New World by carino2

A/N And so another story joins the category of MR futuristic AU! I've read quite a few of these since I came here, so it follows that I would eventually write one too. I've never done anything like this (man, I say that a lot), and I'm not sure if what I have is too wordy with not enough happening or if it works. Keep in mind that this is just the first chapter, an introduction of sorts. But please, find every problem you can and tell me about it. I want to make this something worth reading. Thanks so much.

Hey, now, Maria. Don't be afraid. It's been a long time since I did anything worthy of fear. I'm too old to even get mad anymore. So

what's that look for? My days of fighting ended long ago.

Oh? What's that?

You're confused. Get used to it honey, we're all confused. No one knows anything anymore. All we're taught is blind loyalty. Can't learn

much from worship, can you? But at the same time, you know we're supposed to adore and only adore. Don't ask questions. I remember

reading that in a book as a child. As ridiculous as it may have seemed then, it makes sense to me now. It's how they keep things under

control here.

I can't help you. I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to speak. Even if I knew something you didn't, I wouldn't be able to say it. What makes

you think I'll be more informed than you in the first place? If anything, you know more, since you're still in school. They've taught you a

lot. Things may have been taught wrongly back when I was in school, though, so I'm not supposed to say anything that might sway your

beliefs. You don't want to fall under the influence of evil. And if I said something, they'd know. They always know. Foolproof, isn't it?

Their system is foolproof.

Turn what off? Oh, it. You want me to turn it off. You know that can't be done. No one knows how, for one. Nowhere else is there any

technology anything like this. Technology, yes, that's the official word for these sorts of things. It's archaic now, but I remember when it

was used. Like so many other things, though, it died off. It wasn't useable anymore. It didn't really apply to anything that we had. So

many things that used to be no longer are, because the government says they shouldn't be. They don't give us any control anymore, but

no one really cares. After the stories of the war, everyone seems to be grateful that we have a way to be united like we are. The want

of safety wins out over our curiosities, at least for the time being. There are other countries like us, you know, but they are far away. We

don't communicate with them; no one outside of the government does. And to see them, you'd have to cross the mountains and find a

way to the other side of the ocean.

You've never seen the ocean, have you? I'll tell you about that, if you'd like. It's used so commonly in comparisons, but the words they fit

it with never seem to do it justice. They can't. Something about the ocean refuses to be captured by our vocabulary. But I'll try, if you

want. I'll do anything for my little girl. Anything.

No, I didn't literally mean anything, young one. I told you already, I can't talk. Those things you want to know are forbidden. I've tried

my hardest to suppress them for all these years; don't you go pulling them out now. Yes, I know I'll have expired soon, but that's not all

that matters here. I can't go forgetting the rules. They told us to live with honor until the very end, because there will be punishment for

people who behave shamefully. No, I know what you're about to say. It can be that bad, and it will be. Would be. If I told you anything.

Don't you go thinking that my advanced age is a protection from the government. If they didn't hurt me, they might do something even

worse. What if they forced me to punish you? That would be unbearable, and I won't risk it. Why do you want to know these things,

anyway?

Oh, I see. Don't. You can't go thinking like that, because you won't survive. At least, not happily. Not as who you thought you were.

You can't go around questioning everything that way and expect them to ignore it. Yes, I did tell you not to be afraid, but I was telling

you not to fear me. What was that apprehension for, anyhow? Was it those rumors again? Daddy's not a killer, I swear. Not anymore.

Don't be scared of me, be scared of them. They're the ones who will hurt you.

Yes, darling, what? I know I just repeated myself, and I'm talking like you're still a child, aren't I? Technically, you are, you know. Another

year until you're considered an adult. I'm sorry, forgive me. I forget myself sometimes. But I repeated myself on purpose. I wanted the

message to sink in. Oh, that wasn't what you were talking about? What, then? Not so fast, sweetie, I'm not as young as you are

anymore. And I never had Momma's brains.

Anymore. Yes, I just said that. It's likely to be my epitaph. Or, I'm sure it would be if they gave you epitaphs anymore. There I go again,

don't I? I think I'd like that on my hypothetical headstone, though. He was once brave, brilliant, and beautiful. He's not anymore. But I said it

because, believe it or not, I used to be smart. Before I got old. Oh, you were talking about something else again. Before? Before what?

Like I said, you're too fast for me. Oh, I remember now. Daddy's not a killer anymore. Disregard that, please. Daddy's not a killer; he's

just losing his mind. Why would he have ever killed anyone? You know how bad killing is. If Daddy had done it, he wouldn't be sitting

here talking to you right now. No, he just misspoke, that's all. He's getting old. I'm getting old.

Mon Dieu, child, your questions never stop, do they? See, another one! Before I had a chance to answer the first. For your information,

that was French. No one speaks it anymore, though it used to be common in this area. It became extinct after the apocalypse. Well, not

the apocalypse, that wasn't the correct phrase. It was more like…the day the world was saved.

What? Yes, of course I believe that! You should, too. It's easy for you to scoff; you don't know what the world was like before the

Billions War. There are few alive anymore that remember it. It was fifty years ago now—a half a century. You know most people are

retired once they reach the age of forty. Well, forty-five, I suppose, if you're a woman, but that's still less than fifty. It's better for us this

way, it really is. You can't do anything when you get old. That's not what you're talking about? Oh, the fact that we don't speak

languages like French anymore. Well, we don't need to, do we? We can all speak one language and then we all understand each other.

There might be a few people besides me that know it, though…other languages were around for a bit after the war, before we decided to

unify our tongue. And some of the people in the government who have to live for longer than forty years might know it. Sometimes I

wonder how they manage to last as well as they do, but then again, I don't suppose you need much energy to govern. Just brains.

That's why I'm not in the government.

You think I was once, I can see it in your face. No, I was never that important. I was only ever a pawn. A more important pawn than

some, and more trusted, but a pawn nonetheless. Don't sigh so, we're all pawns. We're just taught not to realize it. You figured it out,

though, didn't you? Well, don't go telling other people. They haven't discovered that they don't want to be doing this. Life isn't easy,

and you'll keep learning that as you grow. Only so much can be learned from books, because there are things that can't be written

down. Things that you shouldn't read. And only so much can be learned from other people, because there are things we can't say. We

all live by the same laws, though, and it will be best for everyone else if you don't bring up things that are supposed to be forgotten.

That's why you came to talk to me, isn't it? You want to know what they've left out. Yes, I know there are holes in their stories. Mine,

too. It's only because they've ordered it. You always were smart, just like Momma. Clever and curious. Too curious, said some. Too

clever, in my opinion. You found the hole in the web that has caught every other fly, and that counters society. It jeopardizes everything

they've worked so hard to build. They won't let you get away with that. For you they'll make a special web; they'll draw you in until they

have you trapped. By the time they get through with you, all the life will have been sucked out of you. You won't know yourself by the

time they finish with you. That's what happened, you know. Your Momma tried to fly once, but she ended up on the ground, broken.

That was just after you were born, just a year before she was retired. Do you even remember her now? I'm sorry you never got to know

your momma like I knew her. She was a great woman.

I was lucky to be matched with someone as good as her. You remind me of her, you know. Even that smile you're wearing now was

taken right off of her face. See, in that picture over there? No, behind that one. I keep it hidden, but I think it's time you saw it. In a few

years, that girl will be you. I want you to know who you'll become before then. You have to be prepared.

Don't give me that. What's wrong with the picture? Yes, you'll be matched. You have to be. We all are. I know it's not your choice, but

it's not completely spontaneous, either. The matching committees know what they're doing. Look how happy I was with your momma!

And she was every bit as happy as me. And then we had you, which was such a gift. Two people such as us didn't deserve a perfect

daughter. But I've always wondered if you were our chance to atone, in that we had to keep you from developing flaws. I've tried my

best, you know, and I'm happy with how you've turned out. You're an asset to society. You'll be great someday, no doubt about it.

Oh, mi hija, you never cease to amaze me! That is true, there are different kinds of greatness. But surely it's not hard to figure out which

kind you want? You want to be known as someone who saved humanity, no? Like Ms. Janssen. Yes, she's a fine role model for young

women. Older than I, and she still has everything under control. Did you know that before she saved us, a woman never would have

held such a position of power? Can you even imagine? I don't understand it. She's good at what she does.

And then there is the other side of greatness, the one no one wants. Infamy. You still learn about the ones who fought us, don't you?

Good. It shouldn't be forgotten. They want to make sure that no one fights ever again, and the ones on the other side are prime

examples of the consequences of fighting. No one wants to end up like any of the fighters, even The Nameless Ones. What are they

telling you about them these days? Yes, that's right. Six of them plus an army, that's how I remember it. Selfish, arrogant, and obsessed

with doing what they believed was right. It's funny, isn't it, how they were so wrong in the end. That's why you must never be too sure

of yourself. Question anything you think of by yourself, because it could be biased. You must trust the things learned long ago, because

they have been proven by time. It's funny how much we can misguide ourselves. But where were we?

