Genesis sat curled up in a wicker chair on the porch, holding a mug of tea. It was still early and she had a robe on over her nightgown. Last night had brought another strange dream.

She had begun to have the series of dreams after coming home from Meridiana. They didn't happen every night; only once or twice a week was normal. Each time, Genesis found herself in the central role with the action seen from her point of view. She seemed to be the same person she was in waking life, but with different, shorter hair and clothes she didn't recognize. Everything in her surroundings looked dated and urban. Sometimes she even found herself inside one of the cars, huge and wide with soft leather seats.

Nothing particularly upsetting ever happened in the first few dreams. They were light and relatively noneventful. One would be about a party, another might take place on a street. They were funny things and Genesis thought they were entertaining, especially the ones which surprised her by adding von Reichter into their storylines.

But the dream she had just awoken from had been very different. Its atmosphere was heavy and almost foreboding, nothing like the pleasantness of the dreams before it. And that man on the steps...Genesis felt her insides knot at the memory of his face.

Footsteps sounded from inside and momentarily von Reichter appeared in the doorway, up early as usual.

"There you are," he said with a hint of relief in his voice. Then, seeing the weary look on her face, he frowned and came closer to feel her forehead. "What's the matter, Liebschen? Are you sick?"

Genesis shook her head. "No, it's not that. It was -" she paused uncomfortably, "-I had another dream."

"Another 'story' dream?"

"Uh huh."

"Darling, you said they were good dreams."

"Not this one. It didn't make sense and it was scary."

The doctor looked contemplative. "I see. Well, come have some breakfast and you can tell me about what happened. You need to eat something."

Around a shadowy corner, Krumens amusedly watched master and creation disappear down the hall. So the little princess had a nightmare. Well, good. Let her day be a little spoiled for once. He strolled off, feeling very pleased about the situation.

He felt a little less pleased later on, however, when von Reichter called him into his study with an ominous tone of voice.

"Krumens," the doctor began as his assistant shut the door, "I have come across a rather strange development. I wonder, has Helmut ever discussed his dreams with you?"

"Not that I recall, sir."

This answer seemed to disappoint him. "Not that you recall...hmm. You see, for the past few weeks, Genesis has told me about a series of pleasant dreams in which she apparently experiences life in an earlier era. She describes her role in the dreams as 'herself with shorter hair and strange clothes.'" He paused for emphasis.

Krumens began to catch on. "My God..."

"Unfortunately, last night she was disturbed by a dream about a huge crowd of people saluting someone she called 'a dark man in a brown uniform.'"

"Incredible! The clone inherits memories from the original! But...you don't seem very happy about your discovery, Herr Doktor."

Von Reichter was pensive. "No, Krumens, I am not. That dream has left her very upset despite my best efforts to stop her worrying."

"But surely there's nothing for her to be afraid of! German girls had no reason to fear the Fuhrer -"

"Damn it you fool, don't second guess me!" The doctor roared, rising to his feet. "She's frightened because she doesn't understand! What do you suggest I do, explain to her the history of the twentieth century and how Maria was killed? I very much doubt that it would help her!" He stood his ground, chest heaving in fury, as Krumens fell on his knees.

"I'm sorry Master, I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" he cried. Von Reichter watched, disgusted, as the eyes of the grovelling man became wet with tears.

"Get out," he muttered, and Krumens promptly did.

Drying himself off, the assistant wandered the compound's halls until he had stopped sniffling and regained his composure. He shouldn't have questioned the doctor's worries. If he was concerned about something, then it was worth being concerned about. Cybersix, for example.

As he turned a corner, his foolish words to von Reichter repeated embarassingly in his mind:

"...surely there's nothing for her to be afraid of! German girls had no reason to fear the Fuhrer..."

A startling thought suddenly came running up behind Krumens and smacked him in the back of the head. Loyal, patriotic girls had no reason to fear him, yes. But what about a girl who was not so loyal?

He started giggling despite himself. What if Maria had been one of the disloyal? She would have been afraid of the price of treason, of what Hitler would have done to her, and so her frightened memories would have been passed on to frighten Genesis!

Krumens was beside himself with triumphant glee. A Techno walked by and stared in disbelief, but he just kept giggling. It was a perfect plan! Who even cared whether or not it was true? If, carefully and subtley, Krumens planted the seeds of doubt as to her loyalty in the doctor's mind, he might see Genesis as a traitor or a security threat and kill her. He might even declare her insane, lock her up and then kill her! At last Krumens would be free of that miserable woman in all forms - for good!

In the library, Genesis looked up from her book in surprise at the sound of someone humming. As she watched, Krumens strode in and approached her, still humming elatedly. Without a word, and against her loud protests, he grabbed her in a bear hug and planted an exuberant kiss on her cheek before sauntering off in the manner he had come.

"Yech, what's wrong with you?" yelled Genesis, rubbing any traces of kiss off of her face.

"Nothing, compared to what's going to be wrong with you!" Krumens whispered to himself in the hall, before bursting into giggles again.