William had just finished a long and successful day at work and is now waiting for a bus to pick him up. He and a group of technicians have been working on a robot for a couple of months. The robot that they were building was one that would help improve the quality of life in his city and to help further the city’s understanding of artificial intelligence. At first, the city council did not like the idea of having computers walking around in society. After several meetings and constant persuasion, the city finally gave them the funds and support to build their machine. As William and his team started assembling their android, they were stunned to see the amount of progress that they have made. By the first day, they had the entire code written out, and by the second, they were able to build the prototype of their droid.

He looked down at his watch and was shocked to see the time, 10:23 pm. The buses are running behind, like always, but they were never late to this extent. He pulled out his phone and called home to his wife, telling her that the buses are running behind and that he’ll be home soon. Before he hung up, she told him how Michael, his son, had been out since 9:30, and he has been away ever since. She began to worry, wondering if he is ok. She tried calling him multiple times, but he never picked up. This was extremely odd to him. Michael had always answered when his parents called. William reassured that he was safe and that he was probably at his friend’s house. Satisfied after hearing that he is safe, they talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.

 As he stood at the bus stop, he could feel the chilly breeze brush his skin like a paintbrush on a canvas. The night sky was lit up by millions of various coloured lights. Some were from cars, others were from buildings and street lights. The sound of motorcycle engines and passing cars were eventually broken up by a soft and low rumble from up above. William looked up into the sky and was greeted with a massive cloud that was darker than the midnight sky. As small droplets of water began to descend from the heavens, his bus had finally arrived. He glanced at his watch before boarding the bus and was shocked to see that only 30 minutes had passed. He paid the fare and went directly to one of the many empty seats. From then on, it was the usual quiet bus ride, all while it was pouring rain outside.

During the middle of the bus ride, one of the tires was punctured. The driver told William he had to get off and either walk the remaining distance or call for someone to pick him up. He decided to walk in the rain since he didn’t want to wake up his wife with a phone call, and it was not that far of a walk. As he walked in the rain, he began regretting his decision. He could have called for a taxi or called a friend, but he decided to walk instead. His jacket was completely soaking wet, and his hair was drenched. His wet clothes made walking extremely uncomfortable, and he prayed that his papers inside his suitcase were not ruined. He walked past an ally way and noticed three teenagers, around the ages of 17-20, beating up a younger child. William was about to walk away from the scene until he heard his desperate cries of help. His shrieks of agony and pain sent shivers down his spine. Not only that, but the boy’s screams sounded very familiar. Too familiar.

He shouted at the teenagers, who looked up immediately after hearing his voice. The three of them made eye contact with him, and after a few seconds, they went back to beating the kid. He shouted once more, but this time, they gave no response. Filled with anger and hate, he decided to approach the teenagers. As he came closer, the teens stopped, reached into their pockets for their handguns, and pointed them at him. William stopped immediately and stumbled back a few steps. His heart began beating rapidly. He had never gotten himself into a situation like this. They were at a standoff for a few minutes until one of them fired a shot. Fortunately, the bullet missed, but the sound of the gunshot was enough to send him running like an escaped convict. Several more gunshots were fired into the rainy night, and then it went silent. The teens had left the ally, and William went to check on the little boy. He asked the kid if he was ok. 

There was no response.

He went closer to the boy and asked again.

Again, the boy stayed quiet.

After asking the same question over and over, he walked to the kid to see how he was doing. As he walked closer, he began to feel a weird sensation in his stomach. From afar, he could see the long and deep cuts on the boy’s arms and legs. The bullets that were fired sank into his chest. His white shirt had been tainted in every shade of red imaginable. Finally, William has reached the body, and a rush of emotions overwhelmed his body. He was disgusted and horrified when he saw the wounds that were left on the kid. They were much more brutal than when he saw them from a few meters away. The face was a complete mess. It was so messed up even the parents of the kid would not be able to recognize their dead child. As he was about to leave the scene, he heard a buzz coming from the boy’s phone. He picked up the phone, turned it on, and dropped it immediately. He staggered back and dropped to his knees. Tears flooded his eyes as a feeling of sadness overwhelmed his brain.

Michael…what happened?

Millions of questions swarmed the poor man’s mind. His body felt weak, his head began to feel numb, and his mind was clouded. As he wept through the dark and frigid night, the emotions that overwhelmed him had left, and all that remains is a cold and empty husk. It was like a switch that flipped off all his emotional receptors. His mind was shattered into a million pieces. His tears froze like a motionless waterfall. His frown crept into a smirk. His skin became deathly pale, and his pupils shrunk down to the size of a tardigrade.

 He leaned over his son’s body and muttered, “Son, I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to save you. I will put you back together.” 

William went to his house, got a hacksaw and a garbage bag, and went back to the ally. He sliced the body limb by limb, stuffed them into the bag and carried them into his basement. From there, he would spend the next 3 years rebuilding his son. His health deteriorated quickly. His friends, wife, and kids began to question his mental state, and one by one, they left him alone. Many of them would stop talking to William entirely, while others tried to strike up a conversation with him. However, he would not acknowledge their existence at all. He was too busy working on his project.

 He cut open the body, drained out all the blood, added chemicals to preserve the skin, and began working on “bringing his son back.” Every human aspect of Michael would be replaced with mechanical parts and pieces. His skeleton was rebuilt using aluminum rods. His organs were thrown out and were replaced with machinery that was scattered in his basement. The arteries and veins had turned into wires that were messily scattered throughout his endoskeleton. Finally, his body was complete. William covered his creation with the skin that he had carefully cut off the flesh of the body. He covered the robot, sewed up the skin, and stepped back to marvel at the monstrosity that he created. The skin was punctured and ripped by all the serrated blades that were on his body. 

William ran to his computer, activated the program and flipped the switch. He looked intensely at his “son.” A moment of silence had passed, and then it happened. The motors from within began to operate, the light in his eyes flickered multiple times, and in an instant, it was alive. Michael looked around the basement. He saw his sitting in a corner, rotting away as it was infested with insects. He walked on the bloodstain tiles that his father had worked on. He stared at the bones that once supported his mortal body and snapped his head to look at his pale and tired old man. 

 

“Michael, do you remember who I am,” said William in a hideous and tired voice. There was a long moment of silence until finally, the robot said:

“ Yes…I do remember……..hello father.