by E S Richards
Emerson watched Asher with a trained eye, chuckling lightly to himself as Asher drained the mug and burped inwardly. There was a twinkle in his eye as he looked at Asher, something that Asher noticed but thought best not to ask the man about.
Emerson then led Asher over to a smaller table in the room with a screen standing upright on it.
“So these tests that you’re going to do today Asher,” Emerson indicated for Asher to sit down in front of the screen. “They’re all very clever and will help me to assess your genetic mutation. They’re more like games really, rather than tests. How does that sound to you?”
Asher nodded silently, staring at the screen in front of him. It was black, but with numbers counting up towards one hundred. They moved at a relative speed, going from twelve to thirty one in the time Emerson spoke. He kept his eyes trained on them, spellbound by how they magically changed in front of his eyes.
“You’ll play them on that screen in front of you,” Emerson continued, “once it’s booted up.”
Asher’s eyes moved away from the screen for a moment, the numbers now in the sixties.
“What kind of games?”
“Mental stuff.” Emerson shrugged, “It’ll be things like pairing up images, finding the missing link, that sort of thing. If you want to stop at any point, you just have to let me know, okay?”
Asher nodded and flicked his eyes back to the screen. Number ninety-five had just flashed by and he was excited to see what happened when they reached one hundred. A whirring sound began behind the screen and then Emerson stepped towards him, reaching for a card from his back pocket. Asher watched as he slotted it into something behind the screen and then files and other small icons appeared, decorating the screen like flowers in a meadow.
Emerson reached in front of Asher to tap some icons on the screen before another black screen appeared, this time with the word ‘GO’ flashing in the middle of it.
Asher struggled to comprehend what was going on in front of him. How had Emerson managed to make the things on the screen change? In fact, how did the strange device even work? He already had too many questions for his short time in the safe haven and something told him he would be coming up with more for as long as he lived there.
“Just press go whenever you’re ready,” Emerson said moving away from Asher and the screen. He walked over to a screen of his own a few feet away and sat down, his back to the boy.
Asher looked at his own screen and took a deep breath. He counted down from ten in his head, then as he reached zero pulled his finger out and pressed on the word on the screen.
‘Choose the odd one out’
Several coloured shapes flashed up on the screen in front of Asher, all of different colours. He stared at them for a moment before realising one of them was significantly smaller than the others. Reaching forward he pressed on it with his index finger.
‘Correct’
More shapes appeared and Asher followed the same technique, finding the one that looked slightly different than the others and pressing on it. It went on for about a minute, each new collection of shapes presenting a new difference for him to find. After the tenth sequence more words appeared on the screen.
‘10/10 correct. Next Game: Complete the sequence’
A new game appeared and Asher considered it for a moment. This one was slightly harder with a line of words or pictures across the top of the screen and then a choice of three on the bottom. He realised on the second go he had to find the thing on the bottom that corresponded with what was on top.
A smile broke out on his lips as he began flying through the next game, testing his brain to come up with the answers. After the fifth game the screen went black again and the words ‘End of Phase 1’ appeared. Asher leaned back in his chair, a grin plastered on his face as he looked around the room to find Emerson. The man was still staring at his own screen, oblivious to Asher behind him.
“I’m finished,” Asher said as he walked across the room towards Emerson, but received no response. He moved closer to the man and looked at what he was doing on the screen. He appeared to be mumbling under his breath and then words appeared on the screen in front of him. Asher watched hypnotised for a moment before touching him on the arm.
“I’m finished,” he repeated and Emerson finally pulled away from the screen to look at him. There was that strange twinkle in his eye again before he leaned down and tousled Asher’s hair.
Zahyra used to do that; Asher thought and instinctively took a step away from him. Emerson looked hurt for a moment then straightened up in his seat.
“Well done, let’s see how you did shall we?”
He moved some files around on his own screen then waited for one of them to load.
“Very good,” he smiled at Asher, “89 per cent!”
