The Thirteenth (Epilogue)

A star and two small planets could be seen in the sky, through the Council Room window of the Main Building. A man alone contemplates, seriously and thoughtfully, the immense darkness, decorated with tiny specks of light, shining on the outside and oblivious to his grief.

"This world is doomed by sameness and monotony. We live for too long a time, but our existence is not necessarily filled with any kind of pleasure. There is no real purpose in living long, preserving the species, or even saving the planet. If an accident destroys this civilization, what difference would the universe feel? What difference could the past make? What if the accident were somewhere in the past, even before the great destruction? Would it really make any difference?

Here and now there is nothing that can give us any reason for pride or for longing to live. Our existence is empty. It is all so gray and dull, without any beauty. There are no feelings either good or bad. Why do we need to keep this thing still working? "

***

- I don’t want to be an experiment anymore. I will no longer be serving as a guinea pig for the creation of a sterile vaccine. I do not want to be changed anymore. This is what makes me unique in this crowd of equals.

- But the mutation is going pretty fast. Your back is covered with these black and white furry spots that are already spreading to the rest of your body and your defenses are low. You will not hold out for long.

- It's my choice.

- You do not have this option, by the rules... No clone has... in these circumstances...

- I am David, the Thirteenth... If things had been different, I would have been chosen to be the next Supreme, for being the best and the stronger, or to be an explorer of the Universe. Now I'm just a freak. It is better to let life go its normal course... or curse… and I'll live with it... for as long as it's possible...

- That can be for very little time, now, you know.

- Whatever. The vaccine does not work, anyway.

***

- We live in a planet, which, together with other smaller ones, revolves around a small star, which has limited natural light, but keeps the system functioning in a balanced way. The planet's orbit around itself occurs for a shorter period than on Earth, for obvious reasons. Time, then, has a different concept. As the day has fewer hours, the count of years is therefore different. The control of life in this system of planets belongs to a group of scientists, who constitute an intellectual elite.

- Why do you use the count of years as A.D.?

- Because the founders wanted to pay a homage to Earth, the planet they originally came from.

- And what are the clones created for, anyway?

- Each planet, in this cluster of other smaller planetoids, has its own peculiarity. What makes this one habitable is the unique and unusual feature of having Oxygen, although in much less quantity than on planet Earth. The element, vital to human life, is processed, filtered and used within the protected structures, which we call Stations. This feature is not the only thing we have in common with our distant predecessor from another galaxy. A stream of water-like liquid flowing through underground rivers is collected, reprocessed and transformed into potable water and then made available to the inhabitants in a natural way. But we are facing a new problem: we are quickly running out of this available water-like liquid. Research teams have already been sent in search of alternatives, through the galaxy, but so far, nothing real has been found. These small teams are mostly composed of selected clones, specially trained for this type of operation. An advanced robotic unit accompanies the crew of each spacecraft. At the moment, we have just a few of them out in the searching trips because we cannot create enough clones.

- Cloning is a reality and it is inevitable, being practically the only form of reproduction in our time. The process is interrupted, from the moment we find that the resistance of the body to any type of problem, physical or mental, is practically guaranteed. After the vaccine has been applied, some characteristics are allowed to mature on their own, forming different individuals within the cocoons, such as chrysalides, in the incubators. We do not use human wombs. Not all of these individuals come to the end of the process and survive, because the vaccine is quite aggressive, but it must be so. When they are ready, the strongest are selected and reported to the Supreme, who inspects them, along with the Council, to send them to the Main Building. This planet is inhabited by a single race, which speaks a unique language. The new humans are virtually devoid of hairs, having their skull box enlarged in size and their bodies diminished in proportion. Once well trained, they will be part of the teams selected by the Council to explore the galaxy. The others, of a more regular, but resistant lineage, are sent for the production of Oxygen. Demographic density is kept under strict control. Our resources are limited, so we have to use them effectively.

