Emotion

  The power of which an emotion is caused. Leads a person to become many things. Why do people react to emotion? Why do they rise when the heart pulls strings? A spark, a word, or a glance, so slight. Can stir a fire, turn day into night. Why do people cry when words cut deep? Or smile when love makes its quiet sweep? Is it instinct, or something more? A force unseen, pulling to the core? Chasing the echoes of feelings.

  The next morning, Roman and Rowen walked into their shared living space with their friends, exhaustion weighing heavily on their steps. Their hair was a mess, grease smudges staining their clothes, and the two kept nudging each other, tossing out weak jokes about malfunctioning circuits.

  Seze, sitting comfortably on the couch, raised an eyebrow at them. “Where the hell were you guys?” she asked, her tone sharp with concern, eyes narrowing as she spotted the oil streaks on Rowen’s shirt.

  Roman sighed, running a hand over his hair. “We were fixing the android,” he muttered. “Had us up all night trying to sort out a wiring issue.”

  Rowen flopped onto a nearby chair, too tired to offer more than a worn-out chuckle. “I did all the steps right, but it kept overheating and shutting off. I checked the head area, and there’s not that much damage. Could be something deeper in the circuits.”

  Seze, her expression softening just slightly, got up and grabbed a blanket from the edge of the couch, tossing it over Rowen. “That explains dinner,” she said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

  Roman slumped against the wall, rubbing his face. “They said they’d tell you guys,” he huffed, voice muffled through his hands. “Did they not?”

  “No,” Seze replied, sitting back down in her spot, arms folded. “They only said Mom was gonna be working later. Nothing about you two, and we asked, but they were in a hurry.” Her eyes lingered on the twins for a moment, studying their exhausted faces. Something wasn’t adding up.

  As she settled back into the couch, a strange sensation washed over her. A nagging feeling tugged at the back of her mind, as though something had slipped past her unnoticed. It was like walking into a room and forgetting why you were there, or misplacing something you just had in your hand. She frowned slightly, feeling the unsettling itch of something being... off. But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  “Seze!”

  Jude’s excited voice snapped Seze out of her thoughts, her attention immediately drawn to him as he walked into the room with a bright smile plastered across his face.

  Her eyes quickly darted to the sleeping bodies beside her, and she held her breath, hoping not to disturb them. Jude’s steps faltered as he took in the scene. His cheerful expression quickly shifted into one of relief and surprise. “Oh—shit—my bad,” he whispered, glancing at the twins. “When did they get back?”

  “Just now,” Seze replied in a calm, even tone. “Can you warm up their food since you’re already up?”

  Jude nodded, running a hand through his messy hair. “Sure. But… why were they out so late?”

  “They were fixing the droid that was being attacked,” Seze explained, her eyes shifting back to Roman and Rowen.

  “They’re gonna keep it?” Jude questions. “Why?”

  “I don’t know, why do they keep anything—“

  The door quietly slid open, and MU-TH-UR stepped inside with her usual serene presence. She waved gently, her soft voice offering a delicate, “Good morning,” as her eyes briefly flicked to the two sleeping teenagers.

  “These are my children,” she said softly, stepping further into the room, her voice warm yet firm. “As you are now, they will be your new family.”

  Seze and Jude exchanged puzzled glances, their attention quickly shifting to a little girl who stood quietly behind MU-TH-UR . Unlike what they expected, the little girl didn’t cling to her or show any signs of hesitation. Instead, they stood confidently on their own, observing the room with quiet curiosity.

  “Oh, hello—" Seze waved, her voice trailing off in slight confusion.

  Jude nodded in acknowledgment, unsure of what to say as he eyed the little girl. She was rather skinny, with tired eyes and brown skin. Bandages covered her right arm, and Jude could easily spot bruising on the slightly exposed skin of her shoulder where her shirt didn't quite cover. It was odd; she looked to be about 5 or 7 years old. The exhaustion in her eyes seemed too heavy for such a young child—

  Jude offered a gentle smile. “I like your hair,” he said, pointing to her large, curly space buns. “My name is Jude, and this is Seze. She’s my girlfriend—but just don’t tell anyone, okay? It’ll be our little secret.”

  Seze, rolling her eyes at Jude’s antics, delivered a light smack to the back of his head. “Stop being ridiculous,” she muttered with a playful grin before turning her attention back to the girl. Her voice softened as she asked, “What’s your name?”

