Storyz I'm working on but too lazy to work on so procrastination is but a hobby.

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Replica
By Andrew Oeung

The bridge that separated our two worlds collided once more. Bring everlasting peace and prosperity, it did not. Chaos is the only offspring to misfortune.

Chapter 1

“Finally…finally finally finally…operation completed. All that’s left…is trial and error.” A single professor, wasting his life away in a plain old laboratory with nary another person in sight, set forth pulling levers up and down, pushing maniacally at buttons that only he would know the features of. Oil streamed down from the machines, electronically powered with millions upon millions of cables wired to cracked walls. In the middle of the apparatus lay a central pod of water housing a human being, asleep and tranquil. He breathed out of a white mask, no doubt supplying him with necessary oxygen in order to live. The glass supporting the human was thin, thin enough that a single knock would crack and ruin everything dear to the lonesome scientist.
“Why didn’t I think of it before, just adding nitroglycerin is enough to stabilize the compound creating him…I should have foreseen my blunder. Hard to believe I earned my PhD in the minimum time required…”
The scientist scratched his shaggy black hair, took off his white latex gloves and threw them on an auburn counter. In this room was a gray, high-end scientific computer server. It was tidily situated on the cleansed tiles. Above the tabletop was a bulky monitor with a few smudges of fingerprints here and there, and a petite keyboard that paled in comparison to the rest of the equipment. The mouse pad was bland and blue, lifeless and without any real defining features. A mouse was amid the pad, an extravagant jade with a razor sharp scroll wheel. A back button was installed under the wheel, a new attribute of future mouse technology. Beneath the mouse was a red, significant light that controlled its placement on the monitor, a well-known fact known by any curious fellows that happened to use a computer at any point in their lifetime.
A mini refrigerator stood near the light switch, tiny and overlooked. The scientist dipped down and pulled the handle outward, revealing a cornucopia of food, both rotten and new alike. There was a cob of corn for some unexplainable reason, and a malformed piece of cheddar cheese. A half-empty or half-full quart of soybean milk sat atop the side compartment, along with a canister of soup. A single, aged loaf of bread was enshrouded in saran wrap. Not having much option, he gripped his right hand around the soybean milk and picked up the bread nonchalantly. Munching steadily on his only real portion of food, he looked up at the ceiling and started gulping the soybean milk as if it were the fountain of youth. A great sigh erupted from the aged man. His hair was almost deteriorating into a pile of rubble; it was a distinct mix of black and white now, with some oil here and there from countless experiments. His lab coat was simple yet optimal, a pocket protector and a few buttons conjoining and holding it together. The printed nametag said “Llewelyn” in black, bold letters. His shoes were enamel and shiny, definitely worth more than a pretty penny. The man, getting on in the years, took off his black glasses, and was hardly astonished to see basically nothing. After your fifties, your eyesight decays almost incredibly until you’re legally blind.
Mr. Llewelyn returned from his break, and gazed at the human being listlessly. Looking more closely, the slumbered test subject appeared much paler at near sight. Without any exposure to the sun, it made perfect sense as to why. This problem would remedy itself sooner or later. The boy was in his late teens, muscles nonexistent from a lack of real effort. He was unclothed, plainly obvious due to the pod-like machine keeping him in comatose. He was average height, roughly five feet, eight inches. Even with all the advances in technology, mankind never did find a growth hormone. Whoever the boy was, he had hair as dark as midnight itself, jet black and scruffy. The hair was stylishly combed horizontally in a suave matter, like a spitting image of a prince. His eyes were shut, and he breathed carefully. His very image fit the picture of a sleeping prince in a royal bedroom.
Mr. Llewelyn meticulously enclosed his fingers on a knob that said *PRESSURE* and turned it very gently in a clockwise motion. He did this for other knobs that each said different words, ranging from *TEMPERATURE* to *WATER*. Mr. Llewelyn grasped the rightmost knob, quickly turning it to a measure he had already memorized in his mind, memorized for this very moment. He already presumed the outcome of this, calculated everything beforehand. Why bother wasting any more time?
Mr. Llewelyn closed his eyes slowly, as if exhausted from his mind jumbling about for answers, questions, measures, everything. Then he resolutely walked over to the slumbering prince, and slammed a button with his fist, causing water to surge out of the encasement.
“Warning, warning. Facilities are shutting down. Do you wish to continue with your choice of actions…” a voice seemed to ring out from a speaker, maybe two.
Pipelines aired out steam, buzzers whirred with alarm, and the whole laboratory bustled with commotion and activity. In the span of a few seconds, the room illuminated out of the dark and barren shell it once was.
Meanwhile, after all this time, the prince was awakening. He opened his eyes and brown, auburn pupils that were once hidden revealed themselves. Then, he jumped down and stared face to face towards Mr. Llewelyn. Mr. Llewelyn merely smiled.
“Hello, replica.”