- This is amazing. And it all started with my research, in a remote past...

The head of the scientists laughed, a little embarrassed. The man seemed not to be fully aware of the importance his research has had so far in developing that race, which represented, in one way or another, the future of mankind. He could not be blamed for being so naïve, however, since more than twenty-five centuries had passed since then and he could have never guessed that would go so far.

- Yes, doctor. All this based on your precious research... in the remote past and on a planet a bit different from this.

***

- Leona! I need you to come to the lab right away. Something very strange has happened.

- What thing?

- You better come and see... I do not know what to say...

When they arrived they realized that the laboratory was empty, except for a Monarch, standing on the wall.

- How did it come here?

Leona laughed.

- I do not know, for sure, but I have an idea of ​​where it might have come from... a certain clone... that traveled to the past and was enchanted by music and a flock of butterflies...

***

- The outbreak is uncontrollable. The clones perish very quickly and the line can no longer produce them to meet the needs, due to the incubation period. The continuation of life is doomed.

- I have an idea. Do we still have the Monarch with us?

- Yes. But what's a butterfly for, now, anyway?

- That's how the study began. Maybe we have a chance... We're going to have to start all over again. We isolated the DNA and made a vaccine in the past. The original one does not even work anymore. We have to start from scratch. There was something, in the meantime, that stopped working and we do not have enough time to try and repair it. We have to start all over again.

- Yes. Let's stop trying to recover the unrecoverable and do everything from the beginning, again.

- OK. But it may take a long time before we get to the point where we were, before the incident.

- Perhaps. At least we'll know what to do from this point on...

***

The Supreme looked at the black and white patches covering his thin, pale body. They seemed covered with a dense layer of very soft hair. He felt a pang of pain in his head. He knew that his defenses were compromised, as a result of the anomaly and for no longer taking the vaccines.

He sighed and looked up at the sky of that desolate and insignificant planet in the midst of the infinite Universe, so little known, despite all the evolutions after the First Chaos and decided that it was time for a radical decision.

"This was not supposed to happen. They are very close to finding a solution. If they suspect of anything, they will turn against me. But I'll never let them know what I did. I have to fix this situation straightaway before it gets too late."

He programmed the main computer, which controlled all the units, for two actions. Destruction was absolutely necessary. He concluded his commands and sat down, relaxed, as he had never done since he had become the Supreme.

"Genocide and suicide. It was a great idea to sabotage the production of the vaccines, since I discovered that the anomaly could be a great opportunity for the extermination of this sterile breed of beings. This will all look like an accident, but who do I have to explain something to, anyway? There will be nothing left! What a great plan!"

He closed his eyes and waited. In a few seconds, the planet imploded and then exploded completely, in a predetermined sequence, taking on a huge cloud of debris, already devoid of any sign of life, traveling at high speed through the space, in all directions.

A solitary capsule wandered adrift not far from where the asteroid existed a few moments before. Inside it, a metal tube carried precious information about a race of humanoids, who lived on a small, arid planet that ceased to exist. The capsule is thrown, along with the debris of the destroyed planet, through the silent, dark emptiness of space, being drawn into a crevice in the midst of the chaos and disappearing completely with a quick flash of light.

***

On a nearly deserted beach, two young men were talking while walking side by side, each one with a beer can in hand. A flash of lightning crossed the darkness, drawing their attention, especially because the sky seemed clean and starry. The sound of something big falling into the sea, right behind where they came from, made them stop and come back.

The strange metal object floated on the ocean water, swaying to the taste of the waves and still steaming.

It was a warm summer night in the Anno Domini of 2018.

The Thirteenth (Part 4)

Leona looked at her father and David, the thirteenth clone, who ran along with her to the edge of the forest, worried about nothing else but to save their skins. She was faster and knew the way, so she took charge of their protection. Fortunately, the armed men had not detected them so far, but it could only be a matter of time.

