The Sample delivery

One quiet evening, in the heart of a suburban home, Laura and Sofia were playing in their room when an otherworldly hum broke the silence. From the night sky, a sleek exploratory vessel descended like a silver moth, its glowing sensors scanning the world below. Its mission was simple: gather samples. But not the rocks, plants, or artifacts one might expect. No, this scavenger sought something more peculiar — human replicas.

The ship hovered just above the house, beams of light pulsing rhythmically. In an instant, the room was awash in a soft glow as the vessel's scanners locked onto Laura and Sofia. The girls froze, their laughter giving way to wide-eyed awe. Within moments, an eye shape vessel floated across them, reading their forms, memories, and essence. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the ship vanished, darting back to the vastness of space.

Back aboard the colossal mother ship, the data it had collected was transmitted to the print factory. Towering machines whirred to life, layering molecules to create perfect replicas of the two girls. Every freckle, strand of hair, and gleam in their eyes was reconstructed with unnerving accuracy. These were not simply lifeless imitations — they were printed beings, embedded with fragments of Laura and Sofia’s memories, curious and frightened in their newfound existence. The vessel, a creature like a baloon with a glowing eye, had one task left: deliver the samples to the notorious Spaceship Zoo, a floating exhibition of exotic lifeforms. But the journey would be anything but simple.

The galactic underworld thrived on stolen samples, and countless scavengers lurked in the shadows, eager to intercept such precious cargo. As the ship sped through asteroid fields and veiled nebulae, hostile pursuers closed in. Laser beams crackled, ships spun through the void, and the scavenger maneuvered desperately to evade capture. Every narrow escape brought the printed Laura and Sofia closer to their fate.

Through fear and resilience, the scavenger pressed on, unwilling to relinquish the prize. Finally, the colossal silhouette of the Spaceship Zoo loomed in the distance. The airlock gates creaked open, welcoming the vessel and its cargo.

Inside, amidst towering biomes and artificial skies, the printed Laura and Sofia were introduced to a realm unlike any other. Alien creatures roamed the exhibits, their forms both mesmerizing and monstrous. Yet the most extraordinary sight awaited them in the Digital Habitat — a serene projection of Earth, endlessly looping, inhabited by simulations of loved ones and familiar places.

Though the original Laura and Sofia remained oblivious to the cosmic escapade, the printed versions found comfort in this uncanny reflection of home. Here, they would live out their lives within the digital illusion, forever entwined with their fabricated memories.

the story