Chapter 2

*CONK* A collision between a crisp wooden floor and an adolescent’s cranium shook the entire bedroom.
“Yawn~” Lloyd murmured a gasp.
Lloyd half-consciously walked out of his room, seeking only one goal; cleaning his teeth. Mustering all his strength and balance, Lloyd inched his way out of the white walled hallway, into the bathroom. Pulling out the cabinet, he grabbed the “Instaclean” Mouthwash and guzzled it into his mouth, swishing it back and forth a handful of times. Then he spit it out, applying fluoride to his toothbrush, and horizontally swiped his brush monotonously to purge microscopic bacteria on the tendrils of his jaw. A good five minutes passed until he decided to rinse his mouth out. Stifling yet another yawn, Lloyd wiped his eyes sleepily. He swiftly combed his jet black hair, straightening the ruffled hair into a downwards curve creating bangs on his forehead. Then he walked like a sloth downstairs to the living room. The living room was a bedazzling spectacle of portraits and paintings, some of his family, and some completely abstract. There was a picture of Mr. Llewelyn and his wife, holding a baby by the arms. Sadly, Lloyd never got to know his mother before she perished from pneumonia when he was a wee toddler. Lloyd glanced at the rest he had already memorized and walked out through the chestnut doorway and into the wooden porch and concrete sidewalk. He could see the metropolis he lived in, Alcatran, from here, a mystifying and majestic sight.
The vast city stretched for miles and miles, and a futuristic feel lingered in the air. Hybrid cars zoomed past him and left wind lashing at his face. The buildings were very colorful and glittery, each and every design more complex and innovative than the next. At the central point of Alcatran, a magnificent skyscraper stabbed through the zenith of the sky, going on and on and on. It was just stupefying how high and sturdy it was. To prevent a catastrophe, the base of the tower is constructed with pure diamond, to prove its immunity to any and all attacks toward it. Truly, it was a steeple of perfection and reinforcement.
Extremely distant was the faraway orbit of space. The unique thing about this world was that it was actually not a world, only half of one. Legend has it that it was broken in half a long time ago by an unknown cause. Now, the world was inexplicably held together by the ozone layer somehow. It was a peaceful life, but rather under populated from a lack of land to settle at.
Lloyd closed his eyes to yawn, but was rudely awakened by a sudden crash between him and another fellow that sent him spiraling to the ground.
“Argh! What was that for!?” Lloyd cried.
“Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to hit you, I’m just in a hurry!” the tall, lean figure apologized.
“Erik? What are you doing out here?” Lloyd replied, perturbed.
Erik Belade, typical neighbor down the block. He lived down the street, not too far, not too near, but near enough to befriend each other. They knew each other ever since they were introduced when Erik crashed into Lloyd with his tricycle way back when. It seems he never grew out of the habit of clumsiness and accidents.
Erik’s complexion radiated with genuine happiness, his eyes wide with what seemed to be a good-willed emotion for the day and the day after. His hair stemmed from the interior, and then streamed in an outward curve, looking almost like a short and stout flower with blonde coloring. The hair was matted all around, looking very shaggy. Erik had a well built figure, showing that he was out and about often with various antics and errands. He was also tall, not giant, but tall enough to be intimidating. Lloyd had always thought he was a cool guy, and they’ve been friends ever since they could mouth a word.
“Just runnin’ an errand for my old geezer. Said he needed some parts from your dad’s laboratory, probably just to get a quick bargain because he knows your dad sells cheaper than a gasoline convenience store.” Erik snickered.
