Another Me by Cathy MacPhail Read Free Book Online Page A

subject, and I had another rehearsal tonight. Under the desk I had my
Macbeth
script open and was trying to memorise the lines.
    Suddenly, I was given a dunt that almost sent me flying off my seat. I looked up and Dawn was mouthing at me, wide-eyed, urging me to listen to the teacher. I looked up at him, baffled, and then I did listen. As I realised what he was talking about, my eyes went as wide as Dawn’s.
    Clones.
    He was talking about clones.
    How, by taking a simple DNA sample from one creature we now had the technology to copy that creature exactly.
    Hair by hair, bone by bone, cell by cell.
    â€˜Can they do it with human beings, sir?’ I called out,interrupting him and taking the whole class by surprise. Taking myself by surprise too. I was thinking aloud.
    Mr Hardie blinked, surprised too by my interest. ‘In the realms of science fiction, yes. They’ve been cloning people for years in movies. But so far, in real life, it’s never been done.’
    â€˜As far as you know?’ I said.
    There was a giggle from the back of the class. Monica. ‘Maybe that’s the answer, Fay. You’ve been cloned.’ She laughed like a horse and explained to the teacher. ‘You see, sir, our Fay here, keeps thinking somebody’s impersonating her. Pretending to be her. As if one of her wasn’t enough.’ She made a face at me when she said that. I swear if she’d been sitting close to me I would have slapped her. ‘Do you think that’s the answer, sir? Has she been cloned?’
    Mr Hardie answered kindly. ‘Probably there is a much more mundane explanation. Mistaken identity, Fay. Happens all the time. That’s why the reliability of eye witness identification is being called into question.’
    He smiled at me. But I had to know more, in spite of the amusement I was causing for Monica and her friends. ‘But, sir, if they could actually clone human beings, could you ever tell the difference?’
    He sat up on his desk. ‘Let’s put it this way, Fay. If I was to clone you, no one could tell the difference. Not at first. But if your clone wore different clothes, cut her hair in a different style, or dyed it a different colour, if she started developing different habits to you, smoking, biting her nails. You’d soon hardly see the resemblance. Do you understand?’
    I thought I did. A clone was only your mirror image in those first few seconds of creation. After that, it took on its own identity, became its own person.
    As we sat in the auditorium for rehearsals that night Monica couldn’t resist having another go at me. ‘You really are pathetic. Clones! Do you realise how stupid you sounded?’
    â€˜What is all this anyway?’ Drew Fraser came over and joined in. ‘I’m really fascinated by the idea of clones. I’m always looking up things like that on the Internet.’ He was staring at me as if for the first time. ‘I mean ... are you the real Fay, or the clone? And how would I know which was which?’
    I was sure he was making a fool of me. ‘Stop talking as if I was someone out of one of your stupid horror films!’
    â€˜I’m trying to be serious for once. I really am interested.’
    Of course I didn’t believe that. I knew Drew Fraser too well.
    â€˜Anyway, why would you care!’ I snapped at him, and began to push past him.
    â€˜Because I’m your husband, Lady Macbeth! It’s my business to know!’ he shouted after me, and that had everybody laughing.
    Everybody except me, and Monica. I could hear her say loudly to Drew, ‘It would be easy to tell which was which, Drew, son. The clone would be the one who could remember the lines.’

Chapter Thirteen
    Now, another idea had taken hold. Clones. Was that the answer? Had I been cloned without even knowing it?
    I decided that as soon as I had the chance I would raid the library, read everything I could about