They heard more gunshots. Leona kept thinking of her brother. As long as she heard the sound of those shots, as dangerous as it might be, she knew he was probably alive. The silence could be a bad sign however. She was afraid to think of the worst. Her immediate concern was to run for safety.

- We have to reach the tunnels. It will be easier to go unnoticed once we are in there. Be careful, but do not stop one second.

She knew she demanded too much from those two different human beings, but she had to be strong for the two, who were practically reaching the limits of their strength. A thought went through her head and she tried to tear it off her mind, but it was not easy...

“What will this outbreak of adrenaline cause to the body of the clone? He is already in a strange mutation. What if this speeds up some process to the point of no return?”

One more shot. This time it seemed to be closer to them. She heard hurried footsteps. They were almost at the entrance to the tunnels. Leona did not look back. She kept her father and David under her full attention and had to concentrate on keeping them safe, no matter what. The future and the past were running along with her, under her full responsibility.

As they finally passed the entrance, Leona did not hesitate. That entanglement of passageways in the various galleries was like a maze, but both she and her brother knew the place very well. They used to have a private joke about their favorite hiding place.

"If it's not right to go right, then it is right to go left."

As soon as she felt safe, she let the two men finally catch their breath. The three of them were quietly trying to figure out if they were alone in there. The sound of hurried footsteps told them that someone was coming in the same direction. It could only be her brother, but she told the two of them to be hidden and silent, until they were sure of it, while she would check it.

- Leona, I saved the diary. Don’t even ask at what cost. You'd better take it with you. I will divert the attention of those men so that they never come close to the terminal until you are safe to be transported back to the future.

- No. We have very little time. We must get out of here together.

- It's our only chance. Trust me. I will be here on time. Don’t worry.

Not to worry and trust him? She had her doubts... As much as he seemed confident of what he was doing, it was still extremely risky.

The woman did not realize that her brother tried to hide his difficulty in breathing normally. He pretended to be only tired and worried about getting them out of there and back to safety.

- We'll meet at the terminal in fifteen minutes. Don’t wait more than five more minutes for me. Now go.

Leona quickly articulated an emergency plan in her mind, but she needed time to carry it out before her brother rejoined the group.

She called her father and the Thirteenth up. They followed her, saying nothing. The younger character could not hide how scared and afraid he was. The older man, used to sudden departs and a very unsafe life for long just followed his daughter, without complaining and in apprehensive quietness.

The woman was agile and knew the way through like no one else. The two of them made an extra effort to follow her, blindly and confidently. All the other sounds, besides their footsteps, had been completely left behind, making it easier for them to be attentive to the place and noises around.

- It's right over there. We’ve finally arrived.

***

Leona reprogrammed the transport terminal, as she had decided mentally, for the return of four travelers, rather than the three who had gotten in at that point in the past. Despite the risk of that action, and even knowing that she was going against all the security procedures and orders of the Supreme, she had no doubt she had taken the right decision.

She, her father and the Thirteenth clone were anxiously waiting for the fourth traveler, but time ran out too quickly and the terminal sent the transfer signal. The three of them placed themselves in the center of the capsule and waited a fraction of a second for it to begin the process.

The woman felt tired and sad, but she had to follow the procedure, especially in the name of the safety of her father and the clone. When they’d reach the future, she would try to get around the situation, probably by sending another signal, so that her brother would receive it and return. He would know what to do.

The sound of a burst of gunshots was not noticed by any of the three as they were being transferred back into the future because of the buzzing sound the machine emitted and the speed of the process. The Thirteenth felt a jerk in his foot, but did not realize what was really happening.

They heard an intermittent ringing a few seconds later.

The transfer had been effectively completed. They were now inside the transportation terminal of the main building in the year 4697.

Leona looked down, at the feet of the Thirteenth, and then realized the clone had his legs and feet stained with blood.

- What is it?

- It's… blood. Are you hurt?

