Alpha continued to stare in horror at his brothers’ remains.  He didn’t know what death meant, but all he knew was that his brother was gone.  Alpha was so focused on Omega’s corpse he couldn’t even notice Genesis walking towards him.  Genesis moved slowly towards the entranced clone.  He was now in arms length of Alpha who still hadn’t moved since his brother was killed.  He seemed as though the life had already been forced out of him.  Genesis could hear the orders Alpha was being given through the earpiece.  He slowly reached out with his right hand, and latched on to Alphas head.  The clone still didn’t move.  Genesis’s hand tightened its grip on the lifeless clones’ skull until a light cracking sound was heard.

                “Fight back!”  Screamed Phillip into the radio.  “God damnit, kill him, don’t just stand there kill him!”  They all could hear the cracking of Alphas skull through the microphone in the metal collar.  The sound was maddening.  Some of the researchers were sobbing pleading for Alpha to move.  Phillip wasn’t even smoking anymore.  He was too preoccupied screaming orders on deaf ears.  “Avenge your brother and kill that F$@&*%$ bastard!”  Melanie too was crying.  Her hands together as she prayed.  God please help him.  She said in her mind.  “Please help him.” She sobbed.  All they could do was pray.  Pray that the almighty god would hear their pleas and come to their aid.  “God damnit” Phillip threw the radio against the ground forcing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces. “God damnit!”  He continued to scream as he grabbed hand full’s of his hair and shook his head.  Tears glided down his cheeks and softly landed on the floor.  “Please for the love of god kill him.  I don’t want to die.  Please I don’t want to die.”  Phillip fell back against the wall and crumpled to the floor.  He was crying heavily now.  A river of tears streaming down his face and splashing down on his legs.  “I don’t want to die.” He’d say in between his sobs. He didn’t deserve to die yet.  He analyzed his life.  His father was abusive.  He’d come home drunk and strike him repeatedly before passing out on the couch.  Phillip could barely remember those times.  He most likely had suffered brain damage from the beatings, or his brain had tuned most of the abuse out.  He remembered when he was taken by child services.  He was so happy when he saw his father placed in the back of that police car while the social services car drove him away to a foster home.  However that happiness was short lived.  His new foster father and mother turned out to be more abusive then his actual father was.  His new foster father also happened to be the principal at his new school.  When he would explain to his teachers where the bruises came from.  He would make up a sob story to cover it up.  Phillip couldn’t remember the lie, but it had something to do about him hurting himself to get attention.  One day another boy in his class gave him a camera.  He couldn’t even remember the boys name or even his face.  He had told him to hide it in the living room and let it run when your parents were home.  Then you would be free.  He had done exactly what he was told.  His foster father came home furious that he had been told his new adopted son was telling stories again.  Phillip had been grabbed by his head and had it smashed through the living room table.  His father stepped on his head while his foster mom kicked him in the sides.  He could still remember how they cursed at him as he lied there.

 After 15 minutes they finally left and told him to clean up the mess they had made.  Phillip smiled through the blood and tears as he watched the read blinking light on the camera he had hidden right next to the TV.  It had caught everything.  He took it up in his arms holding it tightly to his chest as if it had been a newborn baby.  He ran to the police station as fast as he could.  As soon as he got there.   He began screaming his story at the top of his lungs.  A female officer picked him up and took him into the back of the station where she cleaned his wounds.  She had been one of the officers to watch the tape.  She was also the one who arrested his foster parents.  He didn’t know it, but that same officer had struck his father in the head with her police baton and choked him all the way to her car.  She lost her job for it, but in her eyes it had been worth it.  Phillip was placed in another foster family.  This one was over protective.  His new foster father was a biologist with a strong love for classical music.  Phillip began taking classes to learn how to play the violin.  In order to impress his foster father he desperately tried to earn the first chair position in the classes approaching concert.  However no matter how hard he practiced him never got good enough, and lost the first chair to Allen Norman.  That was when his fierce rivalry with his future employer began.  He and Allen competed in everything.  Math, science, sports, everything you could find in the high school curriculum they battled each other over to see who was superior.  They even fought over the same girls.  Each taking them out and seeing who would get the second date.  That continued until he met Rose who after college would become his wife.  A year after he met her Allen would meet Heather.  After that their competitive spirits seemed to settle down.  They both graduated high school with 4.0 averages and both attended the same college.  In college the two of them studied biology.  Phillip also took mathematics while Allen studied Latin and theology.  In four years they both graduated with honors and Allen managed to get them both work for his father Paul Norman.  His father owned a large pharmaceutical company.  There they used what they had learned to help fight diseases that were plaguing mankind.  They continued to fight over who could find a cure first.  His life had started out with a rocky start, but it had turned out so perfect.  He remembered fondly of when Allen proposed to Heather.  They had taken Rose and Heather out for a picnic.  There Allen proposed under the tree while they ate, and that night they also played a concert for them as the sun set.  A month later he proposed to Rose, and he and Allen married on the same day.  They told their fiancés that it was because they were best friends and had promised they would, but they actually new it would be cheaper to just have the wedding at the same time.  That way they only had to hire one caterer, and since they were inviting the same people it only made sense.  So they both got married simultaneously.  It was funny how the ceremony proceeded.  Allen’s father had joked that it looked like he was marrying Phillip.  After that was when Allen left America to go to Russia for the Genesis project.  He never knew that the next time he would see his friend again he would be in a coffin.  Almost 12 years after the Genesis project Allen committed suicide.  Only 7 days after the child Genesis went berserk in the lab.   After the funeral Phillip went into a depression that cost him his marriage.  Soon after the divorce Paul had him begin the Alpha and Omega project.  He focused on his work to avoid his problems.  When he actually ran out of work to do he would solve complicated math equations.  He would even do them incorrectly so he would have to go back and correct his errors.  On the anniversary of Allen’s death Phillip found his old violin.  He set fire to it right there.  Lighting the horse hair strings that in years passed had played beautiful music with his lighter and watching it burn to ashes. 

