Dr. Hector carefully manipulates the invisible stone, his skilled fingers deftly adjusting the minuscule piece of tape with incredibly strong glue, trying to secure the stone in place. As he works, the night sky stretches out before him, a black canvas speckled with distant stars. He takes a moment to pause, cigarette smoke curling from his lips as he reflects on his actions. His thoughts inevitably drift to the past, to memories he has tried to leave behind.
Dr. Hector's POV
I can never forget that fateful day. The guilt and regret still weigh heavily on my conscience. I wasn't the father I should have been. My work consumed me, always coming first in my life. I devoted myself to the pursuit of science, searching for answers that only I could uncover. But at what cost? My wife was taken from me by an illness, a loss that broke me. I did my best to take care of my son, Aiden, but the sight of him only served as a constant reminder of my wife's absence.
I tried to escape the pain by immersing myself in my work, every waking moment devoted to it. But in doing so, I neglected my son. Growing up, Aiden never quite warmed to me, and I couldn't blame him. My constant moving, chasing the next big project and job contract, made it impossible for him to make friends and have a stable childhood.
That fateful day, January 19th, 2099, we were on our way to the USA for a crucial business meeting. Aiden and I boarded a flight in Chongqing, China, where I had been working on a project. He was livid, a 15-year-old boy who felt like he had lost his childhood to my career. I, a scientist proficient in 12 different fields, couldn't even be there for my own son.
"Why do we have to keep moving? It's so hard for me. I don't have any friends because we're always on the move. You're barely ever home. What's the point of all this?" Aiden's voice was filled with frustration and anger as he confronted his father.
Dr. Hector sat next to his son, reading a newspaper without making eye contact. He was aware of Aiden's feelings but never truly addressed them. "I'm sorry, son. This is a big contract from the government, and I have to be here for the meeting," he offered weakly.
Aiden was so incensed that he couldn't bring himself to speak anymore. He knew it was pointless. His father had never been the same since his mother's death. With a voice barely above a whisper, he murmured,
"I wish you weren't my dad."
Aiden turned his gaze from his father to the window view of the private jet, trying to calm himself down. As he looked out, a bright shining light caught his attention, followed by multiple streaks of light. He leaned closer to the window, his arms resting on the windshield as he gazed in awe at the beautiful display. The shining light seemed to be coming straight toward them, changing its direction at the last moment.
But just as Aiden was mesmerized by the sight, a warning was broadcasted by the flight attendant, her voice urgent and panicked.
"ATTENTION!!!! We are facing a major incident. Brace for impact. Strap your seatbelt HURRRRRRY"
Aiden barely had time to register the warning before a meteor shower hit the plane. The sound of metal tearing, bending, and breaking was deafening as the plane was shredded apart, crashing down near Manhattan, New York. The impact was terrifying and the sound of metal bending and breaking from the impact was heard from a far distance.
"SHEERRKKK."
The plane skidded to a stop, collapsing in on itself. The sound of more meteors landing on the city could be heard in the distance, destroying the entire landscape of the region. The area from east to west was now filled with utter destruction and fire. Dr. Hector was unconscious, along with his son Aiden.
When Dr. Hector woke up, his vision was hazy and blood covered his eyes. He felt like his legs were broken, unable to move them. He could feel someone sitting on his chest. As his vision cleared, he saw a boy, no more than a teenager, holding up tons of debris with his tiny hands, metal sheets, and rubble that would have been impossible to lift.
He was barely holding on, collapsing moment after moment, but he never let go. Something shone in the boy's right hand, something that replaced the torn flesh of his hand, the size of a tennis ball as it was placed there. He didn't look conscious.
"Aiden! Son, what? How? Are you okay, son? Aiden?!"
Dr. Hector's voice was filled with panic and urgency as he tried to stand up, but quickly realized that he couldn't even lift his chest. The weight of the debris was too much, yet the boy, his son, was miraculously holding on without applying too much pressure on his body, like squatting. He looked around in the darkness, barely able to see the small shining object on Aiden's hand. He saw a small pocket of space, a cone shape, created by the rubble being tilted in the opposite direction. He knew that Aiden could take cover there and wait for help.
