She asked, worry in her voice.

“I’m fine.” Licia replied, faking a smile. When Rika saw that, she got up and patted Licia’s head.

“No you’re not.”

“Fueh?” A rare bewildered look appeared on Licia’s face when she received the headpats.

“Speak your mind out, it'll make you feel better.” Rika said warmly.

‘When you have something in your heart, it’s better to just say it. There’s always someone who will listen to you.’  That’s what my mother said once.

Licia seemed to hesitate for a bit, but in the end, she began to speak.

“To be honest, I never really had a great relationship with Miria and Tiria…” She admitted.  “I don’t know how much you know about our relationship, but let’s just say I wasn’t always the best sister, and Miria and Tiria, who put great importance in family relations, hated me for that… They might still hold a grudge over that… And there's also the case with Ria…” 

Her voice trembled at the end of her words. She then looked at Rika with eyes on the verge of tears. 

“Rika, was I too forceful?”

“I don’t think so.” Rika immediately answered. “From what I’ve seen so far, you’re a great big sister, and the very fact that you are questioning yourself is proof of that.”

“Really?” Licia asked for confirmation, and Rika nodded strongly. What she had just told was from her own personal experience as an older sister, even if she’s lost total contact with her little brother now...

“Yes, and this comes from someone who also had a younger sibling. You’re acting for their sake and protecting them by taking the initiative most of the time, and I'm sure your sisters noticed that. Despite their words, they know you’re doing this for them.” She said with a reminiscent look, remembering old times she had shared with her brother until the moment where she had to go to military school. She remembered how both of them had been unable to understand the other’s thoughts after that. He did not understand why she was so opposed to joining the military when it was for the glory of the family, and after that, their relation grew distant as he became more and more obsessed with the reputation of the family.

“Still…” Licia remained hesitant, which made Rika smile a little. She flicked the girl's forehead.

“Ouch!” Licia immediately put her hands on her forehead, before sending a questioning look towards the smirking Rika.

“Stop overthinking things at your age, you’re still a kid. Leave the villain role to me and enjoy your youth.”

That’s what adults should do. In no way should a kid bear all the heaviness of the adult’s choices. That’s what Rika thought truthfully. If they need an enemy, then it’s better for them to target me as an outsider rather than Ticia or Licia…

This was the reason why she had accepted Ticia’s request to educate the clone girls in the first place, and why, even though she complained to Ticia, she still made sure to appear as the villain in the eyes of Ria and the other clone girls.

“Rika…” Licia seemed touched by Rika’s words, she looked at her in a new way.

“Speaking of, don’t you have something important tomorrow?” Rika added teasingly, dismissing the heavy atmosphere. 

“Ah.” Licia immediately knew what Rika was talking about, and that was, of course, the outing she had made with Evelyn.

“Junior officer Licia, go to sleep. This is an order.” Rika said in a joking stern tone, to which Licia smiled, making a quick salute.

“Hehe, understood, General.”

Licia left the place happily, leaving Rika alone in her office.

“That’s how kids should be…” She commented to herself with a wry smile. While she had been surprised at first by how Licia acted when she was with Evelyn, she had seen how much the clone girl was truly happy.

Not only that, a lot of good things came out from that friendship. The way Licia showed emotions in front of Evelyn had played a great role in integrating the clone girls into the class, that she had no doubt, and despite some carefulness from the clone girls, the other students seemed to have accepted the girls entirely.

It was a great relief to Rika, who dealt with enough enemies from the outside. She did not need ones from within to pop up because of the clone girl’s actions. She even wondered whether allying with the Pellians and the other people the girls had made links with was a possibility if things kept going so well.

She still needed to be careful about the Null CG’s actions though. Although she doubted it, Ria and Nillia, who openly hated her, could act unexpectedly at any moment. Not to mention Nia, Mia, and Willia, who were wildcards in their own way, moreso when Nia had taken mechanical, genie, and engineering specializations while Mia had taken scientific and chemical ones, meaning the two would be apart from one another… And now, she had to add Miria and Tiria to the list… 

For now, she had instructed their assigned ECGs to keep an eye on them and act accordingly, but this was not a 100% safety measure for both the clone girl’s mental and physical health.

