Dr. Sylvester Javitts stared at his melting milkshake. He was delighted that his daughter had decided to join him in his quest to purge the unrighteous, but he was missing something.
Why did I let her kill the love of my life? Or was she?
Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of Meeka. The only woman who accepted him as he truly was.
It was all because of that kid.
“Dr. Sylvester,” a voice called out.
A young Asian man with slicked back hair and a missing right ear hurried to meet him.
“Riku! How are you old chum?”
“Ah—better since you brought me…”
Riku had been dead for several minutes before Dr. Sylvester could revive him. The doctor saved the boy’s brain just before all electrical activity ceased. He wondered just how far his loyal assistant was ready to go. Javitts was prepared to put that to the test.
“What news from the front?”
Riku looked unsure of himself. Dr. Sylvester always liked the boy. He was overzealous and liked to get his hands dirty with property that didn’t belong to him, but he was his most loyal servant.
“The engineers are almost finished with the Quantum Loadstone Engines. They have taken flight.”
“Excellent news. Are there any reported stability issues?”
“The operators need more rest; they can’t stay engaged for more than a few hours. But the machines are stable and should be able to fly any day now.”
“What about the new formula? How many new recruits can I expect?”
“Between the gas and the beverage, the professor estimates several thousand.”
“Thank you for the report, Riku.”
The young man saluted him, then ran out of the diner. Dr. Sylvester’s heart warmed seeing one of his most loyal assistants taking his enhancements with such zeal. Dr. Sylvester tried to remember the first time someone called him Doc Chop. He couldn’t recall, but his work was legendary. He began to experiment on gene regeneration therapy on human embryos. It worked better than he would have thought in his wildest dreams. And for what? The little motherfucker died shortly after Meeka’s demise. What happened to her body? And her precious head? He could make another baby from DNA he had gathered, and he knew he was close to perfecting a flawless boy. He let his mind wander as he turned back the clock on his memories. Thousands of Cyborgs surrounding the stage where his daughter decapitated the love of his life. He thought he had wanted it at the time, but he decided that testing his daughter’s resolve wasn’t the best course of action. It occurred to him that he hadn’t even discussed why she had re-entered his life.
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“Dad, are you okay?” Anya asked.
“Yes, dear. I just zoned out there for a bit.”
Anya put a hand over his. He didn’t respond to her affection. An errant thought of hurting her came into his mind, but he pushed that thought away. She would join his legions of Enhanced soon enough.
“Do you care to share with me how you got out of the control of that nasty hit squad you so foolishly joined?”
Anya gave her father a blank stare for a long moment. Dr. Sylvester knew that look quite well.
What is she plotting?
A small smile played at the corner of her lips. “It wasn’t easy. I’ll tell you that much. But I met someone who helped me. Someone who understands what we’re trying to do here.”
“Who is this person?” Doc Chop asked, intrigued.
Anya hesitated for a moment before answering. “His name is Nikolai. He’s a brilliant scientist, just like you.”
“Who does he work for?”
“Why do you think he’s working for anybody?”
Anya chewed on her lip. Dr. Sylvester knew that look well. When Anya was a little girl, she had the same nervous habit of biting her lip when she was lying.
I will play along—for now!
“He’s been working on the same kinds of experiments as you have.”
“Have you vetted him?”
“I have, personally.”
She’s been intimate with him. I hope he’s young; I would hate to think of my daughter being with anyone my age.
“He wants to join forces with us, Father.”
Doc Chop leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin and watching the last remnants of his milkshake melt. “Well, assuming I’m interested, what does Nikolai bring to the table? What’s in it for us?”
“He has access to some advanced technology that could be useful for Nano Seraphim, our cyborg army. He’s also willing to share his research and data with us. I think he could be a valuable asset,” Anya explained.
Dr. Sylvester Javitts felt a spark of excitement. Access to advanced technology and research data could be the missing piece he needed to fully realize his dream of creating an unbeatable cyborg army. If Nikolai was as brilliant as Anya claimed, he would be a valuable asset indeed.
“Very well. I’m willing to meet this Nikolai and hear what he has to offer. But he should be ready for a demonstration of his true potential,” he said as his gazed shifted to the Boston skyline.
Anya’s eyes lit up. She tried to contain herself, but Doc Chop saw through it.
“I will arrange a meeting. Thanks Father,” she said.
Anya made her way to the door, almost knocking a chair over in the process.
She is attached to this Nikolai. I’m going to find everything I can about him.
As Anya left the restaurant, Dr. Sylvester’s thoughts drifted back to Meeka. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for letting her go so easily. But his goal of creating an army of cyborgs was more important than any individual’s feelings. He had a mission to accomplish, and he would see it through, no matter the cost.
He sat alone in his office, watching the melting milkshake transform into a gooey mess. The sight of it stirred up restless feelings. Something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was the memory of Meeka, or the fact that he was relying on a stranger to help him achieve his goals. Dr. Sylvester Javitts stood up from the table and walked over to the window overlooking the city. He imagined his fleet of flying machines soaring through the sky, unleashing their special cocktail of self-destructive power on an unsuspecting populace.