Son

  ____

  A term used to indicate the life a mother gives, A male descendant. To follow in the footsteps of the leaders before him. Two forces can sway its ongoing mind—

  Love and legacy, Fear and fury. He learns to carry the weight of what will be. Guided by the hands that shaped him. Yet driven by the desires that form him. A son, not just by blood, But by choice, by action, by will.

  ——

  Ｔｈｅ ｌｏｗｅｒ ｃｏｍｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔ ｉｓ ａｎ ａｒｅａ ｆｏｒｂｉｄｄｅｎ

  Roman wasn’t sure how to get in—or to get out. Cameras lined the building. Spread around like hives of wasps. The clock ticked on the wall; time wasn’t on his side. Maybe he shouldn’t have said he’d do it alone. Roman shook away his thoughts, if something were to go wrong it’d be on him. He gave the disc away. It was an honest mistake, sometimes good can cost a little bad.

  Roman walked through the corridors, his usually friendly face became tense with lingering thoughts of what could happen.

  Memories surfaced: his mom teaching him to play catch, showing him how to do his hair when she couldn’t be there. She pointed out the stars, the Milky Way, and distant galaxies. She taught him what it meant to be family, letting him be both the older and younger brother. He was grateful—so grateful. And it hurt. He loved her more than anything, and the thought that she might suffer because of him twisted his gut, clenched his heart. It felt like something was about to tear through his chest.

  Before he knew it, he was at the door.

  The door that led him downstairs.

  His mouth became dry, his heart beating against his chest, banging to jump out.

  In and out.

  Make an excuse.

  He was worried?

  No…

  That was to see through.

  Tell her about Mike? No. Then the company will know.

  But did he even care about the company…? They gave him a good life?

  Sure— They gave all of them a good life. They’re about to allow them to travel off—planet.

  Roman glanced at the keypad beside the door, he forgot it was there.

  “You need something, kid?” A voice called out to him. It was an older woman. Her voice was deep but not wise. It was rough, it sounded like he laughed a lot.

  “Need to see my mom.” Roman said. “I was gonna wait for her here.”

  The woman came closer, eyeing Roman suspiciously. “Who’s your mom?”

  “MU-TH-UR,” Roman replied, his voice becoming softer.

  “Oh you’re one of hers…you got your badge on you?”

  “Nah, left it at home,” Roman says.

  “M’kay,” the woman took out his badge and scanned it. The tiny screen in green showed a welcome sign with the woman’s name, Blake Jacob. He knew that name—

  “Don’t stay in there too long,” the woman says, taking her leave.

  Roman thanked the woman quickly and headed inside. As soon as he stepped in, it felt like all the sounds in the world went silent. One foot through the door, and a chill crawled up his spine. It was cold—unnaturally cold. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He knew that. But he had to be.

  As he moved deeper, he noticed different rooms lining the hallway. Some had clear windows; he figured they were two-way mirrors.

  “Shit, this place is huge…” Roman grumbled as he moved quickly down the hallway. The clock ticked in his mind with each room he passed, his anxiety growing as he crossed beneath every camera. Reaching a door, he noticed a strange, otherworldly blue light spilling through the cracks. Holding his breath, Roman slowly opened the door and peered inside.

  The room was dark and colder than the hallway. The eerie blue light cast enough glow for him to make out the floor. Furrowing his brow, Roman spotted something large—almost the size of a boulder—lying there. He leaned in further, though his body stayed outside the doorway.

  The object was strange, with an opening on top. Four petals began to slowly unfurl. Roman didn’t wait to see more. He slammed the door shut.

  “Nope,” he sneered, hurrying down the hallway.

  He paused for a moment, catching his breath in the silence. Then he heard it—a faint, muffled banging sound. His body stiffened with hesitation, the hairs on his neck rising.

  The sound grew louder as he moved toward it, then abruptly stopped. Roman looked around, spotting a two-way mirror at the corner of the hall. He moved closer, peering inside.

  His eyes widened in shock. On the floor lay a body. Something clung to the person’s face, twitching as it tightened its grip.

  “What the fuck—what the fuck—” Roman gasped, stumbling back.

  “Son.”

  Roman turned around, his mom stood in front of him, her expression unreadable. “Why are you here? This area is restricted for those without higher clearance. You know that.”

  Roman looked back at the body behind the mirror, “What is that…?”

  Mother peered at the mirror, staring at it slightly. “A parasitic stage two life form.”

  “A what—?”

  “Come,” she said, her tone also unreadable. Roman followed her, his pace matching hers.

  “Mom, do you still— do you still have the disc?” Roman asked in his tone, nervous and unsure. He felt like a child, he wanted to grab her arm for some reason. He wanted to leave, but he needed the disc.

  “Yes.”

  Roman furrowed his brow, his mom led him back to the blue lit room he just came across.

