Kevin’s thumbs clacked rapidly on the buttons of his handheld. It was the latest tech of course. Nothing but the best for the son of the CEO. But it brought him no pleasure.

He was skilled. Something that should have brought him some pride. No monster was too difficult for him to master. He’d sharpened his skills through many games which shared the same sorts of mechanics. But the achievement felt a little hollow.

The boss’s HP had only a little sliver of red left. No more phases existed to the fight, yet his thumb paused. He couldn’t deliver the final strike. Looking up he spotted the prim and proper boy in the reflection of the rearview mirror. Bland, a moulded appearance fit for the heir to the company. Dilmont’s pride. Yet, it wasn’t enough. The jangle of hit noises announced the death of his character. It was the fourth time this journey the same conclusion to the battle had occurred.

The chauffeur continued to keep his eyes trained forward. Not an ounce of his attention was directed Kevin’s way. Why should it? It was more than his job’s worth to interfere with the kid. It was the same for everyone in the company. Even if his soul cried out for attention from those around him.

The repeated electric jingle of failure wouldn’t move anyone. No one would lend a hand. No one would give advice or scold him. No matter if he fell and scraped a knee or broke a vase. His needs would be taken care of with a monotone attitude bereft of intimacy. The scowl on Kevin’s face only grew deeper.

Further into the city, they drove. The single-story and double-story buildings gave way to the high rises. Which in turn gave way to the majestic sight of skyscrapers. Gleaming in the light of the morning sun the affluent parts of the city preened like proud birds of paradise. And this sight’s only reason for existence originated from his family. His father took Dilmont from its humble roots to this bustling nexus of activity in a single generation. It was arguable that the park was older than the city itself. Part of the land Dilmont originally owned.

In the centre of these towering buildings, the space opened up. A lush scene spread outside the window. Neat rows of trees, bushes and flowers dotted the landscape. However, a strange sterile feeling overcame Kevin, as it always did when going to his father’s workplace.

Very little animal life lived here. As if a misplaced bird nest was an insult to the aesthetic. Every plant and bush was meticulously pruned and curated. Strained of its natural beauty and mixed with corporate greed. Served to the public as an offering of platitudes against their crimes. The usual fare for big companies.

Kevin's lip circled into a sneer. At one point he’d had pride in his father’s company. It was a symbol of power. It was a comfort of an assured future. And surely his father could do no evil. But the continual distance between them had Kevin shaking the bars of his social cage.

So he looked. He searched the internet for his father’s company. In lieu of actual contact with his father, he hungered for any information about the company he ran. What services did this conglomerate supply to the public? Who worked on the board alongside his father. He could ask the servants questions of course but the answers he got were always vague.

But what he found didn’t meet his expectations. At first, he could dismiss it as slander from jealousy. Or a genuine mistake. The doubt began to niggle at the back of his mind. Protests, lawsuits, cover-ups, and a multitude of inconvenient truths were swept under the rug. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

The bottom fell out of his rose-tinted view of the company. All that was left was the hollow emptiness of the lonely life that he lead. Are we the bad guys?

His disgust didn’t diminish his need for a father figure, however. Maybe it even grew. He couldn’t divorce the strong image of his heroic father from the taint of the company’s actions. But this didn’t do anything for the needs he felt.

His family was rich, but he was starved of human interaction. How could Kevin give anything away when he had nothing to give? He had money, but freedom from his servants and helpers was a pipe dream. Should I give in? Follow the stained destiny my family has left me? It was tempting. Throw away his humanity and simply indulge. Perhaps he could stop feeling guilty at some point if he did.

So Kevin formed a conviction. An ultimatum. If he could feel the love that his father surely had for him. Then he would follow in his footsteps. Damn the public. Damn the planet. He would have his life, his way. But if there was nothing there, not a sliver of affection…

The car slowed to pass a growing crowd of people. Each holding various pickets that only deepened his self-loathing. Climate activists, political protesters, union workers. Dilmont clearly had its thumb on the scales. But finally, the populace was winning. The opposition had been ousted from the government and votes were flowing to the party that supported the people, rather than businesses and fat cats.

Should Kevin feel happy or sad? He couldn’t tell. What he did feel was emptiness at the scene spread before him. Lines of security held back the crowd as the car rolled forward, but that didn’t stop the odd egg from splattering onto the window. His eyes followed as the streaks of yolk and white trail down the glass.