Asher grinned. He wasn’t sure what that meant but Emerson looked impressed with him. He had thought he’d done well and assumed that what Emerson said confirmed that, causing his grin to widen even more.
“What do you say to a spot of lunch, then we’ll continue afterwards if you’re still happy to?”
“Sounds good,” Asher replied and took another step backwards as Emerson climbed out of his seat. Emerson tapped something behind his ear and mumbled some words under his breath, then led Asher towards another table in the room, this one devoid of screens and other technology. Shortly after another man in a grey uniform like Emerson’s walked into the room pushing something in front of him. He came to a halt beside them and produced two steaming bowls of soup and some fresh bread. Asher’s mouth immediately began to water.
“So tell me about yourself Asher,” Emerson asked between mouthfuls. “How did you end up here?”
Asher swallowed the bread in his mouth and stared down at his soup.
“Our camp was attacked,” he mumbled. “We were put on a bus to come here, but that got attacked too. I was taken away but then Zahyra saved me and we came here.”
“I see,” Emerson mused and took another mouthful of his meal. “So you lived with your sister and…”
“Mother,” Asher whispered quietly. An awkward silence drew out between them for a moment. “I don’t know where she is.”
“I’m very sorry,” Emerson replied and as Asher looked at him he thought he saw a tear in his eye. “You can see your sister soon though, we just have to finish these tests first.”
Asher nodded. His mind was now filled with sorrow over his mother. Even at his age he knew it was very unlikely she would have made it to the safe haven alone. In a way he had already accepted he would never see her again when he was at the mutant camp, just like he had accepted he would never see Zahyra either. At least now he had a promise that she was in the safe haven with him somewhere. And one day he would be allowed to see her again.
Emerson continued to question Asher throughout their meal. Asking him questions about his childhood, where he’d grown up, what he’d done for fun and what his friends had been like. Asher found it curious that the man wanted to know so much about his life before coming to the safe haven. He answered his questions to the best of his abilities but soon wanted the conversation to end, being forced to remember his old life just made him long for something he could no longer have.
Once they were both finished Emerson guided Asher back to his screen and set him up with more games and challenges to complete. Asher carried them out dutifully but couldn’t help wondering why Emerson had been asking him so many questions.
At the mention of his mother he had seemed genuinely sad, something that Asher found very strange. But then he had also seemed genuinely interested in Asher’s life and maybe that was just his attempt to get to know him better, to make Asher see him as a friend rather than someone to be afraid of.
When the day finished Emerson escorted Asher back to his room. Another meal would be brought to him later he was told and Emerson also left him a book to read: Our Safe Haven.
Asher flicked through the book uninterestedly for a m
oment but then put it to one side. His first proper day in the safe haven had been interesting. Some of his questions about the place had been answered, but many more had formed. The more he thought about it, the more he found Emerson peculiar as well. There was just something about the way that he looked at Asher. It made him feel uncomfortable, but then also relaxed at the same time, it didn’t make sense.
As he dozed off that evening his mind was filled with questions about Emerson and the safe haven, alongside thoughts about his family. The two had become intertwined in some way and it made Asher feel like there was one big looming question out there. Something he knew he had to ask but that he still didn’t quite understand. He wished Zahyra was there, she always knew what to do. Just get through the tests for a few more days he told himself, just get through and then you can see her again.
Chapter 10
When Emerson arrived in Asher’s room the next morning, that strange twinkle in his eye seemed to have magnified. Asher had showered and was sat on the end of his bed waiting, his breakfast plate polished off as usual. Instead of simply beckoning Asher to follow him down to the lab Emerson moved into the room and closed the door behind him. Already Asher found this odd. The man moved over to the chair and sat down, pushing the empty plate away from him on the table.
Silence drew out between them as Asher was now used to. He sat cautiously on the bed, unsure why there had been a change to the morning routine already.
