Kai stared at the broken pod
Glass shattered from the inside
Wires melted
Data plate unreadable
But something inside him pulled toward it
Like a heartbeat he hadn't noticed missing
"Was this yours?" he asked
Echo didn't move
Didn't blink
She whispered
"I don't know"
But her voice cracked
Kai stepped closer
Touching the frame
Images flooded in
Not memories
Something older
Running
Falling
Screaming names that no longer existed
His own voice calling out to someone he hadn't met yet
Echo
Suddenly
The lights in the corridor pulsed red
Pods hissed
Not all of them were sealed anymore
One of the stitched-mouth figures turned
Its eyes were open
But its face was his
Exactly him
Same age
Same scar on the chin
Except
The countdown on its wrist
Negative numbers
Kai stumbled back
Echo grabbed his arm
"Not all versions of you stayed forgotten"
The clone opened its mouth
Stitches tearing
It spoke with Kai's voice
But wrong
Too loud
Too empty
"You weren't supposed to wake up"