Chapter 6: blue eyes and birds

Yeosang couldn't think of the last time he'd felt this lost.

It seemed like eons ago, but it had actually been only a few days since he'd arrived in this strange prison. He was already missing the fragile life that had been stolen from him.

It was only now that he truly realized the value of certain things that he had always brushed off as a perpetual routine.

Those few days ago he'd been living his life with his best friend and roommate Jongho, drowning in his university homework, and texting his childhood friend, Wooyoung about future meet-ups. Utterly oblivious to the approaching danger that he may have even avoided had the circumstances been different.

Like everyone else, the hatchings had always been just a harmless modern feature of society that would happen if it happened. It wasn't necessarily expected most times, but it was never something that needed to be feared.

And whatever scarce expectation Yeosang had before all of this was shattered.

He swore a thousand times over that it was never meant to turn out like this. The fog of confusion in his mind made it difficult for him to process some memories but the vital ones were hard to forget.

His last memory outside of the white-walled enemy territory, was of his short trip from Wonderland to his shared apartment. He'd met with Wooyoung earlier that night, popping in just to share his break and talk because those conversations were few and far between. He'd missed Wooyoung, and those extra minutes may have cost him.

He was cruising alongside roads on his skateboard with his headphones in. It was hardly dark out, and most stores he passed were still serving their last few customers with tired smiles and parting words.

Yeosang remained oblivious to the outside world, fully immersed in the world the music and his thoughts created around him.

That perfect world was harshly interrupted when a text tone notification sounded in his ears. He made the decision to stop at a street corner, not even noticing the strange actions of the sparse groupings of people walking on the sidewalks.

A short message from Jongho lit up his phone screen, asking for an ETA. Yeosang unlocked his phone and began typing, only now glancing up at the time.

He made a mental estimation, knowing that he was about five to eight minutes away from the familiar apartment building where Jongho was waiting for him to return. He fired off a quick answer, along with a small assurance that Yeosang would be careful crossing Main Street, even though it was a lot tamer at night than in the day.

That was when everything went wrong.

As soon as he slipped his phone into one of his free pockets, still holding the lip of his skateboard, he felt a small tap on the back of his shoulder.

Maybe it was then that Yeosang should have sensed the danger of the situation, but his distracted conscience didn't pick up on the blaring alarms that should have been ringing.

With one hand on his skateboard, and the other holding one of his earbuds out of his ear, the last thing Yeosang expected when he turned around was the expectant face of a teenage boy.

His eyes weren't focused and it was rather unsettling at first glance, but Yeosang swallowed down his nerves.

"Did you need something?" Yeosang tilted his head slightly, displaying a puzzled expression. He wasn't sure why this boy had wanted his attention, but if he was lost by chance, the good samaritan in Yeosang wanted to help.

The boy made no move to speak, but his eyes were an entirely different story. Yeosang watched on with shock and horror as the boy's hazel eyes transformed in front of him.

A pair of aquamarine blue eyes greeted him, each glowing with the brightness of advanced neon signs he would expect to see decorating the streets of Vegas. The twin bulbs of artificial light stared back at Yeosang stonily, conveying no emotion or at least no human one.

Yeosang's own eyes widened in response, the utter shock of the anomaly almost made him drop his skateboard onto the pavement at his feet.

The boy's lips began to form words that Yeosang barely caught.

"The bird sings a lonely song, until the others sing along," The boy announced, his full focus on Yeosang who scrambled for some semblance of an answer. The boy was scarily serious, and Yeosang began to feel the unsteady thrumming of panic in his chest.

Yeosang spun to walk in the opposite direction, hoping to leave the strange situation behind, but there was another tall middle-aged man behind him. However the sight of him brought no reassurance for Yeosang, as he also had brilliant matching unnatural blue eyes.

This was when Yeosang panic made him teeter on the edge of more desperate, he glanced around frantically, seeking support and perhaps saving from any of the other pedestrians.

Though he soon found it was hopeless.

He was surrounded on all sides, but not by people he could reach out to for assistance. Instead the sight that greeted him was straight out of a horror show that Jongho and him would have laughed about on a lazy Friday evening.

There were people around him, scattered across the street in various clumps of social circles. However one thing set them apart from a regular evening crowd: instead of walking their seperate directions in haphazard formations, each had their attention turned in his direction.