“Everything okay?” He asked Emerson quietly, glancing from the man to the now closed door. He hadn’t thought to check again whether it was locked when he was inside, but assumed even if it now was Emerson would have a way out.
The man looked at Asher softly, his face relaxing as he took in the young boy. There was definitely something weird about him, Asher confirmed to himself as he struggled to maintain eye contact with Emerson, his gaze shifting awkwardly around the room.
“There’s something I need to tell you Asher,” Emerson breathed heavily. “It’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. Not just since you’ve been in the safe haven, but for many years before that as well.”
Asher raised one eyebrow at Emerson’s statement. He had only met him a couple of days ago, how could there be anything that needed saying between them dating back before then. He studied Emerson’s body language carefully. That was something Asher had always been good at: reading people.
He wondered whether that was part of his Gen 6 mutation, whether it was actually a mutation that made him able to understand how other people were feeling on an emotional and mental level. He’d always just thought it was good intuition. That it was just one of the things he was good at. Now he doubted which aspects of his personality were actually him and which had been created by his genetic mutation.
Emerson was shuffling around in his seat now. There was definitely an air of awkward tension in the room, Asher just couldn’t understand why.
“What is it?” He asked Emerson eventually, disliking the ever-present silence that was dragging out between them. The pause lasted another minute before the man finally spoke up.
“I’m your father, Asher.”
Asher stared at Emerson, who had forced his face into an apologetic smile. He had never known his father. Zahyra told him he’d left just shortly after he was born. They hadn’t spoken about it much growing up. It made his mother sad to think about and Zahyra had still only been young when it happened.
To be honest Asher had never really given his father much thought. He knew he’d been abandoned and that was all he really needed to know. Any man who could do that wasn’t a man he wanted to have around.
As he stared at Emerson all these feelings came flooding back to Asher. If he indeed was who he said he was then everything that had gone on between the two of them since Asher arrived at the safe haven had been a lie. Why hadn’t Emerson told him this earlier? And did Zahyra know? If she was in the facility too she had a right to know, she would probably remember him. Maybe even recognise him. To Asher he was still a stranger.
“I don’t have a father.” Asher spoke quietly but sternly, turning his head away from where Emerson sat. He didn’t see the man’s face fall, just heard his rebuttal.
“Asher please, let me explain. I never wanted to leave you.”
There was sincerity in Emerson’s voice when he spoke but Asher couldn’t stand to hear it. He knew most boys his age would be rejoicing if their father suddenly appeared, but the events of the last two weeks hadn’t left him like most boys.
There was something that had changed about Asher during his time in the mutant camp. And then that thing had changed again when he was told he was a Gen 6. He still didn’t know what he was, or fully understand what he was going to become but he stood fast by his history. He knew his family and his father wasn’t included in that.
Perhaps if he hadn’t been witness to the pain it caused his mother even when he or Zahyra mentioned their father in passing things would be different. But even years after it happened she could still be brought to tears by the mention of his name. Well, by the mention of the word father anyway, Asher had never known his father’s real name… until now.
Zahyra had told him the occasional story about their father, like how he would act or talk or laugh. In the stories he seemed so normal, but he had never really seemed real. It was more a person that Zahyra used to know, not someone that Asher could ever imagine being with. There had been times, of course, when he had wished to meet him. Wished to talk to him and learn from him. Growing up with just a mother and sister had sheltered him occasionally and that was probably why Asher had never been as strong as the other boys.
But by no means had he been unhappy because of the lack of a male role model. Even now, as his father apparently sat across the room from him Asher knew he wouldn’t change a thing about his childhood. He had been happy and safe. Now he felt neither of those things. And if this is where his father had left them to go then it was all his fault. He had chosen the safe haven over his own son and that was clear to Asher. Nothing could change that.
“You’re a liar,” he said bluntly. “You left. I didn’t have a father.” Asher paused, “I don’t have a father.”
“Will you just –”
“Go away!” Asher shouted over Emerson, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Just leave me alone!”
