The Art Of Cloning

Chapter 1

"Why is she not awakening yet?" A voice hissed impatiently."Do you all know how much cloning science will improve if this precious specimen lives-and more importantly-live and grow up through this new world?" He paced the room with a fervor.

A whitened-headed lady watched the man the while time,gaze unwavering and calm with the feel of a wise and experienced manner."Finn,we can only wait while she slumbered through this new change.Imagine yourself how she would feel right how,new body still trying to reach homeostasis.And if this one doesn't bring forth to the world properly...well,we have nine other carrying mothers." She simply stated.

But the man closest to the glass remained tense."Rana,you and I both know WHO this little girl once was.And because of that fact,she will be the one most likely to pass babyhood,and into her abilities.Just think....the modified body,almost supercreature-like.But at the same time,the ability to blend in like a normal human.But inside,far from it.." He breathlessly gazed at the glass.

The woman named Rana snorted,quite unlike her dignified manner before."You are such a dreamer,Finn.I never said she won't live.And while she IS the most potent of the entire batch of ten-and far more enhanced because of it-she does have nine more just like her.All equal in looks and reflexes alike.Give them all a chance,and stop pressuring Luna so much." Her eyes softened as she watched the inside of the glass prison.

Finn's eyes hardened."Rana,stop it!" He sharply inhaled."She is NOT Luna,in reality,because the real Luna is dead.This is just a gift to her,a mere cloning.She," he pointed to the glass,"Will grow up,think,and behave completely differently-thanks to us and science.Face it." He harshly spat at Rana,who remained stoic and unblinking.

"Alright...just don't forget who you are." She calmly angled back.Finn flinched,and they watched the glass dome,now in silence.But both seemed to be quiet in the way of The calm before a deadly storm.

****

"Arlan!Quick!The clone is coming forth!" The nurse bit at a nervous apprentice,standing at the edge of the entire scene.Finn roughly pushed her,eyes glinting and anticipant at the woman's heaving and swelling body.All ambition,and no remorse.

"Go you fool!Can't you see how important this is?"

Stumbling forth,the apprentice named Arlan reached a shaky hand for the pliers,and handed it to Nurse Betty.Betty expertly twiddled with it,and plunged it into the woman's heaving womb.With a last pained cry,water sloshed out,and the bed was soaked.And...and a still bundle.

All crowding in to peer at the mystery lump,the nurse Betty swallowed.She knew a dead and forsaken baby when she saw one.But the rest still looked eager,and Finn glowing with the thought of success just around the corner.Little did he know...

"Well?Is it well and alive?The clone baby?" He demanded,not even bothering to call 'it' a real person,and addressing it like any oblivious scientist would.No feelings attached to their 'experiments'.

"No.She is...dead.Born dead,through a stroke of bad luck." The nurse quickly,yet confidently,replied.Finn was quiet,then exploded in rage.Kicking over a wooden chair,he screamed."DO YOU KNOW JUST HOW LONG I'VE WAITED FOR THIS TO COME?!?!AND NOW.....THIS!!"

The three others in the room-exhausted woman/mom,nurse Betty,and Arlan-watched in silence,not daring to talk as the raging scientist experienced his wave of failure.But the door suddenly opened.

"Dr.Finn?" A timid,yet commanding voice rang through.Finn composed himself by breathing,and smiled.

"Yes?"

"Dr.Rana has excellent news,and very bad news too." The lady replied,bland and not revealing with her words.Finn looked like a starved predator as he pounced on it.