  The girl looked away from them, her eyes immediately glued to the floor. She seemed small and withdrawn, her shoulders slightly hunched as if trying to make herself less noticeable.

  “Sunny,” MU-TH-UR answered gently. “According to the audio logs, that’s what the company was able to find.”

  “Sunny,” Seze repeated thoughtfully. “That’s a pretty name.”

  Sunny didn’t respond, but her eyes flickered momentarily toward Seze before returning to the floor. The room was filled with a quiet sense of unease, punctuated only by the occasional sound of someone shifting or clearing their throat.

  MU-TH-UR continued, her voice steady and calm. “She will be staying here for the time being, until the company gathers more information regarding the ship. It is still under investigation. The ship, as it turns out, was an older model with several undocumented modifications. It was carrying various sensitive cargo, and preliminary scans show that it had been tampered with prior to its distress signal. With a possibility of a security breach, but nothing is confirmed yet. She was the only survivor that the company is aware of.”

  Jude glanced at Sunny, his concern evident. “I’m sorry to hear about your situation. But if you need anything, Soleada just let us know, okay?” He smiled warmly, trying to make her feel a bit more at ease.

  Seze nodded in agreement, “We’ll make sure you’re comfortable while everything gets sorted out.”

  Sunny’s gaze remained fixed on the floor, only nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

  “I must head back for the briefing,” MU-TH-UR said, her voice calm but purposeful as she turned toward the door. “I will need Rowen to finish repairs on the android within a few hours. The situation is time-sensitive.”

  Seze nodded, glancing at the still-sleeping Rowen. “Okay, I’ll let her know when she wakes up.”

  MU-TH-UR paused for a moment, her eyes lingering on the group before offering a small, reassuring nod. "Thank you. The android’s systems are crucial to the upcoming operations. Please ensure it’s ready in time."

  With that, she quietly slipped out of the room, leaving behind a sense of urgency that lingered in the air. Seze watched her leave, then turned her attention back to Sunny, whose small frame seemed even more fragile in the silence.

  “So, Sunny, what do you like to eat?” Seze asked as she made her way to the fridge, searching for something for the little girl to snack on while Jude warmed up the food.

  Sunny stood in place, her body tense and her eyes darting nervously around the room. When Seze turned back around, she noticed Sunny's gaze was fixed on the ceiling. Following her line of sight, Seze's eyes landed on the air vent that Sunny seemed so focused on. The girl's tired eyes strained on it, like a cat getting ready to pounce.

  “There’s nothing in there if that’s what you're thinking,” Seze said gently, offering a reassuring smile. “I promise.”

  Sunny’s eyes flickered back to Seze for a brief moment, still wary, but she didn’t speak. Seze sighed inwardly, realizing that whatever Sunny had been through, trust wouldn’t come easily.

  “Not hungry?” Jude asked, his voice soft as he eyed the untouched food. Sunny shook her head silently and then pointed to the couch.

  “Ah, you’re sleepy?” Jude guessed, gesturing toward the couch with a free hand. “You can take a nap there. Seze can get you a blanket and pillow and stuff. After that, we can set up a room for you, eat dinner, and maybe watch a movie. How’s that sound?”

  Sunny didn’t respond but quietly walked over to the couch. She curled up tightly, her back facing them as she laid down, shutting herself off from the room.

  Jude and Seze exchanged glances, both uncertain of what to say or do next. The weight of Sunny’s silence felt heavy in the air, and neither wanted to push her further.

  Seze stepped out of the kitchen and made her way down the hallway to the closet. As she grabbed an extra blanket, that odd, unshakable feeling crept over her again, the same one she’d felt earlier when Sunny had arrived. She couldn’t place it, but it lingered like an itch in the back of her mind.

  Returning to the living room, she gently draped the blanket over the little girl, who remained motionless, still curled into herself. Seze stood there for a moment, watching Sunny breathe softly beneath the blanket, before stepping back.

