Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Zeta Project'. I do not own any of its characters. It's just a fanfiic.
Phi's characters belongs to TZP fan Beegirl who invented her.
A/N As English isn't my native language, I want to thank Aldebaran8423 for her editing help on this story.
Merry Christmas!
The Truth
by Iglika
Phi stepped into the living room. "Stepped" was not a word usually used to describe her entrances, as this tall, thin and energetic black-haired girl rarely walked calmly. Her usual gait was not just rapid--she was typically on the run, almost constantly, whether going down the stairs or heading for the front door. Her Mom liked to joke with her Dad that Phi came by running naturally. Phi didn't understand the joke, but she always loved the tender smiles her parents would exchange at whatever memories they were sharing. Usually her Dad would scoop her up onto his shoulder to slow her down causing Phi's laughter to ring out. Her joyful smile and resonant laughter gave life to the remote estate where her family lived.
But not now. Although the whole big house was decorated for Christmas, with lights all over the place, two Christmas trees sparkling non-stop--one outdoors in the white snowy garden and the other shining in the darkened living room--and of course the three stockings hung on the fireplace mantle, it seemed joyless and hollow. The sight of the empty living room left Phi silent, sad, worried and scared.
Because her Dad was ill.
He had never been ill before, never in her whole life. He had never had even a common cold, ever, as she or her Mom sometimes did. Her Dad had always been the strongest man she had ever seen.
And the most handsome. She was so proud she took after him not only in terms of his height and his raven black hair, but also his navy blue eyes.
He was her shelter, her protection, her guardian, her safety – and not only for her, but for her Mom too.
He was the most composed, the wisest and at the same time – the most good hearted person she had ever known. Her Mom, small and blonde, was much more emotional, more volatile, quick to both laughter or anger. But not him. He had all the patience in the world and not only for playing with his daughter when she was a little kid. He was always there for her, for her Mom…
The huge screen of the living room computer was on, displaying a slowly tumbling Christmas wreath on a black background-- the screensaver Phi had put on all of their computers for the holiday.
She paid little attention to the computer and stopped in front of the stairs which led up to her parents' room. Phi looked up at the closed door on the upper floor, but didn't dare to climb the stairs and go there. Since her Dad had been stricken by this mysterious illness, she wasn't allowed to enter her parents' room. No matter how strong-willed and independent a girl Phi was, she respected her parents and tried to always follow their rules. But it had been a whole week, and she hadn't seen her father once in all that time…
Why couldn't she see her Dad? If it was some infectious, deadly illness, why wasn't her mother in any danger, even though she never left her Dad's bedside?
Phi stood for a few more moments, unmoving, staring at the closed door. Then she sighed, and slowly turned to make her way…to where?
It was Christmas break, she had no homework, she had already sent all the electronic post cards for the holiday, the robot servants had cleaned and helped decorate the whole house and garden, they had prepared all the food… there was nothing for her to do…
She usually never thought too much about the reclusive way her family lived. Her parents' explanation was that they wanted to live a healthy lifestyle, away from the noise and crime in the big cities, and Phi had never doubted they were doing the right thing.
Well, she had never been in a real school with other kids, she had stayed at the estate, taught by her parents at first and then attended classes on the Net, sending her work in to be graded. She had never felt alone, as she had friends. Not schoolmates, but her cousins, or her parents' friends' children, as close as cousins: her Uncle Casey's kids, her Aunt Tiffy's kids, Jim Junior's kids (she always called James Bennet Junior "Jim Junior"), Bucky's kids, even that funny West's kids, along with so many others. The huge house always had some guest or the other and Phi had never felt alone.
Until now.
She needed to talk to someone, to share her fears and worries with someone, but her Mom was upstairs, beside her ill Dad, the robot servants were not programmed to carry on a real conversation and although Uncle Casey had promised to visit them with his family for the holidays, no one had arrived yet…
Phi headed toward the desktop computer. She hoped that April, her best friend, would be online and they could chat for a while. April was a girl her own age, twelve; Phi had met her on the Net. April felt like a twin soul to Phi, and had never failed Phi as a friend, no matter how suspicious and concerned Phi's Mom was about friends made on the Net.
Phi sat in front of the computer and the moment the machine's sensors recognized her fingerprints, the screensaver disappeared, revealing the screen…
And the black haired girl froze.
She had never tried to look in her parents' files--she knew they had folders she was locked out of, but she never before even tried to see them, believing as her parents did that every person needed and deserved privacy, and even more the privacy of the two people she loved, respected and trusted so completely.
