Broken Worlds: Age of Ruin

“Mr. Anderson, your father will speak with you now.”

I opened my eyes at the sound of my name and glanced around in confusion, having spaced out and forgotten where I was. I was sitting in a completely black-walled, almost hospital-like waiting room, with a book turned upside-down in my lap. The voice who had said my name belonged to a young receptionist who was looking up at me expectantly. We had spoken a few times before, but not many; just casual, passing-each-other-in-the-halls kinds of chats.

“Um, yes, right,” I said awkwardly, placing the book on a nearby table and smoothing out my wrinkled coat. I always dressed well, wearing a suit and bowtie and keeping my silver hair neatly combed. Thanks to my father’s high standing in BlackTech, I was given a career as spokesman for the company. It was my job to give my superiors a good image at formal and public events, give speeches, and answer questions to keep citizens’ minds at ease.

After the fiasco at the banquet, however, I doubted my father saw me as a viable candidate for this position any longer.

“Listen,” I said softly as I approached the desk, “I was wondering if you would like to get together for dinner later tonight? If you aren’t busy, of course,” I added with a friendly smile.

A small grin tugged at the edges of her mouth. “I think I’d like that,” she replied calmly. “I get off at seven; how about I meet you outside?” she suggested.

I nodded and began to head down the hall to my father’s lab. “Perfect,” I called back, my voice suddenly falling. I may have had family in the company, but BlackTech took their public image very seriously; they may be waging a war, but they still needed the people to like them. Having the face of the company passing out drunk at a party? Not something that will cast a positive light on them.

I took a shaky breath as I pushed open the doors to my father’s lab. There were technicians at several work stations, some of them mixing chemicals, some of them running simulation experiments on computers, and some of them pretending to work, when really they were playing games on their smartphones or socializing with their coworkers. I cast a harsh look on these nonproductive workers as I passed them, and they quickly got back to whatever it was they needed to be doing at the time.

I stood straight as I approached my father, who faced away from me as he stared at a set of notes that were spread across his desk. “You…” I voice caught as I spoke, but I quickly cleared my throat. “You wanted to speak with me, father?” I asked nervously.

My father glanced over his shoulder through his thick glasses, which made his eyes look huge. “Ah, Cyrus,” he said in a withering, aged voice as he turned to face me, “so happy you could find time to visit your dear father. How have you been?” he asked, wrapping me in a warm hug.

I returned the embrace awkwardly. “Um, I have been well,” I said slowly. “But, I came here on your request; was there something you needed to speak to me about?”

My father waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, you mean the party? Bah,” he said with a slight chuckle, “Our superiors said they would leave the disciplining to me this time, but they don’t want it to happen again. I know your job can be stressful, so I’ll let you off easy on this little incident; just try not to bring any vodka to banquets in the future, eh?” he added with a friendly punch to my shoulder.

I nodded respectfully. “Thank you, father,” I added with relief. “But, if you didn’t call me in to talk about the incident at the banquet, what did you want to speak about?” My father wasn’t usually the type of man who called in just to catch up with his son.

My father sighed. “Perceptive as always, my boy,” he said with a low chuckle. “I wanted to ask for a small favor for my latest project…”

I swallowed hard. Whenever my father asked me for help on a project, bad things always followed. “What were you thinking about?” I asked with forced nonchalance.

My father sighed. “Well, I have a new serum that needs testing, but I need a female test subject in order to observe its full applications,” he explained as he led me to a nearby desk, atop which sat a vial of glowing crimson liquid. “I saw that you asked the receptionist out just before you came down here; perhaps you two could stop by the lab before you drop her off at home?” he suggested with a clever grin.

I took a step back. “Father, are you insane?” I whispered, glancing around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, “We’re still under investigation for the last girl that went missing! Just because BlackTech gave you Carte Blanche when it comes to gathering components for your experiments, does not mean you can just abduct people and use them as lab rats!” I stared at the old man intensely for a few moments, but I backed down when he glared at me, his eye twitching slightly. “You’d think a child would be more willing to help his father,” he sighed, reaching for a small, black remote on his belt.

I held up my hands calmingly as soon as I noticed what he was doing. “No, you don’t need to do that,” I said quickly. “I’ll bring her in, just like you asked.”

My father smirked. “Excellent,” he said happily. “Of course, it would be most gentlemanly of you if you took her out on a date like you said you would, first,” he added. I nodded dutifully and turned around, briskly walking towards the exit. My father may seem like a kindly old man at times, but his temper can be rather… explosive.

~-~-~-~-~

Our date went rather well; I took the young girl, who was named Alice, to a fancy restaurant downtown. Not the same one the banquet incident had occurred, of course, which was a shame; that particular establishment had excellent veal.

“I had a wonderful time tonight, Cyrus,” she said dreamily as I led her to the limousine that was our mode of transportation for the evening.

