When this little kid, Kelvin sees Kade and Kelly his eyes grow wide with terror and he grabs my hand, tugging at it like a frightened puppy, “Come away from them, they have the dirty disease and you don’t have your helmet on,” he says, struggling not to cry.
I stare at the concern in his little face and I’m again teased by a strong recognition; yet in all my time in captivity I was never introduced to any children.
......
Kade is instinctively gentle and empathetic with him, “Hey, it’s OK kid, no need to worry – we haven’t really got the dirty disease,” he says, with a friendly wink.
The kids eyes widen even further, “Really, then I need to go tell The surgeon that you don’t have it,” he says, rushing toward the exit.
I grab him and drop to his level, “Of course they have the disease, The Surgeon never makes mistakes,” I say, putting my helmet back on and throwing Kade a knowing glance that says, ‘let me handle this.’
“Did they lie to me?” He asks, with a hurtful look.
“Yes, they told a little lie, to make you feel better, that’s all,” I say, in an effort to reassure him.
The kid shakes his head, “It’s very, very bad to tell lies. We must tell The Surgeon that they’ve told lies so she can make sure they suffer on the naughty chair,” he says.
I look over at Kade and Kelly, “You two go back to your isolation room so you can treat the dirty disease and take care of my fiancé.” I turn my attention back to the kid, “There’s no need for you to tell The Surgeon about their silly joke; you and I can stay here and have fun getting to know each other, would you like that?” I ask, with what I think is my best kid friendly voice.
He smiles, “Sure, I like having fun.”
I stand up and dismiss Kade and Kelly with a headshake. They understand my thinking (I have to keep this kid on our side.) They depart, knowing that I’ll inform them of everything I find out from this strange little boy.
......
As soon as Kade and Kelly have gone the kid relaxes, “I don’t like being near people with the dirty disease, it’s very bad and can make you die if you don’t have a suit on,” he says, looking around the chill-out area with a childish excitement.
He notices the monitors, “OH MY!” He squeals, “The Love Rush, look at it, it’s very terrifying – I’m not allowed to ride it,” he says.
“Why not?” I ask, suddenly realizing that this kid could be a useful source of information.
“Because it does bad things – sometimes.”
“What kind of bad things?”
He walks toward me, takes my hand, looks at me with big earnest eyes and says, “Some people go on it as one person and come off it sliced clean in two,” he says, in a low whisper.
“Why would people want to ride a roller coaster that might slice them in two? That’s not fun,” I say.
He makes a sudden attempt to sound older, “Because The surgeon and her team like watching fear on peoples faces, they find that fun – and they want to have lots of fun at The Wedding,” he says.
“Oh, OK – do you like The Surgeon?” I ask.
He becomes shy and lowers his head, “I have to like her, we all have to like her.”
I crouch down to his level, “Hey, you can tell me the truth you know, I won’t tell anybody, trust me.”
His head shoots up to my eye level, “THAT IS THE TRUTH!” He hollers.
WHOAH – that was freaky!
This kid’s confusing me; I can’t figure out whether he’s frightened or fond of The Surgeon.
I change the subject, “So you’re here for The wedding; when do your parents arrive?” I ask.
His face takes on that questioning look that kids get when they’re confused, “I don’t have parents,” he says, with a superior tone that belies his young years.
“Oh really! What happened to them?” I ask.
He holds his hands out, shrugs his shoulders and says, “I don’t know. I’m here for The Wedding and to meet my children,” he smiles big.
……
I can’t begin to articulate how spooky this looks; this tiny kid talking about meeting his children – it’s too much to take in – even for me.
I don’t question the implausibility of his words; instead I take a deep breath and ask, “So when do you meet your children?”
He frowns, “I already have, and I’m very disappointed that they lied to their father,” he says, wagging his finger at me like a little kid playing grown up.
With our glass helmets clinking off of each other, I cut to the chase, “How old are you Kelvin?”
“I’m six and three quarters.”
“That’s a great age to be. But here’s the thing – kids like you can’t have children,” I say, with a gentle but firm voice.
His head rotates within the glass globe, “You’re wrong – Kade and Kelly are my children and I’m real angry with them for lying to me about the dirty disease,” he says.
I grow firmer, “It’s not possible kid, who has told you they’re your children?”
His eyes narrow and I see a hint of anger flow through them, “Nobody told me, I’m their father – fact!” He says, his lips beginning to quiver.
I comfort him before he starts to bawl, “Ok, sure you are,” I say, giving him a gentle shoulder rub.
This does the trick, he pulls back from tears and smiles wide, “Can I tell you a secret?” He whispers.
“Sure you can.”
Suddenly, I’m hit with a bolt of recognition: in his large, chocolate brown eyes, framed by thick black lashes – I see a young Kade!
“Promise you won’t tell Kade and Kelly before me, I want to tell them myself, to surprise them,” he pulls me in closer and whispers, “they think I died with my wife in a road traffic accident. She’s alive, but she’s a brain, now,” he says.
“Oh really, that’s cool. I promise I won’t say a word to Kade and Kelly?”
He smiles proudly, “I’m a world first – I’m K.HC1.” He says.
“What does that mean?”
He chortles and a shot of snot flies from his nose and splats on the glass, “You have a lot to learn for an adult – K.HC1, means I’m Kelvin, Human Clone 1: The Worlds First Genetically Identical Human Clone.”
