Back at the MI6 headquarters, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Mrs Ashton and Mr John were pacing the floor, their faces etched with worry. Hours had passed since they last heard from Mackenzie and had now been at the Institute for some hours. They had tried calling his phone multiple times, but each call had no answer.
"Get the team ready," Mr John ordered. His mind was racing with worst case scenarios. But as he looked at the team, ready to storm the facility, he felt a hand on his arm. "No," Mrs Ashton said firmly. "We hold back." Her eyes were steady, her faith in Mackenzie unwavering. "He knows what he's doing."
Mr John wanted to argue, to tell her that their agent might be in danger. But he knew better than to question Mrs Ashton's instincts. So, with a heavy heart, he gave a nod, and the team stood down.
Meanwhile, miles away in the cold confines of the Institute, Mackenzie was seated in a dimly lit room, his hands tied securely behind his back. Standing beside him was Dr Waweski, a sinister smile playing on his lips. Next to him was Aurelia, her eyes were filled with guilt and regret, a stark contrast to the cold, calculating eyes of Dr Waweski.
The room was silent, the air heavy with anticipation. Mackenzie knew he had to act, and fast. But for now, he could only wait, his mind working overtime to devise a plan.
Mackenzie, his hands bound behind his back, looked up from the cold, hard floor. His gaze met Dr Waweski's, a man who was probably in his sixties. His short grey hair, matching beard, and brown eyes behind glasses gave him an air of stern authority. His stare was piercing, unfriendly, and it sent a chill down Mackenzie's spine.
"I never trusted you," Mackenzie said. His blonde hair, usually neatly combed, was now slightly messy from the struggle.
Dr Waweski merely laughed, a cold, harsh sound that bounced off the walls. "I can see what Aurelia sees in you," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. But you're not going to stop me."
With a flick of a switch, a large screen on the wall in front of them lit up. The screen displayed faces of people, people who had paid to have a clone of themselves. Among them were some of the wealthiest and high profile individuals in the world. Mackenzie looked at the photos, his mind racing.
Dr Waweski was planning on creating thousands, maybe millions, of clones. He was playing God, "You're mad!," he said,
Dr Waweski merely smiled, "No, Mackenzie," he said, his voice cold. "I'm a visionary."
“These clones or Alternates are going to kill everyone aren't they, that's the plan.” Mackenzie asked.
As Mackenzie looked at the faces on the screen, he knew he had to stop Waweski.
“It's not that simple,” Dr Waweski replied, “All of the people that have paid to have a clone, most of them are so rich they didn't hesitate. It was like buying a new car.”
“The idea fascinated them, that they could live on forever as an Alternate, But you can't be alive and have an Alternate co-exist at the same time.” Waweski explained.
Mackenzie sat in the chair going over what the Doctor had just said and  it finally dawned on him. He remembered the rows of pods, each containing a clone, an Alternate, waiting to be awakened.
"You're going to wake the clones up and when you do, the human counterparts are going to die," Mackenzie said. He turned to face Dr Waweski, his eyes searching for any sign of remorse. "I'm right, aren't I?" That's how Aurelia died that day, you woke up her Alternate, that's why she crashed the car. Aurelia looked at him from the corner of the room, feeling guilty.
Dr Waweski chuckled, a sound that sent chills down Mackenzie's spine. "Bingo, you got there in the end, boy."
"Hundreds of innocent people are going to die," Mackenzie replied, his voice filled with desperation. "But they get to live again as Alternates, free of illness and loss," Waweski said, his tone dismissive.
"This isn't right," Mackenzie protested, "These Alternates are unpredictable, they could destroy the world."
"This is just Phase 1 of the Alternates Programme," Dr Waweski continued, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous ambition. "Phase 2 sees that everyone, no matter what their class, gets an Alternate. And you, Mr O'Connor, are not going to stop me." Mackenzie knew he had to do something, anything, to stop this madman. Dr Waweski, moved closer to him with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"So, Mackenzie," He began, a smirk on his face.
"Aurelia told me you were in the Royal Marines, serving in Afghanistan no less. Quite the adventure, I must say."
Mackenzie shifted uncomfortably in his chair, hands still tied behind his back, his gaze dropping to his wife.
"Yes, that's correct," he replied,
"And during your time there, you got badly injured," Dr Waweski continued, his tone casual as if he was discussing the weather. "That's how you both met, at the hospital where you were getting treatment."
Mackenzie nodded, his jaw tightening. "Yes, that's how we met."
Dr Waweski leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "And Aurelia, bless her heart, helped you through your recovery. And in the process, you both fell for each other."
There was a pause, Mackenzie looked up, meeting his gaze.
Dr Waweski chuckled. "Well, isn't that a sweet story," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Mackenzie didn't respond, his gaze steady on him. Dr Waweski turned his back to Mackenzie, engrossed in looking at the screen about the Alternates Programme. In the corner of the room, stood Aurelia. She moved stealthily towards Mackenzie. Her heart pounded. She reached Mackenzie and began to untie the ropes binding his hands. Mackenzie felt the ropes loosen around his wrists. He kept his hands still, not wanting to alert Dr Waweski. He felt the last of the ropes fall away, he was free. But he had to act as if he was still bound, for the element of surprise was his only weapon now.
He gave Aurelia a nod of gratitude, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment. In her eyes, he saw determination and a hint of fear. As Dr Waweski continued his monologue, oblivious to the silent drama unfolding behind him, Mackenzie prepared himself for what was to come. Waweski turned to face him, his voice echoing in the room of the Alternates Institute.
"Who are you working for then Mackenzie? Who sent you here?"
Mackenzie, bound to a chair, met his gaze with a defiant one of his own. "Nobody," he lied, "I'm here by myself."
A cruel laugh escaped Waweski's lips. "You expect me to believe that?" He moved swiftly, his hand connecting with Mackenzie's face in a harsh slap. The sound echoed in the room, but Mackenzie remained silent.
Waweski walked over to Aurelia touching her face, ‘So full of youthfulness and beauty just like the original, you know I could kill her again quite easily,” Mr O'Connor.” Dr Waweski snapped his fingers and smirked.
Mackenzie's anger boiled over at Waweski's admission. His hands, now free of the rope, clenched into fists. With a roar, he jumped out of his chair and lunged at the Doctor, his fist aimed straight for the smirking face. The room erupted into chaos. The battle between truth and lies, between justice and evil. There was so much tension as Mackenzie and Dr Waweski squared off in the dark room of The Alternate Institute. Their eyes locked, each man sizing up the other. Mackenzie, a man in his prime with a military background, seemed to have the upper hand. His muscles were taut, his stance steady, his eyes cold and calculating. Dr Waweski, on the other hand, was a man in his sixties, his strength not in his physique but in his intellect. Their fists flew, the sound of impact echoing off the walls. Mackenzie's punches were precise and powerful, a testament to his military training. Dr Waweski, despite his age and lack of physical prowess, held his own, his determination evident.
In the corner of the room, Aurelia watched the scene unfold with a mixture of fear and concern. Dr Waweski was her mentor and colleague, a man she had respected and admired but all she could see now was a twisted version of him. The fight came to a sudden halt, Waweski stood there, blood dripping from his nose and a split lip. He looked worn out, the toll of the fight evident in his haggard appearance. Mackenzie, on the other hand, was barely winded. He looked at him.
"This isn't over, Waweski," Mackenzie said, “You'll get what's coming to you."
With that, he turned to Aurelia and took her hand, pulling her towards the door. She cast one last glance at Dr Waweski before following Mackenzie out of the room. They ran down the white corridors of The Institute, their footsteps echoing off the walls. They were on the run.