The lights came on and the A.I’s started shutting down. “What are you doing old man?” I lost my temper. “I had it under control!” 

The suits began to leave, and the coats trailed after. Whispers and side eyes took direct aim at me whilst making their notes on their E-pads.

“Ryun,” He responded in a brash manner. My caustic remark had clearly upset it. That would be the third time this week. 

“Our machines are not God.” He scolded. “Re-attaching a limb is one thing, but what’s going to happen when Cage’s invention go as far as to decapitate you?” He drilled, “They aren’t capable of empathy. They will kill you. You know that all too well. So stop playing suicide Ninja and get your head out of your ass.”

I sycophantically smiled, “Of course ‘oh great Zod’.” I tried to outwit another lecture.

“When will you grow up?”

Oh shit…

But my efforts proved futile.

Here we go again.

“Ryun, you may be special, but you are still just human,”

To be honest, my intentions and actions are paradoxes. I’m fully aware and agree with his preachings, however, I can’t seem to help myself. It’s just that I know the sooner they get what they want, the sooner I can get to live a normal life hopefully.

I scurried over to the Medical section of the Lab, laid on the operating table to allow the machine to scan for injuries. To the other scientist, I was known as Model APC1, nothing but an experiment, I surmised. I could tell just by the way they look at me like I was grown in a test tube. But not Zod, he always treated me like a son. He never allows me to go beyond my limits, even though that’s exactly what the research requires. He doesn’t want me to get hurt.

By accelerating the velocity of my cells so that I can gain enough momentum to move while simultaneously moving faster within my own spectrum, I am able to travel in glimpses.

Did you get a headache trying to do the math on that one?

Ha, just wait till I tell you about my childhood. If a prerequisite for greatness is a fucked-up past, then I’m leagues ahead of anyone in this Generation. They should make me the damn Premier already.

I’ve been experimented on for almost 16 years. I’ve never stepped foot outside of the Apo Center Lab, and I’ve never met anyone my age.

“You’re all set.”

That was fast.

“I have something for you,” Zod’s face lit up. Seeing him smile sometimes feels bizarre. As he reached into his pocket, he pulled out a small box wrapped in foil paper.

“Happy Birthday Ryun”

A grin slowly manifested upon my face, unraveling my impregnable poker face to high cheekbones, sunken dimples, and a warm visage.

“You’re a little too young to be experiencing Alzheimer old man,” I teased.

“You do realize that adding the epithet ‘old man’ to the end of that statement, clearly contradicts your whole argument?”

“My birthday isn’t until next week” I blithely carried on snickering.

“I know… I know… But I couldn’t wait to give you this. So, just shut up and take it all right?”

Slowly I got up and off the exam table and reached for the box then opened it. “What’s this supposed to be? I unmindfully remarked.

Little did I know that his response would bring about a wave of emotions?

“It belonged to your mother.”

What…

In the midst of my enigmatic state of shock, I thoughtlessly, with heavy slits below my brows, brought the chain closer to look. I clenched my fist around its bright green stone then sucked back in the tears.

“She was wearing it the night she was- you know.”

He leaned in closer to place his hand on my shoulder.

“Thank you,” I replied. “I love it.”

He smiled again for a brief moment then quickly wiped the doomed elated expression from his face. “All right then,” He started.“Get back to your room.”

I began heading towards the exit when I suddenly paused. “And here I thought for my sixteenth birthday, I would finally get to meet a nice girl”

“The time will come when you can finally join the society, I promised.”

“Or…” I provoked. “You could bring a girl down here, eh?” I mocked. “I could give her a first-class tour of the Top-secret Apo Center that’s beneath the City.”

“Go!” He annoyingly insisted whilst pointing at the door.

“Fine…” I stepped towards it. Just then a professor walked in “Doctor Zod, Professor Cage is looking for you. He said it was urgent.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Professor Cage is Zod’s scientific partner and head of our Research Department. They’ve been best friends for many years. He reports directly to the Premier of City Calypse. Ultimately, he will be the one to decide along with the committee should and when I will be given my freedom.

Looking rather uneasy, he turned to me “Ryun, return to your room. The concierge will take you your lunch then you should get some rest.”

Hmmm, something’s definitely up…

I stepped through the door and began down the hallway that leads to my room.

And I’m going to find out what.