"Aiden, don't do anything stupid. Just take cover in that empty spot. Hurry, Aiden, you can't hold this weight."
Aiden was in a trance, his consciousness completely drifted, hearing weird voices in his head and speaking gibberish. But the screams of his father brought him back to his senses. He heard his father's plan but knew that it wouldn't work. Both of them would die if he let go. He was nearly exhausted, breathing heavily.
"Dad, I'm somehow okay. It's hard, but I can manage. You know, I always wanted you to pay attention to me. I hate you, you know? Never thought I would get your attention like this," he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Dr. Hector was not listening, as the rubble continued to weigh down, creaking and making terrifying sounds, slowly sinking on top of them.
"Aiden, this is not the time. Please, son. PLEASE, JUST ESCAPE AND HIDE IN THAT CORNER," he pleaded, his voice strained with emotion.
Dr. Hector's entire body was in pain, he had five broken ribs and a fracture in one hand, yet he continued to urge his son to leave him, trying to push him with all his strength, but Aiden wouldn't budge. Tears were streaming down Dr. Hector's face as he felt helpless, again. There was nothing he could do but watch helplessly.
Seeing his father like this, Aiden, with the help of the glowing stone that seemed to be reading his father's thoughts, spoke.
"Dad, did you know that at every single school across the world, I was always top in the region? Whether in sports or academics, I was always on top. But you never noticed me. You never appreciated my efforts.
You were always busy with your research. I thought I was lacking a lot because it might have been hard to acknowledge me when you were a son of a genius renowned by the world. You're hurting, Dad. I know you miss mom. But I don't hate you. You weren't like this at the start," Aiden said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
Dr. Hector couldn't deny anything his son was saying, all he could do was listen. He knew he was a terrible father. The rubble continued to weigh down, creaking sounds that were echoing like thunder.
"Dad, just remember that I love you, regardless. I'm just sad that you didn't share your pain with me. We are a family. I just wanted affection and a sense of belonging. We moved so much, I just couldn't adjust anywhere. But, Dad, please don't blame yourself. This mess is not your fault. Thanks for everything, Dad," Aiden spoke with the warmest of smiles, his hand with a rock carved into it, glowed brightly as stars lit up the darkness in the area.
Dr. Hector's last sight was his son, smiling so happily, in a glimpse of light shining through the darkness.
"AIDEENNNNNNN!" Dr. Hector screamed as he saw his son put all his strength into throwing the rubble several feet in the air and forcibly kicking him into the cone-like safe space.
Aiden collapsed from exhaustion but still made one last attempt to drag himself towards his father, reaching out with his hand. He wanted to escape but still, he was smiling, knowing that he had saved his father. The rubble that was in the air descended in a roar. Metal and heavy debris collapsing.