  “Rowen thinks it might be glitched because of the android’s head damage, can I take it to her so she can check it?”

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “No. This disc was rather useful, the company needs the information and has already made plans.”

  “Oh..okay… Well, Rowen still needs to see the disc mom.”

  “I am sorry to disappoint you, but I was authorized to not hand it over.”

  “Right— okay then, can you come with me then? So she can just look at it while you're there?”

  “No.”

  Mother opened the door slightly, just as before the petals to the odd looking rock on the floor opened up again. Roman took a step back, “Mom…?”

  “Yes?”

  “What is that thing—“

  Roman looked at his mom, a mixture of uncertainty and fear surfaced in his eyes.

  “The perfect organism,” she said, her tone flat. “Stage one. Come look.”

  Roman felt a lump in his throat as he asked her, “What makes it perfect?”

  Roman's mother glanced at him, her eyes cold and calculating. “It’s flawless in its design,” she said. “A life form engineered to bypass host defenses with absolute precision. No mistakes, no failures.”

  Roman’s pulse quickened, his eyes darting between his mother and the strange object pulsing with an eerie, rhythmic light in the center of the room. “Consumed…? What are you talking about?”

  “Parasitic perfection,” she continued, unbothered by his distress. “It bonds with the nervous system, then spreads throughout the body. Stage one establishes the connection. By stage two, it fully takes over the host.”

  Roman swallowed hard. “And that thing behind the mirror… it’s a host?”

  “Yes.” Her tone was devoid of empathy. “A failed one.”

  Roman’s voice became softer, the gravity of what he was hearing sinking in. “You’re using people for this?”

  “Only those who have agreed,” she said flatly. “The benefits far outweigh the costs. Humans have too many flaws that—”

  “Agreed?! Who agreed to that?!” Roman took a step forward, “Do you hear yourself right now!?”

  “What is right and wrong is subjective, son. The disc holds everything the company needs to finalize the research, and it’s far too important to hand over to my daughter or anyone else.”

  Roman's breath hitched, his mind racing as the weight of her words pressed on him. His mother finally turned to face him fully, her eyes piercing into his. “I need you to understand, son. This is evolution.”

  Roman stood there he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

  “Mom…?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s your primary objective?” Roman asked, backing away slowly, his eyes darting to the door as it opened wider with each passing second. Her stare pierced through him.

  The warmth that once filled her eyes—the familiar, caring confusion—had drained away. Roman was staring into a black void now.

  “To do what’s best…for you.”

  Roman shook his head, his voice strained. “Close the door…”

  “You don’t understand, son. You’re weak. Flawed. But I can fix you. The creature—it’s not an enemy. It’s a gift.”

  Roman’s stomach churned. “Close the fucking door—”

  Clutching the doorframe, her grip tightened unnervingly. With a sudden, violent motion, she yanked the door off its hinges, the metal groaning as it gave way in her hands.

  “I know what’s best,” she said, her voice low but filled with an eerie certainty. She turned slowly to face him, the torn door still clutched in her hand.

  “I am your mother.”

  . . .

  Seze’s eyes snapped open hearing the sound of the front door opening and Bryn’s angry voice. Seze got out of bed, slapping Jude’s chest a few times to wake him up. Rushing to the door, Seze yanked it open, confusion and frustration evident on her face as her dark brown eyes glared at her curly haired friend.

  “Who’s this?” Bryn pointed her jeweled finger at Sunny. Seze moved into the living room area, her eyes immediately landing on Sunny’s anxious face. Sunny looked like a deer in headlights, her body seemingly shaking trying to merge herself into the couch.

  “Chill out. Her name is Sunny, Sunny this is Bryn… Mom brought her here— “

  “Yeah yeah whatever, where the fuck is Roman?” Bryn snaps.

  “Language!” Seze raised her brow, “He’s with Rowen and Philly. Why?”

  “Someone saw him go downstairs,” Bryn huffed. “If the chairmen see him that’s gonna fuck everything up for us.”

  “Can you calm down?” Seze let out a sharp exhale. “Okay first off, why did you even come home instead of going to get him.?

  “I thought he’d be back here by now, but apparently not–”

  Jude yawned walking up behind Seze, “What’s happening?” he asked while rubbing his eyes.

  “Roman went downstairs,” Seze hummed. To which Jude’s mouth went agape. “How’d he get down there without a key?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Bryn huffed, pacing anxiously.

  “Let’s just wait for him to get back then, no biggie,” Seze said, leaning back against the wall with an exaggerated shrug.

  “No BIGGIE?” Bryn scoffed, whirling around to face her. “Yes, biggie! Mom is definitely gonna get upset.”

  Seze crossed her arms. “She’s an android, Bryn. Remember? She can’t express emotions like that.”

  “She’s still our mom!” Bryn snapped, her voice rising as she jabbed a finger in Seze’s direction. “And if she finds out Roman’s missing, it’s gonna be on us.”

