Outlanders

Chapter 3: Family Despairs

The late afternoon soon descended, the orange glow of the sun illuminating the large city. Lawrence’s silhouette stands before a decent sized glass like building, the plastic bag hanging loosely in his hand. Lawrence took a quick deep sigh and sluggishly walked into the building, the sliding glass doors opening inside for him. The inside of the building looks modern and clean. The walls, bare white and pillars black. White tiles clear the floor, his shadow seen in the reflection of the sun at his back. His eyes scanned the area around him, potted plants littered the corners of the main area, painted landscapes hung on the white walls. A woman at the front desk gazed at her translucent computer, a hologram popping out like a 3D screen. Her fingers typing swiftly on her flat keyboard. Her dark eyes reflecting the blue electric screen, her face focused on the task at hand. Lawrence glanced at the front desk woman, and walked his way to her.

“Excuse me?” Lawrence’s voice called out to the woman. The woman’s eyes lifted up, her focus now changing to Lawrence.

“Yes? How may I help you?—oh!” A flicker of realization spreads across her face. “Ah it’s you Mr. Lawrence!” A hint of panic stirred in her voice, her lips curled into a smile.

Lawrence sighed, “Is Dr. Blackwall in his office? I wish to speak with him” Lawrence continued.

“Of course!” She answered, her hands already placed on her keyboard. After a few clicks of her keyboard, she continued, “Yes, he is still here until 10:00PM.” She confirmed. Her eyes shot to Lawrence then back to the screen.

Lawrence’s eyes narrowed slightly, “thank you for your time” Lawrence spoke distantly.

“My pleasure, Mr. Lawrence” She answered, her eyes scanning her computer once more for her to resume work. Lawrence gave one last glance before walking towards the staircase, the door leading to the stairwell. Lawrence soon found the stairs leading up, his footsteps echoed throughout the silent staircase reaching the tall ceiling. Lawrence soon took a deep breath as he starts to climb his way to the top floor of the building. After some time had passed from climbing the grueling steps to the office of his father, a glass door was within reach. His hand gently holds the handle and waits for the door to click and open. His footsteps echo the empty hall, hearing the door close behind him. The hall was long and narrow, doors dotted the left side of the clean white hallway. As he walked along the doors, names of other Doctors were plastered on the side. His mind read out the names one by one until he found the name he was searching for.

“Dr. Blackwall…” His voice quietly read out. Soon, he takes a second to collect his thoughts before his hand knocks on the slick dark wood door.

“Come in” A voice muffled on the other side spoke.

His free hand reached the door handle, slowly clicking the door open. Once his foot stepped inside, the interior came into view. A rug that stretched from one side to another, it’s design a fluorescent black and white pattern. The walls of paintings with landscapes, a few with greenery, a few with rainy settings. A bookshelf stood on Lawrence’s left side, books still laid in its place. In the center of the room, a dark wooden desk, a desk lamp modern and black. Cushioned chairs sat in front, large potted plants sat in the corner of the room. Lawrence’s eyes soon landed onto his father, his suit coat hanging on the back of his chair. His white vest's long sleeves rolled up above his elbows, revealing his forearms. His square glasses looked over a neat pile of papers, his large hand scribbling onto the white sheet. His ash hair hung over his eyes, his shoulders wide. After some time of his hand moving over the white sheet of paper, his head lifted up. His eyes can be seen from behind his glasses, a cool green color casted in his eyes.

“Ah! Lawrence, my son!” His voice spoke in a deep tone, but was rather pleased to see his son. He reached up to his glasses and slowly pulled them off of his aging face, folding his glasses and placing them neatly away next to the desk lamp.

“What brings you here?” His father questioned Lawrence, a small smile plastered on his face.

Lawrence’s eyes glanced to the side, quickly looking back at his father. The plastic bag in his hand had a slight grip.

“Why did you want me to do the operation? About William Kingson?” His tone lowered.

His father leaned back in his chair, “I believe that you have the capability, that’s all.” Lawrence’s father answered as his smile had faded.

Lawrence’s eyes glanced to the floor beneath him, “I have already tried the first time and that already went to s**t…” Lawrence’s tone grew irritated.

His fathers eyes glanced hard at Lawrence, “Just because you’ve failed once doesn’t mean you can’t do it again.” His father said.

Lawrence’s eyes casted over his fathers face, quietly waiting for more of his words.

“Believe me, when I had become the next leader to take over the gang, it was most unexpected.” Lawrence’s father continued, his eyes growing soft.

“If only…I had been more careful…” Lawrence’s father whispered to himself.

After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat. “What I mean to say is that I won’t be around to always give pointers and advice, so when that day comes…”

Lawrence’s father stood up from his chair, walking around his vintage desk. “I want you to be ready” His father said as he stepped in front of Lawrence, his hands resting on both of his shoulders.

