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2024-10-29 19:42:56‘I don’t want to die.’
The battered naked body of the young woman tossed around in the turbulent waters, falling from a great height and landing heavily in the water below. She had been battered against rocks, her head bleeding even before she plunged over the waterfall.
A single, faint beep echoed inside her head as something brushed against her bare left calf briefly. Her body jolted in fright, but the heavy water slowed her movements. Thankfully, it was only a log.
[System activated] The female heard the sound echoing, and she frowned. Her body was too weak to cry out for help. Instinctively, she knew she needed to scream to attract attention. But even if she managed to shout, how could anyone hear her over the roar of the waterfall?
‘I cannot swim.’ She panicked, not fully understanding what the words meant but knowing she could not swim and would die. ‘How did I survive that?’
[Loading...] Blue words flashed across her closed eyes. [This will take a few seconds...]
‘What?’
Without warning, a surge of images flashed across her mind- blood, the squelching sounds of a blade slicing through flesh, except the flesh seemed rotted. Bodies groaning and walking- ‘Zombies?’
[22%...] flashed across her vision, but her mind whirled from the influx of memories.
‘Mum!’ Pain surged in her chest. Flashes of her family- she instinctively knew they were her family- lay sprawled on the floor in a bloody heap of rotted flesh. Everyone around them is in a similar state- burning buildings, flesh being bitten...
‘What is a mum?’
[65%...]
‘What the hell?’ She swiped at the air in front of her- nothing.
She understood now that she had survived the war, even without knowing who she was or what had happened- she knew she had survived. She had survived the wave too- barely.
[95%...]
‘Got it- mother. I knew that.’ It took a couple of minutes for her mushy brain to function. The girl still did not comprehend what was happening but was too preoccupied to question it. Coughing and spitting on the surface of the muddy water, she drew a breath into her lungs one last time before her exhausted body gave up.
[100% complete.]
It worked out better this way. Her body, heavy yet light, floated down to shallow waters, but she was too weak to move or stand- something she needed to avoid drowning. Her mind was too weak to fully absorb the words she heard or where they were coming from.
[System Integrated. Program running...] The ice-blue words blinked repeatedly for a few seconds before disappearing.
[Welcome to A.I.D.C...] The ice-blue dots blinked and then stopped.
[Searching database...]
Her world went black as her cold naked body turned over; her face now submerged in the murky waters.
[Not found. Should I perform a full body scan?]
‘No. Later.’
[Confirmed. Would you like to activate water mode?]
‘Whatever it means- yes,’ she thought, her thoughts so weak that it might be her last.
[Affirmative.]
The voice seemed to know what she was thinking because suddenly, her light-headedness vanished, and her eyes opened beneath the water. Whatever ‘water mode’ was, she liked it. Even the burning on her neck did not penetrate her mind; it was blank except for one thing- land.
[Is this pleasing?] The voice remained monotone, words brightly lit now in the dark water, but the girl understood it was a question nonetheless.
Suddenly, her body stiffened, and she stood upright, her shoulders and head above the water. Seeing trees a short distance away, she made her way towards them, the shallow, murky water rolling off her bald scalp easily.
Her stomach growled, and she frowned slightly. What was that?
‘Food.’
On land, she pulled fat leeches from her body, staring up at the treetops to locate food, her primal instincts kicking in. Survival. The hot sun above thawed the chill the freezing water had left on her flesh.
[Please confirm. Was water mode pleasing?] The words appeared in front of her vision.
‘Oh, uh, yes.’
[Satisfactory rating as follows on a scale of one to ten; 1 being the least pleased and 10 the highest.] A display of numbers appeared in front of her, and she pointed to the last one.
“Ten?” she said aloud, understanding that she could have gone into darkness- dead. Her hands held out in front of her, she wiggled her fingers.
The numbers disappeared from her view.
[Affirmative.]
The girl furrowed her brow, her eyes taking in the clear sky overhead- blue with slight white fluff- clouds she noted, her head twisting as she opened her mouth and sucked in a deep breath. Alive.
