Chapter 19: From father to son
Sonny stared at the screen, as if it would give him the answers he looked for if he stared hard enough. Naturally, that didn't happen. The frustration was starting to kick in. Why was all of this happening? Was there anything he could have done that would have prevented this? But he knew, this was bigger than him, and was spanning a far wider range than he could imagine.
«I have to find that antidote Corso, one way or another. I don't care what it takes, I'll do what I have to, but my granddoughter walks out of this unharmed, That's a promise!»
Corso could tell, from the look in sonny's hazel eyes, that he meant it.
«But Sonny, where do we start? This is a gigantic mess, I don't see where we should start» he said to his friend.
Sonny knew what he meant. It was no easy task to know where to start.
«I'll be taking some time off from work Corso, it's the only way».
«Won't that look suspicious to Technoid? You know they are still watching our every step, yours in particular» Corso warned him.
Sonny nodded. An eyebrow shot in the air. «Let them keep doing just that Corso, they couldn't tell the difference of the real me and a clone before, who says they'll do a better job now?».
Corso grinned. Sonny had a plan, he ususally had, and now, things started to sound fun.
«What do you want me to do while you're away?»
Sonny thought it over for a sec. «Make sure to keep both D'Jok and Mei in the don't need to know untill I tell them. It's better they don't go around worry about me while I'm away».
«How long do you plan to stay away?» Corso wanted to know.
Sonny had no real answer to that.
«As long as it takes Corso» he simply said...
Everything was set. Mei looked around in the nursery. All was well. She smiled. Just two more months, and she would have her little babygirl in her arms. Everything seemed to fall into place nowdays. Sonny was freed from Technoid, and could enjoy his freedom. It had been a beautiful sight. Mei could tell that he was relaxing more. Mei looked at the contracts she had to fullfill after her pregnancy. She had even promised to do a photoshoot with the baby. D'Jok wasn't going to be happy about that part. Her phone rang, it was her agent.
«When will you be ready to fullfill the comercials Mei?» he asked.
«I have to get the pregnancy overwith» she sighed.
«Well, the SecTech commerical turned out great, a lot better than you'd think, concidering it's pirates that run this firm».
Mei all of a sudden got an idea.
«Mr. Amons, about my commercials, the ones with the baby. I'd like to bring one more person into it».
«Off course Mrs. Blackbones, who did you have in mind?»
Mei smiled, this would turn into being fun.
«I want Sonny Blackbones himself to participate»...
It was not the same. Corso did his best to cover for him. His clone was so good, you'd be unable to tell the difference without knowing the pirates personally. Sure, in appearance, it looked like Sonny, talked like Sonny, walked like him. It would have fooled anyone, except for Corso. The clone lacked Sonny's heart. It was that simple, and that complicated.
Corso felt like he was playing a role all day at work. The role didn't end untill he was back in the appartement he shared with Sonny. Corso felt alone. He wasn't used to this. He sat down in his recliner, a luxury the pirates had not had onboard the Black Manta, the only chair in the commandcenter, was reserved for Sonny. Here, there was two. Corso sighed as he opened a beer, and sat down to watch tv. The clone was working in the kitchen. Everything seemed normal, and yet, it was far from normal.
«Please hurry back home Sonny, There is something lacking without you»...
The sanctuary looked peacefull out here in space. It was a difficult place to find, Sonny smiled as he was stearing his little ship into the docking area. The guard looked up as he arrived.
«Long time no see Sonny, how are you?» he asked.
«Never been better» smiled Sonny.
«Congrats on the verdict, I never thought they'd make a move like that».
«you and me both» said Sonny with a smile.
«Your folks are gonna be happy to see you» said the guard as Sonny made ready to leave.
As soon as Sonny left the astroport, he headed to his villa in the most secure region of the Sanctuary. His family was situated there, by his wishes.
As he got there, he rang the doorbell. The door was opened by his mother.
«Sonny! I'm so glad to see you!» she exclaimed, and pulled him into a hug.
«Me too mom, it's been a while!» he smiled sheepishly.
« next time, bring D'Jok and Mei» she demanded.
«I will, and their baby».
«Has Mei given birth yet?»
Sonny shook his head, as they walked through the hallway.
«No, not yet. There is still two months to go» he explained.
Evan, Sonny's father, entered the room.
«I thought I heard a familliar voice. Good to see you son» he said and hugged Sonny.
«Likewise Dad» Sonny replied and returned the hug.
Evan looked at him.
«Something tells me you didn't come here, just for a pleasure visit».
Sonny nodded.
«I'll leave you two alone to talk then» smiled Beth and left the room.
Once they were alone, Evan bid Sonny sit down.
«What's troubling you my son? Is it D'Jok?».
Sonny shook his head.
«No, that matter I can handle. It's technoid».
«I thought you were cleared of all charges? Or is there something the news forgot to mention?»
Sonny sighed.
«No, all is fine in that regards. This is about the past».
«I see».
