Icara
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Three Fourteen took stock of his surroundings. He was in a large chamber, great pillars lined the room and beyond lay the expansive badlands of Home. The environmental controls kept the chamber cool despite the open room, yet his sweat persisted. He sat among nearly 500 empty seats, upon a grand marble floor. Banners drifted from the ceiling depicting Father and his accomplishments; discovering Home, unearthing the lost ruins, creating the first clone, putting down the clone revolt. Among the historical accomplishments of Father sat Three Fourteen, all alone.
How could I have been so stupid?!
Three Fourteen's mind reached back to the events that led him here. Upon the insistence of his dorm-mates, they dragged him out to an evening at the
feelies. After plugging in the nodes a short news brief, that typically precludes a
feelie, flashed in his mind. A pirate fleet had been intercepted and destroyed by Home security forces. An amoebas shortage due to complications with the Eau Empire had begun to harm the economy, and finally, to his shock, a report that Father had discovered The Casimir Effect, a reaction from compact fusion reactors that had positive implications on scientific discoveries for all of Home. Upon the news brief stating this in his mind, Three Fourteen had clenched his jaw and thought back to his thesis of only a week before.
The Casimir Effect - After decades of experimentation with fusion reactors, plates of the right size, material, and distance, the vacuum energy created through the quantum mechanics of the Casimir Effect can finally be exploited as an energy source.
His thesis was now being implemented according to the news brief, and it was Father, not Three Fourteen, who was getting the credit. After ripping out the nodes and letting a stream of obscenities fly, Three Fourteen was arrested and placed in detention. Now here he sat, in processing, waiting for a tribunal to judge his case. He will either be released, or deemed flawed and sent for re-education or termination.
A clear voice chimed from an intercom. "Three Fourteen, please proceed to Clone Processing."
Making his way to an elevator, the clone of Horatio was brought up to an enclosed chamber. It was a small room, white and sterile with a lone desk with two chairs at opposite ends. Standing at the far wall, with her back to him, was a women. She wore a dark green oni-suit that hugged her beautiful body. She gestured to a chair. "Please have a seat, Three Fourteen." He obeyed.
"One point one, one-four," began the woman. "Three Fourteen is noted to actively seek solitude apart from his brothers and sisters."
Three Fourteen rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "At times, I find it easier to focus my thoughts when I am alone."
The green woman didn't seem to hear. "One point two, zero-one. Three Fourteen is detained after an alleged assault upon a brother."
"Y-you don't understand," stammered Three Fourteen. "My brother called me D and joked i had alcohol in my brain. I couldn't take it anymore."
"One point four, twenty-two. Three Fourteen refuses to participate in an orgy."
"I wasn't feeling well..." Sweat leaked through his pours.
"One point four, twenty-five. Three Fourteen refuses to participate in an orgy."
"I ate some bad amoebas." His heart was pounding.
One point four, twenty-nine. Three Fourteen refuses to participate in an orgy."
"You don't understand!" Tears began to well in his eyes.
The green dressed woman turned to face him. A tattoo, a black single line roped from the bridge of her nose, up around her eye and down the side of her face, ending on her chin. Three Fourteen had never seen anything like it, aside from the holo's of Father.
Who is she?
"One point five, thirteen. Multiple assaults at the feelies. Three Fourteen detained. Flagged as flawed."
Three Fourteen threw himself down on the floor, begging, pleading for his life as the tears rolled down his cheeks. The woman smiled, seeming to relish in his insistent begging. "The Casimir thesis was nothing short of amazing - a new scientific theory that will lead us to many new discoveries. You were created by Horatio, therefore all that comes forth from your mind was also created by Horatio. Understand?"
Three Fourteen sobbed on the floor. "Yes... I understand!"
The woman brought a finger to her chin as if in thought. "Hmmm.... it would be a shame to re-educate such a mind as yours. The process does often impede thought processes in subjects. Perhaps... No. It's not possible."
"Please, I'll do anything!" Begged Three Fourteen.
"I can make this flag disappear." She said, a smile forming on her lips. "Yes. I have that power. However, you will no longer belong to Father, one of many, for everyone. No." She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I am Icara, and you will belong to me."