"BOOOOOOOM, CLANKKKK Aiden tried his hardest to reach the cone, raising his hand to make it out with all his remaining strength. But it was too late, the rubble collapsed on top of him. Dr. Hector could only watch in horror as his son sacrificed himself to save him. It was mere moments, but the rubble collapsed, and Dr. Hector found himself in extreme pain, as though he was kicked. When the dust cleared, he couldn't form words. He couldn't describe it. An inhuman sound of crying was echoing through the entire rubble of the plane, the wings, and cargo. A hand was popping out of the rubble with blood all over it, as Dr. Hector grabbed it, his world fell apart. He wasn't in his right mind. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he knew his son had died saving him. After countless hours of crying, barely holding onto his senses, he saw a stone that was slowly losing its color. The thing that was carved in his son's hand had replaced a major chunk of his palm. His throat nearly shut down as he couldn't stop himself from crying. He was eventually rescued by a rescue team, days later. He took the stone, as it was something that his son had. His body was beyond crushed, aside from his hand that had slipped past the falling rubble. He was completely crushed. A week later, he buried him with his own hands. It was hard. Weeks and months passed, as he quit his work. A heinous thought came to his mind, and slowly it tormented him to act. He wanted to revive his son using modern science. Cloning technology was something that Dr. Hector was an expert in. There were even successful attempts at cloning humans. After finally mustering the courage to act on his decision, he planned to revive his son. But before that, he found that the stone was not of extraterrestrial origin. It had no substance that matched its composition. It couldn't be even classified as matter. Dr. Hector joined the Alpha project, a secret project, in hopes that it would have the technology he needed to revive his son. He was determined to find a way to bring his son back, even if it meant joining a secretive organization and using cutting-edge technology. He spent three years studying the mysterious stone, believing it could hold the key to his goal. He believed that there was no other way to achieve his objective of reviving his son. It was extremely difficult to clone humans and make them efficient, having an average life expectancy. The growth process required the right amount of care. Dr. Hector finally concluded that it was impossible to clone a human at the age of 14. The development phase alone was hard. Humans needed time to form tissues and bones. Rushing the process always led to immature bodies that collapsed within months or at most, a year. He was losing hope. However, he had hopes that maybe this stone could help him achieve something. He tested it with everything, and it seemed to absorb radiation or any form of energy. He couldn't even begin to describe its limits of capacity. The problem was that it completely lost color after a few minutes of exposure. Maybe the energy output was too low. "Sir, this area is off-limits. You're the chief director of the Alpha project, but please sir, you can't enter the fusion core," a guard warned Dr. Hector as he entered the restricted area. Dr. Hector, without looking at the guard, handed him a slip that he had acquired from his connections with the higher-ups, stating that he wanted to see the fusion core. Being well-versed in radiation and nuclear physics, he knew the dangers of working in this area. "Sorry for the confusion, sir. Proceed," the guard said, after reading the slip. Dr. Hector was alone in the highly restricted area, where no cameras could function due to the intense levels of radiation. He was wearing a high-tech lead suit to protect himself as he operated in this dangerous area. Closing the door, Dr. Hector placed the stone in a compartment within the reactor. A space was created within the reactor that was used to test the heat and radiation on different things of interest. It was his last chance, if this failed, he would abandon this project and do something else to achieve his goals. Drifting in the world of his thoughts, he had a suspicion that the meteor shower was not a random incident. Something was extremely off. Many more incidents were happening all over the world. It was changing the terrain and many other things. Maybe some supernatural thing could help him. Before coming to this final decision, he had acquired a book on his journey around the world during this catastrophe phase of meteor showers out of nowhere. A temple that formed and was looted in Rome. It was auctioned, and he had the urge to buy this book. Its unique thing was completely blank. He discovered that by placing it in the same space as the invisible stone, a story-like novel seemed to write itself in the book. It was interesting at first, but utterly useless. He looked at the reactor. "I should push it to maximum capacity because I know this stone can take it. I can't risk ever asking for permission again, it will be too suspicious," Dr. Hector thought as he calibrated the interface of the reactor. The stone slowly changed to a green and dark pigment color. It was very astonishing. After an hour, he stopped the process as the stone was shining very brightly. Putting on a radiation suit, he came close, but to his surprise, there was