short-listed for the 2003 AntiSF Awards

"What's wrong with him?" asked Purvis.

"Nothing much - apart from several missing organs, a limited understanding of the world, and his anomalous age, Maria grinned, "I'm still working on that."

Purvis frowned at her, "let me know when you have it sorted."

After she left, Purvis returned to contemplating the unidentified man found wandering the grounds of the Governor's burning mansion. All he would tell the three firemen it had taken to subdue him was this: "I'm Colin, I live here."

'Colin' now sat before a table in an otherwise bare interview room. He was tall and thin, with greying hair and wrinkled brown skin over taught young muscles.

Purvis looked up as his sergeant entered. Rodney seemed perplexed. "What have you got?"

"Dental records say the body was the Governor's; Sir Eric Battersby III; death by asphyxiation. Strange thing is, our boy here," he pointed at Colin through the one-way glass, "bears a remarkable likeness." Rodney handed Purvis a photograph.

"Twins perhaps?" Purvis asked.

"No known relatives, besides," Rodney rushed on, "there was suite of rooms below ground, virtually a self-contained serviced apartment, without any windows and only one door; like a bomb shelter. Next to it, a fully equipped hospital - intensive care ward, theatre and an unbelievable lab. Geneticist's wet dream, Maria said."

Purvis raised an eyebrow. "What of the people who worked there?"

"We're still asking, but on the day of the fire, it was only the two of them, oh, and the brigade says the fire was deliberately lit."

"He seems so harmless too," Purvis sighed. "Thanks Rod, keep at it. The sooner we clear this up the sooner we can go home."

Maria returned as Rodney was leaving. They squeezed past each other in the narrow airlock.

"His cells are replacing faster than normal," she said without preamble. "He'll soon be as old as he was."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he'll soon be - Sir Eric Battersby III. We matched his DNA to the colony's database."

Purvis whipped around to look at Colin. Remarkable likeness - Missing organs "Poor bastard." Cloned for body parts!

"So, what are we going to do? Colonial Admin will want to see justice for a burnt mansion and a dead governor."

"Justice," Purvis spat, "Justice for who? Colin's the victim."

"Hey, I'm with you, Colin had no parts left, he could spare - that's self-defence."

Rodney burst in behind them. "You won't believe." he stopped when he saw Maria.

"Who, besides us three, knows about the body," Purvis asked thoughtfully?

Maria and Rodney exchanged glances, shook their heads.

"What if it was the Governor they found wandering the grounds, traumatised by the fire. He'd be pensioned off, yes?"

"And the body?" Rodney asked.

"What body," Purvis said, "the colony has no record of the clone." He grimaced at Sir Eric's cruel pun as he turned to Maria, "before you lose the body, salvage what you can - Colin might like a couple of parts back."