The clones woke up, and began to survey the world around them. The accelerated growth and mental conditioning was as complete as could be, yet even with identical nature, and nurture, there were obvious psychological differences between them. They began to wonder..'should we have names? What would they be?'..with an almost instinctual reaction, they each began to speak, almost as one, almost the same words, but not quite..who would be the leader? what tasks would they perform? why did one feel stronger, smarter, than the others? Each began to move their arms in an unconscious body language, yet the positions assumed had a slight difference..they pondered the question, are they the same person, or different people? the debate went on into the night..at last, the one clone, the healthy one, began to notice the others were tireing. "If it's not too much trouble," he said, "I'd like to organize us"..and watched with small satisfaction as 6 weary heads nodded in tired agreement. With that settled, they lay down to sleep, and the lights went out.. The next morning, the leader, or "#1" as he though of himself, woke up to find himself the only one awake. And also the only one moving. The other 6 replicants lay unmoving, and unliving, on their customized gurneys, the faces showing small differences even in death. He felt the first tremblings of fear, and looked wildly and hopefully at the technicians entering the room. "What happened to them", he whispered, as if not to wake them from a slumber he knew was impossible to break. The technician looked at him with a sombre expression, and said "The other subject succumbed to a viral infection. Their hearts couldn't take the strain" "Will the same thing happen to me? he asked. "No, your heart is good..you will make it" the other said, with an unreadable expression, as the other technicians began to cart the 'failures' away..
As the door closed behind them, the youngest one looked at the other, and then at the 'bodies' on the gurneys "wow, I didn't think it was possible for them all to die at once..", he faltered, "I mean, what are the odds?"
The other tech smiled "Of course they're not dead, but we've found that the 'seperation anxiety' that can form between clones is best broken at an early stage. We just sedate them, them move them to another location. The successful subject just isn't told..don't worry..we'll have plans for these", he said, chuckling as they carted their loads down the soundless corridors.. 008

I wish I'd said that.. The Staircase Wit

anahl nathrak uth vas betude doth yel dyenvey..;)