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 Tears Of A Clone By CSquared



   Chapter 5: Van-el sighed.  Another two dead in violent protests. 
Another six clones redundant.  There was nothing that could be done. 
Within a year at the most, the planet would explode in one giant civil war.
_`Some things,'_ he thought, _`are simply not meant to be tampered with. 
Pandora's box should never be opened.'_ No-one was really sure where the
Pandora's box reference came from, its origin was lost it the thousands of
years of un-charted past.  The thousands of years of missing history.

   There were a few things left for him to do before he left his house for
the last time.  He would phone his children, plead with them to change
their views on the issues of the clones.  They would stand more chance of
surviving if they were on the anti side.  He would write a last will and
testament.  And he would go and see his friend Bar-ak in a final, useless
attempt to come to a peaceful solution.  Bar was the head of the cloning
division.  If anyone could stop this coming war, he could.  But, with a
heavy heart, Van knew that he wouldn't.  he had known Bar for decades, and
he knew him to be one of the most stubborn men he had ever met.

   _`There.'_ Van thought, as he signed his name.  _`That's my last will
done.  Now...'_ he sealed the document inside an envelope, and left it on
his desk, to be found later.  he pressed a button, and a large screen swung
up out of the surface of the desk, blinking on to show the pretty face of
his personal AI.  EVA, or Eve, as he called her, had been assigned to him
at birth.  She never aged, but changed her outlook on `life' to suit his
mental state.  She now treated him with immense respect, in awe of his
wisdom.  It was true that as a computer program she knew all there was to
know about almost anything, but she simply did not have his experience. 
She did not truly exist, how could she?  She smiled at him, and said in a
sweet, lilting voice, "Hello there, Van.  What can I do for you?" He
returned the smile, and replied, "Hello Eve.  Could you phone my children
for me, please?" "Certainly," she said, "would you like them as seperate
calls, or as a conference?" "A conference, I believe, Eve.  No point in
saying what I've got to say twice." "Fine.  Do you want privacy, or do you
not mind me listening in?" "I have no problem with that, Eve, but you'd
better ask my children when they come on the line." "Alright.  Calling
now..."

   A picture of a strange C shaped object flashed on the screen, EVA's face
reduced to a small window in one corner.  The shape was like the Pandora's
box - no-one had any idea where it came from.  It had just always been
associated with the telephone as long as anyone could remember, so no-one
saw any point in changing it.  Before long, one half on the screen was
covered with a video picture of his son.  The connection had not yet been
made totally on his son's side, and so Van watched him talking to EVA. 
"No, I don't mind, EVA." he said.  "How does my sister feel?" "I haven't
had a chance to ask her yet, Jor-el.  She hasn't...  oh, wait, she just
picked up." EVA replied.  Van's daughter appeared on the other half of the
screen, and replied to EVA's question in the same way both men had. 
"Alright, guys." Eve said to all three at once.  "Connecting you...  now!"
On Van's children's screen, the pictures of their father and sibling
appeard side-by-side.  "Hi dad." Jor said, waving.  "Hey sis." Kirie smiled
at them both, and asked, "What's this about, dad?" He returned the smile,
and replied, "I've just called to try to convince you of something." Both
of his children took on an exasperated look, and groaned.  "It's not the
cloning again, is it dad?" asked Jor, holding his head in his hand.  Van
nodded.  "Dad, you know where we stand on that." said Kirie.  "you're not
going to be able to get us to think otherwise." Van sighed.  "I know that,
Kirie." he said.  "But I thought I should try one last time." Her face
dropped.  "One...  last time?  Dad, what are you going to do?" she said,
her eyes flicking between the window of her AI and the eyes of her father.
"I can't tell you that." he said.  "Can you tell me?" asked Jor.  Van
smiled and laughed.  "No, I can't tell you either." he replied.  "But I
really want to try and change your minds.  You know as well as I do the a
war is coming.  But you think that life won't be changed when it's over. 
Let me tell you now, you're wrong.  Very wrong.  You'll stand a better
chance of living through it if you side with the protesters." "What are you
talking about?" Jor said.  "The protesters don't stand a chance." "Maybe
not now." Van said.  "But soon, they'll have enough forces to wipe out the
planet, if they're not careful.  Which they certainly won't be."

   The conversation went on like that for a few minutes longer, until Van
looked at his watch.  He was running too late.  It was almost night.  "I
have to go, kids." he said, sadly.  "You know that I love you both very
much, don't you." They cringed a little, but both nodded.  "I wish I could
see you in person before...  before I...  but I can't.  Promise me that
you'll think about what I've said." Van continued.  They made no movement,
so he said, a little louder, "Promise me." That got them, and they said,
almost as one, "I promise, dad." "I love you both.  Goodbye, kids." he
said, and brought two fingers to his lips.  He kissed them, and pressed
them to the centre of the screen.  He waved, and EVA disconnected the call.
Her face filled the screen again, and she asked, "Van, what are you going
to do?" He smiled.  "You won't catch me out that easily, Eve." he said. 
"If I tell you, you'll have the police down on me faster than I can blink.
But without knowing what I'm planning, you can't do that, can you." She
frowned, and shook her digitised head.  "No, I can't." she said.  "But,
Van, I...  I want you to know this.  I've seen you grow up from a baby into
the wise old man you are today.  I've grown to love you.  I know you don't
think AI love is real, but to me it is.  I just hope you won't damage my
view of you by doing something stupid." His expression softened, and he
looked his life-long companion in her deep blue eyes.  "I love you too,
Eve. And I hope that what I'm planning won't do that, but you understand
that I am going to have to do it, don't you." She nodded, and sighed. 
"Goodbye, Van." she said, and she blew him a kiss.  He kissed back, and
turned.  Walking towards the door through to his docked jet, he pressed the
button on the wall next to it, and the door slid open.  "Goodbye, Eve." he
said, and stepped into the jet.