The Individuality Gene

by G Sauvé

  He’s the first man we cloned. Seeing him alive and well reminds me that none of the men who died were real. But that does little to assuage my guilt.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  “We’re here to help.”

  “Who’s ‘we?’” asks Jonn.

  The man smiles.

  “My brothers and I saw what you did,” he says, gesturing to the surrounding trees just as dozens of men emerge from the depths of the forest. “We want to help. We want to fight.”

  The crowd advances through the trees. Soon, a large mass of men stands before us. The sight of so many brave humans fills me with hope. With their help, there’s a chance our initial plan can succeed. Or so I think until Kara speaks.

  “You are very brave,” she says, “but it’s too late. The sentinels have won.”

  “We want to fight.”

  “I know, but it’s too late. Return to the forest.”

  I expect the men to comply with my girlfriend’s request, but they remain planted in place. This is the first time I see them behaving as anything else than mindless drones, and it fills me with joy. If only it were under different circumstances.

  “We want to fight,” repeats the man.

  “We have no weapons,” says Kara. “We’re defenceless.”

  “No. We’re not.”

  The man sounds so certain I can’t help believing him.

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “Our brothers will help.”

  “What the drowned does that mean?” wonders Jonn.

  “Can you show us?” asks Kara, ironing her father’s tactlessness.

  The man nods. He makes his way to a nearby tree and presses his hand to its glowing trunk. The bark splits open, and a yellow glow emerges. It intensifies as the fissure expands. As it does, the tree’s leaves grow increasingly dim. The gentle sway of the trunk also ceases. Soon, the tree is dark and immobile. The only remaining sign of life is the now blinding brilliance that emanates from the crack. Unaffected by it, the man reaches into the fissure and retrieves the light. I try to focus on it, but it’s not until the glow diminishes that I recognize it.

  It’s a ros’tal crystal. Shaped like a human heart, the jewel glows softly. The sight of it causes me to realize something I have up until now remained oblivious to.

  The humans from this time aren’t mere people. They are vessels for something greater. Call it what you like—soul, life force—but the fact remains that when humans die, they shed their frail envelope and give birth to something beautiful.

  The first time I saw a man die, I was horrified at the sight of the tree that sprouted from his corpse, but the glow that accompanied it told me he was still alive. I assumed he was the tree, but the truth is it was but an envelope, designed to protect the true source of his power.

  His heart.

  I stare at the glowing jewel for a while before another realization dawns on me. Clones have no souls. It’s why their lifespan is so limited. It’s also why they don’t get to experience the miracle of rebirth. They may look humans, but they are mere replicas. I still feel responsible for their downfall, but I no longer feel as guilty as I once did.

  Now that I no longer bear the weight of our failure on my shoulders, my mind is free to wander, to make connections I failed to consider before.

  The trees that surround us are reborn humans. I’ve known this for a while, but now that I know their hearts are glowing crystals, I can’t help wondering if we’ve unwittingly been mining human souls this entire time. Can our intervention in the past truly have caused so many deaths? I refuse to believe it, but it seems like the only logical explanation. Or so I think until I notice the heart now glows with increased brilliance. It shines brightly for a moment before dimming once more. This happens a few more times before I understand what’s happening.

  The heart is beating.

  This not only means the soul contained within the crystalized organ is still alive, but it proves glowing hearts aren’t actually ros’tal crystals. They just look similar.

  I breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Kara asks the man.

  He nods. As though alerted by a silent signal, the other humans scatter and begin retrieving the hearts from the surrounding trees. Soon, not a single glowing tree can be seen, yet the throbbing brilliance of the crystal hearts is sufficient to light our surroundings.

  “This is what I propose,” says Jonn once every last one of the humans is in possession of a pulsating heart, “we wait until the sentinels are—”

  “We will handle the sentinels,” says the man. “You and your friends stay here.”

  Jonn doesn’t seem pleased, but Kara convinces him to play along. We stand back and watch as the humans approach the treeline. A few stand in the open, but most remain hidden behind tree trunks. The sentinel army is still far, but it grows closer with each passing second. It seems to take forever, but they finally get within shooting distance of the human rebels.

  Glowing energy spheres erupt from outstretched palms. They soar across the battlefield and slam into tree trunks. A few humans are touched, but the wounds are superficial. I expect them to retaliate, but not a single heart is thrown.

  “What are they doing?” asks Jonn.

  “Have faith,” says Kara. “They know what they’re doing.”

  “Do they?”

  As if to prove his point, the first human falls. A massive tree erupts from the corpse, glowing brightly among its human brothers. I expect the transformation to act as a catalyst, but the rebels remain hidden as the advancing army blasts them with energy spheres. Seconds turn into minutes, and more humans fall, but still, they refuse to retaliate.

  “What the drowned is wrong with them?” asks Jonn. “Why aren’t they attacking?”

  “Maybe…” I begin, but my voice trails off when the entirety of the sentinel army gets within range of the rebels. Moving as one, they step out of cover and fling their glowing crystals.

