Black and White

Hey 29173H, what are you doing? asked 29173G.

29173G and 29173H were almost like twins. They looked the same, thought the same; everything about them was the same but they were not twins. They lived in the Omega Complex, a colourless metal building that housed the citizens which was ruled by the Elder. 29173G and 29173H were clones of the original 29173, a very high ranked citizen of the Omega Complex back when there was no cloning and everyone grew older and wiser. After a betrayal of one of the citizens, the Elder decided to use clones and so the wise and loyal were picked and cloned. Then all the original citizens of Omega Complex were terminated. 29173H and 29173G were currently two of the inexperienced and are being educated so they could serve the elder and answer his commands.

Check this out 29173G. What do you think this is? said 29173H.

In his hands was a rectangular object that opened up on the sides. Inside were thick sheets of paper. Paper was illegal in the Complex. It was an act of treason and if it was not reported, they would be terminated. On the paper were neat little words and colourless pictures of things they had never seen. On the cover was one single word: Encyclopaedia.

Hey look, it has a date in it! exclaimed 29173G, it says 03/19/4963.

That must have been hundreds of millenniums ago! replied a very awestricken 29173H.

Let's read it, exclaimed 29173G, and I get to hold it because I am older.

Only by a few yactoseconds, objected 29173H, why don't we both hold it?

Alright then agreed 29173G with very little enthusiasm.

And so, the two clones sat down on the cold colourless metal floor, the same floor that ran throughout the complex, and they began to read, oblivious to the other clones moving about outside, oblivious to their Personal Data Devices ringing, signalling a hologram message coming through, and oblivious of the icy wind coming through a crack in the walls, stinging the back of their necks. They read about animals, dinosaurs, colours, dreams, pioneers, food that was nothing like the horrible pills they had to consume everyday, and so many other things that they never thought would have existed. They read about a time where you could do anything you want, one where everything was different, where there were trees, where you could have fun and play, where everyone had families, people who cared for them and loved them and they wished they could experience that.

Isn't it weird how everyone looked?

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Short stories: Science stories for children?
We want to hear your view. Write now!