I need to consult Ticia on how to deal with that…

Moreover, she also dealt with the numerous behind the scenes attempts against her and the clone girls, whether it be political or simply physical…

She lost count on how many assassinations and kidnapping attempts had been thwarted in just one week of them being here, and she felt sorry for the ECGs on duty who had to deal with all that… But then again, those clone girls would just answer that they were happy to be of use, which left her with even more complicated feelings…

While wondering over  whether she should ask for some help from the soldiers she trusted the most or not, she took a shower, changed into one of her favorite light nightwears, and went straight to bed.

She opened one of her small paper books she had left on her shelf. It was a book about military tactics. Reading before going to bed had become one of her habits.

In those days, people would ask what was the use of a book made of paper when you could simply download it on your terminal watch or read it on a tablet, but to this, others would argue that it was because they were such a rustic thing that they had an irresistible charm, and Rika agreed with that.

Besides, books were not a strange sight within Borkian society, where entertainment was present in various forms, and going as far as importing things from other nations. The best exemple Rika could think of was when she was younger, where she developed a strong liking for Nichibot’s mangas.

It might be a good idea to reread some of them, now that I think about it. Rika thought lightly as she looked over at her bookcases. One was filled with books on military thinking, history, and such, while the other was full of manga. She never found the heart to throw them away for some reason…

As she was seriously thinking about such things, she heard a knock on the door. Whoever it was, she unlocked the door and allowed them to enter.

What entered her view was a merry twintailed little girl dragging a flustered other girl and a clearly sulking ECG hugging a pillow…

“Rika~, can we sleep with you~?” The twintailed girl sweetly asked.

“T-Ticinia, stop, we shouldn’t bother Rika…” Vinia said from the side, still flustered.

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Rika answered with a big smile, how could she refuse free cuteness? Her answer made Vinia’s eyes grow big.

“Eh? For real?”

“Yay~!” Ticinia on the other hand jumped in joy, before happily holding Vinia’s hands. “See? I told you we could sleep here! Aren’t you happy, Vinia?”

“You were the one who suddenly asked though…” Vinia muttered, the small smile on the girl’s face did not escape Rika's sight though. As for Ticinia, she was already looking elsewhere.

“Hehe~, Rika, aren’t you happy I brough Vinia here?”

“Very.” Rika responded seriously. To say that she had a hard time holding herself when confronted with Vinia's cuteness would be an understatement. Out of all the Null CGs, Vinia and Ticinia were the only ones who could overwhelm people with her cuteness, something that Ticia and all the clone girls agreed on. 

Rika smiled at Ticinia, thankful for bringing Vinia to her. Just the idea of sleeping with the clone girl had made her forget about all her problems. “Looks like junior officer Ticinia needs a reward~.”

“Then I request a hug!” Ticinia immediately declared, which Rika was happy to oblige with a nod. The clone girl immediately jumped into Rika's arms.

“Whoops, how can you still be so energetic at this time of the day?” Rika asked teasingly, only receiving small giggles from the twintailed girl. “Well, whatever.” She said as she gave headpats to Ticinia. Ticia had asked her to spoil both Vinia and Ticinia, and she would happily do so.

Her attention now focused on the last clone girl in the room.

“You’re… ECG-099, if I’m correct?” She asked just to make sure. Unlike the little clones, the ECGs had nothing to tell them apart from one another, but she knew that ECG-099 was the one that spent the most time with Vinia and Ticinia when Ticia was not here.

“Indeed, General.” ECG-099 confirmed, still hugging her pillow with a neutral look. The addition of her sloppily and slightly oversized pajama added irresistible cuteness to the girl.

“Vinia wouldn’t come if I didn’t bring 099 with us. She’s sad over the fact that 099 did not accept to become her assigned bodyguard.” Ticinia whispered to Rika not so discreetly.

“H-hey, Ticinia!” Vinia reacted, her face going all red. “You agreed you wouldn’t tell this to anyone!”

“Whoops!” Her sister only giggled.

“Are you dissatisfied with ECG-100, Vinia?” Rika asked, mentioning the ECG assigned to Vinia. If she had bad relations with her, then she needed to make some changes.

“N-no, I like her too, but…” Vinia bashfully denied.

“Then please respect ECG-099’s choice. It’s quite rare for an ECG to express herself, from what I understand of them.”

“T-that is… Yes…” Vinia could not say anything against that. She looked reluctant, but agreed.

Agh, that girl is just too cute, whatever expression she’s making! Rika nearly flew over to Vinia, but held her composure. She looked at ECG-099.

“And you, ECG-099, do you dislike Vinia?”