no trace of extreme heat or radiation. This was both surprising and disturbing. He didn't know what he was dealing with. "I just don't have a choice," Dr. Hector said, looking at the stone. For weeks, Dr. Hector tried everything in his lab to get a reaction from the stone, hooking it to many different apparatuses, and using various materials to make it react, but nothing seemed to work. He knew the stone could give superhuman strength, maybe something like advanced cell generation, which could help him revive Aiden without any drawbacks in the process. He took the final and only risk. He would try to clone Aiden using his DNA as genetic material. He couldn't bear to see him die again. He would rather die himself before that. He worked tirelessly, and months passed by. "Doctor, still no progress. The council is disappointed. We will give you more time, but we expect results," the General said, as Dr. Hector was reviewing the research data he had gathered for Aiden. "I am trying my best, General," Dr. Hector replied, looking at the tube where a body was floating in liquid. "I hope this works. Please, a god, any God, help me. I am just a broken man, just help my son. I will pay any price," Dr. Hector cried out, calling to anyone in an empty room. Unnoticed by him, the stone was slowly blinking very faintly. Dr. Hector placed the mysterious stone within the bottom of the tube containing his cloned son. He observed it closely as it glowed and emitted faint blips in the night. The next day, he noticed that the stone had lost its color and had become invisible. Alarmed, he checked on his cloned son and saw that their development had greatly improved and their skeleton was forming rapidly. Worried that the stone might have some negative effects, he searched the bottom of the tube and found the invisible stone by touch. It was hard to locate, as it did not show up on temperature-sensing cameras. Dr Hector carefully removed the stone and kept it in his pocket, securing it with a light tape strip. Time passed by, and six months had flown by in the blink of an eye. The doctor's first successful clone was his son. He had been placed into the development program immediately after he had shown exceptional promise in cognitive skills, learning, and adaptability. The harsh program was designed to turn him into a super soldier, just six months after he had been born. The doctor couldn't bear to witness it, so he had pulled some strings and arranged to see him every day. He loved him like a son, but he couldn't show it. He had to maintain his cover and keep the secret of his birth a closely guarded secret. The doctor was jolted from his reverie by the sound of his phone ringing. As he answered the call, he listened intently. "Dr. Hector, it's time we discuss the project in person. We'll meet tomorrow at level 55. Your key has been updated to give you access to the floor. I'm looking forward to meeting you and your very precious success, B-1X," the voice on the other end said. "Click." The phone cut off, and the doctor took a deep breath, a serious look etched on his face. He was holding an invisible stone. "There's no more time. They've noticed my tracks. I will escape this hellhole and bring my son with me. I can't see him treated like a toy and an object. Tonight, I will make my escape," he thought. Dr. Hector used his time wisely and set up numerous escape routes and hiding bunkers all over the world. He used his influence and financial power, hoping it would be enough to keep them hidden for a while. =================================================================================================================================================================================== In a sleek and fancy office, a man turned off his phone, placing it on his desk. He was a well-dressed man, with a slick, laid-back haircut and a small fancy monocle that matched the color of his suit, tied to his pocket. He was a young man, contemplating his actions, tapping his fingers on the fine wooden table. "That won't do, Professor. I can anticipate your actions. Very predictable," he said to himself. The young man picked up his phone again and made a call. "Sir General Javier. Implement the mass lockdown protocol. We have some troublemakers," he said. The general was amused by the call in the middle of the night. "Intruders? Or are we finally going to put the doctor on trial?" he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. The young man in the suit was twiddling with his thumb as he spoke on the phone. "Both, General. Search the surrounding 20km/12 miles radius of the base with a battalion of our armed troops. There has to be someone helping the doctor. I've given him an ultimatum. Just to be safe, I'm thinking of blocking off his escape routes in case he plans to escape. We've invested a lot, and we can't have any mishaps. Check on B-1X as well, I have a sneaking suspicion that the doctor might be with him," he said. With a smile on his face, General Javier replied slowly, "Roger." Turning off his phone, the young man looked at the hologram screen with the Alpha project files. Browsing through them, he paused at an individual image that had set everything in motion. It was a man that the world did not know yet, but who had roots in everything. From politics to governments, everything linked to this shadow organization, and he led it with an iron fist. "I wonder what