I nodded, smiling slightly. “I enjoyed it as well, my dear,” I said, trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice. It wasn’t from talking to her; I was excellent at talking to people and maintaining decent composure. What had me so uneasy was what I needed to do next: “Listen, would you mind if we stopped by my father’s lab? There’s something I think you will be interested in,” I said hopefully.

Alice looked interested. “Ooh, I get to see inside your father’s top-secret laboratory? Are you sure I’m allowed?” she said, giggling slightly.

I nodded and gave her a clever grin. “I have unrestricted access, and so will you, as my guest,” I reassured her. Don’t do it, I told myself silently, You could just make something up; tell Father she fell ill at the restaurant, or she just wasn’t interested in seeing the lab. My fear got the best of me, however, as I pressed the intercom button that sat beside me. “Driver, take us to BlackTech Genetics,” I said clearly, and the engine revved to life as we drove for my father’s lab. With every block we passed, I could feel my unease growing more and more, until I eventually exploded when my hand fell on the doors to the lab.

“You can’t go in there!” I cried suddenly, shooing her away from what might as well have been the gates to Hell. “It… it isn’t safe… I forgot that there was an accident this morning, and only personnel wearing the proper protective gear may enter,” I explained quickly, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead.

Alice nodded, disappointed. “I see,” she said slowly. “Well, I can understand; hazardous chemicals and whatnot. There’s a reason only the technicians are allowed inside,” she added with a giggle.

I nodded, momentary relief washing over me, until I heard the “woosh” of the doors opening behind us. “Cyrus, good to see you again!” I heard my father’s cheerful voice call from the end of the hall, “and you’ve brought a lady-friend to visit! A pleasure to meet you, miss…?” my father trailed off, casting my date a questioning glance.

“Alice,” she replied, holding out a hand that my father shook gently. “I’m actually the receptionist, but I don’t think we’ve ever actually met in person.” she added.

My father nodded. “Then, allow me to properly introduce myself,” he said with a slight bow. “I am Doctor Cyrus Anderson, head scientist here at BlackTech Genetics; I’m sure you’re well aware of all that, but it’s only good manners to tell a new acquaintance who you are,” he explained, chuckling slightly.

Alice raised an eyebrow. “‘Cyrus Anderson’? Would that make your son ‘Cyrus Junior’?” she asked, giving me a teasing glance.

I gave her an uneasy smile as my father spoke up. “Well, I suppose Cyrus brought you in for a little tour? I don’t normally allow visitors in the lab, but for a young woman as lovely as yourself, I’m sure I can make an exception…”

Alice looked confused. “Cyrus said there was some kind of accident, and it wasn’t safe to go inside,” she said slowly.

My father waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, we cleaned that up hours ago! Just a slight gas leak; nothing a couple of engineers couldn’t fix.” As he said this, he shot an angry look at me; it lasted just a moment, and then his polite demeanor returned. “Come, come; I’m sure there will be many things in here that will interest you.”

Alice gazed around the room at the many workstations and equipment that filled the room. “Well, it’s a nice change from the all-black color scheme that BlackTech seems to love so much,” she said dryly.

My father chuckled. “Yes, I will admit, the darkness gets hard on the eyes at times,” he agreed. “Now, if you would like, I could show you my latest, top-secret project,” he said mysteriously.

I cringed fearfully as Alice replied with an intrigued “Of course”. The next few moments all happened in a flash; My father jabbed a surgical syringe into Alice’s neck. She threw an instinctive swipe at my father, her nails raking his face with four neat, red lines. She collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

I couldn’t move; all I could manage was a scared, apologetic look as she fell unconscious.

“Well, that could have gone better,” my father said as he wiped his bleeding face with a disinfectant wipe. Specially created by him, the scarlet lines darkened as the chemicals in the wipe mixed with his blood, coagulating his wounds instantly. “Cyrus, would you take her to the operating room and secure her? I’ll be just a moment,” he called over his shoulder.

I nodded numbly as I hooked my arms under hers, dragging her across the lab toward a door labeled “Operating Room”. Inside, I lifted her onto a table and strapped a series of leather restraints over her arms, legs, head, chest, chest and waist.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I stroked her sleeping face, pushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “I would do something if I could, but…”

Just then, the door burst open, and my father strode in, putting on a pair of surgical gloves. “Thank you, my boy. I’m afraid you cannot be in here during the procedure for contamination purposes, but you can watch from outside, if you’d like,” he suggested, pointing a finger at the large window facing us.

I nodded dutifully. “Yes, father,” I mumbled dutifully, and slowly exited the operating room.

