This is a Bible fan fiction that tells a sci-fi story of an imaginary extension to our own universe. Since the Bible is actually in the public domain, I don't really have to write this disclaimer and since this imaginary universe is of the invention of my own mind; I'm not obligated to disclaim that either. It is fair to say though that elements of my imagined universe contain crosses between Star Wars and Star Trek concepts.
Reviews of all sorts are always welcome, but I promise I won't die without them.
CLONED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
AN ARMY OF ONE:
"Shoot him" Commander Blithe Screamed at me as I started chasing San Wan Kandih through the streets of Salam of planet Alphanta. Even though I knew there was no way I'd catch him. "He's a traitor to the Allegiance! You'll never out run him you stupid clone - Shoot him!" He repeated for about the 5th time now.
Light flashes whizzed passed my head as Commander Blithe fired upon me for my disobedience to the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Allegiance to kill all traitors. So I raised my blaster and shot at the street behind San Wan as he began to sprint off. Maybe Commander Blithe would actually believe I was just a bad shot. I hoped; although I knew better. But I couldn't just kill San Wan. He'd saved my life on many occasion and now it was my turn to return the favor; if I could? Even if that meant Commander Blithe shot me. Not like that made much a difference, I'm just a common clone; expendable you know. There's always more where I came from. San Wan though has parents waiting for him back on Savawarh.
I turned the corner and I paused a minute. Much to my surprise San Wan was standing right there. "Go that way." He whispered as he jumped behind the barricade of a burned out house. I stopped next to the wall and glanced over at San Wan huddled in the corner. He peered up at me as I quickly turned around. Where'd Commander Blithe go? I wondered as I ran another 50 feet away, when I heard pounding feet assail the ally. I poised myself as if I was waiting to point out the proper direction to my new Commander. Just as the obedient clone soldier I was suppose to be.
"He's hiding down there!" I motioned to Commander Blithe as we ran down another ally in the opposite direction of San Wan. When we came to the end of this ally too; we looked up and down the deserted streets. "We lost him Sir." I announced as I looked behind me. "Shall I go this way?" I asked, awaiting the order. Commander Blithe looked at me, as if he didn't believe me. He raised his weapon and pointed it at me. "Aardatians can run three times faster than... clones." I said dryly pointing out the obvious. It was one tense moment and I'd hoped he hadn't caught onto my deception, before he lowered his weapon and raised his hand to dismiss me.
I turned and ran back in the direction I'd last seen San Wan, and hoped no-one else had shot him. I ran past the wall and San Wan was gone. Good bye dear friend; may I never find your body if you didn't make it. God be with you! I thought to myself as I kept on running. Could God be with me? A stupid worthless clone? I wondered as I could feel the sting well up in my eyes. I must have not been paying attention to where I was going, when I felt a sudden piercing jolt and fell down a hole.
My blaster flew out of my hands and I felt like I was falling off a cliff when suddenly I landed in a sand dune. I jumped up in a flash in search of my missing weapon. I'd be in big trouble if I lost another blaster. I panicked as I looked all over for it. Than I suddenly realized this didn't look like Alphanta? Every thing and everyone was gone! Just me and this sand dune. Where am I? I wondered. Several minutes passed when I finally decided that it must be safe here and I sat down to rest. It was warm, but not as hot as some of the other planets I'd been on. I thought a moment as I searched around for my canteen and gulped down a couple of swallows. Where am I? I wondered. Could San Wan be around here somewhere? I must be dreaming!
I sat a long time contemplating what I should do next? I thought about what San Wan would always tell me. "Pretend your not a clone." I chuckled. I don't know why that worked, but it always did. I was sitting happily entertaining the thought of not being a clone, when I heard a voice behind me. "Amornam." It said.
I quickly swung around to see who it was. No-one but San Wan and Katook ever called me that; and that rarely when anyone else was around. San Wan told me it meant "beloved one" in an ancient language he'd once known. Who are you though and how'd you know that name? I sat up staring at one who was like me, but obviously not a clone.
He was wearing a long white garment with an overcoat and a stripped woven cloth wrapped around his head. He looked like some of the desert people of Earth's past history I'd seen in books. Who are you? I wondered as I just sat dumbfounded. I didn't know what to think; or what to say.
"How'd you know my name?" I stammered thoughtlessly as disjointed bits and pieces of Earth's history mixed with the lore of other planets swirled though my mind. I got this creepy feeling that I was suppose to know who this man was; but I couldn't think. He squatted down in front of me.
"Amornam" He said. "Do you remember San Wan and Shiloh talking about a Great Deliver who came to Earth to set captive men free?" Yeah, I nodded. "I'm that Deliver." He whispered.
The words ran though my head as the reality of what he said made me start to shake. "But ...But - I'm only a clone." I protested as the burning feeling in my eyes began to fill them again. "I'm, I'm - Uh - I'm not even really...really human." I whispered. "I was only made to destroy and get destroyed. I–I mean, I just shoot at androids or someone else's clones, pirates, criminals, terrorists; you know, who ever and try not to get killed myself."
The man looked at me and let out a sigh before he sat on the ground next to me. I began wiping my face, trying to gather my dignity (of what little I may have ever possessed to begin with) when the man began to speak again.
"Amornam." He called me that name again. "Do you remember what San Wan or Shiloh or even Sha Wii or any of those people used to say about God being..."
"Love!" I responded though admittedly I was always puzzled by that statement.
"Yes." He smiled kindly. "And what men, or even evil beings meant as a means of doing wickedness." He paused a minute. "As like designing you and a whole army of men like you in order to fight their own wicked wars and cause suffering to millions of innocent creatures across the galaxies." He paused another moment. "God meant for good." "Amornam" He called me that name again. "The Allegiance may think they are the ones that brought you into this world; but you wouldn't be here unless I gave you life. You may share the same DNA with millions of other men, but you are not a science experiment and you are not an accident!"
I sat real quiet for a long long time just glancing around me wondering when this kindly man would suddenly vanish away in a puff of smoke. Gone from my life, just like everyone and every thing I ever cared about. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't come up with the words. The tears just ran down my face.
"Amornam." He said. "I will never leave you or forsake you."
I sat and looked at him for several more very long minutes.
"How do you know?" I stammered in a barely audible voice. He smiled gently.
"It doesn't take Devine revelation to see the loss and desperate loneliness on your face."
I sat quietly for several more long minutes. "Does, does that mean I..I really do have a soul?" I muttered in a quiet whisper remembering the words San Wan once explained to me; that we all do have a soul. Many of us just don't realize it because all we're ever told is that we are just a bunch of clones. A copy, a stamp of someone or something else. We were never really our own.
"Yes." The man's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Every single one of you has a soul. You wouldn't be alive if you didn't. And though other men may have copied the image of someone else's DNA; the very essence of what you are is still created in the image of God. I know that's hard for you to believe right now; but even clones aren't precisely, exactly all the same. You know that from Sha Wii's experiments."
"Yeah, I guess I do." I said as I started to think about all that had happened in the three or four years since I'd left the maturation building as an adult clone - supposedly ready to fight a war.