[Should I finish the scan now?]
“No,” hunger pangs made her frown again, and she bent her head to look at the flat area where the sound came from. This time, a burn accompanied it. She stumbled around from tree to tree, her bare feet sore, looking up into the branches. “Who- what are you? Who am I?”
[A full body scan is needed to know who you are. Should I perform a full system scan now?]
“Yeah, I guess,” she replied, frowning as a loud, predatory cry reached her ears.
[Confirmed. Running scan now.]
The loud, piercing cry was heard again, and her pores rose. Her eyes darted from side to side, then to her forearms, feeling the strange emotion that caused such a reaction. Something was moving inside her- her breathing quickened- heartbeats she understood. An emotion ran throughout her being, and her forehead furrowed as she tried to interpret it.
Ah, she was scared. About to be prey...and hungry herself.
[Scan complete. Hello, Elizabeth Jakes. I am an Artificial Intelligence Program. You can rename me, but for now, I am in default mode. A.I. Kia. Your body diagnostic shows you are part of the human code.]
“What does that mean?” she muttered, turning around to scrutinize the dense green around her.
[DIGITAL CONSCIOUSNESS] displayed in front of her through the tree trunks, suspended in the air.
C5... DISEASE FREE...LOADING...
Age...19
Mass...61.2 KG
Height...172.72 CM
Physical features;
Eyes...black
Hair...black...long
Her fingers went up to her head but felt no hair- she was bald. She tapped gently around- nothing. Realizing the system is wrong and she had no hair but a skinhead, she became irritated.
[Skin tone...]
“Forget that. What is making that terrifying sound?” she growled out as her surroundings abruptly became quiet. No birds, insects...nothing. Even the wind was still.
[The possibility of animal life is almost nil due to the heatwave.]
“What?” The girl proceeded to climb the nearest tree with the thinnest trunk that was scalable to her, her heart pounding.
[Elizabeth...gathering information.]
“I don’t understand what is happening. I know my name and, uh, appearance thanks to you, but I have no clue about anything else. I get I am alive, but where is everyone else?”
The A.I. started speaking again, this time with a display of words going upwards in front of her.
[In the year 2145, the Earth’s axis tilted to ninety degrees, bringing an abrupt end to the world war, with survival becoming the top priority. Every continent experienced intense climate change. Sunlight would be almost twenty- four hours daily, causing massive destruction as rising sea levels flooded coastal lines and land folk life due to the ice caps melting.]
Wide- eyed and slack- jawed, the girl tried to make sense of what she heard while scanning the moist, moss- covered floor beneath her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the thing that made the loud cry.
“World War?” she gasped. “You mean after three?” Something told her she had experienced the third one. She wondered if this was the reason the sun was so bright or if that had passed. Her skin was already dry, and it had only been minutes since she had been out of the water.
[Affirmative. World War Four. The Earth has since returned to its regular obliquity ecliptic, which is approximately twenty- three point five degrees.]
Huh.
The girl let the words sink in. “Am...I...dead?” She knew she wasn’t, but she needed Kia to confirm it.
[Dead. An irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions. So no, you are not dead, Elizabeth.]
Her stomach made another guttural sound.
[I am here for any questions you may have, Elizabeth.]
“Where is home? I need to go home.”
[Data unknown.]
“Wow. Guess I need Webverse,” she muttered about the internet that used to serve as a search engine for just about any question one could come up with.
[Webverse is a dinosaur. I am much better, but you have to earn my information as you go.]
The girl snickered at the A.I.'s wit. “How?” she asked Kia.
[Initiating...] The ice- blue word displayed itself among the leaves of the trees, followed by an automated tone.