  …

  Rowen yawned as she walked into the lab room, tiny tears welling up in her eyes as they adjusted to the harsh white lights. A quick glance at the clock showed it was only 2:21 PM. She grumbled to herself. The company had no sympathy for its workers, none at all. After all, she was still a teenager—shouldn't she be out with her friends, having fun, doing teenage things? But no. The company always needed workers, young or old, flesh or synthetic. There was always something that had to be done.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Going to the table where the android lay motionless, Rowen grabbed a pair of tweezers, her fingers moving with practiced precision despite her exhaustion. She let out another yawn, blinking rapidly in an attempt to stay awake. The android’s exposed circuitry gleamed under the dim light, a tangle of wires and damaged components waiting for her to repair them.

  “Come on, just a few more tweaks,” she muttered to herself, stifling another yawn as she leaned over the table. Adjusting a loose wire with the tweezers, the android’s hand shot up without warning. Cold, metallic fingers wrapped tightly around her arm, its grip startlingly strong.

  “What the fuck—” Rowen stammered, trying to stay calm despite the rising panic.

  The android’s voice crackled to life, its tone flat but unmistakably laced with confusion. “Where am I?”

  Rowen froze, her eyes widening in surprise. “You’re… you’re safe,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “You’re at the Yutani labs. I’m repairing you.”

  The grip on her arm loosened slightly, but the android’s gaze remained vacant, as if it were struggling to comprehend its surroundings. Rowen cautiously pulled her arm free, her pulse still racing.

  “Yutani labs…” the android repeated slowly, its voice glitching for a moment before it fell silent again.

  “On the main lands, Yutani was first built here, before it merged, it's a headquarters of sorts now,” Rowen explained. “You’re safe here. My names Rowen, Rowen Indigo. And you are?”

  “A Multi-functional Integrated Kinetic Engineer—”

  “Mike?” Rowen interrupted, arching an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Mike replied smoothly. “It appears that my disc is missing—”

  Rowen cut him off again, lightly tapping his forehead.

  Mike, who now appeared very much like a human man, blinked in confusion but stayed silent. His short black hair was neatly styled, framing a muscular build that could easily be mistaken for an athlete’s. His pale skin contrasted with his striking blue eyes, which gleamed with precision and calm intelligence. Despite his strong jawline and powerful appearance, his voice held a surprisingly gentle tone, one that seemed to soothe rather than intimidate.

  “Why did you do that?” Mike questioned.

  “You might override a wire, I need to fix you up completely before getting the disc back.”

  “Do you not have it?”

  “Nah,” Rowen shook her head and looked down at her tools. “The company has it for now, it’s under review and stuff until they can figure out what happened I guess.”

  “I see—“

  Rowen smiled at Mike, “You’ll get your disc back no worries, but for right now you kinda need to reset. It’ll help with regaining some of your memories, speaking of which, I need to ask you a few questions before you reset though… that okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Rowen wiped her hands on a nearby cloth, taking a deep breath. “Okay, Mike,”she started, eyeing the android carefully. "I need to ask you about the incident before we reset you. Do you remember anything about the attack? The old man?"

  Mike’s eyes flickered briefly, as if processing her question. “Yes... I remember.” His voice was calm, but there was a hesitation. “The man was hostile. He attempted to dismantle me.”

  Rowen nodded, her fingers tightening around the tools in her hands. “We stopped him just in time—my friend; Seze, my brother Roman, and me. Aside from that, do you know why the man attacked you?”

  Mike’s gaze seemed to grow distant, as though searching through fragmented memories. “He was... angry…showing signs of depression. I did nothing to provoke him. He believed I had information he needed, something hidden within my system.”

  Rowen's brow furrowed. “Information? You think it’s connected to your disc?”

  “Possibly,” Mike replied. “The disc contains critical data. Without it, I am incomplete. It may be what he was after. He mentioned a name... but I cannot recall.”

  Rowen’s mind replayed the chaotic scene as she continued to work on Mike. Her hands trembled slightly, still haunted by the ferocity of the old man's attack.

  “You! You fucking waste of metal!” The old man’s voice had been guttural, trembling with raw, uncontrollable rage. His grip on the metal rod had been tight, like it was an extension of his fury. Rowen had never seen someone so angry, so utterly consumed by pain. “My daughter was on that ship!" The words echoed in her mind. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

  Rowen swallowed hard, her fingers adjusting a wire in Mike’s neck. She remembered how the old man had swung the rod down repeatedly on Mike’s metal skull, sparks flying with each blow. The android’s body had jerked violently under the assault, his systems failing. Roman had tried to stop him first, grabbing the man’s arm, but he was out of control.