Lawrence's eyes flickered, a sense of dread creeping up onto him. Lawrence’s gaze was fixed onto his father, taking in all of his features. A scar was placed on the side of his forehead, the scar that his father had not been wanting to talk about with anyone, let alone his son. It stretched to the edge of his dark eyebrows, fading into his fathers eyebrow.

Lawrences questions burned in his mind, “Why do you say that as if you know you’re going to die?” Lawrence questioned fiercely.

Lawrence’s fathers eyes widened, but quickly turned into his usual smile, “You never know, just taking precautions!” His father said cheerfully. Lawrence’s eyes saddened, his fears slowly reaching into his front mind.

Lawrence's father sighed, “don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere in the meantime.” His father said, as if he read his son's mind. His large hand placed on Lawrence's head, giving his head a pat. Lawrences mind drifted to when he was little, his father always giving him loving affection whenever he was home from rough days. The feeling of calm and safety surged within Lawrence, the feeling of his fathers hand rubbing his dark hair, he didn’t want to let it go. Even though Lawrence was old enough, he still enjoyed his fathers little bursts of affection, even though his thoughts on it made it seem childish.

Lawrence’s head lifted up to see his fathers eyes, the cool green that reflected glimmered back at him. Lawrence's eyes traced to his scar, his question raising.

“Hey…Dad, about that scar…” Lawrence’s voice hesitated. “How did you get it? I know you don’t like talking about it, but you gotta at least give me a little bit of information.” Lawrence spoke fiercely.

Lawrence’s fathers expression deepened, his eyes no longer looking into his son's face.

“It was a long time ago…I was the second man to my boss at the time, Riley, he was called.” His fathers voice stern. “We were best friends, always getting into trouble with him, being the so-called “Trouble Duo” of the city” His father chuckled. “As we got older, we got more strict and straightforward. Riley was a very interesting character I’ll tell you that, always being the laid back but strict boss as he was.” Lawrence’s father turned his back to Lawrence, looking along his desk. “One day, there was a very intricate situation that had escalated very quickly.” His fathers voice deepened in thought. “We have suspected that someone in our ranks was a traitor, working for someone else…but what we didn’t know is what was going to happen.” His fathers eyes glanced at his papers. “During one stormy day, we decided to investigate their headquarters. We found it was a lab of sorts…a type of experimental workspace. What we saw..was not anything we have seen before..we were both stunned, and we both knew we had to escape quickly and make further plans.” His fathers brows furrowed. “But before we could escape, those…things attacked. Possibly some type of protocol robots, they were strong and fast, very unnatural and too immortal like.” His fathers hand curled into a fist.

“We both were pinned, had no way out…but at the last possible moment, Riley…” His father took calm breaths, keeping himself composed. “He decided to try and take them head on, but as for anyone smart enough to know…it didn’t work.” His father closed his eyes. “I saw my own friend get an arm through his chest…I still remember the blood dripping down that blue glowing arm with his bones and..” His father took another deep breath. “I tried to stop him, but he insisted that he’d try. But as soon as I saw him slumped on the ground pooled in blood, I was frozen. I felt such guilt and regret for not stopping him. When I was about to escape, a fist was coming at me, I managed to escape with only a large gash and a few other injuries.” His father looked over to his son. “That is how I got this scar you see now…” He said as he pointed to his scar. Lawrence’s eyes saddened, the thought of what his father had gone through, it was understandable to him that his father would want to keep quiet about it. Lawrence’s head ran with questions, continuing to fill his mind.

“Why tell me this? If anything most people would want to keep quiet about something traumatic” Lawrence spoke truthfully.

Lawrence’s father gazed at his son, “While it is true that people tend to keep what hurts them most buried, it can also hurt the person who keeps it themselves.” Lawrence’s father turned his head toward the clear window, looking over the building on the other side of the glass pane.

“For myself, I know too well how much pain is embedded into people, especially with us…” His father continued. “That is why I decided to be a psychiatrist, as you see me now” His father spoke thoughtfully.

Lawrence’s father turned his body toward the door, his steps heard from the momentary silence that filled the room.

“But with two important jobs at the same time, I do have my stressful days, as anyone who is struggling to survive in this crucial world.” His fathers large hand turned the narrow door handle, the door clicking open.

“Come with me, I want to show you something” Lawrence’s father turned to him, the door slightly ajar. His father smiled at his son, waiting for his son to join him.

Lawrence’s brow raised questionably. Reluctantly, Lawrence trudged out of the room, his father closing the door behind them both. His father continued the walk toward the end of the hall, Lawrence’s steps right behind him. Lawrences gaze fixated at his fathers back, a strong man with an intelligent mind, Lawrence's thoughts hope to become someone capable like his father. Looking up to a man such as his father, gave him encouragement and enlightenment to himself. Lawrence's father had stopped in front of a wall, his hand pressed against the white washed painted wall. Suddenly, an animated glow emerged, scanning up and down his hand print. Once the glowing panel had turned green, a hissing sound began to grow, a metal door slid open in front of them, revealing a staircase deeper down. Lawrence’s father had continued to step down the echoing staircase, as soon as Lawrence stepped onto the staircase, the metal sliding door shut behind him. The long staircase downward was long and silent, the echoing steps of both of Lawrence’s father and himself were the only thing heard for miles. After the long grueling steps, a door stood in front of them at the end. This time, the door clicked open.