[Level 1]
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Confusion on Randall’s facial features because they had just met up on the road and had only acknowledged each other when they had seen the truck coming towards them in the distance. They hadn’t even spoken about taking the truck, it was just instinct to work on getting it together and they’d work in unison, well till now. "What? You're kidding,", the naturally red-haired man scratched his head as he waited for dark browned but bleached-in streaks due to the sun-haired man to say he was just joking. His uneven bitten-off nails, burning slightly at the nubs where his salty sweaty scalp had him dropping his hand, still waiting for the redhead to answer. "No, I'm not kidding. I can't see your face," the other returned, monotone. A slight furrow between his eyebrows now. The man wiped his face more trying to remove the dust. She pointed the gun at him as she muttered, "Water in back. Don't waste." "Gee thanks, lady," the bandana-holding man said, in mocked sarcasm. He mumbled as
Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System 4- And There Was Three
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Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System 9- The military?
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Latest Chapter
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
44- Failed escape
The failed escape attempt was a disaster, more chaotic than anyone could have anticipated. The night air was thick with tension as Liz and Marcus Sharp crouched low on the rooftop, watching the flickering lights of the compound below. Everything had been meticulously prepared, down to the smallest detail. Sharp and Liz had scoped out the rooftop earlier in the week, calculating the exact distance they’d need to climb down and drop to each platform to reach the ground undetected because they had no rope. Angela had been set to free the frail man from his containment cell, with Matt and Randall stationed as lookouts to warn them if anything went wrong. Everything had been set in motion—until it wasn’t.The plan had seemed foolproof on paper: Angela would slip into the containment area, bypassing the guards and freeing the frail man they suspected might be a vampire- with the aid of the nurses- Polly-Ann. Randall and Matt were to gather the remaining supplies and prepare the escape rout
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
43- Adrian Frost- the caged man
Inside the glass containment chamber, the man lay still beneath the weight of the silver bars that bound him. His body, usually pulsing with a cold, inhuman strength, was weakened by the silver. The memories of his capture flooded back, vivid and raw. He had been in the middle of a hunt, tracking a group of survivors who had crossed into his territory. They had been careless, leaving behind signs of their passage, and he had followed them with ease. But something had felt off that night. The air was thick with an unfamiliar scent, a blend of technology and something else, something dark and potent. But he did not know it was a trap- one laid out by BMA. He had ignored his instincts and continued, confident in his centuries of experience. But then they had come for him- armed soldiers, not the usual ragtag band of survivors but a well-coordinated team. They had moved with precision, their weapons loaded with silver bullets and other tools designed to subdue creatures like him. They
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
42-Chapter scoping places
The days leading up to the escape were fraught with tension, planning, and a constant undercurrent of fear. Angela, Liz, Sharp, Randall, and Matt knew that if they were going to pull off this escape, they had to find a safe place to lay low once they broke free from Camp BMA. The area surrounding the camp was vast and overgrown, filled with remnants of a world that had long since crumbled into decay. It was a world where nature had reclaimed its territory, where civilization's ruins were hidden beneath a blanket of green. Matt was glad Blake was on board. He felt as if- if she could accept what he was, they could probably have something. Who knows. Among them were two soldiers as well. Mei and Troy- the one that zapped Liz. Randall and Matt still wanted to murder him for it but they put it on pause for now, seeing as Liz had other more important things to worry about. Humans who were on board as well were, all from the group that they’d taken under their protection except Polo. Nob
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41- Genesis of Cloning
Almost a century ago In the cold, sterile corridors of Facility X, where the air hummed with the quiet whirr of machinery and the faint scent of antiseptic, the pursuit of immortality had long been a silent obsession. The capture of a vampire- an ancient being whose very existence defied the natural order- had catalysed an evolution in their research that no one had foreseen. Dr Addison Carter, the Head of Genetic Engineering, sat at the helm of this clandestine project. Her sharp blue eyes were fixed on the digital readout of DNA sequences on the screen before her. Each line of code represented the unravelling of millennia-old mysteries buried within the vampire’s genetic makeup. The creature’s cells, unlike any human’s, held the secret to rapid regeneration and a kind of cellular immortality that had eluded scientists for decades. Addison’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Dr Marcus Min Lee, the Chief Biochemist, whose mind was just as consumed by the potential of their