- I don’t know…

The clone’s nose was also bleeding. He rolled his eyes and fell at the woman’s feet, apparently unconscious. She hurried to him, but then she saw that behind him lay the wounded and unconscious body of her brother. His hands were also covered with blood.

The two scientists arrived at that moment, together with the Supreme, who approached and spoke, before she had time to explain herself.

- I hope you have a very good explanation to this. I told you not to interfere with anything in the past. Your task was precisely to prevent that from happening.

- I know. But we were being chased by armed men and I could not leave anyone behind. It was the only alternative.

- The only alternative? The only alternative was to have avoided this whole mess...

- I know, but we have a more serious problem right now...

The Supreme looked over Leona's shoulders and understood what she meant. Although he was an extremely severe man, he was also consistent and fair.

***

- But we managed to save the diary, after all. Even after everything that happened... and...

- Yes. That's right. But at a very high price.

- This is no longer relevant. What matters now is that we have managed to protect our future and the living of all these people...

- But we messed with the past. It should not have happened. It was a very serious risk... and invariably every intervention has its consequences.

- But you were not going to live for long, back there, anyway... The attack may have been anticipated by our arrival at that time in the laboratory, but for all intents and purposes, you'd be dead that night and that's what happened. No one will ever know the truth... What difference could it make, now?

- Never underestimate the effects of the small things or those that seem to have little importance... How do you know that nothing has remained untouched in this future? Even if you have not noticed yet... there has been a change!

- Are you sure?

- I am, yes...

Leona looked at her father with concern. His brother's death had been a sacrifice, in the name of the future and science, which had not been foreseen, nor could it be prevented or reversed. Time is cruel and does not forgive... That new finding, however, was quite worrying.

Her father pointed to the laboratory. From there, David, the Thirteenth cone, looked at her and the old scientist.

Leona frowned. He seemed calm, but the anomaly was more and more evident. The woman pulled her father by the arm and they entered the immaculately white room.

The chief scientist seemed to be tremendously stressed and in despair.

The Thirteenth (Part 2)

Leona walked down to the end of the long corridor and carefully opened the door. The man who was there was busy with the archiving of the latest DNA analysis processes. It had been a long time since anyone, apart from him and the lab chief, had come in that part of the building. The man raised his head and met the familiar smiling face of the exquisite looking woman, his sister. He spoke in the official language of that world, to the Anno Domini of 4697.

- Well, well. What are you doing here, in this place so little treaded on by the people of the warmer areas? It must be a very serious thing, to have taken you out of the comfort of your life and come on such an unusual journey.

- Don’t be ironic. Things are not as they used to be. We've had a lot of changes since you were gotten out of there. You should be grateful to have your life saved.

- I've never asked for anything. It was better if I was left to die...

Leona pretended not to hear that last comment and ignored her brother's irony.

- I need your help. This is really serious.

- I understand it must be. But I do not know if I'm willing to get involved in your problems. Don’t count on me or my help...

- In the name of our father...

- Don’t talk about our father. He died because of you. What I´ve been through was also because of you. And being here, in this meaningless life, is also your fault, so don’t involve our father's name in this and do not you ever ask for anything in his name. You have no right to do so.

- We've talked about this already. I know the impression I left was that I went away, when I was most helpful to our father, but that was not what really happened...

- I don’t want to know. You can go back to the place you came from, as there is nothing remaining in me that could be considered as empathy or solidarity... neither with you nor with anyone else. Go away from here.

- I cannot leave without telling you what's going on.

- Damn, woman! Haven’t I told you I don’t want to hear it. Go away. I went through hard times to save you and what did I get out of it? Exile and contempt! Do you think I have any reason to help you?

- Save me, killing the man I loved? Is that your idea of ​​salvation?

- It was the only way to save you from that spell, for a man so very different from us: a freak! I don’t regret what I did and would do it again if necessary...

The woman turned pale and dryly swallowed her disappointment and anguish. She turned around to leave the room, but stopped at the door and said, low, almost as if to justify herself.

