The Cuckoo's Boys

A very wealthy man clones himself. But not just once and not inside any ordinary laboratory. No, Phillip Stevens produces a disease that infects fertile women, taking over their reproductive systems, and more than a decade later the world struggles to make room for hundreds of thousands of boys, each one carrying Phillip's face as well as a unique set of burdens.

"Build a starship. And I want you to tell me all about it. Its name. How big it is. What is it made from? Tell me about its power plant and engines. How many are in the crew, and what are their names? They deserve names. Are they human, and if not, what? Draw them for me, and draw your ship, too. Do you have weapons on board? If so, what kinds? You might want to carry some little scout ships along for the ride. Anything else that you might think is useful, I'll let you bring. Plus there's one piece of gear that I’m putting on board. It's a box. A box about this big. Inside is a wormhole. Open its lid, and the wormhole swallows your ship, transporting it to somewhere else. You'll travel through space and through time. Or maybe you'll leave our universe entirely.
There's no way to know what happens next.
It's all up to me.
My name's Houston Cross. Call me Mr. Cross, or Houston. I'm going to be your science mentor for the year."

Robert Reed is the author of several hundred published stories and more than a dozen novels. He won a Hugo in 2007 for his novella, "A Billion Eves."