Does Love Even Exist—New Earth Chapter 8 Begins!—Being Human is Complicated
What makes us human is beyond the biological
Welcome to Chapter 8! Let’s get right to it.
In this next entry to the New Earth series, Reed and Liberty are unaware of Tao’s unfortunate circumstances in dealing with Chef (who wants his brain! That can be read here.). Instead, they are on a tour of planet Alpha with their assigned clones. What could go wrong?
Here are the key plot lines:
The genius technologist, Maxwell Rhodes, has become the dictator of New Earth and his hyperdrive technology has hastened humanity’s expansion to other planets
The secret organization known as The Formation is accelerating humanity’s expansion to other planets to get ahead and contain this expansion
Tao’s parents (who are part of The Formation with Tao) are on Earth trying to guide the political and social environment with their powers to instill morality in human decisions. Their main target, JJ, Max’s right hand man
Max’s AI—Kairo—flew Tao, Liberty and Reed to planet Alpha to save humanity but struggles with its next decision
Chef is running planet Alpha for Max and has trapped Tao on the operating table to use his brain to help him create clones that can dream and be more humanlike to populate the worlds
The New Earth series continues below. I hope you enjoy it.
All the previous entries of New Earth are located here. Paying subscribers can read the full arc on one page here.
Peace.
Chapter 8
Reed and Liberty left the Kitchen with their two clone escorts to explore planet Alpha. One clone led the way while the other remained a few steps behind. To bring a little home to Reed, it was agreed to take a day trip to the valley—a place on Alpha that resembled Earth’s western valleys.
They stood inside an empty rail station waiting for the train as the light of the two suns beamed through the high glass windows. Reed leaned down and in a hushed voice said to Liberty, “I don’t care what Chef said, these clones aren’t human.”
“Biologically,” Liberty whispered, “they are exactly human. Do you have a problem with human clones?” Liberty pulled away.
“I don’t know,” Reed kept his voice low. “Why do you care? They don’t say anything. I’ve got to drag every syllable out of them. Maybe if they acted normal I’d feel different. They don’t even have names.” The clones stared straight ahead without blinking.
“I thought you were the type to rescue people, cowboy. How about helping them be more human?”
Reed smiled. “You got it.”
Although the train was empty, they chose to sit in a private compartment. Reed and Liberty sat across from each other next to their respective clone escorts. As the red canyons flew by in the window, Reed said to his clone, “How do you like it on Alpha?”
The clone said, “The planet Alpha mission is on track. We are pleased.”
The other clone looked at Reed and said, “We are pleased.”
“We?” Reed’s head tilted. “What about you?”
“‘We’ is the appropriate term,” the clone next to Reed said. “All information collected and data produced by each clone is shared. So, ‘we’ are pleased.”
“This is getting a bit confusing,” Reed said, “let’s give each of you a name.” He turned to the clone next to him, “Since you like ‘we’, your name is ‘Howie.’”
Liberty raised her finger, “Is this conversation being shared?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on,” Reed interrupted, “you are more than a source for data. If you are human, you will have hopes and wants. You will be afraid. Emotions are a part of our humanity. Do you have emotions?”
The clones looked at each other and said, “No.”
Something tugged at Reed. Why did Chef make human clones if he turned them into emotionless robots? He felt compelled to show them a purpose for living—a meaning for life—beyond completing tasks. Reed thought of his own life: riding across the prairie, protecting his country—that wasn’t it, though. What was it then? Was he just serving another human like these clones?
Reed thought of his grandmother. And there it was.
“Howie,” Reed said, “do you ever look at the stars?”
“Every night. For experiments and for protection, we collect and analyze data.”
“Do you ever wonder how they got there?”
“It is not explainable. The answer is unknown.”
“It is explainable. In fact, the answer explains how everything got here. Including humans. Including you.”
“Explain.”
“Earth. New Earth. Alpha. Every sun, planet and galaxy was created by something we will never comprehend. I’ve felt this my entire life. I can’t explain it, but the only answer remaining is that the Supreme Ruler created it all.”
The clone next to Liberty said, “A small minority of humans, known as Seekers, believe in such things. We know this illogical concept.”
“And your name shall be, ‘Will’,” Reed said, “to remind you that ‘illogical’ does not mean not true.”
Liberty said, “Illogical is an understatement. If there were a Supreme Ruler of the universe, why would it allow such pain in our lives. Some of us had no human connection at all. There is a strong argument for all humans to be raised just like these clones, without emotions, to avoid all the pain that life allows. Humanity is a mess the way things are—wars, greed, power.”
Liberty caught Reed staring at her.
“What about love?” Reed countered.
“Does love even exist?” Liberty shot back. “I’ve never felt it. My parents abandoned me. I was raised by robots.”
Reed said, “Max’s parental robots? Those were discontinued.”
Liberty nodded and wiped a tear as she left the compartment.
Reed’s heart sank. As he followed Liberty, he said, “Howie, Will—I just made a mess of things. Being human is complicated. Share this lesson with the other clones.”