Alright let's do this.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

 ...Clones?


Clones. You want me to go to a goddamn island in the goddamn future full of self aware clones.

And you want me to be a clone along with the rest of the madhouse.

No, no, and no. Not gonna happen. I don't care if there's a clone of Jim, I don't care if the whole damn command crew is there in clone form, I'm not going.  Between space or the clones, I'll take space in a heartbeat; flares and Klingons and hobgoblins and all.

Comments

[barelydead]

[ _{FINE he'll drop the puppydog eyes for a grin instead.} ]

It isn't even half as bad as you think it is. Trust me, it'll be fun.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

[The grin is worse than the puppy eyes. He's going to need a drink to put up with this, goddamn.]

What you call fun I call insane, Jim. Keep me out of it.

[barelydead]

But that's what you always say. C'mon. You and I, we'll take the place by storm.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

Last time we did that we jumped off a cliff into an ocean. No.

[barelydead]

Maybe if you had warned me what we'd be riding-

[ _eyeroll. ]

Fine, whatever. Stay behind. It's not like it's really us anyways, right.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

Our hands, our heads, our memories and reactions. We might not have the shirts and it might not be our original skin but it's still us. Soul's don't just come out of the air, Jim.

[barelydead]

They can obviously be recreated, Bones, if I technically don't exist anymore when this guy comes around. There's got to be a reason behind it, the whole everyone getting memories thing, and, if I know myself as well as I do, he'll be looking into it.

I don't get it and I can't explain it, but I'm pretty sure he's not the same person I am.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

Can't we just go to an island with evil twins? That'll be less of a headache than sorting out who I am or who he's not. The things in my head-

[Things he doesn't talk about, not even with Jim. The practice, his father, the divorce, everything.]

-I don't want some poor idiot stuck with them if he doesn't have to be.

[barelydead]

There's no island like that, and even if we could I'd rather opt out of that one. Have you seen my evil twin?

[ _{he gives Bones A Look - the kind that agrees with the things unspoken. I know what you mean.} ]

At least he knows they're not his.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

Then what does he get? A blank slate for himself that's smudged over with everything that made him me. It won't keep him from having my memories. My dreams.

[His guilt, his self loathing, all of that. No pretty pill that says 'it wasn't really you' is going to make all that vanish.]

[barelydead]

[ <sub>nightmares.

he's well aware.</sub> ]

Just.. forget about it, Bones.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

I can't. The damn thing's half done.

[His days are numbered.]

[barelydead]

[ _shrug. ]

So? Sabotage with hyposprays is one of your specialties.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

That's why it's only half done. I don't think I can stall her till the time's up.

[barelydead]

I've got faith in you, Bones.

[ _{small, tight, quick little smile.} ]

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

Yeah, I know you do, kid.

[barelydead]

... You are coming, though, right?

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

She says she's gonna get it finished in the next few hours so. Yeah, Jim. I'll be there.

[barelydead]

[ <sub>he tries very, very hard not to smile.

he fails.</sub> ]

Okay. [ _{smiling, smiling-- FULL ON BEAMING} ] We'll get through it together, Bones.

[oldfashionedfutureboy]

It's a done deal. We'll sort it out somehow.