Unbroken: Fall of the Universe

Chapter Two

Hordak may have been the first clone to have ever been reconditioned twice, but he wouldn't know. As soon as he woke up from his second conditioning, he was more pure than any of them. All of his memories and emotions had been sealed off or otherwise purged. They were buried so deep in his brain that it was impossible he'd ever find them again. The brothers made sure the barricade around them was extra secure.

So now, Hordak was no more.

He had no name, no life of his own.

His only purpose was to serve Horde Prime.

The clone immediately had been assigned to safeguard the server room. As he walked the halls, no thoughts of his own passed through his mind. Everything was recycled: memories of the conquest and commands of Horde Prime. Thoughts from his other brothers' minds spilled over into his.

They shared the same thoughts.

They shared the same heartbeat.

They stepped in time.

Breathed together.

The brothers were one.

"We are one, we are one, we are one..."

The clone navigated the halls of the Velvet Glove (Horde Prime's flagship). The corridors twisted and turned, all looking the same: the perfectly polished floor down to the purple and green walls with black spiderweb patterns straddling across them. Despite the confusion, the clone did not get lost.

He halted in front of a holographic door. He pressed a hand to the cold green surface, and it dissipated as he dragged his claw across it.

The clones inside nodded at his presence.

"Greetings, brother," they announced in unison.

Glory be to Horde Prime, the clone countered. You are released from your current duties.

Without another word --spoken or telepathic-- the soldiers of Prime made their exits. The clone took up guard duty outside the door. He reviewed the memories of the clones who passed him.

Queen Glimmer of Etheria was the honored guest of Horde Prime. She was seen as beloved in his eyes. Her planet was now the crown jewel of his empire.  This particular clone had yet to learn of the reason.

As for the other news, there was a stowaway. She too was beloved, insisting she was the one who would bring Prime to victory. Unlike the queen, Prime's little sister was allowed to roam the ship. She had a habit of checking in on the Princess' even though it was strictly forbidden.

Just as he finished reviewing that memory, a sound caught his attention. Without judgement, he turned his gaze up. Someone was barging toward him. She skidded to a halt, panting. A tail waved behind her and her ears flattened.

"This part of the ship is off limits to you, Catra," the clone spat harshly.

The cat-hybrid raised herself to her full height, which was still much shorter. She narrowed her gaze, a facial cue that the clone had yet to discern.

"You called me by my name," she growled slowly. "None of the other clones do that." She studied the soldier up and down. Her ears drooped and she wilted a bit.

"You remember me, don't you?"

He paused.  How did he know her name? It was true that none of the other clones called her by this title. So why did he? The clone knew better than to search his brain for information on the topic. After all, memories were simply the remnants of the burden of thought. When the clone did not react, she continued.

"Here's a clue, you don't like me." Her eyes grew sad. She whispered, "Hordak?"

The clone felt a spark inside his mind, almost like the bud of a memory, but it was quickly snuffed out. "It is wrong to have a name," he stated plainly, releasing himself from the shard of recollection. "Horde Prime's servants are but parts of the whole."

"Look, it's okay." Catra automatically flattened her hair. Old habits die hard. "The name thing can be our little secret. It's just...," she trailed off. A small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "It's kind of nice to see a familiar face."

For the briefest second, Hordak's eyes lit up. A light flashed in his mind, but he couldn't make it out. Suddenly it was drowned out by Horde Prime's image. The clone stayed quiet for a little while. His brain analyzed the data from his brothers.

"This part of the ship is off limits to you, little sister," he corrected.

The smile faded. Catra looked down to the ground, stalking away. A hurt expression shadowed over her. "Yeah, yeah, got it.''

As she walked away, the clone's gaze followed her. His expression softened.

I had a... name?

. . .

For the following hours to come, the clone wondered about what the little sister had said.

Hordak... he thought. Was that my name? I had a name? But from where? And why?

When other brothers passed by, he'd stop thinking about such topics, but he knew deep down that they could just hack into his brain any time they wanted. Hordak knew recalling and pondering things for long periods of time were dangerous. There would be punishments if he was caught. Anything other than praise for Horde Prime of course.

Emperor of the farthest galaxies! Ruler of the most hostile kingdoms...

Hordak let the train of thought run in the back of his mind. For now, he focused on trying to remember where he'd seen Catra -- no, his little sister -- before. Clearly, she had some connection to a past event. Perhaps he'd seen Horde Prime calling her by her name a few days ago. Maybe it spilled over from a different brother's thoughts and he'd felt the obligation to be polite... or something. It's not like he could have known her from somewhere.

Right?

And what of the name? Hordak. Names were evil horrible things which could latch themselves on servants of Horde Prime. They were labels, weighing one down, taking them away from the freedom of Prime. He had to forget it.

And that's what you must do, little brother.

Hordak stiffened as Horde Prime's voice filled his head. He did not know where his lord was, but his consciousness had reached out to him. It was almost impossible to detect the presence of his lord in his mind. How long had he been eavesdropping? 

My lord, Hordak greeted.

The lord's voice was dark. You are curious, aren't you?

Hordak shook his head. I am no such thing. I only desire to be of service to you and your mighty empire.

Come now, my brother, the voice whispered. Memories of the past are too painful. Allow me to purge you. This way, you may forget all of this. You can be of better service to me... just like you're meant to be.

But my lord, Hordak countered. He could almost feel his brain heating up with hosting this conversation. I do not wish to forget. I feel that I must figure these memories out before I can let go...

Silence! Prime seethed. You will find our little sister, escort her to the cloning chamber, and we shall regroup there without fail. You WILL be purged of these memories. Do. You. Understand?

The clone hung his head in defeat. Yes, Lord Prime.

Good.

Prime went silent. The clone summoned a deep breath. His lord had spoken, and now he must suffer the consequences for thinking of the past.