Ah, yes. The Six. The ones who wanted to bring us down. Or, I suppose, the ones who didn't want their system to be brought down.

What did you say? You learned they were murderers? I always thought they didn't kill, not if they could help it. I recall thinking that their

intentions were good, even if they didn't understand what they were fighting. I guess I just remembered things wrongly. It's hard, you

know. Everything just slips out after a time, or becomes mixed up with everything else.

What else have they told you? That they started the war? Well, I suppose that's true, depending on how you look at it. But every war

must have two sides, remember that. In a way, their war is always being fought, no matter how small their troops. You are a perfect

example of that. It's the thirst for knowledge against the will to survive. The quest for discovery versus the establishment of peace.

Nothing comes for free, you know, and we have to give up some things to survive as we do.

Do you learn about antonyms anymore? Oh, good, then you'll understand me when I say that they teach them wrongly. What would you

say is the antonym to stability? Instability, that's right. But the antonym to stability is really freedom, because you can't have both at the

same time. Knowledge is just another word for freedom, when you think about it, because it is the things we know that cause us to

search for new liberties. So, when you look at the big picture, is a bit of knowledge that high a price? The information isn't really lost,

either, it's just concealed. They have many great books in the Capitol, I've heard, rooms full of things that humankind has learned. And

slowly they read through the books, learning and analyzing what has been learned. Then they release to us what they can without

threatening stability! It will take a long time for anyone to get over the fears of corruption and chaos. The government, our proof that we

are a stable country, confirms and maintains our stability.

That's what you could help with, Maria. You could go in and read their books and help decide what needs to be known and what should

be kept quiet for a bit longer. In such a way, you could ally those forces; your thirst for knowledge fulfilled and peace established by the

secrets you hold. It would be a dangerous job, mind you, but you never worried about risk. You were always impatient. I think you got

that from your mother, too. But be careful that your rashness doesn't lead to downfall.

There you go again, sighing like that. What do you mean by it this time? We've already talked for a while and I've said more than I

meant to. Still you want to know more, though, because you are always questioning. It's a miracle that the government hasn't come to

arrest me yet. It would probably be better if they did, you know. I wouldn't mind it unless they started to punish me, and I don't think

they would do that. I never intended to say most of what I've told you, but the words pushed their way out. If they took me somewhere

and locked me up for the rest of my days, I'd be fine with it. I am freedom; therefore, I threaten everything Ms. Janssen has worked so

hard to build. Yet another reason I need to be retired. I'm forgetting the rules of society, and endangering us all. So don't repeat

anything that I've said. You can't let everyone hear my thoughts. It would get you in trouble and it would get the world in trouble again.

I couldn't bear to have that on my conscience.

Go to bed now. You've learned enough for one night. I answered more of your questions than I needed to. Go. Oh, what now? I didn't

answer your first question? Child, I don't remember it anymore. You'll have to write these things down if you want to have them all

answered, because your list never stops growing. A person can only remember so many things. But you're not about to be deterred, are

you? All right then, what do you want to know? My age? You know it's considered very rude to ask people how old they are. Yes, that's

true, I am your father. I guess you do have the right to know. Very well, then, I shall tell you if you promise to go to bed when I'm done.

Does that sound fair? Good.

Sixty-four. I'm sixty-four years old, twenty-four years older than I should have been. Nineteen years older than I was when your momma

expired. Yes, it's true; they usually do match up couples so they'll expire at the same time. But I was different. Certain things have to be

taken into account with people like Momma and I. I think they originally intended us to be retired when we were both forty-five, so I

would only have had five extra years. But then you came along, late in life. Later than they thought was possible. Later than is possible

now. Momma and I were both of an older generation, so we hadn't evolved as far as you have. But since you came, one of us had to

keep living, didn't we? I think it was intended that both your mum and I would have stayed with you, but then Momma went insane. So I

had to raise you by myself. Twenty-four years extra I have lived, and twenty of them now with a child. Let me tell you, each year lays on

me more heavily than that last. That's why I often treat you as if you're younger, though you deserve the respect of one who is almost

an adult. Compared to me, almost everyone is a child. I envy the young men on the streets who will be mercifully retired when their time

comes. We're simply not made to live this long, you know, and it's a struggle for me. It's hard to realize that I can no longer do even the

most simple of multiplication problems in my head. If I went to the gym or the training yard, I would be laughed at nowadays. When I

was younger, I had the respect of every boy and girl I ever met. Almost every one.

So live your life wisely, mi ami. You have twenty-five years left, and by the time you get to the end of them, it won't have seemed like

such a long time. Nor will it be appear that the years have gone fast; time refuses to be defined in that way. You will judge yourself on

what you've done and what you didn't do, so make sure you accomplish at least one thing you've always wanted. Make sure you also

find your place, or your years may be stripped away from you. You are too great a mind to be wasted. No matter what you do and who

you become, never forget who you are and where you came from. That's the most important thing there is.

Now, go to bed like you said you would. Daddy's tired too, and you've kept him up late talking. It's not easy for me, you know. You tire

of hearing that, but I feel that I must remind you often that not everyone is young like you. I think you started to understand that

tonight, though. These sixty-four years I've been given have been full, but somehow almost empty. I still wonder if my life has been a

blessing or a curse, and I'm still searching for the answer to everything I've done.

A/N Wow. Chapter two, much sooner than I expected. And much different, too. When I started this fic, I imagined it would just be Omega's story. It's sort of turning into a history of everything, though. I'm learning as I go along that I can't leave these things out. In this chapter, I do a lot of talking about Itex's experiments and progress. You can't take anything I say as the truth, because I really don't know much about genetics. What you see here was made up by me. As always, tell me if you find any problems in my work.
Thanks to the two of you who have commented so far—I may not have quantity, but I got quality. And Opal, I double spaced this for you! R.I.P, o Wall of Text.

First you come to me with your sheet of questions, then comes the list of reasons why you deserve to know the answers. Well, maybe

you're right. You are almost an adult now, and I trust you to make your own decisions. Even if they're not the ones I would have made.

Very well, then. You convinced me that you do have the right to know everything that I do, regardless of the danger it will place you in. I

have no more excuses for withholding information, because I do remember. Even if I don't remember it all perfectly, I know more than

enough to get the point across. You might as well make yourself comfortable. This is going to take awhile, and I don't want to be

interrupted. Write down your questions, if you have any. You can ask them once we get to the end. If we make it that far, I'll answer

anything else you want to know. The government will hear us, you know, and they might try to stop us. I only hope that if they come to

arrest us, they'll wait until we're done. That way if you have to die, you'll at least die knowing good and evil. You wouldn't understand the

original significance of that, I don't suppose, but you're going to have to do your best.

I promise to do my best, too. I've never told anyone these things before, and I've buried the memories so deep it may take awhile for me

to bring them all up again. So you'll have to excuse me if I'm not always in order. These things get muddled, you know, and one thing just

leads to another. After all, I have so much to tell you. But I try, I'll promise, and you'll just have to follow along.

All right. Are you ready? Then we begin.

I was born on October 27, 1993. I don't know why, but for some reason I remember that date the clearest of almost anything. It has no

significance, really, and you don't even learn the months anymore. You do know my birthday, though, the 300th day. And how do they

classify years now? Do they count backwards from The Revolution, or do things go unnamed? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Sixty-four

years ago I was born, fourteen years before the Revolution. We called that year 1993.

I don't remember much of being young, unlike you. I was never developed that far. And I think of things differently, too. You can put a

name to each of your memories and describe them completely, but I just remember in small flashes. And not in names, either, or even

words. I remember the sensations, and I'll have to try to put them into words for you.

Some of the first memories I have are of white. White and that disinfectant smell, all bathed in fluorescent light. The halls were concrete,

the rooms completely unadorned. I think there may have been bars in some of the windows…or was it bars on my door? I don't

remember, but the location of the bars isn't relevant. It's the fact that there were bars, along with locks, gates, and impassable fences,

that matters. The fact that we were trapped.

I never figured out how many of us there were in that place. Hundreds? Thousands? It was huge, I know that much, but I only ever

traveled to the same set of rooms in my younger years. After that, it was mostly empty, but I'll have to explain that part later. As a child, I

was kept in what they called my cluster. The rooms I went to were all near the nursery where I slept. There were other kids, too; twenty

of us per cluster. Ten of them I only knew well enough to put a face to the name, but the other ten were my pack. Hope, Jésu, Bella,

Salvador, Santa, Abraham, Eve, Rey, and Angela. And me, of course. The ten of us shared a nursery and had the same group of

supervisors. We learned to work together to solve problems, and each of us had our own place in the group. I'll have to tell you more

about them later, too. Those nine were the closest I ever came to having friends as a child.