Lloyd shook his head in contempt, “Mind if I come with you?”
Erik gave a thumbs-up, “Why not? Sooner or later you might end up owning the old scrap heap of a building anyhow. Pretty sure you’re well acquainted with it."
Lloyd and Erik paced down the front yard and to the sidewalk, making conversation as they went along.
“So, have you finished Dragoon Legend yet? Surely it’s been more than a year since I gave it to you.” Erik inquired.
“Mmmhmm…” Lloyd trailed off and glanced at another direction.
They strode onwards, passing a plethora of regal and ravishing one and two-story houses on the way. They passed a park, with a serene lake that rippled in many directions. Lloyd knew that park, it was the park where his mother used to take him whenever she wasn’t busy. He used to love tearing bread and taunting the birds with it, as the birds would squawk in hunger and repeatedly attempt to hobble to grab the bread. Sometimes, Lloyd was so hungry he just plain ate the bread. Bread had a wonderful taste unlike any other, chewy yet delicious in fiber and grain. Then it turned chewy, and then you could taste the rich caliber that every baker kneaded through it. It was truly one of his favorite foods. The only fatal flaw was that bread is a ticking time bomb. Expiration. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes, and eventually it’s akin to a rock. Lloyd hoped that one day one genius baker would find a solution and eliminate bread’s lack of longevity. Maybe Lloyd himself would do that, but it seemed too troublesome to knead and taste-test and whatnot. He merely saw fit to grab the earnings instead of working hard. Lloyd was knocked back to reality when he nearly walked onto the street and into a car past the streetlight.
Erik laughed and whistled to come to the other side, “Over here, numbskull!”
Lloyd saw his father’s workplace, located not too far away now from them. Lloyd was bemused as to why his father even commuted when they could be much more self-sufficient by saving energy. Moreover, no one even worked with him. He was that type of person who preferred to independently start their own business and go off to do whatever makes them successful. The building itself was rather indistinct, seemingly gray with discolored letters saying “Llewelyn Ltd.” The windows were positioned on the 2nd floor, possibly so that the scientist could work in peace without the stalking eyes of man. Regardless, the laboratory certainly appeared like a dump, ready to be discarded if it weren’t for an incessant cacophony of buttons being pressed and switches being flipped. Amidst a dead tree near the patio, a crow preened its feathers and cawed impermissibly.
Erik knocked vigorously on the door, “Mr. Llewelyn! Do you mind if I borrow some spare machinery tools for my pops?”
No answer.
“Maybe he’s busy? I wouldn’t be surprised.” Lloyd mused.
Suddenly, the building rumbled and shook scarily in front of the two teenagers. Their eyes widened in shock and confusion. Then, the building just plain collapsed into rubble. The two guys reeled backwards to the ground, swept off their feet.
“What the hell!?” Lloyd cried out.
“Whoa! We’ve got bigger problems than just your dad’s building!” Erik exclaimed.
The next thing that happened astonished both of them even more. The ground started to shake and vibrate vividly. It was hard to describe, but something terrestrial beyond anyone’s imagination was occurring. Something out of the atmosphere was hurling towards them in the sky. It was a colorless blob at first, but visualizing into something much more impending and large. This was a full-on planet, and it was hurtling into Alcatran, no, our world. The public screamed, and everyone started running for their lives, if that amounted to anything. Erik and Lloyd just sat dumbfounded, wondering what they should do.
Two worlds collided.
It felt like a sonic boom, but it soon divulged into a scream that curdled like utter pandemonium. A shockwave bounced from here to there, and everything went black in Lloyd’s eyes.

