At this point in Orphan Black’s third season, we still have more questions than answers (as expected). Despite the dark secrets and the increasingly complicated conspiracy, one thing is certain: Sarah and her sister clones (all Tatiana Maslany) are special, special enough to hunt, lie to and protect. So that begs the questions: how were they made and why? Are the answers just based on the Neolution movement, enabling human beings to gain control of their evolution through science? Why do Leda clones appear to be more valued than Castor clones, who are strictly controlled and abused by some sort of military-run operation? It remains to be seen if the actual project names “Leda” and “Castor” could provide us with any clues to the clones’ origins.

Following Greek mythology, Leda was wife to Spartan King Tyndareus. Zeus, taking on the form of a swan, seduced Leda the same night she spent with the king, resulting in the births of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and twins Castor and Pollux, who all hatched from two eggs. It remains uncertain as to which children hatched from which egg, making some of them half-immortal or simply mortal. It’s commonly accepted that Helen was Zeus’ daughter, endowing her with divine perks.

If the names Leda and Castor intimate how the clones were created, what does this mean? It means Sarah and her sisters could be even more important than meets the eye. Whatever genetic material was used to create the Leda clones (specifically Sarah and Helena) may not have been completely human, dare we even say alien. Consider Sarah Manning and her twin sister, Helena (we could easily say Helen of Troy; in season three she’s been kidnapped, and a war is brewing as a result), and how they’re both able to conceive while all the other clones are sterile by design. And not only that, recall what happened to Sarah’s daughter, Kira (Skyler Wexler), when she was hit by a car in the first season. Kira’s life-threatening injuries all but vanished shortly after the accident, possibly revealing she’s inherited some special abilities from her mother.

Perhaps Project Castor and Project Leda received their names in the same respect that sailing vessels, cleaning products and cars are named after Greek gods and heroes. But it’s also quite possible that these project titles provide a nudge in a direction viewers should be looking. Prolethean leader Henrik (Peter Outerbridge) was so convinced of Helena’s special genes that he not only impregnated Helena, but made his daughter, Gracie (Zoe De Grand Maison), a surrogate for Helena’s offspring. The Proletheans do questionable things and follow an even sketchier path, but they do so because they claim to have a higher purpose, as stated by Gracie’s mother. They almost seem to understand the clones’ origins better than most despite dubbing them abominations.

What remains apparent is that Sarah and Helena have a uniquely desirable genetic makeup, constantly thrusting them and their loved ones in harm’s way. They’re not supposed to be able to conceive, yet Sarah has Kira and Helena is pregnant. It’s also clear that Kira is no ordinary child; she can rapidly heal from serious injuries and probably holds the key to curing Cosima, who appears to be recovering from her illness in Season 3 just by being around Kira (and of course her stem cells). It’s hard to say who or what created the clones at this point, who/what Leda, Zeus and Castor may represent in the equation, but it seems safe to assume the truth may turn out to be as mind-bending as the series thus far.