3

Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Zeta Project'. I do not own any of its characters. I deeply appreciate Robert Goodman as the creator of 'The Zeta Project' and all 'The Zeta Project' team. So it's just a fanfic.

As English is not my native language, I want to thank TeaYami for her editing help on this chapter.

In this story Zee has a material covering over his synthoid's body. More details about this idea, you can find in Chapter Three of book 1 of my fanfic 'You Need Me".

The Secret

By Iglika

Chapter One

Zee's point of view

The water wasn't the thing, which separated us now.

There was something invisible this time, but it was so hard for me to deal with it.

Ro wasn't in the damaged submarine at the bottom of the reef anymore.

I went out of the water as well; I climbed up and into the car and Ro drove us away from the marine center, away from Bennet…

The water was not separating us now.

But I kept feeling that Ro was still so far away from me…

This time it wasn't just one of our adventures, so easy to forget.

Of course I would try to forget Bennet and the coral reef, the submarines and all what happened under water.

I'd also try to forget Bret and the way Ro flirted with him.

But I couldn't forget her words.

They wouldn't be so deep stuck in me even if they were engraved on my metal chest.

It was worse.

They were engraved on my heart.

'You are the third wheel.'

It was something… hard… deep inside me, something, which clouded my perceptions, which changed the way I looked and perceive the world around me and every single thing, which happened.

I couldn't be angry at Ro; I had no right to even be offended.

But I was.

I was hurt.

I wanted to get rid of that feeling, but I couldn't.

If Ro didn't believe that I could be her kind one day, if she didn't want to support my hope about it, if she thought that there was no chance for me to have the right to be beside her, then why…why we had to remain together? Just to be her substitute boyfriend till the moment she'll find the real one?

And why was I so human, why had I all those dreams, all those feelings, why was I able to love her if I can never be a real living man…

I didn't blame anyone, I knew Dr. Selig would answer my questions, but I couldn't find him yet and I didn't know if I would even find him at all.

What had I to do? Just to carry on with the life I lived now? Of course I would keep taking care of Ro, but…I loved her, I really did.

That didn't mean anything.

I was confused. I was perplexed. I was in despair.

Where can I run and where can I hide from my thoughts?

How can I make Ro accept my heart, my soul and everything I am, and what I have to offer her…

I couldn't ask her, she never wanted to talk about her feelings and she never wanted to show them to me.

She already missed me.

There was a wound in my heart.

Would I ever remain different and never become a real human?

Why couldn't I be there, where she was?

Why am I to be just the third wheel?

I was sitting on the driver seat, but I didn't drive. I even hadn't inserted my wrist cable in the control panel of the car. I didn't take my eyes off the road in front us although I had turned on the autopilot, but aside of this I was sitting absolutely immovable, because…

Ro slept in my arms.

Lately she had gotten used to sleep on my shoulder, wrapping her arm around mine as if she wanted to be sure that I wouldn't disappear in her sleep.

I wouldn't disappear, Ro, I would never leave you, no matter what we would face on our way, but will you leave me?

She sighed in her sleep and she moved a little bit.

I relaxed my grip for a moment, waiting for her to find a more comfortable place on my shoulder, then my arms slowly, tenderly, but very tightly wrapped themselves around her again.

And I detected how she cuddled against me even more.

Was it an answer to my hug?

I couldn't help but let my fingers caress her shoulders.

Slightly?

No.

I couldn't hide from myself and as she still slept, I was unable to stop my fingers caressing her with all the passion I felt.

I looked at the rising sun there, on the horizon, on the edge of that huge plain.

There was something regal and at the same time something frightening in this golden-red ball of fire, so enormous, so strong and…so alone…

Like me.

The sun was strong.

Like me.

The sun was able to be tender.

Like me.

The sun was important for every living being on the earth, nothing would survive without the sun.

As Ro wouldn't without me.

But the sun was alone.

Like me.

The sun didn't fear anything.

Like me.

But the sun was scared from that loneliness.

Just like me.

In the beginning of our time together, my only fear was that Ro could be hurt or even worse, could be killed because of me. The fact that I was innocent didn't matter, the agents shouted at her just as they shouted at me.

And now, without being able to stifle that fear, I had another one.

To not lose her, if she would ever find her real boyfriend.

I kept looking at the rising sun.

That was strange.

In the past, humans, in their concepts, had made the sun as a symbol of royalty.

And humans had made me as a creature much more strong than them. I could rule over them if I wanted to. But I didn't want to rule over them. I really wanted to be peaceful. And my dream wasn't to rule the world, but to be loved by the girl I loved.

Funny?

Stupid?

Foolish?

Maybe.

But that was me.

Only…

It was too risky for anyone to look too long at the sun and no one could come too close to the sun, because it was dangerous.

And it was the same with me.

Despite my human appearance I was a synthoid, I was a machine, I was a weapon.

How could a tender, fragile, tiny girl like Ro, how was it possible for her to love a weapon like me?

How was it possible for a human being to love a robot?

Impossible.

Forever?

to be continued…

Please, please review.