The choice is yours

Day 1,997, 09:00 • Published in USA Canada • by MAS.

Cloning is the process of producing populations of genetically identical individuals. There seems to be quite a bit of this going on, like industrial forests with identical trees row after row, mile after mile. These trees derived from the same stock genetically engineered down to the last limb.



This is how the engineers like their trees: ones with a past, present and future that have been pre-engineered for them. Like all good clones, the trees are going to grow. Just as expected they will not bend or waiver from their genetics.

For years, the engineers marveled at their good fortune with the genetically engineered trees. But little did the engineers realize—something would soon change their future. Yes somehow some way a tree of another species had taken root within their perfectly engineered forest.

Some time had passed and one of the engineers gazed over the forest as they often did, when he was frozen with fear and confusion. How could it be, there in the midst of their perfectly engineered forest was an imperfect tree—an individual! He immediately gathered the other engineers, and a plan was developed.



That very morning the caretaker was dispatched with a chainsaw and tractor. As the caretaker approached the tree, the engineers could see the hate that he harbored for the tree. Before the sun could descend the deed would be done. Every branch and leaf cut down and burned, the stump yanked out of the ground by the powerful tractor and sent to be ground to a pile of pulp. The imperfect tree was gone, reduced to ash and dust, and the engineers were pleased. Through the remainder summer, fall, and winter into early spring everything was once again in order.

As the last days of spring became warmer the engineers looked forward to another year of growth in their perfectly engineered forest. One sunny morning one of the engineers was walking through the rows of genetically engineered trees when he stopped and looked in disbelief, “How could it be that there are four imperfect trees?” The caretaker was summoned and he set out to remove the threat. After a few days the caretaker returned to the engineers and informed them that the imperfect trees were sprouting faster than he could cut them down.



The engineers gathered to determine how could this be, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that in their haste to destroy the first imperfect tree they failed to destroy the seeds that had fallen. So the engineers once again would come together to plot their next move.

This brings us to the present day. What will be the outcome of this? That depends upon you. Will you be the perfect genetically engineered clone or will you grasp the seed of independent thought? The choice is yours. Will you play your game, or will the engineers play you?



The Seed of thought, from a single seed a forest can grow.
The Seed