Then there were the others, our minders. The scientists, that is. I saw more of them than I could count. They seemed to come and go

rather quickly, which was weird for me. Other than our supervisors, we never saw the same scientist more than five times. Our

supervisors were almost like our parents, though. They fed us and told us what to do, fixed us if we were hurt and punished us if we

were bad. I thought it was normal back then, the way they also experimented on us. Tested us, they insisted, but the correct term is

experiment. The wanted to learn our potential so we could all find our places in the New World. It wasn't easy—it was never easy—but

we dealt with the life we had because we knew no other way.

It was a shock to me when I first came Outside, after fourteen years spent in the compound. None of us were allowed to go beyond the

fences that surrounded our complex. We were given videos to watch, sure, but they didn't really convey the openness that the world

was. Even the simulators didn't give us much else in the way of experience. Our eyes showed rainforests; our ears heard rushing water;

the breeze tossed our hair; and we could smell the flowers along the path. But the fact remained that when they unclipped you, there

was always the bright lights and the chemicals. Even while we were using the simulators, I think that knowledge was in our subconscious.

It could be that we kept ourselves from learning that way. But it didn't make a difference. There was never anything more than bright

lights and chemicals.

My childhood, while it lasted, was actually illegal. I wasn't supposed to be alive, and I had no official identity. Of course, I never knew that.

Where I was, I was Omega and everyone knew and accepted that. I even had an ID number that I punched in for access and identity

confirmation—NH03742-OM. I still remember it because it defined me for those years. That number and my name made me feel that I was

a proper person. It gave me someone to be, something that would make me accepted wherever I was. I didn't even think that, to some

people, I wouldn't be a proper person. I didn't realize that my ID number only identified Omega the experiment.

It's so hard to explain something like this, because the Old World was so radically different. People back then weren't experimented on

unless they wanted to be, and it was a horrible thing to work with DNA. To get permission to do such a thing, one would have to first clear

it with the government, which first meant fighting through a mountain of red tape. Red tape—another term you wouldn't understand. It

referred to a series of bureaucratic procedures taken before anything was approved. Government officials as well as official committees

would have to review anything many times before it was decreed okay. Government back then was so inefficient, but I sometimes wonder

if that led to more freedoms and better rights. In its way, the Old Government kept everything under control.

The Old Government was corrupted, though. I'll admit that much. And the system was starting to break down. People were rebelling

against dictators and being shot down in the streets. There were food riots in Africa while America had a rising rate of obesity. There were

obvious problems and no one could seem to find a solution. That's where Ms. Janssen came in. She decided to put an end to all the

problems the world was having by making a new race. The perfect society; that's what she was searching for. I don't know where her

money came from or her ideas, for that matter. But she created a company—The Intercontinental Institute of Society—and with it, she

planned to work out all of the problems that humans had.

It wasn't easy for her either, you know. She registered as being a medical researcher and started her work. Generally, she was doing

medical research, but what she was doing was very controversial at the time. This was back before even I was born, of course, so the

social order was even stricter then. Nevertheless, Ms. Janssen gathered a team of perhaps the most gifted scientists and researchers she

could find to help her achieve her goal. It still surprises me that she managed to talk as many people into her work as she did back then,

but at the same time, who wouldn't have wanted to join? Sure, you were breaking a few rules of society, but the reward was great. If you

helped the effort, you were saving the world.

The problems on earth were obviously all caused by humans. There was poverty because people who had a lot of money always wanted

more; overpopulation because countries were undeveloped. It was unacceptable, because people should have been able to do so much

better than that. The basics of why humankind was destroying itself were written in the bible, for goodness sakes! The bible, the book of

spirituality for many people, listed our faults as the Seven Sins. The bible also told of ancient history; it was said that our sins had

destroyed the world once, and that God had made a new world to keep the sins at bay. History is damned to repeat itself, though; the

sins had become too many and we needed to purify ourselves again.

Ms. Janssen tried everything she could think of to improve humans. She and her team did extensive stem-cell research, cloned people,

and altered DNA to achieve more favorable results. Genetic engineering is an extremely hard science, and though Ms. Janssen and her

team were the best, the results were not satisfactory. Almost all the experiments they made failed before they were even born. Though

she didn't know what to do, Ms. Janssen kept working and pushing her way past every obstacle in her path. She wasn't making much

progress anymore, but she couldn't just give up and let the world destroy itself. She might have continued down this path indefinitely had

she not met another genetic scientist named Roland ter Borcht.

I don't know why they even met in the first place, perhaps it was divine intervention. But the one day that Ms. Janssen left the

Institute—a rarity, because it was also a living quarters for those who worked there, a sort of closed community in itself—she ran across

Roland ter Borcht. I forget why she even left that day; hardly anyone ever crossed the walls to outside. It was much like my childhood in a

way, only their captivity was self-imposed. But when Ms. Janssen returned that afternoon, she brought with her a new colleague,

renewed hope, and fresh ideas. Mr. ter Borcht also had many resources, including a company of his own. Technological Experiments, he

called it, though the experiments more often were on genetics. After a brief meeting, the two decided to combine their companies, and

Itexicon Corporation was born.

After the two companies merged, they had to paint themselves a good image before they could continue with their experiments. So, while

Mr. ter Borcht and Ms. Janssen brainstormed new ideas, Itex churned out an assortment of goods. Clothes, toys, anything you could

want, Itex made. As well as being a general manufacturer, Itex kept the classifications of its parent companies and became known as the

biggest pharmaceutical and medical research plant of the age. No one actually came to verify these licenses after the merge, because no

one really cared all that much. What mattered was that Itex had become a manufacturing giant and helped the country's economy. As

long as the money was pouring in, no one bothered to look too closely at what was happening inside the plant.

In the meantime, Mr. ter Borcht and Ms. Janssen had made many breakthroughs on DNA combination. The experiments started up again,

and faster this time; the two were eager to put their new ideas into practice. This was the time when a few of the experiments actually

started surviving—before this point, most had been stillborn or died in their first few hours. The breakthrough sparked more enthusiasm

and the work continued to become faster and more efficient. The system still wasn't perfect, but it had improved far beyond what either

Ms. Janssen or Mr. ter Borcht had been able to do on their own.

Now that the subjects were surviving, the team could study what would produce a viable experiment. The soon discarded the idea of

trying to write their own DNA sequences; it simply did not work. Though enough was known about genes that the impact of each was

known, new genes were impossible for them to create. At this point, they hadn't learned enough. Not to be deterred from their work, they

started looking for what they needed in other existing genes. The traits they needed were out there somewhere, they just had to isolate

them and work them in to human DNA. The idea of combining animal genes and human genes was new to both Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter

Borcht, but that didn't stop them from taking on the initiative.

It didn't take long before the team figured out what should be a safe way to weave the animal DNA into the human genome, and there

came another period of quick discoveries. Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht learned that singular genes could not be combined to form traits;

groups of genes rely on each other to make an effect. When combining human genes, for instance, one could almost always get the

desired results by finding the indicator of a certain trait. But the genes of each species were slightly different, and when combined, these

genes reacted differently than expected. I don't know that the reason for this reaction was ever figured out; I think it was more that the

scientists learned what could and could not be combined. It took them awhile, but the team eventually figured out how to connect human

and animal DNA to get the traits they were searching for. It was a huge setback for them, though. What I've told in a minute took them

years to resolve. But they worked through the problem, and started new experiments to determine which traits produced viable results

when combined.

You need all types of people to make a world. I know everyone has heard that quote at least once in their lifetime, and the same was true

for Ms. Janssen, Mr. ter Borcht, and the team. They intended to design people specifically for the environment they would be in, but even

that was harder than it sounds. To determine what each person would be, they first had to determine which traits they wanted each class

to posses. Originally, I think they had three classes planned. The lowest would be the workers in primary occupations, doing work that

required hard labor. Then would come the secondary class, those who turned raw material into something marketable. Finally would be

the tertiary class, people who distributed goods and took care of administrative work. From the tertiary class they would pick government

members, taking those who showed promise in certain areas.

It was obvious that as you climbed the class ladder you would need progressively more brains and less brawn. The other traits needed

for each sort of work were not so obvious. The team spent ages discussing what had to be done to differentiate each class and how to

best design people for their environments. Nobody could agree on which qualities were necessary and which should be left out. Even Ms.

Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht had different enough viewpoints that they could not decide.

This conflict very well could have been the end of Itex had the workers not eventually been able to resolve it. After many meetings,

brainstorm sessions, and debates, it was finally decided that all people should be created equal. It was the U.S. constitution combined

with the idea of communism. I don't know how they could have agreed on such a unconventional idea, but once the decision was made,

they continued their work. Many years later, I have to admire them. Communism had been proven ineffective before; to make it work from

such a vague plan is surely a great accomplishment. They took a gamble and their idea became real, the perfect society was finally

created.