……
You know, I’m not shocked or surprised by this revelation. Human cloning is such a moral minefield that I should have figured that The Surgeon and her team would be the first to jump in and realize it.
I’ve asked Kelvin if his original (Kade and Kelly’s adult father) is still alive – he doesn’t know, he just smiled like the kid he is and said, “My children have to raise their own father, it’s a great social experiment that will further humankind.”
…….
It’s creepy hearing this little kid occasionally talk like an adult.
Of course, they’re probably The Surgeon’s words, there’s literally no limit to how far she’ll take her warped experimentation – I’m more determined than ever to STOP HER.
Right now, my priority is how I break the news to Kade and Kelly, “Hey, my mother’s cloned your father, you two gotta raise him into adulthood.” It’s a kinda hard concept to digest – right?
This is a diversion tactic thrown in by The Surgeon to destabilize us all – I don’t want this to deflect from our mission to defeat her. How I handle this needs careful thinking.
……
The cell vibrating at my thigh diverts my thinking. It’s a txt from Kade: You found out who the kid is?”
Shamefully I return a lie: Not yet.
His return is swift: Come down see us, I’m missing ya.
……
I settle Kelvin into a game of Candy Crush, “Stay right here, I just gotta go visit the bathroom,” I lie.
……
Kade’s pale grey made-up face beams when he sees me rush in, “Hey Tan, what’ve you found out from the creepy kid?” He asks, patting his bed for me to sit on it.
“That, the coaster slices people in two – our wedding reception will be a little blood splattered,” I say, looking over at Troy, who has his head stuck in The Hunger Games (he was only allowed read classical literature in captivity.)
“Orrr man, sicko – at least we know not to ride it,” laughs Kade.
I feel Kade staring at me; he can read me like a book. I do my best to sound nonchalant, “I just wanna check all's OK with you guys because I might not make it down before the morning when the Medical team return to check you over and take me for my dress fittings,” I say.
Kelly chirps up, “We’re good, all’s going to plan.” She changes her tone, “Hey Tanya, Kade thinks that kid might be your little brother – will you be OK if it turns out he is?” She asks.
“Sure I will, I can handle pretty much anything. You guys need anything?” I ask, divertingly.
“Only that you tell us EVERYTHING!” Asserts Kade.
“I will – I need to get back up there and keep this kid on side, he’s smart and I don’t want him feeding anything back to the enemy,” I say, feeling guilty about not telling the truth.
……
The truth is – I don’t know how to tell them – and tomorrow I have to surrender myself to The Surgeon and her team – complicated as always!
And, I feel Kade knows I’m lying to him, or rather – withholding the truth.
I’m feeling bad, like I’m betraying Kade and Kelly.
I don’t want Kade to be angry with me.
……
What greets me back in the chill-out area makes my blood run cold.
The kid is waiting for me with a pre-filled syringe in his hand.
“I don’t like Candy Crush, I like grown up games. Even though I’m only six I’m still a Surgeon and I have to give you your hormones,” he says, attaching the syringe into an intravenous line.
I figured the hormones were coming, but didn’t think they’d be administered by a cloned kid.
He attaches the IV line to a pump with a rehearsed dexterity, “Come here Tanya, I have to inject you with these to make you more female for your wedding,” he says.
I try to make little of it, “Oh don’t worry about them, I’m already female,” I say.
He stamps his foot, “Tanya, come here – NOW! I’ll be put on the naughty chair if I don’t inject you,” he shouts.
My instinct kicks in, “Hey Kelvin, come here,” I say.
......
He flinches as I take off my helmet, “It’s OK, take off yours, you need to wipe your nose.”
He chuckles unlocks his helmet and swipes his nose against his sleeve, “Will we be OK?” He asks.
“Yes, we will – do you like playing games?”
His face suddenly lights up and he drops the syringe, “Sure I do,” he smiles.
What’s your favorite game?” I ask.
He begins those tiny jumps that kids do when they’re excited, “My best video game ever is Plague Inc, and I’m pretty good at it!”
I act as excited as him, “Hey, that’s Kade’s favorite game as well,” I say. I’m not lying here; Kade’s always playing it, he says it helps develop his strategic thinking – like father like son I guess.
“Well how about we play a game that’s even cooler than Plague Inc?” I say. His excited jumping increases, “Yes, yes – let’s!” He squeals.
He’s so excited that he doesn’t hear the crunch of the syringe he’s just stomped all over. “Come with me and I’ll tell you all about it,” I say, leading him away from the female hormones that are pooling by his feet.
……
In my bedroom Kelvin can barely contain his excitement and is constantly fidgeting. I sit him on the bed, “OK, so there’s two teams in this game, do you wanna be on my team?” I ask.
“Sure I do,” he says.
“Great – so let’s go down and meet the rest of our teammates and together we’ll tell you how to play the game – this is gonna be so much fun,” I say, taking his hand and leading him toward the isolation room.
…….
In Kelvin, The Surgeon may have created the worlds fist human clone, but first and foremost, he’s a kid. And as such he’s pretty easy to influence and get on side.
He could be fundamental to our winning the war
I just hope Kade and Kelly don’t freak out when they meet Their Father.