AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Listen everybody. This story has particular ethical and social issues, so if you are not comfortable with a male/male relationship, then I have to recommend that you hit that back button on your screen. I will not be forgiving to those who will dare fire me because of what I believe in. I have warned you quite sufficiently, and you must have to be stupid not to understand this simple English. So it's either you like it, or you don't.

Second issue. There is a lot of talk about genetics and cloning here. If you are against this, then I would also like to tell you to get the hell out of here.

Well, that's all.

Oh no, wait. Please be a dear, love, and place a review in if you want me to continue writing this. That is not a threat. It is a fact. shrugs 'Tis true, dear ones, that reviews are the ones that makes the stories here alive.

That's it then.

Yours,

Yrvin Thornhart

--

Chapter One

--July 20, 2099 (Monday)

"There you are, darling! So, did you like them?"

I turned around at the sound of the lightly mocking voice, and smiled indulgently at my friend Andrew.

"They are so beautiful, Drew. I keep on wondering how you can make them look so perfect," I said, turning back to the crystal cases, to the shadowed features of sleeping dolls that I have been staring at. "And, I keep on wondering, too, how much would one of these would cost. You've gotten a lot filthy rich for the last two years, my friend."

Andrew laughed amiably, clapping my shoulders and proceeded to slip one arm around them, steering me to the first glass case. "First, I can say that having a good, wandering imagination can surprise you a lot, and second, you wouldn't even dare name a price tag for any of these beauties. These seven container tubes house my seven priced creations. I've taken the last five years to painstakingly plan out their genetic maps, deleting and adding traits here and there. Oh, I guess you know how it is." He turned to look directly at me with an amused look at his face. "Did you know, darling, that these containers hold my most valuable possessions? These are my treasures, and if I may put it candidly, you just went in my treasure cove without me even knowing about it."

I laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of my head in that stereotypical guilty look. "I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to intrude here. It's just that your ground floor was so eerily quiet, and then this door was ajar, so I just slipped through and explored the basement. Really, I thought I was going to bump into you somewhere along the way here."

The arm around my shoulders tightened slightly. "Dear, ever heard of 'curiosity killed the cat'?"

I looked up worriedly, searching for those clear blue eyes, noticing that his expression had turned unreadable. "Are you mad at me?" I asked quietly.

He sighed deeply, and a smile graced his features again. Bipolar, he is. "Nope! Be thankful you have such a great eye for beauty, my friend! Anyway, I've been keeping them down here for so long, I think it's time someone should critique my work. Well, Beth has seen them, but we do work together so that is already granted. Here. They look much better if we have some little light." He released me, leaned down on the control panel of the first case, and pushed a button. Suddenly, soft blue light illuminated the glass case and showcased its prize inside.

I cannot explain what happened next. I felt like all the air has rushed out of my body, felt so lightheaded. My chest wanted to burst from the force of my heart pounding so hard against my ribcage. He was right. It was really different when you had some light to play along. Inside the case lie a human male. He could not be more than an inch or two taller than me. His hair was black, straight, and long enough to meander through his lean, slightly muscular body. His features were perfect, from his aristocratic nose, to high cheekbones, and lush, red-tinge lips, his complexion utterly flawless in warm tones of rich caramel. He had a long, lithe throat ending in delicate collarbones, down to a lean muscular chest tapering to a slim waist, showing the pleasing indentations of a fit abdomen, then jutting outward slightly to curve into slim hips, slowly tapering down to perfectly formed thighs, then to long perfect legs, down to the tips of perfectly formed toes with their perfect little toenails. He was so delicate, so perfect…

I felt as something hit me hard, breaking my trance, and I noticed feebly that I had been hyperventilating, and that Andrew had to slap me to gain my attention. I can also hear now, how Andrew was laughing hard as he ushered a shaken me to a chair. He laughed so hard that any attempts he did for a conversation ended in fits of laughter even before the first syllable left his lips. I concentrated hard to ease my breath back to normal while glaring at my insanely humored up friend.

When he started to finally reign in his mirth, he took one look at my chagrined expression before bursting into another fit of laughter.

"Andrew," I sulked. "Stop that. It isn't funny, you know."

He bit his trembling lower lip hard, and closed his eyes as he tried to breath deep regularly. When he opened his eyes again, he was not laughing anymore, but I can still see the remnants of mirth in his eyes.