That, my dear, is how the idea of our world became to be.

A/N I finally have Chapter 3 up for you, and I'd like to apologize for the wait. I would have liked to get this up last Wednesday, but things came up and I ended up having 4 days that were not conducive to writing at all. So I'm sorry, and I hope it's worth it.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Nathan-P for giving me a bit of information on genetics. I try to do research, but not everything I'm writing about is a popular topic with researchers. Therefore, you can't take anything I say here as truth. Especially with genetic modification, I have to make some stuff up. As always, comments and crits are appreciated by the author. Thanks if you've already given me one.

This chapter is dedicated to Schubert's (unfinished) Symphony number 8 in B Minor, the divine intervention that gave me good writing music, and Breyer's Rocky Road ice cream. Otherwise, you might still be waiting. :D

Look at you over there, taking notes. You really care that much about what I'm saying? It won't really do you any good, you know. Even

if you're allowed to live, everything you've written here will be confiscated. You're only putting yourself more at risk. And a rebellion

would be futile, in case you're wondering. If you started an uprising, you would simply become one of those people you've always

looked down on. No need for hostility, I'm just letting you know. Telling the truth, as I promised. But I suppose you want to continue

now? Of course you do, such a silly question. Okay, then, we go on.

Did you ever learn about communism? Oh good, I was hoping you had. I'm sure you'll understand me, then, when I say our government

is almost a communist one. They control us so completely that most people have no idea we're being controlled. We are, though;

everything is regulated by the government. I'm not only talking about goods, but also all information. You figured that out, I know, but do

you know how far it goes? The words we use, the ideas we have…everything we have is only there because the government says it's

okay.

I'm not sure how they did it, to tell you the truth. Previous communist countries—before the Revolution, I mean—all failed. They were full

of poverty and civil unrest, much like many other undeveloped nations. The government was so strict that it was near impossible to

overthrow, and you couldn't even leave the country if you wanted to. Inhabitants were practically brainwashed by their governments to

love their countries. Some of them had no idea of what the outside world was like. They thought that communism was the only option.

These days, we do hear about other countries. They're all just like us, though, so there's nothing to be learned from them. I'm not sure

what our rules on immigration are today. I doubt there are any; they wouldn't matter. No one ever wants to leave, anyway. You never

consider it because the government never gives you the option. I'm sure that Ms. Janssen did that on purpose in her quest to plan our

government in a way that would ensure its stability. Though Old World communism was the furthest thing from perfect, Ms. Janssen saw

that the idea could be repaired and applied to the New World.

Communism originally took off because it really looked like it would work—on paper, the whole thing looked foolproof and failproof. The

only reason it didn't succeed was because of human inconsistencies. Like I've mentioned before, government was corrupted. Officials

were unconcerned with the well being of their countries as long as they were living in relative wealth. Communism would work, Ms.

Janssen figured, as long as the people in the government were dedicated to their countries instead of to themselves. If you could find a

way to remove that selfishness, then a communist country could flourish even if the government was filled with workers who weren't

very smart. In fact, having a world full of smart people might only increase the problems. In her head, Ms. Janssen was already planning

for this society and forgetting her previous arrangement. If a few smart people were born every generation, they could be relied on to

watch over the less clever citizens. Of course, there could still be problems, which was why human behavioral patterns would have to be

adjusted, but the idea in itself was sound. In a few years, once the plans for the New World were set, experiments could begin on how

DNA affected behavior, if at all.

Right now, planning the New World had to be top priority. Both Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht had always had an idea of what their

new societies would be like, but the two hadn't originally agreed. After their argument, it became clear that they needed concrete plans

before continuing. Of course, a general outline was simple—they already had one of those from existing communist countries. But the

matter needed to be researched more intently before the two could be certain that everything would turn out as perfectly as they

wanted it to. Though they would rather have continued with their experiments, the two were forced to sit down and draw up schematics

detailing everyone's lives.

During this time, Itex began to grow. It was done cleverly; Itex was not the known owner of many of their plants. Well, the government

knew, but they never bothered to tell everyone. The information was there if anyone had cared to look more closely. As far as Ms.

Janssen knows, no one ever did. But while Mr. ter Borcht and Ms. Janssen were working, the original team of scientists was asked to

split up and start their own operations. They were funded by Itex, but many of them took different names for their companies. Each

scientist was charged with finding their own team and setting up a plant; Itex wanted to spread out all over the world. Some scientists

went to the U.S. and Canada; some spread out through Europe and Asia; some chose to travel to Australia; and some even went to

South America and Africa. Ms. Janssen planned for Itex to spread out at the same time. With all of the new pharmaceutical research

facilities being created, she wanted to make sure that Itex still had some business.

It was all an act, of course. Itex didn't need to expand, because it effectively had the pharmaceuticals market cornered. Normally this

would be a cause for concern, but there were a couple of reasons that no one protested the matter. The first was the government, who

kept track of such things, didn't see a problem if this certain market became monopolized. Itex was advanced, and under the guise of

competition, had made prices the lowest they'd been in years. The second reason was simply that everyone fell for Ms. Janssen's trick.

Even the people hired to work at Itex plants had no idea what they were doing. It was believed that Itex was just a general

manufacturer and research facility, not an organization dedicated to saving the world. I find it ironic that these workers were in fact

funding people who would destroy everything humankind had built up. They didn't even care enough to learn about the place that

employed them! Of course, at this point Itex itself wasn't doing much experimenting. It was their profits, though, that were funding the

people who were.

When the team split up, there was more purpose behind it than simply spreading out. Each scientist was also given an assignment;

certain subjects to be researched. If everyone worked separately and then shared information, much more could be learned than if each

team had to cover every topic. Ms. Janssen was aware that if the world was going to be saved, the pace of the work would have to

increase greatly. She asked teams in the Americas to work on hybridization, researching the possibilities of superhuman characteristics

or different habits that would make her humans better than the old version. The Asian and Australian teams worked on cloning. First,

they had to perfect the art, but after that, they would be improving the clones by fixing their genes. The teams in Europe and Africa were

asked to research DNA as extensively as possible, filling the gaps in current information and helping the other teams achieve their

objectives. Knowledge was power, and everyone working toward the New World wanted to be king. Along with the scientists

researching genetics, there were others at work with Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht. As smart as the two were, they knew that they

would need help planning society. While illegal experiments started to take place all over the world, Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht had

to tear themselves away from the science they loved and try to conquer sociology.

I'll finish telling you about their work later, I suppose, because I'm not sure if it fits in right now. No matter what Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter

Borcht thought up, it would need the weight of science behind it. And though the team had made some discoveries, many more would

have to be made before anything that had been planned was feasible. Ms. Janssen's entire idea was centered on the fact that humans

would not be greedy and selfish. Accomplishing that would be a battle in itself. For the first time in her life, the focus of the project was

being directed away from Ms. Janssen. Because even though she had the ideas, it was other people that did most of the work.

After the scientists went their separate ways, everything changed for them as well. It took them awhile to find people to work with, of

course; remember genetic engineering was a very controversial subject at the time. Eventually, though, new teams were created and

new compounds were built. The scientist from the original team had to learn to adjust to the new circumstances. They had grown so

used to working with each other that it was hard for them to get used to heading their own operations. The people were different, and I

remember hearing that there was more than one personality conflict. One team in Asia almost split up because they couldn't get along

at first. But the scientists eventually realized that they needed to put aside all personal grudges and work together. There was still a

world to be saved, and time would not slow down to accommodate them.

The Asian teams were, of course, working on cloning; I told you that already. Some work had been done on the subject before, but

never very much. There were still too many unknowns. And with a science like this, things didn't always turn out as they were supposed

to. That was to be expected, especially given the methods the scientists were using at the time.

The only known way to clone something at the time was, as I said, horribly behind where it should have been. To make a clone,

scientists removed the nucleus from a fertilized egg and replaced it with genetic material of the person who was being cloned. Ms.

Janssen's scientists were the first to actually attempt this; the idea had been a theory for years but had never been tested on anything.

However, it was the only method that had even been theorized about, and seemed like a logical place to start. I'm sure you can see

how this could cause problems; a method that had never been tested being used on some of the most complex animals out there. When

the cloning was attempted, it was clear from the beginning that nothing was working in the way the scientists had assumed it would.

The cells, instead of dividing themselves evenly as they were supposed to, had split up randomly. Most of the embryos that were

created didn't even make it to birth. Those that did were horribly deformed and died a few hours later. The results were discouraging,

and the cause wasn't even known.

