《City of Clones》


 long for freedom

    That year, the desert''s hot winds arrived late, and the wandering bandits lingered before retreating to their dens. When the fig trees began to bear fruit, the school welcomed a new batch of boys and girls.


    I can never forget the day I first met Jenny. She stood in the open space behind the wooden shack, her blonde hair shining as brightly as the sunshine.I also recall the day she prepared to leave, glancing out anxiously and saying, "Mr. Zhou is about to take roll call; I have to go now."I gloomily looked down at the sandy ground where I had just arranged a toy army of Leopard II tanks in battle formation. I said, "Ignore him. Mr. Zhou just loves to meddle."Jenny looked at me in surprise and asked, "Hasn''t he whipped you with an electric baton?""He dares not!" I sniffed with satisfaction."Anyway, I have to go, Jim. I''ll come again tomorrow."


    Leaning over the wooden fence, I watched her slender figure nimbly weave through the towering cactus patches and slip through the holes in the iron fence. Soon, she would blend back into the crowd of little girls in coarse blue uniforms on the playground, making it hard to distinguish one from another.


    On the other side of the playground stood neatly arranged gray houses, stretching far into the distance under the faintly visible barbed wire. These houses enclosed small playgrounds, each corresponding to a school.


    In the two hours before sunset in the afternoon, there was always a flock of chattering little girls playing on the dusty playground, their figures visible behind the iron fence. Further in the distance, a group of boys, all handsome teenagers with blonde hair and fair skin, always wearing gentle smiles, queued up for showers.


    Water was scarce in Sun City, surrounded by an endless sea of sand. Mr. Zhou once told me that few escapees could find their way to the Dead Sea of Corus, especially with Leopard II soldiers patrolling everywhere, armed with rifles and accompanied by fierce dogs.


    Mr. Zhou was a learned and strict individual. Whenever he approached the boys and girls in his black robe, they would immediately hush and stand aside, feeling awkward and uneasy.


    At that time, I was still young and didn''t understand why I was the exception. I wasn''t afraid of him and always loved to proudly flaunt this fact in front of him.


    Perhaps Jenny was also an exception. There was something in her eyes that surprised me. Her frail body often bore bruises from electric whip injuries, but in front of others, she always struck a defiant and upright pose. This perhaps explains why, while other girls obediently stayed on the playground, she had no qualms about sneaking here.


    I lived alone in a large Spanish-style house, which was actually also a school. However, it was a world apart from those dilapidated low houses and the dusty playground that was active all day.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    On a small empty space behind the wooden tool shed, Jenny and I shared the joys of our childhood, with the sturdy branches of the fig tree becoming our secret base for hiding treasures. Under the tree, we watched lightning piercing through the clouds, swans soaring in the sky, and those fierce-looking "Leopard II Warriors," whose speeding cars sometimes escorted a ragged, bloodstained fugitive.


    I often felt Jenny''s delicate frame shivering. "Jim, I''m really worried that one day they''ll catch me too and send me to a place where I''ll never see sunlight again," her voice was filled with fear and sadness."If that happens, I''ll come to rescue you!" I said firmly."You''re different from us," Jenny once said, rolling up her sleeve to show me a set of blue numbered markings: CL92-ST16, on her white and smooth arm. Everyone of us has it, she nodded affirmatively, even Mr. Zhou.I felt a mix of frustration and pride about this.


    Not long after Jenny left, I returned to the mansion to continue my studies. My study room was adorned with large photographs of Mr. Augustus from childhood to the present.Mr. James Augustus is my father, and Mr. Zhou always speaks of him with the utmost respect. I am convinced that he deserves such reverence. Yet, I have never met him, despite being very familiar with everything about him.People here strive to recreate the living environment of Mr. Augustus'' childhood: the ancient mansion, the dilapidated fountain, and even a small wooden tool shed, all meticulously replicated according to his memories. According to his wishes, I must be nurtured here.


    From a very young age, I had to study headache-inducing subjects: mathematics, philosophy, biology, military science, computer science, and painting. More importantly, I had to learn about Mr. Augustus'' personality, hobbies, accent, and various habits."You are the embodiment of your father, and only you can replace him," Mr. Zhou always said. He also said, "Twenty years from now, I, a new, younger, and stronger James Augustus, will become the head of the empire to complete the unfinished business of my father."To be honest, I''m not interested in these ambitions.


    Although I always get A''s in my studies and have mastered imitating my father to a superb degree, I am more concerned about whether Jenny can safely sneak out and lie under the shadow of the fig tree, telling me about the funny things that happened at school.Sometimes Jenny would bring a timid companion with her, and they were as indistinguishable as two drops of water. We often played a game of identifying which one was Jenny among the two girls. I always won."Hey, how did you recognize me?" Jenny asked with wide, surprised eyes."By your eyes," I said honestly.


    Jenny''s eyes were blue and bright, as deep as the sea.The girl she brought was also named Jenny, but I called her Lucia. For me, there was only one Jenny.We found several beautiful seashells under the turned-over grass roots. It is said that this desert was once a vast ocean.It''s a pity that Jenny has never seen the sea. I told her that the sea is like an expansive wilderness, like a mother''s broad embrace, and it is also a fascinating treasure trove filled with countless mysteries."There are countless cities under the sea, with everything one could need. People can breathe and live freely there," Jenny continued, her misty eyes full of longing.It''s strange, how could she know all this if she''s never been there?

