The Individuality Gene

by G Sauvé

  Jonn journeys across the decrepit park, Will’s time travel ring trapped within his clenched fist. Branches crack beneath his feet as he cuts through a thicket. Emerging from the dried shrub, he makes his way toward the nearby door. The ‘tal-powered lamps that illuminate the surroundings are few and far between, yet the grey-haired soldier has no trouble making out the footsteps that stand before him. Their presence is suspicious. The humans who chose to remain have set up residence a short distance from here, yet Jonn and Kara are the only ones currently living in this area. It’s thus with a growing sense of unease that Jonn follows the trail of footsteps.

  They lead him away from the park and into the housing facility. The layer of dust is not as prominent here, yet Jonn has no trouble following the trail. He stalks forward until the muffled sound of voices reaches his ears. Quickening the pace, he advances until an open doorway appears before him. The yellow glow of a ‘tal emerges from the room and floods the hallway. The sounds of a heated argument are impossible to miss. The voices are muffled, yet they sound familiar.

  Jonn creeps toward the doorway and peers inside. The room is small and empty but for the three women who stand within. Two have their backs to him, but the third’s face is fully visible.

  It’s Avalon.

  Reconstructed Memory 10

  A valon is alive.

  “No,” mutters Jonn. “This can’t be.”

  It can, and it is.

  He struggles to make sense of what he has stumbled upon. A’lara claimed she saw Avalon enter the sun and never came out. She could have lied, but it seems unlikely given all she has done for the humans in the past few days. The more plausible explanation is that Avalon used her ring to escape the blast. But why is she here? Why bother coming back now that Will is dead?

  It doesn’t matter, realizes Jonn. Avalon is alive, which means Will’s sacrifice was in vain. Sure, the humans are now safe and free to evolve into the individuals they were always meant to become, but Avalon’s return from the grave tarnishes Will’s memory. Now more than ever, Jonn is determined to make her pay for all the atrocities he has committed. He’s about to step out of cover when Avalon’s companions turn, and their faces are revealed.

  Jonn freezes.

  “That’s impossible,” he groans.

  There isn’t just one Avalon. There are three.

  It takes a moment for the implications of the discovery to dawn on him.

  Avalon cloned herself.

  It’s the only logical explanation. Seeing how current technology allows for only three perfect clones, it’s safe to assume no other Avalons are running loose. It also means Will did, in fact, kill the real Avalon. Or so he thinks until he sees one of the raven-haired women play with a small, shiny object on her finger.

  A time travel ring.

  That can only mean one thing. Will killed a clone. After all, there’s no way someone as paranoid and controlling as Avalon would give up her ring, even if the candidate were a clone of herself. By the time Jonn figures all this out, a portal has appeared, and two of the three Avalons are gone. Only the original remains. She’s about to step into the portal when Jonn bursts into the room.

  “Stop!” he commands.

  Avalon halts, mid-step, and turns. A smile curls her lips at the sight of the grey-haired soldier.

  “You’re too late,” she says. “As usual.”

  Chuckling, she steps backward and gets swallowed up by the portal. A strangled roar erupts from the man’s throat as he rushes forward. He reaches the temporal doorway in less than a second but stops before entering it. As desperate as he is to pursue Avalon, he can’t bear the thought of abandoning his beloved daughter. He could leave Will’s ring behind, but the odds of Kara finding it are slim. Almost as slim as Jonn being able to return to this time once he leaves it.

  He sighs and steps away from the portal. Moments later, the temporal doorway vanishes in a pop of crackling electricity. Turning away, he slumps out of the room. He’s annoyed he didn’t get a chance to pursue Avalon, but he knows he made the right choice. With Kidd’s upgrade, finding her shouldn’t be that hard. Locating her clones won’t be so easy, but that’s a problem for another day. For now, he must make sure Kara is safe.