But now… being so worried about her Dad, her Mom had left a file open. And it was too late now. Phi had already seen it, and she was unable to ignore it and close the window.
Because…
What had been written there was…
That…
Her Dad wasn't ill.
He was damaged.
Badly.
Dangerously.
Maybe…lethally.
Because her Dad…her Dad was a synthoid.
A metal synthoid wearing a hologram of a tall, black haired, blue eyed man.
And because some crazy fanatic had been so determined not to allow a "robot" to have a family, a wife and daughter, they'd attacked him, damaging him maybe to the point of death.
That was why they lived so alone, so far away from all other people. Because her life could be in danger…
The page in front of her revealed her mother's desperate attempts to find a way to help her Dad survive that damage. There were conversations with Bucky and Mr. Bennet, senior, with Uncle Casey and Mr. Morgan. And with her Grandfather…who wasn't actually her Dad's father, but his creator. They all promised to find a way and encouraged her Mom to keep fighting.
Now, when she knew the truth, she needed to know the whole truth…and there was nothing which could stop her from searching her parents' files, whether it was right or wrong. She had to know, she had to know how it had been possible for her to be born, and to look so much like her Dad.
And she found the answer--it was a new process of genetic manipulation, which allowed a woman to have a child, using only her own DNA. The procedure allowed the parents to choose some aspects of the child's appearance, and her Mom and Dad had chosen to have her resemble her father, as she would have if he had been her biological father.
Phi had always been interested in robots, most of her toys were robots, and most of her stories and books were about them. And now, her favorite book above all others came to her mind. It was the one her parents had given her last Christmas. It was a small, old fashioned paper book, with no pictures or drawings, and she had been proud to receive it because she know it was a sign her parents didn't consider her a little girl anymore, but old enough to read real, serious books. It was a story about a synthoid, who had been created to kill but didn't want to kill anymore, and his accomplice, a human girl who was able to see him for the person he wanted to be. It was the tale of how they worked together for his freedom and his right to be acknowledged as a real person. The story of a metal knight, doomed to be like the man in the iron mask, a tender soul locked behind a metal helmet. She suddenly knew it was the story of her Dad, the synthoid, Zeta, and her Mom, Rosalie, the accomplice. It was the story of her parents, the story of Zee and Ro…
They had done their best to prepare her for the news. Patiently, little by little, they had taught her about robots, they had revealed all that they knew, all that they had learned through the years. And they had given her the story of their lives. The story of their love. Hoping that she would understand it. Hoping that her heart would recognize the truth and would understand that a real parent didn't necessarily have to be a biological one…or even a human one, but the one who cares, the one who's always there, the one who loves no matter what…
Phi jumped from the chair and ran toward the stairs. In a flash she was upstairs and now there was nothing which could stop her from opening that door. She didn't knock, but just rushed inside…
Phi was inside before her mother had a chance to stop her. Her Mom didn't even have time to do more than turn from where she was sitting on the edge of the big bed, turning her worried face toward her daughter…
Lying on the bedspread, uncovered by any blankets, the metal synthoid slowly turned his head toward her as well…
"Dad!" Phi shouted, running to him, falling on her knees, hugging his metal chest and raining kisses on his metal face.
"I love you, Daddy! I've missed you so much! You have to be well, you're my Dad, I need you! Please don't die! I love you so much! Please don't leave us, Dad! We need you! You are the best father ever! You're my Dad…"
the end
A/N I dedicated this story to my incurable ill father. I wish he could be able to get well the way Zee always could, even after the deadly damage in this story...
I didn't mean the story to be a sad one, my main idea was - that Phi would accept Zee still as her father no matter the fact that he is a synthoid, so I consider the end as a happy one because she still loves her father, no matter how he looks like, she loves him because of who he is.
I didn't mean to make Zee die in this story, just I didn't write how he would survive because I wanted the most important moment of the story to be Phi's decision to keep accepting him as her real father.
So I hope you will enjoy this story as a story with a happy ending, my Christmas gift for you!
If you liked the story, please review. Each word of encouraging from you would be highly appreciated.
If you hadn't read my previous TZP Christmas stories I posted here, they are:
"A Guest For Christmas" – 2008
"Taste of Freedom" – 2007
"The Christmas Gift" - 2006
"More Than I Ever Wished For" – 2005
"Zee's Heart" – 2004
Merry Christmas!