"Luke, if I only knew this would be your reaction after seeing only one of my creations! I really should not let you see the others, darling. Or else, I'd have my hands full of you. If I were just another ordinary man, I would say you'd die from the experience, but I'll give you a chance to gather your wits again, and steel yourself. There are six others that would need your attention."

I can't help it. Even as Andrew was talking to me, my eyes kept drifting at the boy inside the lighted glass case. Andrew had to clear his throat to get my attention again.

He gave me repose of a few minutes, and then continued his presentation of his works, giving me time to share my thoughts about each particular doll. I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved, for however breathtaking my friend's other six creations were, they did not create the kind of reaction I had experienced with the first one.

Andrew seemed to notice it too, but decided to scrutinize and dice me later as he invited me for tea at the adjoining sitting room of his laboratory.

"I must say that I am taken aback of this sudden visit from you, Luke. I thought university has kept your hands full until the next summer," Andrew quipped as we sat there, a soft stream of sunlight from a slat window high above the wall touching one side of his face.

I put down my cup of tea as I regarded my friend with a light smile on my face. "Yes, university is keeping me buried six feet under until graduation, but I would like you and Beth, if she is available, tomorrow for dinner at my place."

"Tomorrow? Hmm, it must be special. You never get any visitors much inside that ghost haunt you call home ever since you acquired it from your parents. Now, what date would tomorrow be?" He twisted slowly and gazed at a digital chronograph on one of the walls, then he turned back to look at me foxily. "July twenty-first, huh?"

I hid a pleased smile by sipping from my teacup, glad that he remembered my birthday.

Andrew leaned forward, waggling his eyebrows, "So kiddo! And no, do not sputter with me calling you that, because in a few hours I will not be able to do that anymore. You're going to be legally legal by tomorrow. I gather we're doing something spectacular? Somewhere along the lines of firing those imported fireworks up the skies? I know you still keep a stash of those colorful lights down your own basement, kid."

I cannot resist the laughter that came tumbling from my lips. "Yes, doctor. I will be legally legal by tomorrow, and I really don't mind calling me a kid, old man."

Andrew gave me a playful glare, "Why you, little git!" Then he proceeded to laugh with me. When our laughter subsided, he said, "I'll definitely try to wrench Beth out of whatever schedule she has tomorrow, and I think she would be delighted by the prospect of us spending such a momentous event with you."

"You keep on sounding like it's something so spectacular. It's just my twenty-first birthday, nothing really special," I shrugged, digging my fork on a piece of peach and cherry pastry Andrew served me with the tea. "I mean, there are special privileges that comes with the age such as me able to fully acquire the house, able to get my permits, and sign legal documents, as well as get myself into contracts."

"Nu-uh, don't forget the sexual pleasures that comes with it! Not that any of you kids pay attention to such rules right now," Andrew teased.

Despite myself, I began to feel my cheeks flushing. "Andrew!" I protested, ducking to give my food my whole, undivided attention, as I felt the man across me laugh his ass off again.

"Really, Luke. You're twenty-one tomorrow. There's nothing really wrong about sex tomorrow. Well, unless you do it with someone not legal. Today though, you might get into trouble really bad. Better yet to say, that the legal adult who will do you might be placed charges of statutory rape by the state. Tomorrow, it would be a different matter. You have your freedom to do as you choose within the laws and edicts of the city metropolis."

"I know," I mumbled, looking furtively at Andrew who suddenly found me the most interesting person to put under those microscopic eyes of his.

"Speaking of, I never expected you to have the hots for delicate young men, just like the one sleeping back at the other side of that door. You yourself are delicate in feature and stature. I expected you would look for someone more brawny, or even someone just taller than you are."

"Andrew!" I protested hotly, my once subtle blush turning to a burning hot furnace on my cheeks.

"Na-ah. You cannot deny the apparent attraction you have for that creature in glass case number one, darling. After all you gave the other six tanks a mere glance while your attention kept on drifting to that glass case."

I opened my mouth to start another string of protest when the older man cut me off.

"Ah! I know! I'll let you name him personally," he said, standing up and grabbing my hand, ushering me back firmly to the other room, placing me directly in front of the glass case which was still softly lighted. I can't help myself as my eyes began to scan those perfect features again. This time though, I was well aware of my surroundings. I can hear Andrew starting up his main computer, the almost silent whir of the machine, and the lights blinking to life on numerous control panels.

