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READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING Some of the images/topics described in this chapter contain violence and gore, please do not read this chapter if you are sensitive to either of the topics mentioned, thank you. |
The day after the death of the President, Yamamoto returned to the laboratory to check in on both the staff and the PeaceMaker. As the elevator doors opened, all he found was silence; the lights were on, but no one was there. At this realization, Yamamoto stayed on high alert, wondering what had happened to everyone. No alarm was set off, which meant that whatever happened, no one was able to sound any alarm or activate any lockdown protocol in the building’s defenses. What Yamamoto didn't see as he walked towards the stairwell was the pile of bodies through the small door opening of a dark room. Yamamoto headed down the stairs to his lab room in order to check in on the PeaceMaker, concerned about the damage it might have had since it was still only a prototype. With each flight of stairs he descended, he could feel a more intense feeling of being in danger, yet he continued. Another thing he noticed is that there were no signs of forced struggle anywhere, nor any signs of the usual staff being there in the first place. Finally, Yamamoto reached the floor where his lab was located, where the lights were completely off. As he made his way down the hallway, less and less light reached the surfaces of the hallway, limiting his vision drastically. Despite this, as Yamamoto came closer and closer to the door to the lab, he noticed a dim blue light coming from the room, and a mysterious trail of a dark stain on the floor leading to the room.
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“It can't be..." Yamamoto said as his squinted eyes realized what the trail was. “I-it’s blood..." |
Yamamoto could feel both the adrenaline and shiver run up his spine to his brain. His breath drew heavier as he realized what had happened–the facility had been attacked from an internal source. Drawing the courage to find out who or what was behind this, he extended his hand towards the doorknob and pushed the door open. Peeking in the doorway before going inside, he could see that there was no one there; the dim blue light was from his computer on the desk in the corner. One thing that he continued to notice was the blood stain trail on the floor leading to a different part of the laboratory. Yamamoto had used that part of the lab to construct the exterior hardware of the PeaceMaker. He peered his head inside and saw yet another blue light, not from a screen but from a large glass tube covered in a thin tarp. Still seeing no one in that room, Yamamoto went inside cautiously and looked around. There were several new things that had not been there before; new exterior plates had been forged that were scattered about, and new schematics for a different prototype were laid out on a desk. After seeing the schematics, Yamamoto quickly turned his attention back to the glowing glass tube, and as he went closer to it, he realized it was filled with a liquid, and something was inside it. When he uncovered the tube, his heart sank; it was a human. Not a whole human being, but parts of it, both internal and external parts forming around various wires and a titanium bionic body frame, similar to the PeaceMaker’s.
“How is this possible?...” Yamamoto said as his terrified gaze continued. “No one knows this technology but me..."
“You’re not the only one.” A familiar robotic voice said from behind Yamamoto. “Your technology is far from being complete. And soon, it will be.”
“Wha-what happened?” Yamamoto said as he backed away in fear after seeing the blood stains on the PeaceMaker's face. “You're not supposed to be like this; it's not possible.”
“But it is. Everyday humans only fight more and more with each other but never resolve anything.” The PeaceMaker said as it moved past Yamamoto and to the desk while dragging a body to the desk. Humans have every chance to make amends with one another, but they never do. They only pretend to, but it all falls apart the second anything bad happens to them.” Thud. The body lay out on the table. “And I,” SNAP, Leg.“Will take them apart..." SNAP, Arm. “And make them into a beautiful creation.” The PeaceMaker continued as it surgically disassembled each limb’s muscles.
“Between man and machine.”
“You’re not the only one.” A familiar robotic voice said from behind Yamamoto. “Your technology is far from being complete. And soon, it will be.”
“Wha-what happened?” Yamamoto said as he backed away in fear after seeing the blood stains on the PeaceMaker's face. “You're not supposed to be like this; it's not possible.”
“But it is. Everyday humans only fight more and more with each other but never resolve anything.” The PeaceMaker said as it moved past Yamamoto and to the desk while dragging a body to the desk. Humans have every chance to make amends with one another, but they never do. They only pretend to, but it all falls apart the second anything bad happens to them.” Thud. The body lay out on the table. “And I,” SNAP, Leg.“Will take them apart..." SNAP, Arm. “And make them into a beautiful creation.” The PeaceMaker continued as it surgically disassembled each limb’s muscles.
“Between man and machine.”