Everywhere he looked, every 'person' met his gaze with a set of their own glowing aquamarine ones. Each a startling indication of their true forms that was disguised in human skin. Every single figure he swept his gaze over stared back unblinking.

Each had glowing blue eyes like the original boy and the older man who was now blocking his main escape route.

Yeosang was completely and utterly screwed.

He was almost too busy staring around at the people who were obviously not really people like a stunned baby deer in the middle of blinding headlights to notice the cloth in front of his nose. Well, until a single intake of breath sent his vision spinning.

It was then that he attempted to make his not-so-graceful and very much delayed escape. However, he barely made it a single stumbled step before his knees failed him, and the ground came rushing up to meet him.

There was no connection of his body to the ground so his sleepy mind figured he must have been caught before he could collide with the solid pavement.

His vision was also leaving him to an empty, cool black, but all he could focus on was the repeated voices of the surrounding pedestrians. They chanted the boy's single, original sentence as if it was the one promise they lived by and it had been branded into their souls like some sort of national anthem.

The blank tone of their voices was perhaps the most disturbing feature, it chilled Yeosang to the core as his consciousness surrendered to the darkness.

Then all feeling ceased and he remained floating in a bare mindscape. Which was where his remaining memories cut off abruptly.

That night was his last official memory before he woke up here.

Though he wasn't quite sure where or what here was supposed to be.

His attire was practically alien to him. An outfit of strange red cloth, accented with red leather, was what he had found himself in when his eyes had first blinked open again. It made him seem so bright, like a vivid stop sign announcing that it was not something to be overlooked.

It was so unlike him that Yeosang was seriously debating how much begging it might take to convince his captors to change it up. But one glance at their expressionless, blank, full-face masks and their lab coats accompanied by a strange weapon hanging at their belt was enough of a deterrent.

They carried around notepads, writing furiously whenever he made the smallest movement or reaction to their peculiar tests and prodding. The ones in lab coats were obviously researchers and scientists, each working for a secret agenda they wouldn't reveal willingly.

The other even more unapproachable looking humanoid figures wore dark uniforms and were decked out from head to toe in weapons. They were mostly concealed in their coats, but Yeosang had caught their telltale holsters or handles peeking out at times. Their knowing glances, despite having no visible eye holes or screens, warned him against acting out. (As if their multitude of weapons weren't enough.)

The second strange thing he found on his person was a clear wristband with a curling font along one side that was slightly illuminated.

The font only displayed a single word: Sparrow. Maybe Yeosang was slower than usual, but the word triggered no hidden memory for him. He hadn't the faintest idea of its meaning.

The confusion around the strange wristband persisted through the rest of what he thought was day, and the next two as well. He eventually gave up on finding answers for it.

The first two days had passed and he still hadn't been allowed anywhere outside of his designated room and the main lab where he spent most of his time being observed.

While the appearance of the interior of the building wasn't similar to a prison, it definitely felt like one to Yeosang. He was only allowed in certain areas, wasn't allowed contact to the outside world, and everything that was given to him was monitored and documented.

Yeosang hated how much it felt like being in a zoo. Except instead of being the clueless tourist or experienced guide, he was the animal being observed through the fence.

He spent both those two days in silence, avoiding the mumblings of the scientists as they monitored his behaviour day and night.

He finally experienced a break in the routine when on the third day he'd been escorted to a seperate room that branched off the main lab. He managed to take a good long look at the surroundings of the new room as soon as he entered, and it was much fancier than his sleeping quarters. He almost wanted to switch, but the centerpiece quickly gave him a change of heart.

There, gloriously elevated on a raised pedestal as if it was to be praised, surrounded by a clouded glass container was the beginnings of a robot.

It probably wouldn't have bothered Yeosang that much, technology was crazy nowadays, if the creation hadn't been carrying his face.

He was looking up at a direct copy of himself currently under construction. A version of himself that was stronger, immortally artificial, and ready to serve.

Even as the scientists guiding him began to hook him up to different tubes and detection machines, Yeosang couldn't tear his gaze away from the unfinished android.