Phillip continued to sit there crying.  His pants legs were soaked through with his tears.  “I wish Allen was still here.” He said through his tears.

Paul Norman was staring out the windows of his office.  It was raining.  He still had yet to hear from either Phillip or General Ross.  He reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone.  Paul navigated through his phone book and pressed talk.  The phone rang several times “hello?”  It was the voice of a young woman.  “Hi Net.  Its grandpa.”  “Hi grandpa, how are you.”  The girl said enthusiastically.  “I’m ok.  Just a little busy with work.  How are your classes coming?”  “Their going ok I guess.” Answered Lynette.  “Hey grandpa.  Do you remember that boy that dad always had me visit.  Before he died.”  Paul smiled.  After four years she was still able to remember him.  “You mean Genesis.”  “Yea” Lynette answered.  “Is he still alive?”  The question seemed to force his heart to stop beating.  “I don’t really know.”  “Oh.” The tone of her voice was full of disappointment.  “Why did you want to know anyway?” asked Paul.  “Well if he was I wanted to go see him.  It was fun when we were kids.  He never said much, but I really liked spending time there, and dad always joked that we looked like such a cute couple.”  Paul smiled as he listened to his granddaughter laugh over the phone.  “Well.  I’ll check.  If he’s still alive which he probably is I’ll arrange a visit for you.  I’ll even go with you.”  Paul laughed although it was a fake laugh.  “I haven’t seen him in ages.  I bet he won’t even recognize me.”  “You aren’t that old” his granddaughter laughed again.  “Well it’s late.  I’ll let you go now.”  “Ok bye grandpa, and tell grandma I said hi.”  Paul pressed the disconnect button with his thumb.  He watched as the rain continued to fall outside.  Paul didn’t know it, but that rain seemed to match the mood of all mankind. 

The researchers continued to sit there.  Soaking in their tears as the cracking sound continued to over shadow their sobs and prayers.  Melanie continued to sit her legs pulled up in a chair as she hugged them with her arms.  She was still praying until she heard the sound of crushing bone and the heart monitor for Alpha flat line.  Every one’s eyes opened wide as they all stared at the perfectly straight red line going across the screen.

Genesis let his head fall back so as he could view the sky.  In his hand he still held the crushed remains of Alphas skull.  For that moment he ceased to exist.  The voices in his head that fought each other ferociously over control of the body ended their squabbling.  It was a calm tranquility that many will go through their entire lives trying to reach but never obtain.  A gust of wind blew across the tundra ruffling his hair and feathers.  The wind stung his eyes, but he paid it no mind.  He watched as the clouds slowly glided over head.  They moved so freely merely pulled along by the breeze.  It had been the first time he’d seen them.  He remembered that girl mentioned them once.  How she loved to watch the clouds as they floated by.

Genesis was suddenly engulfed by a brilliant light as the clouds parted.  His hand let go of the clones’ skull and it fell to the icy floor.  The face of peace faded away again and became icy cold.  As genesis flapped his powerful wings sending him soaring into the air.  A legion of white winged angels burst from the clouds.  Genesis knocked them away one by one as he continued to fly towards the light.  The closer he got the more angels seemed to stand in his way, but he continued to knock them out of the air.  He was closer now he could feel the warmth of the rays as he almost reached the source of the light.  He reached out his hand towards the heavens.  “Father he screamed” as his eyes were burned with tears, and a bright white light consumed everything.  Leaving nothing behind.

