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Chapter 1: Unscathed

The room was white. Pure. Like us, almost. The room was silent too, engaging in the same activity as our souls: Nothing. I turned to look at Nona, she made eye contact with me, and everything I was feeling, I could see in her too. The silver door began to open as tall figures pulled down on the two ropes our entire existences were attached to. There was a loud creak as both Nona and I placed dark black sunglasses over our delicate eyes. Everything was quiet again as we saw the sun for the first time in our lives, well at least I did, I couldn't speak for Nona.

For the first time in my sixteen years of living, there was no glass guarding me from the outside world. There was no scientist or government official holding me back from running out the door. For the first time there was nothing stopping me.

Chloe stepped forward and placed a hand on each of our shoulders, her long red auburn hair framing her youthful face, though aged and matured like the wine she drank each night. "Girls" Chloe whispered, I knew she was smiling even though I couldn't see her face. "Today is the day."

Nona grinned, "The day we go from variables to people."

In the distance, a man cleared his throat. "Number Nine" Chris said, condescendingly.

Nona's smile fell "sorry" she muttered. "The day we go from a scientific experiment, to a social one." she corrected herself.

We both quickly regained our composure and began walking forward towards the outside world. The second my white sneakers stepped onto the grass, I wished I could take them off and really feel the luscious green carpet on my skin, but we all knew my immune system wasn't ready for that. I looked over to see Nona staring at a squirrel sitting in a tree a few feet away from us. We were both untouched and clean, standing in a world touched by billions. We both had the same innocent faces and pale unmarked skin, except for one thing. A small scar on Nona's left shoulder, the remains of a needle from many years ago. Suddenly two cars began pulling up in the lab driveway, startling us from our revelatory moment.

Parked closest to us was a white bmw, followed by a black volvo. Out of each car stepped a man and a women, each of them familiar. Scientists who had been working in the lab since we were young. Chris shook each of their hands and then turned to face us.

He first looked right at Nona and smiled, "Number nine, you will be staying with Doctor Toby and his fiance Professor Natalie. Both of whom I'm sure you're familiar with." He gestured towards the two who stepped out of the volvo.

Nona smirked and walked over to the couple, "Well hello Mom and Dad, clone proof the house yet?" she joked. Toby and Natalie both tensed up, not sure how to respond to Nona's crude humour. "What's with the tense faces? Ohh I know what it is, you're throwing me a surprise welcome home party aren't you?" Chris began to glare at her, as Chloe and I each stifled a laugh. Nona continued, "Did I spoil it? I'm so sorry, I promise you my acting will be very very good. I'll make the party the most exciting night of your boring scientist friends lives, cross my heart and hope to die." She acted out the motions as she swore to them, the comical glow in her eyes pouring through the naive act she had displayed across her face.

"That's enough Nine!" Chris raised his voice. "Toby and Natalie here have been nice enough to welcome you into their home and look after you as we carry out phase two of our experiment. Please do me a solid and try not to scare them off before their first week."

Nona nodded, a huge grin plastered across her face. "Soo Chris?" she asked, never afraid. "Will these two lovely and daring individuals who I will be living with from now on, be stuck calling me Number Nine in the real world?"

Chris shook his head and grabbed two files out of his briefcase. "You're new name will be Nadia Springs. Number three who will be staying with brother and sister scientists Audrey and Ethan will be your new cousin named Taylor." He said gesturing towards me, and the other two people who had stepped out of the white car a few minutes ago. "You two just moved here from Idaho. Everything else you need to know about your new identity is in this file." He handed each of us a tan thin folder.

Nona guffawed directly at him, "You're kidding right? You're giving us new identities and you won't even let us go by our real names?"

"As far as I'm concerned Nine, you do not have real names."

"Chris. With all due respect, which at this point should be none. How are you supposed to carry out an accurate experiment if you are giving us all new identities. Sure we can be cousins, we're already like sisters. And sure we can be from Idaho because I really don't see that affecting us too much. But my name, is Nona. And her name is Tertia. That has always been our names, and that always will be. As a scientist, don't you think you should be able to look past all your pride and stubbornness and give us this one thing. You could even use it for your experiment. You're not seriously trying to tell me that us naming ourselves didn't seriously shape our up-brining and show you something about our personality differentiation." She then turned and looked directly at her new caretakers, "You can call me Nona."

Chris said nothing, he just stared at her blankly. After a minute or two had passed, he admitted defeat I didn't even know he had. "Alright, you can go by Nona and Tertia. But I'm only allowing this because of the experiment, not because you want this."

I finally decided it was about time I spoke up. "When are we leaving?" I asked.

"Now" Chris stated.

"Will we be bringing anything with us."

"We already supplied your caretakers with all the clothes and toiletries you will be needing. If there's anything else you would like to take with you, you can go get it right now. But make it quick."

Nona and I each looked at each other and then ran back inside the building. When we got to our bedroom we put our fingerprints up against the scanners that would unlock our door. I walked inside looking at my white walls, my white bed, floors and sheets. I climbed up the ladder to the top bunk where I slept and lifted up my pillow. Underneath was the notebook Chloe got me for my 12th birthday, considering she was the only person who kept track and allowed us to celebrate. It was purple and had small doodles all across the back cover. On the front, you could see my name in bright blue letters, Tertia. Nona grabbed a small stuffed turtle she had for ages, but little did anyone know it was filled with stolen jewelry and candy from all the lab workers.

When we got back outside, we were allowed quick goodbyes to each other and to Chloe. I made sure to also wave goodbye to Chris before getting inside the car, I knew he tried his best. Nona walked over and gave him a hug, just to mess with him and keep him on his toes. Then she crawled inside her new black volvo and went off in a separate direction. I knew it wouldn't be long before I saw any of them again.