“Stop polluting our rivers! We share this planet! We only have one!” One vocal protester yells toward the car between a couple of security officers. “There’s no planet B! Take care of the only one we have!”

Kevin’s lips purse in consternation. He hadn’t got an answer to give. But even so, his form was hidden behind the blackened glass of the vehicle. His eyes fell to his lap. Fortunately, the drive into the compound didn’t take long.

Electric gates slowly swung open. The gaping maw of Dilmont Pharma, ready to consume the world for its own sustenance.

The austere collection of buildings stood beyond the gates. Laid out in neat rows which non the less made for an imposing image. Kevin readied his heart for the oncoming meeting. Would it be the confrontation he had built it up to be, or would his imaginings all be his own misunderstanding?

— ~ —

The car pulled up to the drop-off point. Silent throughout the ride the driver made no move to hurry the young boy out of his vehicle. Kevin spent a moment gathering his thoughts before lightly hopping out. The crackle of gravel sounded out behind him as the vehicle left.

Phew… with a deep sigh, he plodded his way forward. A guard was already waiting at the doors to greet him. Vanessa. At least she had personality. Even if she regularly tried to hide it when she realised who she was talking to.

She was a slight woman. Dressed in the drab security uniform they all wore, red hair tied in a ponytail that swung with her animated gestures. Glimmering emerald eyes locked onto Kevin as he approached.

“Hi, Kevin. Come to see the boss have ya? I mean, have you.” She corrects, clearing her throat and standing straighter.

“Indeed.” Walking past he enters the building. The quick shuffle of feet indicated she was following, but she quickly passed to guide him.

“You know how these halls can be. Let me guide you to the office.” Kevin grumbles a little at her presumption.

Every time he came it felt like the route to the office changed. But there were never any signs of renovation. Old worn carpets remained. The footsteps of many feet traced paths in the fabric. And I thought I’d have a chance this time as well…

Non the less he obediently followed her lead. They were already turning a corner he swore wasn’t there the last time. That didn’t stop Vanessa from swearing as she walked into a dead-end herself.

Eventually, they made their way to the reception. A relieved sigh left her lips. How can not even you know the way around your workplace?

But Kevin didn’t have time to think about the woman for now. How can I be so nervous about meeting my own father? His hands clenched around the satchel hung over his shoulder. Within it contained the report card that detailed his latest exam results.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have done fine Kev.” Vanessa piped up. “One Kevin Dilmont to see the boss Tracy.”

The immaculate girl at the desk looked up with an expressionless face. “Sure. Just a moment, I’ll see if he’s available.”

A couple of button presses later and the room was left in silence again. Like waiting for the dentist, that antsy feeling hung in the air. The shuffle of feet, the receptionist tapping away at her keyboard, every little discordant sound unsettled Kevin in the quiet of the room. How should he keep his arms? Fold them in front or let them hang? The moment just felt awkward.

“Oh, I suppose congratulations are in order!” Vanessa spoke up.

“On what?” Kevin had no clue as to what she was referring to.

“Eh? Ah, was it suppose to be a secret? Ha ha, sorry. Forget I said anything.” Turning away with an awkward smile Vanessa tried to slip her mistake under the carpet.

“Boss’ll see you now. Head in.”

Kevin’s head snapped up. Vanessa sighs in relief as Kevin is distracted from her mistake. “I’ll wait out here. Good luck.”

“Sure…”

Kevin made his way toward the double doors of frosted glass. The silhouette of his father at his desk was imposing even when he was sat the other end of the room.

The doors swung open to reveal the figure of his father. Working away at his desk. Large windows streamed in copious amounts of light casting his face in shadow. Kevin paused at the threshold.

What could he say? How could he glean what he so desperately desired to know? Did he mean anything to his father under that frosty exterior?

“Come in. We don’t have all day.” His voice enters Kevin like a jolt. His feet move before he even realises what he is doing. No matter how much he prepared his heart he was but a little boy before his father.

“I…”

“Report card?” He asks reaching out his hand. Kevin noted the callouses from holding a pen all day. The hand looked large, dry skin worn down after years of neglect. He handed over the slip of card.

Plopping it on the desk with hardly a glance his father continued to type as if he was never there to begin with. Does he expect something else? Am I meant to comment?

