Like A Fairytale

Bonus 8

The year 2061. February 26

Third cycle.

Bao looked at the creature in the water tank with sadness.

There swam a man who resembled him. Yes, he looked almost identical. Only this Bao Wang was an old man without a soul, as Elrik had assured him several times.

He looked briefly at the tank right next to it. There swam another old man. A soulless Elrik, whose skin had begun to form strange ulcers. Another failure in the attempt to develop a better growth accelerator.

The body of the second Bao seemed normal at first glance. He swam in the blue liquid as if he were sleeping. But when Bao looked closer, he noticed slight discoloration on the fingertips of the clone. In the blue liquid, they looked greenish.

This was the third day that he visited the two clones that died here, in this laboratory.

The researchers only came to take samples, and then, when they had everything they needed, to dispose of the two bodies at some point. No one kept them company.

No one accompanied them on their way to death.

Bao did not believe that they were soulless.

He spoke to the two of them. Quietly, or only in his mind, when one of the researchers was nearby. When no one was watching him, he held one of his hands against the glass of the water tank, the person he was talking to. He couldn't get any closer to these two men.

Maybe they knew he was there.

Tired, Bao got up from his chair and touched the glass of the tank in front of him. "What will our future look like?" he asked the second Bao. "Are we going to Burgstadt?"

No one answered him. Of course not.

Bao sighed. "This world is not ours. I think my place is that of an observer. I would like to free you, my brother. My second self. What are they doing to you? Are you suffering? Are you in pain? I can't free you." He looked at the sleeping, supposedly soulless Elrik. "Are you both in pain?"

"They aren't." Elrik's voice echoed through the room. He put a hand on Bao's shoulder. Bao hadn't heard him coming.

"Are you sure?" He turned to the man who had once been his best friend. Now, Bao didn't know what they were.

Elrik nodded. "They are not suffering, my friend."

"How do you know that? Did you ask them?"

"What for?" Elrik rolled his eyes. "It's just meat. If they had a soul, a will, then I would not have the heart to allow this. I'm not a monster. Just a selfish ass who wants to save the world."

Bao smiled against his will. He wanted to be angry with his friend, but he couldn't. "At least you know that you have a lousy character. You... bastard."

"You're glossing over it. Tell it like it is. Elrik is the biggest ass this world has ever seen. But he's also the powerful, huge ass that this world needs."

"You're nuts." Now Bao was no longer smiling. He laughed. "But, maybe you're right. Maybe the world needs you. It doesn't need me."

"I need you. Without you, I'd be lost. You are my conscience."

"Is this a declaration of love?" Bao raised his eyebrows. "Or is this just another form of your butt existence?"

"The love of friendship, yes! And I already confirmed to you the gigantic extent of my butt existence." Elrik winked at him. "Nowadays, you are the only one who dares to tell me your opinion openly. You see yourself as an observer? Good. It looks like you've found your place in this world."

"Ah." Boa gave his friend a slight nudge. "You've heard everything? Eavesdropping is not nice."

"Not everything. But I heard THAT. And I'm relieved that you found your answer. Even if not quite. You don't know yet from where you want to observe." Elrik ruffled his dark hair. "Burgstadt could be the right place for you, my dear friend. You need a break. Holidays."

"A break? From what? I have no future." And this body has hardly a past.

"Nonsense!" Elrik wrapped an arm around him and hugged Bao. "I already have an idea. For the future. Maybe you like it."

"Hm."

(c: sasi)