Mackenzie woke up to the harsh reality of an empty bed. The side where his wife, Aurelia, once slept was now a cold, vacant space. He sighed. He decided maybe he should take a break from work after all. He phoned his boss to inform them he would be taking indefinite leave. They were understanding, offering their condolences and assuring him his position would be waiting for him when he was ready to return.
Later that morning, Mackenzie decided to go for a run, something he did often to help clear his mind. He found himself running to his familiar place, to his local café, nestled in the heart of the city, it was a place he and Aurelia would often meet at for lunch. Today, however, the café was unusually quiet, the typical hustle and bustle of a weekday morning replaced with an eerie silence.
As he stepped inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils, a comforting reminder of simpler times. He ordered his usual and chose a secluded table by the window. As he sipped his coffee, lost in thought, he was interrupted by the approach of two strangers.
"Mr O'Connor," began the taller of the two, a man with thinning hair and glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. "I am Mr John, and this is my colleague, Mrs Ashton. “We have some information about your late wife. May we sit down?" Mackenzie felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Intrigued yet apprehensive, he gestured towards the empty chairs across from him. "Please, have a seat."
Mr John was a towering figure, his stern face framed by a pair of spectacles that gave him an air of authority. Mackenzie estimated he was in his fifties. Mrs Ashton, on the other hand, was a stark contrast to her colleague. Petite with shoulder-length brown hair, she looked alot younger than her colleague, he guessed she was in her early forties and exuded a warmth that softened the intimidating presence of Mr John.
As they settled into their seats, Mackenzie couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The café, once a sanctuary of cherished memories, was now the stage for an unexpected encounter.
"Mr O'Connor, we work for MI6 and we have been keeping an eye on something called the Alternates Institute for a while now, we know your wife Aurelia worked with a man called Dr Waweski.” (pronounced Vaveski) Mrs Ashton said, showing Mackenzie a photo of him. He had short grey hair, a matching beard and glasses.
"We believe they were working on a human cloning project called the Alternates Programme.”
Mackenzie's mind was a whirlwind of information, full of disbelief and shock. MI6, clones, the Alternates Institute, his wife Aurelia's suspicious death, it was a lot to process.
He thought back to the memory stick he had found at home. The jargon on it hadn't made much sense at the time, but now, it seemed to back up what Mrs Ashton and Mr John had been saying.
“The Alternates Programme, a human cloning project, could be a threat to national and global security.” Mrs Ashton said with concern.
The room was filled with an air of urgency and secrecy. Mrs Ashton turned to Mackenzie, her eyes filled with determination. "We need someone to find out what's really going on at The Alternates Institute and we want that to be you Mr O'Connor." she said.
Mackenzie furrowed his brows, "Why do you want me? His voice was filled with scepticism and a hint of fear.
Mrs Ashton leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. "You want to find out what happened to your wife?" Her question was a silent reminder of the personal stakes involved.
Mackenzie sighed, "Yes, but I’m sure you have trained agents that can do this mission?" His voice was filled with doubt, questioning the necessity of his involvement. Ignoring his sarcasm, Mrs Ashton continued, “Go take a look around at The Alternates Institute and report back to us with what you find." She handed Mackenzie a phone containing the Institute's location, their contact details, and a map of the facility.

Mackenzie hesitantly took it from her. Along with the phone, she also gave him a stolen key card to gain access into the building and a lab coat which was neatly folded in a bag.
Mackenzie sighed, holding the items in his hand. He looked up at Mrs Ashton, his eyes filled with uncertainty, "You really want me to do this?" His question echoed in the room, marking the beginning of a mission that could change everything.
"Aurelia was your wife and a very talented Doctor. We think her death was suspicious and everything seems to be linked to the Alternates Programme," Mrs Ashton replied, her gaze steady and serious.
"You need answers and so do we. We sent a colleague undercover a year ago and we haven't heard from him since. Something dodgy is going on there," she continued, her voice laced with concern.
Mackenzie, intrigued, asked, "What was his name, this colleague?"
"Mr Duvall," Mrs Ashton replied, her tone sombre.
Mackenzie, still processing the information, asked, "Surely you have people who are better qualified than me to do this?"
Mrs Ashton looked at him, her eyes reflecting a certain determination. "You have a military background. You served as a Royal Marine in Afghanistan. You managed to get through a very serious spinal injury. You're resilient. You may no longer be in the army, but you keep yourself fit. You go to the gym, take part in park runs. You have the skills we need for this mission."
Mackenzie, taken aback by the detailed account of his past, narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Have you been spying on me?" he asked, his tone edged with disbelief.
Mrs Ashton, her eyes meeting Mackenzie's, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Just doing our research," she replied, her tone light yet firm. "But yes, we have been keeping tabs on you."
After a moment of silence, Mackenzie said rather reluctantly, "Okay, I guess I'm in."
"Don't let us down," Mrs Ashton replied. Mr John stood up without saying anything. Mrs Ashton got up out of her chair and followed him. They both left the café, leaving Mackenzie alone with his thoughts. He had a massive task in front of him. He took a deep breath, ordered another coffee, and began to mentally prepare himself for the mission ahead. The quest for the truth had begun.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

It was about half an hour later and Mackenzie had decided to walk to the Institute as it wasn't far from Canary Wharf. He stood outside the imposing structure of the The Alternates Institute. It was a modern building and it didn't look like anything special; it blended in well with its surroundings. “So this is the place Aurelia spent so much time at?” He said to himself quietly. He thought that was convenient because The Royal London Hospital where she worked, wasn't far away from here. He glanced down at the key card in his hand, the institute's logo gleaming ominously in red. Mackenzie looked at it, it was the same ‘A’ logo that was on the front of the memory stick back the flat. Taking a deep breath, he swiped the card through the reader. A soft beep echoed and the door slid open. He stepped inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the sterile white light of the cloning facility. There were no logos on the walls, they were just painted white. A few staff members walked past him, all wearing white lab coats and some had tablets in their hands. No one seemed to really notice him. He blended into the environment, wearing the lab coat Mrs Ashton had given him. Mackenzie had slicked his blonde hair to one side to conceal his normal appearance. Doctor Waweski, the mastermind behind the institute's controversial experiments, was nowhere in sight. Mackenzie moved stealthily, his every step echoing in the vast emptiness of the facility. He pulled out his phone, ready to document any evidence he could find. As he ventured deeper into the facility, he came across a room filled with large glass cylinders. Inside each one, a human form floated in a clear liquid, their features obscured by the bubbles. His heart skipped a beat as he realised what he was looking at human clones. He quickly snapped pictures, his hands shaking slightly. What he was witnessing was overwhelming. But he knew he had to stay focused. He had to expose the truth. Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned around, his heart pounding in his chest. A woman was standing in the shadows, her strawberry blonde hair glowing under the fluorescent lights. He recognized her, it was Aurelia, his dead wife. But was it her?
His mind raced as he tried to process what he was seeing. The woman watched him silently, her blue eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't quite place. Was it curiosity? Recognition? Or something else entirely? He took a step back, his mind screaming at him to run. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. From Aurelia. His Aurelia. As he backed away, he bumped into a table, knocking over a beaker. The loud crash echoed through the facility, shattering the silence. He winced. He took one last look at the clone, at Aurelia, before turning around and running. He didn't stop until he was safely outside, the cold night air filling his lungs. He was in total shock. As he ran away from the institute, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He had come looking for evidence, but he had found so much more. He had found a ghost from his past, a reminder of what he had lost.