I, Clone: Part 1

Welcome Back

The man in the vat stirred as a mash of memories made its way through his subconscious -darkness, scuffle, yelling, people, dark, alley. Clone restoration was supposed to be an everyday procedure, but this one was different -death, sadness, goodbye, team, Victory. Something did not quite fit -reborn, determination, friends, justice. He opened his eyes and could see shapes beyond the vat -sun, fiancée, allure, academy, slave, amarr. Detecting his distress, the vat mercifully shut him off.

Upload: 10% complete. It would take an entire month.

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"How do you feel?" asked a soft voice.

He croaked, and was surprised at the sound of his own voice. Trying again, he managed to answer "like shit."

"Good! It means that we are feeling something, and it also means that we are on our way to recovery."

His head hurt and every single part of his body ached. His ears whistled, his head floated in the air, things moved slowly while his own mind was a mess of hastily arranged memories. His brain was tired, as if he had spent a couple of centuries awake. He opened his eyes.

She saw his confused look. "You have to sleep, hon. You are allright and will get better but, right now, you are very tired and we must get you some rest."

What had happened? His thoughts changed faster than he could chase them. He looked at her, then looked around, dazed. With some effort, he could actually focus enough on his surroundings. He was lying in bed in a white room, the nurse standing at his side -how was that side called, right or left?- medical equipment in the room, monitors, subdued beeps pummeling his ears, a door in that corner. A lab coat standing at his side, with a man inside... he looked back at the nurse, attempted a smile but failed.

But she did smile back, and that sweet smile would become his first memory for quite a while. Hello Sugar...

The Coat spoke "I am Dr. Kraak, this is Nurse Martens. First of all, you are in good hands and will make a full recovery. Can you tell us your name?"

The patient looked at him, blankly. Name? Name, name, namenamename... He looked at Sugar, then back at Coat. He had not studied that. That, that was forgotten, irrelevant, lost... But this was an important question, a test of character. He did not want to fail. He focused, then something was on the tip of his tongue. Ken.

"Ken... dar. Ken, dar, Zek. Am Kendar Zek"

The Coat smiled widely "Excellent! Congratulations on a miraculous restoration." He nodded to Sugar who, relieved, entered a code into the bed monitor.

As the patient felt the warm embrace of sedatives, he heard one last thing before falling asleep.

"Welcome back, Mr. Zek."