"...In Italy it's Rome, and finally, the capital of Greece is Athens."

"Excellent job." Today's lesson was geography. They had been using the globe in the study, identifying continents, oceans, countries and hemispheres. Genesis finished reciting European capitals just as the clock struck four. Von Reichter looked up from his side of the globe.

"Well, that's enough for today, I suppose," he stated, standing up and sliding his chair back around to face his desk. He and Genesis then left the room.

"Could we go outside to the forest now?" Genesis asked hopefully as they walked down the hall. She had been taken outside before and enjoyed wandering along the hidden paths, surrounded by nature.

"Not today, dear. I have some important things to attend to."

"Then, can I go by myself? Please? I promise I won't go too far," she begged.

"Oh Genesis, I don't know..." von Reichter began.

"Please?" Had anyone else dared to interrupt him in such a way, they would certainly have been reprimanded.

He presently came to a decision. "You may go, if" - and the 'if' was clearly emphasized - "all the guards are notified first, and someone is posted to the trail in case you become lost."

"Hooray! Thank you!" Genesis unexpectedly flung her arms around his neck. "I promise I'll be careful!" she called, disappearing around the corner.

The doctor continued on, feeling very proud of the accuracy in his latest cloning job. She was every bit the master of charming persuasion as Maria had been. *Every bit,* he thought, realizing he now had a dozen Techno and Fixed Idea guards to call before she got outside.

Genesis stopped to smell the bright orange flowers on a climbing plant, being careful not to get pollen on her face. There were always flowers in bloom, and always pollen to be covered in. She brushed a wayward petal off her short white sundress as she continued walking.

After a while, she came across a particular old tree with sagging branches. She had singled it out on previous walks as a good potential sitting place, but didn't think that von Reichter would like her leaping around in the tree branches while he had to wait for her on the ground. Besides, it was more of a one-person tree anyway, to sit in and just think.

She tensed her leg muscles, sprang up several meters into the air and landed on the thickest branch, sending terrified finches and toucans screeching away to safer trees. Genesis didn't enjoy scaring the birds away, but knew they would be back as soon as she left. She dangled her legs over the path and slipped off her socks and shoes, which thumped to the ground with satisfying impact.

Humming to her herself, Genesis thought about all the places she had seen on the globe. She wondered what it would be like to travel. She had never been anywhere outside the compound and the forest, and the only humans she knew were von Reichter and Krumens. What were other humans like, and how did they live? What experiences were out there to be had?

Genesis was deep in curious thought when she was suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of feet barreling down the path toward her. She saw, as he came into view, that the feet belonged to a worried-looking Techno, obviously alarmed by the racket the fleeing birds had made a minute earlier. He spotted her shoes and socks under the tree, and looked up to see her in its branches. His expression became even more worried.

"Miss, what are you doing up there? What happened?" he cried frantically. "The Master will kill me if you get hurt!"

The Techno spoke in Spanish and though Genesis could only grasp a few words, she could easily see his distress and dropped back down to the path.

"Oh," he said deflatedly, seeing by her easy landing that she was built like a Cyber. "I guess you're okay, then." He looked akward, not sure if he should stay or go back to his post. Genesis felt a little sorry for him and decided to go back inside and give him a break.

He walked her back to the compound, neither saying a word in either of their languages. At the door, Genesis turned to her chaperone and put a gentle hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Danke," she said, to let him know she appreciated him looking out for her safety. She then went inside and closed the door behind her.

The Techno and a another guard stood confusedly for a moment.

"What's a "'danke?'" wondered the Techno. His friend shrugged.

Noting that it was close to dinnertime, Genesis set off in the direction of the dining room. She made a stop at a washroom on the way to get her hands clean. There were flakes of tree bark wedged under her nails too, she noticed with mild irritation.

Coming out again, she saw Krumens, on his way to dinner as well. They eyed each other contemptuously before each proceeded on their way as if the other had ceased to exist. Genesis couldn't stand the man. She wasn't completely sure what he had against her, but she certainly didn't appreciate the dirty looks he was always sending her way. Maybe he thought she took to much of von Reichter's attention away from him. *He's so prissy,* she thought.

Krumens avoided looking at the redhead in front of him. He couldn't stand Maria the first time around. Now he had to contend with her damned clone. And von Reichter had gone and renamed her, just like his clone! She wasn't so great. Didn't his master remember how she always argued with him? It was as if he had forgotten her faults over the years, which of course left Krumens playing the part of an inferior. He couldn't compete.

*I was always loyal to him,* he thought. *For God's sake, I saved his life! I'm the one he should love best.* Krumens forced himself to hide his emotions as he approached the dining room. He wouldn't want the doctor to catch him sulking.

Tonight there was Maultaschen, which Genesis loved. She wanted to lick the bowl, but knew it was very bad manners to do so. She had been taught early on about etiquette and prided herself in always remembering to follow it. She ate quietly as von Reichter and Krumens, at opposite ends of the long table, discussed work-related things not of much interest to her. They always mentioned a city called Meridiana when they talked about work. It was where von Reichter's son Jose lived. Genesis had never met him, but she gathered he was a bit of a trouble-maker from the stories she heard at the table. Being a creation from the lab like she was, he of course had no mother, but Genesis sometimes wondered whether she was supposed to be labelled as a stepmother. It was a confusing and uncomfortable thought. Jose was much older than she, anyway.

At the end of the meal, both men usually had something to drink. For Genesis, this was the time that she was given her daily requirement of sustenance. All the other creations in the compound needed it too, and gradually that fact had made her feel a bit more at ease about her dependence. It came in a glass, and she could drink it at the table.

"Genesis," von Reichter turned his attention to her as a servant brought her glass, "how do you feel about learning more Spanish?"

She considered. "I suppose I should. I think I'd like to."

"If I taught you more," he was obviously going somewhere with this discussion, "you could visit Meridiana. Would you like that?" He already knew the answer.

"Oh, yes!" Genesis was happily surprised. He really had been paying attention to her!

Krumens was just as surprised and happy, but took care not to show it. With Genesis out of the compound, even for a short time, he could work his way back into the doctor's good graces. Who knew, it might even give him an opportunity to make her absence permanent.