Chapter 1 : The Boy with the thorn on his side.
If you want me to I'll always be good. I want you're a approval more than anything else. I put on this false façade of a perfect son. But I'm lying. I want to be perfect for you. Deep down I really do, but you'll never understand. Never. Because in your eyes it's inconceivable for me to lie, to cheat and to sin. You have an image to uphold. I get it. I don't mind, I've been living like this my whole life and I don't mind, father. I don't mind one bit. It's the only thing I can manage. It's the only atonement I can have for Mother, and Roll. It was me. I was the one who killed them.
My very existence, shattered your life. I see your glare and I see how you really feel. You're a mystery father. You throw yourself into work as if the answer is there. What's there? What is it? Why do you shut yourself in their drills sizzling, what are you making? I've been curious all these years but...it's forbidden for me to go down there. Your only rule.
"Never under any circumstances shall you ever enter the lab. There are vital experiments down there and some of them aren't stable. Please X, listen to me." His voice echos in my head every time I walk past the lab. He's told me this since I was 9 years old. Today marks the day I turn 17 at exactly 7:11, the same time my mother died and my twin sister. My father calls it 6:66. It's a strange pun that he's made up and it never leaves me. He made the joke on my 8th birthday, saying that 7:11 if not changed to the next time was actually 6:66, which is satan's number. Haha dad. Very funny. It left a sour taste in my mouth and now every time my date of birth comes around I remember.
It's almost that time. For the first time in my life, I'm celebrating alone. My father is at a conference in another country. There's a rapid snow storm outside. Forbidding anyone to go outside. So the company I thought I would have, my two best friends, Zero and Axl, they're not coming. So here I am sitting alone staring at my birthday cake as if forbidden to eat it. It sucks. My presents are all hidden as well, because my father being the cooky scientist he is, has hidden them, joy. So here I am, sitting on my couch watching "Three's company" practically moping because, lets face it. This birthday sucks.
It shouldn't have if it weren't for this snowstorm, this damn snow storm. I look around my house for any type of entertainment when suddenly I look and I see, the very door I've been told not to go in my whole life basically. A rebellious thought crossed my mind. Should I open it? No ones...telling me to stop...
That's when my resilient good conscious comes into play.
"X, you shouldn't it could be dangerous and there's probably a good reason why you're dad said not to go..." I hear one side of my brain tell me.
Then there's the other side of my brain that gets along more with my friends then my father.
"X, don't be a punk bitch, you go down there, you're seventeen today. DO IT." There it is.
So torn between my judgements I call someone who is slightly more wiser then I. Zero. So I dial his number and immediately it's picked up. He speaks first.
"Sup cupcake, how's you're lonely birthday going? Finished jacking off?" Zero says with a certain mocking tone. Someone remind me why I think this guy is slightly wiser then me.
"Alright so I have a once in a lifetime chance and I want your opinion about it."
"Is there a hot girl over there or something?" Zero asked curiously...then he continued "You're cheating on me! What about the kids you asshole!" Zero fake yelled into the phone. I couldn't keep laughter back from that one.
"What relationship! What kids?!" I yell back knowing full well it's apart of a stupid but very funny long stream joke. After a few more laughs Zero gets back on topic.
"So, erm...what's really up X?" Zero asks. I sigh.
"Well...see my dads gone and like...there's no camera up or anything and the lab isn't locked and I really wanna take a look in there." I said. Zero made a "pffft noise"
"Alright...dude...just go in there. It'll be fine. Unless it's like that episode of goosebumps dude you're gonna be fine. It's not like your dad is insane or anything." Zero said. I laughed a little bit at the reference of his dad. Old man wily was really crazy no doubt about that.
"Yeeah your right...will you stay on the phone while I go in there?" I asked. Zero laughed.
"Are you scared." Zero asked.
"No I just have a bad feeling...I don't know." I said with honesty.
"Sure dude, and If I hear a yell, best believe I'll be running down the street, in this crazy snow freezing my balls off trying to get to your house with my kendo sword." Zero said. I felt some feels, my best friend really had my back.
"Thanks man." I said. I walked across my house and stood in front of the lab door. I've known the password to get in since I was twelve, but I never attempted to get in. I tremble as I type the password in not making one mistake. The door opens and I tremble. This is my first act of betrayal.
I walk in the white room and I grab goggles and the white jacket, just in case anything really is crazy. Zero speaks from the phone that's now in my pocket, I grab it out and put it on speaker phone and speak.
"I'm here." I said. Zero made a noise.
