In December 2067, a team of American college professors, students, and scientists made the first genetically engineered human. They called him Project: X. It failed… miserably. Although Project: X's strength and intelligence surpassed that of an average human, his body degenerated at an alarming rate.
One month after his debut as a superhuman, he died due to organ failure.
Four years later, confidential American documents regarding the experiment were leaked to the nation's government, which delegated further research of superhumans to Wader University.
6 years later, a senior at Wader University created the first successful superhuman: Joan Oaks.
The day marked an essential turning point in history, and in the coming years, thousands of humans would undergo the transition to become superhumans. Less than 2% were deemed successful.
The ethics behind Wader's experiment were questioned by critics worldwide, but the government saw this as an opportunity for more reliable soldiers and supremacy. And so did the rest of the world.
America saw their enemy's scientific development as an imminent threat to its position as the world's most influential country. And four years later, on January, 7th 2081, America engineered their first superhuman: Maximilian West.
In came Joan Oaks's very first mission: assassinate Maximillian West and all related scientists.
It was the first time Joan experienced the euphoric adrenaline rush of seeing 'Mission: Complete' pop up in front of her eyes.
From then on, she was hooked on the feeling. For the next 46 years, China outpaced the world in the development of superhumans. And with each new 'renovation' Joan received, she lost a bit of her humanity.
Her memories and emotions became jumbled up into one big mess of… nothing. She couldn't remember anything. Who was her creator?
Who was her mother?
What was happiness?
Joan didn't mind it, though. The six figures in her bank account eased the feeling she presumed was pain and emptiness.
In 46 years since Joan's birth as a superhuman, she never aged. She became immortalized, essentially.
A ring in Joan's ear made her regain consciousness.
"We need you in the intelligence unit," Li Bo's annoying voice rang in her head.
Groaning, Joan pressed the chip embedded in her wrist. "On my way."
Letting go, she peeled back the curtains that shadowed her cubicle and swung her legs out.
"You're missing something there, Lieutenant General," Li Bo said.
Joan, once more, pressed down on the chip in her inner wrist. "On my way, General," she mumbled.
Joan pulled herself up from her mattress and pulled on her black vest. Right above her left breast were two silver stars, indicative of her rank as Lieutenant General. Unlike the other divisions in the military, the ranking system in the Superhuman Division was rather meaningless.
The only thing they indicated was the number of missions completed. However, the general or the head of the Superhuman Division wasn't even a superhuman. Li Bo was the former Minister of State Security and became the Superhuman Division's head at the government's request.
When Joan reached the intelligence unit, Li Bo was already waiting for her. His black hair streaked with white strands was sleeked back, and he looked more put up than he did when she saw him earlier.
Beside him stood the Superhuman Division's team of seven top-tier scientists and technicians.
The intelligence unit was where scientists, technicians, and Li Bo gathered to perform tests, experiments, and operations. On a typical day, a superhuman wouldn't be allowed to enter, unless they were going in for maintenance.
For this reason, Joan was mildly suspicious as to why she was called here. Did one of her chips have a malfunction? Or did one of her genes revert to its original form?
"General," Joan nodded toward Li Bo.
"Good to see you, Lieutenant General."
"Likewise," she said unenthusiastically.
"You look the same as you did when we first met," Li Bo laughed. "30 years ago was it? Look at me now. I've become an old man! It'd be nice if I could look like a 22-year-old for the rest of my life."
"Get to the point."
"Still as straightforward as ever. You were curious about your next mission, no?"
Joan eyed Li Bo suspiciously. "What's so special about this mission that you need to call me to the intelligence unit?"
"Sharp, aren't ya?" Li Bo grinned. He waved over Genevieve Myers, a famous American scientist who betrayed the US and leaked confidential documents to China. "Show her."
Genevieve was an intelligent woman in her mid-60s. Her brunette hair had the occasional streak of white, but her age didn't hinder her cognitive ability in the slightest. A pair of beady, sharp eyes sat behind her rectangular glasses, and her sharp features sharply contrasted the more gentle, rounded features of her Chinese peers.
"Yes, we've developed a new piece of equipment, and you're going to be the first to try it out," Genevieve said as she gestured to the teleportation module in the center of the room. Even after ten years in China, her American accent still lingered.
"Isn't that just a teleportation module?" Joan asked.
"Yes and no," Genevieve said. "It's a time travel module. Our 31st prototype."
Joan emotionlessly laughed. "31st prototype? Man, who's giving you guys the money to do this shit?"
Genevieve sharply glared at her, and Joan zipped her mouth in response. "For your final mission, we're going to-"
"What do you mean, final mission?" Joan questioned.
Genevieve ignored her and started from the beginning of her sentence. "For your final mission, you're sending you back to 2073 with this module."
"What do you mean, final mission?" Joan repeated.
"She means what she says, Joan. This is your final mission," Li Bo said.
"I don't understand. None of my parts are malfunctioning. I'm still in good shape, and I can still do my job. Why is this my final mission?" An unfamiliar feeling itched inside Joan's chest. Was it anger?
"We can send you back in time, but we can't bring you back," one of the technicians said. "Without maintenance, in ten years, you'll start aging like a normal human being. By the time it's 2123 again, you'll be in your 60s, in no shape to begin another mission. You'll still be abnormally strong, but you won't be a superhuman anymore."
"Hey, Li Bo, you-"
"It's General to you."
"Li Bo, you piece of shit!" Joan shrieked as she lunged at him and wrapped her hands around his neck. Startled screams left some technicians and scientists' mouths as they attempted to pull Joan off Li Bo.
But their strength was no match for hers. She had superior genes and years of training and experience. She wouldn't lose in a battle of physical force to a bunch of nerds.
"Lieutenant General, what do you think you're doing?" Genevieve screamed.
Li Bo's hands gripped Joan's as he attempted to pry her off his neck. His face turned from red to a grayish-blue as she choked the life out of him.
He made eye contact with her and sent her a crooked, gummy smile. Even in a situation like this, he still dared to smile? He was sending her to her death!
Joan tightened her grip around the bastard's neck and spat in his face. "Rot in hell, you bastard. How do you think I feel about being sent to my death?"
Right before Li Bo passed out, Joan released his neck and shoved him away from her.
She felt immensely satisfied upon seeing the blue-green bruises form in a ring around his neck.
Li Bo gently rubbed his necklace of bruises. Laughing, he mockingly said, "Feel? Joan Oaks, you tell me. Can you feel emotions? You don't feel, Lieutenant General. Your emotions are limited to anger. When was the last time you felt happy? You willingly sacrificed your humanity for that superhuman power of yours, so don't complain about not having a choice in this."
Joan presumed Li Bo's words were supposed to hit her like a truck or give her some kind of revelation, but she felt nothing inside. The initial anger had subsided, and now, she didn't exactly know what to feel.
"I won't do it," Joan said firmly. "You're not sending me to my death."
She spun on her heels and ran away, ignoring Li Bo's calls to come back. She was long out of Li Bo's sight with her inhumane speed before he could finish his sentence, but she could still hear every word they said due to her sharp hearing.
"Ah, seriously, these damned superhumans are more trouble than they're worth," Li Bo sighed and rubbed his temples.
"She'll come around, eventually," Genevieve assured him. "She pretends to be scared of death to come off as more human. But in reality, she doesn't feel anything besides anger. That's the only emotion we've allowed her to feel."