 Mr. Augustus

    On my fourteenth birthday, I met my father. He received me in the most magnificent building in Solar City¡ªa colossal pyramid-shaped structure.At the entrance, I got my first clear view of the Leopard II Warriors. They all had rugged faces, fierce eyes, and thick, short necks. They wore enviable, gleaming helmets and held powerful energy guns, with two grenades hanging from their chests. There were rumors in school that their bodies were mixed with leopard genes, and some said their combat effectiveness was comparable to that of a heavy tank from the last century.


    I walked for quite some time through the maze-like, endless corridors before I realized that Mr. Zhou had led me to a rectangular room. The room was softly lit, with a thick Persian rug underfoot that felt like walking on loose sandy ground.Mr. Augustus, my father, silently walked across the rug towards us and said sternly, "Well, is this the little one?"As I looked at him, a strange emotion surged within me. His forehead was high, and his nose reminded me of the beak of a hawk. I knew that no matter what I was thinking, he could sense it. His mind was connected to mine, encompassing my thoughts.


    Mr. Zhou quietly retreated.He leaned over to look at me, and his face appeared large due to our close proximity. This wise face also revealed a cold, cruel expression. His eyes were wrinkled, and his skin sagged; he had grown old."You have grown up," he said. "From today onward, you will learn to manage the affairs of the Clone Empire. I am old, but you have youth. Countless strong soldiers are growing, and numerous able-bodied workers are maturing. The Clone Empire is thriving like you. One day, you will own the world."


    His voice carried a dreamlike charm. He approached the table, where a thick book with gold-edged bindings was placed. I was familiar with this book; it was "The Republic," which Mr. Zhou had required me to read thoroughly."Do you remember what the justice of a state consists of?" he asked.I replied, "The justice of a state consists in the three classes¡ªrulers, guardians, and producers¡ªeach having their own place and fulfilling their own duties.""Correct answer, my child," my father smiled. "Plato''s Republic was never realized, but the Clone Empire has achieved this. Rulers, guardians, and workers, along with their descendants, will all engage in the occupations most suited to them. This is a just nation."He turned around and stared at me, saying, "You must become like me to inherit my position. Jim, I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    When I returned to the large Spanish-style house, I was already late for my appointment with Jenny. Unbeknownst to me, Jenny had blossomed into a graceful young woman, and despite the poor diet and harsh living conditions, they had not obscured the beauty she inherited from her parents.


    I regarded meeting my father as a significant event and shared this with Jenny. However, Jenny''s reaction was unexpectedly indifferent. She said coldly, "I know your father. He''s intelligent and terrifying." "But don''t you have a mother too?" I asked curiously. "She would never come to see me," Jenny replied melancholically. "She has too many daughters."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After that, my meetings with Jenny gradually became less frequent. She had to study secretarial work, typing, nursing, flower arranging, cooking, as well as dancing and social etiquette, while I spent my days touring around Sun City in a jeep. Usually, Mr. Zhou was responsible for the commentary, but sometimes my father would do it himself.


    How eagerly I looked forward to meeting my father. I could understand every word and action of his, and he could understand every slightly naive question of mine. I admired him particularly for the extraordinary wisdom and courage he demonstrated in his youth.


    Long before the war broke out, when the Gene Control Committee was in charge, human asexual reproduction was banned. My father, along with a group of scientists and equipment, came to an oasis deep in the North African desert, in the homeland of the tough and warlike Tuareg people, and ignited the first spark of hope for cloned humans.


    Twenty years after the devastating war finally came to an end, people on the battered continent were busy rebuilding their homes, unaware that a new nation was quietly rising. This nation swiftly accumulated wealth by selling strong labor and high-yield grain seeds, which were in desperate need after the war. Meanwhile, an army composed of well-equipped Leopard I warriors was expanding at an astonishing rate. Every warrior was valiant and skilled, and the territory of the Clone Empire expanded rapidly as a result.


    In 2161, the empire''s influence first penetrated southern Europe; soon after, the first clone soldiers successfully landed on the Indian subcontinent. In the Americas, the clone cavalry was unstoppable, breaking through everything in their path.


    By 2175, the number of clone warriors had surpassed 100,000, while the number of clone workers reached an astonishing 10 million.


    Despite widespread banditry in various regions after the war and occasional skirmishes within the empire, the empire continued to grow. A new generation of Leopard II warriors was soon put into use, and clone workers began to diversify in terms of varieties and specifications. New clone factories sprouted up everywhere like mushrooms after rain.


    The once small oasis had now transformed into a city capable of accommodating 200,000 people. Standing in my father''s office, I overlooked rows of gray rooftops stretching to the edge of the city, interspersed with patches of sand-covered playgrounds. There, every clone was molded into a predesigned form, and those who failed to meet standards were eliminated.


    To the west of Solaris City, there were no buildings; everything was hidden within a lush jungle oasis spanning hundreds of kilometers in radius. Occasionally, a low rumble of thunder would echo, quickly fading along the dried-up Is River valley. That was the special training base where toddler Leopard II clones were sent for rigorous training. Before reaching adulthood, they had already become skilled warriors.


    I once visited another massive structure with thousands of rooms above ground and an underground section of comparable size. Each room was equipped with ten artificial wombs and maintenance systems. I always watched with curiosity and trepidation as the tiny figures inside the glass bottles stretched their limbs and sucked their thumbs. Hundreds of scientists (all young third-generation scientists) worked there, responsible for controlling the fetuses'' nutrition supply, determining their intelligence levels through decompression devices, and eliminating those with abnormal development.


    Under dim lighting, rows of glass containers glowed faintly, making the scientists resemble wizards walking through an underwater world.