either side of Shane's head. "Oh, I have news for you."
Shane didn't respond.
The man made a face and turned away from him. He clasped his hands behind his back. "I plan on destroying this universe that the Overseers have created. To eliminate these perfections I have found in your system. Do you know why?" He asked.
"No." Shane thought for a moment. "To seek revenge for what you have lost?"
"Precisely." The man said. "Though it makes me curious to know why I'm telling you this at all. You'll be dead in a minute you know." He gestured for another man in a suit to hand him a gun. "Would you like to die now?" He asked. He turned and put the gun against Shane's head. "Or would you like to hear what I have to say before then?"
Shane's breathing became erratic. "Tell me now. At least tell me so I don't have to die in ignorance."
The man grinned a feral grin. "Trying to stay alive are we? Well, let's see what you say after we introduce a little... Pain." He pulled the gun away and fired it into Shane's shin.
Shane screamed.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" The man said, spinning the gun listlessly around his finger. "But on to business." He put the gun down on the surface next Shane's head. "I plan on unleashing an army of robots to-" There was the sound of gunfire. The man fell backwards, a burning hole was going straight through his head. Shane started firing at the others in the room. He was dead set on living as long as he could before someone else took his life away.
One after the other, he kept firing until someone in the room finally got off a shot. Shane's hand dropped to the table, releasing the gun from his grip.
The man who fired the shot sent a message. "Things livened up in here. I think it's time to restock the management."
"Is everyone else dead then?" A voice on the other side answered.
"Yes."
"Good. Your job is done."
Thank you." He sighed before ending his own life, just as he'd done with the man on the table.
When Carl woke up the next day, it was to find three men waiting in the living room of his house. Two of them were standing around idly while a third was lying unconscious on his couch. Carl approached them candidly.
"Can I do something for you?" He asked.
"Are you Carl Hunter?"
"Yes. What can I do for you?"
"We need access to your resurfacing technologies."
"For him?" Carl asked pointing to the man on the couch.
"Yes." One of the men nodded.
"They're in my lab across the street. I can pick them up and be back shortly. In the meantime make yourselves comfortable." Carl said. He left his house, walked across the street, and located the brain helmet. He carried it back with him and both men were still standing in his living room.
"Can you prop him up for me?" Carl asked.
One of the men propped him up.
Carl put the helmet on the unconscious man's head. "What happened?"
"He was pulled from a prison before being awakened." One man said.
"By whom?"
"By me."
"That's a stupid thing to do. The brain could be damaged permanently."
"The prisoners were being liquidated."
"Why save this one in particular?"
"He was convenient. We were there to pull him back up anyway."
"Well," Carl said while checking the readings. "He's going to be fine. I just need to remind him to wake up." Carl made a few adjustments and removed the helmet.
"Is that everything?"
"Yes." Carl said. "He will wake up in a short while. Keep him comfortable until he can start moving again. The lack of a stable mental environment will leave him confused for a while."
"Thank you doctor Hunter."
"You are welcome. Is there anything else I can do?"
"No we have everything we need."
"Good day to you then."
The men nodded before they picked up the unconscious man and left.
Carl blinked a few times before he returned to bed.
Seven felt herself slowly being pieced back together. It was strange to feel memories, thoughts, and feelings come back as those parts of her brain were reattached by whatever miracle worker was patiently bringing her back to life. But when she began to recover images and feelings about Dale, she began to realize that what she had felt before was not the same as what she felt now.
Before waking up inside, she had been obsessed with this idea that Dale was the only thing that could bring her happiness. But now she could see that Dale was only a friend. It was true that he was a friend that could be worthwhile to marry. She was meant to marry him. Now she realized that she should not blindly accept what she saw right in front of her all the time. Her conscience as well as whatever memories had been implanted in her agreed on these things.
She opened her eyes. A bright light shined down on her from above. A man was working slowly with sonic surgery equipment to realign those portions of her brain that had been blown to bits by the energy blast she had given herself in the brain.