your plans are, old man. Surely, dumping this much money and resources on a project like this is stupid and unproductive. What are you up to, you fucking geezer? You know something. Something very important for the coming days," the young man thought as he looked at a display of an old man with a big, long white beard, wearing a suit on the hologram, looking menacingly. ======================================================================================================================================================================================= B-1X was undergoing VR drill simulations that had been recently implemented in his soldier program months ago. With the most advanced technology available, it was easy to simulate reality completely. B-1X was currently engaged in combat and assassination. He was in a villa where the target was sleeping, armed to the teeth with guards. B-1X was being very sneaky, hiding in the shadows and using the night-time to his advantage. He was taking out the cameras and guards while doing it without anyone noticing. A VR engineer and a technician were viewing the progress in real-time on a hologram projector. "This is insane. This fucker is all over the place. I can't believe a clone in such a short amount of time has done so much. What are they feeding him? How does one even have this much efficiency?" The technician said in amazement. Another technician was saving the data and calibrating the VR in real time to prevent any mishaps from happening. "I have seen far more impressive things from him. You are new here so let me tell you. He is being given the best nutrition possible. I've even heard they are giving him M-pills. You haven't seen him doing things like battle simulation against 50ft monsters with guns. BIG fucking guns. Keep in mind, the pain threshold was set to 100%. He has been badly hurt before. I don't know what they are preparing him for. He could be a one-man army from what I've seen." The technician said. The VR engineer was astonished and very disturbed by this fact. He couldn't believe the extent of the enhancements they had made to the clone's physical and cognitive abilities. He also couldn't help but wonder what the ultimate goal of the program was and how B-1X would be used in the future. "Pain threshold 100%? Are the higher-ups insane? This is the same as living reality, you could die if you die in the simulation. Monster simulation? Why? And M pills? Jesus. What the hell are they thinking? This is something I don't feel good about. I should think about quitting this. I've got a bad feeling about this, James," Carl said, his voice laced with concern. James looked at him with an expression of amazement and doubt. "Do your job, Carl. You're getting paid well. Just do the job. Clear your mind, it's all about the grind," James said with a hint of callousness, in his voice. The simulation was nearly finished, and the VR technician was preparing to end the program on the screen, touching the hologram to safely end the program. "I have read too many comics. Is this deja vu? I'm feeling very paranoid about this situation," Carl said, his voice trembling with worry. The VR simulation ends as B-1X cleared the assignment given to him in record time. Both of them walked towards the pod where B-1X was lying. "Calm down, you idiot. You're being delusional right now, Carl," James said, trying to soothe his colleague. "It just makes too much sense," Carl replied, still unable to shake off his paranoia and anxiety. The pod opened with a stream of mist, revealing a young man that was sleeping, who slowly started to wake up. Both of the employees were responsible for the entire battle simulation, so they had to take extreme caution because this advanced tech was decades ahead of the current consumer market. One mistake could cause the mind to experience severe hallucinations. Even using it causes the user to experience severe amnesia if the mind is not strong enough to understand the difference between the reality they were simulated and the real reality. "All mind neurons link signs are normal. Carl injects the Mind-X," James said. Carl injects B-1X with a blue-colored fluid, which was extremely important and boosted brain function. It was helpful in preventing amnesia. B-1X slowly opened his eyes and tried to get up from the pod, but he falls. Carl was confused and worried as he saw B-1X falling. "Dude, don't just stand like that. Let me help you. Understand that experiences of this kind of deep dive in VR are dangerous and taxing on the mind. Take it slow. Did no one tell him?" Carl said, helping him up. Both of the technicians gave him a helping hand and laid him on a seat, checking his vitals. His eyesight and a regular checkup took about 10 minutes. Both finally concluded the checkup. James looked at the papers "B-1X the battle simulation is over. You can go now. Everything is okay" he said, with a reassuring tone. With a mischievous smile, James said, "You know what B-1X has done to the previous advanced hyper VR technician? Be good to B-1X or you know" He then made a throat-slash hand gesture, implying something about the previous technicians. Carl shrugged it off and said, "Dude, stop fucking with me. I haven't seen him do anything other than follow orders, I think." B-1X just stared at both of them with a dead-fish stare. He didn't react and just turned around and left without looking back. Amused