Being scientists, the team soon figured out that some part of the egg's nucleus was vital to development of a fetus. Though they didn't

know it at the time, the nucleus contained certain proteins that directed how the cells split. When those proteins had been removed, the

cells didn't know what to do. This was the cause of the random divisions that had been made, and the cause of all the defects. The

scientists even went so far as to examine the nuclei that had been removed from the eggs, but to no avail—without knowing what they

were looking for, they had no chance of finding the problem's source.

Other Itex plants and affiliates around the world were having the same sort of problems. They were finding that technology had not

advanced far enough to support the work being done. The American teams had not yet managed to produce a viable hybrid. Indeed,

they hadn't even made an embryo that looked promising. Much like the science behind cloning, the science behind genetic modification

was not solid. Many things the teams needed to know had never been studied. The lack of information only served to slow them down

more.

The first problem was, again, the method of gene transfer. The scientists knew what genes they wanted to inject into human DNA—or at

least, they thought they knew—but they didn't know how to introduce them in a way that would produce the desired results. The only

known way of changing the genetic structure of anything was with a "gene gun." The gun lived up to its name by shooting DNA

wherever you wanted it to be. Again, the problems this might cause are apparent. First off, this method was not meant for use with

humans or indeed, animals. The gene gun was being used to experiment with food, making hybrids by shooting DNA from one plant into

a seed from another. Then there was the problem of the gun itself. DNA was simply not made to be forced together in such a violent

way. The genes, once shot into the egg, were scattered throughout instead of being linked together as they should have been. The

human DNA was often broken as well by the force of the alien DNA's introduction. Obviously, development of the embryos was seriously

retarded by this. At times, the scientists found it hard to continue with their work. The genetic material may have been willingly donated,

but everything they had tried to create had ended up destroying itself. The teams admitted to themselves that they had no idea what to

do, and turned to the DNA researchers for help.

The European and African teams were also suffering from a lack of knowledge. Their experiments were not nearly as numerous as those

of the other teams, and they weren't even sure that they were researching anything relevant to the other teams' work. DNA is incredibly

complicated, and the scientists had only been able to discover the purpose of about half of the DNA that humans had. They were sure

that the remaining fifty percent was just as important as everything they had studied before, but the role of the DNA was near

impossible to find. Though they had heard about the failures of the other teams, they had not gotten enough information to be able to

look into why the experiments had not worked. Some of the scientists had given up on altering DNA and instead tried to write their own,

but those attempts had failed as well. Everyone knew that the success of Ms. Janssen's society rested on their ability to figure out the

hidden abilities of DNA, and the pressure wasn't helping the work be done any faster. The teams were exhausted, but were almost glad

to take on the problems of someone else. They were on the brink of losing hope, but a discovery made now could restore all that they

had lost.

The causes of the problems were simple enough, but the solutions were hard to find. If cloning and hybridization were going to work,

different methods would have to be found. New ways to clone wouldn't be as hard, figured the teams, so they decided to tackle that

issue first. They surmised that if the problems were caused by removing the nucleus from the egg, the nucleus should stay put and the

genetic material of the clone should just be introduced. It wouldn't take much, they figured—just a few cells implanted into the egg at

the right time should do the job. It was similar to making hybrids in a way, but should be much easier—after all, this was only human

DNA. Satisfied with the answer, they turned to the problems of the American teams.

Hybrid creation was much harder than the creation of clones. After all, the clones were still human, whereas hybrids were purely of our

creation. The main problem with the hybrids was, again, the method of creation. A gene gun was simply not precise enough for this sort

of work. The animal DNA at least needed to be injected in a way that would allow it to remain whole. It would have been preferable to

simply weave the human and animal genes together, but there was not enough time to perfect such a complicated technique. Instead,

the scientists focused on finding a way to make sure the genes arrived in the egg attached and could then bond with human DNA.

The solution was unexpected, but actually easier than the scientists had imagined it would be. Certain viruses and bacteria were

already able to work their way in to cells in order to change them. If this ability was added onto the genetic material that the scientists

wished to inject, it could deliver the genes peacefully into the egg and then the cells. The idea was accepted gratefully by the American

teams and immediately put to test in various laboratories.

Meanwhile, the cloning teams were experiencing another set of difficulties. Though embryos now often reached birth, there were still

apparent defects in the babies. The first defect was that not all of them were exact clones. By leaving the original genetic material in the

egg, alternate genetic makeups had taken hold. Some of the embryos actually had DNA from three people. This did not seem to cause

any problems with the baby, but was undesirable to the team. The few embryos that were true clones also seemed to be much more

developed than expected. Though their appearance was that of an infant, their internal organs were those of a much older person. The

clones were both middle-aged and infantile at once, which was the cause of quite a few problems. All experiments had to be terminated,

and the cloning teams went back to the drawing board once again.

The teams working on hybrids were having slightly more luck. They were now able to insert animal DNA into human eggs without

destroying either, but their problems were far from over. As had been observed before, the implanted genes did not always trigger the

expected reactions. If embryos made it to birth, they were deformed. Since the whole human genome had been left in the egg, some

embryos had two completely different sets of genes for the same thing. In normal human beings, this is sometimes the case, too; the

dominant gene will end up expressing itself over the recessive gene in this scenario. However, if both genes are dominant, neither can

fully express itself. Humans, who all have the same basic anatomy, are not caused problems by this co-dominance. When you throw

animal DNA into the mix, though, co-dominance can be a problem.

Another problem—almost the opposite of co-dominance—was taking place in other experiments. There were cases of the animal DNA

ripping itself away from the human DNA it was paired with. Some embryos rejected the non-human DNA implanted into their cells and

killed every cell containing the alien genes. The whole batch of experiments had to be retired, and the scientists working with them

needed to explore new avenues. It seemed that, in this line of work, one problem was solved and two more would surface.

Itex was facing another standstill, this one more extreme than the last. Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht were stuck on their model

society, unable to continue unless progress was made in the laboratories. None of the researching teams were able to advance any

further because there were too many obstacles. No one wanted to stop their work, but it was becoming both futile and impossible to

continue. This time there was to be no new colleagues, and compromises could do nothing to help the situation. Ms. Janssen knew that

the only way to keep her project alive was to find out how to control science, and fast.

Sorry to cut you off there, because that wasn't where I intended to end the chapter. However, it's already long enough and it would take too many more words to give you the solution to the big problem. However, I'm hoping to have chapter 4 up very soon. So you'll get the solution then.

Right now, I'm a bit worried about the story's pacing. Is there not enough happening? I want to build a solid background for Itex, but is that not what you're here to read? Let me know.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and commented on this story—Nathan, Opal, I do appreciate it. Once again, I must warn you that this chapter includes more made up methods of genetic alteration, etc. I tried to do research, but experiments of this sort just aren't done. Also, I don't own the characters unless I made them up.

I know this probably seems very dull to you, but it's necessary to my story. There will be adventure later; love, hate, war, and

death; but my whole life hasn't been that exciting. I suppose that's a good thing. If I had been through much more, I probably

wouldn't be here now. But before all of the adventures I had came the tedious years of hardships, years of tests and experiments

gone wrong and plans failing. That's just how live was, though. I think the only reason we don't see failures today is because no

one is ever challenged enough. The Teachers know everything about every one of us, and they make sure we will never have to

fail.

The Old World wasn't like that, and I'm sure you can tell that by now. Back then, there were no Teachers and no one restricting

knowledge. The only limits mankind had were self-imposed, and anyone who dared to break them ended up broken themselves. As

Itex became increasingly advanced, a few of its best scientists discovered this. Everyone on the teams knew the risks, but most did

not worry about them. Each thought that they were strong enough to push their intelligence further than it had ever been pushed

before without consequences. They were all proved wrong. In the end, they showed that they were only human.

One such scientist was famous for pushing the limits. He had been with Ms. Janssen since her Institute had begun, and once he

had split from Ms. Janssen, the team under his control was one of the strongest in the Americas. He was incredibly smart and made

many discoveries for Itex. It was this work that caused him to crack. Though it was hard for the teams to lose one of their best

scientists, the discoveries he had made were more important to them.

I suppose he knew when he joined Ms. Janssen that he was risking everything, but it was still hard for him to get over his

coworkers' betrayal. It took him awhile, but he eventually moved on with his life in a different direction than before. When he finally

died, few tears were shed. The man's name was Jeb Batchelder.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of him, but the reason you might have comes later. When he was with Itex, Dr. Batchelder's major

contributions were scientific discoveries that have been forgotten now. He was the man who discovered the best way to create

hybrids.

Dr. Batchelder saw that most of the problems with hybrids were being caused by the method used to inject genetic material into

the egg. He guessed that if the human and foreign DNA were together from the beginning, they would be less likely to split apart.

