My name is Martin Orchard, and I work in a secret research facility. Officially we are working on stem cell technology to cure cancer, but secretly we are developing cloning technology, so that the company's elusive owner can live on forever, changing bodies as he pleases when the current body is getting worn out.
I scanned my iris for access to the secret cloning department of our research lab, and I met my eccentric supervisor, Frank Van Stein. He studied a live foetus growing in a vat, emulating the conditions in a human uterus. I studied him nervously, and he approached me. "Cloning…" he said pausing for a while, before speaking again. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution."
"Are you quoting Voltaire again?", I asked to tease him.
"No, I am quoting Harry Potter", he replied.
I was silent for a while. Why did my mentor quote, Harry Potter? I didn't think about it for long as Frank spoke again: "Behold, the fifth child of our mysterious benefactor. Also, the first child that is a clone of him."
"So…" I began, "He's never done anything like this before," I said.
Frank frowned at me and replied with an irritated tone. "Stating the obvious, are you?"
I felt anxious about having angered my supervisor. But I needed to know more, I had worked here for six months, and I was kept in the dark. 'Who are we working for? How secretive is our research? What is our end goal?'. The feelings bubbled up inside of me, and I couldn't keep quiet anymore.
"Frank, you need to be honest with me. What is going on here?", I said.
"I cannot tell you. That information is classified and above your clearance level." Frank replied.
I got angry with Frank's answer, and I lashed out. "You'll tell me what is going on, or I'll quit my job."
"You cannot quit.", Frank pleaded.
"Yes, I can!", I replied, and before Frank had the time to say anything, I continued, "What's it going to be then, eh?"
Frank breathed deeply to calm himself down and replied: "You are…."
Frank's answer confused me. "I am what?", I asked.
"You are the boss of this company, Martin," Frank replied bluntly.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Follow me," Frank said, and I followed him to the room with the highest security level. There I saw it, my dead body in a vat. "We perfected cloning technology many years ago, and you died in an accident one year ago. Six months ago, your clone was reborn, but with another person's memories implanted." Frank explained.
I panicked as I studied my dead body, and my head was spinning. Suddenly I blacked out, and when I woke up, I was in bed next to the beautiful woman I married. She smiled at me and spoke, "Good morning, Daniel. What would you like for breakfast? "