“Fath…”

“Wait.” A single finger lifted. A dismissive gesture. Kevin needed to wait till his turn came, lest he forgets his train of thought…

The moments ticked by. Kevin’s eyes wandered. Meticulous order was adhered to on the desk. Not a sheet out of place. Not a pen out of line. The cables leading to the computer were bundled in neat lines using cable ties. Yet a single rectangle of plastic had fallen out of place.

It was an ID card. The Lanyard that draped over the edge of the desk had pulled the light plastic away from its intended position. Pulled over to his side of the desk he noted the information it presented.

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Portrait obscured by the shadow of his father’s form, he couldn’t make out his face. But he did catch the gold trim and important sounding clearance level. He was tempted to pick it up and place it in its proper place. However, he daren’t even touch it. The act seemed like it was just beyond his capabilities. His father’s desk was sacred.

“A for English. A for Mathematics. B for Geography.” There was a snort. “Apply yourself a little more next time. Passable.” And that was it. He skimmed the rest.

Kevin wasn’t sure what he expected. Yet his heart still sank. No congratulations. No admonishment. Simply another business transaction. Clenching his fist, he gazed at that silhouetted figure. Try as he might he couldn’t see the love his father had for him.

“Father…”

“I have some news. I needed to pull some strings but…” Why does he not use my name? Does he even… “You’ve been accepted to the Beaufort Academy for Boys. It’s a prestigious establishment for you boys like yourself.”

He slipped the report card into a draw, its contents forgotten. His father had already known the results anyway, having hinged the scholarship on them. “You will be leaving for their dorms in two days’ time. Make sure to give a good face for Dilmont.”

Why don’t you say my name, Father? The little flame of hope began to sputter and die inside him. He was being sent away.

“Father…”

“I expect just as favourable results at this Academy as in your previous school. You need to hold up the Dilmont name after all. You’re becoming a man. Just a few more years and you’ll be an actor on the world’s stage.”

“Father.”

“I also expect you to take a science-centric curriculum. Our company prides itself on our…”

“Father!”

There was a pause. For the first time since he’d arrived, his father looked up from his work and actually saw his son. There was a small moment of confusion as he failed to recognise the boy before him. Father and son met for what seemed the first time.

“Father.” Do you love me? Was the blunt question he wished to ask, but couldn’t find the breath to utter. He felt stupid.

“What is it?” Eyes bore into him. He was a small child in front of this man, insignificant, a stranger. There was no love in that gaze. Kevin had his answer regardless.

“It’s nothing…”

“Well… I think I’ve finished anyway.” Casting his eyes back down he continued his work. Silence.

It was as if Kevin ceased to exist. Kevin felt like a string had been severed. One that signified their relationship. Each of those small moments he held dear was shone in a new light. He was more of a commodity than a son.

Head down, fists clenched he began to turn when his eyes spotted the ID tag half falling off the desk. The one piece of advice his father had given him flitted through his mind. Grasp every advantage you can, or you’ll sink into the cesspit of this cruel world.

Before he knew what he was doing his fingers wrapped around the lanyard. With a sharp tug, the ID card fell into his hand. He was marching out of the office before he knew it. Heart hammering from the thrill. He didn’t know what he was doing but… it felt good. No voice called out to him as he left, he’d not even noticed his small petty act.

“Ah, Kevin! That was quick. On your way back already.” Vanessa fell in step. They continued out of the reception area. “I’ll call ahead. Maybe your driver hasn’t been called away on another trip yet. It’ll only be a jiffy. So how was your chat, Kevin…”

Vanessa waited for a reply that wouldn’t come. “Kevin?” She was alone in the corridor.

— ~ —

Kai followed behind Jenkins, walking in his shadow. The walking steroid commercial he was even the florescent bulbs were eclipsed by his bulk.

Kai didn’t dare fall behind, he’d learnt the hard way what the consequences of being a nuisance to the guard were. More than a few bruises were earned that way. But it didn’t make the half jog he needed to keep his pace any more comfortable. Jenkins’s pace was always at the boundary between a fast walk and a run for Kai.

His eyes fell on the coil of rope at his hip with that thought. Each of the guards had one of these ‘devices,’ but Jenkins liked any excuse to use his. The thought made Kai shudder. The crack of the whip played in his mind, quickly followed by the crackle of electricity. If anyone else saw these devices in action they could only describe them as cruel and inhumane. Kai however saw them as a fact of life, and a punishment that must be avoided at all costs.

Whoever came up with the idea for a taser whip was not a character Kai would like to meet. Unfortunately, he had a suspicion he’d met them already.