  “And you need to calm down,” Seze shot back, her gaze narrowing. “Go get Roman yourself then. Or, I don’t know, maybe try finding Rowen or Philly instead of throwing a fit.”

  Bryn clenched her fists, jaw tight. She hated when Seze tried to act like she knew better. “Fine,” she muttered. “But if something happens, you’ll be the one explaining it to her.”

  Bryn stormed out of the room, leaving in such a hurry that the door swung shut behind him with a loud thud. Seze let out a sigh of relief, the tension in her body loosening.

  “Why’d she even come here—” she muttered under her breath, more to herself than anyone else.

  “Bryn walked all the way over here because she didn’t want to go by herself, you know that,” Jude said softly, trying to calm Seze down.

  Seze nodded, her eyes drifting toward Sunny. “I’m sorry about that.”

  Sunny didn’t move or respond, only looked down, her expression unreadable. The silence from her felt heavy, almost like it deepened the awkwardness in the room. Seze shifted uncomfortably, wishing things hadn’t gotten so tense.

  Jude coughed, breaking the awkward silence. “Do you want to go? We can also give Sunny a tour of the place,” he suggested, glancing between Seze and the still-quiet Sunny.

  Seze hummed thoughtfully, then shrugged. “Sure. We can probably pick up some clothes for her too,” she added, her tone more relaxed now that Bryn had left. She gave Sunny a quick look, wondering what she was thinking behind that silence.

  Sunny remained still, but Seze decided not to press her, figuring she’d open up when she was ready.

  . . .

  Bryn stormed down the corridor, her heart pounding in frustration. She couldn’t believe Seze was acting so calm, like everything was no big deal. Roman was missing, and they were all supposed to be in this together. She’s still our mom, she had wanted to shout at Seze one more time, but it wouldn’t have changed anything.

  As she reached the end of the hall, Bryn kicked a loose pebble, sending it skittering across the floor. “Why am I always the one who cares?” she muttered under her breath. The thought of her mom finding out made her stomach twist. Android or not, their mom had rules—rules they had to follow, and Bryn knew they were skating on thin ice.

  She paused at the entrance of the compound, unsure where to go next. Rowen and Philly were probably off doing their own thing, as usual, and she didn’t really want to run into either of them right now. I’ll just find Roman myself, she thought, squaring her shoulders.

  But as Bryn set out across the yard, scanning for any sign of Roman, doubt crept in. What if something actually happened to him? Her throat tightened at the thought, but she forced herself to keep moving. He’d gone off on his own before, hadn’t he? He was fine. He had to be fine.

  Still, the gnawing worry didn’t let up. And all she could think was that if something was wrong, she should’ve stopped him from leaving in the first place.

  Before she knew it she reached the hallway that led to downstairs, pausing in her tracks seeing a familiar robotic face. “Daughter.”

  “Mom— um— I’m sorry about Roman… I didn’t know he was gonna go down there, I’ll get him and scold him.”

  “There’s no need.”

  Bryn hesitated, feeling her stomach twist. Her mother’s voice sounded almost…different. Calm but with an odd undercurrent, as if there was more she wasn’t saying.

  “What do you mean, ‘no need’?” Bryn asked slowly.

  Her mother’s robotic face tilted slightly, an unreadable expression in her luminous eyes. “Roman has already been retrieved. He is safe.”

  “Safe?” Relief flooded Bryn’s chest, but it was quickly replaced by confusion. “Why didn’t he come back up then? Where is he?”

  “He is in a secure area. I have…questions for him.”

  Questions? Bryn frowned. “Mom, what kind of I’m sure—he didn’t mean any harm. Look, I’m sure the company will understand.”

  Her mother’s gaze fixed on her, unblinking. “There are rules for a reason, Bryn. Roman was taught better, and he continued to test the boundaries. This requires addressing.”

  “ He’s just curious, that’s all.” She forced a calm smile. “Can I see him? Just to make sure he’s okay?”

  There was a pause, and for a moment Bryn thought she saw a flicker of something in her mother’s eyes—?

  “That would be…permissible. But only briefly.”

  Bryn exhaled a shaky breath, nodding. “Thank you.”

  Her mother turned, opening the door and letting Bryn continue inside, shutting it behind her. The walls seemed colder here, and as they descended, Bryn’s worry grew. She knew her mother meant well, but sometimes her robotic logic left little room for understanding human emotions. She just hoped that whatever Roman had done, her mother wouldn’t be too harsh.

  “Roman!” Bryn shouted. “When I get my hands on you—“

  “Bryn!” Roman’s voice shouted as he rushed towards her. “Open the door!”

  Bryn furrowed her brows, standing her ground. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Open the door.”

  “What–”

  “Open the door– open the fucking door– BRYN!”