Plus, if the introduced genes could be somehow guided so they combined more logically with the present human genes, deformities

would decrease greatly. The solution, Dr. Batchelder surmised, was simply to put the DNA into a male sperm cell rather into a

fertilized egg. Since the first hybrids made with this method were mainly successful, it became the most common method of

production. There were still a few cases of human DNA not accepting that of animals, and some embryos did not turn out as

planned. However, using Dr. Batchelder's methods, the first successful hybrids were made.

Dr. Batchelder was encouraged by his success with hybridization and offered to help the cloning teams improve their methods.

Their main problem was still that of newborn clones having overly mature cells. The doctor fervently threw himself into finding a way

to turn back the age of the cells used for cloning.

It was during this time that Dr. Batchelder began to experience mental breakdowns. At first, they were rare and brief, but as he

continued to push himself, they became more frequent. Eventually he had to be removed from the task force because he was

hallucinating and had begun to voice disturbing thoughts. Many of the things he said at that time seemed to be against Ms.

Janssen's ideals, but everyone put it down to mental sickness. Batchelder was sent to a therapist, and the scientists went back to

their work.

The psychologist assigned was at the top of her profession, but could not do much for Dr. Batchelder. She analyzed him and

eventually diagnosed him with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, though she knew that couldn't be what was causing all of his

problems. However, she reported to the teams that taking the doctor away from his work was probably the worst thing they could

have done. Batchelder needed to feel important, and by removing him from their team, they had sent a message that they could do

everything without him. The therapist suggested giving the doctor a job that was less stressful on his mind but still very important.

On her advice, Dr. Batchelder was returned to his base in California and made the leader of the hybrid training division. He was told

that his job was to analyze the test results from the hybrids to see where improvement was needed. He was to report his findings

to the main Itex plant, where it would then be decided whether to continue experiments with the hybrid or terminate the line.

Though he didn't exactly flourish under the conditions, he did his job well. The only complaint from the California team was that his

work was not up to its usual level, but the psychologist had warned them that this might happen.

By this time, the New World had been almost completely planned, and Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht were free to return to their

science. In fact, they needed to come back. More experiments were needed before the plan could be finalized, and Ms. Janssen

only trusted herself and Mr. ter Borcht to do much of the work. At first, it was hard for them. They had been mainly inactive for a few

years, and there were many things for the pair to learn, but they caught on quickly.

When Ms. Janssen heard what had happened to Dr. Batchelder, she was not pleased. She and the doctor had been very close

friends since the beginning of the venture, and Ms. Janssen had always held him in high esteem. It upset her to learn that Dr.

Batchelder was doing a job that could be done by a lesser scientist and she demanded that he return to scientific research where

he was needed. The therapist warned Ms. Janssen that Dr. Batchelder's sanity was already questionable and would be in further

danger if he were made to do such hard work. Ms. Janssen retorted that she didn't need Batchelder to be sane as long as he could

do what was needed of him. The therapist was forced to retreat, and Ms. Janssen informed the scientists of her decision.

Back in California, pains were being taken to ensure that Dr. Batchelder didn't strain himself. However, he often complained about

the work he was given, saying that his intelligence was being ignored. He didn't care that the therapist had warned him against

working too hard; he felt fine and needed to do something useful. When Ms. Janssen's order came through, he was pleased. The

top scientists on his team started to include him in their meetings once again, and though it wasn't much, Dr. Batchelder was

beginning to feel like himself again.

The next week, Dr. Batchelder was also made the head of the experimentation team. At once he began to work, testing hybrids

more thoroughly than ever before. The scientists working under him were at first amazed by his lack of empathy for the subjects,

but the results of the tests spoke for Dr. Batchelder's methods. Some of the hybrids were hurt during this time, but the injuries

were only proof of incapabilities. Before Dr. Batchelder had come, the experiments had only been tested for conditions that they

might face if they were released and had to survive in the Old World. However, the doctor understood that different skills might be

needed in the New World, and the people inhabiting it would be superhuman.

Everyone at Batchelder's plant was very pleased with the results of their experiments. They had improved the methods of

hybridization even more and were currently one of the most successful plants in the Americas. Ms. Janssen herself had praised Dr.

Batchelder and his plant on their hard work. In their efforts to keep her pleased, the California team decided to make Batchelder

the sole scientist working with their most promising batch of hybrids.

Dr. Batchelder was taken to the nursery to examine the newest hybrid, which was the first of its kind. Her birth had gone smoothly

and she seemed to have turned out exactly as expected. She was mostly human aside from a set of wings on her back and certain

internal differences that would allow her to fly. Dr. Batchelder was informed that he would be leading an experiment in which a

group of hybrids would be working together for the first time. He was told that she was the first and meant to be the leader of her

group, and two more of her kind were due in four and eight months, respectively. The girl's seniority would help her to assume

control over the others created to work with her, but it was Batchelder's job to make sure that she knew how to lead. Once the

three had matured to a suitable age, he would have to make sure they functioned well as a team.

The scientists behind the creation of the new experiment told Dr. Batchelder to be cautious in his treatment of her. They told him

that this was the first time a single scientist had been assigned a group of experiments, and he would be personally held

responsible for anything that went wrong with the group. Dr. Batchelder understood, and the scientists handed the girl over into

his care. The last thing they told him before they left the room was that this experiment shared his DNA. The new girl was his

daughter.

Dr. Batchelder was closely observed from that moment on, though he didn't know it. He was still classified as being mentally

unstable, and the new hybrid had too much potential for the scientists to entrust her completely to Batchelder. Also, because this

was the first time a parent figure had been assigned to any of the hybrids, Dr. Batchelder had been made into an experiment

himself.

Ms. Janssen was very interested in this new arrangement. She wanted to be the scientist behind analyzing Dr. Batchelder's work

with the new hybrids, but she had other work to do. For her New World to succeed, a way to control people's emotions and desires

was still needed. She had long ago given up trying to do this with DNA. Though it would have been much easier if she could have

found a selfishness gene and simply taken it out of the human genome, no such thing had been discovered. Most behaviors were

learned, and while most learning would be controlled, Ms. Janssen wanted a more solid solution. She began experimenting with

drugs to find their effects on developing brain tissue in hopes of dulling all undesirable emotions.

During Ms. Janssen's experiments, Mr. ter Borcht visited the cloning teams both to check on their progress and to make requests.

Though Dr. Batchelder had been taken away before a process for making cells younger had been finalized, his work had helped the

teams to find a solution. The only problem they still had with their cloning was that some of the embryos also had DNA of the

donors, but once these were born, they were put to a different use. All of the embryos had been genetically enhanced so they

were capable of being stronger, smarter, and faster than regular human beings. Therefore, those who weren't perfect clones were

used to create an army to fight for the New World. None of them were expected to survive the Revolution because there would be

no place for them in the New World. Ms. Janssen was planning to eliminate wars. The army would only be needed for the beginning

of the Revolution.

Mr. ter Borcht was pleased with the success of the cloning teams, and asked them if they could clone hybrids. They were fairly

certain that they could succeed, though there might be problems. Mr. ter Borcht ordered them to create clones of all the successful

hybrids that had been made in the Americas, as well as clones of Ms. Janssen and himself. Though the former could be worked on

by anyone who was capable, he ordered that the latter be kept among only the top scientists. The teams agreed and started to

work immediately.

Mr. ter Borcht also began to do tests on the army of partial clones using certain drugs that Ms. Janssen had formulated to suppress

emotions. Some of Ms. Janssen's conjectures had not been correct, and a few of the soldiers were damaged beyond repair.

However, many remained and more were being created with every clone made. Mr. ter Borcht eventually found the best dose to be

given to the soldiers, and while the results were not exactly what Ms. Janssen had been expecting, they were good enough. The

drugs, instead of dampening emotion, suppressed emotion. Though a few changes would have to be made before the treatment

was ready for the Itex's other creations, the effects were actually ideal for an army.

After hearing Mr. ter Borcht's reports on the army of partial clones, Ms. Janssen briefly considered keeping the race alive and using

them as police in her New World. However, she quickly dismissed the idea because it was possible that the soldiers would be less

advanced than the humans that would make up the world. Instead, she turned to the hybrid teams to find characteristics that

would be ideal for law enforcement. Experiments were started with chameleons to see if it was possible that a hybrid could be

made that could change its appearance at will. She requested hybrids able to climb and move in ways that normal people would

not be able to. Ms. Janssen also included the winged girl in her plan. Flight would allow the girl and others of her kind to see much

farther than anyone on the ground. Though Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht had once dreamed of making everyone equal, they had

seen how problematic this would be. There had to be people with more power than others, and it was best if those people were

also special in other ways. Ms. Janssen wanted her government to be able to keep control easily.

Once she was satisfied that she would get what she wanted out of the hybrid teams, she returned to her base to begin work on

her new race of humans. Mr. ter Borcht also returned to work with her. The future of the world rested once again on their

shoulders, and the work could be done by no one else.