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
40- Coming To Terms
Matt and Randall sat in the dark corners of the bunker room, the air thick with silence and the weight of their newfound knowledge. The revelation that they were clones- replicas of people who had lived and died in another time-had shaken them both to their cores. They had always known that their lives were anything but ordinary, given the post-apocalyptic world they inhabited. But this? This was something neither of them had ever imagined. Randall leaned back against the cold, concrete wall, his brow furrowed in deep thought. The moonlight from the single window, cast long shadows across his face, making him look even more haunted than he felt. Matt, sitting across from him, was no better. His usually easy-going demeanour had been replaced by a quiet, troubled expression as he stared at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. To make things worse they couldn’t even talk freely because the room had others in it. "I feel fine, you know," Matt finally said, breaking the silence. His voi
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
39- Carrying out the Plan
The next few days were a whirlwind of covert activity. Liz, Marcus, and the rest of the group worked in silence, each of them fully aware of the gravity of their situation. Liz found herself spending more time with Randall and Matt, trying to gauge how they would react to the news she had yet to break to them. The air was thick with anticipation. She could see the tension in Randall’s shoulders, the way Matt’s foot tapped nervously against the floor. “There’s something we need to talk about,” Liz began, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest. Randall looked up, his brow furrowed. “This sounds serious. What’s going on, Liz?” Liz took a deep breath, glancing at Marcus, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. “We’ve been planning the escape for a while now, but there’s something you both need to know. The man we’re trying to free…there’s a chance he’s not human. Marcus thinks he might be a vampire.” The reaction was immediate. Randall’s eyes widened in shock, wh
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
38- The Truth About the Frail Man
Marcus Sharp paced back and forth in the brightly lit room, the rubber flooring silencing his boots. His thoughts were a whirlwind, and his normally sharp focus was clouded by suspicion and doubt. Liz watched him from the corner, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, waiting for him to speak. She could tell something was gnawing at him, unsettling his usually unflappable demeanour. The lieutenant had visited the frail man again some nights back and he had reacted the same way as before. “He despises me,” Marcus thinks. It was as if he could have sensed what he was and it repulsed him to know that Marcus was created from his DNA. “Marcus, what is it?” Liz finally asked, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. “You’ve been on edge since we started planning this escape. If there’s something you’re not telling me, now’s the time. Marcus stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression grave. He took a deep breath before speaking. “Liz, there’s something you n
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
37- Matt and Randall Know
They spent days meticulously going over the plan, discussing every detail, every possible scenario. They would start hoarding supplies gradually- nothing too noticeable, just a few extra rations here and there, some medical supplies, and tools. Sabe would be in charge of disabling the security systems, and Angela would help with gathering information on guard rotations and routines. Liz would take on the most difficult task- telling Randall and Matt the truth. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was necessary. They deserved to know that they, too, were clones. But unlike her and Marcus, they weren’t built the same way. They didn’t have the same capabilities, the same resilience. That knowledge could break them, or it could make them stronger. As the days turned into a week, the tension within the group grew. Liz could feel it in every conversation, every sideways glance. They were all on edge, waiting for the moment when they could finally put their plan into action. Randall and M
- Elizabeth Jakes The Clone System
36- Planning
Liz leaned against the cool metal wall of the storage room, her fingers drumming lightly on a nearby crate. The flickering light above her cast long shadows, amplifying the tension that had been simmering for days. Marcus Sharp was crouched across from her, his eyes narrowing as he sketched a rough diagram of the compound's layout on a piece of paper. The trapped containment area was their target, the place where a man- a fellow clone, Liz suspected thought, had been confined for reasons still unclear. What could a clone have done to deserve such punishment? Marcus and the others told her that once they were no longer in use by the humans, they were discarded. So why was this guy locked away from all? Intriguing. Getting him out wouldn’t be easy, and the plan had to be airtight. They had been quietly monitoring the medical staff here, for weeks, and Liz could feel the weight of their decision bearing down on her. Marcus stated that their leader was a group of six made up of milit