  The hearts rise high into the air and hover in midair for a moment before gravity grabs hold of them and propels them toward the robots with near-perfect synchronicity. The first heart explodes upon impact, triggering a ripple effect that causes every other glowing crystal to erupt.

  I used to think ros’tal crystals were dangerous, but they are mere child’s play compared to the devastating power of the glowing hearts. A single explosion is enough to destroy a dozen sentinels. Seeing hundreds of them erupt simultaneously is a sight I will never forget. I stare in awe at the mushroom cloud of flames and smoke that engulfs the robotic army. Though I don’t witness the death of a single sentinel, I suspect I’ve seen the last of them. But I forget all about that when the shockwave of hot air and debris reaches the treeline.

  Trees are uprooted and snapped like twigs. Humans are lifted off the ground and thrown back. The moss that once covered the forest floor is torn loose, revealing the stone beneath. By the time it occurs to me to run, it’s already too late.

  A wall of hot air and human bodies slams into us.

  The next few moments are a blur. I catch glimpses of things, but nothing clear enough to create a mental image of what is happening. The last thing I see is a tree flying toward me. Then there’s nothing but darkness.

  I don’t know how long I’m out, but I awake to the sight of Kara’s beautiful face. I get a feeling of déjà vu until Jonn’s dirty face appear next to hers.

  “Now isn’t the time for a nap,” he says. “Get up.”

  I can’t be sure, but I think he’s smiling.

  “What happened?” I groan as I struggle into a seated position. My head throbs, but I’m unhurt. The same can’t be said for my surroundings. The edge of the forest was devastated by the blast. Only stumps and the occasional uprooted tree remain. Beyond it lies the battlefield, now nothing more than a charred field of metallic corpses. A few glowing trees stand here and there, indicating the battle wasn’t without human casualties, but t
he lack of sentinels is a good sign. In fact, it’s proof that we succeeded.

  The battle is over, but the war is just beginning.

  Memory 41

  T he battle was won, but the war is far from over. In order for humanity to evolve and people to become true individuals, the former slaves must escape their underground prison. But first, we must free the women and children. Rescuing them should be easy, yet we waited until now because the element of surprise was primordial for us to defeat the sentinels and free the men. But now that they’re no longer subjugated, it’s time to reunite humanity and lead them to freedom.

  “We should go,” I say.

  My friends nod.

  “Which way is the exit?” asks Kara.

  “Follow me,” says Jonn. He heads off, but neither Kara nor I follow.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  “We can’t abandon them,” says my girlfriend, gesturing to the men who are scattered throughout the scorched cavern. I see only a few hundred of them, yet I know thousands more are hiding within the depths of the forest.

  “We’re not,” says Jonn. Turning his attention to the crowd, he speaks in a powerful voice. “You were brave. You helped us when all hope was lost. You defeated the sentinels and won your freedom. But the war isn’t over. We must free the women, rescue the children. Will you stand with us once more? Will you help us bring freedom to all humankind?”

  I’m surprised by Jonn’s eloquence, but not as stunned as I am when a powerful cheer rises from the depths of the forest. Men pour out of it by the hundreds. Within minutes, an endless crowd stretches before us. The cheering persists, causing the entire cavern to tremble. With them backing us up, the dozen or so robots that guard the women’s cavern will be easily eliminated. Soon, humanity will take its first march as free individuals.

  Jonn spreads his arms in a placating gesture, and the crowd grows silent.

  “Nothing can stop us now,” he says. “Follow me!”

  He marches off, standing tall and proud. Kara and I exchange an amused look before following. Jonn may be a skilled leader, but he could work on his manners.

  Mobilizing such a vast army is no simple task, but Jonn handles it well. By the time we reach the cavern mouth, the men are marching in perfect cadence. I don’t see the point of being so formal, but Jonn seems intent on turning these former miners into soldiers.

  “Which way?” he asks once we leave the cavern and enter a massive tunnel.

  I look left, then right. Both passages look identical.

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “Kara?”

  She shrugs.

  “I think we should go left,” says Jonn.

  “Why?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “We had to pick a direction. I chose left.”

  That’s good enough for me. We’re about to head off when a distant rumbling reaches my ears. It’s faint, but it’s getting closer. At first, it sounds like the distant rush of flowing water, but as it draws nearer, it takes on a shuddering quality. It now sounds like the rumbling of thunder. Then the earth starts to shake, and the sound takes on a whole new meaning.

  “Footsteps!” I blurt out.

  “Excuse me?” says Kara.

  “Footsteps,” I repeat. “Can’t you hear it?”

  She nods, and a smile curls her lips.

  Someone is approaching. Multiple someones. Determining the exact number is impossible, but the intensity of the footfalls, coupled with the trembling of the earth, indicates it’s a large crowd.

  My first thought is that a regiment of sentinels is heading our way, but such a theory crumbles when I take into account the sonority of the footfalls. They sound muffled, which means whoever is approaching is either shoed or…

  They’re barefoot!

  My heart leaps, and a smile curls my lips.

  “What’s wrong?” asks Jonn.

  I chuckle. Only he would interpret a grin as a sign of unease.

