Used
Two months.
It takes two months for the creation process to both start and end.
Two months is a long time to a seven year-old, waiting patiently for his brother.
The Lady hid her anxiety as well. They had been evaluated for the proper programming their new child would receive, and she hadn't been happy with the evaluation.
"I don't want a stuffy noble son!" Asch watched as his mother was arguing with the young boy who was taking notes on their behavior and daily life. The Duke was visiting the King; he hated the thought of everything that was happening because of the boy they had paid a hefty fine for. Their new son had come with a shiny price tag, and the Duke scowled at many other things such money could have been spent on.
Little Asch sat by his mother's side, though it didn't help his discomfort. The green haired boy was obviously a created being, just like his brother would be, but his mannerisms were something above the child's comprehension.
"Mr. Ion, instead of matching him to us, can we just tell you what we want?" The Lady ran a hand through her son's hair, but Asch didn't pull away as he usually would have.
'Is she scared of him?' Asch watched as Ion frowned, and ripped the page off of his notepad. 'He doesn't look scary, he looks friendly actually…' There was a thin collar around Ion's neck, with two tags. One had his name in curvy silver letters, and the other was his identification for the company he worked at.
The prestigious Order was well known for their excellent Fomicry, and their flawless creations, yet they all still came with a caretaker, as all created humans did. Asch wondered where Ion's caretaker was; no one had accompanied him into the manor.
"It's alright Lady Fabre; this is a very sensitive matter. Tell me, what do you want your new son to be like?" Ion adjusted his white robes and stretched his legs. The childlike appearance of Ion often worked to his advantage in calming frayed nerves, which is why he was called to work on high-profile orders. His smile was genuine, and his voice was innocent, but Asch could see that it was just the way he was programmed.
The Lady let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, and turned to her son. "He is your brother Asch, please, go ahead."
Ion smiled at the youth, and turned his attention to the fidgeting Asch. The matchmaker, as Ion was called, could easily tell that Asch's personality was as fiery as his hair. "Well first, Master Asch, what shall we call your new brother?"
Without hesitating Asch responded, much to his mother's surprise.
"Luke. His name is Luke."
Ion bowed deeply to the noble mother and son, before departing the manor. Asch even waved goodbye to the matchmaker as he disappeared into the sea of Baticul's inhabitants, although Asch hardly ever showed such kindness to strangers.
The green-haired boy flipped through his notes with a small smile.
'I want him just like me!' Asch had exclaimed. 'I want him to like the games I like, and be just as smart as I am!' The red-headed boy had described himself in great detail for Ion, but still he frowned.
"This is gonna be a hard job. What program will we fit him with?" Ion flipped through his pages of Asch's personality and wishes for his brother. Creating a child to replace a departed loved-one was the most common use of Fomicry, but Ion couldn't help but remember what the Colonel had told him before this mission.
"Fomicry was never meant to be used on humans Ion. It was used to replicate food sources during the great famine, to lessen the blow. It's why you have animal appendages that real human's don't. We can try our hardest, but no replacement will ever be perfect."
Jade Curtiss, the inventor of Fomicry, had abandoned the practice after its unethical use in the creation of human beings. He was known to be very close to Malkuth's emperor, and some say that he abandoned Fomicry by personal request. The Emperor wasn't too fond of the Imposters, but he never showed prejudice against them, they never asked to be created, but they knew no different.
Fomicry would have been outlawed, Ion reminded himself, had it not been for the increase of monsters and the dangerous miasma they dwelled in. Created humans; Imposters as some called them; were able to withstand the miasma where humans couldn't. The use of Imposters as employees was strictly regulated to keep from exploiting their place in life, and Ion was grateful he was working within the Order, that had created him.
Ion frowned when he passed a used Imposter dealer. Many of the models were staring blankly out the window, possibly ordered to pretend they didn't exist. Ion knew he was different then those, as one of the only custom models to not display his flaws as outwardly as they used models. Many of them had various animal ears adorning the tops of their heads; some were even cursed with the addition of a tail. Imposter's that didn't properly serve their birthing purposes could always be return, and the thought made Ion shiver.
