Unbecoming Humans

Chapter 27

I awoke feeling confused and in a lot of pain. I was no longer in the dojo, nor was I in my bedroom. I stared at the ceiling for some time, waiting for my vision to come into focus. The bright lights made my head throb as I stared at the industrial ceiling. After several minutes my brain finally caught up, and I realized that I was lying in the laboratory.

I slowly rolled my head to the side to get a better look at where I was. It was not any part of the lab that I recognized. It was cluttered with items I was not used to seeing in the lab, like books and half-eaten plates of food.

I tried to roll my head to the other side. Every tiny movement made the room spin, but I finally turned enough to see the other side of the bed. I was startled to find a person sitting next to me. I surveyed the blurry face, trying to discern who it was.

"Nima?" I hazarded a guess. My throat was so dry it hurt, and my voice was barely audible. The person next to me chuckled. It was a deep, rich sound, a man's voice.

"Good morning, sweetheart." It was my father. I couldn't remember the last time he had addressed me with a term of endearment. It was rare for us to interact at all, and our conversations were always business related. I realized I was in his personal lab. That did not bode well.

"Morning? How long was I out?" I asked him groggily. He started checking my vitals. I was fairly certain he just wanted something to do with his hands, it was probably not necessary.

"Two days," he said flatly. "It's Tuesday."

"What...what happened?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"You passed out," my father  supplied unhelpfully.

"But, did I win?" He stopped what he was doing, and looked me in the face. His expression was fraught with indecision. He sat back down and put his hand on my leg. Oh no.

"No, honey, you didn't." He looked downcast and disappointed. "Your kick was excellent, but Pi never lost consciousness that anyone was aware of." He paused, looking thoughtful. "The title is his now."

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. My father returned to his ministrations. He worked silently for some time, until he ran out of things to do. He settled back into the chair next to my bed with a sigh.

"How bad is it?" I asked casually.

"Broken nose, fractured cheekbone, some pretty nasty bumps and bruises, but you'll be alright," he said, surveying my face.

"How long am I in for?" He shrugged at my question.

"You can leave once it's safe for you to stand. We don't want you falling and injuring yourself further."

I nodded and felt around my face gingerly. My eyes were swollen so that I couldn't open them all the way. I could feel lumps and scabs all over my face. My ears were also sore and swollen. I had a perpetual headache that made me feel like my head was stuck in a vice.

"I'm sorry, honey." My father sounded tired and defeated. Now that my eyes were semi-functional again, I could see the deep wrinkles in his features, and the dark circles beneath his eyes. "It was never supposed to be this way," he continued wistfully. "Your mother and I just wanted what was best for you. We wanted to give you a future, something most other people don't have. We were supposed to build a beautiful new world that you and the others could rule as you pleased." He paused and glanced around his lab, not looking at anything particular. I didn't know why he chose that time to open up to me, but I let him continue.

"But your mother...the changes in her personality were so subtle. It was years before I noticed them, and by then it was too late. I don't know if it was the gene therapy, or if the power went to her head, or maybe both. Eventually, I couldn't even recognize her as the woman I married."

"And you, my beautiful daughter, have been so brave and so strong through all of it. I love you so much, and am so proud of the woman you have become. I am sorry that I never took the time to tell you before. I hope that one day, you might try to forgive me for my cowardice and apathy." He trailed off.

"So, that's why you've been hiding in here all this time? Because you were afraid of her?" I asked tentatively. He nodded, the shame apparent on his face.

"You should be, too," he warned. "She knows about you and Nima, and she is not happy."

"I don't-" I started to argue, but he held up his hand to silence me.

"You don't have to put on a song and dance for me. Everyone can see what's going on between you two. We have eyes." I blushed.

"Listen, honey. I am so happy for the pair of you. Nima is a wonderful woman. I couldn't ask for anyone better to look out for my only daughter. But, your mother always gets what she wants in end. What she wants more than anything is for you to do what she says, marry Blake, and make exquisite children to rule the earth. She is not in her right mind, and she will do whatever it takes to keep you on the path she intends."

"But why haven't you done something? Why haven't you said something to me, or to her? Why are you telling me all of this now?" My volume and my temper were rising. I had sat up, but as my blood pressure rose, I fell back against the pillow feeling light headed.

"I know," he replied solemnly. "There's nothing I can do to make up for my cowardice, but I can no longer sit idly by. That Pi'ilani is going to destroy everything we have worked for. I don't know what she was thinking, bringing a monster like him here." He paused and the silence filled with heavy tension. "You have to stop him, Aria, for all of us."

"Yeah right," I replied derisively. "I already tried that, remember?" I pointed at the meaty mass that was my face.

"I know, but you're not the only person in this house who wants to see him gone. The more he disrespects them, the more they will respect you. You are a natural leader, Aria. You weren't just raised to rule, you were born to do it. It's time to step up and do what you were always meant to."

He was trying to give me a rousing pep talk, but it only made me feel worse. I felt like Atlas carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. In a way, I suppose I was.

"I'm not ready," I whispered. My father shook his head at me.

"It doesn't matter if you're ready. We're out of time. Either you step up now, or be ruled by a sadistic tyrant." With that, he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving me to wrestle with my self-doubt.