Monochromatic

Chapter 31

Unknown: Azoria's story

"Would you like to speak in private, my child?" I asked

"No, everything you wish to tell me you may tell the others."

"As you wish."

I smiled, tapping my lips with my index finger in thought.

"Tonight, all you need to know about each of your pasts will be revealed, and for good reason as well. I'm sure you'd love to learn why you were created, so let's start with that. Azoria, as you already know you are an artificial being, and only 10% of you is my own DNA. However, you aren't the only artificial one here. I myself am artificially made, and so are many others around the world. After all, this isn't the only facility of the organization; this isn't even the building you and I were born in! Despite all of this, you, my dear, have been chosen to be trained to be this city's organizational leader, working undercover as a simple nurse hiding as a simple office worker. Complicated, isn't it? Well, so is business!"

"I decline the offer, I don't want nor do I need anything to do with you or this organization!"

"Oh honey how cute! You think you have a choice! You were born into this, not only that, but you were born into one of the higher ranks of the hidden system! Besides, you've been doing just fine working here before, haven't you?" I shook my head, "Usually people could just drop out of the organization early if they don't want that life for them or their families and someone else could take their place, but you and I? We have no choice. It's in our blood, it's literally what we were created for! Even if you do manage to escape again, even if you manage to somehow hide from the thousands of eyes on every corner of the globe, you can't escape your fate, it'll always come back to you! It's only law. Anyhow, about your mother, she isn't who you think she might have been. Yes, there's no biological correlation between you too, but she was originally supposed to be a part of your life. A matter of fact, after she proved to be a perfect surrogate for your birth, your father was going to crown her his new girlfriend and co-leader of the organization. It's unfortunate what happened to her."

"Huh?! Wait, what do you mean my father?" Azoria eagerly asked.

"Oops, it slipped out! The thing is, I'm not your real father either, but we'll get into that later. As I was saying, your mother was supposed to co-lead until you were old enough to take over someday, however, your mother had other plans. She was different from the rest in more ways than one. Unlike the other girls who volunteered to risk their lives to carry you and be raised to such a status, it was your mother's parents who signed her up. Your mother wanted nothing to do with you or the whole organization, just like you don't want anything to do with us. She was low enough in rank for it not to matter, she could have dropped out when the time came, but her parents were wicked, and found a loophole out of it all. They sent her away to our labs as a backup as a last resort if all else failed; at first it wasn't a big deal, we never thought we had to go that far to make you perfect as well as alive. When she was forced to have you she was fortunate enough to live long after it all, and at the age of 16 she made history being the youngest leader of this city's fraction. Your father cherished her almost as much as he cherished you. Too bad she had to be locked up to die after numerous attempts to kill you."

If the room wasn't silent before I finished my sentence, it was now.

"Poor, poor Azoria...that last drug corrupted your mind beyond repair. The medicine meant to simply wipe your mother out of your memory made you hate your caretaker, your artificial brother, who took care of you all this time, as well. It would make sense why you'd run from me. After all, your whole life mine as well have been a lie. Little did you understand however, that the little voice I implanted inside your brain just in case you broke the tracker, would follow you no matter how far you ran away allowing me to track your every move. I let you roam around for a little while and see if you'd return to me, after all, you knew you could just rely on the voice to guide you home. When you didn't however, I had no choice but to send out spies to get you, all of which, proved to be incompetent."

I took out my tablet from my lab coat, scrolling around in my gallery until I spotted the pictures of the first set of spies sent out to retrieve her.

"Remember these two?" I asked, showing Azoria JD and Emilia's wedding photo as fabricated as the spies' love lives, "They were the couple you met before you went sent off to that orphanage, weren't they?"

"What did you do to them!?"

"Oh honey they did that to themselves! I only did my job and killed them! They weren't who you thought they were, they weren't married, and not an inch of their souls were in love with each other. Still, they died together, sort of, I killed them off separately. Before you get all riled up, please understand that they knew the consequences. You know what happens when people rebel against the law here, right? I'll set your mind at ease, understand that no one I've killed in that room has ever gone without a good fight. If they or the other just fought a little harder, or used different methods and or weapons, they had the chance to kill me instead. I'd be a victim willing to leave with dignity, just like the majority I've killed."

The next picture I showed her was from the next place she stayed at while traveling her way back into civilization, the orphanage.

"Don't worry Azzie Bear, I didn't kill anyone there." I laughed, but Azoria apparently didn't share my sense of humor.

Was it because she couldn't see the face she made?

"Those were bittersweet memories though, weren't they? Remora cared for you like an elder sister, and she grew up to be such a beautiful and caring young lady as well, you would be proud to see her. Too bad though, she moved to work in a city in Africa. She was, like the rest of the orphans there, trained to be a member of the organization. Upon my recommendation of course, the orphans there wouldn't have been adopted any time soon anyway. The headmistress also got a call ahead of time informing her of your arrival and her duties. It isn't her fault you escaped, she was pretty old in reality and was rather sick at the time, the children were far too young to understand any of this and knew nothing of why you were really there, and you worked so hard to escape I couldn't help but cheer you on a little. Besides, I could always catch you myself at some point, which brings me to the final point I'm allowed to share with you. Rave, I think you'd like to hear this as well!"

"You're sick!" Rave spat, glare directed at the black spots representing my eyes.

"You're still a child, all of you, it's a shame I don't have time to share all the details. Anyway, about Andrew and Mr. Anorthen... To put it into simpler terms, hi, I'm Andrew Anorthen, and my father, the so-called owner of Anna's Antique Shop, is Mr. Anorthen, your father. We are the last two spies sent out to at least watch over you and Rave for the time being."

"That makes no sense!" Rave exclaimed, quite aggravated.

"What? You can't recognize my voice? Or is it the difference in personality? I promise I didn't change too much!" I joked, "Or is it, what I did to Azoria?"

"What kind of bastard would think it's okay to do that, especially if it's your little sister! You should be protecting her!"

"You're acting like I raped my own sister!~ Oh, naive little Rave, I would never do anything unnecessary to someone so precious. I only did what I was ordered to! You know, sensual and emotional sensitivity, reflexes, stuff like that. If I ever said anything to cause discomfort to Azzie it was either to test her growth and change in the new environment or simply a part of the act so I wouldn't be caught by the oh so clever Azoria. Not much has changed from when we were back at the lab, just a change in methods so I wouldn't be viewed as suspicious. None of it was really that pleasurable for me, I like the traditional testing and check ups better, it's more professional."

"Lies."

"Prove it, as a matter of fact, ask Azoria."

Azoria remained silent, looking down to her lap and elsewhere, never quite reaching Rave and I.

"Oh, look at the time! I think I covered all the necessary areas, so it's about time to move on!"