Chapter 26
Near Montpelier, Homeland
On the way to the UCA, Mark asked Accura 2.0, so what's your real name?"
2.0 sighed. "I don't use it anymore, but my full given name is Edgar 413 M12A".
"Wow. You don't look like an Edgar 413 to me. More like an Edgar 414."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Edgar said.
Mark smirked. "I didn't see that coming."
"Why? Are you surprised that I can make a joke?"
"Honestly . . . yes. So, how can you guys tell each other apart? And yes, you really do all look the same."
"Well, it really isn't as hard as you people make it out to be. We have variations in head shape, moles, freckles, eyebrow curl, hair whorl; non-genetic environmental stuff like that. You just have to pay attention, but our eyesight is quite a bit better than yours. To us, you people look wildly screwed up. To tell you the truth, you also seem a little dim witted, clumsy and slow. We have been meticulously engineered for generations to be superior in every way and have glaring flaws bred out of our lines. You freely conceived are just a random mashup of questionable unmodified traits. If your genome was studied, they would no doubt find mutations onboard as well. Nothing personal."
"You might be right, but you still need a good pounding."
"You know you make no sense. You asked, right?"
As they travelled and talked, Mark wondered why their worlds had to be so separate. Whether he or anyone else liked it or not, the clones existed, so why continue to ponder what place the clones had in Homeland society?
Mark asked, "So, do you mind if a lower life form asks you a question?"
"Okay."
Mark was surprised with Edgar’s quick acceptance of his premise of inferiority, but he asked, "Why were you looking for food in the trash?"
"I wasn't. I was looking for produce, so I could collect seeds for the farm."
Mark asked, "You can do that? Grow plants from seeds; that you get from grocery store produce?"
"Of course. Seeds are seeds."
Mark said, "So here you are, Mr. Genetic Perfection, looking for random discarded freely pollinated seeds to grow. How ironic."
"We do what we have to."
They were getting close to their destination. Mark's heart started pounding.
They made it to the front gate of the UCA campus without getting picked up for the mega- littering incident along the highway. "Oh n0! Edgar! That guy looks just like you! Cover your face!"
Edgar sat back in his seat so Mark’s head blocked the guard's line of sight to him. Mark rolled down the window.
"Where you headed?" The guard said.
"Ummm. . ." Mark whacked Edgar on the leg with his leg, relying upon Edgar’s memory of their final destination.
"F34C," Edgar said under his breath.
Mark said, "I need to get to F34C right away."
"Oh, part of the cleanup, huh?" The guard circled the building on a paper map. Then he handed it to Mark. "Okay. You can see where we are now, and your building is over there."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Ah. . .One more thing, sir," the guard said.
"Yes?" Mark thought, this can't be good.
"I need you to sign in."
"Sure, no problem." Mark signed the device and drove in. He handed the map to Edgar to navigate around the enormous complex.
As they travelled inside the compound, Edgar said, “That guy looked nothing like me.”
"I can’t believe it," Mark said, "It must be two miles back to this building. That was smooth, the way you backed up in your seat so the guard couldn't see you, I mean. Aw! Again?!" Mark saw another checkpoint up ahead.
"I told you," Edgar said.
"Shut up. We'll be okay."
There was another fence within the compound. There was a female guard at the gate. There was a sign that read, "All unauthorized males going past this point will be auto-convicted of sexual crimes." Another sign said, "All Vehicles Photographed."
"It's the female section," Edgar said.
"I get that." Mark stopped and rolled down the window again. He told the guard, "We're here for the cleanup."
The guard sneered at them. She was rudely silent, but waved them on.
They passed row upon row of boring, plain looking, identical 3-D print constructed buildings. Mark thought it was a little weird that they saw no one outside of any of them.
"Turn right," Edgar said. "Right here."
"Here?" Mark said, slamming on the brakes.
"Recalculating," Edgar said, trying to sound like an ancient synthetic voice.
"You're a riot," Mark said. He backed up and turned right. They passed by more four-story buildings and counted down the numbers on the front.
"F34D, C, B, A, here we are," Edgar said.
Mark couldn't believe he was actually there. "So what do we do next?"
"Go in and talk to them," Edgar said.
"What do you mean talk to them? They'll all want to flee for their lives, right?"
"I doubt it, but you could give that a try."
"Huh?"
Edgar motioned for Mark to go into the building.
"Oh no, Eddie boy, you're going too."
"Fine. I'll go too."