The Self We Keep

In a future where the world has rebuilt itself after collapse, society is controlled by powerful biotech corporations that have normalized human cloning. The population is divided between wealthy “Originals,” who live in comfort and power, and cloned humans who are engineered for labor, obedience, and replacement. The system is presented as progress, but beneath its polished surface lies deep inequality and quiet cruelty. Victoria Fisher appears to be an elite Original—wealthy, respected, and perfectly integrated into the social order. Publicly she supports the system, attending galas and repeating the rhetoric of genetic superiority. Privately, however, she is deeply disturbed by the treatment of clones and struggles with a growing sense that something about her own life doesn’t quite fit. When the government announces mandatory genetic screenings for all citizens, Victoria’s calm façade begins to crack. Her intense, inexplicable fear of the test leads her to question everything she thought she knew about herself—her memories, her past, and her place in society. As strange dreams and missing memories surface, Victoria begins to investigate the truth behind her identity and the powerful corporation that controls the world around her. What she uncovers forces her to confront not only the hidden foundations of the clone-based society, but also the terrifying possibility that her own life may be built on secrets she cannot escape.