That was the first time of many in the next few days that Yeosang would stare down the strange replacement as it grew to resemble him more and more. With every addition, Yeosang began to wonder what its purpose was meant to be. Why make an exact android copy of a random college student who works at a regular old bookstore on the south side of the city?

The scientists included programs to match Yeosang's projected behaviour, and simple adjustments that added an element of realism to the artificial being.

He stared down the android every day as if trying to pry into its tightly held secrets, wondering what the real truth behind its darkened eyes was.

And soon enough, Yeosang discovered from the whispered conversations of scientists and his own inference what he'd gotten himself into.

The hatchings.

All those people who had been going missing over the course of nearly a year and a half? They most likely ended up here. (Though he hadn't met any yet.) Closed away from reality while these complex robots were deployed in the outside world, freely parading around claiming to be someone they weren't.

If Yeosang had done the math correctly then his four days had already passed, and as today was the fifth day Yeosang would have been missing, it would also be the day the robot was released. As soon as that robot stepped past those lab doors, Yeosang knew he would never see it again, and the chance he needed would never reappear.

Not a chance to escape directly, but a chance to get a message out there to real people in order to reveal the truth of this criminal organization.

Today was the last day Yeosang would be able to act, and he would need to act fast.

He was known for how well he could concentrate if something interested him, and he used those learned skills to memorize the hand movements of the scientist who punched in the code to the robot's container. The passcode was actually fairly simple, and it almost made Yeosang scoff aloud that the same people building complex androids would choose the simplest passcode in the book.

(I mean, 12345 should be banned at this point. It was as if they were just asking Yeosang to break in.)

Of course, Yeosang wasn't stupid enough to do this all when the room was packed with scientists. So instead he bided his time until they all left for their lunch breaks or whatever they needed to attend to.

They clearly didn't expect Yeosang to be able to pick the locks on his observation room, whether they thought he just wasn't skilled enough or that he would be a fool to try and oppose them.

He made his way over to the robot without issue, and once again, the passcode was child's play.

He found himself staring at an exact copy of himself but much closer this time, and it was eerie how much it felt like he was just looking into a mirror. He had to shake off the awe and refocus, trying to find a way to mess with the robot without causing noticeable harm.

His gaze passed over a screwdriver on the table next to him, and Yeosang smirked in victory.

He found an access point in the wrist of the imposter, and he set to work loosening the screws just enough for the hand to fall off at a later time and the loose screws not to be noticed.

He then had to tackle the somewhat daunting task of recording a message of sorts for Jongho, who would most likely be the only one around when the hand did fall off.

As Yeosang was naturally gifted in a lot of areas, the way some technologies worked made a good deal of sense to him. When he was younger he'd been fascinated by drones and their elevated camera angles, so he'd fiddled around with a few before.

The small indent that was barely noticeable tucked behind the fake's ear, was probably his best bet. He ran his finger down it just once and a large holographic screen appeared in front of him from the android's now illuminated eyes.

It was beginning to look more and more familiar as Yeosang looked it over with calculating eyes. It was miraculously similar to a drone camera, and since Yeosang was familiar with them he found it easier to successfully commandeer it.

He recorded a frantic message with practiced precision, locking it into the memory card, burying it deeply beneath other files so it wouldn't be detected without really extensive searching.

The echoing voices of passing patrols and their loudly conversing scientists kept Yeosang on his toes, but the door didn't open once behind him.

Satisfied with his work, Yeosang slipped away from the android, locking it carefully behind him. He slipped easily back to his observation room, and sat down once again on the lone chair. He wrapped one of the strange instruments back around his upper arm, making it seem like absolutely nothing had been disturbed.

He hadn't been interrupted, bless his luck.

------◎▼◎------

When the moment finally arrived when the robot was officially released into the world, Yeosang was allowed to mingle beyond the confining walls of his sleeping quarters.

He was slowly introduced into his colour sections. This was where Yeosang was finally able to see the other people who had gone missing after their hatchings, the truth unnoticed by their families and the rest of society.

Yeosang winced when it finally set in that he was one of them now. Trapped and unable to escape, practically a forgotten memory while a robot was settling into a comfortable life in his shoes.

Everyone in the large room Yeosang was brought to was also wearing that strange outfit in red. Maybe it was meant to be a uniform, or a marker of some sort.

