Return to Zero Preview

Return to Zero

The one who has something to protect always loses, but sometimes it’s worth losing the fight.

Humans are cruel and selfish beings. Don’t get close to them. Kill them all. Destroy everything without hesitation. Those were Ren’s rules, and they were until she met Caelan. There were some humans who were idiotically selfless. They showed little concern for their own wellbeing and helped others without expecting anything in return.

That’s what he was like; optimistic, pure and kind-hearted. The sort of people who were always taken advantage of, easily broken and killed.

Morons.  

***

            Access granted. The two words flashed boldly in red, blinking on the computer screen. A window opened, displaying the files. The glare of the monitor reflected on the lenses of the woman, her face lit up by the glow. A flash drive was inserted into the machine.

            “It’s loading the data.” After a few more commands, a picture of a young Chinese girl popped up on the screen. Information on her replaced it before a dialog window signaled the completion of the task. The woman turned to her companion, the same girl in the digital photograph. “Ren. That’s your new name.”

            Ren fixed the strange rod on her belt. A number eight was emblazoned on her shirt, bright like a neon sign.

The woman crouched down to her height. She placed her hands on the fragile-seeming shoulders. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry… You’re only a child, but they’re making you do things like this.” A strand of dirty blonde hair fell over the older female’s face when she bowed her head.

“Why are you the one apologizing?” The little girl pushed the hair back, her head tilted in a picture of childish curiosity.

“Ren, I was the one who founded this project. I…I didn’t know they were going to use my research for something like this. It’s all wrong…horrible…”

Thin arms wrapped around the woman’s neck, a small body pressed against hers. Ren tried to offer her some form of comfort. “You can quit, can you not?”

“I can’t. I’ve killed too many people, used their genetic data to create pitiful lives. I can’t live any other way.” She sat on the cold tiles, her hands resting limply on Ren’s shoulders. Guilt seeped out of every fibre of the woman’s body.

“Am I pitiable, Mrs. Weaver?” The question was soft, innocent. It was too innocent for someone who had seen much suffering in her mere ten years.

Her body bore no scars, it was flawless even though she’d been subjected to inhumane experiments to help “better” the human population. The child was a like a toy to them, something interesting to play with until they became tired of her. The scientist felt responsible for creating her, bringing her into the world to be treated like a freak.   

Mrs. Weaver patted the child’s head. Her arm wrapped around her protectively, as if that alone could shield her from the cruelty of their world. “…the most.”

***

This is the first short story in the Celiba collection, which I'll be posting on inkpop as a sort of poll. Just so I know which storyline will grab the most attention. The actual story will be in first person. I just wrote it in third because I attempted to write an entry for Yullen week yesterday and that was in third person.