The following morning, the sunshine peeped through the window, waking Sipho and by his side is Parla snuggled up beside him. The sound of birds singing and chirping, and squirrels walking on the roof made everyone wake up feeling refreshed and energetic. It is a lovely day and is not too cold outside, Sipho takes the map out of his pocket and scrolls for the clones' location. He discovers that they are close; just over the hill west from the cottage, so they leave and climb onto the slippery iced hill. When they get there Sipho opens the iron door but the door was so cold that his hands were frostbitten.
When inside, they examine the factory that had machines of paint dye, gears, engines, wheels and pulley systems. They concluded that this factory manufactured motor vehicles. The group are riddled as to why these clones were put in a factory that manufactures vehicles. Meanwhile, carefully opening a few doors that they reach the last door in the factory, and found the hyperbaric capsules. Parla reads their identification aloud, opens the capsules, and put clothes over them. The map makes that beeping sound, Sipho press the button on screen, and the voice comes in and says,
"Number #04384, a female Chinese, code name Hua; also named Michelle, of the Far East representative. Number #05137, a male Russian, code name Xavier of the Central Asian representative. Number #09871, a male Ghanaian, code name Assegai (this translates to short spear) of the West African representative".
When Sipho listened to the third name he realised that Parla did not mention him, and discovered that there were two capsules; rather than, three. There is a rubble of rocks and metal found next to the capsules; and, buried under it were shattered pieces of glass. When Sipho and Parla start digging under the rubble; she spots half of an arm with powder blue skin and visible green veins like routes on a geographic map. They gather around the arm as if in a funeral paying they last words to someone who was dearly loved. Sipho spoke softly to himself,
"Assegai, my brother whom I never had"
He bowed his head and tears fell on Assegais' hand - indicating that they acknowledge death in the group for the first time they have ever experienced. As they say their last goodbyes to Assegai, the map points to Los Angelos, their next destination to where they would journey to.
As the clones are educating and are passing on the Professor Mikhail Zarbon's knowledge to each other, they are processing the information they have gained by his teachings, and digesting the reality that 'They' are only hope in reviving the human civilisation to planet Earth. Creating a new world order of healthy, strong, and intelligent human beings. Battling to survive in Mother Nature's mysterious and territorial wilderness. It will strengthen their will to live and be as ambitious like the people were in the corporate jungle, a characteristic flaw and reward we have in our human nature. In order to strive forward and achieve their destiny is by finding the remaining twelve clones, hidden from danger.
YOU ARE READING
ISIPHO SOKUZALWA (Gift of Birth) by MINENHLE S MKHIZE
Science FictionSipho and Parla wake up in a cindered Earth from the a ice slumber - not knowing they are clones. They travel across the ash-covered world trying to find self-identity, the reason for their creation, and will there be others like them.
