The Genesis Utopia

Walter Robinson 5 waited with a wide smile as he stood behind three other clones in the checkout line, with a single pack of diet Oreos in his basket. To think that he got pulled off work just because his fat--his handsome supervisor had a sudden and understandable craving for Oreos but knew he needed to be healthy. Walter Robinson 5 should be feeling grateful that he got the opportunity to help his supervisor get food that would consume his calories.

The fifth clone of Walter Robinson kept on smiling as frustration boiled within his gut.

One of the clones in the self-checkout aisle, also wearing a wide smile, left one of the kiosks, causing Walter Robinson 5 to take a step forward. He would have taken a deep breath to calm himself if he had been allowed to. It was okay, it wasn’t the other clones’ fault, it was their--it wasn’t their supervisor’s fault. Soon, Walter Robinson 5 would go back to work, to the project he was passionate about--no, that his supervisor was passionate about. He just finished helping with the new watch update, so he should be able to work unimpeded with the flying car project.

Flying cars...Walter Robinson 5’s smile became a little genuine. It was amazing to think that a couple of decades ago, flying cars was only a pipe dream. But now...they were so, so close to actually accomplishing Walter Robinson 5’s dream--to accomplishing his supervisor’s dream.

Walter Robinson 5 just hoped that he would be alive long--lucky enough to ride one.

After all, he was just a clone. And clones weren’t people, not anymore.

Not long after Johnathan Apple, also known as Jack, invented the lifesaver that was the Genesis Flower, people realized that its true purpose wasn’t to give them children. No, it was to make them immortal. At first, they just used their clone children’s organs to replace their failing ones. Then they used clones as test subjects to cure deadly diseases. Which they were able to do because they conducted experiments that they legally weren’t allowed to do before. Then, finally, to prevent any more precious Originals from dying of old age, they transplanted their brains into the bodies of young and healthy clones.

Of course, in order to achieve all of this, they had to update the Genesis Flower. No more did the Originals have giant green flowers in their front yard to give them clones. Instead, now there was only one Genesis Flower, though the Originals have renamed it the Genesis Tree. It was as tall and thick as a Redwood, with many branches full of green flowers that each gave birth to a clone. And instead of taking a few months to create a clone, the Genesis Tree was creating thousands of new clones every day.

Unlike the Genesis Flower though, which was limited to only making babies or toddlers, the Genesis Tree was able to make clones that were already fully grown. Well, there were some Originals who requested a teenage clone to transplant their brain into, but the Genesis Tree usually created adult clones.

The adult clones were more efficient workers after all.

Then before Walter Robinson 5 knew it, he was in front of the checkout line. Only one more clone had to finish their shopping and Walter Robinson 5 would be-

Two clone officials suddenly walked into the grocery store. Not the police, they became a moot point after the first several successful brain transplants. Because as the reality of eternity sank in, the Originals realized that they had all the time in the world to accomplish their dreams. That they didn’t have to lie and cheat to get ahead, and that they didn’t have to rob to get a little extra cash. It helped too that all the governments provided a good amount of money for people to donate their clones for science. So, while some people had more currency than others, no one was considered poor anymore. And no one had to work to survive now since they could just get their clones to work for them.

But the Originals also realized that they needed an easy way to collect the clones for surgeries, so thus the clone officials, who were clones themselves, were born.

Tension filled the air as everyone stood still, all with wide smiles on their faces, as the clone officials kept on walking. Walter Robinson 5’s heart skipped a beat as he realized that they were walking right towards him. No, not now, not him--he would be honored if he got to donate his organs or his life today. Most likely his life.

Despite the smile on his face, Walter Robinson 5 felt despair when the clone officials stopped right in front of him.

“You must come with us to the purge room. Original Walter Robinson has accidentally offended Original Loni Everett by not agreeing to her hand in marriage. Your supervisor has been notified of your termination.”

The despair he felt only a few seconds before was nothing compared to what Walter Robinson 5 was feeling now. For the Originals who had murderous tendencies and other violent desires, they were able to safely vent or take these feelings out on clones in the purge room.

This was arguably an even worse death than--this was a wonderful opportunity to serve his Original. Walter Robinson 5 should be honored.

Behind his forced smile, Walter Robinson 5 wanted to cry and scream.

He had been so close to finishing the flying--he should be honored.

