"Where are you from again?" I asked, my eyes catching the neon haze rising from below.
"The slums, sir."
"Is it down there?" I stood on my toes, trying to see farther.
"Yes, but it's far away. In the lower tier."
A few hovercars glided between the skyscrapers, along with drones and service bots. They moved in a repetitive, endless cycle—so constant that your brain eventually erased them from view.
"What's it like?" I pulled myself back from the balcony wall and looked at the ayah.
Thoughtfully, her gaze drifted from me to the clear blue sky. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to feel the sun on her face. It really was a beautiful day. If I didn't have to go somewhere with Father, I probably would've gone for a swim in the pool.
"Dark." she finally said, eyes opening slowly.
Before I could ask more, a low hum pulled my attention upward. A hovercar descended toward the landing pad on the roof of the penthouse.
"Is everything ready for my arrival?"
Father stepped out of the house, speaking to the head of security—a tall man with a brass body. I often got lost watching the mechanisms in his neck work. The only organic part of him might've been his face.
Taking a deep breath for confidence, I walked toward Father.
"Wait for me in the car."
I hadn't even opened my mouth to ask where we were going before he ordered me. Questioning him was always a mistake, so I nodded and headed to the roof, the ayah silently following.
The car doors slid open and I climbed in, already feeling the anxiety tighten inside me.
"You're all set…" the ayah said. Her voice sounded heavy and distant.
"Do you know where we're going? I hope it's the zoo!"
It was my first time leaving the house. I figured Father would take me somewhere special—it was my birthday, after all.
She didn't answer right away. I turned toward the door.
Her head was lowered. Her shoulders were stiff like concrete.
"What is it, ayah?"
Father appeared at the top of the stairs, the head of security following close behind.
A weight dropped into my chest as I slid sideways to make room for him to sit. But instead, he stopped at the door and turned to the ayah.
"What are you doing?"
Tears dripped from her cheeks, staining the dark metal floor. She took a shaky breath and raised her head. Her eyes were red, brimming with sorrow.
"You don't deserve this, Saint." she said. Her voice cracked. Her gaze pierced through me like a blade.
"Get rid of her. She's no longer useful."
I didn't understand what she meant. She'd always been kind to me, for as long as I could remember. Seeing her cry like that—it was terrifying. Then the bodyguard grabbed her, covering her mouth with his mechanical hand.
"Stop—"
The word caught in my throat as Father stepped between us, blocking my view. I saw only flickers of her struggle behind him. She was no match for the machine man.
I wanted to get out. I wanted to help. But Father pushed me back into the seat and climbed in beside me, sealing the door shut.
"Let's go." he told the self-driving vehicle.
Inside the car, he looked at me for the first time that day. His eyes barely registered I was there.
I had irritated him again. Asking about the ayah now would only get my birthday trip canceled. He was a very busy man, so when he said we would be going out I was so happy I wouldn't let anything ruin it.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll know when we get there." he answered, his eyes already glowing as he checked messages on private mode.
"So is it a surprise?" My heart beat stronger with the possibility.
"Surprises are for babies." He glanced at me, eyes passing the message that I had disturbed him. "You simply don't need to know our destination."
"Right. I'm sorry for asking, Father."
Shit! I screwed up again. All I had to do was stay quiet and wait, but I had to open my big mouth.
As Father's eyes acquired a chromatic glow, I turned my attention to the outside world.
We were descending towards the ground levels, and the car entered the neon jungle.
Even behind the sound isolation the mass of jingles, car horns and sirens could be heard. The lower we got the less sunlight I saw. There were so many streets and metro lines that the natural light got lost very easily. What illuminated the city was the neon colored lights from the ads.
Everywhere I looked, there was a different hologram. The buildings were covered by signs that said things in languages I didn't even know existed until that moment.
Since we were flying above the traffic, service bots and drones kept crossing the sky above and below. Some were tiny, others were too big to be flying. It was like an amusement park—every inch of the city was trying to catch my attention, even making my eyes hurt.
Sitting back, massaging the space between my brows.
Feeling the dizziness fade away, I opened my eyes to the coolest thing I had seen since I left the penthouse.
Right above us, through the transparent car roof, I saw a giant animal running in the air. Its hair was flowing with the wind, as its leg muscles became visible with every gallop. The image was so real—that beautiful creature was so powerful—I stood up in the car to take a better look.
The horse's tail was long and flying behind him so light. I wished I could see a real one. I couldn't believe people used to mount them.
As I stood in the middle of the flying car, with my hands on the ceiling, I forgot for a second where I was.
"What are you doing?"
I froze. Looking down, Father was staring at me with stiff brows. Immediately, I dropped into my seat, completely ashamed of my behavior. What was I thinking?
"I thought it was pretty… I'm sorry, Father."
His shoes were shining black, just like the rest of his outfit.
"You are so childish for your age," he said, and I felt his eyes burn my skin. "We couldn't be more different."
"I'm sorry…"
Looking at my own feet, I felt so small I thought I would disappear. My head was heavy, impossible to lift, so I kept comparing our shoes until someone opened the door.
All the ads and distant car horns hit me like a brick to the head.
"Did you clear the place?" Father asked the bodyguard.
"Yes, Sir."
"Is the street clear?"
"Yes, sir. We have closed the surrounding area and the airspace."
The bodyguard had a mask that covered half his face with metallic teeth and black fibers that resembled human muscles. His hands were mechanical with polished brass fingers. I had seen people like him before on TV, Steelheads.
Without saying anything else, Father grabbed my hand and we left the car.
Once again on the outside, the sidewalk was deserted—much different from the streets I had seen on the way. Everything was so crowded, but in front of that building there were only six of us.
The building was so tall I had to tilt my head to look at it. The mirrored walls were a deep shade of oil black. Despite the neon ads all around, the glass didn't reflect any lights. At the top, a single minimalistic sign was seen in white letters.
CORE
Center Of Replication and Engineering
I don't know why, but that place gave me the creeps. It looked like the lair of a video game boss. Father was leading me inside while I looked up at the skyscraper we were about to walk in. A chill went down my stomach. I wanted to ask so badly, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do it.