His Cybernetic Secretary

6. Chrysanthemum

Chrys wiped her tears away before either of the kids could notice. “Hold still,” she murmured, tugging the zipper of the youngest’s coat all the way to their chin. “There. Nice and warm.”

The kids stood by the door with their little bags packed, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Aunt Iris is gonna let us stay up late, right?”

Chrys smiled. “She might.”

“And can we make pancakes?”

“You can ask.”

“And watch movies?”

“I’m sure she’ll have a few.”

The questions came quickly, and Chrys answered each one with a smile she had to force into place. Iris wasn’t technically their aunt. There was no blood between them, no official title that explained what she had become to their little family. But she had always been there. Babysitting when Chrys had nowhere else to turn. Showing up with a bag of groceries when Chrys was missing one crucial ingredient at the worst possible time. Taking the kids without complaint whenever an emergency came up.

A guardian angel, Chrys sometimes thought. Just without the wings. “It’s only for a couple of weeks,” Chrys said, crouching down so she was eye level with them. “Until everything with the trial is over.”

The older one frowned. “Why do we have to go to Iris’s if everything is fine?”

Chrys's heart clenched. “Because everything is fine,” she said gently. “This is actually a good opportunity for me. And you two get a little vacation.”

“A vacation?”

“Exactly.”

That seemed to settle them. Mostly. They were excited enough to believe her, but Chrys could see the questions hiding behind their eyes. They weren't stupid. They knew something was different. They just didn't want to ask her about it.

Maybe they could see how tired she was. Maybe they could see how scared she was.

Iris arrived a few minutes later, giving Chrys one long look before turning her attention to the kids.

“Ready for your vacation?”

“YES!”

The kids rushed toward her. Chrys laughed softly, even as her throat tightened. She helped carry their bags outside, then stood there as Iris got them settled.

“Thank you,” Chrys whispered.

Iris looked at her. “You don't have to thank me.”

“I do.”

“No.” Iris stepped closer. “You just come back to them.”

Chrys swallowed. “I will.”

She didn't know if that was a promise she could keep. The kids came running back for their goodbyes.

“Bye, Chrys!”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

She hugged them both tightly- too tightly. She felt their little arms squeeze around her, and for one horrible second, Chrys couldn't breathe. It felt like she was leaving them, like she was walking away from everything that mattered.

She buried her face against their coats and held back the tears threatening to fall.

She couldn't let them see. She had to do this.

She had to know what AlumiCorp wanted from her. She had to understand what was happening, and she had to find a way to protect them. For now, they were safe staying with Iris and that was all that mattered. Because someday, they would be old enough to protect themselves. Until then, that was her job.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“We love you too.”

Chrys finally let go. She watched Iris lead them away, smiling and waving until they disappeared around the corner. Only then did her smile fall.

The train rattled beneath her feet as the city blurred past the windows. Chrys sat alone, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She had spent the entire ride trying not to think about what waited for her, but it only made her think of it more.

Then the familiar silhouette appeared beyond the glass. The AlumiCorp building.

Cold. Massive. Impossible to ignore.

The train carried her past it before eventually dropping her off across the street. Chrys stepped onto the platform and for a brief a moment, she didn't move.

She looked across the street. They were waiting. Three people stood outside the entrance dressed in tightly pressed black suits, communication equipment in one ear & matching shades. They were waiting for her. Chrys's stomach twisted as she adjusted her coat against the cold wind and started walking.

One step. Then another. The closer she got, the smaller the rest of the world seemed to become. At the entrance, she stopped. She turned around.

One last look.

The city stretched behind her—the streets, the trains, the people going about their ordinary lives. The outside world. The world where her siblings were safe with Iris. The world she might not see again for a while, if ever again.

Chrys took a slow breath. Then she turned back toward the doors and walked inside, feeling them seal her inside.

Two of the suited individuals walked Chrys down a brightly lit hallway.

It looked like something out of a science-fiction movie, except for the unmistakable feeling of an office building—the sterile walls, seamless doors, harsh overhead lighting. Everything was too clean. Too quiet.

And cold. Chrys rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself. Goosebumps prickled across her skin despite her efforts to ignore them. She kept her eyes forward, afraid that if she looked at either of the people escorting her, they might see just how nervous she was. They stopped at a door.

One of the suited figures opened it and motioned for her to enter.

"Full physical," they said. Then they left. Chrys stood alone in the examination room. In the center was a chair, an examination table, and a small pile of neatly folded medical supplies. On the wall beside her was a simple white gown.

She swallowed. "Okay," she whispered to herself.

She stripped down and slipped into the gown, folding her clothes carefully and setting them to the side. It was then that she noticed the little door in the wall. It slid open with a quiet mechanical hiss, catching her off guard.

A metal arm extended from inside and placed a small plastic cup on the ledge.

Chrys stared at it. "Oh." She took a cautious step toward it but before she could reach the cup, the little door gave a soft buzz. Chrys froze. There was a click, the door unlocked and A moment later, a woman stepped into the room.

She was surprisingly small—barely reaching Chrys's shoulder—but she carried herself with an easy confidence. She wore a white coat and had a warm, almost grandmotherly smile.

"Hi, Chrys."

Chrys blinked. "Hi."

"I'm Dr. Vale. I'll be doing your physical today." There was something about her voice that immediately took the edge off the room.

Dr. Vale smiled. "Don't worry. We'll take this one step at a time."

Chrys nodded.

The physical itself was thorough but routine. Height, weight, temperature, blood pressure. Then reflexes, eyes, ears, heart and lungs. The doctor explained what she was doing before each part, never rushing Chrys and never treating her like she was a problem to be solved.

They even made small talk- nothing important. Little things like Where Chrys was from, whether she had siblings and what month her birthday was.

Normal questions. Well, almost normal. When it was time for the urine sample, Dr. Vale pointed toward the small cup on the ledge. "Whenever you're ready."

Chrys nodded and disappeared briefly into the adjoining washroom. When she returned, the doctor took the sample without comment and finished entering her results into a tablet. “All done."

Chrys exhaled, realizing she'd been holding her breath and quickly changed back into her clothes. Dr. Vale remained by the examination table, watching her with an expression Chrys couldn't quite read.

"You're going to wait here for now," she said. "Someone will come get you when they have further instructions." And then she wasn’t gone.

Dread, excitement and she was sure a million other feelings were starting to set in. And for the first time in a long time, Chrys felt completely unsure of her decision.