((AN: This is my somewhat abandoned nanowirmo project. I want to finish it at some point, but I don't know when that will be. There won't be regular updates for this for a while, if ever. Any updates will probably be sporadic, sorry! Also a quick note the 00101... is a divider. I'm not sure how formatting will go on here, haven't uploading anythingg here in a while, but I hope I don't any disappearing characters...
This might get bumped up to M.

There may or may not be a little USUK and/or incestuous AmeCan later on))

P

The soft glow from the full moon streamed through the single window in the office room. The natural light made no difference, however, as the walls were lined in machines with an array of luminescent switches, dials, and buttons. Every here and there, a panel would be different from those around it, displaying a bright monitor screen scrolling past the codes it processed.

One man sat in a rolling chair, moving swiftly from one screen to the next, turning appropriate dials and slamming the correct buttons and switches when their turn came. His work seemed frantic from afar, but if you were to get a close look and actually stop to examine that glint in the man's eyes, you would know that this man was at peace. You would find it strange that the whole situation of being surrounded by machines and artificial intelligence could be comforting to someone.

But you must keep in mind that this someone is a lone man in his office during the late hours of night. You must know that this man has not left his office for three days. This man's eyes are bloodshot and his clothes wreck, but yet he pushes on. He pushes on for a greater cause, but mostly to save his soul. For his sanity, he is devout to his research and his life's work. The world is fast paced and he must stay at the edge of discovery for his own sake and the sake of his people.

Yet who exactly were his people?

If someone were to ask of his lovely wife, a woman who was just as talented with a computer as he was, if not more, he wouldn't really know what to say. For, along with her similar advanced expertise came a similar social ineptness. Although they were married, it was obvious that they had both fallen in love with their computers.

If someone were to ask of his children, he would be quite at a loss. In the rare occasion that the man was at home, he didn't do so much as glance at the infant and toddler. Nonetheless, he kept up pictures pinned up around the office where they wouldn't cover any vents or switches or anything.

But despite popular belief, everything the man did were for the people in those pictures. The pictures he barely glanced at. His life's work, his plans, his research, all for those he loved. No one would ever know but he was content with that.

Content as long as he could sit with his machines and the artificial intelligence.

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Burning. His knees were burning, searing in pain. Red hot streams flowed down small shins and stained the dirt beneath the fallen figure. Flares of pain sparking throughout the body. But then the pain relocated, worse than the others. Gasps. Air! The chest began to burn with a different heat. His face began to turn blue as the passage closed in on itself. Smaller and smaller. The other pain went unnoticed as the burn for air was heavier than all else.

Everything froze and something was shoved into a small mouth. His nose was pinched and he was forced to swallow the bitter spray that numbed his mouth. There was a loving pat on his back before the shouting began. The screams of terror and pain. The sounds of flesh impacting other flesh. All the commotion subsided soon, however, before a warmth encased itself around the young boy's body.

"Oh, Mattie, what did you get yourself into this time?"

Matthew smiled and shrugged, looking up to the person who had saved him, the person who had vowed to always protect him.

"Just the usual, Alfie," Matthew sighed, "I just don't like to play like the other boys do." Alfred scoffed at this and gave his brother an unbelieving glare. He reached to examine Matthew's left wrist. Alfred was surprised when the younger boy allowed him. The boy pressed a button on the side of Matthew's wristband that activated a holographic screen to display above the band.

Small fingers skillfully picked at specific buttons, typing in complex commands. Soon enough, the screen expanded to show an intricate code. It took all but two second for Alfred to examine the numbers and commands to realize what the code was for. He rolled his eyes and playfully flicked his brother's ear.

"Mattie, you dumbie, you were trying to mess with their tech! I know you like to test run on live subjects, but didja have to pick the ones who would beat you up?"

Matthew smirked and shrugged again. He closed the command history and brought up a different program. He motioned for his older brother to watch as he pressed virtual buttons vaguely labeled with colored shapes.

