Icy

Lights flashed. Hoses and wires ran through the room and along the corridors. One of the many doors of the laboratory was open. Icy saw the many researchers and workers there busily waving around with all kinds of wondrous devices made of shiny gold metal. He didn't know exactly what they were doing there.

What he did know, however, was that he had his origin there. Like all his brothers. And his few sisters, who were assigned other tasks. But Icy's destination was not the laboratory. What would he even be supposed to do there? Hold on to a test tube for some scientist or stand in the way? Looking into one of the microscopes and feigning interest? No.

Icy was on his way back to the area of Military Unit 3. To do this, he had to pass the laboratories and the technical rooms. And also a huge clock, right next to the laboratory. He could see the gears working. The dial was set with jewels, and the watch was set in gold. A sparkling symbol of power in the midst of the ominous atmosphere of these corridors.

Icy also ignored the clock. His superior was awaiting his report and the golden object was just silly bells and whistles for him.

Only when he reached the boring gray entrance area of the military base did he take off his red mask. A couple of soldiers, his brothers, were standing against one of the walls. Silently. Icy nodded to them and then walked past them in silence. He crossed a few identical corridors until he arrived at an iron door. He held his wrist to a green sensor. Immediately the door opened.

He was already expected.

But of course that didn't surprise him.

Icy's superior was an untitled soldier. None of them had rank, and yet there was a fixed, insurmountable hierarchy among them. There were superiors and those who were subordinate to them: the Shadows. The superiors were mechanical figures through and through. Machines. There was nothing human about them. Their artificial consciousness was not connected to Mina's or Minnie's. A security measure in case the city was attacked and they had to make decisions independently. And yet they were subordinate to Mina and the clones. And very few knew of their existence.

"Your report? Number 100?" Icy's superior looked at him with iron eyes. Everything about him was iron. Even the mouth. Some of the wires that were everywhere gathered in his back.

"I couldn't find any obstacles except the familiar ones”, answered Icy, or Number 100. His official name. A scientist had once given him a real name. Emil Icy Blue. She was new to the lab at the time and didn't like the fact that the young shadows didn't get real names. But this was only a nickname, which no one except the scientist used. Today she no longer handed out names. It was forbidden.

The Shadows were not people.

Number 100 liked 'Icy', even if no one called him that. The name Emil, which the scientist used, did not suit him. Or Blue. He wasn't blue. He was grey! Number 100 also didn't understand why she was still sticking to the names. They were irrelevant, even if he appreciated the gesture. 'Icy', as ice-like as his facial expression. As cool as his skin.

"That's good." His superior, Number 1, nodded contentedly.

"Thank you."

"Were there any other events worth mentioning?" The voice of the machine rattled like an old music box or a broken gramophone.

"A citizen followed me." Icy remembered the young man's face. A round face, pale with clear eyes. One blue, the other violet.

"Did you eliminate him?"

Icy shook his head.

"Arrested?"

He shook his head again.

"Why not?" There was no emotion to be heard in the mechanical voice of Number 1. Just like with Icy.

"He was just curious. I saw no reason, even if it was a violation of the law", he answered truthfully. "It seemed to me to be a childish curiosity. He thought nothing of it. He was just running after me, as small children sometimes do until adults stop them." Why children liked to follow him, Icy didn't really understand. Why were they curious? He was largely irrelevant to their lives. The Shadows had nothing in common with the citizens.

"Hm. Have your brain checked in the lab. This is the third completely arbitrary decision of yours. Nothing desirable. Maybe an anomaly. A bug in the code. Not good for our mission."

"Good. Should I report to the lab immediately?" Icy wanted to know.

"Yes."

Icy nodded and left the room. Then SHE can call me Emil again and tell me that my brain is 100% reliable and free of errors.

Samuel

Shocked, Samuel looked at the older officer. "What?"

While his comrades were being questioned, he had been called to his superior's office. He had to endure the interrogation first. He passed. Samuel was not a rebel. Not a criminal. He was loyal.

"You have your orders, Private!"

Samuel nodded. "Yes, Sir." He had hoped to have been included in officer training. Why else would the sergeant major call him? He had not received a letter, so Samuel assumed that the 'winners' would be informed personally. Of course, his chances as a Private with a genetic defect were slim, but he had hoped anyway. In vain. He was not accepted. Instead, he was supposed to play bodyguard and babysitter. For the mayor's daughter.

"Private? You will report to Military Base 1 tomorrow morning. You will be stationed there for the duration of your assignment. I have personally recommended you despite your flaw. You are a good soldier. If you master this task with flying colors, you have a good chance of becoming a non-commissioned officer despite your flaw. You could actually be included in the training." The sergeant smiled. "I know you can. And that this is your wish. This is your chance, Private. Take advantage of it."

Samuel smiled and saluted. "Thank you very much!" At least. But... Babysitter?

"Go now, Private. Pack your things. We won't see each other again for some time. You Won’t disappoint me. You will become a good non-commissioned officer one day."