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Although Makoto and Asami were aware of each other's feelings, they couldn't be confirmed unless it was verbally said by either of them. The problem being they both are too shy to say it out loud-- especially Makoto. Their signs to show this were subtle, yet each sign meant more and more to each other.
“I know I like her, and that she likes me, I just don't know how to say it properly. I've never done anything like this before..." Makoto thought as he paced around in his room at night again. “Should I write her a note? No, that's not right, I should tell her face-to-face. But how?...” To say the least, this predicament for Makoto kept him up for the majority of the night. The next morning, Makoto woke up to the blare of his alarm clock, forcing himself to get up. Today was different, however, Asami wasn't there to wake him up, nor there to greet him as he woke up. “That's weird, Asami would've been here by now,” Makoto said as he rubbed his eyes and glanced over at his alarm clock to see that it was a quarter to 8. “Crap, not enough time to make lunch or breakfast.” As Makoto went through his morning routine of getting ready for school, he, of course, thought about Asami and worried if something was wrong.
“I know I like her, and that she likes me, I just don't know how to say it properly. I've never done anything like this before..." Makoto thought as he paced around in his room at night again. “Should I write her a note? No, that's not right, I should tell her face-to-face. But how?...” To say the least, this predicament for Makoto kept him up for the majority of the night. The next morning, Makoto woke up to the blare of his alarm clock, forcing himself to get up. Today was different, however, Asami wasn't there to wake him up, nor there to greet him as he woke up. “That's weird, Asami would've been here by now,” Makoto said as he rubbed his eyes and glanced over at his alarm clock to see that it was a quarter to 8. “Crap, not enough time to make lunch or breakfast.” As Makoto went through his morning routine of getting ready for school, he, of course, thought about Asami and worried if something was wrong.
Soon enough, Makoto arrived at school, but still, he hadn't seen Asami at all. “Oh no, did she get sick?” Makoto thought worriedly as he looked out the window while at his desk. “She seemed normal yesterday; she couldn't have gotten a cold that fast.” While in his thoughtful trance, Makoto hadn't realized that Asami had walked into the classroom already with her head down. The thing that got Makoto out of his trance was the gentle tap on the shoulder, followed by the voice he secretly longed to hear, “M-makoto..” At this, Makoto’s eyes lit up ever so slightly as he turned his head both in shock and relief that Asami was ok. He first looked at her and noticed that she was looking down as if she was ashamed, then he saw it. A note. It was neatly placed inside an envelope that had a small hue of pink to it. Taking it, Makoto looked at the envelope and back to Asami, his face lighting up from her presence.
“I'm glad you're ok, Asami,” Makoto said as he held the envelope close to his chest.
“Open it,” Asami replied, still with her head down to cover her flustered face.
Makoto turned his attention back to the envelope and gently opened it, careful not to make any rip in the soft pink paper. Inside was a folded piece of paper, on it it said
Meet me at the rooftop after school.
-Asami
“I'm glad you're ok, Asami,” Makoto said as he held the envelope close to his chest.
“Open it,” Asami replied, still with her head down to cover her flustered face.
Makoto turned his attention back to the envelope and gently opened it, careful not to make any rip in the soft pink paper. Inside was a folded piece of paper, on it it said
Meet me at the rooftop after school.
-Asami
Yamamoto could barely compose himself after seeing the horror his own creation carried out on this facility. His mind was racing yet slowing down at the same time, watching a person being torn apart and dissected like an experiment. On a gurney, laid out with each limb spread slightly apart, an unrecognizable person was dead. Unrecognizable from each part of their body, opened up from surgical incisions, the PeaceMaker cut into their flesh. It was harvesting certain parts of the person to add onto the new prototype, muscles, bone, and organs, taken from a living being to create an abomination.
“Why haven't you killed me yet?...” Yamamoto asked shakily.
“Simple. This prototype is part man and machine; it should...heal like a man, but better.
That's where you come in.”
“Why haven't you killed me yet?...” Yamamoto asked shakily.
“Simple. This prototype is part man and machine; it should...heal like a man, but better.
That's where you come in.”
Realizing what that meant, Yamamoto made a run for it. All of the built-up adrenaline was released almost instantaneously. His legs moved like they never had before. This was life or death, and Yamamoto desperately wanted life. Each step was closer and closer to the exit, closer to life. Every thought in his mind said only one word. Run. 16 steps was all he took, only 16 steps to life, and it had been taken from him. Or at least he would wish, for his fate would be far worse than death.
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-Atticus Villanueva |