But I can't wrench my eyes off of him. Like I could do this the whole day and never tire of it. Every sweep of my eyes from one feature to another, I keep on discovering tiny little details, like a tiny mole on the right side of his neck, and the birthmark the size of a coin, shaped like the tip of an arrow at the swell of his left hip. I have to swallow for several times, my throat felt so parched.

"Luke."

I jerked at the sound of my name, but thankful that I responded to the first call. I turned to see Andrew smiling knowingly at me.

"I got the systems running. I'm ready to put in the information in his data bank so that whenever he wakes up, he will always be reminded of his name. Which you are going to give me sometime around now, right?" There's that foxy grin again.

I decided to ignore that smile and turned my attention back to the beautiful creature in front of me. "What color are his eyes?" I asked because I couldn't determine it right now, with the closed eyelids and all.

"Brown. A warm, almost melted honey brown," Andrew answered.

"Oh," I uttered wittily, my mind wandering to put the certain feature with all the others. The picture of what the boy must look like came into, and almost hypnotized me again. "How old is he supposed to be?"

"Nah, he's twenty-one at that stage. But you know how a genetically modified human doll is. Their genes are manipulated so that they can stay and look younger than their years. Now hey, what's with all this questions, huh?"

"It's helping me think about his name." I snapped back curtly.

"Ooookay, darling. Don't get sharky at me. You're lucky your birthday's tomorrow, and this is the only gift I can give you in such a short time."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry," I mumbled.

"Nah, no prob. Just ask away. As long as it helps."

"What race is he?"

"Oh, that. He's sixty-nine percent of an Egyptian genetic material. I threw in a few traits found in other races. See the exotic tilt in his eyes. That's Asian origin. Then I mixed his complexion with a little number of Caucasian traits. I added a few other traits that I found desirable in the Semitic race."

"Ahh," I said, peering more closely inside the glass case, feeling awed at the mixture of race.

I heard Andrew shrug behind me. "He's one of my successful hybrids. The others are like him, too."

Then suddenly, inspiration struck me. "Hori," I said.

"Um, what was that?"

"Please name him Hori."

I can almost feel Andrew's smirk on my back. "Hori, huh? Unusual name. Where did that come from?"

I turned around to face the older man. "It's an Egyptian name. I read it from somewhere, and I think I admired the character in that story. I don't really know what it means though, but it think it fits him perfectly."

"Oh well, whatever pleases you then. It's your birthday present after all," he shrugged, turning to work with his computer to start depositing the data in the microchip nestled inside the boy's brain.

It only took a minute for him to do the process, and when he finished, he looked up to smile at me. "Okay kid. When this beauty wakes up, he will definitely remember that his name is Hori. And…he will also remember that someone named Luke gave him that name."

I blinked. "Hey, I did not agree to that! You can't just put me in his memory database!"

"Yack, yack. Stop that. It's not as if he will know you. He will just remember your name, not your scocial security number."

"Oh," I raised one eyebrow, and turned to stare up fondly at the boy floating inside the glass case, and felt warmth envelope me. I really gave him his name. I stared there for sometime until I heard the doorbell ring, and Andrew scrambling out of his chair to hurry to it. Before he left the room, he said, "If you plan on staring there all day, I might as well tell you to push the blue button by the door when you get out. I hope you still remember how to lock my house completely. I will be leaving shortly if the person standing at my foyer is Dr. Gates, and I think he will be. I have a meeting to go through."

I nodded without looking back, and heard him shuffle his way out and closing the door to his laboratory softly behind him.

I broke my stare for a moment and tracked down an available chair and brought it up front. I sighed as I plopped down on it and continued my staring into those perfect features, a small smile starting to stretch my face.

'God, I must be turning into a complete idiot,' I mused silently. 'Whoever thought that a pretty face could really stop my train of thought, and get me into extended periods of spacing off.'

I sighed again.

'But, my lord, isn't the boy beautiful. It's not my fault if I I'm not blind enough to not see it.'

And I really did spent at least a couple of hours just inventorying every minute detail of him into the deepest recesses of my mind, silently hoping that someday, I may be able to see those eyes open, and finally stare back at me.

--July 21, 2099 (Tuesday)

Dinner with Andrew and Beth is quite an intimate event. They had served as godparents for me since my parents passed seven years ago. Both were of the same age, more or less ten years older than I am. They were colleagues at the Doll Institute here in Arls Port City, as well as intendeds in their private lives.