  As if hearing her thoughts, Mike stirred. His mechanical gaze shifted slightly to her, and though his face was devoid of human expression, his eyes almost looked… sad. “He was in pain,” Mike said softly, breaking the silence. “He thought I was responsible.”

  Rowen frowned, pausing in her work. “Do you feel anything about what happened?”

  Mike's gaze didn’t waver. “I process. I analyze. His actions stemmed from grief. His daughter was on the ship.”

  Rowen sighed, biting her lip. “Yeah, that's what he said. But you weren’t the cause of it. He just needed something—someone—to blame.”

  Mike’s voice was calm, almost too calm. “Grief often distorts reality.”

  Rowen tightened something on Mike’s shoulder, her hands still a little shaky. “I just... I can’t shake the way he attacked you, like you were something to destroy, not fix. It wasn’t just grief. There was hate.”

  Mike remained silent, processing her words. Rowen closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to push the memory away.

  “And I am grateful,” Mike replied, his voice gentle. “Though I do not feel the way you do, I am aware that I owe you my continued existence.”

  Rowen smiled, “Yeah, well, let’s get you patched up, and then we’ll figure out where to go from here. You’re not just a ‘waste of metal.’ You’re more than that.”

  Mike’s blue eyes flickered slightly, as if considering her words. “Thank you, Rowen.”

  “Do you remember anything else?”

  Mike shook his head, “No…”

  Rowen sighed, her fingers pausing for a moment as she studied Mike’s face. His expression remained blank, but his eyes seemed to reflect a faint trace of frustration.

  “Nothing?” she pressed gently.

  Mike shook his head again, his voice flat but tinged with what felt like resignation. “No... My memory logs from the incident are fragmented. I can recall the old man’s attack, the initial moments of the encounter, but everything after that is lost.”

  Rowen frowned, her brow furrowing in thought as she adjusted another wire. “That’s weird. Usually, androids like you would have detailed logs of events—”

  Mike’s gaze fixed on her, unblinking. “The memory loss could be a result of external tampering or corruption caused by the physical impact.”

  “Yeah,” Rowen hums. “Alright, questions are done. Ready for your reset?”

  “Yes, will you still be here?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be here the whole time,” Rowen smiled. Mike’s eyes flickered, his synthetic gaze softening. “Thank you,” he said quietly, his voice holding a note of something close to gratitude, though it came out with the usual robotic flatness.

  Rowen smiled warmly at him. “No problem. I’ve got you.”

  She double-checked the connections on his chest panel, her fingers working deftly to ensure everything was in place. “Okay, here we go,” she said, more to herself than to Mike.

  As she initiated the reset sequence, Mike’s body tensed briefly, his systems making soft whirring sounds as his consciousness began to fade. His blue eyes dimmed, and his grip on the moment loosened.

  Rowen leaned back in her chair, watching as Mike’s systems powered down one by one. It always struck her how human he seemed at times, despite being a machine. The way he tried to understand emotions, his confusion over his missing memories— it reminded her of her mom.

  Roman chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he closed the door behind him. “Harsh,” he muttered with a grin, though the yawn quickly caught up with him again. Philly, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, just smirking at the playful exchange.

  Rowen glanced up from where she sat next to the dormant Mike. “Everything’s fine. Just finished resetting him.”

  Roman leaned over, peering at Mike's now motionless form. “So, when he powers back on…he should remember more?”

  “Hopefully,” Rowen replied, stretching her arms. “Mike doesn’t remember much right now, but with the reset, we should be able to get more details.”

  “Hopefully–he knows something about that little girl who ate my leftovers,” Philly crossed her arms, looking from Mike to Rowen.

  “Philly– let it go,” Roman snickered. “She’s a part of the fam now. Plus she didn’t know.”

  Philly shrugs, “I know, but Jude did. Ni?o tonto de mamá.”

  Philly shot Roman a playful glare, “I just don’t like sharing food, man.”

  “Clearly,” Roman teased with a grin.

  Before Philly could fire back, Mike’s eyes blinked to life. His gaze shifted from Rowen to the others in the room, processing their faces with a calm curiosity. Slowly, his lips curled into a small smile. “Good morning,” he greeted, his voice soft but steady.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s up man? You feelin’ okay?” Roman questioned going up to Mike.