Chapter 3

“Are you awake?” A voice trickled in Lloyd’s mind somewhere. But where? He reached out to the voice, half conscious, half unconscious. Abruptly, a rock hit him on the noggin, and he was burst into cataclysm once more.
He gathered his bearings, and to his surprise, his father was there.
“Thank goodness, I wouldn’t know what your mother would’ve done if you’d gone out on me like that.” Mr. Llewelyn dug out the breathing, but livid Erik Belade. Erik coughed a pang of discomfort, but that was a sign he was okay.
“Are they okay?” A voice behind Lloyd emerged. Lloyd spun around, was met with pain, squinted, and saw the mysterious person for who he was.
“Are you…me?” Lloyd gasped.
The figure wore a crimson mantle, and was covered from head to toe with a mysterious veil. He grunted in disproval, and said nothing. But Lloyd had seen his face for a moment. It resembled him so much that it was crazy. He did not doubt that the resemblance was uncanny. Yet, he seemed to display an understanding to the recent events that have befallen Alcatran. Did this person know something more about them?
“Who are you?” Lloyd questioned.
“His name is Roy.” Mr. Llewelyn said.
“Just Roy. Nothing more, nothing less.” He said shortly after.
Roy’s appearance baffled Lloyd. As said before, he resembled Lloyd not just in face, but in voice and skin and build too. He displayed some sort of veneration to Lloyd’s father, but Lloyd decided not to pry.
Lloyd realized he had not known what had happened that caused such a terrifying explosion. He looked around him. What was now a building was now a collection of rocks. The city…was partly in ruin, and many citizens were knocked out, alive or dead, Lloyd could not tell. Lloyd did know one thing, though, and that was that seeing his city toppled like dominos gave him a sort of melancholy feeling of depression.
“Dad, feel like telling me what in blazes just happened to Alcatran…no, all of Erath?” Lloyd suggested.
Mr. Llewelyn heaved a great big sigh, and cleared his throat in response.
“It began when I was a foolish kid, seeking too much, and receiving things that would haunt me for life. I did something that is very taboo in this timeframe…I created a replica of myself using alchemy, a combination of magic and sciences.”
Mr. Llewelyn went on, “The first thing the clone did was turn on me…I should’ve foreseen the fact that it was defective. Using my copied knowledge of alchemy, he created a different branch of alchemy called necromancy, which I cannot fully explain to the best of my abilities. I digress. I know not where his power comes from, for he split the world into two, destroying countless civilizations and separating families from each other. To my dismay, the worst case scenario has occurred, and he has returned by crashing what was formerly Erath’s second half.”
“He must be stopped at all costs.” Roy added.
“I’m more interested in knowing who you are…” Erik chimed in out of nowhere.
“Roy…is a replica of you, Lloyd. I’m sure you’ve surmised that from mere looks.”
“What!? Why would you make a replica of me! Just make another replica of yourself, I don’t know…” Lloyd sputtered, at a loss for words.
Roy seemed to scoff silently at Lloyd’s phrase, possibly rejecting the idea that Lloyd was related in any way to him. He did not input his opinion in the conversation.
“This is all a little too much to take in,” Erik chuckled, not believing any of this supposed dribble.
“No, I cannot say for sure that my second replica would not result flawed in any way, so I decided to place my bets on a safer gamble…which I believed is you.”
Lloyd wiped the sweat off his forehead, materializing from stress. He refused to believe this unrealistic turn of events. He had never heard of alchemy before, much less seen his father tinkering with concoctions of magical potions and whatnot. He took a deep breath, and stared up the sky, ignoring everything he had heard, and just staring at the cloudy sky which told a thousand words all in his head. It looked overcast, but that was the least of his worries. A stray cloud meandered away from the group of clouds, outcast by nature’s ways. A raindrop fell on Lloyd’s face, and he wiped it away in annoyance.
Erik demonstrated just as much negativity towards Mr. Llewelyn’s clarifications. He had just been fortunate enough to dodge a concussion to the head, and now this supernatural rambling? Clearly, this was a dream, and he nonchalantly pinched himself on the triceps when no one was looking.
“Now that I’ve established my grounds…I would like to request something of you, my son, which I hope you do not decline.” Mr. Llewelyn smiled a worn grin.
Lloyd cringed after hearing that. He dreaded the worst that was in store for him and possibly Erik as well.