Emerson closed his mouth then opened it again. He looked like he was going to argue but after studying Asher he stopped. He moved quietly towards the door and pulled it open, standing awkwardly in the doorway for a moment.
“I never meant to hurt you,” he whispered quietly, then vanished leaving Asher alone on the bed, tears slowly beginning to fall from his eyes.
He didn’t cry for long, his mind only succumbing to the basic instinct for a few minutes. As Asher dried his eyes he realised he wasn’t sad because he had never known his father, he was sad because of what had been taken away from his family. He was sad he hadn’t been allowed the early memories that Zahyra had, the memories of a complete family.
Not that his family hadn’t been enough for him, but he knew from old stories that had been read to him what a typical family was supposed to be like. Even in the camp he had lived in there had been a few, some groups that were strong enough to survive the hardships this new world threw at them.
In the outside world children had to grow up so much faster than before. With dangerous mutants just beyond your doorstep there wasn’t much time to be young, or to live without fear. Maybe if he had been born in a simpler time things would be different. Maybe then he would long for a stereotypical family, a mother and a father. But in the world he lived in the one he got was just fine with him.
In that moment more than ever Asher missed his sister. The fact that he knew she was inside the safe haven somewhere with him made it even worse. She could be in the room next door for all he knew and yet he wasn’t allowed to see her. If Emerson was truly his father Asher didn’t understand why he would wan
t to keep him separate from Zahyra.
He waited in the silence of his room for what seemed like hours. Waiting for something to happen. He tried the door once: locked, as he had suspected. He even tried reading the book that had been left in his room but didn’t make it past the first page. Very quickly Asher began to reconsider the way he’d spoken to Emerson.
He was the only person he’d interacted with so far in the safe haven and if he didn’t return Asher didn’t know what would happen. Would he continue his tests? Would he be allowed to leave his room? The questions kept piling up on top of each other until Asher felt tears welling up inside of him once more.
Footsteps outside his door stopped him, forcing him to take a deep breath, to appear strong to whoever was on the other side. His heart fell when the door opened and a woman he didn’t recognise stepped in, simply carrying a new tray of food. She didn’t speak to him, she didn’t even look at him. Just swapped out his empty plate for a full one and went on her way, the door clicking shut behind her.
Then something on the plate caught Asher’s eye. There was what looked to be a handwritten letter that had been brought in with the meal. Slowly Asher rose from his bed and settled down in the chair instead, pushing the plate of food away from him as he picked up the letter.
After scanning down to the bottom he saw Emerson had signed it, both with his name and the word father. Furrowing his brow Asher almost put it down, still angry with the man for so many things. Eventually his curiosity won out though and he began to read.
Asher,
You have no idea how many nights I’ve stayed awake thinking of you. What you look like, what you talk like, walk like, everything. Having to leave you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and I know that nothing I can say will ever make up for that. I could explain the reason why but that would be futile, to you the only fact is that I left you and I cannot begin to understand how that must feel. You have to know that I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you, or your sister or your mother. The love I carry for all three of you is what keeps me alive each day, keeps me fighting. I don’t expect you to understand what goes on within the safe haven either, or my allegiance to it. All I can tell you is that it is a safe place and we are doing everything we can to make the outside world a safe place too. When I left I was doing it for the safe haven, for the world. I was doing it so I could create a better place for my children to grow up in – and I know it may sound false, Asher, but I truly believed I could do a better job in protecting you, your sister and your mother if I left. I realise now that was foolish and if I could change the past my boy I would. But I can’t. All I can ask is that you give this place a chance, even if you don’t want to give me one. With your genetic mutation Asher, and Zahyra as a Zero the two of you could be key players in helping to save the world. I know you didn’t ask for this but it has happened and for better or worse it will continue to happen. If you let me, I will make sure it is for the better. I will do right by you from now on my son, for both you and Zahyra. You are now and always have been two of the most important people in my life.