  Jonn heads to his sleeping quarters and retrieves Will’s hand. It’s all that remains of him and deserves to be disposed of according to Atlantean tradition. Once the severed limb has been wrapped and placed in his pocket, Jonn makes his way to Kara’s room. He knocks, but there’s no answer.

  Fear rises within him.

  He tries again.

  Still nothing.

  “Drowned!” he grunts. Did something happen to her? Did Avalon do something to his beloved daughter?

  He presses his palm to the door, but nothing happens. It’s locked. That’s a good sign.

  He knocks one last time.

  “Go away,” comes Kara’s voice from within.

  Jonn breathes a sigh of relief.

  “It’s me,” he says. “Open up.”

  No answer.

  “Come on. Let me in.”

  “Please leave. I want to be alone.”

  Jonn sighs.

  “I don’t want to talk,” he says. “It’s time to leave.”

  Nothing happens for a few seconds, then the door opens, revealing a dishevelled Kara. She may not be human, but she looks just as distraught as any mourning young woman. Seeing her reminds Jonn of how precious she is to him. He doesn’t care that she’s a robot. He loves her and will do whatever it takes to protect her. It’s this very obsession with keeping her already broken heart from shattering further that convinces him to keep his recent discovery a secret. Kara has been through enough. In time, he will tell her Avalon is back and more powerful than ever, but for now, she deserves to mourn the loss of her boyfriend.

  “Are you ready?” he asks.

  Kara nods.

  Jonn uncurls his fingers to reveal Will’s ring. Putting it on, he twists the triangles that adorn it. Moments later, a portal crackles to life.

  “Come on,” he says. “It’s time to go home.”

  Kara nods and enters the portal. Jonn hesitates for a moment then follows.

  Reconstructed Memory 11

  E mptiness. A vast, all-consuming vacuum of nothingness. The elation and infatuation of Kara’s recent past are gone. So are the agony and sorrow that followed Will’s passing. Only numbness and indifference remain.

  “Come on,” says Jonn. He takes his daughter’s hand and leads her across the underwater city. Atlantis is a town of endless splendour and pleasures, yet Kara remains unaffected by the beauty that surrounds her. She advances, blank-stared and sluggish. Trapped in this state of indifference, she experiences life as a series of flashes.

  “We’re here,” announces Jonn. Looking around, Kara realizes they have left the city behind and now stand within the home where, mere weeks earlier, Will was cracking jokes. Although painful, the memory leaves Kara feeling apathetic.

  “Have a seat,” offers her father, gesturing at the nearby couch. Kara does as told. Moments later, the doorbell rings.

  “Stay here,” says Jonn. “I’ll be right back.”

  He vanishes for an indeterminate amount of time and returns looking annoyed.

  “The Atlantean Council demands an immediate report.”

  Kara tries to stand, but Jonn stops her.

  “Stay here,” he says. “I’ll take care of this.”

  He vanishes again. When he returns, he’s even more upset than before.

  “What’s wrong?” asks Kara, though she cares little about the answer.

  “It’s those drowned council members,” seethes Jonn. “They disbanded the team, and demanded I hand over Will’s ring.”

  “So?” asks Kara. “Avalon is dead, isn’t she?”

  “They fired me,” announces Jonn, ignoring his daughter’s question. “Can you believe that?”

  Once upon a time, Kara would have felt sorry for her father. Being a s
oldier is everything to him. Without his title, he’s merely another short-tempered, middle-aged single father.

  Jonn continues venting, but Kara no longer pays attention to the words he spews. She retreats into herself, alone in the endless void that fills her. This is where she belongs, and it’s where she will remain for the foreseeable future.

  Will’s funeral. Kara sits in the front row, feeling just as empty and inhuman as before. She barely acknowledges the mourners who come to pay their respects. It’s not until Kidd appears before her that she becomes aware of her surroundings. By the time she emerges from her comatose state, Kidd is gone and another, much taller man stands in his place.

  It’s Loxx.

  “How are you doing?” he asks.

