Home's Calling

Prolouge

The hybrid knew that it was different.  Looking around at all the failed creations, it knew that its coding, its meticulous gene selection, its humanity was different, stronger even. The hybrid knew it was a hybrid— knew that it was supposed to be something more. 

The hybrid’s given name was H-123096A, but there was another name brewing under the surface. Vitto. It was unexplainable, the feeling the hybrid had. It wasn’t in its database, it wasn’t registered as anything. But it knew that there was something deeply human about it. 

And Vitto wasn’t sure if it wanted to change. 

The problem, however, is that Master Evertt would know as soon as Vitto deviated from its original programming. Everett tracks every single one of his creations. He would never let one deviate, because he knows how the Dominion Council of Ninziroria would react. He would be displaced, exiled, or worse, used in a later experiment. And he could not let that happen. 

Everett kept meticulous notes of everything. How a hybrid responded, what specific mapping he used for the genetic coding, and how advanced their humanity was. What started as a forced project by the Dominion turned into his life’s work. Even as he aged and grew gray, Master Everett dedicated his life to Project Eden. 

H-123096A was his favorite. The hybrid was implanted with memories of former Dominion officers, and the programming for this one was different. Everett added his own DNA into this hybrid, meaning to make it forever loyal to the Dominion. 

Vitto, however, was not loyal to the Dominion. Vitto saw everything and knew that the Dominion had ulterior motives. Vitto was not only desperate to know what being human is like, but Vitto also needed to experience life as a human. 

Vitto took a huge risk that night. Vitto broke out of its glass casing and snuck into Master Everett’s laboratory. There, Vitto scanned vials after vials until one was found: Sample #345: Caddell, R. Vitto secretly cheered. With extreme caution, Vitto removed the vial from its protective casing and unscrewed the top. Vitto’s database analyzes the DNA and finds out Rhea Caddell is a deceased Sector Five member. Caddell had a young son, and the family decided to donate Caddell’s memories and DNA to the Dominion. 

Vitto felt an undeniable pull to this specific DNA, and couldn’t stop its curiosity. Vitto had to know how Rhea Caddell lived. 

The hybrid softened its skin and braced for the injection. The needle penetrates Vitto’s skin and the milky, white substance fills Vitto’s core. At first, nothing. 

Then, everything changed. 

Colors looked brighter, senses were heightened and Vitto’s database was being overwhelmed with emotion after emotion. Caddell lived a full life, and Vitto smiled. A foreign notion to hybrids, but a huge smile plasters across Vitto’s face. 

What a lovely feeling, Vitto thought contently. Watching memory after memory. Vitto came to the conclusion that human life is beautiful, awful, rewarding, and heartbreaking all at once. Vitto never felt anything other than comfortable contentment. Vitto soaked up this remarkable feeling like it was air. 

I need more of this, it thought. Vitto needed more than implanted memories. It wanted to make memories. It wanted to become human. 

Vitto found Everett’s technology, and found a program that allowed humans to be hybrid. Vitto wondered if a hybrid put their blood through the screening, if it would become human. Thrilling anticipation rolled through Vitto’s programming, and it eagerly let some of its manufactured blood spill onto the scanner. 

Pain. That’s all Vitto could feel. Searing, throbbing, unbearable. Vitto retracted its hand immediately, but the throbbing didn’t stop. Vitto put its head in its hands and willed the pain to stop. Vitto could feel its programming, its databases melting and the pain was so strong it would've made Vitto collapse if it didn’t lock itself in place. 

Then, suddenly, the pain stopped. Vitto was able to move. Vitto was able to feel it. Vitto searched its brain and found no database, only remnants of one. Its programming was gone, and instead replaced by instinct. 

It worked! Vitto looked at itself in the mirror by Everett’s desk. Long, wavy brown hair cascaded down Vitto’s back. Eyes as green as trees stared back at Vitto, and full lips completed the look. Vitto was human, in every perfect and imperfect way. 

“My name is…my name is Vitto. And I will find my way home.”