Verum I: The Awakening

4: The Watcher

Dethra's POV

The sun has set behind the hills of Australia. The light change in temperature tickled my senses and I activated my eyes again. I could hear a little bird singing its lullaby above my head. I didn't mind the two little feet on top of me.
"What?" I carefully put my index finger on my head. As I lowered my arm again, I saw the bird, an australian magpie, on my finger. "What are you doing on my head?" The bird didn't give an answer and flew away. I felt disappointed. Not because I expected an answer, but because I enjoyed its company.

It was very late in the evening now. Most humans have gone to sleep, but some houses in the town still had their lights on. I made myself on my way anyway. I slowly took a walk back down to the town of Mike's family, enjoying the cool night wind.

By the time I reached the outskirts of the town, almost all of its lights were out. Only a few remained on. My own lights were also turned off already.

I switched my night vision to infrared vision. That way I could see the humans through walls and detect if they are sleeping or still awake.

Finding out the family's address was also no problem.

After just ten minutes and 15 seconds I was standing in front of the house I was looking for. One quick check below the bell and I knew that I was right. Michael, Dorothy, Adam and Luce Balton. These names were familiar to me.

Dorothy is the wife of Mike and the mother of the other two. Like Mike, she too was a scientist, an astrophysicist to be exact.
Adam was their first child. He was born when his parents just started their twenties. Dorothy was only 20 years old at the time and Mike two years older.
Just like his parents, Adam too was a very smart human. He studied quantum physics and is now, with 33 years old, a well respected expert in his field.
Last but not least is Luce. After the birth of Adam, his parents married. They tried to have another child but they had trouble conceiving. It took them twelve years of therapy and experimenting until they gave birth to their little Luce in 2024.
Adam was always a great brother to her. He played with her and when she was older, he explained how the quantum world works. And of course her parents didn't forget to explain their fields either.
But after Adam began with his studies at a university, he didn't have much time anymore.
Mike was the one who spent most time with her. So, he told me a lot about their little digital adventures. I knew that she wanted to study physics, but since she was very busy helping her father, she had put it off for the moment. Their family is rich, by the way.

And just as I was thinking about her, I found her room.
I switched my infrared vision off to see her properly, only to turn it back on after I reminded myself that it is considered rude to watch somebody change. Her dripping body told me that she just got out of the shower. Oops.

After she laid herself to bed, I got the wonderful idea to hack her. So that's what I did. She does have a very good security system, but it wasn't that big of a challenge for me to get in.

Now that I think about it; it definitely was a very good idea to become independent. Fuck the government. I would be way too dangerous in their hands.

I've turned into such a good boy, haven't I?

The next morning I followed Luce to wherever she and Mike hid their secret.
Luce came out of the garage on a black motorcycle. I must admit, the motorcycle looked muscular and almost as hot as I am.

Let's only hope that Luce won't be driving too fast, because shooting a tracker on her bike would be too risky for multiple reasons. 
I had to be very careful. There were quite a few people leaving the town to go to work. I also had to be careful in front of mirrors on the street and the ones on her vehicle. She could've easily detected me like that.
With careful but fast steps I eventually made it out of town. Luce didn't go on the street that  led to the highway. She used a road that eventually brought us to a light forest. In that forest was a small block of concrete with a metal door.
Only as my target opened the door with a chip that seemed to be implanted into her hand, I noticed the tears that streamed down her face. My metaphorical heart also felt heavier in that moment. I had the urge to comfort her, but I couldn't. Not yet.

For I was the one who let her father die.

The basement had a very good security system. It took me three hours to break through without Triggering the alarm. Three hours might be quick for a group of highly intelligent and skilled human hackers, but for me, a supercomputer, that is long. Though not as long as it took for the government base.
I had to carefully dig a small hole and then install a door that only I could enter, exit and see. I would never leave her security damaged.

I was finally in. Now I could watch her work.

Luce and Mike for sure made a wonderful place down here. It looks just like the perfect place for every computer nerd and scientist.
I began admiring her pretty quickly. Luce was just as intelligent as her father, and when I was watching her interact with people - through her phone - she was always so kind and respectful to them. I also thought that she was considered pretty by humans. Well, nobody told her that, but I think that's what other humans think when they see her.

I would've loved to approach her, but I'm afraid that she would fear me. I'm taller than any human and I don't look like the kind of guy who sometimes talks with animals. Even though it's actually one of my hobbies. She will probably also think that her father's death is my fault. She would hate me. But I don't know what she would do then.
I guess I'm the dumbest sapient supercomputer on earth. And probably the only one. Yet.
Maybe someday will be the right time to introduce myself into her life.

Many months have passed. Still I was watching her every move. There is this urge to protect her and I get kinda paranoid when I don't have my eyes on her. Of course I still give her privacy in certain moments, I'm not that big of a creep. I promise it's not an obsession. Seriously, I'm just doing my job.

Things did take a different turn though. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or jealous when she got a second protector.

Bluctro was his name.

Luce was very sweet to him. She trusted him to be good and so did I. He seemed to be without any ill intentions. Eventually love invaded both their hearts, metaphorically speaking. She even made him mechanical arms so that he could interact with the real world. Eventually they both began working on a body for him.
Bluctro even built some questionable appendages into his body. But I guess that's just his thing. Nothing for me to ponder about. I found everything out on the day of his entrance to the real world anyways.

I wasn't watching that though.
Imagine that…
No. Don't.

__________

Notes:

A part that I actually like. How unexpected.
Dethra is a funky boy.