Nothing Ever Lasts (Rewrite Demo)

Chapter 5: Genetics

The director sat at her table, enjoying a cup of tea as she looked over the city skyline that was Kumara City. The heart of state of the art technology and medicine. Where miracles and destinies can happen. The news on her television was showing a headline of a bank heist turning into a shootout before a mysterious figure subdued the robbers in the dead of night.

She looked down at her tea, lightly swishing the hot beverage before taking a sip of it. It tasted just how she liked it.

"I wonder . . ." she said to herself before an incoming video call came in on her monitor. She looked over at the caller ID and saw that it was Dr. Olivia Simmons. Whatever it was, it most likely urgent. She rarely called at this hour.

She answered the call and the screen blew up with the face of Doctor Simmons. She looked almost frantic.

"Good evening, Olivia," the director greeted. "Is everything alright?"

"Hello, Director Wraith," Simmons replied, and she lightly sighed.

"It's Epsilon M-37. He got into a fight with another soldier. He nearly killed him, and took down four others before he was subdued. He is currently at the Primary Detention Room being reprimanded as we speak."

The director placed down her tea cup as she hummed in question. "Did he now? And this is a concern because . . . ?"

"This is his final warning, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't take him in for Project Vector. He has proven once again to be unstable, and is being prepared for disposal. I wanted to call you and inform you on what the committee is planning. I know how much you . . . admire him."

"I see," Wraith responded calmly, and she adjusted her seating.

"And what do you think of it, Olivia?"

Olivia looked at her skeptically, "You want my opinion on his disposal?"

"Of course," Director Wraith responded, "I like to hear all sides. Especially when the committee has yet to inform me of this decision." She said the last part with a little bit of venom in her words.

Doctor Simmons looked a bit uncomfortable by her words. She then cleared her throat, "Well, if I'm going to be honest with you, ma'am. I'd say, it's time to let him go. He has disrespected and disregarded almost every authoritative figure since he was starting out as a subject. His anger has proven him to be unstable."

The director smiled at that, "But he is not disloyal." she said softly.

Olivia furrowed her brows at that, "I beg your pardon?"

"Epsilon M-37 is not disloyal," she repeated as she ran her index finger around the rim of her tea cup. "Rebellious, sure, but not disloyal. You see, Olivia, anger is a raw, passionate emotion. A tool and a mechanism of destruction and justice. I'd say it would be the correct emotion, especially after returning from a botched mission that got most of his team killed. One that I deeply miscalculated, and got your lover killed."

Olivia was flabbergasted by that, stuttering at her words, "I . . . Well, I-"

"No matter," She interrupted her with a wave of her hand, "What's done is done. We make mistakes, grow up, and then move on. That is human nature by design. Even I make mistakes. All humans have emotions and make mistakes one way or another. Even the most hard bearing and disciplined soldiers have emotions. Calm, stoic, and discipline are all emotions. Anger, grief, and strife are all emotions as well. But what we want is the better emotions, one's that prove a soldier capable in the battlefield. There's no such thing as not having emotion. If I wanted soldiers that showed no emotion, I would have made robots."