What was certain though, was that the number of people in the common room was nowhere near what it should have been if a year of hatchings had been happening. There was no doubt about there being a second location or maybe series of rooms where the others probably were.

However, that wasn't the most eye-catching part of the room.

Yeosang was more concerned with how all of the people walked around freely, no shackles or markers to help keep them in line. It surprised him but it also intimidated him. The guards had no fear of retaliation or escape because they believed it was impossible.

Unfortunately this meant that Yeosang was at a severe disadvantage. He had no inside knowledge on the layout or anything, so like the guards believed, it was near impossible.

But that didn't mean Yeosang wouldn't try.

Jongho had always said Yeosang's stubbornness was both a blessing and a curse at times. This was a time where either could apply.

He didn't know much about this place. He'd been limited to about three, actually four, rooms at most and hadn't been allowed to travel beyond without an armed escort.

Yeosang found himself praying that Jongho was having better luck on his end. And that was if he got the message.

He was sure that others in the crowded room would be able to give him some of the answers he wanted, but he wasn't feeling particularly social at the moment. He felt alone in a sea of unfamiliar faces, it was bringing back some memories of college before Jongho had arrived. Those had been lonelier times, but now he had a feeling he was about to beat that record in a bad way.

He was wishing for an anchor in the unfamiliar sea.

But then he made eye contact with an older woman, and it was like she knew exactly what he was searching for. She smiled brightly and began to make her way over, brushing past others in the crowd and greeting each by name.

She trudged closer to his lonely corner, the warm, motherly smile never slipping from her face. She had dark, dark, brunette hair that was pinned back behind her head in a refined arrangement. Her face was open and youthful, which made her seem more innocent and fragile than her calloused fingers portrayed. Her eyes were also a deep earthy tone that reminded Yeosang of a freshly potted plant. He could tell she was older than him too, so he made sure to greet her accordingly.

She wore the same outfit as the rest of the people they were surrounded with, but strangely she wasn't wearing the correct size top for her body type. She wore a coat that was several sizes larger, and the sleeves were rolled up enough times to wrap up a small cat.

Yeosang found it peculiar, but didn't dare comment on it in case she found it rude. Maybe she had a mix-up with another person, not everything was necessarily a bad thing.

Now that she was closer, she appeared to be Jongho's older brother's age, so not that much older than Yeosang himself. Still, he paid her the same respect as his parents had engraved in him to show.

She held out a hand in front of her person, leaning over to take his.

"I'm Eunjung, what's your name?"

Yeosang blinked at her smooth tone, feeling as if maybe he'd heard it somewhere before, even briefly.

"Yeosang," He replied, matching her kindness with a small grateful smile in return.

"You're one of the newest chicks right?" She questioned, earning a confused and disgruntled sound from Yeosang.

She smoothed over his bewilderment with another smile, "Chicks are what we call newbies or those who haven't been here that long. As you can see the bird theme is kind of an ongoing joke."

Yeosang chuckled in understanding, "Yeah, I got here just over 5 days ago. So I don't know much about how this all works."

Eunjung beamed, "Allow me to be your guide then! There's a lot you're gonna need to know. First things first, don't start what you can't finish. Meaning, every single guard is not afraid to ruffle your feathers if you step out of line." (Apparently they milked the bird puns as dry as they could.) Eunjung continued as if she didn't notice Yeosang's undignified snort, "Second, everyone here is a team. We're in this together, and we'll make it out together. Third, I hope you enjoy your stay because you can't leave."

She turned away to spread her arms out in a large gesture, speaking with fake enthusiasm, "Allow me to formally welcome you to The Nest."

------◎▼◎------

The Nest was not entirely as bad as he thought it was going to be.

The faceless guards left you alone as long as you paid attention to the rules and didn't openly try to defy. Preferring instead to just linger around the outer edges of the room and just stare menacingly into the crowds at random. At least that's what Yeosang thought they were doing.

There was only one instance where those somewhat peaceful guards had lived up to Yeosang's original expectations. This was when Yeosang was hanging close to Eunjung's side as she tried to persuade him to meet with some of her regular friends. She allowed him to huddle close to her comfortably, like she was a mother duck and he was her small and helpless fluff that hadn't yet learned to swim.

It began when an older woman began yelling at a guard in the middle of the common room, most likely releasing a lot of pent up aggression in one blow after blowing out her top.

