He hung in darkness, his awareness numb. He didn't know how long had passed, or where he was, or what was happening. All he knew was that darkness was all around.
Maximiler's consciousness was lost in the deep abyss of death when he felt a faint tug. The feeling of being pulled through mud grew, slowly stirring him from the endless sleep he had grown accustomed to.
In the distance, he could vaguely see a bright light, like the kind of light that usually appeared at the end of a tunnel. With each passing moment, he could feel himself getting closer and closer to that light, until it bathed him in its warm glow.
"Unit Xi-A has been woken up. Running through standard protocols. Life signals are okay. Brain waves are stable. No signs of rejection so far." A distant voice recited, seemingly used to the same routine statement.
His eyes opened, taking in his surroundings. Bubbles floated around him, moving sluggishly through the gel-like substance that sustained his body. The pinkish substance was a supplementary solution meant to supply the necessary nutrients that were needed to keep the human body running on the long term.
These kinds of solutions were only used to sustain clones during their incubation periods, as humans could easily survive on just nutrient packs that were mass produced in every corner of Confederation space. Nutrient packs were easy to produce, package and produced vastly less waste than any other form of sustenance.
"Batch flushing shall commence now."
A grating sound rushed into Maximiler's ears as the pink gel around him was drained out of his incubation tube. His body slumped on to he floor, unable to hold itself on its feet. Without the gel supporting him, he could barely make use of his body properly.
"Rinse them out and prep them for transport." A different voice from the one that had been speaking spoke out this time. Maximiler barely managed to turn his head to the side, catching a glimpse of his surroundings.
All around him, similar tubes were arranged, occupied by disoriented misty eyed bodies.
'Of course, I just had to get Rebooted into a clone's body.' Maximiler thought, his mind full of spite for his rebirth conditions. He could still vividly remember the last moments before the Nova Krakov went up in a magnificent ball of flames, painting the dark expanse of the galaxy in her remains. He had activated the Reboot Protocol, warping himself and what was left of his crew into the higher dimensions. According to the theories supporting the Reboot Protocol, his mind must have been transformed into an Information Form unique to the higher dimensions, storing the essence of his being until it was reproduced and put into the empty vessel that was supposed to be a failed clone.
'I wonder if any of the others got Rebooted into this facility.' He wondered as he tried to focus on controlling his weak limbs. After several attempts, he managed to get his arms under him, pushing himself up into a sitting position.
'What? Unit Xi-A is showing signs of movement. Vitals are stable. Brain waves are coming in higher than the other units. Fascinating. Get Doctor Freya on the line; tell her a Unit is showing signs of sentience."
...
Maximiler was moved to the medic bay, where they could conduct various more in-depth tests on him. It was extraordinarily rare for a clone with sentience to emerge. Although clones had thoughts of their own, those thoughts were usually implanted into their mind, making them almost no different from bots. What separated human clones from bots was their ability to carry out more human functions; if it was programmed into them.
"This is amazing! For our backwards facility to luck out and produce a clone with sentience. This is nothing short of a miracle!" Doctor Freya stood before a console, studying the constant flow of telemetry that reported Maximiler's status.
"Have you tried communicating with it? No, as a being with sentience, he is above being referred to as an 'it'. Have you communicated with him?!" One could basically see the stars that were glowing in her eyes.
"No ma'am. We haven't made any contact with it aside transporting it here." An armed guard at her side replied stoically.
"Him! He's not just a clone, unlike the others. He's capable of being so much more!" She waved frantically in the air. Anyone who saw her would know how much of an eccentric researcher she was.
"Open up the doors, I want to see him." She declared, already taking long strides to the door of the enclosed medical ward.
"Ma'am! It could be dangerous. What if he attacks you?" The armed guard that was assigned to watch over the room exclaimed, trying to stop her from entering the room.
"That's what you're here for, right?" She turned back slightly, staring pointedly at him with a quirked brow.
"Er... Y-yes ma'am." The guard stammered and saluted, withering under her harsh glare.
Freya stepped before the door, waving her security card before the scanner. The door let out a low chime before sliding open and granting them access.
Inside the enclosed medical ward, Maximiler laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling while thinking about his next course of actions. Thanks to the Reboot Protocol, he had gained another chance at life. From what he understood, he wasn't Rebooted into the past or the future, but just merely a few days, weeks, or months after the event where the Nova Krakov was lost. At least, that was what the theorists that studied the Protocol were able to piece together from their research.
The sound of the automatic door sliding open pulled him out of his swirling thoughts. Footsteps sounded outside his line of sight, opting him to turn his head to face them. The faces of a purple haired woman in a pristine white lab coat and an armed guard behind her came into view.
With breathtaking purple eyes to match her wild purple hair, a smooth chin and smooth facial features, Freya made it deceptively easy to stand out among her peers. Her brains and looks were enough to make any conventional genius doubt their ability in their field. Beside her, the guard looked like any other guard you could find. Basic human features, the generic facial features that most average parents chose during the genetic construction that most mothers went to create their dream baby. Chestnut hair and eyes, a strong chin and a firm gaze. It was almost as if his parents knew he would take up a guard job when he grew up.
Freya stopped at the side of Maximiler's bed, taking in his features from head to toe. A head of silvery gunmetal hair, dark eyes to give him a deep look, and soft facial features that pointed out that he may have gone through a childhood of pampering. If one didn't know he was supposed to be a simple clone, they would think of him as a highborn from a politician's family.
"Hello there, I'm Freya, your doctor. Do you know who you are?" Freya spoke slowly, making sure to draw out each syllable as she spoke. For all they knew, Maximiler might not be able to understand what they were saying.
Maximiler felt like rolling his eyes when he heard her speaking. She sounded like she was speaking to a baby. Well, she wasn't wrong, seeing as he was supposed to be just a few hours old in a way. Earlier, he had taken the time to get used to his body, whispering different phrases to himself. He had roughly guessed that they would want to communicate with him as soon as they had the chance.
He opened his mouth to speak. "Who I am... I know who I am." He replied. Freya's eyes opened wide like saucers. She turned to face the guard for a moment before turning back to Maximiler.
"Who are you?" She probed.
"Unit Xi-A." Maximiler had already gone through the first phase of his plan. He intended to play along with them, looking for opportunities to excel in whatever way he could so he could stand out and gain even more opportunities. Although it would only work to a certain extent, it would serve him well until he was ready for the next phase of the plan.
"Oh... Yes, Unit Xi-A. That was his incubation unit, yes?" She turned to the small clipboard in her hand that held Maximiler's incubation information. His Unit was comprised of forty five incubation tubes, meaning that he had been born along with forty four other clones.
"Hmm, I can't keep referring to you as that if I want you to be able to blend in as a norm. What do you say to getting a new name?" Freya cooed, peering down at him.
"A name? A name. I would like a name." He replied, his face taking on a thoughtful look. "Maximiler."
"Oh? Hmm, Maximiler. That's a nice name." She smiled, scribbling something down on the clipboard in her hand.
"Okay, Maximiler, just stay here for a bit longer. I'll be back soon." Freya said, then turned to take her leave. The armed guard behind her just shot a look at Maximiler before following behind her.