- He has the same reaction you did when our father started testing the first vaccines on us... I thought you could be sympathetic to it, so we could solve the case, but I was mistaken... for a change...

She left without looking back. The man stared at the emptiness, thinking of a time that existed in his past and in another era, in another place and in another circumstance.

He got up slowly and went through the corridor in the direction of the main lab. His sister was no longer in sight.

***

- You should have known better. What were you expecting him to do?

- I hoped he could at least hear me or help us sort this out…

- It's not his function to help or solve any problem. He's fine where he is. He has learned other things besides his work. We must deal with it, without his or anyone else's help...

- I know that, now. It was a stupid mistake...

- Maybe not. It was just naivety or, perhaps, the deceiving hope to solve things in an unreasonable way. This romanticism no longer fits in this age and in this place... We have more urgent things to solve.

The woman lowered her head. She recognized that she was being impractical. She also admitted that she was behaving like a romantic and inadequate scientist. She thought about how she ended up in that place and the most important person in her life, as well as her father and brother. She was about to collapse in tears, but she had to be strong for her own sake.

The little man pretended not to notice that Leona was struggling to fight her own ghosts. She was now a very different woman from the one who had come to that place a long time ago.

She took a deep breath and decided to leave the matter with who could deal with. It was time to go back to her place. She entered the transport terminal and waited for the portal to open. She still took one last look at the chief scientist, who was seriously looking where he was dematerializing.

She did not realize that the door to the laboratory was open at that very moment, and that a man, very different from the one she had been talking to, was coming into the room.

***

Leona arrived at the Stellar Station a few seconds after leaving the Glacial. She was serious and tired. The conversation had been nothing like what she had thought and planned to be and she felt cheated by her own naivety.

After a few minutes, she would contact the two scientists to report on what she had accomplished as a result of her journey.

The two arrived in a few minutes. They were anxious to know what was new about the conversation with the chief scientist, but they did not expect that they would have to wait until the report was sent from the Glacial Station. They had to control their apprehension, until they knew more. 

Leona did not tell them everything she did or how badly the conversation with her brother ran. She decided that she had to keep that matter in the family, only. 

She knew, too, that the Supreme would want to talk to her... If she did not solve that matter soon, she would not be in peace... or sleep... 

At that right moment, however, she would not be able to talk to him, anyway. 

It was already late and she decided to wait until the next day. She would have to think about what she was going to say. In that case, maybe it was better to tell him the truth, anyway... just the part that mattered, obviously. She had already exposed herself too much and did not want to hear any reprimand about her attitude or her foolishness. 

Although the Supreme was not much given to lecturing because of his respect for her, just one of his glances at her would be enough to know that she had not been able to reach her brother’s heart, She would have to keep her cool in front of him, or else she would lose the opportunity for the other things as well. If he asked a lot of questions, she did not know if she was going to be able to keep the whole conversation she had at the Station as a secret. 

The woman with intense green eyes went to her room to try and rest. There was still a doubt in her mind that would not leave her mind at ease. 

How, after all that time, did such effect appear in a random clone that was created in the normal line? Where did that mutation come from, after so many generations have been produced? 

***

- I know it's not normal. Can it be reversed? Historically we know that it is possible.

- We know that it was possible in normal human beings. We do not know if we can do the same in clones.

- We are scientists. We must try our best. 

- We're already trying, Leona. I have already studied and developed a prototype and I have already tested it too. 

- And how did he respond? 

- I have not seen any reaction yet, but it's early still. We both know the cure was not immediate in the pure human organism... 

- My brother... 

- Yes. He is helping me with that. We've been working together since that day that you came in to the Glacial Station. The prototype of the new vaccine was crafted from his blood and DNA... At least we know it worked with him in the past. If we are lucky, his blood already has natural antibodies, designed to correct the effect of a future occurrence. But the bad news is that we've already had another reported occurrence from the laboratory: another clone with the same reaction... We must rush the solution, or else... 

