Only Human

CHAPTERONE_WELCOME TO LONDON

September 5, 2032

 It’s a cloudy, though warm, fall day in the City of London. There was a car driving up to the embassy for American ambassadors. In the car was a family. They were the Hartsfields. The husband and wife had two 16-year-old twins, Aaron and Eliza. They had a 13-year-old little brother named James.

 Aaron and Eliza were on their super-thin phones. Their mother, Alice, told them, “Guys, you’re going to love London! Prince George lives here.”

 Eliza looked up, and said in a bored tone, “I get Prince George is hot. And that England has the hottest guys in the world, and has the coolest accent in the world. But New York City is still my home.”

 Aaron said in a monotone, “This sucks.”

 Their father, Adam, told them, “Look, I get that it sucks that you had leave all your friends behind. But this our job now. We represent America here in England.”

 With that, both Aaron and Eliza told them, “This sucks!”

 Their parents rolled their eyes at them. Soon they arrived at the embassy. Once they entered, the teen siblings were met with several adults.

 Once of them told them, “Hello. I am Headmaster McClean. I’m the headmaster at Kingsbury Academy. Your parents have registered you to your new school. Here are your uniforms, and your class schedules.”

 Eliza told him, “Seriously? We have to wear uniforms? What grade are we in?”

 “Well, ‘grades’ are called ‘years’ here. So, based on your transcripts and your ages, you and Aaron will be in Year 11. Jason here will be in Year 8. You’ll begin school this Tuesday.”

 Eliza said sarcastically, “Great.”

 With that, Headmaster McClean and his school officials walked away. Aaron tells her, “Well, maybe there’ll be some hot people there.”

 Eliza scoffed, and said, “Yeah, as long as they don’t wear glasses.”

 “Seriously, what is with you and people that wear glasses?”

 “Come on, Aaron. Don’t you find it strange that people would still wear glasses? Everyone gets surgery now. Even the most stereotypical nerd gets laser surgery. And on top of that, these people that wear glasses are unusually beautiful. Like glasses will cover everything up.”

 Aaron sighs as he said, “I’m pretty sure those Glasses Hotties are also here in London.”

 Eliza rolls her eyes at him. Then they all sat down in the lobby as they waited for their parents.

 It’s now evening. The Hartsfield family soon arrived at their new house, which wasn’t too far from Kingsbury Academy. As soon as Eliza moved into her new room, she put all her clothes in her new walk-in closet. She looked at them sadly, as she won’t be able to show them at her new school. She now has to wear her uniform. But at least she can wear her new combat boots to school.

 Then she took out her tablet. She plugged in her earbuds. She turned it on, and started watching a pirated copy of season 4 of the hottest teen show on The CW, Perfect Beings. It was based on a free e-book on a website called Wattpad. The show was about a girl named Emma who’s in love with a guy, Patrik, who’s a genetically-modified human. Designed for perfection, but has a cold heart. He also had a brother who was also a Gen-Mod, Vince. 

 This show was part of a huge genre called “Gen-Mods,” aka “Genetically-Modified Humans.” This genre exploded onto the scene in the late 2010s when the first Gen-Mods movie came out, Advanced Enhancements. This movie was based on several Wattpad books. The movie was hit, and it soon overshadowed other monster-themed genres, such as the vampires, the werewolves, and the zombies. 

 As Ellie was watching the season four finale, she heard a knock on the door. She quickly closed the video. She called out, “Come in!”

 The door was opened, and it was Aaron. She relaxed, and said, “Oh, it’s you.”

 Aaron closed the door behind him, and asked, “Are you watching that stupid show again?”

 Eliza said defensively, “Perfect Beings is not a stupid show! The guys on that show are hot!”

 “They’re actors who have heavy amounts of makeup and CGI effects to look inhumanly perfect. Besides, the gen-mod genre is stupid. I’ll never understand why you like it so much.”

 “Well, for one, it’s better than those other genres. The guys are hotter. And it’s something our parents won’t let us read or watch.”

 “Well, I think it’s stupid because, unlike those other monster genres, the only way you can become a ‘gen-mod’ is through surgery. Or you have to be born from gen-mod parents. You can’t change with a bite.”

 Then Eliza asked, “Aaron, have you ever wondered why our parents won’t let us read or watch this genre? I mean, they let us view those other genres, but not this one. Don’t you find this strange?”

 Aaron sighs as he sits next to her on the bed. He said, “Okay, I do find that strange. It’s like they’re hiding something. But let’s be real here. Gen-mods don’t exist. They’re not even real. The closest thing we have are people who get cosmetic surgery, but that doesn’t change their personality completely.”

 Then with that, Aaron got up from her bed. Just as he was about to leave her room, he told her, “I only came in here to see how you were doing, and if you’re watching that stupid show.

 Ellie said, “I’m fine, Aaron. But you’re not gonna tell mom and dad about this, are you?”

 “Nah. It’s a stupid show, but I know you like it.”

 Then Aaron left her room. Ellie immediately went back to watching her show.