SOuND

I had spent most of my nights taking apart, reprogramming, and rebuilding the hoverboard. It could transform into rocket boots with the sound of my voice to a wristband that I created that responds to the hoverboard immediately. My head fell onto my workdesk, falling into sleep mode as soon as it landed.

Ring! Ring!

"Ack!" My voice somehow produced, throwing my MultiTool at my alarm clock, knocking it off my slide-out deck that sat next to my bed.

I grunted while I placed my alarm clock back in its place, throwing my MultiTool back on my desk. I stood up to yawn and stretch, my stiff neck coming loose once more.

After putting on my usual school attire, I stumbled down the steps and went into the kitchen.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" My mom, aunt, and uncle yelled into my eardrums. I was shocked that they actually threw a surprise birthday party for me, even though it was really a party. Avrilon was there too, sitting in a floating highchair.

"Awww, you guys shouldn't have... thank you..." I cooed, looking at the giant chocolate cake that was sitting on the dinner table.

"Yea yea, we shouldn't have. Listen, we got here a little while ago and we're freaking starving. Can we dive into your humongous cake now, please?" My aunt pleaded, with Avrilon nodding off to sleep. I nodded and grabbed a plate for myself.

"This cake is so good..." My mother moaned, cutting another slice for herself. I did the same, smiling while Avrilon grabbed some with her hands and stuffed it into her mouth.

"We each got you a gift. Open mine first!" My aunt said, shoving a present box in front of me. I grinned and tore it open. I held the package in my hand, reading the outside of it.

"An Artificial Intelligence Bot?" I said, turning the package upside down. "It just looks like a USB to me."

"You plug it into an electronic device, say your hoverboard for example. You can control it, make it do whatever you want it to do, you can even name it." I smiled and gave my aunt a hug.

"You're the freaking best, Aunty Deana. Thank you," I spoke, setting it down on the table. "Where did you get this?" I asked.

"Um... that doesn't matter. You have it." She replied, picking up Avrilon to get the cake cleaned off of her shirt.

"Well, I didn't really know what to get you, so I got you money," Uncle Chris said, handing me a debit card.

"One hundred dollars m'boy, don't spend it all in one place." He warned me, then started to chuckle as I gave him a hug too. Aunty Deana came back holding Avrilon in her arms, somehow asleep again.

"Thank you as well, Uncle." I said. I noticed that everyone was staring at my mother, so I did the same. She clapped her hands once and stood up.

"I have to get this place cleaned up. Sis, you have a job to get to. Chris, you have a baby to watch at your house. Move people, move!" My mother boomed, shooing everyone out of her house. I nabbed another piece of cake before she put it in the fridge.

"You," My mother pointed to me. She hesitated before saying, "Get in the car, I'm driving you to school."

"You see Mom, um, I have these rocket boots I kind of invented and I kind of wanted to test them out to see if I could get to school in them so..." I uttered, waiting for my mother to yell since she was so uptight about what she says.

"Listen honey, do you want my present or not?" She said, smiling at me. I gasped and ran out of the door to her car.

----~----

We pulled up to the place I've been dying to go ever since I saw it. The SOuND factory.

I was so excited that I hopped out of the car and ran into the front door without my mother.

"Yes, may I help you?" The receptionist at the front door spoke, looking directly at me. She was wearing a SOuND herself. Neat.

"Yes, we have an appointment for eight o'clock." My mother explained.

"Ah yes, the-”

"Yes yes, we know our last names. I need to get to work while the birthday boy here gets to stay home and play with his new toys." My mother urged the receptionist, putting her hand on my head.

"OK then. Birth certificate?" The receptionist asked. My mother flashed the hologram picture of my birth certificate in front of her.

"OK Mark, go into the first door on your right and sit on the color chair you want your SOuND to be. The machines will do the rest." The receptionist ordered. I nodded and went on my way.

"Uh, Mark?" My mother called for me.

"Yes, mother?"

"You sure you want to do this? This is permanent, you know." I looked at my mother in the eyes and nodded, smiling.

"I've always wanted to do this." She smiled at me and gave me a hug.

"Do you have a way to get home? I kinda need to go to work now so..." She admitted, looking down.

"Yea, leave it to me. How long was this drive, again?"

"An hour."

I muttered something dark under my breath and looked up to my mother. "OK, I can do it Mom. I love you."

"I love you too!" My mother yelled after me as I ran into the first room.

----~----

I closed the door that led into the room. I looked at the multi-colored chairs that were placed in a circle around the room. I leaned against the door, trying to think what color to choose.

Red? Blue? Yellow? Green? Or Purple?

After thinking for a little bit, I sat in my favorite color, blue. A beep was heard, and I was suddenly strapped down and had something over my mouth. I shrieked, thinking what could possibly be happening.

"Relax," I heard a soothing voice speak. "You are receiving a SOuND. It will be painful, but you are being put into a deep sleep until the procedure is over. Relax, and sleep."

My mind started to turn into mush as I sank into a deep sleep, just like the voice told me.

SOuND…

SOuND…

SOuND…