The basics for their new race were already there. It was already known that strength and intelligence could be improved by altering

genes, and only a few specifics were needed before creation could begin. However, Ms. Janssen was unsatisfied by the affect of

the drugs she had tested on the soldiers. She wanted her humans to have control over their emotions at all times while still having

empathy for others. At the very least, she wanted to find a way in which everyone could always be happy. Happy people don't

normally ask too many questions, and if her people were pleased, then her government would only be that much stronger.

Ms. Janssen started drug experiments on embryos, wondering if the best way to control emotion would be to start before emotions

were developed. However, many of her subjects ended up being permanently impaired. It seemed that if too much of the drug was

administered too early, the part of the brain that controlled emotions was damaged. From this, Ms. Janssen was able to determine

how safe it would be for pregnant women to be treated, but in the next round of experiments, she decided to target newborns

instead. Again, the starting dose was too large and brain scans showed that almost all of her first subjects ended up disabled.

Besides, it was very difficult to tell if the drugs were actually working as she planned them to. Because of this, Ms. Janssen changed

her target group to young children.

Here, the conclusion was obvious. Ms. Janssen had decided to err on the side of caution this time, and given her subjects only a

very small dose. It was barely effective at all, so the amount given was increased until Ms. Janssen received the results she was

looking for. The drugs were then given to older children, and it was discovered that, though the older children needed larger doses

for the drug to work, the effects lasted for much longer. Eventually, Ms. Janssen was ready to test her treatment on adults.

Since this whole thing had to stay inside Itex, Ms. Janssen knew that the scientists themselves would have to be the subjects of

the experiments. However, the scientists were wary of her newest work. Though the drug had been tested on many younger

children and been proven safe, there were still those who did not want to risk their minds. This disappointed Ms. Janssen; after all,

she had given her life over to creating this New World. However, when she volunteered herself to be part of the experiments, most

of her scientists followed suit.

The results of the experiments on children were mainly replicated when the adults underwent testing. Again, Ms. Janssen found

that a larger dose could be given and effects lasted longer in adults. While the children had to be dosed every week, adults could

easily go for a month on one treatment. Ms. Janssen was thrilled by the discovery.

During the testing, Ms. Janssen had noticed a few side effects to the drug. She had been more tired and found it harder to focus on

her work. She was slightly worried by this latest development, but knew there had to be a way to overcome the problems. She

added a slight stimulant to the drug to combat the tiredness, and in case that didn't fix the loss of focus as well, she put in another

substance used to treat ADD. As a last thought, she added an anti-depressant that would keep her people happy. She tested the

new drug, made a few small changes, and then finalized the formula. Ms. Janssen sent the formula to another plant to be made

into pills, and then moved on to creating her new race.

Mr. ter Borcht had been doing tests to determine what would be ideal traits for their new human, and once Ms. Janssen joined him

in work, the perfect person was close to being made. At first, there had been plans for many different types of humans made for

their stations, but Mr. ter Borcht had realized how impractical this. There could be only one type of human, he figured, and they

would have to be made for anything.

At the time, the only way to create the ideal human would be to genetically modify fertilized eggs, but Ms. Janssen believed that

once the New World was made and everyone had been modified in the same way, humans could continue to mate as normal. Right

now, Ms. Janssen and Mr. ter Borcht searched for volunteers to carry the babies that would be the first of their race. They had no

problem finding genetic material for the soon-to-be embryos—almost all of the scientists had donated some at one time or another.

From this point on, things would be much easier. The science had been done, the formulas had been perfected, and the world had

been planned. Now the only matter was that of creation, but Ms. Janssen knew that the time of the Revolution was getting closer.

She ordered production of all races but her own to cease, because all of the citizens of the New World would be based on the plans

she had recently made. This new creation of hers would be the world's foundation.

I'm sorry that I took so long to get this up, but it was an extremely hard chapter for me to write. Once I decided to get started on it, it still took forever. I ended up being semi-happy with it, which probably means it's not that good, but I tried. With this chapter I have written over 10,000 words. This is now the longest piece I've ever written!
I think that after this, writing will be a lot easier. I might possibly update more often, but I do have band camp and school starting soon so no guarantees.

Thanks!

A/N Sorry again that it took me so long to update. I had this written a bit before I actually got it posted, but I didn't have a chance to type it so much. I'm going to try to update more (don't I always say that? Oh well, this time I really am!) and I'd like to get it to the point where I can put out a chapter a week. Seeing how hectic my life is right now, I'm not sure if that's possible, but I can try...right? Anyhow, if I'm updating too slowly, come yell at me and I'll get writing.

Thanks to everyone who reads, especially Nathan and Opal for being the best cheerleaders a writer can hope for. To all of you, if you see problems (i.e., I'm being too wordy—because I sort of feel like I am) just let me know. I won't get mad, I promise; in fact, I'll probably love you for it.

Thanks for reading!

I suppose by this point, you've figured out where I fit in this world. Or maybe only the basics of it; things kept changing even after

the Revolution. But do you understand now why I'm not government material? No, probably not. That's something I haven't yet told

you. I was originally meant to be in the government, but now I'm simply a civilian. Made for government; fought as a soldier; made

my life as a worker. That's all my days have held, but you want to know the details, don't you? You always want more than they're

willing to give. I can't say I blame you.

I'll tell you, then, about those days when they wanted me to lead. I'll talk about how I learned to kill, too, and follow that up with

the tameness of peace and work. I won't get to that for awhile, understand; if you want to know specifics then this will take a long

time. I admit, I'd love to skip over the first part of my life, but that won't be an option anymore. I've spent so long ignoring it, but

now it's time for you to hear, and it's time for me to remember.

I've told you when I was born, and I don't know where to go from there. I've forgotten many things, you know, and one of them

was the format of the autobiographies I used to read. I also don't know so much about how my life used to be anymore. The

details have slipped out over time, either that, or I've been made to forget. I doubt the latter because if that had been the case, I

wouldn't remember anything. I must just be getting old. No, I know already that I'm getting old. I must be getting to the breaking

point. I almost wish now that my memory had been perfected, like yours is, but maybe I'm better off like this. Maybe I don't want to

know who I was.

Even if I could remember my infancy, I doubt there would be anything to say about it. Nothing interesting, anyways, and certainly

nothing enlightening. True, I was made to develop a bit faster, but I'm not sure how much that did for me. It wasn't all of me that

grew up, just my mind. I was more mentally capable than I should have been at my age, but for some reason they couldn't make

my body mature at the same rate. They had to choose, I was told, and they picked my mind. I suppose the way I was is much

better than being able to do anything you want physically and not understanding it, but I don't know why they felt the need to

make me grow up any faster than I was. They don't do that anymore, you may have noticed. It could have been something for

those of us who were to play key parts in the Revolution; Ms. Janssen may have known that the time for her to make her move

would soon be coming. Either way, at age one when I could barely walk, I had a vocabulary at least as big as yours was when you

were five, and I had learned everything that is taught in the first three years of school. They wanted me to get a head start on

learning, I guess, so I would always know for sure what to do in any situation, but before I would be able to actually do it. They

were wise in that regard, of teaching thought before action. I sometimes think that if everyone learned this way, fewer mistakes

would have been made.

The thing I studied the most of back then was history. What is taught these days is so much different than the things that I

learned; back before the Revolution, humans were incredibly biased. Of course, all history has a bit of bias, but they were fixated

on themselves. In their books, every advancement they made was a good thing, and as long as there was no blatant suppression

of rights, they thought everything was okay. People were judged depending on their possessions and monetary value rather than

what they did. Though I was taught the same things that make up the syllabus today, I was also exposed to the history books

written by people who saw things differently and asked to make my own opinions. It wasn't hard to see how the general

population was wrong in how they portrayed themselves. People hardly knew how to care for each other. They cared for money

and possessions and status, and would often have wars over these things. People would die in a war over land and it would be

labeled patriotism. Really, the most patriotic thing anyone could have done back then would have been to show their country how

to fix itself, but those who tried that were actually called subversive. In its fight to stay together, society was effectively ripping

itself apart.

That was only a part of my education. I had to study the mistakes that others had made so I would not make them, but I had to

learn how to rule through experience as well. Back then, I was naïve enough to think that if everyone had enough money to

provide for their family and a house to live in, they would be completely happy. I didn't account for jealousy and greed, which,

despite Ms. Janssen's effort to wipe out, still do appear. The only difference from before is that they are much more subtle now.

There is a reason that they make a point of telling us how much better off we are than other countries, you know. It's because as

long as we have someone to look down upon, someone who is much less fortunate and poorer, we are more happy. It's why they

tell us that we should be grateful for what we have. People are so busy being glad they don't live over across the oceans or on the

other side of the mountains that they don't have the desire to ask for more. They think we have it all.