Evan's murky green eyes narrowed. For Sonny, his fathers eyes was the same as his son's.
«Dad, I've been having visits by this man, who claims he is your father».
Evan's facial expression changed.
«So, he's up to his old tricks again?» he asked his son.
«I don't know dad, I was hoping you could help me shake some of the confusion».
Evan looked thoughtfull.
«I'll do my best Sonny, what is it you need to know?»...
Clamp studied the mixture Sonny had asked him to look after. If nothing else worked, this serum would be the last way out.
So far, they had conducted no tests. But Clamp knew it was only a matter of time, before Sonny would act. What he didn't know, what no one knew, was what plan he had. Dame Simbai entered the room.
«It's looking good Clamp» she said.
He just nodded it.
«I can't believe it. The evil side to technoid is far worse than I ever thought! And to think they'd do something like this to an innocent little baby...» Clamp shook his head, as to rid himself of the shock.
Dame Simbai could only nodd it. The evil defied even her perception of the firm. Sonny had been right all along. Now, all she could do, was to hope that the man that kept fighting Technoid with all his heart and soul, would find his way through this problem too.
«Sonny will fix this, he always does» she assured him.
Clamp looked at her.
«There are limits as to what Sonny can do too. I just hope, we're not too late for the baby»...
Sonny had closed his eyes, and folded his hands, as his father told him the entire story behind the D'Arish family's feud with The Maddox family.
«The Maddox family got the upper hand. They were of royal decend, The D'Arish family was just lucky enough to strike jackpot, and got wealthy» the old man spat.
«I see, but what does that have to do with the current situation of today?» Sonny wanted to know.
«In reality, nothing. I am laying out the background for you son, so you better understand why it has come to this».
«Okay!».
«The Maddox family, who now started using their title, Duke or Duthcess, gave the D'Arish family the evil eye. Since old Rainer Maddox had a fallout with my father, he started a tradition. He made sure that the firstborn of each son or doughter that was born a D'Arish, would at some point get hunted down during their early schoolyears, and Technoid would step in and see to their education, to put the family in debt. Where they could, they changed the childrens wiew on the D'Arish family. Making us the black sheep».
Sonny nodded. He was starting to see a red thread in this.
«When I learned of this, I too had experienced the attempted change of heart towards my father and my family heritage. I hated it. I felt belittled and ashamed. I swore to protect my own, by breaking out, and hide, far away from technoid»
Sonny looked at him.
«It didn't quite turn out that way, did it?» he asked.
Evan shook his head.
«No. After marrying Beth, wich my father oposed, I cut the family bond, and moved to Akillian. We were happy there, even happier, when we found out we were expecting our firstborn, you. But the happiness was shortlived, as Technoid was lurking in the shaddows. We knew Kathy would be safe when she was born. The one that faced an uncertain future, was you Sonny, our only son».
Sonny nodded. The past was still painfull to think of.
«When General Bleylock came to talk to us, we did everything to keep you safe. But somehow, he managed to get you away from Akillian, and sucked you into the Technoid machinery» Evan continued.
Sonny sighed deeply.
«Had I known then what I know now..».
Evan nodded.
« There has never been a time where your mother and I have been more afraid then the time you were away, on the technoid planet, to get your degrees and education. When you found Niobe, and moved back home, I knew something had happened to you. But, you never talked about it».
Evan's eyes searched his son, to see if he responded.
«It's not the kind of things you talk about Dad, not to anyone. I never even told Niobe..».
«And yet, you were on sickleave for months when you returned. I saw you Sonny, I could tell you experienced something bad back there. What did they do to you?»
Sonny sighed. It was time to tell his father of his own past.
«They carried on their neverending revenge on our family, by injecting a serum into my body, that will now cause a real threat to my grandchild. The only way I could stop it, was if I had no offspring» he stated.
Evan seemed to get it.
«D'Jok!» he stated.
Sonny nodded.
«It skipped me, to avoid detection, and it skipped D'Jok. I made sure to have him examined. But maybe not the baby».
Evan gasped.
«No, you can't be saying what I think you are Sonny».
Sonny looked at him.
«I'm afraid so. Dad, have you ever heard of «project nemesis»?» he asked his father.
Evan nodded.
«Technoid's supersoldiers. But I thought that was a myth?»
Sonny nodded.
«As did I».
Evan looked at him.
«Now I understand why you came Son. I can't do much to help».
Sonny smiled.
«You already did».
«Huh?» Evan's face was confused.
«But a word of advice Sonny. Trust your instincts. You got an amazing gutfeeling. Follow that, and you'll find the answers».
Sonny nodded.
«I got to leave now, but we'll meet again soon Dad. Hopefully, I'll bring D'Jok and Mei and their newborn next time».
«We'll look forwards to it».
Sonny left the house with a smile. As he boarded the ship, a smile formed on his face. He was going home to Akillian, to save his granddoughter, There was nothing Technoid could do to stop him now...
looks like solutions are found in the rarest of places right? What do you think of this chapter?