It had been four years since they had abandoned the land of their fathers. Briseis had died in the final attack and the priest had promised Marcio that he would clone her. The war had been a costly war that they could never win. They lay in a campfire together with a few of their friends who had fallen asleep, already. “Tell me, again. What was our home like?” Briseis said as she stifled a yawn. Marcio thought for a moment. He knew that she wanted to know so that she could learn more about where her original came from because she was confused to be around so many people who obviously knew her. “Our ancestors had to leave their planet. A neutron star was going to pass too close for anyone on Earth to survive. When they discovered this, they devoted all of their resources to sending our four fathers into space to rebuild humanity. They found a few good leads for colonization and put them into the Centre, and put the Centre into a ship. The ship used massive sails that were propelled by light. Our four fathers had to run on a contraption at all times of the day to keep the light burning. “They finally came, here, to Terra. It was a planet with liquid water and an atmosphere of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It had plant and animal life. They selected a location and established a city, there. They all boarded onto the Centre and it landed all of humanity onto the planet, by the ocean of their choice. The Centre became our first and most important building,” he said, staring off into space. “I know all of that,” Briseis said. “Tell me something a little more personal. Where did we meet? What did we do? Where did we go?” “We met as children. We were among the first born on this planet. I think we had always known each other. There were five other girls born and six boys. I was drawn to your kind and gentle way from the beginning.” Briseis smiled at this. He knew that this was the stuff she wanted to hear. She rested her head against his chest. He continued, “All of the other children used to only spend time with others of their own gender. We were the only ones who didn't spend time with anyone else. I suppose it was arrogance. We spent most of our time on the outskirts of the city, despite the priest's pleas we stay closer to the Centre, where it was safe. We studied the wildlife in our own kiddie way, same with the plants. We brought back what we found to be analyzed. We discovered fourteen new crops and six new livestock before the priests stopped bothering us about going too far.” “When did we fall in love?” She asked. “I suppose you would want to know that,” he said, before pausing a moment. He had avoided this topic. These memories were sacred to him and this woman in front of him was not Briseis. She might look, sound and smell like her, but it was not her. Then, he remembered what the priest had told him. The clone would be her, but she just wouldn't remember everything that Briseis did. Something about cloning the body, and having to unlock the mind. She would have to make the connections to become who she was. The best way to get Briseis up to speed would be to share this with her. He sighed and said, “We were always very attached to one another. The adults spoiled all of the children; I think because they all understood that we were the future of the race, but they spared nothing with us. They would drop anything to teach us, and we had a strong desire to learn anything we could. We even learned to speak Portuguese from Grandma Aline,” he said. “I think I remember some of it,” she said. She lowered her head and thought for a moment. “Meu anjo, te amo,” she said. Marcio smiled. Briseis used to say that before... “Te amo, querida.” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “We were simply close friends, though, until we reached about twenty Terra-years. We were still children, but just starting to hit puberty. After a morning of exploring, we stopped to have a picnic under the Cumu trees, south of our city.” “Cumu trees? What are they?” “They were one of the first discoveries we had made. The big pine trees with the purple needles? They carry the fruit that not only carries electrolytes, but is also delicious. I know you have seen them,” he said as he saw recognition dawn on her face. “Anyway, we were talking about some of the other adults and how some of them were together. You told me that you wanted to be with me as they were. I said that I wanted it, too. I just didn't know how to do it beyond what we were already doing.