The Experiment

Chapter One ~ The Experiment

The family was browsing the Containment warehouse, all of them dressed in finery. The youngest among them was seven year old Marcus who was bouncing around the rows of cylindrical containers, pressing his face up against the glass.

"Mark dear, get back here. Do not break Lord Maller's merchandise," the boy's mother, Jane, snapped angrily, her white gloved hands folded in front of her neatly. Lady Jane Tranisse had been married to her husband, Ryan, for ten years. This day he had finally been named as a High Lord, and with the title the family received the honor of picking the newest servant to their household from the highest acclaimed Clone dealer.

"Can we get a girl?" Mark asked, staring at a glass cylinder containing a girl with silver hair who appeared to be floating in a light green substance. Mark's older sister, Vivian, wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I am sick to death of the girls. They are too shy, all of them," she said, thinking of the three servants at home that constantly scurried about the place like mice invading another's home for food.

Mark sighed, drawing away from the glass with his shoulders hunched. He was never allowed to pick the new servants, and he thought it so fun. He knew that back in the old days people had pets, like furry dogs and cats, but all they were allowed to have were their servants, and to him they were the equivalent of pets. His father had picked their first servant, Evangeline, his mother picked the second whom she called Grace and the third was picked by Vivian a year ago on her birthday and she called her Ki.

"What about this lad?" Ryan asked from across the same row of huge tubes, considering a blonde haired boy. Jane bit her lip.

"He looks too much like my uncle. Maybe another," she said quickly. Ryan turned to her, his eyes narrowed.

"Jane dear, we have been through the whole warehouse. The boys go quickly, only girls are left. He will have to do," Ryan began calmly. Lord Maller stepped forward, his eyes alight from his sudden eagerness.

"So you will be taking this one?" he asked, reaching for the keys at his waist. Vivian threw her head back, annoyed with the whole ordeal, when she saw something in the corner. Another containment tube, but this one was dusty and grimy. Curious, she walked towards the tube as her father began to sort the transaction for the horrible blonde haired boy.

As she reached the container something caught her eye, a flash of blue under the grime - maybe a trick of the light? Pulling her sleeve up around her hand, Vivian reached up and wiped away the dust and dirt, revealing the Clone inside, and gasped from shock.

The boy inside was perfect, everything a person sought eagerly for a servant. He had pale skin, curly dark hair and a slim, strangely delicate body for a male. His eyes were hidden by his closed lids and Vivian knew she would not get to see if he had the standard blue eyes unless they got him. She so wanted to show off a gorgeous dark haired and blue eyed servant to her friends.

"Father!" she cried. "Father, this one, he is beautiful."

Only seconds later did her parents appeared, followed by a bouncing Mark and a red-faced and wide eyed Lord Maller.

"Yes, it seems like he has been here for a while. He would be a fine servant for us. We will take him," Ryan announced.

"Oh no, not that one. The quality of my wares decreases with age. I have been meaning to dispose of that one for years. Take a look at my newer stock," Lord Maller encouraged, trying to guide Ryan back to the other Clones, but he stayed where he was.

"I have taken a liking to this one Lord Maller. If it is a question of paying you for him..."

"No no, no need for money. I am not reserving him. He is not one of the stock, bad quality and all."

"Well then we can take him off your hands," Vivian added, looking forward to telling her best friend of a decent servant they had finally had the sense to get.

"No, no, no...." Lord Maller stuttered, nervously grappling for excuses. "I will make you one just like him. But I must insist that you do not take this one."

"Nonsense. Get him ready for transport, we will take him," Ryan announced with an air of finality. Lord Maller stammered as he tried to think of a way to get them away from this Clone - the one he was meant to throw away a year ago - but failed and reluctantly began to unlock the tube.

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It did not take long for the boy to be ready for transit. Half an hour later he had been packed securely into one of the metal cased boxes, strapped in by a thin wire that kept him unconscious until they reached their destination, for clones were not allowed outside of a house unless it was an emergency. The boy was breathing steadily, his systems set up before hand - not like with dodgy dealers where the buyer was left to try and get their Clones hearts working - and he was ready to immediately be put to work.

