Ethan

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The distant sound of the body scanning machine, also known as the Inc's Explorer resounded in my ears as I made sure to keep my eyes open to get the full result of the scan. The blue light was blinding, but that didn't actually bother me.

Well, the only reason why it didn't bother me was because my thoughts weren't really on the examination of my chip. No.

It was on a certain girl whom I couldn't help but think about. A human girl, who had actually done nothing to win me over, but she did, either way.

I mean, how else was I supposed to explain the sort of connection we had? And apart from the odd feeling of that connection, I knew there was something else.

My sudden need to protect her from danger, the momentary trance when ever my eyes found hers. It was honestly crazy, and so unexpected.

After I kissed her at the stupid truth or dare game, I realized that it wasn't just about the fact that she ordered for me, or the fact that I was to answer to her, that I wanted to be there for her... No. It was the fact that I had unknowingly grown attached to her and my subconscious had placed so many false thoughts to evade that fact.

I really did care about her, for real.

When Malcolm assigned this mission to me, I was mad as hell. Yes, and I was so angry the night I arrived at her house, and that was the only reason why I acted really blunt, sarcastic and somewhat rude. In hopes that she'd hate me and maybe, send me back or something.

But she didn't- in fact, she liked my character. And that kind of made me feel weird.

She was even more curious to know what I was made of, and her intelligence threw me off.

It made me find her interesting, and I suddenly felt curious too... I wanted to spend my time with her, I wanted to actually know her.

The kiss aroused these strange feelings within me, and that instant, I knew the mission had already been compromised.

If I'd been a normal human without the chip or anything, I'd know how to at least, control my feelings or maybe even hide them.

But the thing about the chip was that, it heightened the senses. It makes you feel times two of what you're normally supposed to feel. It makes you see things differently, feel things differently. It controls your every being.

So if you maybe have a crush on someone, the chip drives your heart wild, or maybe if you're scared or panicking, it heightens that particular feeling.

And that is exactly why I trusted Ivy Fisher... I might want to just tell her a particular thing, like a side of a particular story, but the chip heightens my mind, and then I'd end up telling her everything.

Just like last night, I wasn't supposed to tell her whatever Fiona had told me, but I did... It was even funny how I managed to keep myself from mentioning Fiona's name.

I sighed...

I can't even keep my thoughts from Ivy Fisher.

The blue light turned off suddenly, and I heard the explorer shut down.

Slowly, the machine began to slide open.

I took in a deep breath of fresh air, sitting up.

"Did you find anything?" I asked Malcolm, as I pulled the AEDs wires from my skin, buttoning up my shirt.

"The results will be out in any minute now." He answered, turning away from the large screens in front of him, to scrutinize me with his gaze.

I got down from the machine, grabbing my jacket and sliding it back on.

I walked over to the screens without sparing him a glance.

"You can't be mad at me forever, Ethan." He voiced out in the echoed silence.

"Can't I?" I asked sarcastically, waving through the hologram displayed data of my examination, to see if I'd find something out of place.

"Whatever I did, I did to protect you." He said.

My teeth slammed down on each other, gritting and clenching my jaw.

"Do you understand that, Ethan? It was all to protect you."

"If keeping my mother away from me was your way of protecting me, then I'd have to say you have a loose screw in your head. And you obviously need to get it fixed." My voice was calm.

He gulped down. "They would have killed you Ethan. They would have killed her... They would have put an end to every single person related to you. You know the length the Inc would go to keep its secret."

I scoffed.

"What else was I supposed to do?" He asked.

I could hear the hint of regret and hurt in his voice, but I choose to ignore it.

I didn't come here to talk about it, I didn't come here to relieve the pain of his lies over again.

"You are like a son to me, Ethan. I would have done anything and everything to protect you-"

"I don't wanna talk about this." I blurted out.

"Ethan-"

My eyes shot to his. "I said, I do not want to talk about this. I didn't come here to listen to bullshit. I came here for answers. Somethings wrong with me, and whatever it is, it's affecting Ivy." I snapped at him.

He sighed, turning back to the screens.

Silence grew around the large hall.

Malcolm had been like a father to me, through out my life at the Inc, and it was not as if I hated him or anything... I was only angry... He knew how much family meant to me, I'd spent sleepless nights with endless nightmares because of my family... And he knew.

Still yet, he kept on lying to me... Time and Time again, he lied to me. How the hell was I supposed to look through that? How?

I cleared my throat. "I have a question." I said into the silence, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Listening."

"I've heard of instances about glowing eyes and stuff... What do you know about that?"

He shrugged. "It's not common. It only occurs during the change of a chip."

My brows drew down in confusion. "I don't understand."

"It happens when a chip turns red. It normally reflects through the eyes, making it glow a very bright red."

"Why?"

"Inability to control emotions. When the chip turns red, the subject becomes very dangerous. The chip tends to use his or her darkest memories and fears against them. It makes the subject vulnerable to its power. It turns the subject into a dangerous weapon and its fear turns into anger. It controls over 70% of the subjects's mind, and Its senses are even more heightened."

"How about green? Is there any possibility where the chip remains green but- you still have glowing eyes? Green glowing eyes?" I asked.

He turned to face me now. "Is everything alright Ethan?"

"Yes- yes, I'm only curious."

He didn't look like he believed me, but he answered anyway. "That's really rare, Ethan. Rarer than the change of a chip's color."

So, Ivy had been serious?

"What does it mean?"

"It's high profile Ethan, even I don't know the meaning. But I know that it happens."

"Really? Where and how can I find the meaning?" I asked.

Malcolm sighed. "You know better than anyone that whatever the Inc tags as 'high profile', isn't really easy to find, Ethan."