Dr. Andrew Spence is the leading doll maker in the Institute, while Dr. Bethany Strue served as his assistant, doing most of the trait isolations and the procurement of genetic materials. Their romance was quite a surprise since in his younger years, Andrew declared his determination to stay a bachelor forever, never letting himself attached as he jumped from one lover to another. Every one laughed at him though, when Beth came into his life like an avalanche. Beth would have none of his pathetic excuses to prevent the formation of a serious relationship, and did her best to break through Andrews defenses. In the end, Andrew waved his surrender as she kneeled in front of him and proposed marriage in a very public place, flowers and diamond ring included.

Until now, I cannot fathom how two different people click into place so perfectly. I watched them bicker and argue at the table as we had our dinner, then turn and dote on me, then go bickering again. I smiled softly on how we must have looked like to another. A happy, contented family.

I swallowed the lump that had suddenly developed in my throat, and forced myself to concentrate on the conversation.

"Luke, dear, I have heard from Andrew here that you have seen his seven creations. If I interpret his yappings well…" Andrew protested loudly at the 'yappings'. "Hush you! As I said, if I interpret Andrew correctly, you are well taken by one of them. Is this true?" Beth asked me, her eyes glittering with silent humor.

I laughed lightly, deciding not to deny anything from her. "He was very beautiful, and I have functioning eyes Beth. I would be a hypocrite if I say that I wasn't."

Beth smirked. "Interesting. We thought you were asexual, really."

"Hey!" I pouted.

Both of them laughed as Andrew leaned over to pat my head. "Don't worry about that, buddy. You had just proven to me that you weren't yesterday. Anyway, you can come anytime at my house if you want to see him again."

I brushed the hand patting my head, but gazed back at Andrew in gratitude. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate that offer."

"Hmm, how about you buy him? That way, you would not only get to stare at him, but do more," Beth suggested.

I sighed, leaning back against the back of my chair. "I doubt Andrew will give any of them away. They are hallmarks of his works."

Andrew's eyebrows drew up. "Actually, I would sell them. For the right price of course."

"Well, I'm not wealthy enough to buy one. My bank account is dwindling, and I have fees to pay. I do not have any income as of yet because university keeps me busy as hell."

"Nuh-ah, dear, I believe you have a moth-infested mountain of cash somewhere in the vaults of the city bank. Somewhere around two hundred and fifty million worth of cash and gold bullions?" Beth chimed in.

I stiffened in my chair.

"I can give him to you for a hundred and twenty million. Or even just a hundred," Andrew countered deviously.

"No. I will not use that account. Ever." I told them harshly. They looked at me with somewhat akin to pity, used to my reaction whenever my inheritance was being placed inside the conversation.

"The money's just sitting there, Luke. You can do so many things with it," Beth cajoled.

"I will find a befitting organization and donate it." I answered stubbornly.

"Donate two hundred and fifty million? Are you nuts? Look at the practical side, Luke. There are other ways of spending it for your benefit," Andrew pleaded, one hand reaching out to cover mine. His hand was so large that they dwarfed mine, but the warmth it offered was sympathetic.

But I shook my head no. No matter what, I'll never use the money I inherited from my father. After all, just before he died, he made sure to tell me that I never deserved the life he had provided for me. He told me that I never deserved to be his son. Yet due to his immature death, he had never had the chance to produce a will. In the end, due to the dictates of the state law, I was given everything. So far I have lived off my inheritance from my mother, but the wealth was just enough to support me through until I finish my education. I never even bothered to check on the other account.

"Come on, Luke. Not even to make yourself happy?" Andrew pressed in, squeezing my hand lightly.

"No! I will not! Money will never ever buy me happiness! Never! My father was the testament to that!" I fumed, withdrawing suddenly from the room and lock myself in the confines of my room.

I brooded for the rest of the night, getting a little guilty from my childish display. I know that my two guests knew the proceedings inside the house, and I have heard them talk in hushed tones as they moved out to the driveway half an hour after I had left them.

I went down later to see the dining room clean, and the rest of the food stored neatly in small containers inside the refrigerator with the small chocolate cake still with the unlit candles on them, that Beth baked especially for this occasion. She has always been like that, and I can even presume that she bullied Andrew into washing the dishes. I sighed and smiled bitterly.

I so owe them an apology.

--

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am looking for a beta. Please send me a note as soon as possible if you are interested. Then we will discuss the arrangement.

REMINDER: Please review, dears! It's just that little button away! Thanks!