  Mike nodded slightly. His eyes lingering on Roman’s shoulder. “I feel... clearer, though I’m still missing pieces.”

  Philly leaned in a little, arms still crossed. “Do you remember anything at all?Anything about a little girl who decided my leftovers were up for grabs?”

  “Philly–” Roman rolled his eyes. “Not right now—”

  Mike’s brows furrowed for a moment, as if searching his memories. “Little girl?” He looked toward Rowen, his expression questioning.

  “She’s staying with us now,” Roman explained. “New edition to the family type beat.”

  Mike’s eyes flickered for a moment as he searched through his memory banks. “There was… a child.” His voice was slow, thoughtful. “A young girl, I knew her parents…my disc is in the company’s possession, correct?”

  “Yeah…?”

  Mike shot up his attention to the door, nearly bumping Roman back. “I need it back immediately, the information is sensitive… it can’t be in their hands.”

  “Woah woah–why?” Rowen stopped him. “We can’t just get it back like that, our mom has it. And she’s connected to the company's logs.”

  Mike’s expression tightened, urgency clear in his eyes. “Then she’s in danger.”

  Roman put a hand on Mike’s shoulder, trying to ease him back. “Hey, relax, man. What kind of danger are we talking about here?”

  Mike’s eyes flickered with faint traces of panic. “There are classified details... dangerous ones. If the company accesses it, they’ll know about the child’s parents, their involvement in... things I wasn’t programmed to understand fully. They’re gone, but whatever they were protecting could still be at risk.”

  Rowen’s face grew more serious. “Wait, what were they involved in? And how do you know all of this?”

  Mike looked from Rowen to Roman, then to Philly, his jaw tight. “I was their personal android. For the ship Hydra. I carried encrypted messages, files... things even they didn’t trust the company with.”

  Philly’s eyes narrowed, processing Mike’s words. “So, you can communicate directly with MU-TH-UR? You’re connected to the same systems?”

  “Yes,” Mike replied calmly. “As a newer model, I’m integrated with the ship’s core systems, including MU-TH-UR’s interface.”

  Rowen glanced at Roman, her face tense. “Will your disc affect her?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Will your disc affect our mom?” Roman asked.

  “I’m sorry..your mother, is MU-TH-UR?” Mike questioned, unsure how to process what he heard.

  “We have parents, they all died when we were young, so the company had her raise us, so she’s our mom,” Philly explained.

  Mike's eyes widened, processing the information. “I see,” he said slowly, his voice laden with a mix of surprise and concern. “If MU-TH-UR is your guardian... then yes, retrieving my disc could affect her. The data on that disc might interact with her systems, potentially causing disruptions or conflicts.”

  Roman’s face grew more worried. “What kind of disruptions?”

  Mike hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “MU-TH-UR is designed to manage and protect certain data. Introducing new, conflicting information or forcing her to access sensitive data might cause her to malfunction or lose crucial data integrity. It could also expose her to vulnerabilities.”

  Rowen frowned, clearly troubled. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes,” Mike confirmed.

  Philly sighed, rubbing her temples. “Genial, justo lo que necesitábamos: más complicacione…”

  “It’s best that this conversation stays between us,” Mike says. “Please. Rowen…?”

  Rowen hesitated, glancing from Mike to Roman. The weight of Mike's request hung heavy in the air. “Why just between us?” she finally asked, her voice low, cautious.

  Mike's eyes flickered as he processed the question. “It could put everyone in danger—including you and your family.”

  Roman frowned, picking up on the tension. “Ro…?”

  Rowen took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Mike’s. “I don’t want to risk anyone's safety, especially not Mom's.”

  Roman’s jaw clenched, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of being left out. “…maybe it's best if I deal with this first, and then we’ll figure out the rest. I was the one who took the disc and gave it to her. Let me get it back.”

  Philly, still standing off to the side, crossed her arms. “Are you actually gonna listen to him?”

  “Yeah...” Rowen nodded. “Gut feeling?”

  Mike's gaze softened slightly. “Thank you.”

  Philly threw her hands up in the air, “I mean I guess. Just leave me out of it—“

  Roman rubbed his temple, “You're already involved.”

  “Not until I had my coffee, I’m not.”

  Roman raised his brow at Philly. “You don’t even like coffee though…?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Oh my god—“

  Rowen smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Bro get the disc!”