  Kara shrugs.

  “I know this is difficult,” says Avalon’s ex-husband, “but you shouldn’t give up. You never know what the future has in store.”

  He winks, then retreats into the crowd.

  What was that about? wonders Kara. Does Loxx know something I don’t? Is Will still alive?

  Another mourner appears before her, derailing her train of thought and keeping her from spiralling into madness. Will is dead, and the sooner she accepts this, the better.

  The next few minutes blend together to form a tapestry of faces and meaningless words. Kara is surprised by how many people seem to know Will, but she suspects most simply pay their respect out of a sense of obligation. Will sacrificed himself to ensure history remained unchanged. Without him, there’s no telling what the present would look like.

  It takes a while, but the ceremony eventually begins. As per Atlantean tradition, the body is exposed for all to see. Seeing how all that remains of Will is his hand, it has been placed on a silver platter and put on display. The glove that once encircled it is gone, revealing the pale flesh of the exsanguinated limb.

  The ceremony is short but heartfelt. Kara doesn’t cry. She doesn’t shed a single tear. She merely sits there and stares blankly ahead as Jonn gives a short, but touching speech in Will’s memory.

  “Will was a coward, a selfish, narcissistic weakling. But he didn’t let his shortcomings stop him. He kept moving forward, doing whatever was necessary to become the brave young man who gave his life to save us. Will died a hero, and he will always be remembered as such.” He turns to look at Will’s hand. “Goodbye, Will. Goodbye, my friend.”

  It’s a poignant speech, but Kara remains indifferent to it. She barely even notices the tears rolling down her father’s cheeks as he returns to his seat. In fact, she spends the remainder of the ceremony in a distracted stupor. The only memorable instance is the fight that takes place between Jonn and Kidd. They scream at each other and lob insults until Loxx breaks up the fight. The rest of the service is uneventful and goes by in a blurry haze.

  Kara lies on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Images of Will float by her mind’s eye, yet she remains oblivious to them. Her emotions have yet to return, causing her to float through an endless void. At times, the monotony is unbearable. Other times, it’s a welcome relief.

  The sound of the doorbell interrupts the dreariness of Kara’s day. She focuses on the sound of footsteps that fill the air. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be able to hear them, but Jonn insists her bedroom door remain open at all times. He claims it’s for her safety, but Kara suspects Jonn is terrified of being alone. Ever since he was fired, he’s been hovering, doing anything to keep himself occupied.

  “What are you doing here?” Jonn’s voice floats into Kara’s room, faint but undeniable.

  There’s a moment of silence before the visitor answers.

  “We have to talk,” says Kidd.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” snaps Jonn. This is the first time they’ve spoken since the incident at the funeral. Kara has no idea why they dislike each other so much, but her inability to feel keeps her from caring. She lies there and listens as her father and his guest speak.

  “I don’t want to fight,” says Kidd.

  Jonn says nothing.

  “How’s Kara?”

  Jonn sighs.

  “She spends her days in bed, rewatching Will’s farewell recording.” He pauses. “I’m worried about her.”

  “Do you want me to run a diagnosis?”

  “Not yet,” says Jonn. “Let’s wait and see whether or not she comes out of it on her own.”

  “Did you tell her about Avalon?”

  The mention of the name piques Kara’s interest. For the first time in days, she feels the tickle of curiosity deep within her.

  “No,” says Jonn. “I don’t want to upset her. There’s no telling how she’ll react.”

  There’s a moment of silence.

  “Speaking of Avalon,” says Jonn. “Did you manage to locate her?”

  Locate here? What does that mean? Is Avalon... is she… alive?

  Kara’s heart starts beating faster. The fog begins to lift, revealing the emotions that lie in wait.

  “I still can’t find her,” says Kidd.

  Drowned! thinks Kara. It’s true. Avalon is alive. But how is that possible. Didn’t Will kill her?

  “What about the clones?” asks Jonn.

