HUMANS (A Humans Novel) #Wattys2015

Chapter Nine (Edited)

Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her bed shirt, it was fair to say that Pine. Felt. Awful. Just awful. Having just emptied her stomach contents into the toilet bowl, the female stood up, shaking slightly and feeling light-headed.

There was a gentle knock on the metal door, alerting Pine of Odi's presence. "Hey, how are you doing?" he asked through the cool material.

"I'll be out in a minute." she called back, her left hand travelling to cover her mouth once more, as the bile rose to the surface once more. "Oh, crap!" then she threw up.

The synth leant against the door, closing his eyes and replaying over and over in his mind what Pine had said to him.

My name is Adeline James. My Father is...was Doctor James. The same Doctor James who helped to create the synth programme with Doctor Elster and Millican. Except he never completed his part of the project, due to my Mother, Maisie James, giving birth to a stillborn baby girl. Me. How did I survive?

I am not the original human my Mother gave birth to. She was buried in a local cemetary. I however, was created by my Father as a substitute daughter. Using his knowledge on cell renewal, he created me. I was created by science, not love. A test tube child. Despite his great efforts though, I was still incomplete, I lacked something that all humans possessed, emotions.

For years I lived with no understanding of love or pain. Thankfully, that was where Doctor Elster could assist my Father. Having perfect the secret of computerised emotions, the two men put me under the knife once more provided me with feelings and gave me the only possession I own today, the Cube.

Years later, tragedy struck my family in the most horrific of circumstances, my parents died in a car crash, the same one that killed Doctor Elster's son, Leo. Mrs Elster's car collided with my parent's, causing them to crash into a nearby tree. Just after their collision, the seperate car contain Leo and Mrs Elster, tumbled off a cliff, killing them both. Only, Leo didn't die. His Father managed to help him like he had helped me.

Although I still had my friends in my life, I still felt alone and frightened. I fled from the manor in which I had lived in for years. Leo living and my parents dying was just too much to comprehend. I couldn't forgive the Elster family for quite some time. I have forgiven them since. I miss Leo.

I found my next home with a man named Grey Steel, who's real name is actually Guy Stamford. He is an expert in synth alterations. Only his alerations were a little less ethical than the ones my Father used to perform in the initial synth trials. Grey could turn any synth into a soldier, programmed to fight to the death against whoever their primary user's enemy was. His gang, a group known as The Clan, are a black market group that sell these synths to the highest bidder.

I felt as if I belonged in his circle of trusted friends. Some were synths, who had been altered by Grey's hand. Others were human but who shared in the same passions as the alterer.

I fell in love with Grey- Guy- how could I not? There was a man who was of a similar age, who had the most brilliant of minds. He taught me all of the skills I know today. Being a part of the group, it felt as if I had been reunited with the family I craved. As soon as I chose my nickname, I was one of the family. I felt as if I was finally home.

That all changed the day I decided to entrust him with my background story, I finally told him who I really was. When he discovered I was in possession of the Cube, he immediately wanted it for himself. He kept on saying it would finally help to complete his synth army, finally his warriors would feel the pleasure of their killing.

I...I don't want to go into great detail of what happened next but I managed to flee with my life and cube, which is when I stumbled across you, Odi. You helped me escape from a man whom I thought I loved but really was a wolf posing as a sheep.

He opened his eyes, feeling sickened at mere thought if someone wanting to hurt Pine. She was to meek and yet fiesty, an odd combination. The synth was finding it difficult to process the fact that she wasn't fully human. Surely his scans should have detected something.

"Odi!" her cries pulled the blonde male away from his reeling mind and back to the present situation.

Turning on his heels and yanking open the door, Odi found Pine standing in the corner of the bathroom, trembling. "What's wrong?" he moved swiftly to her side, placing his hand on either sides of her arms. He could feel her tremors transferring from her body into him. "Are you cold?"

Referring to his scans, he could detect no anomolies in her results.

"Odi, I need a doctor." she began to cry. "I need antibiotics or something. I can't stand being ill any longer." the tears were bitter. "He'll find me, he has friends all over London and in all social circles but I've just got to face the facts that I can't hide anymore."

Pulling her into a much needed hug, Odi knew that he couldn't let Grey Steel find her or the Cube. Unstoppable synth soldiers with a taste for blood was not something the World was ready to face. "He's not going to find you, I have somewhere we can go."