The Initiative

From darkness to light, my eyes began to adjust to the surrounding details. I turned my head to the left then my right. My neck cracked several times in the process, relieving the built up pressure. On both sides of me were metal containers and the profile of the glass covering the front. The capsules were a dull grey. I stretched my arms forward. Like always my hands would hit the surface in front of me. I was in a fully metal room with clearly visible cameras. I could tell there were several floors above and beneath me filled with capsules. There were capsules across the open space as well. A catwalk separated the floor in two.

It had been several years since the atom bomb swept the earth in 2112. Luckily it had been predicted by scientists and engineers. Machines would be the only solution to saving the human race. They began to program them. The perfect simulation of life. They seemed almost human.Taking this as the opportunity to create a better world, scientists began the Omega initiative. The idea was to have donors give DNA in order to start researching. The machines would switch, add, and lessen the DNA to create clones. Once created the machines would have the ability to send the clone into testing or eliminate the clone.Once they found the perfect D.N.A, they would copy it and launch the copies to fill the world population. They did not give names to the clones only numbers. The process was long… and deadly. The only time you would get out of your capsule was when you went though the process. I’ve only heard murmurs of the name. A lot of clones just call it the Evaluation.

When you were created you could see only white. Immediately you are put in a capsule. The machines were supposed to be heroes. Heroes don’t kill people. When they erase you, it’s not a humane process. Your D.N.A is physically straitened and broken. With a broken design your body apparently can not process correctly. Unfortunately, you are alive the whole time. Luckily you get evaluated by in order of your numbers. If you were created late, you live longer. My number is 989. Starting today they have Evaluated 908 clones. Time does not fly when you are in the same place day after day.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sliver of the floor. It was darker then the floor I could see through the glass covering my capsule. I reached down to try to touch it. My head hit the glass hard in front of me, resulting in distortion. I rubbed my the top of my forehead vigorously. Realizing my mistake I decided to use my foot. I pushed slightly with my leg until it was fully extended in front of me. The glass was still connected by the top of the capsule. I continued holding the glass with my foot as a began to step out of the capsule. It was a slow process. I transitioned to my hand and pulled my other foot out. I slowly closed the glass and removed my hand.

I was completely out. My first time out of cell in what seemed like forever. My legs felt like jello, as slowly they began to wake up from the long slumber. Silently I began walking to the left. There was about a 4 foot distance between each container. As I strode past the next container I noticed my self. My reflection in the glass was striking. Then I noticed… it wasn’t a reflection. It was a different clone but it was me. Or at least my body. The clones eyes were closed and seemed to be unconscious. I continued walking slowly gained speed as I began to feel more uncomfortable with every capsule I passed. Each clone had an almost exact resemblance as me. By the end of the corridor I thought the horror would end.

Then I passed by another clone of me. This time… it was awake. Looking startled, it gave me a look of confusion. I froze in my tracks, returning the gaze with a smile. Suddenly the clone raised its fist and began pounding on the glass. “Hey, how did you get out?!” the clone shouted at me. My lips began quivering as my brain could not process a response. The clone began screaming, “Get me out!” The noise started a chain reaction waking up several clones from their session of shut eye. This resulted in a borage of disapproval. I quickly made the turn to the next corridor.

As I stepped around the corner I noticed a line of mechanical beings. They were arranged in a V formation. The metal man in the center seemed to be holding a curved piece of iron with a hole at the end of the barrel. The robot squeezed the piece of mechanism firmly shooting out a dart-like object. The dart stuck into my chest and I became unable to move. I collapsed to the ground hard with a thud. I heard the footsteps of the beings come closer to me. Two grabbed my arms and began to drag me. Losing the ability to keep my eyes open any longer they shut.

The effect wore off and my eyes opened. My vision was blurred and fuzzy. As they finished focusing, I noticed the room was blank and white. It was like being created again. I was shirtless and laying facedown on something ice cold. Straps of leather were around my ankles and wrists. My legs were still numb. I could feel a metal contraption sticking out of my back. From the corner of my eye I saw a monitor, which showed what seemed to be a double helix. An electronic voice stated slowly, “We are ready to begin.” A couple seconds went by then I noticed the screen begin to change. The helix began to unwind. My body began to register and a pain as fierce as the sun ran through my body.

I screamed several times through the process. Halfway through the unwinding my body began to shake. The shaking was relentless and did not disrupt the surgery. My brain developed a migraine which felt like a throbbing cut. My heart began to feel like it was about to explode in my chest. Agony replaced blood as it flowed through my veins. I glanced at the screen. The double helix had turned into a straight ladder.

The same electronic voice flooded my ears, ” Begin erasing.” A new unbearable pain intercepted the old one. I screamed until I thought my lungs were going to burst. The shaking accelerated greatly. It felt like I could feel each individual blood vessel erupt. Slowly I could feel my body decomposing. I could see a crack on each rung of the ladder. I could feel my life drawing farther away from humanity with each break of the ladder. Through the pain and torture a final thought popped into my mind. I had failed the Evaluation. All of a sudden the pain stopped and my eyes shut. I was plummeted into blackness.

From darkness to light my eyes began to adjust to the surrounding details. I stretched my arms forward only to hit the obstacle in front of me. After the Omega initiative we were all given numbers instead of names when we were created. My number was 990. I turned my head cracking my neck several times in the process. On my left I could see a replica of the capsule I was in. On the right however,the glass covering the front of the capsule, was open halfway hanging on by the top. I tried to recognize the clone inside, but… you cannot identify something that is not there.

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