Christ Clone

by McLeod, David

  'Mr Travis will meet us in Jerusalem. He's also told me he's bringing along a special guest. I have no idea what that means, but he assures me you will all be pleasantly surprised. The more the merrier, I say; how about you guys?' Wainright slapped both men on the back as he spoke. 'Let's eat up and get on the road!'

  MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

  Malone had been up and pacing around the room for over an hour now, and nothing was adding up. No one was doing what they were supposed to. All they'd been able to come up with last night was that Travis and Wainright had obviously either changed the venue or the date; it was the only logical answer. Finding twelve people from three different countries was proving to be a near impossible task, which in turn increased everyone's frustration. It wasn't such a small world after all.

  Suddenly, a loud knock on the door broke his concentration. 'Malone — it's Logan. Get your shit together — the reporter is on the move.'

  JERUSALEM, ARKANSAS

  Travis shook his head. He'd realized that Jerusalem was small, but when Wainright said he'd organized a barn for the unveiling, he didn't for one moment think he literally meant a barn. But sure enough, in front of Travis, there in all its red glory, was an honest-to-goodness hay barn.

  'Howdy!'

  Travis turned and looked at the large African-American man ambling towards him with his hand outstretched.

  'Y'all mus' be the city folk. I own this here property. Pleased t'meet y'all,' he said, shaking Travis' hand firmly.' Ah've got everythin' ready — jus' like y'all axt me. Ah even went 'n got the fizzy wine y'all axt for, it's inside the 'frigerator — I even cleaned the glasses for y'all. Come on, I'll show y'all around.'

  MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

  'He's a slippery critter,' Agent Bartlett said as she took another swig of her coffee. 'He's managed to spot three of our agents so far, and he's trying his best to pick out a fourth.' She was talking about the CNN reporter, Alex Cornwell. 'We could pick him up and sweat him, but we thought we'd let him run for a while just to see where he ends up.'

  'Where is he now?' Logan asked.

  'Logan International Airport, Boston; we're not sure of his next trip but as soon as we know, you'll know. One thing's for sure, we've checked all possible flight times and there's no way he'll be able to get to Israel today — plus he'll have trouble with his passport.' She gave a knowing smile.

  'Since he's on the move today, I guess that means the date is still the same. So all we're left with now is the venue?' Malone was thinking out loud.

  'Should be easy then,' Bartlett added facetiously.

  Both men glared at her.

  'Jerusalem on Easter Monday.' Malone mumbled. 'Assuming the venue is not going to be in Israel, where else can it be?' Malone was rubbing his temples. 'Is there a building, or a park, called Jerusalem around here? Maybe even a company name — anything.'

  'Worth a try I guess,' Bartlett said. 'I'll get right on it.' She opened her cellphone and dialled the office.

  'What else could be called Jerusalem?' Malone continued.

  'A boat?' Logan added.

  'Possible,' Malone agreed. 'But the thought of trying to track down a ship called Jerusalem scares me. Plus knowing the egos involved I think it's going to be on a bigger scale.'

  Logan nodded. 'Let's look at the map again,' he said, unfolding a large-scale map of the United States. 'We know that as of just under two days ago, Wainright and his crew were here in Tennessee. We also agree that wherever they're going, they're getting there by car. We can assume they'll stay well within the speed limit; the last thing they'll want is to be pulled over for a simple traffic violation, so that means they're somewhere within this area.' Logan drew a large circle on the map, with Memphis in the centre, and they all stared at it.

  'So basically, we're looking for a town, a building, a boat, or something else called Jerusalem inside that circle — and we have to find it before the day is out. I think we should rename the FBI the Federal Bureau of Impossibility,' Bartlett said shaking her head.

  'Look, if all you're going to do is be sarcastic . . .' Logan snapped at her.

  'Well — excuse me for being the realist among us . . .'

  'Ahem,' Malone interrupted. 'Lady and gentleman, can I interest you in a trip to Jerusalem? Jerusalem, Arkansas,' he announced, stabbing at the map with his finger.