A familiar young girl was waving furiously from the shop entrance. Ion sighed, placing his small notepad into the pocket of his robes, and strolled to meet the excited child.
"Hey Ion! Did you get the info?" Cheery Anise entered the Imposter dealer with Ion in tow, like they did for every new order. "You think we can find one that looks close enough? Or will he have to be a custom order?" Ion shrugged, thinking about the various options they could take with this new order.
Many of the Impostors watched Ion enter with a spark of recognition. Even if they were as near-perfect as he was, they can always tell each other apart from humans, as useless of a skill as it was. Anise had selected a young stock model to play with while Ion attended business, and the green-haired Imposter couldn't help but smile.
The owner of the store smiled warmly and welcomed the ambassador from such a well-respected company. The Order was well known among dealers and customers alike, as was Ion. Although the Order didn't personally sell their stock models, they did take care of all training and personally development, as well as the assignment of a caretaker. Anise was Ion's caretaker, a strong spirited young girl whose family worked within the Order, although it is rumored that they are in debt up to their eyes. Ion, being a custom model, had escaped sales but circumstances he had never been informed of, but his life was comfortable, and he enjoyed it as it was.
"I'm looking for a red-haired model; do you have any of the NGH-119, or NGH-219 series we could take back with us for retraining?" A few of the Impostors stirred at the mention of retraining, as it was instilled within each of them from the moment of their creation that it was a fate much worse then death. Ion knew how they felt, and his heart ached with every Impostor he had the duty of informing that they must accompany him back to Daath.
The dealer smiled and pulled out a tome of all available used Impostors, quickly flipping the pages to search for the model number while Ion glanced around the shop. It was at least three stories, perhaps more; he hadn't truly paid attention when he walked in. There were around 20 pristine boy and girl models scattered around the showroom, no doubt a majority of them were custom models.
"Where are all of the caretakers? You know there is a strict minimum of one caretaker to five models." Ion shot the dealer an accusing glance, before he continued his search for the humans assigned and paid by the Order to provide care for the Impostors.
"Ah… I'm pretty sure they are upstairs dealing with a new arrival, I have 20 on staff here, and five of them are available to answer the Order's call for local caretakers. We don't carry any other model's here, only Order models." The dealer tapped the tome to catch Ion attention, pointing at the available listings for the models he requested.
"Are there any will green eyes?" Ion glanced at all of the photos for the two model numbers; none of them looked even remotely similar to Asch. "I need one with red hair and green eyes, do any models you have available fit this description?"
The dealer frowned and flipped through the tome. Many of the pages were blank, as time goes on, series will become obsolete and they are no longer produced. "Here!" He excitedly lifted to book for Ion's inspection, the Imposter's eyes widening.
"He is perfect! What is his model number?" Ion cautiously grabbed the tome from the dealer and read the notes the shopkeeper had made. "What kind of… condition has befallen him?"
The dealer frowned, and pulled out the sales records. "When I bought him off a traveler, he said he found him in the middle of a miasma stream. He had his identification tags, but it appears as if all of his programming has been erased, some sort of trauma. I bought him thinking that maybe one of the caretakers I have on staff could fix him, you know? We've barely taught him how to walk here."
Ion nodded, it wasn't uncommon for neglectful parents to purchase an Imposter, and then abandon it if the child hadn't lived up to it's expectations. It was uncommon for an Imposter to be abused, or injured to the point where their minds would blank as this model's had. "How strange… That I've found a child almost identical to the one I'm searching for… and he is damaged." Ion frowned before indicating that he was interested. Matchmakers like him were the only ones qualified to make a purchase from a dealer of Imposters, and they were the only ones who could commission another model's creation.
The only new model dealer was located in Daath itself, and Ion wasn't convinced that they would find a red haired seven year-old model with green eyes among any of the newer models. Ion wouldn't dare stray into another company's territory as well, the Order's high price, high quality models made for unbeatable competition, as well as the hatred of the lesser companies. Fomicry was a hard science to master, and the Order had come the closest, keeping their Imposters almost entirely human.
