"Genesis"

Chapter 6

I don't remember much of the actual hearing. It was all spoken in legal terms with a lot of big words being used. I made a mental note not to become a lawyer when I left school. We seemed to be inside that stuffy building for an eternity. In fact we were soon "adjourned" for lunch. I for one was glad to breathe the fresh air and with reluctance re entered the court house for the continuation of the hearing. Once Gero's lawyers had finished it was Aunt Jenny and Uncle Howard's turn. I remember hearing snatches of the lawyers' continuous monologues such as 'taken in when no one else wanted them... raising them for several years... good friends of the family...' and so on. I did my best to look like I really wanted to stay where we were and gave glares of hatred at Mr Gero at every opportunity. At last after 3 days in that stifling room the judge was ready to give her recommendation.

We all sat tense with anticipation. We stood as the judge entered and sat in that big leather chair. The lawyers sat and shuffled papers as the tension in the room began to rise, then the judge cleared her throat and spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the purpose of this hearing has been to determine where Jay and Krystal Lloyd would be best suited to live and be raised. After hearing both parties' arguments as to why they are the best choice I have reached my decision. This decision does not in any way have any reflection on either party as they are all fine upstanding citizens and any child should be happy and proud to be raised by either one of them. However, as a blood relative, Mr Gero does have the right under the law to adopt and become legal guardian of the two children. While the court also recognizes that Mr Gero for whatever reason delayed his notification of being a relative and therefore the Williamsons were legal guardians of the children and did a wonderful job, a blood relative, having been found and willing to take the children, then I have no choice under the current law but to grant custody of Jay and Krystal Lloyd to Mr Gero until they attain the age of 18 years."

I sat there stunned as the words sank in. Aunt Jenny began to cry and Uncle Howard paled as he tried to comfort his distressed wife.

Krystal looked at me. " I don't want to go, Jay. Why do we have to leave?"

My fists clenched, drawing blood as the nails bit deep into my palms. This wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair! we weren't some rag dolls that could be tossed around from place to place. We were human beings with feelings, thoughts and emotions. I got up and before anyone could stop me I ran across the room to the judge's big desk, ducking around the side so I could see the person who had held our fate in her hands.

"Why?" I spat at her.

She stared back at me with compassion and pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm really sorry. Nothing would please me more than to leave you both in the care of Mr and Mrs Williamson, but I cannot do that."

"Why?" I hissed the question again.

"The law says I can't, Jay."

Uncle Howard stood behind me and resting his hand on my shoulder pulled me back towards him. "Come on Jay, let's go."

Blinded by my tears I turned and wrapped my arms around Uncle Howard. He picked me up and carried me outside to the car and back to my once more shattered world.

#

Three days later saw Krystal and myself once again waiting to move on. Move on from this brief but healing part of our lives, move on into the unknown. Forced to grow up way too soon I stood stiffly awaiting Mr Gero's arrival. These last few days had seen my childhood taken and locked away. No more would I cry. I had been hurt once to often and now my heart was encased in stone, the concrete walls I had built around me would serve me well. No more would I lower my defenses and allow hope to slip in.

Krystal had also slipped behind a mask, carefully erecting her own barriers to stop the outside from hurting her anymore and while mine were built of concrete hers were formed from steel.

A large black car pulled up and Mr Gero got out.

Before we knew it all our possessions had been loaded into the trunk and all that remained was to say good-bye.

Aunt Jenny and Uncle Howard did their best to disguise their sadness, but it didn't work. They were just as torn as we were - if not more.

I hate good-byes. I hugged them both tight, determined to put every ounce of love I could into those hugs. I could see the anguish in their eyes and I tried to fill my own with understanding.

"Thank you, Aunt Jenny. Thank you for everything. But mostly thank you for being you." I hugged her tight one last time.

Moving to Uncle Howard I embraced him. "One day I will return," I said with a catch to my voice.

Uncle Howard squeezed me tight "I know, son... I know..." a strangled sob escaped him. "Look after your sister and always remember that we will be here for you."

Taking a deep breath I felt Krystal's hand entwine with mine and I walked down the path and got into the car, never looking back. As the car started and drove away so I mentally closed the door to that part of my life and tossed away the key. Staring straight ahead I would not allow any emotion to pass over my face, yet inside I allowed the storm to rage free.

