something without them realizing it. Thomas was probably afraid that he’d start thinking that way in real life, or that with some prior knowledge, he’d start noticing things in the city.”
“ That’s true, since Lan seemed to have all my memories but those about the game. But how would Thomas know what I was playing?”
“ Perhaps he has a way of connecting to the game,” David speculated. “Who knows, maybe all the games we play are monitored and analyzed.”
“ The fact that the authorities don’t do anything about the Scrappie compound, and that they don’t care to keep us contained, shows that they are not concerned about an uprising or other dangers. Maybe it’s because they already know everything,” offered Mel.
“ You’re right,” Tom added, “while to you it may seem that city security is simply lax, it’s a proven fact that it’s easier to control people that do not feel cornered. We have to leave them a way out. Otherwise, they become dangerous and lash out. We kept the Scrappies under control by ensuring that they have a choice of coming back to resume their existence in the former positions, after the initial rebellious stage was over. Meanwhile, the ones with real mental issues or leadership qualities, the potentially dangerous ones, we took them to the Happy Endings clinic.”
“ So what do we do?” Allan felt at a loss.
“ I’d like to propose something.” Daniel stopped briefly, deep in thought. “If I could conduct a field test, on a small population of mice, for example, perhaps we could draw some conclusions regarding the food. No offense, Allan, but I’d hate to just jump right to the conclusion that our food is contaminated. Yet based on the symptoms Tom mentioned before, and my observations, it is a definite possibility.”
David was quick to jump on his idea. “In the meantime, I could dig up some background information about entertainment. I remember some friends talking about subtle messaging being layered into advertising during the last century. It seemed farfetched at the time and I didn’t pay much attention. Maybe it could shed some more light on the situation.”
“ Very well,” Tom concluded. “Let’s do that, and then we’ll regroup and see what we’re up against.”
They finished their discussion and David went back to the city to get some lab mice for Daniel to start his experiment. Tom went out too, to discuss with Serge the latest developments, and ask if there was anything his old friend could do to help, in addition to what they had already agree d upon.
Allan, Mel , and Daniel were left alone to speculate on everything that had happened.
A few hours later, in the middle of the afternoon, they were sitting outside on the back porch.
Jules and Lan turned the corner at the back of the house. Allan saw them coming and was unsure what to do, torn between anger of seeing his brother disobeying father’s instructions and happiness that Jules was back and seemed all right.
“ What are you doing here, man? I thought father told you not to come here except in an emergency,” Allan started.
“ I thought you’d like to know that Brent and Brad are all right. No harm came to them like with you, though it’s hard to say for sure that no one got to them.” Lan sat down on the porch. “And I wanted to make sure that Jules was all right. Don’t worry,” he added, seeing Allan’s stare, “I’ll go back before dark.”
“It’s true. I a m a clone,” Jules stated simply, taking a seat on a wicker chair. She told them everything.
“So do you feel any less of a human being, now that you know what you are?” Lan asked her, with no hint of sarcasm.
“It’s weird to know that I ’m the result of laboratory work. But then, am I me or just a collection of a poor girl’s memories and a shadow of her soul? I don’t even remember being sick or weak or anything like that, and apparently Julia was always sick. I have a hard time understanding
“ That’s true, since Lan seemed to have all my memories but those about the game. But how would Thomas know what I was playing?”
“ Perhaps he has a way of connecting to the game,” David speculated. “Who knows, maybe all the games we play are monitored and analyzed.”
“ The fact that the authorities don’t do anything about the Scrappie compound, and that they don’t care to keep us contained, shows that they are not concerned about an uprising or other dangers. Maybe it’s because they already know everything,” offered Mel.
“ You’re right,” Tom added, “while to you it may seem that city security is simply lax, it’s a proven fact that it’s easier to control people that do not feel cornered. We have to leave them a way out. Otherwise, they become dangerous and lash out. We kept the Scrappies under control by ensuring that they have a choice of coming back to resume their existence in the former positions, after the initial rebellious stage was over. Meanwhile, the ones with real mental issues or leadership qualities, the potentially dangerous ones, we took them to the Happy Endings clinic.”
“ So what do we do?” Allan felt at a loss.
“ I’d like to propose something.” Daniel stopped briefly, deep in thought. “If I could conduct a field test, on a small population of mice, for example, perhaps we could draw some conclusions regarding the food. No offense, Allan, but I’d hate to just jump right to the conclusion that our food is contaminated. Yet based on the symptoms Tom mentioned before, and my observations, it is a definite possibility.”
David was quick to jump on his idea. “In the meantime, I could dig up some background information about entertainment. I remember some friends talking about subtle messaging being layered into advertising during the last century. It seemed farfetched at the time and I didn’t pay much attention. Maybe it could shed some more light on the situation.”
“ Very well,” Tom concluded. “Let’s do that, and then we’ll regroup and see what we’re up against.”
They finished their discussion and David went back to the city to get some lab mice for Daniel to start his experiment. Tom went out too, to discuss with Serge the latest developments, and ask if there was anything his old friend could do to help, in addition to what they had already agree d upon.
Allan, Mel , and Daniel were left alone to speculate on everything that had happened.
A few hours later, in the middle of the afternoon, they were sitting outside on the back porch.
Jules and Lan turned the corner at the back of the house. Allan saw them coming and was unsure what to do, torn between anger of seeing his brother disobeying father’s instructions and happiness that Jules was back and seemed all right.
“ What are you doing here, man? I thought father told you not to come here except in an emergency,” Allan started.
“ I thought you’d like to know that Brent and Brad are all right. No harm came to them like with you, though it’s hard to say for sure that no one got to them.” Lan sat down on the porch. “And I wanted to make sure that Jules was all right. Don’t worry,” he added, seeing Allan’s stare, “I’ll go back before dark.”
“It’s true. I a m a clone,” Jules stated simply, taking a seat on a wicker chair. She told them everything.
“So do you feel any less of a human being, now that you know what you are?” Lan asked her, with no hint of sarcasm.
“It’s weird to know that I ’m the result of laboratory work. But then, am I me or just a collection of a poor girl’s memories and a shadow of her soul? I don’t even remember being sick or weak or anything like that, and apparently Julia was always sick. I have a hard time understanding
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