Leona stood there, looking very serious at the lab chief. The last comment had not been not retained in her perception. She was more concerned about the information about her brother. She had no idea that, after all, her conversation with him had somehow worked. She, who had left the Station with the feeling of powerlessness, was now feeling unfair. 

She needed to speak to her brother and tell him that she was grateful. She felt she should have been more patient, more confident, and perhaps more fair-minded. There was still something good, maybe a remnant of their father's inheritance, in him, after all. 

She left the lab and went into the room down the hall. She was happy. She had not felt like that for a long time. She opened the door with energy and entered the room with a broad grin spsrkling on her face. 

The emptiness of the room took her by surprise. Where could he be? The chief said he would be in the room, working with the research files and the clone blood tests. But he was not. 

She hurried back to the main lab to speak to the chief, but in the middle of the corridor she found the man, who had a desperate look on his face. He seemed to be bewildered and extremely worried. 

- The Thirteenth clone and the new vaccines are gone... 

- As is my brother, too... 

They looked at each other. They did not need much to figure out what had happened. 

- What shall we do now? 

- We need to check the settings of the transport terminal. They must have gone there, since other routes would be easily detectable.... 

The two entered the teleportation room and immediately realized that the terminal memory data had been erased, probably on purpose. The programming was not available. 

To have access to the data, they would have to make a formal request to the Central, but that would entail a series of questions, generating special security procedures. Leona looked at the head of the laboratory and decided.

- We must know where they've gone to. No matter what that might entail. 

The man, though very worried, acceded. It was the best thing to do.

- I'm going to speak to the Supreme. He should know the truth.

- This will put us all in a big problem. You know that. 

- Yes. I do know it. But we ought to do what is right. In fact, it was a mistake not to have done it from the beginning. I will deal with the consequences if it is necessary... 

*** 

The Supreme has given orders to check the database immediately after being told by Leona about what had happened. He was annoyed and disappointed by the attitude she and the scientists took, but now he had to be practical and act quickly. 

When the report was delivered to him, he looked up, with obvious concern emblazoned on his serious face which had been almost always devoid of emotions. His face was less pale than usual. 

- They went back to the past. This is very serious! 

- But everyone knows this is not allowed! The consequences can be terrible and irreversible... 

- And since when does your brother care about what is right or wrong? Look at this date. Does it say anything? 

Leona looked at the man with a worried expression and did not know what to say. The Supreme was right. This was serious enough, and it was bound to have dangerous consequences. One way or another, she felt responsible for what had happened. She had to sort the situation out urgently.

- I must go after them and try to prevent a catastrophe from happening because of this inconsequential attitude. 

- I cannot allow it! No way. 

- I feel responsible for what happened. I must try, at least. It's our only chance. If we send another person, he will defend himself and become unpredictable and dangerous. I can at least try to control the situation before he makes another big mistake. 

- He's always been unpredictable, but maybe you're right. Let's schedule your trip in the most appropriate way, but you will not have much time to remedy this situation. Any minute you're in the past will be extremely dangerous for the future. 

- I know. And I'm prepared for that. We better get to the transport terminal now.

The Thirteenth (Part One)

- This is the thirteenth.

- Thirteenth? I did not think there were so many...

- See this spectacular specimen! It is stronger than the others.

- Should we work better on it? Their useful life is not very long, as far as we know.

- Yes, it's true. But this one seems to have more than the others do. Let's look at it more carefully. It is our responsibility to select only the best of the best and this one seems to be one of them. It will need more careful attention.

- The Supreme must know. Are we calling him or reporting directly?

- Neither. We're not going to do anything yet. We have to be absolutely sure before anything else. If we make a mistake now, the Supreme annihilates us and you know what happens next.

