Unique

By Laura Schiller

Based on: Cloud Atlas

Copyright: David Mitchell, Tom Tykwer & the Wachowskis

"You look lovely," said Hae-Joo Chang.

Sonmi-451 smoothed her blue silk dress, unused to the soft luxury on her skin, and looked down at the holographic tatami mats to avoid meeting his eyes. Something about his kind words did not ring true to her; unused to reflection, it took a few moments for her to realize why.

"Thank you, sir," she said, "But I believe you mean the dress looks lovely. I look just like every other Papa Song server."

"Ah." Hae-Joo smiled softly and took a few steps closer, until she had to look up to meet his eyes. "Your definition of beauty, then, is of something rare or unique?"

"Yes."

She could not have expressed it in so few words, but it was how she felt. The video clip from the lost-and-found bin had been beautiful, with its wood-panelled, candlelit room and the old gentleman's brave defiance. Hae-Joo's apartment was beautiful, with its walls that changed color like something out of a dream. They were transparent now, showing her an ocean of city lights, glittering like jewels in the dark. The blue dress was beautiful. What was her common fabricant face compared to all this?

"Then let me show you something truly rare," said Hae-Joo.

He placed a gentle hand on her back, turned her around to face the wall, and brushed his hand over the four panels in front of them until they became reflective. She saw herself standing in an unfamiliar place, confusion in her wide dark eyes, her skin very white against the deep blue silk. She saw Hae-Joo standing behind her, both hands on her shoulders, looking back at her with grave admiration.

"Not one in a thousand Papa Song servers would have dared to come with me," he said. "And not one in a million would have answered me as you just did. You are brave, Sonmi-451, and you are intelligent. That is what makes you beautiful to me."

Her reflection blushed. She turned away from it to look up into Hae-Joo's face, to see that blend of secrecy and honesty, severity and softness, that she already knew was unique to him.

"Then you are beautiful as well," she told him.

For the first time since their meeting, she heard him laugh out loud.