Walter Robinson 5 then put down the shopping basket and followed the clone officials, who were wearing helmets that covered most of their faces, out of the store. He felt the uncontrollable desire to run, but there was no point. The instant he had been born Walter Robinson 5 had a chip implanted into his arm that allowed any Original to control him through their watches. There was no fighting against it, only acceptance. And thanks to the recent watch update, the Originals could even control the clones’ thoughts.

As they should.

It was a pretty day outside, as evidenced by how more Originals were walking about than usual. Cars raced by, driven by clones with Originals in the back to ensure that there would be no car accidents that could damage their precious brains. Which hasn't happened in years, not even a fender-bender. There also had been no wars or other signs of contention.

The world was in peace, a beautiful new age, all thanks to the sacrifice of the clones--to the genius of the Originals, who graciously allowed the clones the right to breathe and walk.

Was it real peace though--it was true peace.

“So how are you liking the new watch update?” Walter Robinson 5 heard a female Original ask her friend as they passed by them.

“Oh, I love it! It is such a relief to know that they aren’t thinking any untrue thoughts about me!” exclaimed the friend. “Though...they can still feel, can’t they?”

“Yes, but don’t worry, I’ve heard that we will be able to control their feelings in the next update,” assured the first Original.

If Walter Robinson 5 could, he would have stopped in shock.

“Oh thank goodness! I really needed to hear that!” cried the friend before they walked too far away for Walter Robinson 5 to overhear them. Not that he wanted to anymore.

First their thoughts and their feelings...feelings were all they had now--feelings weren’t something that they should be allowed to have.

Maybe it was a good thing that Walter Robinson 5 would be dying today after all.

It always had been.

The clone officials then led him into an alley. Walter Robinson 5 was confused. Wasn’t the closest purge room-

The smiles on the clone officials suddenly disappeared as the smaller one quickly grabbed his arm and jabbed a cylindrical device into his arm.

“Yow!” He cried as he instinctively pulled his arm away and grabbed at the bleeding wound. “What-”

The clone went completely still as he blinked. He...did he just-

Walter slowly lifted his hand away from his injury and felt his face.

He wasn’t smiling.

...The chip was gone.

Walter looked at the clone officials, both of whom not only had their helmets off but were looking at him with small smiles. One of them was a pretty young woman with brown hair while the other was a man with wrinkles and gray hair. There were no old clones.

“I...Y-You…” Walter stuttered, not used to talking thanks to most Originals not wanting to hear them speak. So...his first words should be special. “I hate this new age.”

It was the truth. And the watch didn’t stop him from either saying or thinking it. Walter laughed, more maniacal than pure amusement but, the laugh was his. Walter was laughing.

“We feel the same way,” the woman said as she held out an instant band-aid to him. Walter accepted the bandage and placed it on his wound, knowing it would now heal within minutes. “My name is Eva and I’m sorry that it took us this long to finally fight back.”

“To finally...wait. Are you two with the resistance?” Walter asked softly. He had heard whispers about a resistance full of clones that managed to escape, as well as families that didn’t want to sacrifice their child clones when the Genesis Flower was used to create children for childless couples. But the Originals were always quick to snuff such rumors out, and thanks to the watch, Walter hadn’t even been allowed to think of the possibility of a resistance in days.

To think that it was real…

“Yes, I am Jack...though you may know me better as Johnathan Apple,” the older man said somberly. “I’m sorry for everything that you have been through.”

The sudden revelation had Walter widening his eyes in shock. This was the man that…

“He never planned for any of this to happen,” Eva defended quickly. “He just wanted the Originals to be able to have kids again-”

“I know, because of the White Plague,” Walter said. Then he turned to Jack. “I heard that you disappeared after you invented the Genesis Flower. I always wondered if they killed you because you protested against using us as organ banks.”

“If they had thought of using you as organ banks then, they might have. But no, I ended up deciding to live in obscurity because I didn’t want everyone to receive a Genesis Flower. I was afraid that abusive couples or selfish parents would get an endless stream of children to use as punching bags or accessories but I was outvoted, saying that everyone would love them. Well, in a way I was proven right.”

“But that ends today,” Eva said before she took a step forward and grasped Walter's shoulder. “Today, us clones will finally be free. But in order to do that, we need to hack the watch. We were informed that you were one of the main contributors to the recent update. Is that true?”

And for the first time in his life, Walter smiled of his own accord.