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The project? And am I a part of it?
“He is still unresponsive. Do you think that was too much? Last time…”
“Last time was a failed test, nothing more. This time, the dosage will be adequate.”
Tech could hear them talking somewhere over him.
He felt the odd sensations, the loss of control of his bodily functions, arms, legs, even his thoughts fading fast. The procedure! It was the same as before that much he remembered. Only so much more worse. And the pain! It was excruciating! Tech tried to shout out for them to stop! To end this! But nothing was coming forth. No words passing his lips. Tech’s autonomous functions were getting overridden, slowly and surely, one by one.
The person he had finally become after all the struggle in trying to remember, the one he had been before, was loosing the battle.
“Initialising… initialising…”
The computer system kept on repeating the mantra in a monotonous tone, Tech understanding the word even if he was loosing all coherent thought of his own. And soon enough, Tech would be no more. The one he was no longer in control, pushed to the background. The one he was becoming was a designer automaton for the Empire ready and willing to do their bidding without any questions or qualm.
*
They were on a ship, a fast one at that. One of the new imperial cruisers designed for stealthy fast missions like this one was. Their objective clear - to hunt down insurgents, enemies of the Empire on a distant location.
How he had gotten on the ship was a blur. He did not remember much of before. Only that he had a job to do and that he was good at that. He had his orders. Good soldiers followed orders to the letter after all and executed them too.
The ship landed on the small island lush in nature with clear waters all around. The inhabitants, the insurrectionists were waiting for them there. On the platform as they landed. The small contingent consisting of their leader, also known as Clone X-03, and the imperial troopers in their shining white armour. Ready to do the Empire’s bidding.
Standing in a neat file, X-03 was in the lead, his troopers right behind him. Addressing the locals, giving them one last chance to change their minds.
“Surrender now or suffer the consequences.”
“Never!”
“We live free and die free too!”
“Hear hear!!!”
They were all in on it too. Shouting back at the invaders to their land, their home. None of them biding to the rules of the Empire. None of them willing to surrender. So be it.
“As you wish.”
X-03 turned to his troopers, giving the order with a simple nod.
The weapons fire which followed did not last long. The villagers really had no chance, no weapons to mention of. They were simple farmers after all in this land of plenty. The carnage left behind, was for someone else to clean up. Their job was done there. Mission completed successfully. X-03 gave the second order. That of retreat. Their mission, was over.
*
He was back. Back in the lab. His home, as it had become.
The memories of the mission clear in his mind, just like before, afterwards. When his mind had cleared and he was more like himself again. Like a switch having been turned on and off again. He was himself again. He was, Tech. But the memories…
But it wasn’t him doing all those things right? Killing all those people? Taking part in the mass murder of innocents? But it had been him, for all senses and purposes. It was him pulling the trigger… All those lives of the innocents lost because of him. His orders, his… shots…
The remorse, the angst, the sadness, the anger becoming too much to bear. He felt, divided, split, his mind playing the scenarios of what had happened during the mission over and over again. Tech losing the battle, the other, becoming the more. How could he live with it all?
But he had to. He was a soldier, for the Empire. Tech, fading into the background.