The door swung open to reveal a tall man on the other side, “Welcome back sir” The tall man spoke. Lawrence’s father smiled at the tall man, “Thank you, Quin '' With a bow of his fathers head, he continued forward. Lawrence’s gaze shifted to the man's eyes, his eyes stern and cold. The man's eyes found Lawrence’s, his expression unchanged. Lawrence’s gaze held for a moment and then continued to step forward with his father. The room that they had stepped in wasn’t fancy, smooth concrete ground, washed walls, almost as if they stepped into an old prison from many years ago.

A large doorway came into view, the glass door slid open, “Damn it! Why the hell did you go through?! Didn’t I say not to go through that section?!” A voice yelled out as Lawrence’s father and himself had walked into the room. “Ok, going into a lot of trouble with the bodyguards are the least of your worries! Just get back to base as soon as possible!” The room was filled with screen monitors, a computer screen in front of a young man, a 3-D blueprint of a building came into view. A pale blue dot flickering and moving along the floor it was placed. Other dots continuously move back and forth. The young man leaned back in his chair, pinching his temples in irritation.

Lawrence’s father cleared his throat in anticipation. As soon as his sound was heard, the young man swerved his rolling chair to face whoever supposedly called to the young man. The young man's eyes narrowed, a look of irritation almost fully expressional on his face. Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization, “Ah! S-Sir! I wasn’t expecting you!” The young man stood up from his chair quickly and bowed slightly. Lawrence could feel his nervousness from a mile radius, his expression puffed, trying to hold back his laugh.

Lawrence’s father sighed, “I see you’re having difficulty with your comrades?” Lawrence’s father said.

The young man straightened his back, “My apologies sir, we were trying to gather the documents you wanted to investigate, but…” The young man turned his head to the monitor, glaring at its 3-D screen. “Someone was being way too difficult, “wanting to go their own way,” they said.” The young man mocked under his breath.

Lawrence’s father raised an eyebrow, “well, without question,Tristan, I hope you’ll see that it will be done” Lawrence’s father sighed.

The young man's head turned back to Lawrence’s father, his eyes a beaming blue, “of course sir” Tristan uttered. Tristan had begun to swerve his chair back to his original place, his body turned back to the multiple monitors. Lawrence’s eyes glance to his father, curiosity rising in him. Lawrence’s father quickly turned away from Tristan and his moun of monitors, his steps slow and stressful. Further down the room, another doorway appears, the hallway going down both ways, stretching long and narrow. Lawrence’s father continued to turn to the right side, a steel-like door appearing before himself and Lawrence’s father. A circle-like pattern appears before Lawrence’s father, the pushed buttons pressed with every movement Lawrence’s father makes. With a hissing sound, the steel-like door opens.

Lawrence’s father's foot was a step inside the ery tint-blue glow of the room in front of him, “Come in, and please be careful” Lawrence’s father warned as his steps continuously echo into the room. With a wry look on Lawrence’s face, he steps cautiously into the ery room. The room has stretched to a high steel-like ceiling, white glowing tiles spreading across the floor. Glass-cases of old relics from recent times that became almost nearly historic, but had been forgotten rather quickly. Lawrence’s eyes scanned the room, his mind filled with wonder. As the room echoed with every step they took, Lawrence’s father finally came to a stop. A tiny console stood in the center, the tint blue glow showing its 3-D printed screen. Lawrence’s fathers hand hovered over the tint blue 3-D screen, a few taps and swipes, a sound emanated from above. A cylinder container slowly descends from the ceiling, finally stopping in front of Lawrence and his father. Lawrence’s eyes widened, “This is—“ Lawrence’s voice stuttered, his reaction shocked.

Lawrence’s fathers hands rested behind his back, locked together. “Yes…” Lawrence’s fathers tone lowered as he spoke. The gleam of the tint blue that streamed down the center arm gave a menacing glare, the fingers crooked and bent in ways that a normal hand should not be in. The placement that should’ve been the shoulder was replaced with many disconnected wires, sticking out as if it had been ripped to shreds by a wild animal. A spatter of dark blood stained it’s once shining metal. The tiny drops spread to the elbow part of the arm.

Lawrence’s father glanced at the tint blue arm, floating in the beam that’s keeping it steady. The arm itself gives off a gruesome tale just by one glance at it.

“This is the only prototype of the first robotic from The Trice War, the one that had also killed my former friend…” Lawrence’s father spoke with slight tension in his voice.

Lawrence’s expression stiffened, sweat beating from his brow. What had been one from a killing of a former friend, had a much larger history then expected.