Alfred jumped when a surprised shout erupted from the general area of where the gang of boys had run off to. Matthew was smirking wickedly. Before Alfred could ask what his younger brother had done, Matthew pointed in the direction of the sidewalk, where one of the boys' wristbands was constantly transfiguring into various half structures before reverting back to a simple band and restarting. Another began to blast Matthew's favorite song, to which Matthew laughed.

Alfred only sighed and grabbed his brother's arm to drag him back to the house. Despite his frustration with Matthew's careless antics, Alfred was quite proud of his younger brother. He himself hadn't been able to figure out codes of that caliber until just six months ago. His brother was quickly closing the one year advantage that Alfred was born with. But Alfred saw this is a god thing for his brother, not as a threat to himself. Besides, what other six year old could control his wristband as well as Alfred?

"Well, are you okay, Mattie? They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

"No, I'm alright, Alfie. They weren't very strong. Thanks for getting me."

"Always," Alfred replied, grasping and squeezing his brother's hand. "Come on now, Mattie, let's get you cleaned up before Mom finds out anything."

"Okay, Alfie," Matthew surrendered. A comfortable silence surrounded the boys but Matthew felt the urge to say something.

"Hey Alfie?"

"Yeah, Matt?" Alfred glanced at his brother, worry shining in his cerulean eyes.

"Do you think would Dad would be proud of us? The computer stuff, I mean, not the part where we mess with the other kids."

Alfred sighed and subconsciously rubbed circles on his brother's hand. He thought in silence for a few moment before turning to the smaller boy.

"Mattie, does it really matter? I mean, I'm sure he would be, but he's gone. And he's never ever going to come back. You know what Momma says. He fell in love with his computers instead of us. And then his computer led him away from people and now he's off crazy and alone by himself. He's not really our dad, Mattie. He never raised us or whatever. Momma's here to take care of us and I'm here to protect you. And that's all you need to worry about. Now come on, let's not talk about this anymore. I don't want to. Besides, I have to do homework. Lemme tell you, you will not enjoy real school as much as pre-school."

Matthew only shook his head as Alfred so purposefully changed the subject with his rambles. One day he would earn his right to know. One day.

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Falling. It's dark and you're falling. You can't see anything but you can feel the wind rushing up around you and that heavy pit you get in your stomach when gravity is pulling you back down to where you belong. You can feel heat beneath you and you begin to fear the possibility of burning. But suddenly, everything goes freezing cold. Just like sharp ice. Just like those heartless creations. That must be it. You reach your hand out to touch the walls of the shoot that you're descending down. Cool metal, the familiar smooth sheet that you favor and know instantly. With a sigh, you allow yourself to fall, hoping that the ground is near. You're nearly right, as you suddenly become snagged in wire.

You untangle yourself from the wires. There's a low glow emitted from across the room. It's coming from a small vent, but you're sure that you can squeeze in at your size. The glow is the familiar blue that a computer monitor give off and naturally, you're curious to see it. Carefully, you follow the wires, keeping your balance. The closer you get to the light, the brighter it seems to get. You continue your curious journey, almost to the light. You reach for it but then everything shatter and all changes around you just before your fingertips were able touch the metal grate shielding the secret computer from you.

The new room is much smaller, but candles surround the circular room. The aroma of wax and maple fill the room. The candles smell sweet, like you mother's maple syrup that she makes on Sunday mornings. The type that Alfred would try to chug down with his milk. The candles give the dim room an earthy glow, one that you find comforting and warm, but not particularly relaxing. You can never be relaxed without the hum of fans and the cool warmth given off by a computer. You never really feel like a room is lit without the glow of a screen. After much examination of the room for a circuit breaker or a switch somewhere, you note that there's nothing else but a throne adorned with precious jewels and silk. You go to sit in it but just before you make it to the platform it rests on, you're jerked out of the images completely.

Matthew sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the images. He had had that dream several times the past year and he had never gotten any farther than the throne room. He subconsciously felt for his wristband for reassurance. The cool ridges where different sheets met the others felt familiar. He knew its feel well. A glance out the window showed that it was still dark out. He searched his pillows for his stuffed polar bear, grasping it and pulling it close before returning to his slumber.