"But is it something dangerous?"

"I don't know."

"H-"

"Your results are ready, Malcolm." Grace, Malcolm's Artificial intelligence announced, cutting me off.

"Thank you, Grace." Malcolm said, clicking open the results from my scan. "Hmm... Let's see." He clicked open the file. "Grace can you zoom in the analysis from the scan?"

"Sure Malcolm."

The analysis zoomed immediately.

I waited for him to study it more since I didn't really understand how it all worked with the machines.

Suddenly, Malcolm's face grew into a deep frown as he read on.

Something tugged deep down in my stomach. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head, his face draining of all color, his eyes grew wide with fear. "No... No." There was a spine shivering tone to his voice that grabbed my attention.

"Talk to me... Is it the chip, is something wrong?"

"How's this possible?" Malcolm voiced out his thoughts again, ignoring my questions.

"Wha- what do you mean?" I asked, my eyes moving to the screen again, trying to see what had got him all white on his face.

The results looked normal to me... Or is there something I'm missing?

"This can't be possible!" Malcolm yelled.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, curiosity eating me up.

He finally turned to look at me, his eyes wide with uncertainty, studying me like he was seeing me for the first time. "It's your chip, Ethan."

"What?" I asked, still confused. "What about it?"

"It's- it's failing."

I froze.

"It's failing, the control it has over you has dropped from 50% to 35%, which is the most impossible thing out there. I mean, yes, I've heard of control change but it has been between the range of 50% to 49 or 48% and it has never ever ended well. By around yesterday, exactly at 11PM, it fluctuated from 50% to 30%, now it's back to 35%."

I gulped down the lump that had managed to form in my throat.

"You mean to say my chip is malfunctioning." I cleared out as fear gripped me suddenly, but I hid it. If I let out how scared I was, Malcolm might just lose it.

"Positive." He said, his hands shaky as he continued to analyse the results. "Grace, confirm the analysis of the scan please?"

"Of course, Malcolm. Mr. Murray's chip has a slight complication. In normalcy, the control is supposed to be 50% to 50%. But it has dropped drastically down from 50% to 35%, an abnormality. His heart rate has triggered at an abnormal rate during the past last week. Body temperature has skyrocketed abnormally, from 25% to over 85% increasing every second. Abnormality of Mr. Murray's control over the chip remains a mystery. Do you want me to conduct the Facility?"

"No Grace, that won't be necessary. Thank you."

"That's not good, is it?" I asked. "Is that what's affecting Ivy?"

"It could be."

I gulped. "Explain, please."

Malcolm hesitated a bit, before he continued.

"Well, in my years of studying this project, malfunctioning chips seems to have their effects on humans, and it sometimes makes their system deteriorate," My heart literally sank at his words. Me being close to Ivy puts her in danger?

The thought of Ivy getting hurt because of me, made my heart shrink. I felt my stomach give this ugly turn.

God, please no, let her be alright.

"It syphons every bit of strength, vibration and energy. It takes loads of the human mind, messes with their sanity and makes them completely useless. And sometimes, depending on the human, it allows them to share the same intelligence, and strength. In all, in some humans, it syphons and in some, it gives. Have you noticed anything strange about Ivy? Positive or negative?"

I shook my head, still dazed by the news. "No... She- she seems normal. There's no negative sign, whatsoever."

Malcolm nodded. "Which means she's immune to the disadvantage and gains from the advantage... She's safe with you."

I gave a sudden sigh of relief.

"What's causing this? The malfunctioning." I asked.

Malcolm sighed as worry flooded his face. "Two possibilities." He said, going back to the screens. "It's either you or the Facility. 90% of the possibility should be on the facility, because they are in control of every single chip-"

"Why would the Facility want to mess with my chip?" I asked. "Why would Glory even allow that?"

"I have no idea." He said, looking around, before leaning in. "But I know this. They're planning something... Something big. You're not the first one to have a malfunctioning chip this week. They're taking them somewhere and no one knows where."

"Taking who?"

"The ones with the malfunctioning chips. I heard that they messed with over forty rebels, and thirty eight of them couldn't control it. The chip killed them... And their chip just dropped from 50% to 49%...  I authorized the mission because I was deceived there was indeed a mission, so I got word two days ago that the same thing happening to you happened to them before they were taken down."

"Wait- wait... How the hell am I still alive if mine dropped from 50% to 35%?"

"That's the impossible thing, Ethan. You're supposed to be dead." He said, curiosity glassing his eyes.

I blinked. "And the remaining two?" I asked.

"They were taken away... No one knows where, but they're taking the survivors away from the Inc. Word is out there that they're creating another dimension."

"No."

"Yes. Whatever it is they're planning, it's big, and I don't think it'll take long before we see it."

"What could they be planning?"

Malcolm shrugged, letting out a shaky breath. "I hope they share it on time for everyone to be prepared."

"What's gonna happen to me?"

Malcolm shook his head. "I don't know... For some reason, they seem to be testing you. At least, that's what your analysis says. Have you been feeling strangely?"

"No... I- I feel normal, I feel way normal than normal."

Malcolm's face grew thoughtful. "They're curious." He said. "They want to know why it isn't affecting you physically. Something tells me they're not going to stop until the number goes down."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Malcolm gulped, looking back at the analysis. "It means your chip is 35% to finally going red."

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Vote and Comment:-)

So, what are your thoughts on this chapter?

Ethan's in big trouble, and his chip is 35% from going red!

Why do you think the Facility wants that?

Do you think Glory is responsible for this?

Ivy might just be getting the advantage of having a Robotic Boyfriend.

Do you think she'd become more intelligent? Fast? Or strong?

What do you think?

Read on to find out!

Nora.