Never once did I ever imagine I’d look down at my creator, dead at my own hands. The scent of his blood stung my nostrils and his soulless eyes stared right through me. I don’t know how it happened, I can’t remember. See, my creator, Doctor Xael, grew me from a human embryo and over the last six years he worked hard performing many surgeries to replace my human organs with mechanical ones. The latest procedure ended up with a small chip being drilled into my skull. Doctor Xael called it the ‘weapons program’ which is activated when my adrenaline pumps too high. The one disadvantage to this is the blacking out. My nice happy personality shuts off and the weapons program is activated. He told me that when the time was right, it would become my duty to protect planet Earth. Even though I am part human, I’ve never been to Earth. All I know is what Doctor Xael taught me since I was small. Bedtime stories of the blue and green planet which strived with life and creatures great and small. It became the highlight of my childhood, but now, as I close his eyes and lay his limp body to the floor, I feel a sharp tugging at my heart.

   “He’s dead?” A voice breaks the sound of my jagged breath and slow beeping of the radar. The voice belonged to D1, the AI. He was more human than a robot, despite his appearance. I knew it was D1, there was no one else onboard the large mothership asides us.

   “Yes. He is,” I replied and took a step back.

   “He was old, Deare. Days from his last breath. But you ended his life. Why?” D1 crouched down to Doctor Xaels side. The artificial intelligence had no face, only a spherical helmet with a neon blue light which ran down the centre. It’s how he scanned the surroundings more intimate details.

   “I don’t know,” I replied with a sigh. How fucking stupid was I? Killing my creator with absolutely no excuse for my actions.

   “Your program? It was your program, wasn’t it, Deare?” D1 stood. His body whirring noise with machinery. “This means we will travel to Earth without his guidance. Now, food?”

   “I’ve just killed our creator, D1! Does it look like I want fucking food?”

   “You know I lack emotional understanding and empathy, Deare.” The artificial intelligence ambled noisily to the refrigerated and opened it to pull out a slice of pizza we made ourselves the day before. He took it and stood awkwardly to the side just holding it, occasionally lifting it to his helmet and back down again, imitating an eating motion. He was unable to eat human food, I still don’t know why he took it out the refrigerator. I guessed it was part of his learning program, but I was no scientist.

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   “Do we even know how to get to Earth?” I asked. I walked past D1, taking the pizza from his hand and took a bite out of it. He didn’t seem to notice for a while, as he still held an imaginary pizza, dotting a point of nothing onto his helmet.

   “I believe Doctor Xael had already programmed it onto the Location device.” D1 finally noticed the missing pizza as he lowered his hand and followed me.

   “Then we shall leave soon,” I said, looking over my shoulder to Doctor Xael led broken and bloody on the floor. I felt another sharp tug at my heart, filled with regret and anger. “First, I think we should send off Doctor Xael.”

D1 nodded in agreement and turned to walk over to him. He slipped his hands under his old body and lifted him slowly. He started for the doors that led to the hallways, only stopping when he didn’t hear me walking behind him.

   “Deare?”

   “I’m coming…” I blink back the tears that stung my eyes and swallowed the hard lump in my throat.

   “Are you ok, Deare?” D1 asked. Even though he had no eyes, I felt his gaze studying me.

   “I’m fine. Let’s go.” I walked past him, the sliding doors opened with a gentle shht. Even in my twenty-six years on board this ship, I still didn’t know my way around the enormous walkways and endless rooms. It was a good thing D1 knew where he was going because I honestly hadn’t a clue. I knew D1 had done this a few times already with failed experiments and the sick. And soon we came to a stop outside the Crematory.

   “I’ll say goodbye now if that’s ok with you?” I asked D1. Seeing Doctor Xael limp and lifeless was enough for me, I don’t think I could bare watching him burn to a dust.

   “Of course.” D1 nodded once and waited patiently.

I took just one last glance at my creator. The colour already gone from his face etched with life and wisdom. I leant forward, pressing my lips to his forehead in a farewell kiss.

   “I’ll make you proud. Father.”