by this, James had a big chuckle. Carl was taken aback and looked shaken. As B-1X was about to leave the big area of the room. James completely broke into laughing at Carl, not amused by this funny spectacle "AAAHAHAAH" Wiping his tears, James cleared his friend's assumptions or whatever he was thinking "Chill out, you idiot. B-1X is shy. He has never responded in the past 4 months with me. I didn't try but he didn't ask anything either. He doesn't even talk to anyone. It's sad, honestly. Don't worry, whatever you're cooking up in your head, it's not happening. He is an extremely reserved guy. James was visibly not amused by Carl's jokes. "Jokes aside, this is seriously something off about this project ALPHA as well as this facility. I have a very bad feeling about this, like those NPCs in comics!!!" In his mind, Carl was thinking about putting in a resignation. He trusted his hunches, and they were never wrong about these things. B-1X slowly exits the room and proceeds to his quarters, accompanied by a random guard. He was thinking about the unusual conversation. This hadn't happened before. It felt right in a sense, he couldn't describe it. He just thought in his mind, he wanted to talk about it with the doctor. ================================================================================================================================================================================================================================ Doctor hector after his call prepares the get things in order. First, he dials a code for the frequency on a walkie-talkie Midland 99X Channel GMRS of 2099 the latest model. Making notice of the time on his watch. The channel will open very shorty and close very fast. The college that he employed, and a close friend Ned Weaver is waiting on the outskirts of the base. Hiding behind tall hills covering the terrain of a forest 35km/21 miles away from surveillance. With a road jeep and some armed people "I'm here, Hector. What's the situation?" Doctor Hector replied, "I don't have much time, Ned. The higher-ups have caught on to my plans. I need to make my escape tonight, and I need your help. I'll be bringing my son with me, I can't let him be a part of this any longer." "Understood, Hector. We're ready and waiting for you. The road jeep and our armed escort are ready to go at a moment's notice. But you should know, there's a high chance that they'll come looking for you and your son. They won't let you go without a fight," Ned said. "I know, Ned. I've prepared as much as I could. I just hope it'll be enough. I'll make contact again when we're close. Stay safe," Hector replied. "You too, Hector. We'll be waiting," Ned said as Hector turned off the walkie-talkie and prepared for his escape. Ned puffed a big whiff of the cigar he was holding and said, "Don't worry Hector, I got you covered. We'll close at 11:45 PM at your exit location. Stay safe and don't get yourself killed, friend. Over." Closing the communication device, Dr. Hector headed to level 40, where his son had his quarters. In a hurry, he rushed to the floor elevator. Time was ticking, and at any moment, the base would be in lockdown. Reaching level 36, the elevator suddenly stopped, and alarms all over the base started to go off. "BREACH DETECTED. CLOSING ALL POINTS." Dr. Hector knew that he had to hurry, the base's security system had detected the breach, and he was running out of time. He needed to get to his son and make their escape before it was too late. Dr. Hector becomes very shocked by this. "Fuck! They're mad. Closing the entire base just because of my suspicions? This is madness!" Dr. Hector calmed himself with a deep breath and followed what he had planned. Months before he made preparations for this very night. Though it was extremely hard, he somehow got extremely lucky. In the prior months, he got access to the fusion reactor again without any notice. Dr. Hector made the calculation and set the fusion reactor to increase in one go beyond safety levels. Placing his stone and sealing shut it completely. Because no one ever visits the core unless for maintenance, it was saved there. His best bet was either the stone would completely absorb the reaction, shutting the machine down, or it would shut itself down due to a meltdown. Either was good enough. Taking out a device, he pushed the button. "This should start the process. I should look for my son. I'm sure he's on level 37. It hasn't been long since the VR program ended today. He must have retired and left from there. Those FUCKING COUNCIL MEMBERS." Dr. Hector pushed through the panicked crowd, using his knowledge of the facility to navigate through the maze of hallways and labs. He knew that time was running out and he had to reach his son before it was too late. As he ran through the emergency stairwell, he could hear the panicked screams of the staff and workers as they rushed to escape the lockdown. The guards were being overrun by the panicked crowd, but Dr. Hector managed to slip by them unnoticed. "MOVE YOUR ASSES, IDIOTS!" "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Dr. Hector could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he pushed his way through the crowd. He knew that he was getting close to his son and he couldn't let anything happen to him. Finally, he reached the door to level 37 and pushed it open. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------