After what seemed like hours to me we left the city behind and were traveling through the countryside. I stared out of the window at the passing landscape, entranced by it all. So Gero lived out of the city then? I mused to myself.

Krystal began to stir beside me. She had fallen asleep earlier, all the happenings of the last few days finally having taken their toll and she had drifted off into an exhausted slumber. Now her blue eyes blinked open and she looked around. The realization passing through her eyes that we were still on the road and heading for Gero's place, that it hadn't been a bad dream, that it was in fact true. A sigh escaped her lips.

I squeezed her hand tight. "Dont worry, Krystal. I promise to take care of you," I said and smiled at her.

She returned the smile and squeeze before looking out the window at the landscape that was whizzing past the windows. "We are in the country?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Mmmm. I like the country."

I chose to ignore this remark and continued to stare, lost in my own world. The car slowed and then turned onto a rough side track that wound its way in between the tall mountains. Slowly and steadily the car climbed upwards into the mountains' depths. I took mental notes of the terrain as we continued to climb. This place sure was a long way out from civilization.

The car eventually came to a stop outside of what appeared to be a pair of large steel doors set into the mountain side. The ground shook slightly as the doors opened and allowed the car to enter. Once inside the doors swung shut and the car halted, the engine cut. It was dark.

Silence.

Then a smaller door opened over to one side and light infiltrated the dark cavern. Silhouetted in the door frame I could make out the shape of Gero. His hand raised and then my eyes closed against the glare of lights that suddenly invaded the area. When I next opened them I was greeted by Gero's frame standing outside the car door reaching for the handle.

"Welcome to my home. This is also your home now. I will show you around and then we will eat. I'm sure you must be hungry after traveling for so long," said Gero and with a wave of his hand he beckoned for us to get out of the car and follow him.

Gero's home was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Cut deep into the mountainside it seemed to go on forever. There were several rooms all running off a central hallway. These were mainly the bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. There was also a large family room which we were told was ours to use as we wished, right next door to it was a study which contained desks, computer and floor to ceiling shelves on one wall that were full of books.

"This is where you will complete your school work." said Gero.

I looked at him quizzically.

Gero stared back, a funny smile on his face. "I think I should outline a few of the rules to you both..."

"We are too far out for you to travel to school so you will both complete your studies by correspondence. In here is where you will study and learn. I expect you both to be in here working hard from 9am till noon when you will break for lunch and then resume from 1.30 until 4pm. This you will do Monday to Friday. All work will be completed in those hours, after which you will be free to wander around watch some television or read until 6pm when dinner is served. After dinner again your time is your own, however, bedtime is at 9pm each evening and I expect you to be showered and in bed by this time. Breakfast is at 7.30am sharp. If you are not present for the meal at the time stated then you will miss out. I do not have time to chase after you. You both will have certain chores allocated to you and it is your responsibility to see that they are done. Failure to complete your chores will result in you being confined to your room until further notice."

At the end of the hallway Gero opened another door that led into the large lounge area. Several doors fed off it and we were soon introduced to the kitchen, laundry and dining area. Gero took us back up the hallway once more and showed us our bedrooms and bathroom.

"These are your rooms and I expect you to keep them clean, neat and tidy. I have staff employed to do the cooking and cleaning but they are not responsible for your rooms, that is up to you."

Gero stopped in front of a pair of dark wooden doors and gestured towards them. "These are my rooms. They are private and off limits to you. Under no circumstances are you to enter my rooms unless I authorize you to do so. If I should find out that you have disobeyed me then I promise you that you will deeply regret it."

His eyes narrowed and a feral glint appeared in them as he looked from Krystal to myself.

"Do you understand?" he asked, continuing to bore into me with that icy, cruel stare.

"Yes," we both managed to whisper.

"Fine. Now then, your belongings should be in your rooms so I suggest that you go unpack and settle in. I will see you at dinner." Gero turned on his heel and disappeared into his rooms.

Krystal and I remained in the hallway, both a bit too stunned to move for the moment. Then slowly I let out a low whistle. "Wow!" was all I managed.

"Come on, Jay, let's go unpack and try to forget about this," said Krystal and tugged on my hand.