  JERUSALEM, ARKANSAS

  Wainright stopped his RV alongside the barn and got out, leaving Genesis and the Lab Manager inside. The six Europeans pulled up right behind him in their minivan. He told them to wait while he went into the barn to meet with Travis.

  'Phew,' he whistled, holding his nose as he came through the barn door. The distinctive country aroma of manure and leather mixed with sweaty animal hides had greeted him. Wainright scanned the surroundings. It was a large space with a high ceiling and an overhanging loft. Horse stalls took up the majority of the right-hand side and hay bales were stacked up to the left. He smiled; it had been arranged exactly as he'd specified. There was a raised platform at the far end of the barn with a large tarpaulin suspended over it. This acted as a curtain, dividing the stage into two sections; a downstage area for addressing the group and behind it a space where he could set up the clones, ready for the unveiling.

  'Perfect!' he announced, shaking Travis by the hand.

  'Not exactly what I had in mind, but probably the best under the circumstances,' Travis said as he looked around.

  'Who are they?' Wainright said, eyeing with suspicion the two men beside Travis.

  'Ah yes, Douglas Wainright, I'd like to introduce you to my two special guests: Dr Androna, a man of whom I'm sure you've heard, and this is Probandi, of whom I'm sure you have not. Probandi was a priest over two thousand years ago; he was there at Golgotha when Jesus was crucified. He is what can best be described as a witness.'

  The blood drained from Wainright's face as he shook Probandi's hand and ignored Dr Androna's.

  'Pleased to meet you,' he said, and then quickly turned to Travis. 'If I can have a quiet word . . . ?' They moved away from Probandi and the doctor.

  'Are you serious? Or is this another one of your stupid pranks?' Wainright hissed.

  'Of course I'm serious. You didn't think I'd go to such extremes to set this thing up, and pay out such a large sum of money, without being certain of what I'm buying?'

  Wainright's mind was racing. 'Does he remember?'

  'Vividly! Are you all right? You look a little pale.' A small, smug grin had appeared on Travis' face.

  'I'm just fine . . . just fine.'

  'I'd like Probandi and Dr Androna to meet the other three scientists, while I meet the chairman and the colonel. Could you move the other clones into the barn and get them ready in the meantime?'

  Wainright nodded and desperately tried to appear calm. 'If you'll wait here a moment, I'll go talk to everyone and sort it out.' He rushed outside to find the others and tell them about Probandi. He desperately wanted time alone with Genesis, and maybe to formulate a new plan, but things were moving much too fast.

  MEMPHIS AIRPORT

  'That's just great!' Bartlett snapped her phone shut.

  'What's the matter?' Malone asked.

  'They've lost the reporter! I hope for our sake everyone's going to be in Arkansas. Have you got hold of the town sheriff yet?' she asked, turning to Logan. Phone to his ear, he shook his head.

  The Bureau's helicopter was being refuelled while they feverishly tried to find a pilot. Malone was tapping his feet anxiously while he waited — they have to be in Arkansas! he thought. Finally, a black SUV pulled up and a tall, unshaven pilot jumped from the vehicle before it had stopped rolling. After hasty introductions, the four of them boarded the chopper. The pilot went rapidly through the preflight checks while Malone, Logan, and Bartlett strapped themselves in. Speaking into the head mike, the pilot made contact with the flight tower to request permission for take off and to ask for the local weather report.

  'Roger — got that. Over and out.
' The pilot looked skyward, scanned the horizon for a moment, shrugged his shoulders, then lifted the chopper off the tarmac.

  JERUSALEM, ARKANSAS

  The group was waiting in anticipation when Wainright emerged from the barn. They were surprised to see his shoulders had dropped and his face was filled with concern. The colonel was the first to speak. 'You look like your world has caved in. What went on in there?'

  Wainright took a second to compose himself and think about how he could explain the untimely arrival of Probandi. He began with: 'Remember how we had questions about knowing for sure who's been successful in completing the challenge? Well, it seems Mr Travis has got it all covered. Unbeknown to me, the special guest he wants you to meet is in fact a priest from two thousand years ago — a man they've named Probandi. Mr Travis also informs me this priest remembers the crucifixion vividly and can best be described as a witness!'