Any other Imposter, from any other company, ended up being kept more as pets then as family members. They were more evident in the slums, where a parent would customize their Imposter to steal to help support the family, which is why many cities required proper ID tags to enter portions of, or entire districts.
"Anise, let's go see this model, perhaps we can take him with us." The dark-haired girl huffed, before saying goodbye to the small Imposter. She quickly returned to Ion's side as they ascended the stairs and into a private bedroom, aside from the bunks the other Imposter's shared.
Inside the small room was a bed, with a nondescript lump shifting under the bland sheets. Ion instantly recognized the same fiery red hair Asch had sported, with the same emerald eyes that peeked out from under the sheets.
Ion smiled happily towards the youth, who sat upright in his bed. There was the same recognition in his eyes; another Imposter had come to visit him! The green-haired Imposter was relieved by his identification, and set himself down on the edge of the little boy's bed. Ion reached out and brushed the bangs out of Luke's face.
"What is his model number?" Anise asked, unable to tell from his physical features alone.
"He is a custom model, detailed down to the very length of his hair, really." The dealer cautiously flipped over the blank tag on the boy's collar, revealing a very rare model number.
"DNF 000? I'm amazed that a model this intricate would have been abandoned!" Ion jumped slightly when the small boy grabbed his hand, and squeezed his fingers experimentally. Both of his tiny hands were effectively distracting him from Ion's examination of his blank tag.
"He was never named, at least it wasn't made official with the Order. What have you been calling him?" Anise could tell Ion was bothered by the mistreatment of other Imposters, although not all of them were as gifted as he was. His concern for the small boy wasn't easily hid, with the way he allowed the boy to attempt to gnaw on his hand.
"I've been calling him little boy, I know it isn't appropriate, but almost every single one of these models will be reprogrammed, and what I call them won't truly matter. I've often wanted to adopt them all myself, but the expenses of such a feat would drive even the King bankrupt!" The dealer chuckled lightly to himself, but Ion didn't seem too fazed.
"We will take him. He is perfect." Ion stood up from the bed, accidentally knocking the small boy over. Ion paid no attention to the little boy's clumsiness, but when he didn't push himself back up, he grew concerned.
The dealer sighed, and apologized for the Imposters behavior.
"A side effect of whatever trauma he has received is that… he will occasionally blank out. I'm not sure if reprogramming can fix that issue or not, it normally only lasts a few seconds and he snaps back."
Ion only frowned, and pulled out the gald given to him by the Fabre family to pay for the rather defective Imposter.
"I'm sure they will love him all the same." Anise piped up, laying her head next to the small boy's. When the Imposters eyes came back into focus, he jumped slightly, but then settled down.
'I hope so…' Ion cried out, following the man downstairs to complete the necessary paperwork.
"Are you sure bringing him to see Asch before his reprogramming is a good idea?" Anise was trying hard to keep in step with her Imposter charge, but he was a bit taller then her, with boundless endurance.
Ion hitched the Imposter on his back up a little higher; he had long since fallen back asleep. The paperwork had taken long, but Anise had been through this business deal many times before. "If he reacts negatively, I'm sure I can explain to him what's happening. He was very understanding of my person earlier today."
The White Knight guarding the door to the Fabre mansion allowed them entry, into the entrance hall only. It was mid afternoon, and no one was waiting for their arrival in the throne room as they had been earlier.
The Imposter, whom Ion and Anise had taken to calling Luke, began to stir on Ion's back. The door to the courtyard creaked slightly, and a second mop of red hair poked though.
Ion's breath hitched in his throat when he noticed that Asch hadn't responded to Luke's sudden arrival.
"Asch…" Ion said lightly, to calm the young noble, but he was too interested in the curious glint that Luke's eyes had taken when he spotted someone who looked similar to him.
Luke's mind wasn't telling him this boy was another Imposter, but instead, was telling him something very different.
"Luke?" Asch took a step forward, oblivious to his mother's entrance into the hall. "Are you here… for real?"
A/N: How will Asch react!!! I don't know!! Well, yes I do. Haha, remember to review! If someone can guess Luke's original owner, I'll give them something fantastic:D :D