The man smiled at her. She smiled back. He was wearing magnifying lenses and a white coat. Seven appreciated the simple nature of his appearance.
He came to Seven and injected her with a sedative.
Seven sighed and fell into a deep comforting sleep.
By the time word had reached Jenn, Ricky, Nick, and Crystal they had already petitioned the computer to produce a new Seven Twenty Five.
She stood there next to the computer. Her eyes were filed with wonder as she looked around the main orb chamber.
"What are we supposed to tell her?" Jenn asked as she looked at Ricky.
"We tell her that she is a clone of another person. We tell her the truth."
"I'm not telling her." Jenn said. She sat down in a corner and watched Seven as she conversed with the computer.
"I can talk to her." Crystal volunteered.
Seven smiled at the orb, tried to hug it, and came back to the others.
"The systems are online again." She said as she smiled. "That means production can go on like it did before."
"That's true." Jenn said.
"Seven," Crystal said. "I need to tell you something."
"About what?" Seven asked. "About how I am a clone and none of you think it is a good idea for me to know? About how my predecessor killed herself in grief over a man she hardly knew? About her revival and my obsolete purpose?"
"Yes." Crystal confirmed.
"Well, I'd like you to know that none of that really matters to me. I was made to make up for the flaws that broke her apart. That much means I'm not the same as her."
Nick whispered to Jenn. "It's almost like she's an entirely different person. The only thing she has in common with the Seven from before is the way she looks."
Jenn shrugged. "Maybe the truth is you can't entirely determine who someone else will be. Perhaps there's such a thing as a soul after all."
Seven seemed to have been listening the whole time. "That's true. Nobody really knows why we can create synthetic humans. Not even science can attest for that last fifteen percent that makes our bodies run. I guess since Seven didn't actually die, I get my own soul. That sounds exciting right?" Seven smiled brightly, clearly proud of herself.
"Yeah, sounds about right."
"Crystal," Seven asked. "Would it be alright if we go on a walk? I'm very interested in exploring what the world has to offer in person."
"I think that is a great idea." Crystal said.
"Thank you!" Seven said. She half skipped, half walked down the hall. Crystal trailed behind.
"So what now?" Jenn asked. "We've got two Sevens. Are we just going to keep them both or something?"
Nick pulled a ball out of his pocket and tossed it at the wall. "That doesn't sound like a half bad idea if you ask me. I think it'd be hilarious and honestly I think they're going to get along pretty well. It would be a shame to keep them apart. They're like twins."
"That's just your opini
on."
"I think Nick is right." Ricky said. "They should be allowed to know each other."
Seven hopped between lumps of metal on the ground. "So Crystal, what's my clone like? I know that I have all that information but I'd like to know what you think."
"Seven was a depressed creature. The only time I really spent with her was when Dale was being kept prisoner."
"Did she think like me?"
"No, her mind was bent towards Dale's wellbeing. I think it was the way she was designed that made her unstable. Dale was an organic you know."
"I'd like to meet him." Seven said. "At least to know what kind of person he is."
"Seven, he is not a great person. In truth, he is a mediocre person. He asked for Seven's creation on a whim, not entirely knowing what that would mean and not considering the implications beforehand."
"I can see why Seven was so depressed."
"Besides, it is unknown if Dale is even alive. The prison where he was being kept was melted down until it looked just like the metal you're standing on."
Seven scuffed her padded shoes on the lump of copper metal she'd just stepped on. She looked up and noticed a ship had come down at the tower.
"Crystal, I think someone's here to talk." She said. She jumped down and ran back to the tower. Crystal ran to keep up.
When Seven stepped out of the medical transport, she was surprised to find herself face to face with a perfect copy of herself. She waved and the other did the same while smiling.
"Are you supposed to replace me?" Seven asked.
The other shrugged. "I don't think I'm supposed to. I think we're supposed to be friends."
"Why were you created?"
"I'm supposed to give you a second chance at life."
"Does this mean we can be friends?" Seven asked.
The other seemed to giggle and held out her hand.