The pair trundled down the corridor. Fluorescent light after fluorescent light passed above and Kai couldn’t help but feel an ominous dirge was silently playing in the background. Not only the worrying messages from Jessica were playing in his mind, but an odd sense of finality was tingling at the back of his skull. Every step lead closer to that infernal lab… until it didn’t.

“Wait… we’re going the wrong direction…” Kai piped up.

Jenkins snorted. “You wish. Not falling for that one pipsqueak. I know where… shit.” Only to swear as we turned the corner and met a dead end.

Let out a long sigh he looked over his shoulder to give Kai a raised eyebrow. “So pipsqueak. Which way is it…” He asks before muttering under his breath. “I swear this kid gives me the creeps.”

“L-left at the last turn, I believe,” Kai answered half cowering, expecting another kind of response.

Luckily Jenkins simply snorted once again and corrected his course. Why does everyone seem to get lost here? Kai couldn’t understand the lack of directionality everyone seemed to have. I mean it’s simple right? Just go toward your destination, not away. Right?

At the four-way junction, they continued their way toward the lab. All was right with the world again. They were heading toward their destination rather than away. Only Kai happened to dislike the destination that they were headed for.

A small part of him pulled in another direction. As it always did when travelling these halls. One that meant disobedience. But emanated a warm feeling on the tip of his senses. If only he could allow himself that freedom. If only he didn’t have this debt weighing around his neck. But perhaps Gamma was right. Did he really deserve this debt? Too late now, just do what you’ve always done Kai. It makes things easier.

He glanced to the side, toward the monotonous repeating wallpaper and wondered where that other path lead. But all too soon they were at their destination. A set of swinging doors led into the sterile lab the experiments were always conducted in. Kai’s heart began to palpitate. Hands clammy he gave one last look to his escort.

“We’re here. In you go pipsqueak. My job here’s done.” A knowing smirk covered his lips. Kai had gotten away without having to face Jenkins’s ire but that didn’t make him feel better somehow.

With a nod to his escort, he pushed open the doors and walked inside. His destination had arrived. A sense of finality curled around his bones as the door swung back closed. Was I meant to take another path? Why does today feel so different?

“Ah, Kai, you’ve arrived. Please take a seat.” A bored voice calls out from behind a large device in the centre of the room. A large plastic torus, space for a single person to slide inside. The MRI I think?

To the side, the good doctor’s assistant stood. She flashed Kai a plastered on smile as she led him to the gurney destined for the confines of the machine. Folding a lock of blond hair behind her ear, she returns to standing passively by.

Sitting on the gurney the doubts he suppressed began to clamour at the back of his mind. A fight had almost broken out when Jenkins arrived. Alex and Gamma were adamant that he shouldn’t leave. But with one hand on Emily’s shoulder and another on his whip left a feeling of dread in his stomach. He didn’t want to see any of his family hurt. But should I have struggled at least a little? Why am I even considering this now?

“Just a few scans today. No need to worry.” Comes a platitude from behind the scanner. The voice sends a crawling sensation up his back. A chipper doctor did not make for a good day. Doctor Henderson was someone who took pride in his work, but that didn’t mean his patients shared his enthusiasm.

The clatter of cables stopped as doctor Henderson finished his inspection. “All green here. Would you fetch the tray please Mary?”

Into view walked a lanky figure. A classic lab coat worn over his bony frame. Only a few worrying stains dotted the fabric. It was regularly changed after all.

A disconcerting smile graced his lips. A little too many teeth were visible for it to be a genuine smile. “How’s Chi doing then? No trouble on the way I hope? Would hate for it to affect the results…”

“N-no. No trouble.” Kai stammered in return. Something was off. The Doctor’s eyes were evaluating him like a slab of meat. There was a little impatience with every gesture and movement. He wasn’t usually like this.

Snatching the tray as soon as the assistant returned he set it beside the scanner. Kai’s worried eyes wandered over the assortment of vials and the worryingly large syringe.

“Now, today’s tests will be quite a simple one. We just need to get an up-to-date scan of that little head of yours.”

Taking one of the vials and inserting the syringe into the top, he measured a dose. Kai’s eyes were fixed on the needle. The sense of foreboding seemed to hang over the small glass vial like a miasma. The Doctor caught his gaze. “Ah, don’t worry. Just a little something to enhance the scan. Completely… harmless…” He finished with a little squirt of fluid to remove any bubbles.

