Wings: More Than Just Two Worlds

Chapter 34: Cyborg

Tamaki Yamato

Age: 48

Species: Incandescent

I woke up in a dark room, with the sound of something dripping behind me. A single light hung above me. I uttered confused, "I'm still alive? But how?"

A deep, and powerful voice responded, "I presume the simplest answer is you're a zombie."

I looked down at my stomach. Black, robotic legs took the place of the legs I lost in the battle royal. They had the appearance of muscular legs. The only thing that would have made them look real is if they had some kind of flesh to go over its humanistic shape. I attempted to touch them, but my wrists were strapped down to the metal table. I questioned, "Did you do this?"

The man stood in front of me. I could see the dim light shining on his chizzled face. I knew it Leo Azure. A name that could make anyone's skin crawl. Anyone could tell who he was by his bulky, muscular figure and signature dick of a personality if they ever met him in real life. Never have I seen such an ugly pair of silver eyes, or heinously perfect, chestnut hair. He smirked, "Perhaps."

I shook around my wrists, demanding, "Release me!"

"Awww, you're not even going to thank me?" He joked, and then laughed at how funny he thought he was. How could such a sweet girl be his child? He casually asked, "Does the name, Miku Yamato ring a bell? What about Kairi Yamato?"

Miku and ... Kairi? My whole world felt like it was shattering all over again. I hissed, "Don't ever bring up those names!"

He rolled his silver eyes, chuckling, "I know your wife is dead, your children are dead... all except for Kairi that is. Want to know how I know? Because he's a project of mine."

"Kairi?" I smiled, "He's still alive!"

 He moved his arms to display the room I was in proudly, "Like it? This room is one of the many! Its's ok if you cant see too well. Its more so a supply closet. I will have you relocated shortly once some experiments kick the bucket. You're now a project of mine too! Just like your son. Well more like an experiment."

 I started crying tears of Joy, "Where is he. Let me see my boy."

Leo shook his head, grinning, "Oh, no, no, no, I didn't let you know he was alive so you could see him. I'm letting you know he's alive so you comply. I could easily make your boy dead if I wish, but as long as you listen to everything I say he'll be fine."

Wait, if Kairi is one of Leo's projects... No... what has he done to him! I demanded to know, "How long has Kairi been here?"

Leo chuckled, pulling up a chair beside me, "Ten years... although it's not as long as the amount of time you abandoned him." He poked my cheek, mocking, "He was just an itty bitty baby when you left." He swayed his chair side to side, "Maybe if you were in the village instead of sending money you could have saved you're family, but no. Kairi had to go through all that pain and loss alone. He lost everything." He laughed loudly, "I got to see that boy grow up and I'm not even his father!"

"I would have gone back for him if I knew he was alive so shut the fuck up!" I snarled, thrashing against the straps, "When Kairi was born I had no choice but to become a Knight! It was the only way a family with such a tarnished name could afford to live in this world!"

He glared at me, becoming more serious, "Bottom line is, I know you care about him. Not only because he's your child but because he's the only thing that remains of your love with your deceased lover Miku."

"I-"

 "Don't tell me I'm wrong when we both know I'm right."

I don't care what happens to me; now that I know Kairi is alive I will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. The sad truth is he's right. I care about Kairi, but the reason I care so much is he's all I have left of my beloved Miku. I want to deny it, but I simply can't.

He leaned closer to me, "Now, to more serious matters, you're alive because I've been having an interest in cyborgs." He claimed, "I'm working on something related to tolemeres, it's the extra coding at the end of DNA. As we get older cells split, causing these tolemeres to get shorter. I formulated a serum that prevents telomere shortening, however other factors of aging can't be stopped like the pathways related to sun exposure, smoking, and such. Now, going back to my interest in cyborgs. Cyborgs are humans with robotic features, like you with your robotic legs. I'm going to keep track of your senses as I replace pieces of you every day. I want to see how long it takes before you're human features, like memories, self image, control, free will... disappear."

"How does that relate to you staying younger?" I wanted to know. Why am I more curious than scared? Is it because I am not scared of dying?

He replied, "Although with this serum I can't age for the most part, I could still develope a disease, my organs may fail, or I may become crippled. The longer I live, the more likely such events could occur. I want to know what it's like first hand through you what becoming robotic is like, rather going through it myself."

Faintly through the thick metal doors I heard a knock followed by a light voice, "Leo darling, I made a cake with the kids to celebrate Lians victory! It's ready! The kids left cause... well... they said" the women's voice grew quiet, " they don't want to breath the same air as you..." She became louder as she spoke excitedly, "but I saved a piece for us to share!"

Leo hushed me, and then replied to his wife, "I'm busy."

I could hear her footsteps, like the sound of heels clicking, gradually moving away as she responded, "Oh, ok." 

I said, raising an eyebrow, "Is that your wife? She sounds lovely."

He stood up, stretching his long arms upwards. He yawned, "Something like that. I view her more as a... murderous sex toy."

I mumbled under my breath, "You're one awful man."

"She's probably going to be tend to you every night, I have more important matters than making sure you don't starve," he told me, walking towards the door.

I turned my head, yelling from the metal table as I shook my wrists in the straps, "So you're just going to leave me like this! What if I need to pee! What if I have an itch!?"

He opened the door and begun to walk out, "When Eve feeds you tonight; she'll direct you to the room I assigned to house you." As the door shut behind him he slightly laughed, "Mary Anne Bell here I come."

I never understood if that night he said the full name of one girl or three separate names. I strangely never worried about my future or the pain I soon experienced. I only worried for Kairi, and slowly... I begun to worry for Eve.