Apparently most people don't remember their first moments; the Clone remembers hers vividly. The hiss of sealed air escaping her stasis pod. The mist parting before her eyes, revealing a woman's face. Her lips moved as she spoke, her dark complexion shining as the moisture hit her skin. Even after she learned to speak, the Clone couldn't remember what the runaway Cerberus agent had said to her that day. But she'd never forget the spark in her eyes.
The Clone's legs failed her as she moved out of the pod, crumbling to the floor. Goosebumps covered her skin, and her hands and knees went numb against the cold tiles. Water streamed down her skin to the floor, to the drain. Why did the floor have a drain?
"Are you alright?" A blue woman—an Asari- in lab clothes reached for her.
The first woman batted her hand away. "Leave it alone."
Cold. She felt so cold.
"But—"
"We need to see if the implants are working." Turning to her, the first woman folded her arms. "Stand."
Stand. She felt each spark as it fired across her brain cells, giving meaning to the command—but her legs felt so stiff. A hiss escaped her mouth as she wobbled to her feet. "Name?"
The Asari's eyes lit up, and she covered her mouth. Surprise, likely. Admiration. Satisfaction. Why?
"You may call me Hope Lillium." Hope reached out her hand, letting the other drop to her hip.
Another spark. Handshake—a common, formal greeting among humans. Her species. She met Hope's hand with her own. "My name?"
The Asari opened her mouth, and Hope waved her off. "One day, you'll be Commander Jane Shepard, First Council Spectre, and pride of the Alliance Navy."
Her head ached with all the new information, but none of it had the answer she yearned for. "Now?"
Hope frowned, and the Asari sighed. "You have no name."
The Asari rolled her eyes. "Clearly, we're done here. So if you don't mind, I have actual work to do." She made for the door.
Hope pulled something from her holster. A gun. It beeped as she hit her hand against it-the safety. "Normally, I'd kill you, Thanoptis, but I need insurance that the clone's new implants won't fail."
Clone? A copy of an organic life form. Rare. Most died. Others failed to mimic the original.
"Goddess." Thanoptis froze, hissing the words under her breath. "You can't keep me in this forgotten lab. Someone at work will miss me. And you can't keep a gun to my head while I'm at work." She started to smile towards the end.
"You're right." Hope smiled too. "But I do know where you sleep." She walked closer. "And there's nowhere you can hide that I won't find you."
Thanoptis snarled. "I already told you. I perfected the implants on Okeer's Krogan. They won't fail. May I leave now?"
"Of course. We'll be right behind you." The door hissed shut, leaving them alone.
Shivering again, the clone hugged her middle. A soft hiss slipped from her lips.
Hope blinked at her. "Oh. Right. You must be freezing." She walked over to a locker next to the lab equipment…next to the pod the clone had come from. She pulled out a small stack of clothes. "Here. These should be just your size."
Another spark. Warmth flooded the clone's cheeks. A blush. Only then did she realize she had been naked this entire time. She put the clothes on, or tried to, really. Hope reached over, helping her with firm, precise touches. The clone felt a small spark each time she did. Why?
The implants reacted, flooding her brain with a cacophony of images, deepening the blush on her cheeks. If Hope noticed, she didn't remark on it. "Come on." She slid a hoodie over the clone's head, hiding her face. "Let's get you out of here."