“The end.”  Said Paul as he closed the book.  “Aw.”  Whined his 12 year old granddaughter Alicyn.  She had long lovely brown hair and a cute face.  “What’s wrong?” he asked.  “I don’t like how it ended.”  Paul laughed “I thought it was a great ending.  There was no way to see it coming.”  “Why did Genesis Yell out father though at the end?” asked his granddaughter as she sat up in her bed.  Paul smiled again.  “I think that Genesis wanted to go home.  To be welcomed back into heaven with open arms and to be forgiven by his father.”  Paul read through the summary of the novel on the back of the hard covered book.  “Did you like it though?  I personally think it was too violent for you.”  Alicyn smiled “It was great.  I wish it had a happier ending though.”  Her smile turned into a frown.  “Why did Genesis not kill Alpha and Omega with that black sun before.”  Paul tilted his head back as he thought about the question.  “Remember when it said that the voices in his head stopped arguing.”  The girl nodded.  “That means that there was more than one person in the body.  That also explains why his personality would suddenly change.  It was a really good book though.”  Paul stood from the wooden chair and stretched his legs out.  “Hey grandpa?”  He glanced down at Alicyn.  “Why didn’t Alpha fight back?”  Paul smiled as he kissed his granddaughters forehead. “Remember when they began telling you about Alpha and Omega.  They said that they separated them at a point and both of them stopped doing things that are essential for life.  So even though Alpha didn’t know what death was?  He still knew his brother was gone, and without his brother he lost his will to live.”  Paul looked out the window at the rain that had been falling all night since he’d begin reading the final chapter of Genesis.  Alicyn shrieked as she looked at the clock.  “Oh no!  I forgot Ryan was signing books at Barnes and Nobles today.  Mom said she’d take me after we cut my cake.”  Today had been Alicyns 12 birthday.  Paul smiled “Well I still haven’t given you your birthday present.  I’ll be back.”  She leaped up and hugged him.  “Thanks Grandpa. Make sure you tell him that I liked it, and that I’m his biggest fan.”  Paul chuckled “I will.”

He drove through the pouring rain.  It was 11 at night by the time he reached Barnes and Nobles.  The lights were on and in the window was a big sign that read “Ryan Davis book signings September 29^th.  From 9 a.m. to midnight.  Paul entered the vacant book store.  It looked as though even the clerks had left.  Ryan sat at a table.  Resting his head on his folded arms.  As Paul approached he felt kind of bad about having to wake him.  Ryan’s head rose up.  He smiled “Hi.” Answered Ryan cheerfully as he wiped at his mouth.  “My granddaughter really loved your book.  I did too.  The story was really well done.  A little short though.”  Said Paul as he slides the book towards the blond haired author.  “What’s her name?” asked Ryan as he searched for his pen which he had lost in the hours since the last customer and Paul’s arrival.  He finally gave up and got a new black ink pen from his pocket.  “Her name is Alicyn.  She just turned 12.”  Ryan smiled as he scribbled his initial and wrote something else down on the inside cover.  “I’m glad you both liked it.”   “She also wanted me to let you know that she was your biggest fan.”  Ryan smiled again as he slid the book back across the table.  “Was there anything you didn’t like about it?  A lot of people don’t like how I killed off Alpha and Omega.”  Paul pulled up a folding chair and sat down.  “She actually didn’t like the ending.”  “She didn’t” Ryan asked? Paul shook his head.  “She was hoping for something happier.”  Ryan smiled again as he tilted his head back.  “Happy.” He said to himself.  The way he said it made Paul reflect on the few times that Genesis had spoken in the novel.  Ryan leaned forward in his chair and pulled a black book bag from under neath the table.  He unzipped it and rummaged inside until he found what he was looking for.  He pulled out the packet of papers.  The one on top was blank.  On it Ryan wrote happy birthday Alicyn love Ryan and set it on top the signed copy of Genesis.  “What’s this?” Asked Paul as he looked at it.  “It’s a different ending to Genesis.  I think she’ll like this one.”  Paul smiled “Thank you.  I’m sure she will.”  Paul tucked the two books underneath his arm and pulled his coat over them so the rain would not be able to reach them.  “Why did you write a second ending but not have it published?”  “It was for someone really important.  I wrote it just for her.  She liked it.  So I know your granddaughter will too.  Please wish her a happy birthday for me.”  Paul smiled over his shoulder.  “That’s the only copy.”  Paul turned around.  “It’s the only copy of the different ending.  I hope she’ll take good care of it.”  Paul smiled again before disappearing into the rain.  Ryan fell back into his chair and once again tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling in silence.  He continued to sit silently reminiscing.  “Happy birthday Alicyn.”  Said Ryan as he drifted back to sleep.