  The group went silent as Wainright's words sank in. Each member drew different conclusions from the information. Wainright continued, 'He'd like to meet with the five of you and introduce you to Probandi, and to his scientist, Dr Androna, while I get the clones into their places.'

  The clones' guardians each had questions, but Wainright stopped them with his raised hand. 'It will be best if you wait and ask Travis,' he said.

  While the small group by the RV waited for Travis, Wainright led the clones to the rear of the barn where he went on ahead to check the set-up. The clones were finally left alone to talk among themselves.

  'So what does all this mean?' Stefan asked nervously. He wasn't the true clone of Jesus, and he knew that fact was about to be exposed. 'What's going to happen to me? Am I going to be taken care of, or am I going to be abandoned, left to fend for myself?' It hit him that for the first time in his short life, his future was uncertain. He began to cry.

  Genesis and Aloysha reached out for him, pulled him in, and hugged him.

  'We're all in this together,' Aloysha said.

  'But we look so different — only one of us can be the man they're looking for,' Stefan sobbed as he looked at Genesis and Aloysha. 'And with my dreams . . . I just can't be the one.'

  As the clones thought about their own dreams, and the concerns they'd shared the night before, a dark shadow of doubt crept over all three; doubt, rapidly followed by fear, fear that they could all be exposed as fakes once they were introduced to the witness, Probandi. They all fell silent.

  Aloysha thought of Viktor, his friend and surrogate father. He thought about the times they had spent together and the conversations they'd shared. He thought about their escape into the Russian countryside and their brief encounter with the tramp. The tramp, a strange man with a strange philosophy, but in the end he'd died trying to protect Aloysha. The more he thought about this, the more he wondered about Viktor and how his life had changed so abruptly when Viktor had left him — for what? To go off and search tropical islands for animals? Aloysha became angry. His life had been so intense since Viktor left, so filled with endless tests and interrogations, that this was the first time he had really stopped to wonder why. Why would Viktor leave him in the hands of the people they both despised? Did he leave, or was he forced to leave? The more Aloysha thought about this, the angrier he became, but now his anger was directed at his guardians.

  Stefan's mind was full of confusion and fear. For most of his short life he'd been called Ansgar, but since he'd been given this new name his world had been turned upside down. Klaus and the chairman had snatched him from the comfort and safety of his bed in the facility in the early hours of the morning and delivered him into the hands of this Mr Wainright, a man he knew for sure wouldn't want him. Stefan thought about his dreams of the bazaar, and he thought about being caught red-handed with the gemstones. He recalled his conversation with Genesis about the man they were seeking: the honest man, the truthful man, the man called Jesus. With all this racing around in his mind, there was one thing he was sure of: he was not the man they sought, and he was frightened at the thought of what that could mean . . . frightened of being alone. He feared for his future. He wondered what he could do to make things better.

  Genesis thought of how Wainright had manipulated him: the lies and the stories. He thought of the way he'd been treated, poked, prodded, tested, and examined. Living most of his life in a Hollywood set with Las Vegas almost next door. He thought about the other clones, and in particular, Aloysha. Although the lives of all three had been similar, Aloysha at least had spent some time in the real world, free of the tests, free of the prying eyes, just free. He thought about Wainright again: how could a man like that control his life? Genesis had no idea what was real and what wasn't. With all the hand-picked information fed to him, there had been no room to work out whether his dreams had been his own or an extension of what Wainright wanted him to think. And all of this had been for what? Wainright's own pleasure? His ego? Or was it for this guy Travis? What did he want with them, and in particular with Jesus? Thoughts of freedom began to flood Genesis' mind.

  Wainright interrupted the clones' silence. 'Grab your things and follow me. Time to get ready.'

  They reluctantly picked up their bags and followed him into the barn. He led them to the stage behind the tarpaulin curtain and told them to start unpacking their bags while he went to get some additional props.

  As they rounded the curtain they saw, standing proud in the centre of the stage, three large wooden crosses. Mesmerized, the clones dropped their bags and stared up at the crosses. Their significance was obvious: three roughly built, upstanding crosses, one for each of them. The thoughts of all three clones returned to the distant past and a confusion of feelings shook them: fear, pain, anger, humiliation, contempt, and ultimately, peace.

