ISIPHO SOKUZALWA (Gift of Birth) by MINENHLE S MKHIZE

DISCOVERY

The two unknown individuals are riddled by these memories in which the African male felt dizzy and out of balance. He moves backwards and by accident he touches a sensor button linked to a big monitor that opens to the scientist who created them, he starts telling his memoirs and notes about his experiment. He introduces himself by saying,

"Hello. My name is Professor Mikhail Zarbon. This is my memoir of the experiment which other international scientists and I are basically implementing. The project is called Genetic Replication and Cloning, the log begins here.

Date: 07 February 2009. This day marks the start of our project. The idea is taken from the Christian Bible scripture, Genesis, which talks about Adam and Eve's creation. We also take this knowledge to regenerate it to form our own new clones that don't get sick, don't age, have heightened senses, and are four times stronger and faster than an average human being.

Date: 30 August 2010. Many experiments have been made and tested on animals but they have all failed. As each idea we came up with was still a disaster. We took samples of blood, skin tissues and hair from dead and abnormal animals used as guinea pigs to analyse the cause of our experimental failure.

Date: 01 July 2011. Other scientists and I have agreed to use human volunteers from one of each member in government of the developing and developed countries; all around the world. They will each pay 8.8 million United States dollars for their replicas and they have requested to create 23 clones - 11 males and 12 females - each different and uniquely gifted. I wonder if ... the reason for wasting so much of money in creating replicas of themselves rather than using the money to feed their people is their feeble attempt to pay off immortality, if or when should humans become extinct.

Therefore, by developing this project it will enable their replicas to reproduce other generations to come. So, I randomly chose two clones for my first attempt to surgically implant reproductive organs onto them; for some reason I took a liking of these two clones as I saw they were perfect for each other. A Swedish female: I code named her Parla, number #02369 (a picture is shown for identification), and she's a clone for the Swedish government representative. Then a South African male: I code named him Sipho (an IsiZulu name for Gift and a picture is also shown) number #01209, he is a clone for the South African government representative.

Date: 14 September 2012. I took both of these clones and personally stored them into the basement of the laboratory for safekeeping, and the other 21 clones would be scattered everywhere into groups of three individuals, making up seven groups altogether. Although the surgical implants of the reproductive organ is not yet complete for the other clones, the deadline is almost upon us and members of the international government are becoming impatient to see their investments.

Date: 05 December 2012. At the lab, outside the walls of Pentagon, the United States military general announces the completion of the project. By the authority of the scientists he releases an Indian female from her capsule - code name Jasmine; number #00500 of the Indian government representative. Followed by a Canadian Caucasian male - code name Luther; number #04646 of the Canadian government representative (a recording is linked to the presentation of the clones awakening for the first time). They are naked on the stage, and being watched by government investors in awe as they see their monies worth. Hands clapping of applause when both clones are being turned around, observing every detail of their bodies; then, they are given linen blankets to cover themselves.

Moving towards the end of the stage where there is a table full of problem-solving games like arithmetic and geometry mathematics, Sudoku, brain teasers and so forth under the projector that shows all of their accomplished work. From picking up 490 kilograms of weight to holding their breaths for 37 minutes and 55 seconds in a pool that was 1.01 degrees Celsius in temperature. Then they were put back into their capsules after finishing demonstrating their gifted abilities and were sent off to the hyperbaric chambers. Now, we are waiting for the decision of the investors to approve the clones for proceeding to be scattered, and then be either voice activated or click of a button in starting the training in educating replicas how to live and act as human beings.

Date: 21 December 2012. Glory and joyous celebration is happening today as the investors have approved the Genetic Replication and Cloning project. Now, every clone is being delivered safely as we speak to their locations to be studied and trained further. Names and codes of identification are imprinted on their capsules. If; for any reason, something goes terribly wrong to us or to the clones, there is a map to locate each group as I put translocation devices - even on Parla and Sipho. This compact version of the map is to be taken wherever by simply pressing down your hand onto the fingerprint identifier ..." 

When he was about to finish his memoirs, there is an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale. The monitor becomes fuzzy with white noise, at the background you could here glass smashing, walls and floors cracking that causes a malfunction to the telecommunication. When this occurs the chemicals are fusing together indicating the similar situation of event when the virus struck the world.