  Clones? Of course. Why didn’t I think of it before?

  “No sign of them,” says Kidd.

  The conversation continues, but Kara is no longer listening. Learning of Avalon’s survival makes her realize Will’s sacrifice was in vain. Sure, he freed the humans and returned history to its proper course, but what good is that if Avalon is still out there? Now that the team has been disbanded, who will stop her? Who will ensure Will’s death wasn’t a waste? The mere thought of her beloved lures her to her feet. She seals the door, extracts the time disruptor from its home on her nightstand, and activates it.

  Will’s hologram appears. The sight of it brings joy to Kara’s heart. The numbness has faded. Her emotions are returning, now more powerful than ever. They intensify throughout Will’s speech. By the time he utters the words “I love you,” they have completely overwhelmed her.

  “I love you too,” she whispers, speaking the words for the very first time. In so doing, she causes a shift to occur within her, and a truth of undeniable purity emerges from the depths of her robotic heart.

  She doesn’t merely love Will. She’s in love with him. He’s the man of her dreams. But he’s dead, and they can never again be together.

  Pain explodes from her chest. It’s not alone. A slew of other emotions, both good and bad, swells within her. Some are known. Others are foreign. All are overpowering. They consume her, drowning her in an ocean of sensations. Never before has she felt so alive. For the first time in her life, she truly knows what it’s like to be human.

  It takes a while, but the emotions eventually retreat, leaving Kara feeling focused and energetic. But there’s something else. Something about Will’s farewell message, something that has up until now escaped her understanding.

  Grabbing the time disruptor, she twists the triangles that adorn it and watches, short-breathed and racing-hearted, as the love of her life appears before her. Will starts speaking, repeating the words she has heard a hundred times. But now she listens with new ears, determined to unearth the hidden clue she knows lies within the farewell speech. It takes a while, but Will finally gets to the part where he and his older self plan Will’s final attempt at healing the past.

  “…just as I remembered. I was a little surprised when I discovered his right hand was missing, but it was of little consequence. We spent…”

  Kara’s eyes widen.

  Will’s body was destroyed during the explosion. Only his hand survived because it was protected by the glove gun. But what if that assumption was wrong? What if the hand was severed before the explosion? That would mean his body, wherever it is, is missing a hand. While useless on its own, this theory takes on a whole new meaning when you take into account the fact that Old Will was also missing a hand. If he survived, it stands to reason his younger s
elf did too.

  “Drowned!” gasps Kara. “Will is alive.”

  Stolen

  W ill Jr. awoke to feelings of loss and confusion. His father was dead. His mother was a robot. What else didn’t he know? What else about his life had he taken for granted? The possibilities were endless, and none of them were good.

  Prying himself off the sweat-drenched mattress, Will Jr. sat and looked around. His room was unchanged, yet the sight of it no longer filled him with unease. What else had his mother hidden from him? There was only one way to find out.

  Will Jr. removed the memory organizer, slid it in his pocket, and hopped off the bed. His legs were weak, but he knew his strength would soon return. Still, it was with a certain degree of caution that he approached the door and pressed his hand to it. The shiny surface split in half and retreated into the walls with a soft hiss. Moments later, he was making his way downstairs.

  “Mom?” he called out.

  There was no reply.

  He investigated every room in search of his mother, but Kara was nowhere to be found. Worry rose within him. What if something happened to her? What if—

  Will Jr. was interrupted mid-thought when he noticed a note laying on the coffee table. Retrieving it, he scanned it, and a smile appeared on his lips.

  Dear Will,

  I left early to make sure I had a good seat for your big game. I left a snack for you on the kitchen counter. See you soon.

  Love,

  Kara

  That explained what happened to his mother. It also reminded Will Jr. of something he had failed to take into account. The Parkourball Tournament semi-finals were today. A quick look at the clock revealed it was scheduled to begin in less than fifteen minutes. If he hurried, he could still make it.