Guiltless

Chapter 1

21 April 1994

John sat in his home office, rubbing his forehead as he wondered how to deal with this latest development. People like him were used to expecting unusual things but this child, christened Simon Layweigh by him, kept on doing things that he had to go to great lengths to cover up.

Every year, on his birthday, Simon uncovered a special power inside him that made those around him tremble in fear. The Resistance had helped him at a cost, a cost that they were sure to collect later when Simon was old enough, but even they chose to rather stay away than risk being close to him. John stared at the reports in front of him, expected to be unsurprised but was still shocked by this newest power.

According to the reports, Simon had today blended into the colour of his surroundings, making it hard to find him in the room with even cameras. The reports said that light seemed to bend around him so well that not even a silhouette could be felt even if he stood in front of him. After much running around, the Resistance liaisons Mark and Cathy Mildew had located him using a thermal scanner. John could still hear the sounds of them installing thermal cameras throughout this mansion the Resistance had offered them as the safe house.

Five years ago, when John had escaped with the infant Simon, they had needed help from the Resistance to get off the research island and to a safe house. It had taken them nine months, but still with great risk, to manage to get them both off of that mad man’s clutches. And now they were somewhere in England in a 1860s era mansion so far off the nearest city that it was almost a day’s journey to get there. Even their groceries were brought once a month in a freezer van.

At least it isn’t teleporting like last time. John consoled himself as he did what he always did every year at this day after the debacle of the first birthday. John still winced when he thought of that day. The planned birthday party for him was spoiled as soon as Simon had uncovered his power to lure all sorts of animals towards him. And they had been hiding in African jungles at the time. Mark still held a grudge of that against John for almost being trampled by the elephants. In an emergency, a psychiatrist was arranged for and they had had Simon’s memory blocked so that he would not remember this until he was reminded of it along with a code word selected by John. Then, upon Cathy’s insistence, he had penned down a letter for Simon to read when he was eighteen.

The next year they had been ready and they hadn’t been disappointed. So, as John began to write down this year’s letter, he already had a codeword in mind. As he began to write, he decided it was time he began to know how he came into this world. John’s mind was filled with memories of his wife, his lost son and his own life before all the madness as he wrote and he didn’t hesitate to pen them down. Simon wasn’t supposed to read this until he was eighteen and John Stevens expected him to be strong enough to accept what he was and what he had cost so many people, their families, their freedom, their lives.

John still felt a pain whenever he remembered his best friend John Smith, who had died with all the other scientists. They had been contacted by the Resistance for aid and had gone into the work knowing well what kind of person they were to be working for.

The Resistance had ensured that nothing will happen to their families while they were undercover but obviously they didn’t expect the mad man to have kept watch on every scientist’s family for years and had to just make a call to finish them.

As John was sealing the envelope containing the letter, a knock came and a second later, Cathy walked in. She was barely in her forties, unlike John who was now nearing the latter half of fifties. She was average in height but her long red hair and experienced blue eyes made her look taller and intriguing. It was a combination of beauty and the brains as she was also one of the topmost officials of the Resistance. John had asked a lot but Cathy and Mark had refused to ever reveal Mark’s position. He even suspected him to be the leader’s right hand.

“John, is that the letter for Simon?” She asked as soon as she saw him still holding envelope. When he nodded, she simply said, “Good. We have an issue to discuss.” With barely a pause, she immediately sat down and continued, “Mark and I were discussing about what to do with Simon’s education. He is right now being homeschooled, at least until he has to be admitted to college. As it was decided between us beforehand John, by then Simon would have been introduced to the world he was born, no made, for.” She said, stressing the correction to remind him of the condition they had made when he had demanded that he must be with him as he grew up: You must stay emotionally detached from the child, Dr. Stevens.

“It is related to what I have to discuss with you. Mark and I both agree that once Simon is seven years old, we begin his physical training so that he can be ready for the rigorous training he will need once he is ten. As the Resistance wanted, Simon would be the assassin he was supposed to be, except he would be fighting the bad guys, instead of helping them.”

John shivered involuntarily as Cathy said all of this as a matter-of-fact. It was obvious to him that they had managed to stay detached to Simon while he almost considered Simon his own. “Are you sure about it? I mean, he already has super-strength and super-speed. He won’t really need those training sessions.”

Cathy frowned, clearly unpleased with John’s careless answer, “It matters John. Simon needs to develop on his own strength and intellect before he receives his powers. We need his powers to be an enhancement that could be used sometimes, not to be depended upon. We need to make sure that he is able to depend on only himself if, for some reason, his powers fail him. This also brings me to the next issue we have noticed.” Cathy paused, waiting for John to acknowledge that he understood the fact that this discussion was now over. Unwillingly, he nodded and Cathy resumed as if she had never stopped.

“We have observed that while Simon has shown signs of a moral code, he is quite distant from everyone. It is almost as if he doesn’t feel anything. Which is why we had some tests run on him.” As usual, the Resistance did things without prior knowledge or consultation with him. “It seems that the he suffers from a unique version of medical condition commonly known as Emotional Isolation. His mind seems to be able to identify emotions but for some reason, it cannot make the body ‘feel’ them. Simon’s condition can be cured but the how and why seem to be evading us. Our theory is that while Simon is alright with this at the moment, if it ever changes, Simon might have unpredictable responses to this. Which is why we have decided to make him also have practice exercises to control his emotions as well as faking them even when he doesn’t feel them. It could help in cases of life and death.”

John considered this and then asked, “Why are you telling me this? All these decisions, I suppose, have already been finalized, then why inform me about them?” Cathy gave no change in facial expression as she answered.

“We had an agreement John. You had to stay detached from that creature but we have videos that prove otherwise. It has been clear that you broke your agreement and we have no choice but to break ours.”

John froze where he sat. After a few gulps, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Use your mind a little John. We have to make sure you are silenced and ensure that others are similarly warned against this kind of action. Hence, another decision was made.” Cathy replied. “Mark seems to have a theory that Simon will also grow an attachment to you as you seem to have with him and that will cure him of his emotional isolation, something that can save his life in this career. So we would need to remind him of the potential if he is ever cured.”

John paled as his mind put things together. “You... you mean that...”

“Yes John.” Cathy finished what he couldn’t. “If Simon’s condition is ever cured, his next target will be you.”