"Mark… Oh Mark…"

A young man opened his eyes testing out his blurred vision. He looked up to the voice to see a woman in about her mid twenties with red, messy hair wearing sneakers, jeans, and an orange shirt under a vest made of the same jeans material. She smiled down at him and waited for him to rise from the soft bed he was on.

"Can't I just stay in bed for a few more minutes?" he pleaded.

But the woman shook her head and smiled good-naturedly. "No, you can't sleepyhead. You've gotta get up and do some work!"

The man nodded and swatted at her with his hand. "Right, right… I'm getting up…"

The young man pushed the covers back and tried to rise. But as he got from the bed the only thing he could see was white.

Suddenly Mark, or at least the name he perceived for himself, awoke to inside of a large glass tube filled with water. He looked around confused. 'This…this isn't the same as before…' he thought to himself. 'What happened to the house…the woman? What happened to that warmth?'

In the background he could see a man in a white coat, probably a scientist, lying upon a keyboard snoring. A small alarm was going off.

"Specimen 1278…status conscious, stable… Beginning release process…" A computerized voice was going off with the alarm and suddenly the door to the tube opened.

Mark dropped to the ground landing on his feet. He looked about. How had he come to this place? In fact…where was this place? Besides the man Mark assumed he was in some type of laboratory due to the advanced machinery, test tubes filled with humans, some still only in the embryonic stage, the tables filled with chemicals.

Suddenly the man in the chair jumped awake. He adjusted his glasses and stared at Mark blinking in disbelief.

"H-Have I truly done it?" the man asked. "Have I actually succeeded?!" The scientist still in a state of supposed shock walked over to Mark.

"You are specimen 1278 correct?" the man asked.

Mark looked confused and replied, "That is what the computer said. However in a dream a woman was calling me Mark, and so I feel that this designation is more suited to me."

The man folded his arms disappointed. "Oh…so you have picked a name yourself… What a shame. I was planning on giving you the name of Faustus…"

Mark shook his head. "No. I believe that Mark is more suited than that of a man who, in literature, sold his soul to the devil."

"Well very well…" the scientist said. "Do you know why you were created?"

Mark shook his head. "No. I am completely without thought as to my primary objective…"

"Very well I shall tell you. Years ago I had a friend who was the ultimate athlete…he best soldier the hero of the country… I meanwhile manipulated everything from behind the scenes… I was…a bit of a villain to be sure but I've repented and started to make amends… You, Mark, are my attempt to do so… You are the culmination of my life's work! With you I can fix everything!"

Mark scratched the back of his head confused. "How am I to fix your sins?"

The man quickly turned around and shook his head. "No, no, no not sins! Mistakes my dear friend, Mistakes!"

Still the young man failed to comprehend. "According to all data gleaned from my…twin…this sort of mistake of evil is a sin. I wish to know how you want to fix it with me."

The scientist quickly turned. "You mean…you know you were cloned?!"

Mark nodded adding, "I also know about the man's religion, job data, and the fact that you tampered with his DNA using temporal cells to create me giving me the power to travel through time…" But suddenly Mark was confused. "How many others?

"How many others…?" the scientist asked.

"How many other clones were there?"

The man flung his hands in the air. "Oh many! Some thousands… You were 1278 correct? That means that out of the other twelve thousand seventy seven YOU are the first to remain stable! I had to tweak with the data a bit but…otherwise you are exactly like the perfect soldier! With you…anything is possible!"

Mark's fists tightened. "No," the young clone said.

"What did you say to me?"

Mark turned in anger. "I said NO! Whatever your intentions to use me are they will not succeed!"

Mark held his hand out and suddenly a large black rift opened. "I am going now to find the truth of life…freedom…love…happiness… All of these shall become my pabulum… I have already learned enough of evil and compassion from you…"

So without another word Mark vanished into time not knowing where he was going, or when. Yet he was sure that wherever it was it would be better than where he'd been moments ago…