  “I know who they are,” I announce.

  My friends stare at me with blank expressions.

  “They’re human.”

  Blank stares give way to furrowed brows.

  “That’s impossible,” says Jonn. “The only other humans are the women and the children, and they’re still enslaved.”

  “Someone could have freed them,” offers Kara.

  “Impossible.”

  “Implausible.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The fact that someone freed the women and children is implausible, not impossible.”

  “Who cares?”

  “I do.”

  Jonn glares at his daughter but says nothing. The thundering of the approaching crowd is now so near it’s impossible to ignore. I focus on the right tunnel—that’s where the noise appears to be coming from—and wait for the crowd to appear. It takes a while, but the first few individuals finally emerge from the darkness.

  I was right. Women of all ages and sizes march along the stone tunnel. Accompanying them are children of varying ages. But they aren’t alone. Leading them is a Kra’lor.

  A’lara.

  I stare at her, unsure how to react. I’m both thrilled and confused. Thrilled that she managed to rescue the women and children, but confused as to how she did it.

  Hi, she says once she reaches us. It’s been mere hours since I saw her last, but it feels much longer.

  “Hey,” I mutter.

  Jonn merely grunts.

  Kara stares at the alien for a while before speaking.

  “What happened? I thought we agreed you would wait for us before doing anything.”

  A’lara nods.

  I was hiding in the forest, watching over the humans, when all but a few sentinels abandoned their post. I saw it as an opportunity and roused the humans. Convincing them to help was easy. Destroying the sentinels was slightly trickier, but we managed it without a single human casualty.

  “What happened next?” asks Kara.

  I told the humans of our plan, and they insisted on joining the fight. We were coming to help you, but I see that’s unnecessary.

  I glance at the crowd of men and smile.

  “We had help,” I say.

  Silence returns. The men and the women eye each other. Some appear curious. Others worried. Most are excited. They have never known the joys of gender coexistence, and the thought seems pleasurable to all but a few shy individuals. I suspect humanity will experience a dramatic boom in population in the next few years. But we must first lead them to safety.

  “Which way to the surface?” asks Jonn.

  This way, says A’lara and leads us down the left tunnel. The two groups of humans merge into one, and the buzz of conversation fills the air. Most of the discussions are basic, but a few of the dialogues are slightly more evolved. In time, the humans will develop a better mastery of the language and communication will become easier. In time, a special child will be born, and the humans will evolve, becoming the individuals they were always meant to become. It may take a few generations, but humanity will eventually return to its intended path and our blunder will be rectified.

  We progress through the maze of tunnels for a while before reaching what appears to be the bowels of a vast underground building. The tunnels are now made of what looks like concrete, and rows of doors line the walls.

  “Where are we?” asks Kara.

  This is the facility where the humans were housed after the planetary cooldown, explains A’lara. Then the Kra’lors got greedy and forced the humans into slavery. The facility was abandoned.

  We continue in silence, travelling along an endless series of corridors. Every so often, we reach a stairwell and climb a series of steps, but always a new set of hallways await us. Higher and higher we travel until I lose track of the number of flights we have scaled. All I know is my legs feel like Jell-O. I’m just about to suggest we take a break when A’lara announces we have reached the topmost floor.

  “It’s about time,” mutters Jonn.

&nbs
p; We keep going until we reach a door that spans the entire width of the corridor. Beyond it lies a vast underground park. Hundreds of ‘tal streetlamps are scattered throughout, but they are all extinguished. Dead trees stand tall, leafless and immobile. Dried plants of varying shapes and sizes are also visible. The sight looks familiar, but I can’t figure out why.

  “Have we been here before?” asks Jonn.

  Kara nods.

  “This is where we first appeared,” she says.

  She’s right.

  I scan the desolate park and quickly locate the spot where my friends and I first discovered this strange time. We were so clueless back then. So much happened since we first encountered the sentinels. Not all of it was easy, but it all worked out in the end.

  “Which way?” asks Jonn.

  “What’s the rush?” I ask. “Can’t we take a break?”

  “We don’t want the humans to get too comfortable. They may not want to leave.”

  “So? What’s wrong with this place?”

  “It’s not safe,” says Kara. “If the humans stay here, they will be under constant threat from the Kra’lors. The only way to keep them safe and allow them to evolve is to ensure they build a new life for themselves far from here.”

  As usual, she’s right.

  “Okay,” I say. “Let’s finish this.”

  Follow me, says A’lara and leads us across the shadowy park. It takes a while, but we finally reach the far side. There, half-hidden behind an overgrown hedge, stands a broad opening. Beyond it lies a curved, slanted tunnel.

  Follow this tunnel, says A’lara. It will lead you to the surface.

  “Aren’t you coming?” asks Kara.

  A’lara shakes her head.

  I don’t do well with cold. I will die if I set foot outside.

  An awkward silence settles upon us. A’lara has done so much for us. Without her help, we would never have succeeded in freeing the humans. Odds are, Jonn and I would still be working in the mines. As for Kara, well, I shiver to think of what she would have done had she been forced to continue working in the kitchen.