The Face on the Screen
1084 Words
James stared at the news alert.
The footage was grainy, shot from a security camera. A figure moved through the laboratory, fast and precise. He wore dark clothes, a mask covering the lower half of his face.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
His eyes.
"Steven, enhance the image."
Steven's fingers flew across the keyboard. The footage sharpened.
The mask covered the chin and mouth, but the forehead, the eyes, the brow—they were James's.
"It's him," David said. "The clone."
"He was supposed to be in Australia. New face. New life."
"He lied."
James watched the figure c***k a safe, remove a hard drive, and disappear into the shadows.
"How much did he take?"
"The hard drive contains the complete archive of Morrison's original research. Every formula. Every test result. Every Subject file."
"With that, he can rebuild everything."
"Worse. He can improve it."
---
Evelyn joined them at the screen.
"He knows all our tactics. Our defenses. Our weaknesses."
"Then we change our tactics."
"How? He has your memories."
"Not all of them. Morrison's original programming was incomplete. The clone only has the memories I had up to the point of his creation."
"That was years ago."
"Years of growth. Years of change. He doesn't know the man I am now."
Evelyn took his hand. "Then use that against him."
---
James called a meeting.
David, Harper, Steven, Kara, and Sarah gathered in the main room.
"The clone has Morrison's research. He's going to try to rebuild the Network."
"Where would he start?" Kara asked.
"Somewhere he knows. Somewhere safe."
"The facility in Antarctica?"
"Destroyed."
"The compound in Switzerland?"
"Sealed."
"Then where?"
James pulled up a map. "There's one place Morrison never used. A backup site he built but never activated."
"Where?"
"Alaska. Remote. Off the grid. He mentioned it once, in a file we recovered."
Steven pulled up the coordinates. "I see it. Buried beneath a mountain. No activity for decades."
"He's been hiding there. Preparing."
"Then we go to Alaska."
---
The flight to Alaska was long and cold.
James, David, Harper, and Kara traveled under false names. Evelyn stayed behind with the children.
The facility was hidden beneath a glacier, accessible only by helicopter.
They landed at the edge of a crevasse.
"The entrance is below," Kara said.
They rappelled down.
The ice gave way to rock. The rock gave way to steel.
A door. Sealed. Electronic.
Steven sent the code.
The door opened.
---
Inside, the facility was larger than expected.
Laboratories. Barracks. Storage pods.
And clones.
Hundreds of them, standing in rows, eyes closed, awaiting activation.
"He's been busy," David whispered.
"Where is he?"
Kara pointed to a door at the end of the corridor. "Command center."
They moved through the facility, silent, careful.
Guards patrolled. James and David took them down.
The command center door was locked.
Steven sent the code.
The door opened.
---
The clone stood at a console, his back to them.
"James. I knew you'd come."
"You lied to me. You said you wanted a new life."
"I do. A new life. For everyone."
The clone turned.
His face was different. Surgery had changed it, but not enough. The eyes were still the same.
"Morrison's research can cure disease. Reverse aging. Eliminate trauma. I'm going to use it to help people."
"By creating an army of slaves?"
"By creating an army of healers."
The clone pressed a button.
The pods opened.
The clones' eyes opened.
"Kill them," the clone said.
---
The clones advanced.
James fired. David fired. Harper fired.
Clones fell. More took their place.
Kara ran for the console.
The clone intercepted her.
They struggled.
James fought his way toward them.
Clones grabbed at him. He pushed them aside.
The clone pinned Kara.
James tackled him.
They rolled across the floor.
The clone was stronger. Faster.
But James was desperate.
He grabbed a shard of broken glass and pressed it to the clone's throat.
"Call them off."
"Never."
"Do it."
The clone's eyes glazed over.
Then he laughed.
"You won't kill me. I'm you."
"You're nothing like me."
James pressed the glass.
Blood welled.
The clone's expression flickered.
"Call them off."
The clone raised his hand.
The clones stopped.
"Stand down."
They stood motionless.
---
James pulled the clone to his feet.
"You're under arrest."
"By whose authority?"
"Mine."
The clone smiled. "You have no authority."
"I have the truth."
"The truth is flexible."
Kara stepped forward. "The truth is, you're a coward. You hid in the shadows while others fought."
"I was waiting."
"For what?"
"For the right moment."
The clone's hand moved to his pocket.
David fired.
The clone's hand exploded.
He screamed.
Kara grabbed a syringe from the console.
"This is the antidote. It'll reverse your enhancements. Make you human."
"No."
She plunged the needle into his neck.
The clone convulsed.
His body shrank. His features softened.
He collapsed.
Kara knelt beside him.
"It's over."
The clone looked at his hands. Normal. Weak.
"What have you done?"
"Saved you from yourself."
---
They rounded up the clones, administered the antidote.
Hundreds of men and women, confused but free.
James watched them leave, one by one.
"You did it," Kara said.
"We did it."
"The clone?"
"In custody. He'll be transferred to a secure facility."
"Will he ever be released?"
"Not in our lifetimes."
Kara nodded. "Good."
---
They flew home.
The ranch was quiet.
Evelyn was waiting.
"Is it over?"
"Morrison's research is destroyed. The clones are free. The Network is gone."
"For real this time?"
"For real."
James held her.
"Let's go inside."
---
The children ran to him.
Chloe hugged his legs. "Daddy! You're back!"
"I'm back, sweetheart."
"Forever?"
"Forever."
He picked her up.
"Let's go play."
---
They spent the afternoon at the playground.
Chloe climbed the jungle gym. Lily pushed Emma on the swing. Grace chased butterflies.
Rebecca took her first steps.
James watched, smiling.
Evelyn sat beside him.
"This is what we were fighting for."
"Yes. It is."
"Was it worth it?"
James looked at his children. At his wife. At the sun setting over the mountains.
"Yes. It was."
---
His phone didn't buzz.
No messages. No threats.
Just peace.
"Evelyn."
"Yes?"
"Let's go home."
They walked back to the ranch house.
The door closed behind them.
---
In the darkness outside, a single figure watched from the trees.
Not the clone. Not Morrison.
Someone new.
She smiled.
The game wasn't over. It was just beginning.
She disappeared into the night.
- Writer