“No, General. I would say I am thankful for the attention Prime Sister Vinia is giving me.”

“G-geez, be more honest with yourself, 099!” Vinia’s face reddened in embarrassment at ECG-099's straightforward answer.

“Cute.” Rika could not help but mutter.

“Fueh?”

“Yes, cute.” Ticinia agreed.

“Eeeeeh~!?” Vinia became even more embarrassed as she was weak to compliments. “St-stop it both of-” 

“I can’t hold back anymore!”

“Mugyu!?” Vinia could not finish her words as Rika rushed to her and held the clone girl tightly to her chest. 

God, Vinium is so addictive!

“Ticinia, h-help!” Vinia asked for help, struggling to breathe, but to her horror, her sister was left in a daze.

“Awawa, there are hearts everywhere…” Ticinia muttered, lost in her own words, but she quickly recuperated.  “Not that! I’m so jealous of you right now, Vinia!”

She declared her envy to Vinia, before joining the hug. Seeing it was a lost cause, Vinia looked at ECG-099.

“0-099?”

“...” The ECG just stared at them with a wondrous look, and that was when Vinia accepted her fate as a pillow to Rika, having no support left.

“Speaking of, Ticinia.” Rika asked once they all took position in bed and she turned off the lights. Rika laid in the center, Ticinia to her left, and Vinia to her right. ECG-099 took a close position to Vinia’s right, sandwiching the girl into wonderland. Rika had never been this happy to have a huge-sized officer bed.

“Yes?” Ticinia replied, tilting her head.

“What motivated your choices of specialization?” Rika asked. Ticinia’s choice had been surprising to her and Ticia, as neither of them expected the twintailed girl to choose logistic, psychology and cooking classes of all things.

“Mmmmh…” Ticinia seemed thoughtful for a moment, before smiling wryly. “I’m aware of my own condition, and I don’t think frontline duties would fit me well…”

She was making a good point to Rika. Seeing how she had been overwhelmed by negative emotions recently, Ticinia had to think back over how she could become useful to her mother. She did not possess any useful genetic trait, and unlike Vinia, she wasn’t a jack of all trades. She could have followed Licia’s path, as the girl made a balanced choice of theoretical classes, superior officer training, and a good amount of on field experience. The problem was her health though.

“I don’t want to worry mom and our sisters again…” She said weakly, a certain incident in her mind. Rika knew what she was talking about, as Ticia had told her about it.

“...Since I have this ability of mine, I thought I could support my sisters if they ever need mental support.” Ticinia said with determination, opting not to take a similar path to Ria, who sorely focused on officer classes, command, and theoretical classes. “Ah, of course, I’m also planning to take logistics seriously. I’ll help in any way I can!”

“Good choice.” Rika patted her head. “Those who do logistics are the unsung soldiers of the military.”

Without logistics, things could quickly become problematic on missions, as they were the ones who set up any infrastructure needed by the army and were in charge of miscellaneous tasks, such as food rationing or ammo supplies. Without a well established logistic corps, the army could not work properly, and the Borkians had an excellent one at their disposal. That was why Rika made sure to keep good relations with logistic officers and their men, going as far as doing them some favors in exchange for continued and guaranteed support.

“I’m sure you’ll make a great logistics officer.” She said with all her heart, which made Ticinia happy.

“Rika, can you sing a song? I like it when you sing.” The clone girl suddenly asked.

“Me too.” Vinia admitted from the other side.

“Sure.” Rika smiled happily. If the songs her mother once sang to her when she was a kid could make the girls happy, she would gladly sing them.

“Oh Twinkling Stars ♪, so beautiful~♪, so close yet so far~♪.  You are the source that keeps me going~♪.” She began to sing, the clone girls listening in the darkness of the room. When the chorus came, Ticinia also sang with Rika, making the latter surprised.

Ticinia might not have realized it, but Rika did. The girl clearly had a talent for singing. Perhaps the genetic modifications the twintailed girl had were not all that useless in the end, but that was something she would need to check on another day. 

As she continued to sing, the clone girls fell asleep. ECG-099 was the first one to reach wonderland, and in a rather quick way at that. Then, Vinia joined in, and finally, as Rika reached the end of the song, Ticinia’s voice, who sang the chorus, also grew weak, and she fell asleep soon after.

Rika herself did not hold long after that, and while thinking how peaceful this moment was, she slowly drifted into sleep, wondering if all nights could be like this.