  They looked at each other, trembling. The sight of the crosses seemed to solve the mystery; it explained the glint of recognition when they'd first met. As they looked at the ominous shapes, feelings of nausea caught at their throats; they knew only too well what these constructions represented.

  'Don't just stand there! I told you to get ready . . .' Wainright had reappeared with a bottle of champagne and glasses. Frustrated that the clones had not started to unpack, he was about to bark orders when he noticed with what alarm they were staring at the crosses. 'Oh them,' he said dismissively. 'They're just for show. Don't worry, we won't be nailing you to them.' His reassuring smile was met with looks of total disbelief.

  'Look, this isn't the time to get sentimental. There'll be plenty of opportunities for counselling and the like once this is all over. Especially for one of you! Now come on, get over it and get ready — we've all got places we need to be.'

  Hearing the low rumble of a vehicle arriving, Wainright left the clones alone once more. As they began reluctantly to dress in preparation for the unveiling, thoughts of despair — and of vengeance — passed through their minds.

  ***

  'Sorry I'm late, had a bitch of a job ditching the Feds,' Alex Cornwell told Wainwright. He began to unpack equipment from the trunk. 'And the wind out there is kicking up something fierce — it really slowed me down. Looks like a storm coming.'

  'Come and meet the others,' Wainright said. He opened the door to the RV. 'Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Mr Alex Cornwell from CNN.' Handshakes were exchanged as Wainright introduced each of them by name.

  'I'm so very pleased to meet you all — for my sanity's sake especially!' In response to some questioning looks he went on, 'I was going mad last year when no one would confirm my missing artefacts story!'

  Over the past few days, Alex had been brought up to speed with most of the details about the challenge, but the addition of Probandi had put an entirely new slant on the story. Pulling out his notepad, Alex began to ask questions.

  'So, Mr Travis, I understand from Mr Wainright that this challenge is a joint project between Travicom and Stemtex. What I can't work out is why?' Travis favoured Wainright with a malevolent stare. Alex continued, 'I mean to say, it's well known you two
are intense rivals, so why would you choose to work together on a project like this?'

  Wainright had his answer ready. 'As I've told you, Alex, the original idea was mine but there were certain parts of the experiment that needed Mr Travis' expertise. And as you can see, he has a very valuable friend.' Wainright nodded towards Probandi.

  Travis was unusually quiet as he struggled with the situation. On the one hand he wanted to set the record straight about the whole challenge, whose idea it was, whose science was used, and ultimately, what an absolute fraud Wainright was; on the other hand was his overwhelming need to simply disappear with his prize and leave Wainright to it.

  'That leads me to my next question. You've been quite thorough in your briefing so far, so how come you didn't tell me about Probandi?'

  Wainright didn't miss a beat. 'I didn't want to give all my secrets away. Where would the fun be in that? Anyway, how else did you think we'd be able to prove we'd really cloned Jesus?'

  Spotting the inconsistency, the chairman was about to object when Travis finally spoke up. 'It's been a pleasure working with Mr Wainright on this project. I must admit when he first came to me and suggested we should join forces to basically engineer Jesus, I was sceptical. But after Dr Androna evaluated the science Wainright's team had come up with, and we researched what would be needed, a plan was drawn up to try to include some of the greatest cloning minds in the world. For Mr Wainright to then turn it into a worldwide challenge was a stroke of genius. It meant we could all collaborate, but still have a goal to aim for — an opportunity to prove who was best. My team managed to liberate Probandi's body and put into practice the science Mr Wainright had made available. The result has far exceeded our expectations, and Probandi has not only provided an insight about events leading up to and following the crucifixion, but he was actually there at Golgotha at the time of Christ's demise, and remembers it clearly.'

  There were so many questions Alex wanted to ask, but all in good time. Prior to his arrival he'd suspected this was no more than an elaborate a publicity stunt, but now he was entertaining fantasies that involved the Pulitzer Prize and royalties by the truckload.