Lieutenant Sharp By the week’s end, they celebrated their victory, the open waters of the ocean remaining void of any other vessels approaching so it was marked safe for now. But the lieutenant had other things on his mind. Like the caged man Kia was constantly on the lieutenant’s mind. He looked at Liz in the recreation room that was there for them alone. Warriors. Elites. Winners. All titles were given to them but they knew the truth- clones. They had certain perks as they were the forcefield behind the place. They had privileges as the captain said because of it- but the lieutenant felt it was because the man was afraid. After all, the captain and his entire board were mere humans and could be pig chowder if Sharp or one of his team members snapped one day. He figured the man was playing it safely...as he should. Sharp didn’t need to ‘snap’ nor did any of the people in this room. It was because they were built to obey, that they stayed. If they actually wanted to leave, they
Elizabeth stood in the dimly lit chamber of the hidden lab, the faint hum of machinery filling the air around her. The flickering screen in front of her displayed rows of data, each line a piece of the puzzle that was her life. She scrolled through the information touching the screen with her fingertips lightly, her heart pounding as she recognized the names of the other clones- each one labeled with a purpose, a role they were meant to play. Jakes, Elizabeth; Version 5.3, was at the bottom of the list. 5.3? Heart pounding inside her chest, she took a deep breath, her fingers trembling as she navigated through the files. The names of her predecessors blurred in her vision; David, Alyssa. Kela, Dodi. Rebecca, Laura- all her friends- not hers but the human Elizabeth- and each a failed experiment. Each is a discarded attempt at creating the perfect version. And then there was her, the most advanced, the culmination of years of research and experimentation. But what did that mean? Was s
LizLiz’s mind raced with troubling thoughts for the next couple of days. Her recent findings had stirred up a whirlwind of questions. She had learned that she was likely one of three clones, each programmed with the Kia system, and her mind was occupied with doubts about the other versions of herself. Had Clones 5-1 and 5-2 survived? If so, where were they now? What was their fate with the Kia programs? And, most pressing of all, who was the mastermind behind this entire operation? Marcus needed to know her discovery. Her thoughts churned as she wandered through the indoor gardens where Randall and Matt had settled. The gardens, a stark contrast to the harsh reality of their usual battlefield life, were a haven of tranquillity. Yet, Liz could sense the unease that lingered among both men. The peace and relative safety of their new environment seemed to leave them restless as if they were struggling to adjust to this near-provincial lifestyle after the constant adrenaline of the fro
The dim light of the recreation room cast long shadows on the walls as Liz and Marcus Sharp sat across from each other. The air was heavy with the residual laughter of their comrades, but the noise seemed distant now. Liz’s cheerfulness had faded now in the past weeks, leaving behind a contemplative silence. Sharp, ever perceptive, noted the subtle change in her demeanour and decided it was time to address it. “Liz, you seem preoccupied,” Sharp began, his tone unusually gentle. “What’s on your mind?” Liz’s gaze drifted to the game board where she had just been celebrating a win from Marcus. The pieces, now abandoned, seemed to mock her with their silence. She took a deep breath before turning to face Sharp, her expression a mix of frustration and unease. “It’s nothing, really,” she started, her voice wavering. “Just some unsettling thoughts. I really need to separate my memories from the now. I still think of you as Marcus, you know? And Matt and Randall are still- ” “Shh, I know.
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
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
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
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