I allowed myself to be led back up the hallway to our rooms. Once inside I realized that someone had dumped all our luggage into our rooms. Krystal's room was next door to mine and had a connecting door which we promptly opened so that we could talk while we unpacked. While I still didn't trust Gero I had to admit that he didn't skimp when it came to his home. We quickly unpacked and stored everything away in the roomy closets. The rooms started to feel a bit friendlier now there were a few familiar things scattered around.

"Come on, Jay, let's go explore a bit," said Krystal as she bounced through the connecting door.

"Be right with you," I replied as I carefully set down a framed photograph of my parents with Krystal and myself on the bedside table. Pushing away the lump in my chest I went out to find my twin.

#

We spent the best part of the afternoon exploring the various rooms and marveling at how well the home had been constructed using the mountain as its shell. Besides the rooms we had already been shown, we found a couple of others which hadn't been used for some time. Heading back out into the car area we noticed another set of steel doors off to the other side,' and being naturally curious we wandered over to have a look. The steel appeared to be very thick with some form of computer controlled code system to activate the doors.

"I wonder whats inside?" I thought out aloud.

"Must be something really important or very secret to be secured like this," said Krystal.

"Hmmm," I said. "What on earth would Gero want with such as this?"

"Well, let's ask him at dinner," said Krystal. "And speaking of dinner we have two minutes to make it to the dining room!"

I looked at my watch, sure enough it was two minutes to six. "Damn!" I said and then grabbing Krystal's hand I pulled her along behind me as I raced back down the hallway to the dining area.

I managed to stop our headlong flight just before the door and we both calmly walked in as the clock chimed six.

Gero looked up from the table as the clock began to chime. "Good. I'm glad to see you are on time," he said and motioned for us to take a seat on either side of him at the large jarrah dining table.

A funny looking 'man' served us our dinner and the meal progressed in relative silence. I was trying to work out just what it was that was 'different' about the man when Gero interrupted my thoughts.

"He is an android," said Gero.

"A what?" I said, stunned.

"An Android. You know, artificial human."

"Oh," was all I could say, then "He looks so... so..."

"Human?" Gero finished my sentence for me.

"Yes... human," I said.

"I created him," said Gero proudly.

I choked on my forkful of food. "What?"

"I created him."

The response was calm and controlled as if one was discussing the weather. "But, how can you create something that's so life like?" My curiosity was fully aroused now.

"Ahh, it has taken me years to perfect the technique, but at last it is finally coming together and all paying off," said Gero.

Krystal looked at me questioningly. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I see you are curious, boy," said Gero. "Then maybe one day I will let you watch me work. But first I will see how you go in your school studies and see if you are worthy of being allowed to watch and share in what I do." And with that Gero continued to eat, indicating that the topic was now, in effect, closed.

Krystal cleared her throat and looking directly at Gero, asked the question that had been on our minds since earlier. "Errr... Mr Gero, we noticed that there was another set of doors inside the garage area, but they are computerized."

Gero stopped eating and stared at Krystal, his eyes narrowed, "That is the entrance to my laboratory. No one, and I mean no one goes in there without my consent or unaccompanied by me." He looked from Krystal to myself and back again. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Krystal.

Gero stared at me.

"Yes," I stated flatly.

"Good. Then as long as you two do as you are told then we should all get along just fine," said Gero and with that he stood, scraping his chair as he did so and then leaving the room paused once more. "Remember bed time is at 9pm. I will bid you goodnight now and see you both for breakfast." And then he was gone.

I looked at Krystal.

"Oh no, Jay. I know what you are thinking and I don't agree," she said.

"Krystal, I have to get inside that lab and find out just what it is that he is up to. I'm sure that whatever it is it isn't legal and if we can uncover that then we stand a good chance of going back to Uncle Howard's and Aunt Jenny's to live."

Krystal thought about it as I continued to wheedle and whine, giving all sorts of arguments as to why we should get into the lab and eventually she gave in.

"Okay... okay... I give up. We will see what we can do and what we can find out about the lab," she said.

I hugged her. "Thanks, Krystal. I'm sure we can expose him for what he is." We made our way back to our rooms to prepare for our first night in yet another new home.

tbc...