I had no way of knowing the time of day or what had befallen Owen, Art and Clarence. But I was not alone in my cell for long. It was the first time that I had ever seen his face properly. It was stern, with permanent lines etched into his forehead and around his eyes. The only other tell-tale sign of his age was his thinning head of smoky hair. And the man beside him, the exact image, only many, many years younger.
"It is an awful shame to be rid of you again. This time was much more promising than the last four."
"Yes, it was," mocked the younger man. His grandson or great grandson perhaps?
The Minister grunted toward the young man. A warning to remain silent.
"You were my favourite so far, if that is any consolation? Lasted much longer than the others..." he paused, leaning forward, so that he was so close to my face, "But we will just have to make another one. A better one. We now know what our mistake was. Our next version will be altered emotionally."
Version? My head drowned in his words. I could not remember any of this. Why? What versions was he talking about?
He nudged my jaw with his fist in an oddly affectionate, banter-like manner, turned and exited the cell, followed closely by his shadow.
If what he was saying was truth, then the Minister had created someone like me before. Many times. In the Eyes of The One, I was an abomination. An abomination created to destroy the settlement. How many versions of me has been created, programmed and then betrayed and killed?
I paced the cell, until my fatigue forced me to sit. I did not even feel my eyes close...
YOU ARE READING
ELICERENT
Science FictionSet in a dystopian future, the government body who call themselves The Facility have solved the problems of violence by keeping its citizens in hibernation until they reach their thirtieth year. Every citizen is programmed with the skills and knowle...