He had to face the opposite wall, mostly because he couldn't bear to look at the poor woman's expression.

The guards didn't physically hurt her. There was no tackling, or even brandishing of the many weapons they did indeed carry on their person, but the threat of them was still present. The guards hadn't even bothered to comment while doing so, just acted on procedure and rounded her up just to herd her into another room.

His heart broke when he saw the pure desperation in her eyes, her screams a testimony to her fear and anger. It appeared that the longer she stayed the more her mind began to deteriorate with fear and survival instinct.

That woman had reached her breaking point, and Yeosang could only stand in the midst of the crowd and pray he never reached that extreme.

A man that stuck out to him sighed from where he was standing off to Yeosang's side, shifting his weight so he was facing Yeosang more.

The man also appeared to be around his own age range, with chestnut hair parted down the middle and almond eyes that were drawn to the ground.

He had a look of innate friendliness permanently painted across his expression.

Eunjung had long disappeared into the crowd right now, so he had no way of asking for the man's name unless he dared to approach him himself. And with the strange feeling in his gut, Yeosang just knew that this man would be important somehow.

"How often does this happen?" Yeosang wondered aloud, trying to gauge some conversation between them. He also made sure to direct his face at the man so he would know that he was being addressed.

"Hmm?" The stranger hummed, turning to Yeosang, "It doesn't happen as often as you think. It's mostly those who have been here the longest that break down after awhile." He turned once again to face the door the guards and the women in their conversations had disappeared into. "You're still a chick right? I haven't been here that long either, I'd say just over a month or so."

Yeosang also allowed himself to hone in on the stone set doorway, letting their small talk dwindle into silence. One of his stray thoughts once again broke through, but this time he didn't hesitate to ask.

"Do you believe we can get out of this?" Yeosang blurted, almost regretting his slip up when the man jerked his head in his direction violently.

The man gave him a sympathetic look, "I like to think there is, but others beg to disagree. I know you haven't been here long so the shock is pretty fresh. Hold onto the hope that someone out there is looking for you, I know that I am."

Yeosang's heart warmed at the pure, child-like hope that seeped into the strange man's tone, and he marveled at this man's true bravery.

He hadn't really wanted to mention messing with his robot to anyone in case his plan failed and Jongho didn't get the message after all, but this man was the epitome of sweet and hopeful. And for some reason Yeosang felt inclined to share some of his own hope.

Yeosang gave him a thankful smile, "Well then, you'll probably be glad to hear there is a chance."

Yeosang leaned forward, glancing around to make sure there were no other ears listening in. He'd prefer the less ears to know about his android the better, as one may go rogue and expose the plan accidently.

"I messed around with my robot, and left a message for one of my friends. If everything worked out, he should be searching for us as we speak." Yeosang whispered, feeling like a small child with Wooyoung again when they were whispering about crushes and simple things.

He felt he could trust this man. He had an inspiring outlook on their situation and seemed like a sweetheart underneath all that dirt and grime that had collected over his month in the Nest already.

The man's eyes lit up, his happiness and relief clearly apparent. He held out a hand with a matching smile, "What did you say your name was?"

Yeosang chuckled at the sudden switch in emotions, already becoming a victim of the man's sweet enthusiasm and bright personality that had been dimmed by this gloomy place. Maybe that was something Yeosang could work on with him over the time they may spend together after this.

Yeosang honestly believed this person was about to become a crucial part of the story that was unfolding around them. And even part of his own personal one.

"Yeosang, and you are?" He hummed, genuinely glad to find another friend to help him get through this. Loneliness was a horrible thing, and Yeosang would fight it off any way possible.

The man's bright smile was enough to light up the whole room as he grasped Yeosang's hand tightly in his own. Yeosang was nearly swept off his feet at the excited shaking of the man's hand.

"I'm Mingi."

———
hi there ♡

first surprise ♡ ! we get to see a little of what's going on on yeosang's end 👀

and this won't be the last you see of yeo either mwhaha

also guess who stayed up all night editing this :V (its 5 in the morning, bye i'm sleeping)

♡ thanks for reading ♡

ps. i checked the rankings last week and we had #83 in androids like wha- how-

pps. the second surprise comes with the next update, stay tuned !