"Good because you got quiet." Zero said. I look around to see a bunch of equipment I thought only existed in sci-fi stuff. Everything is white-clad in the lab and not a speck of dirt is anywhere. I wonder who cleans this place. I walk slowly and I say suddenly.
"This is such a pure place, I feel like I'm tainting it, just by walking in it." I say out loud.
"Gosh I wish I was there" Zero says in a certain tone. I walk past all the computers and tech stuff to see silver door. It looked serious parts of me told me to go back and the other side just hungered more and more to see it. To have my curiosity quenched finally, after years of wondering what my father worked on.
It over took me and I felt myself clenching the door. When I open it, the lights come on automatically and I look before me to see a bright glowing light. It has a blue tent, I walk inside and I see that there's something inside of the bright blue light. As if it was a tank holding something. I walk closer into the room to see, a sleeping teenage boy. He looks about my age...he's inside of the tube...floating...the more I look at him the more, I notice, he looks like me. I find myself a little terrified, I couldn't speak at one point I tried to call out for Zero, but when I looked down I had already dropped my phone, the battery had come out ending the conversation.
What was my father doing with a clone...or god knows what that looks just like me. What was this really... I sat there in awe just staring in amazement. After 5 minutes I get up off of the ground and I help myself up with the help of the counter, I see a file that says, "Rock Light." Who was Rock? Was he the person in the tube...I open the file and read it.
"Thomas Light : Entry no. 78"
"The subject shows signs of life, I've gotten him to age at a good process, he's now the age he would've been if it weren't for...the accident. Rock holds great potential an honestly I believe soon, very soon he can be unleashed in the world, then I won't have any use for the other. He'll have all of his current memories and his life will go on as if he's been living all this time. Still he has the maturity of a child and his judgement is not all the way stable. I'll be keeping him underwatch for future steps. After years of work he's finally coming to fruition. My perfect son..." I stopped reading at that point and dropped the report on the counter.
I couldn't handle it. My father...had made...an..artificial me...I couldn't...process it. He had me ...so why? Was he doing this...what would happen to me once Rock was finished...Rock was his name.
I walked over to the glass case and looked Rock over...he was sleeping peacefully. I wanted...to know more about him. What he really was. I touched the glass and read the label "DLN-001 Rock Light. Humanoid Robot." I stepped back a bit more. So he was a robot. What...did that mean for me. Still I was in to deep. I wanted to meet him.
I pressed the open button that I had been on the control panel. Smoke came out but it was just steam. The blue light had gone off and the steam started to clear. I looked up from where I was to see Rock land on the floor. I heard coughs and then suddenly he opened his eyes. For one second he looked around curiously until he noticed me. Then his eyes were stuck on me. They were blue. One difference between us now.
He looked at me and I looked at him. We were both curious as to what the other person standing before us was about. Rock spoke suddenly. His voice was gentle and timid. It shook me for a second because I honestly didn't think he would talk. He was too perfect.
"W-Who are you." Rock said, eyes fixed on me not blinking. I hesitated to speak when suddenly the words came out of my mouth.
"M-My name is X, Light...I've come to see you." I said not knowing what else to say. Rock looked more cheered up.
"That's a relief. It's been a long time since father has spoken to me. I feel lonely sometimes." Rock said. His smile was perfect as well. I looked down.
"You've met your father?" I asked.
"Yes, he's the only person I've seen...so far anyways...he's told me I'm extensive care and I'm not allowed to go outside yet." Rock said looking off into the distance.
"Do you know what the outside looks like?" I asked suddenly. He thought for a second then answered.
"Only in brief memories, father tells me I've been asleep for a long time. But I dream alot, of the outside, of other people..." Rock said voice trailing off. That sentence stuck with me. Isolation, and loneliness. Those were things I felt. My father put me through those things.
The only escape was my friends. But, Rock didn't have that. Rock never left the lab, seen the rest of the house or even been outside before. My father has put lies in his head and it hurt me the more and more Rock told me about himself. I absorbed it all in listening. I really felt for him and the more he talked to me the closer I felt to him. In many ways we were similar. I wanted to say something to Rock. To say something to him to change his view on things, to give him hope.
"It's...you're not alone anymore." I said suddenly. Rock looked up at me with curious eyes.
"X? What do you mean." Rock said with pure innocent curiously. Hearing him say my name for the first time put chills down my spine.