As I sat outside, I watched as my father worked on the girl I had lured to this cruel fate; I knew she wouldn’t survive whatever this was. None of my father’s patients survived his personal experiments. “This is Doctor Cyrus Anderson, performing my first test of the Pandora Serum,” he spoke aloud into a camera that he had aimed at his workspace, documenting the procedure. He began by shaving a section of her head, exposing her scalp, and then used a drill to secure a small, black box to the side of her head. “Primary implant has been secured; now I start the injections,” he reported, pressing a button on a nearby console. The bed turned upright, so Alice looked like she was standing straight up. A flat, metal panel rose from the floor in front of her, covered with several robotic arms. Each arm held a large, metal syringe, filled with a thick, red liquid, almost like blood, but darker red and glowing slightly. I had to turn away to avoid vomiting as the arms extended, injecting whatever concoction my father had made into her veins.

“The serum has been applied to the body,” my father reported. “For the fastest, and most full effects, some injections are applied to the bloodstream, while others are applied to the bone marrow centers,” he explained.

I stared in horror as Alice’s sleeping face twitched slightly, and her skin seemed to be… moving. Rippling, almost, as if it were water. Just then, her eyes snapped open, and she let out a pained scream as her right arm began to spasm violently, her skin changing to a dark-red, almost leathery texture. The muscles in her arm expanded, and her fingernails fell loose as her bones protruded from her fingertips like claws. The right side of her face was changing as well; her mouth was extending, and her teeth had fallen out, becoming replaced with a set of razor-sharp canines. Her eye was a sickly yellow, and her pupil had narrowed, almost like a cat’s. She thrashed around and screamed as these changes took place, her cries garbled and distorted as she struggled to break free from the restraints. The heart monitor was going wild, reading 240 beats per minute, and my father simply watched her pain observantly, as if taking note of the events as they occurred.

At this point, I decided I had seen enough. I rushed to the door and tugged at the handle, finding my father had locked the door. “Father, stop this!” I begged, pounding my fist on the window. Alice jerked her neck, and her eyes narrowed angrily as they fell on me, and the already-spastic heart monitor rose about a hundred beats per minute before overloading and shutting down. I saw her flex her shoulders and push against the bed, and the restraints snapped as she leaped at the window, smashing it with her mutated arm. She let out an enraged screech as she began to sprint at me, and I quickly jumped to the side as she swiped her claws, barely missing my chest. She pursued me as I climbed over desks and chairs, growling and screeching like some kind of animal.

Eventually, I found myself backed into a corner with Alice stalking towards me, like a predator preparing to finish off its prey.

“Alice,” I said, trying to keep my voice calming, “if you’re in there, I’m sorry. Just settle down, and I can help you.”

Alice snarled, and launched herself at me. I held my arms in front of my face fearfully, and heard a loud “bang” just when I thought the poor girl would be all over me. I peered through my arms and saw Alice lying on the floor, her limbs sprawled out and unmoving. She was breath came in short, rapid gasps, and her eyes stared straight ahead. I walked over slowly, and gagged when I saw what had happened: the implant my father had attached to her head had detonated, destroying a large portion of her head and brain. I quickly recomposed myself, and knelt next to her. Her eyes snapped over to me, full of anger, pain, and confusion.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I stroked her hair comfortingly, and her breathing began to slow. “I’m so sorry.” She continued to stare at me, her breathing becoming shallower as her eyelids began to droop. When they finally closed, she let out one final sigh, and fell still forever.

“Well, that could have gone a little more smoothly,” I heard my father say nonchalantly from behind me. I turned slowly as he went on. “It would appear the serum still needs some work done, and I may have to run some tests on our subjects to see if they are mentally stable enough to have it administered.”

I stared at my father disbelievingly. “You knew this could happen?” I asked, anger rising in my voice.

My father shrugged. “It was a possibility,” he replied. “But what’s done is done; bring her body back into the operating room, and I can give her a closer examination to find how well the serum worked,” he commanded, turning around and strolling away.

I stared after him, unblinking. “No,” I said defiantly.

My father looked back over his shoulder, a confused smile stretching his lips. “What?” he inquired, sounding amused.

“You already mutated and murdered her; I’m not going to let you dissect her just so you can see how well your little pet project went,” I snapped. My bravery was short lived, however, as my father quickly strode over to me and placed an arm over my shoulder. This wasn’t a comforting embrace, however; I felt his fingers trace the back of my neck, falling on a hard object embedded in my skin just below my brain stem. He held up the black remote he kept at his belt, his thumb resting gently on the single button on its surface.

“You may want to reconsider this sudden outburst, my boy,” he said coldly. “You may be my own flesh and blood, but do not forget that you are replaceable.”

I stared at his cold, angry eyes for several moments. “Please, father,” I pleaded quietly, “let me clear my conscience.”

My father stared back, his gaze softening only slightly. “Very well,” he said finally, removing his arm and reattaching the remote to his belt, “You may take her body to the incinerator and have a little funeral.” Saying this, he looked down at the still body that lay beside me. “I will admit, I do feel bad for you; she was quite pretty,” he said simply, and walked away, leaving me alone in the sterile lab with my date.