"Are you sure?" Lord Maller asked for the hundredth time as he loaded the box containing the Clone into the back of the long car, securing the box in place. "You know our policy, under no circumstance do we accept returns of our merchandise..."

"I am sure," Ryan confirmed, slamming the boot of his car as his wife loaded the two children in, fussing over Mark's seatbelt. "Good day to you Lord Maller." The High Lord tipped his hat before sliding into the front of his car and seating himself behind the wheel.

Some found it strange that a High Lord would drive his own car, but Ryan could not stand people outside of his family, much less one whose duty it was to drive him around and probably pry on his business while he was doing it. He was happy enough driving himself around from the council and back to his home on Loy Hill. Everyday he took the same routes: either from the Clone warehouse to home, the council to home, or from his mothers and back to his home. Routine was a thing the Tranisse family lived by, and it was the thing they were all about to break.

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As soon as the Tranisse family arrived home at their mansion on top of Loy hill - a great plain on top of a hill overlooking rolling fields and surrounded by trees - Mark burst from the car, screaming as he ran about near the boot of the car excitedly, waiting for his father to get his new pet.

"Can I name him? Please dad? Can I, can I, can I?" he begged, jumping up and down while clapping, his light brown hair bouncing. "Pleeeeaseee? I know a really good one!"

Ryan chuckled lightly, starting to unload the box from the back of the car. "Wait until we have him out first. Our other servants loved their naming."

Well they have to, Vivian couldn't help but think. Even if we put a knife in their eye they would like it. Everything we do is an act of god to creatures like them.

Part of the reason Vivian had named one of the servants Ki was because she had wanted to see if she accepted the stupid name. The young teenager - or at least the young teenager she was created to eternally look like - had fallen to her knees, beaming and praising Vivian for the most beautiful name.

The box containing their new clone - or pet, servant, or slave, depending on which family member was considering it - was wheeled into the house and into the great lavish sitting room filled with great cushioned seats, a wide telly mounted on the wall. Decor of houses had become a strange mix of Victorian and what futuristic styles were intended to look like and in some parts of the house counters floated off the ground while in others they had great long oak dining tables.

The opening and naming of a new servant was seen as a family affair to the Tranisse's, but Vivian lingered in the doorway, ready to go as soon as she had gotten a picture of the boy. So she leaned in the doorway with her small phone in hand as her father pried open the box, cutting away the wires that bound the Clone...

And then he fell back, his face white as paper. Mark ran up, confused, and screamed as soon as he saw the boy, hiding behind his mother, who was chewing her lip. Vivian moved towards the box, wondering whatever was the matter, and then she saw it, the huge fault with their Clone.

Instead of the beautiful dark blue eyes she was expecting the boy had strange bright red eyes, the pupils of which were dilated like a cats. The boy was gasping, his chest heaving as he raised his shaking hands, his skin taking on a grey tinge.

The Clone started to choke as he saw himself for the first time, blinking fast when faced with unfamiliar light and trying to calm his painful breathing, choking and coughing at times, his eyes stinging.

"It's monstrous," Ryan gasped, pulling Vivian out of the way as she attempted to get her picture anyway to show her friends the gross mutation. "What is wrong with it?"

"Is it because it is old stock?" Jane asked, her throat dry as they watched the boy sit up, looking horrified as he put a hand to his face, his lips trembling. "It looks sick."

Jane was nearly right. As the Clone choked on his breathing he coughed, blood dribbling down his chin and splattering the fur carpet.

"Evangeline!" Ryan called and a second later the servant came scurrying in, her eyes widening at the sight of the new Clone, which Ryan found strange. Clones didn't feel emotion and could certainly not be surprised. "Clean this mess."

Evangeline nodded, quickly scurrying off again to find a sponge for the carpet and a cloth for the boy. As soon as she left the room the boy leaned over the side of the box, coughing out more blood onto the rare white tiger fur. Ryan leaped forward, pulling the boy up by his hair.

"Stop it!" he demanded, shoving his chest and sending him back into the box fully. The boy gasped as the breath was knocked out of him, choking on his blood now, a hand to his neck.