- I know and I do not like the thought of it. But we have to keep this secret just between us. We must separate it from the others or it will be discovered, before we can be sure of anything. It calls too much attention. If someone sees it…

- I have an idea. Let's take him to the Stellar Station. There it will be well analyzed and we will be able to check better all the details before it is ready. I know very well who will take great pleasure in helping us evaluate, investigate some details and even take care of him…err…it, in the meantime.

He looked seriously at the other man, who soon realized who he was speaking of.

- And what do we do with the others?

- The same as always. Soon they will be prepared, but they will have the same use of so many others, that were produced before them.

- We'd better hurry then, before somebody comes in here.

Better wait till everyone leaves. Meanwhile, we segregate these others and send them forward. We cannot arise any suspicions. If we take too long to dispatch them, the others will think there is something wrong happening in here. We must also complete the reports and confirm the count.

- I'll do that, so we can handle the rest of the things later.

- OK. I'm going to close the lab to make sure we have no inconvenient surprises. We'll be back later.

***

The day had begun normally, like every other, in a routine without surprises. The Stellar Station was virtually deactivated, with just a few features still working and had not been visited by many people so often, so it was easy for the two scientists to go unsuspected.

The Thirteenth was safe. They did not know for how long, however. They had to be steadfast before presenting it to the Supreme, or they knew they could be sent to one of the least significant lines. 

They had reached their positions within the structure because they were wise. They also knew that others before them, who had gone wrong in the selection, had been forgotten in the Glacial Station, on the other side of the planet, where the anomalies were studied and the vaccines for the next generations developed. Although it was an important job in the application, the conditions were restricted and uncomfortable. It was a rather cruel fate with a very short prospect for the future. It was the reward for the errors. A second error would be punished more severely.

The Supreme was rigid and devoid of feelings. Things had to work perfectly. As in a vintage wine, the selection was very judicious. Only the best could be sent to him, who would then approve, classify and define their destinies.

The two of them came together and went straight to the depressurizing room. After changing their uniforms for sterilized clothing, they went to the Council room where their hostess was awaiting. She received them with evident satisfaction.

- Well? What do you say about it?

- He's practically perfect. I've never seen one so well done and vigorous.

- Then we got it right. We can take him to the Supreme.

- You were right, yes. But there is a small, but workable, problem.

- Small…?

- Problem…?

They both looked at the woman, who smiled at them and as she got up, she asked them to accompany her.

***

- Workable? How can this be a workable problem? We will be damned...

- Calm down. I said it was workable, did not say he was presentable to the Supreme.

- And now? What will we do? If we are discovered, we will be in a dreadful trouble!

- Dreadful? Is that word still used?

The man laughed. The other looked confused. He had no idea where the colleague had taken that term from and was not going to ask. He was more concerned with how to solve their little “workable” problem.

The woman, with deep green eyes, spoke before being asked.

- We must get him out of this station, before anyone finds out we have him here. It will not be easy to hide him for long.

- And where can we take it to? We do not have many alternatives.

- Him… He’s not a thing… We have but a few alternatives. One is the Glacial Station. Someone who is there owes me a big favor.

- Oh. No. We cannot accept it.

- And what are you going to do? Take him to the Supreme? Leave him here?

- It's a very high risk. And we will not have guarantees that we will be successful.

- Let me handle this. He can never be brought back here, anyway, unless we find a way to sort this out. I’ll speak to the Supreme.

The two men did not know what to say. The woman had put them in check and they had no better alternatives.

***

- I cannot accept that, Leona. You know he's unpredictable and no less dangerous.

- He's my brother. I spared his life in the face of a crime punishable by death… or, at least, a life sentence. He will not hurt me. I need to talk to him.

- We have not heard of him in years... Why the urgency now?

- It's a personal reason.

- However personal it may be, he must not be brought back here.

- I will not bring him back here.

The Supreme did not like the idea, but he had a lot of respect and affection for the woman. He knew she was coherent and very responsible. He had endured her decisions and spared the life of her brother, who had murdered her lover, in front of her. He was sent to the Glacial Station, along with the scientists, who developed the vaccines created from the development of a prototype studied by their father.

