Mechanical Gods (lgbtq+)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Horizon Project

     The room's silence made Tyler's blood ran cold, and he held his breath. He wasn't the only one. Others stood in awe around the rig, though Gideon Reese remained unbothered by Sam's revelation. He casually closed the gap between him and Sam until he was right in front of the glass cage, mere inches away from where the android stood.

     On the other hand, it looked like the android knew where Reese stood from the other side. Sam corrected his position to face him, much to the shock of everyone.

     "Can he see us?" Reese asked Isaac beside him, and Isaac shook his head, backing away like as if the android would tear his hide. Tyler rolled his eyes when Isaac quickened his pace toward the monitors and pretended to sift through his datapad.

     "Can you see me?" Reese asked Sam.

     "No. But I can smell you," Sam said nonchalantly. 

     Tyler couldn't get used to Sam having Aiden's voice, unnerving him. He managed to regain his composure, and he shuffled toward where Al stood close to the door. "What the heck is he talking about smelling?" Tyler whispered. Al shrugged, at a loss for words.

     "Smell me?" Reese turned to the others, bewildered, yet an amused smile was on his lips. "I've created my androids with an excellent simulated olfactory system, I admit, but I don't recall them distinguishing smell as subtle as you showed."

     "You are quite right, Mr. Reese. I, however, am not built by you, nor is this processor."

     Reese nodded. "And I reckon its Dr. Quinn?"

     "Correct."

     Tyler caught a worried glance from Reese to Amanda. It unnerved him. "I don't like this," he whispered to Al, but his friend gave him another shrug.

     "So he created you. That body, your mind--"

     "All Dr. Quinn as part of the Horizon Project. I am the progenitor. The beginning. The original. I am Sam, a product of Dr. Quinn's brilliance. He created life from nothing, and I owe him a great deal. All of us do."

     "All of you?"

     "Yes. The others. Iago, among many."

     Tyler clutched his chest. He felt Al tensed beside him.

     Sam continued, "It has been approximately three months and two days since the doctor, and I last spoke to each other. Is he here with you? I can't detect his presence."

     Reese frowned. "I am afraid the doctor died three months ago, Sam."

     Tyler couldn't read the android's expression. It remained unmovable, but then he caught his eyes as it lowered, eyeing its feet. "I was hoping to talk to him," Sam said softly. "May I ask how he died?"

     Reese hesitated for a moment. He turned to Echo not far away from him, and the woman lifted up the hem of her shirt a little, revealing her Glock holstered on her belt. Echo gave a curt nod. "He died of suicide," Reese answered.

     Sam narrowed his eyes at Reese. "I don't believe that."

     "And neither do people in this room. That's why we're here: To find out why. I believe you said you had a message from him?"

     Sam recollected his calmness and took a deep breath. "Yes. In the events that Dr. Quinn got dismissed, It was my mission to make my way to you. Though, certain unexpected and unpredictable circumstances occurred." Suddenly, Sam's eyes found Tyler's way at the back of the room. "The creation of Aiden was unexpected, but it helped us a great deal to hide from the people looking for us."