See, it’s nothing. Just another scan. Nothing to worry about at all… Yet his heart still hammered. He didn’t like the look of that solution. But the assistant was already rolling his sleeve up. He’d committed and wasn’t good at confrontation. Kai was much more used to enduring a situation and surviving out to the other side. It had always worked out for him in the past. But why do I feel like that won’t work this time?

Kai let out a hiss as the needle sunk into his skin. He watched as the plunger depressed. Inch after inch the needle emptied its contents into his veins. It was too late to turn back now.

The room slowly began to swirl. Colours seemed to bleed. His head pounded. “Hng!”

“Shush shush. Just lie down, I need to strap you in.” Pushing at his shoulder Kai caught one last glance at his forced smile. With quick impatient movements, they began strapping the velcro around his wrists and ankles. A plastic head restraint was slotted and clasped in place. A spasm shuddered through his body. What did they give me this time?

He felt like his skull wanted to hatch and let his brain escape. Nausea swirled in his gut. But strangest of all he felt like reality was crumbling through his finger tips. The ominous dirge had picked up volume, but now it was singing a discordant tune. Another melody was playing in the background. Kai noted that one of the straps wasn’t quiet tight around his wrist.

“He’ll be quiet out of it now… Begin the scan…” The Doctors voice faded in and out for Kai. All civility had fallen away. The gurney began to slide into the plastic tunnel. The walls felt constricting.

“Seems a shame…. Years of work down the drain… The whole lot needs disposing of… stupid politics…”

Kai couldn’t focus. Trying to keep a steady breath. Holding back the warping reality at the edge of his vision. But something the doctor was saying didn’t sit right. He wanted to escape. He needed to get out. But he couldn’t tell, how, why, even who he was, was beginning to slip.

Whirrs and clicks began sounding out around him. It was loud and disconcerting at the best of times. He could only concentrate on trying to keep calm. But the walls of reality were already crumbling.

The drone of the scanner faded away. As much as Kai wanted to stay in the present something was tugging at their consciousness. But when they opened their eyes…

Wow. The scene before them wasn’t what they expected. A wide velvet sea spread before them. Ripples in the starry scene cast out to the horizon. Except the sky was the sea and the whole scene was alien to Kai’s eyes.

Where? A glance over the scene revealed the dome of glass he was seated in. Through one pane he saw the odd mix of nautical and space. A strange spaceship that sailed through an ocean of stars. An asymmetry construction of several hulls connected via angled gangways.

Kai was sitting in what seemed to be some sort of greenhouse/hydroponicum. Plants and trees of all sorts were scattered about the hemispherical room. It was big enough to fit several buildings in.

But Kai sat at the very edge able to look out at the spectacular view of rolling space outside. Hull parting waves of distortion, a wake trailing behind.

Belatedly he realised he wasn’t alone. Sat at a table where his family. Although for some reason his vision couldn’t make out the details. They looked different somehow. And now that he thought about it, his body also felt strange.

Ideas were conferred to his brain. Rather than seeing with his eyes, it was more like he was being told what his eyes saw. A sort of dream-like state but different. Reality but stretched or low resolution.

They were talking about something. He couldn’t make out the words but ideas flowed easily enough. Comfort, warmth and happiness came from his spot among his new family. A sense of ease he’d never felt before. But also a sense of loneliness, of resignation. What’s going on?

Navigation down… lost among these uncharted waters… The talk sounded serious, even if he could only parse it in dribs and drabs. But this pleasant dream was slipping. Hopelessly lost… there will be no return… Return where? How do I stay here? A little desperation entered his mind. A place to belong. No weight weighing down on them.

But it was already too late. The scene began to smear. Like oil in water, he found himself repelled by the scene back toward reality. Like the possibility that he dreamt of was becoming more and more unlikely.

The straps ensnare him once more. His body was cold. No breath in his lungs. Something was strange. Something was different.

Unseeing eyes peer up into the lab, unable to blink. Unable to move even a finger. Kai wanted to panic but his unmoving heart wasn’t capable of the act. What happened to me?

A shadow looms over him. It’s the Doctor. Yet it isn’t. Cables wires and painful-looking implants snake in and out of his skin. Trademark smile gracelessly paints his lips. Suffering is caged behind his expression but glee marks his actions. The Doctor reaches into Kai’s cold flesh to grab what he desires…

Kai wakes with a splutter, to the drone of the scanner. Not a moment seems to have passed since he slipped out of reality.