Bonesaw- Riley Clones

A copy of Riley crawled out of the cage, looking around warily, before smoothing her dress.  Riley reached out for the stained gardening apron and tossed it over.

While her copy pulled on the apron, stepped into a pair of spare rubber boots, and picked up the Suckle Rifle from the shelf, Riley leaned over the cage.  She reached inside, grabbed the wrist of another Riley look-alike, and pulled the girl out.  The girl’s clothing was disheveled and soiled, and Riley took a second to put the straps where they should be and fix a button.

She’d gotten a bit carried away with the paranoia.

“You,” she spoke to the first.  “Greet our visitors.  Bait them out.”

“Yes,” her clone said.

“Gubluh!” the pod in her ear said.

“You,” she told the second.  “Flank.  You’re running away.  Use your best judgment if anyone kicks up a fuss, or if there’s any violence back here.”

The more feral copy nodded, then looked around for a weapon.
...

She crept closer, watching as her lookalike made its own wary approach.

“Hello!?” the copy called out.  “You need to announce yourselves!  The sooner the better!  I could put the kettle on for tea!”
...

Riley was secretly pleased that her project had worked as well as it had.  Her lookalikes actually had absolutely nothing about herself in them.  They were closer to being complex insects, operating on pre-programmed instincts and impulses, studying her to copy her movements and tone of voice, and to learn phrases.

Recognizing that the man hadn’t been here before meant the link between olfactory study, the archives of the DNA Riley had collected from everyone to come anywhere near here, and the creature’s speech patterns were all working very neatly.

“Wardens staff.  I handle the communications.  I’m so scared I could be wetting myself right now.”

“Hm,” the copy grunted.

Another programmed response, and not one Riley would have been so happy with.  She would have made a comment about how that could be solved with the right injection or extra-urethral attachment.

- Ward, Infrared 19.z