It's hard to tell anyone this, but everything you've been told about the New World is a lie. Well, I don't suppose I should say

everything, because some things are clearly truth, but anything you cannot prove has likely been fabricated. We're not that much

better off than other countries, if any. Everyone is really ruled by Ms. Janssen's government, you know, and composed of the same

type of people. Some things that we can only produce here are exported to other places, and we also get imports. I think—I can't

say I know, because things may have changed since I was told about Ms. Janssen's system—but I think that every country in this

world is as equal as are the people that make it up. Again, no one has a way of knowing. The only people that even have

capabilities to communicate with people in other countries are those in the government. We're taught so little about any place

other than our home that we barely know enough to ask questions, and they will never be the right questions. No one knows

enough to know what they should be asking. Besides, the way they teach it these days, there is nothing interesting about the

places that are far away from us. Every human, even those made by Ms. Janssen, likes to think that they are more important than

others, and this system of education feeds on that desire. We are told that we are the best country, and that the other countries

are filled with crime and violence, and people so bloodthirsty that the only way to keep the world safe is to drug them so their

emotions are dampened. This last statement is true, as you well know, but they always forget to tell us that we have the same

problems here. If the information never leaves the government, it simply can't be real.

Conversely, whatever they tell everyone becomes real by its movement through society. Do they still tell the stories of the wars

across the oceans? Do they say we're the only country that is run in such a way, and the only civilized people in the world? Do they

try to frighten you with stories of diseases created solely to kill us? I suppose the answer to that last one must be yes, because it's

the easiest way to keep the whole society suppressed with their special pills. Besides, once a rumor like that gets started, there is

no way it will ever die. Ms. Janssen has used the same techniques of spreading fear time and time again, but it's only because they

work. There may be a few people out there like me who are not scared because we know the truth, but what are we to do about

it? If we try to tell the truth, we'll be called insane for our efforts. And if Ms. Janssen says that, she must be right. Such is the power

of her government. Here I am, telling the truth about everything at last, and it truly will do no good. I'll be taken away and retired,

and you'll forget everything I've said whether you want to or not. Don't listen to me; anything that ends that way cannot be right.

Maybe after all these years I really am insane. Because I would never dare to do what I am if I had full control of my mind.

As long as you're going to listen to my life story, perhaps you could help me out with something. I want to know how I became

insane and what caused it. Will you try to find it for me? Of course, I'm not sure that's even possible anymore—who's to say I'm

even remembering things correctly? But if you can, pick out what it was that made me like this. Maybe if we work hard enough, we

can even find a way to save me from this. If not, child, change my epitaph to say that I was once lucid. And don't let my insanity

touch you.

I don't understand how something like that could have happened without my knowledge. After all, I had an extremely strong mind.

I was always thinking as a child; even when I was not given problems to work on I would invent things to keep my mind busy.

Other than that, I was actually rather coddled when I was young. There were others who had hard training, because they had

been built for fighting. I was only built for thinking, and I used to think myself lucky. I didn't have to endure physical difficulties

because as a leader in the New World, fighting skills would not be needed. Instead, I had to wrap my young mind around politics,

psychology, and science. I never thought it was a challenge, though. Politics was rather self-explanatory; psychology would help

me to understand my people; and science was the base of my life. I understood what they were telling me, and I felt special that I

was to know so much. Because other than leading, the people in the government safeguard the world's information. Though my

education was never finished in that respect, I know enough of science to tell you how I was created, and enough of technology

that I could work with things much more advanced than anything we have left. I learned that all a long time ago, so I don't know

how much I remember of actually making such things, but I'm sure I remember their operation.

I also learned to think back then. It's so very different from what we do today. I was encouraged to ask questions about things I

didn't understand, and if I said something that was wrong, they would explain to me why it was incorrect rather than just telling

me what was right. I was more important to them back then, and it's likely that the people in government are like I was. It makes

sense that they would be. Since they are the ones in control of learning now, they have to be able to think freely. It's been so long

since I tried to think on my own that I don't know if I'm capable of it anymore. I've probably forgotten how to do that, too, just like I

can no longer recall everything else they told me. I do remember how they used my brain, though, and how I led to my demotion.

They asked me to take my ideas and apply them to the world that they were creating, and I didn't realize what was being done. I

wasn't the only one they used. At first I thought that I was unique, but I did not even have that distinction. For everything that

happened, I was really just one more kid in the end.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, though; before we get to the point that I was no longer respected comes the period of time when

I was. It was those days, perhaps, that spoiled the rest of my life for me. They made me discontent with the life of a normal person.

Because back then, I thought I was more free than at any other time in my life. I knew exactly where I was in life and what would

be happening, and young children have been proven to like stability. That was also during the time that I knew Hope, so I suppose

I should start there.

Hope was my partner in all things back in those days. We were supposed to have been exactly the same age, but she was born

two days early. Even the scientists couldn't control birth, I don't suppose, but the two days made no difference. I assume that I

was with her since the day of my birth; I never asked and no one ever told me voluntarily. As far back into my childhood as I could

remember, Hope was by my side. We worked together on everything, too, that was a big deal for the scientists minding us. They

wanted us to learn to function as a team.

I was supposed to marry Hope when we grew up. I know that now. The only reason I didn't is that she didn't survive the

Revolution, and I don't know if that's an awful thing. It might not have worked out between Hope and I anyways—though we got

along, we never had anything other than respect for each other. We were barely friends as children, though in those days, what

we had seemed like the closest bond ever. That was all illusion; we only felt so because we had no one but each other to talk to.

Other than that, there's not much to say about her—she's impossible to describe. I remember her, yes, but nothing in that

reminiscence distinguishes her from anyone else I ever knew. She was Ms. Janssen's most perfect creation at the time of my birth;

the best of her race. Despite that, Hope was completely unremarkable.

The thing I remember most about Hope is that she seemed to be just like me. I thought that often as a child and I still do, when I

think about her. Of course, I don't mean she was like me in appearance when I say that. No, I still remember what she looked like;

blue eyes and short brown hair, and exactly the same height as me once we had finished growing. She looked womanly enough,

too; well, of course she did, she was made to be perfect in every way. But other than her appearance, I didn't know much about

her though we worked together for almost 16 years. She never talked much to anyone, and though she talked more to me than

most, she didn't say anything about herself. She hardly offered opinions unless I specifically asked her for them, and usually then

she'd make me answer first and match what I thought. It was almost as if she was searching for my approval.

I have to wonder if this was real, because there is no way that Ms. Janssen would have designed a woman to be subservient. Well,

I suppose I should say that she wouldn't have done it on purpose. Perhaps Hope was just another mistake made in the quest to

create a perfect human, and she was paired with me because I was more of the same. Maybe we weren't meant to rule after all,

and were only being told for some reason only known to the elite few in Ms. Janssen's rank. It's impossible to know, really, and

there's no one I can ask. Even if I try to find someone who would remember the two of us, how likely would they be to answer?

After all, now I am nothing but someone who was not good enough for the world of Ms. Janssen's—and my—creation.

It's true, when I was young, the plans for the New World weren't exactly set. Ms. Janssen had noticed that things seemed to

change depending on what could and could not be done, so her plans were never resolute. She once considered structuring this

world differently, where everyone had some say in what happened. These days, most lower class people would probably scoff and

say that they weren't worthy of doing such things, but that is how many countries we run back when Hope and I were being

taught. By that point, Ms. Janssen had already ruled out the idea of a democracy, but we were still shown the system. It wasn't

hard; there were many countries at that time where the people voted for the leader that they thought would be best for them.

Anyone could be leader, too, if they were elected. It wasn't as big of a deal as it sounds—no one person actually had enough

power to change things single-handedly. I think that was actually the point of democratic governments, to protect the people from

having a tyrannical dictator forced upon them.

Of course, after learning all that we did about such things, Hope and I wondered why it was that democracy was not good enough

for the New World. It was quickly explained to us that no one would have to worry about corruption and abuse of power after the

Revolution. The drugs Ms. Janssen had made would take care of that. She had decided that some people would simply be trained

to rule and therefore the government would always be kind and just. It was true, she said, that those who governed would have

special privileges. But these would only be compensation for the things that leaders did not get to do. It sounded fair to me.

Of course, I was simply young back then, and giddy with the idea of having power. I thought that I would be the best leader the

world had ever seen. I know better now; I would have been every bit as tyrannical as the dictators back before the Revolution,

even with the medicine that everyone is forced to take. I showed signs of oppressiveness then; whenever Hope and I were given a

decision to make, we always did things my way. I said this was because she was so quiet, but we both knew better—it was

because I wanted to be in control.

It could have been that I was the one who ruined our chances, or maybe Ms. Janssen already knew that Hope and I were not the

dream team she was searching for. We moved out of her attentions and into the control of other people. The stability that Hope

and I had built was broken.