"Daddy I don't like him! I don't want him anymore!" Mark sobbed, clinging to his mother who gently stroked his hair. "Take him back, he's sick!"

"That god damned con man probably won't take him back. This is what I get for becoming High Lord? A red eyed sick beast?" Ryan demanded, holding his head. "It's filthy. It will be a burden. It would be easier to take it out back and shoot it."

"No!" Vivian cried, causing everyone to look at her. Just then Evangeline ran in with Ki who began to clean the carpet as Evangeline sat the boy up, holding a cloth to his mouth as he coughed blood into it. "Maybe the red eyes are a special thing. No one else would have a Clone with red eyes."

"No one wants a Clone with red eyes. It's unnatural," Ryan rebuked, staring at the boy as he tried to figure out what to do.

Anger pumped through Vivian for a reason she could not explain. For some reason she liked the unnatural red eyes of the boy. Most Clones looked too perfect and they were all the same - the girls had blonde hair and light green eyes while the boys had dark hair and dark blue eyes - but this one was different.

"We may as well keep it," Jane said quietly. "At least until tomorrow. Let our heads clear first. Maybe his eyes will settle to brown. Who knows?"

Ryan had just picked up the poker from in front of the fireplace, ready to destroy the creature. Mark looked to his father clutching the heavy metal poker, trembling from fear.

"No! Don't hurt him! Please daddy!" he begged, moving away from his mother and kneeling beside the boys box, his nose at the edge. "He'll get better. I always get better when I'm sick."

"Fine," Ryan snapped, lowering the poker. "Fine. We can fix it's eyes and if it doesn't get better we can send it to Incineration. You'd better name it."

Evangeline and Ki both began to leave, knowing the naming was the first and only connection between a Clone and their masters. The boy still had the cloth held to his mouth, which was stained red and held in his trembling hands, his eyes misty. Mark reached to give the Clone a tissue but the Clone knocked his hand away, making the little boy cry out from bewilderment. A Clone never laid a hand upon a human unless ordered to do so.

Angrily the Clone dragged himself out of the box, tumbling over the side and falling to his knees, gasping from pain and cursing his weakness, rubbing furiously at his eyes to try and clear his vision. When he drew his hands away, Mark was leaning in front of him.

"I'm gonna call you Tommy!" Mark announced proudly, beaming. Vivian frowned. The name was ugly and didn't suit the Clone at all in her opinion. Even her mother looked uncertain of her son's choice. But now the name had been chosen, and that was what their Clone was to be named.

The Clone got to his feet, staggering slightly and catching himself against a seat, looking down at Mark.

"No," he said slowly, his voice thick and soft.

"No?" Ryan repeated, shocked. The Clone fixed his red eyes on Ryan, straightening himself.

"My name is Levi," he informed him. "Not Tommy."

"You do not choose your name. You accept the one we give you and you should be thankful we gave a filthy demon like you a name you do not deserve you rat."

"I didn't choose the name. My name is Levi," he growled, sending the room into silence. Clones weren't meant to behave this way. At this point he was meant to ask for the master of the house and kneel at Ryan's feet, swearing to serve him.

Ryan took a step forward, trying to decide what to do with him. Wasn't it bad enough the thing looked abnormal without it rebelling against them? How did they get such a defective Clone? None of the other Clones Ryan had ever dealt with had needed to be trained or made obedient, but clearly this one did.

"You get on your knees and apologize," Ryan hissed. Levi straightened his shoulders, balling his hands into fists.

"No. I am no slave. And you will call me Levi, not Tommy or filth!" he said softly. Vivian stiffened at his words, willing him to stop, knowing that he wasn't meant to be acting this way. And she knew what was likely to come next as she watched her father pull the boy forward, sending him to his knees as he drew back the poker.

Levi shut his eyes tight, ready for the pain. Mark began to howl as he begged his dad to stop, crying now, and then screaming when the boy he thought could be his friend was struck hard around the face with the metal, a deep gash cut into his face and spouting blood. Despite the strike Levi made no sound, only fell onto all fours as his blood spilled to the carpet, smiling as he watched the white fur stain.

Author's Note

This is the first time I have written in third person so I am sorry if it is awful