chocolate chip mint and vanilla with sprinkles and malt
Story: Timeless { backstory | index }
Title: A Name
Rating: G
Challenge: Chocolate Chip Mint #2: fuzzy, Vanilla #14: around the campfire
Toppings/Extras: malt, sprinkles
Wordcount: 396
Summary: Blackledge VC-11 can’t describe how he feels when he is given a name.
Notes: pfah; Victor : there is only one me in the world. What an appropriate prompt for a clone!
“Say, how about you legally change your name to Victor?”
It was Wolfgang that suggested it. They were all sat around in one of the shared lounges deep in the belly of Hamlet Tower on one of their rare free nights, doing as they pleased, and then Wolfgang suddenly had to say something like that.
“We already call you Vic anyway,” Wolfgang added.
This was true. VC-11 was a mouthful at the best of times, and over his time working with them VC-11 had started to notice that they seemed uncomfortable whenever they used the serial number tattooed on his back to address him. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. VC-11 wasn’t sure what to make of a lot of things. His newfound comrades baffled him constantly.
His expression was strange as he stared at Wolfgang for a long minute. Robyn was smiling to herself as she polished her beloved boots and Brad was drinking beer. Taisy was sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace, gleaning what warmth she could from it.
“Only if you want to,” Wolfgang said hastily after a few more moments of silence.
VC-11 sought for a response but he couldn’t find one. Wolfgang had misunderstood. He wasn’t horrified at the thought of having a name-he felt as though he had been transported to some seventh heaven and had temporarily lost control of his body. Victor. Victor.
He liked it. He liked Victor. There were fourteen others in the VC series. True, there were probably a lot more Victors in the world, but that didn’t matter because they weren’t all like him. Victor. Victor Blackledge. Victor James Frederick Milo Gabriel Russell Blackledge. How many of those were there in the world? Maybe he could find more names. Keep adding them until the list was a page long.
“Never mind,” Wolfgang was saying, looking embarrassed. “It’s fine if you don’t... it was just an idea...”
“I want to,” VC-11 blurted. If they let this idea fade away now he would never follow through with it, and he needed this idea to stay. It was important.
“Oh, right! Cool,” Wolfgang responded. Robyn glanced up from her boots and tilted her head.
“Victor?” she said, testing the word out. “Hey, it suits you. Doesn’t it, guys?”
“Yeah,” Bradley said, “It does.” Taisy just opened one eye and grinned.
VC-11 disappeared. Victor smiled.