February 3rd, 2056

I was sitting at my desk, my eyes glued to the computer screen, when I heard a voice call out from behind me. "Hey, Sam," Alice said, a puzzled expression on her face. "I think you might want to take a look at this."

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "What is it?" I asked, swiveling my chair to face her.

Alice walked over to my desk, a file in her hand. "It's a statement from a gek named Zephyr. I've never seen anything quite like it."

I took the file, scanning the first few lines. "Zephyr? Isn't that the name of one of those engies from the Prometheus Institute?"

Alice nodded. "That's what I thought, too. But this statement... it's not just about their abilities or their experiences at the Institute. It's more personal, almost like a confession."

My interest was fully piqued now. I opened the file and began to read silently as Chester's voice played through my computer, narrating Zephyr's words.

"Statement of Zephyr Maximilian Sovereign, regarding their struggles with perfection and identity. Original statement given November 20th, 2055. Audio recording by Chester, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London."

As Chester's voice filled the room, I followed along with the written statement.

"I've always been told that I was designed to be perfect, a marvel of genetic engineering with every stat maxed out. But lately, I've been wondering... what does perfection really mean? Is it never making mistakes, never struggling, never feeling lost or confused? Because if that's the case, then I don't think I'm perfect at all.

"My parents have been trying to help me find my place in the world. They've even talked about enrolling me in Blaseball, saying it's the new cricket for geks like me. Blaseball used to be just a simple online game, like a bizarre twist on baseball, but over the years it's evolved into a full-fledged sport with real teams and players. It's become especially popular among geks, who are drawn to its unconventional rules and the way it celebrates uniqueness and creativity on the field. But as much as I love sports, I'm not sure if that's where I belong. Part of me wonders if my parents are just trying to find a place where I'll fit in, rather than letting me find my own path.

"And then there are the Genesis Penguins. All my friends are obsessed with them, just like how natties used to go crazy over Club Penguin back in the day, when my parents were young. You are a penguin and you walk around. It has come to life. But even though I think they're cool, I know my parents could never afford one. It's just another reminder of how different I am. The company that made these were smart enough to realize the drop in Club Penguin's popularity.

"I've started to withdraw from the people closest to me, afraid that they'll see my flaws and reject me. But deep down, I know that's not fair to them or to myself. I'm starting to realize that maybe perfection isn't about never struggling, but about facing those struggles head-on and learning from them.

"I'm not sure what the future holds for me, or for any of us geks. But I do know that I want to keep growing, keep learning, and keep discovering who I am... even if that person isn't perfect."

As Chester's voice faded away, I leaned back in my chair, my mind reeling with the implications of Zephyr's words. It was easy to forget sometimes that these geks were still just that... kids. They had the same fears, the same doubts, the same struggles as any other child, along with the added pressure of being "perfect."

Alice placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice soft. "It's our job to make sure their stories are heard, to give them a voice in a world that may not always understand them, whether they're engies or natties."

I looked back at the screen, Zephyr's words still echoing in my mind. "You're right," I said softly. "And something tells me this is just the beginning of this gek's story."