The hall was clogged with bodies; none of them hers, but who could be sure? That was the problem with clones.
The factories had a complete set of perfect bodies, which they mass-produced. Every clone came into the world, ready for life at its peak. Alex 29 Beta gazed around the bar, recognizing at least five different body types. Every so often there were variations: dyed hair, tattoos, and implants. Even then, it was hard to pick one out of the crowd.
But then he heard her laugh. It was just like every other laugh, except for the lilt at the end. He didn’t know where it came from, but he loved it.
“Darling, pour me another!”
She was Johanna 11 Delta and he loved her. Johanna was always his favorite model, but this one was special. Maybe it was the way she batted her lashes at him, or her little sneezes. It could have been the star tattoo below her left eye, or the way she painted each nail a different color. Perhaps it was how she said his name, or the single wrinkle at the edge of her mouth from smiling so much.
“My darling! I’ve missed you.”
Johanna called everyone ‘darling’, but Alex 29 felt special when she said it to him. Grabbing him by the wrist, Johanna 11 pulled him to her side. Alex 29 felt no need to speak, but just enjoyed watching her in the neon light. Smiling, Johanna 11 handed him a shot glass.
“I’m getting old Alex.”
He shivered as she spoke. Johanna never called him by his full name, but it didn’t bother Alex 29. It brought them closer, that familiarity.
“You’re still just as beautiful,” Alex 29 told her. As she grinned, he leaned in to kiss her. It would be their only one.