"I'll come to see you... teach you about life...you'll never be alone again...I won't let you." I said and suddenly I gave him a hug, I don't how suddenly I got so bold. But I guess I could really relate to him. I wish someone had uttered the same words to me my whole childhood alone. Never aloud to go outside...constant studying trying to be perfect. I knew now that those days were over and it'd be a new chapter in my life. I had betrayed my father by coming in this lab. I accepted it now in my head.
December 17th 2023 7:34 pm was the moment everything changed.
Nothing would be the same. I let go of Rock and down his face I see tears. Suddenly he mutters.
"What are these?" Rock says wiping his face. I smile.
"Signs that we're alive...tears...what do you feel Rock?" I ask suddenly.
"Happiness...not sadness...so I don't understand." Rock says with a confused face.
"Tears of joy Rock. Tears of joy." I said.
After the emotional moment passed I sealed up everything in the lab good as new and I put my phone back together when suddenly I heard a loud knock on the door. Suddenly Rock spoke.
"Someone's at the door." He said. I was a bit confused.
"You know about that?" I asked suddenly.
"Yeah...why wouldn't I? You should get it." Rock said. I nodded.
"Rock stay here okay? Don't come out of the lab no matter what. Okay?" I said praying and hoping it wasn't my dad. Rock nodded.
I walked out of the lab and just in case I locked Rock in, he didn't seem to notice. I run upstairs and answer the door making sure I had taken off the lab stuff. I open the door to see a distraught Zero, with snow all over his hair...Zero's hair was really...really long so there was alot of it in there. I noticed in his hand he had his kendo sword. He looked like he had a sigh of relief when I opened the door. He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye and spoke.
"X...you scared the shit out of me...oh my god." Zero said. I sighed.
"I'm sorry...I just got scared and dropped my phone is all." X said.
"What was in there anyways?" Zero said walking in my house and brushing the snow off of his hair.
"Nothing...I found eye balls...and it was scary." I said making something up. I knew I shouldn't let other people know about Rock...atleast not yet. Even if it was Zero.
"Are you sure?" Zero asked as if he could see through my lie.
"Yes...I'm just still a little shaken up." I replied. Zero looked at me for a second before shrugging.
"I guess I'll believe you...I mean this is the first time you've disobeyed you're old man. I can understand." Zero said with a nod.
"Yeaaaah...I guess... Zero how are you gonna get home?" I asked suddenly as the thought popped in my mind. Zero stopped and paused for a minute.
"There's no way I'm letting you walk out in that." I said. Zero shrugged.
"Naw I'm about it. Don't worry X." Zero said suddenly.
"Aww...you should stay the night. It'd make my birthday." I said.
"Oh s-seriously?" Zero said.
"Yeah, I've got cake and stuff, not to mention a dozen corney 80s movies I was gonna watch." I said.
"Any martial arts ones on that list?" Zero asked.
"I can add one." I said with a grin.
"Awesome." Zero said.
With that I gave Zero stuff to change into that he already left at my house from previous visits and sleep overs to change into. He went in the shower to get all the snow and ice off of him. As soon as he did I remembered Rock and ran to the lab and opened the door. Rock was reading his files and he looked up at me, with a sad smile.
"You've got to go...don't you?" Rock asked. I nodded.
"Yes. I'll come see you again soon but, nows just not the right time. You're dad'll be back tomorrow, but he goes out of town again for a week next week again. I'll see you again as long as you keep one promise." I started. Rock cut me off.
"is it not to tell my dad about you?" Rock said. I nodded.
"I sorta broke the rules to come and see you..." I said. Rock nodded.
"It's fine...He always told me if someone else came down here to report them but...I don't sense any danger from you. I feel like I know you but...I don't know yet." Rock said.
"Thank you. Rock. See you soon. Keep dreaming..." I said. With that I put Rock back into the tube. The mist and the blue light came back on and abuptly Rock went to sleep. I put everything back where it was before I got there and erased the day's data of people who entered the lab. I closed everything shut and walked back into my living room. When I did I heard the water stop in the far bathroom and I knew that I had made it in the nick of time. I felt accomplished.
I turned on the automatic dvd player and put in revenge of the nerds after all the previews Zero came in the room and the sleep over began.
Lots of cake and movies, and knew found knowledge. I felt like it was the start of something. So I guess it had been a good birthday. There was still so much mystery behind Rock and I didn't stop thinking about it but, it didn't make me worried. I felt as if I'd gained something.
I'd find out later that it was a free spirit.
Telling Rock to lie to my father, It was the 2nd time I'd betrayed my father.
To be continued.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY!