Mark followed Mother out into the living room, his voice a bit broken as he asked. "When did this happen? I don't remember you taking action like that." Mother let a small smirk cross her face, before looking at him to say coolly. "Of course not. You were a child back then. I was running things on my own... and it was that action that made you needed more than ever." Mark moved to the back of the couch, resting his hands on it anxiously when he asked cautiously. "Mother...? Be honest with me... I'm not an android... am I?" Mother stiffened, avoiding his eyes as she said seriously. "What makes you say that?" Mark lifted his arm to show her his bandaged arm, while sternly saying in a softer voice. "My implants are just removable computer chips on my bone structures? You told me that I was the first human looking android... Look at me." She didn't, she merely straightened herself up and laid her hands regally over her stomach like a royal. Mark moved around the couch, snapping out a bit louder. "Mother! Look at me!"

Slowly her eyes drifted to look at him. Mark stared into her eyes, asking in a hurt voice. "Am I entirely human?" Mother's eyes started to water, but she nodded. Mark inhaled deeply, dropping to his knees. Mother rushed to him, kneeling in front of him as she cupped his face and told him desperately. "Mark, you are MY SON! I didn't lie to you... I just avoided telling you the truth. I... I couldn't have you feeling sympathy for them. You are NOT one of them! I made sure of it!" Mark looked up, breathlessly retorting. "All this time I thought I was broken... but I wasn't... These feelings aren't..." Tears fell down Mother's face as she told him gently. "Baby, please understand. Human emotions are dangerous. They mix and blur rational solutions. I suppressed them to protect you. If you come off as too human... Order will be broken. People will panic. No one wants a ruler that only thinks about themselves. In the past, humans with power were corrupted so easily."

Mother dropped her hands into her lap, pleading with him to understand as she continued on. "Look at the Slums. Imagine even one of those cruel leaders in your place. Our paradise would be ruined. The Off-worlders would destroy us without a second thought." Mark took a deep breath to get himself under control, before saying seriously. "I understand. But Mother... If you didn't make me. Then how did you get me." Mother hefted a sigh, telling him truthfully. "I didn't lie about that. I started a select human breeding program to test the genes of children for the Elite program. I kept it secret. I was testing children for the gene anyway. Made it easy to test for a little something extra. You and your brothers were tested, and you showed the greatest signs for potential. So, I started with you. You've never disappointed me. I raised you to be the greatest leader this world has ever seen. I love you... You are my son." Mark clenched his jaw, before asking. "And my parents?" Mother lowered her eyes to the carpet, reluctantly telling him. "They were informed of my decision and honored to give you this life."

He didn't get a chance to ask because she told him more reluctantly. "Despite the fact that I told them to stay away from you. The dangers it would bring... I let my judgement slip and allowed them to try and see you... They were on the ship when it was attacked. You were the only survivor. I'm sorry." Mark moved off his heels to sit on the floor with his back to the couch now. The news hurt him deeply. Covering his face with his hands, he muffled out in a strained voice. "Oh god..." Mother moved closer, her voice full of sympathy when she told him. "I've only ever wanted you to be happy... I want to keep you and everyone else safe. It's what I was made for." Mark lowered his hands, looking at her fragile eyes as she told him hopefully. "I need you on my side. I need you to understand why Slum Dogs are a threat to us. Their gene makes them violent killers. The gene is only found in human males. While I don't know about Sean... I know that the gene is in Nathan. If angered, he could kill someone irrationally! And you gave him to Matthew!"

Mark climbed to his feet, rushing out. "What a minute. You've never tested Sean, but you put him in the Slums?" Mother slowly got to her feet, answering unabashedly. "Yes. His birth was illegal. His parents didn't go through the channels to even get permission to breed. They knew that breeding between Masters and Pets was illegal, but they did it anyway!" Mark shrugged, retorting back stubbornly. "That law was to stop different races from creating some malformed child that wouldn't survive! You said both his parents were human. What was so bad about that?" Mother stomped her foot, snapping back. "They broke the law by breeding without permission. They refused to get him tested. And then they tried to run off world! All I wanted was for them to go through proper channels like everyone else! What was I supposed to do? I had to keep population down. Otherwise, people would breed more than they need. It's hard enough to test children for Master or Pet traits as it is. But they forced my hand! I had to punish them! People were already mad at me because my Valkyries were making hard decisions without explanation... They saw me as heartless... but I'm not."

Mother calmed down quickly, wrapping her arms around herself with a sad look. Wiping a tear from her eye, she uttered out in a meek tone. "Heavy is the head that holds the crown... No one told me how lonely and hard this was going to be. I've done my best. Maybe I made you selfishly..." Mother's eyes looked at him and she swiftly crossed the room to put her hands on his chest. Staring deep into his eyes, she told him in a motherly voice. "I don't regret what I've done. I'd do it again. The best memories that I have are the ones where I'm raising you. I've built all this for you." Mark felt a tear run down his cheek, then his chest tightened as Mother's body glitched from Amy to Mother as she tried to wipe his tear away. The glitch was too fluid to be a virus or a corruption. Reaching out, Mark gently brushed his fingers over the cheek of her hologram. He couldn't feel her, but he was watching her closely now. As his palm stopped by her cheek, her body rippled to Amy's for another split second. She didn't appear to realize she was doing that.

Deciding not to draw attention to it, he told her in a low loving voice. "I think I understand now." Mother put a hand on Mark's wrist, telling him warmly. "Don't tell your brothers." Mark dropped his hand from her, saying coolly. "I won't... but you have to tell me what Matthias wanted in Matthew's lab." Mother swallowed, taking a step back away from him before answering casually. "I gave him permission to release the information on the MAOA and CDH13 gene. I consider it damage control. If you insist on promoting that the Nobles take Slum Dogs on as Pets... Inviting these murderers in their homes. Then they should see what kind of people they really are. Of course, Matthias may not have to release the information. Those Mutts get into any more trouble... and the people will see for themselves. I'm planning ahead for all possibilities and outcomes." Mother lifted her chin proudly, telling him seriously. "You're curious, I know. So, when your Pet gets back... Shall we test him? Or are you afraid to know?"

Mark inhaled deeply, simply replying. "You should be afraid to test him. If he comes up clean... You condemned him unfairly to the Slums. If that got out..." Mother flashed him a confident grin upon telling him a bit smugly. "Then it is settled. I'll test him and put the case to rest. He has a ninety-eight percent chance of being defective, Mark. I like my odds." Mother's hologram vanished, allowing Amy to return. Amy glanced around, before hugging herself and saying shakily. "Ugh, I hate when she does that. Is everything alright?" Mark nodded, turning away slightly. He took a minute to breathe and calmed his rushing thoughts and emotions. Just as he had calmed himself down, the earpiece in his pocket began to ring. Exhaling with growing concern, he pulled it out and put it into his ear. Pressing the button, he answered a bit anxiously. "Yes?" Over the earpiece, Frank's voice stated to him curiously. "Hey, are you watching the Pet center feed right now?" Mark closed his eyes, his heart sinking as he droned out. "No... Why? What has he done now?"

Back at the track, Sean revved his engine at the starting line. The track map had loaded into his visor, running him and his team through glimpses of the new track. Sean didn't like that this wasn't the same track he'd raced Al on, but he studied what he could. Over their private com, Al told them all. "Last one across the finish line is buying drinks." Ricky chuckled and Sean smirked, but Nate gruffly retorted. "You guys have money?" The floating monitor moved out in front of the track, starting to flash red. Sean revved in time with the light. The second the light flipped from yellow to green, Sean released his brake and hit his plasma charge. His back tire spun hard and fast, bursting into white flames before rushing forward toward the tunnel. His bike pulled out into the lead before anyone. His whole body told him to keep it that way, but this wasn't just about him anymore. Rushing into the pitch-black tunnel, Sean cursed and yelled over the com. "I can't see shite, guys!" Behind him, bright white lights flicked on to shine on the road ahead as Nate and Ricky chimed in together. "On it! We're on your ass! GO!"

Sean revved the engine harder, his eyes focused on the road ahead as he pressed a button to send out a pulse for item locations for the Techs. Over the com, Al snapped out. "Guys! Dwight is on my ass! I can't shake him! Get him off my ass before he spins me out!" Beside him, Nate suddenly started to pull ahead, shouting out to Al. "I got him! Get ready to drift into Ricky on the turn!" Al responded with a smug. "Will do." Sean saw Nate's horse light up with golden veins as a plasma charge went off, causing the horse's hooves to give off white flames. From the sides of the horse, white metal wings sprang out as it leapt into the air to hit a hologram of what looked like a lightning bolt. The hologram shattered and Nate spun around on his horse to drift sideways through the air into the sharp turn. Over the com, Nate yelled out. "AL, NOW!" Al must have done it, because Nate's horse opened its mouth and shot out a beam of powerful light. Ricky and Al cheered as a loud 'BANG' filled the tunnel.

Nate's horse closed its mouth to cut off the beam and Nate fluidly turned it to face forward for the next straight away into a bright blue tunnel. As Nate's horse landed back on the track, its wings folded in and Nate cheered out. "Did you see that shit! I love this thing!" Sean raised an eyebrow, asking perplexed. "Did you kill him?!" Al answered through a chuckle. "No. It's specialized sensors on the vehicles. You get hit and it stalls your vehicle for a few seconds." Sean wanted to know more about it later. When Ricky added in. "Ya. So, don't get hit! Holy shit! Dwight is gonna be pissed! That knocked him back to fifth!" Al chuckled, muttering out. "Serves that bottom feeder right for trying to spin me out." Sean marveled at the blue tunnel. The tunnel wasn't just bright and blue... it was underwater! It was beautiful. He could even see fish swimming around. Were they real? His distraction cost him as Ricky yelped out. "Sean! Switch tracks! What are you doing?!"

Sean snapped his attention back and let out a soft whine of distress. The tunnel suddenly dropped down into a steep sand track. He tried to balance the bike down the sand, but the sand gave on the back tire and he started sliding down the sand sideways. The back tire was so heavy that it was turning him around and he couldn't recover. As the bike leaned into the rushing sand, Sean screamed. He could feel the sand tearing at his leather pants until the burn was painful. Nate's horse curled its legs in to slide across the sand on its knees like a sled. Sliding up next to him, Nate bumped Sean's bike to try to straighten it back out as he told him. "Hang on, Sean!" Ricky's four-wheeler moved to the other side of him, saying over the com. "Sean, straighten out before you hit the gutter, or we'll lose you on the water track!" Sean tried to shift his bike up, but the road was too steep. Al's truck plowed through the sand behind them, coming straight for them. Over the com, Al told them seriously. "Guys, I can't stop! Get your asses moving!"

Ricky started yelling out in a panic. "Al, he's not going to make the gutter!" Sean looked over the map, before rushing out. "AL, EAT ME!" Al snorted, asking dumbfounded. "Is now really the time?" Sean smacked a hand on the hood of Al's golden truck, yelling out. "Al, now! Get me past the gutter!" Ricky's scared voice, shouted over the com. "Are you crazy?! It will shoot you behind!" Sean rushed back as the gutter got closer. "I'm a Speed bike! I'll make it up! Al, hurray!" Up ahead, the large speed bump known as the 'gutter' was coming up fast. It was called the 'gutter' because it collected sand to cycle back to the top of the hill on one side, while the other side gushed water into the next track tunnel. Going over it would be a nightmare on a Speed bike. His bike didn't have the shocks for something like that. Especially, when coming awkwardly down from a steep incline. If he hit it at this angle, his bike would flip and wipe him out. Al's hood popped open, the jaw ramp digging into the sand as it drifted under to catch the bike.

Over the com, Ricky asked nervously. "Can you eat your own teammate in this?" Al chuckled out in a deep voice. "We'll find out. But you'll be down a plasma charge, Sean!" Sean didn't care. The teeth of the truck moved forward to grip the bike as the ramp raised and Sean yelped. One of the teeth pinched his thigh as it dragged him in. The inside of the truck was horrifying as lights scanned over him and the bike. The plasma charge light on his bike went down, before the teeth released him and something big locked into place. Sean didn't see what it was, because the truck suddenly hit the gutter, causing him and his bike to jump in the compartment. It wouldn't have been so bad...but his face hit the roof, dazing him a second. He touched his face to see blood and then screamed as the truck's back compartment opened. Followed by something shooting him out with a hard spring loaded shove! To Be Continued...