"You have to get over it, Gene."
Gene didn't say anything, instead just letting out a heavy sigh through his nose. He had his hand pressed to the glass tube, looking at the face of his now unconscious best friend. He had just wanted to see him one last time before the tube was put in ice. Unlike him, Sasha, and Zane, Zenix wasn't immortal.
"How can I? He's my best friend, and I'm putting him in some weird tube to be put in ice." Gene sighed, pulling his hand away. "How long is he going to be in there?"
"Zenix is a mortal, and this program was designed specifically for these types of situations-- immortals with mortal friends, relatives, you get the point." Zane answered, chewing on his pencil. "He's being put into a coma, and on life support. If he stays in there long enough, he'll develop his own type of immortality."
"How is Sasha handling this?" He asked, blinking away the extra wetness of his eyes.
"She's... having a hard time accepting the situation." He responded, glancing at the door to the laboratory. "She's been crying for the past seven hours, ever since you both had agreed to the plan."
"Of course she would be crying..." He huffed, crossing his arms. "Zenix was the brother she never had.."
"While Zenix is in the program, we can give you two a robot of him." He offered, taking a few steps back.
Gene didn't say anything, just keeping his gaze on Zenix's tube. He still remembered it like it had happened only a few seconds ago, how they had drugged Zenix and dragged him all the way here just to be put in that tube. He still remembered what had happened to make them decide to sign him up for the program, too.
~~~~
(One week ago..)
Gene, Sasha, and Zenix were all gathered inside of the home they shared with each other. Gene was laying down on one of the couches, with Zenix and Sasha in the other.
"Can you just imagine it?" Sasha said suddenly, petting Zenix's head. "Me, dressed in a wedding gown and veil, getting married?"
"Didn't you plan to marry someone in a hundred years or so?" Gene asked, and when she noded he saw the color drain from Zenix's face. "Hey, Zen, what's wrong?"
"It's just... you guys always talk about your futures and stuff, and all these great things that'll happen..." He sighed, returning the hug Sasha gave him.
"What's wrong with that?" She asked him, rubbing his back.
"I'm just sad because I won't be there.." He answered, frowning.
Gene and Sasha slowly glanced at each other, that reminded realization written across their faces. Sometimes they forgot that Zenix was a mortal, when he survived just about everything that happened to him. Sasha nodded at Gene, and he picked up his phone, dialing the number of his boyfriend.
~~~~
(Seven hours ago...)
"Alright guys, what's in this?" Zenix asked, glancing down at the drink they handed him. "Baking soda? Clorox? Hand soap?"
"It's just a glass of water, Zenix." Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Well.... alright." He nodded, downing it in one gulp.
Gene looked down at Sasha, seeing her shaking slightly. He knew why, they were drugging Zenix so that he would fall asleep. Zenix looked at them uneasily, especially at Sasha.
"Hey, Sasha, what's wrong...." He started, before his eyes closed and he fell to the ground.
~~~~
"A robot." Gene repeated, turning to his boyfriend.
"Like those Androids from that one game." Zane explained, blushing up at him. "They'd look, think, sound, and act exactly like he would."
"I'll have to talk to Sasha about it before making any final decisions." He sighed, clearing his throat. "I don't know how she'd react."
"I understand." He nodded, grabbing Gene's hand. "The offer is always there if you change your minds."
"Thank you, Zane.... for everything." He smiled, kissing his forehead. "I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes."
"I feel the same way too, sometimes." He smiled back, blushing lightly.
"He'll be alright." He stated, glancing back at the freezing tube. "He'll come back as an immortal."
Zane forced himself to keep quiet. It was for the best, for all of them. The program wasn't everything that it seemed. While it did preserve mortals and turn them into immortals, tracking devices and control devices were implemented into their brains. But he couldn't tell Gene that, not when he was finally starting to pull himself together.
"Gene, it's time to go." He whispered to him, leading him to the door. "It's time for Zenix to sleep."
Gene nodded hesitantly, following Zane out of the laboratory. He gave ome last glance inside the room, and the doors closed and locked, leaving his best friend to sleep for countless years.
(Fun fact: No matter how much I eat it, no matter how many forms I ear it in {nuggets, sandwiches, grilled}, I will never get tired of eating chicken.)