- You know I do not like this idea at all. If anything happens to you, I'll be responsible.

- No. I'll be the only one to blame. I'm going to prepare for the transport.

Leona took the experiment with her and went where she was meant to solve the small problem, which was caused by another small problem. At the Glacial Station's transportation terminal, the alarm went off, announcing the arrival of visitors. A man with very deep blue eyes approached the room and waited a couple of seconds to see the woman he knew well materialize. Only she was not alone.

- Leona! What a great surprise! What good winds bring you here?

The chief scientist was still the same as he had been when he was in the main building. It had been his choice to move to the Glacial Station, so he would have time, distance from problems and inadequate questions, as well as space for his research, development and production of the vaccines.

Besides the young scientists who came with him, he had, under his wing, some workers brought from the cloning center and, to his agony, the only outcast he knew in that world. 

The man at the Station, by exile, was very different from the other individuals of that base and time. He seemed completely out of context and functions. But at least he was alive. The chief scientist kept him under constant surveillance, but the initial rebellion behavior had diminished over time. The man seemed much calmer than when he had been sent to the base and had adapted to the duties assigned to him. As time went on, he achieved the level of trust and confidence necessary to work in the logistics of shipping and storing the vaccines for the inhabited stations.

The chief scientist turned off the power field at the transport terminal and stepped forward.

- I see you brought someone over.

Leona smiled and greeted him, but there seemed to have a cloud upon her head and face.

- Look at this specimen. We first thought he was the most perfect sampling to be proud of, but look at this.

- Ah! I see.

- We could not take him to the Supreme, until we were absolute sure he was presentable and now we can no longer do it for this obvious reason. And leaving him there would be the same as admitting we had made a big mistake.

- And what can we do?

- I hoped you could help me decide. I have an idea and I need your help to put it into practice.

***

- I cannot accept it, Leona. It's very dangerous.

- But it's our only option… besides...

-The chief scientist's eyes widened. He could not admit the other alternative. He was trapped. Either he accepted one thing or another. In any case he was in check.

- I cannot take care of him. I have too much work to do. I'll have to find a way...

- I think that might be easy to deal with. The logistics manager owes me a favor.

- Oh. No. No. No.

The little man was afraid of the consequences. He could not accept such a responsibility.

- Let me handle this.

- Leona, that's very risky. If anything happens, we'll be both responsible.

- I know. But what can happen? We are dealing with something that does not exist, after all...

The man looked at the visitor with a little concern. She seemed too cold in the face of that problem. That was not the Leona he knew.

For some reason it seemed to him that there was something behind that mystery. He just hoped it was not a problem for him and his future at the Station. He considered his work and his position with great appreciation. He was not at the Glacial Station because he was banned or because of demerit, but by choice. The legacy of Leona's father, which had been improved throughout the ages, was his greatest pride. He was living proof that the vaccine was effective. 

And so was she.

The scientist, Leona and her brother, before all the others, have been the ones to test new versions of the vaccines voluntarily...

Now there was a mutation... a problem to be studied; a riddle he still did not know how to solve.

The old scientist looked at the clone and set it on the laboratory table. He unwrapped it completely from the sheet that housed it and said.

- Let us then try to unravel this mystery.

Leona smiled and said she was going to see her brother. She had things to deal with. She knew there was another alternative, but it was not time to mention it.

The old scientist came and went back to the object of his attention. He was no longer interested in the conversation Leona was going to have with her brother.

- So, my boy, how did this happen to you? Was it a side effect of the medications in your body?

The pale creature looked at the little man with quiet eyes and almost no expression shown on his face. The man began to examine the experiment and decided to take blood samples to analyze the mutations in his DNA. Before making any decision, he had to know what he was dealing with.

On the other side of the building, at the end of a long corridor, Leona had a very firm idea in mind, hoping it would work properly...