My Mutant System

3. Reset

As the humans started the new life under the ground, they tried hard to increase their population. They needed to reproduce, and they made it. But, the babies could not live longer than seven years because of the conditions under the ground. Their tiny lungs could not compete with the adult to get the low oxygen supplies.

Humans tried to solve that problem by bringing the baby to the ground's surface. But, of course, the radiation killed them within a second. It was really frustrating at that moment. Although they can produce, the babies cannot live. And thus, the population decreased by time.

And one day, a group of scientists who labeled themselves as The Creators discovered something that might bring back the glory for the human race. It was the HumanBot breed. They were not just ordinary human babies.

“Hope? Why?” Aaron looks displeased.

Hope, the girl, jumped into the conversation. She didn’t smile a bit. The expression on her face would always be the seriousness.

“I have important information to share with all of you. Us … the HumanBot.” She explained, but still, Aaron disliked it. Although the boy loved her as much as Asher did.

“Hope, it’s been a long time since the last time I saw you this close.” Asher couldn’t hold himself staying silent. He even moved Tony a bit, trying to get closer to the girl.

“Nice to see you again, Ash.”

Aaron didn’t like it, for sure. And the problem he had is … he was the only HumanBot who could not control his anger. “I said leave, Junkies. Now.” He hissed to Asher. His face turned red, and his body became hot.

Asher stepped backward. He remembered the last time he met Aaron, he almost died because of him.

“Aaron, control yourself!” Hope tried to calm Aaron down by giving him a little tap on his shoulder, but Aaron suddenly threw her body away. Flying before fell to the ground.

“Arghh …” Hope could not resist the pain she just got.

Asher didn’t like it. Seeing the girl he loved in pain made him lose his mind. “What did you do to her?!” he shouted to Aaron.

“WHAT?!”

“YOU WANT ME, DON’T YOU? COME AND GET ME!”

Both Tony and Hope were shocked by Asher’s reaction. But, before they could do something, Aaron's big yet strong punch sent Asher’s down to the ground, and his body stopped moving in just one hit.

…

“Wake up! I told you, stop being the weakest!”

Asher felt his body in pain. All over his body. He tried to open his eyes, and when he made it, the lights burnt them immediately.

Asher tried to move his body, and the first thing he saw was a face. But when he tried to remember that face, he couldn’t.

“Who are you?”

It was Corine that he saw. The woman smiled lopsidedly while trying to hold her breath as slowly as possible. Even though her face was getting clearer, Asher still couldn’t recognize her.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Asher tried really hard to remember, it made his head feel like it would burst into pieces. “Arghh … wait─ who am I?”

Right. Asher could not remember anything, as if his brain was emptied. No name and no face. And it started to confuse him.

“The reset went smoothly.” The woman moved closer to Asher and then smiled.

Asher didn’t like it. But he still wanted to know what had just happened to him.

“Your name is Neo. I have just upgraded you to the new version. Neo means New. You’ll be the strongest HumanBot I’ve ever created. You should be proud of yourself.”

“Neo?”

Asher still could not believe that it was his name. But still, he could not remember anything. After some minutes had passed, he surrendered.

“Neo is my name.”

The reaction made Corine relieved. She then gave her hand to Asher and invited him to follow her.

It was the same maintenance room they were staying. But it was a bit darker because only one lamp was on. And no one around except them. No one knows what just happened to Asher in that room. No one except Corine and the chairman of The Creators.

“I have a gift for you. You’ll love it.” Said Corine, leading the way to another room.

Asher or Neo … he just followed her in silence. In his mind, he still wonders why there is nothing in his mind. It was just a blank, like a new paper. Nothing, not even a dot. And it started to scare him a bit.

“What’s your name?” he asked once again.

“My name? I am Corine, your mother.”

The next room was very bright. Neo felt that thing again. His sensitive eyes felt burnt because of the lights. But then, it could adapt well in the second after.

It was just another empty room. No one around. Only two of them. But, when Corine touched the metal wall in front of her … suddenly, the wall moved horizontally. And a pair of metal-shining-black gloves appeared, flying like a hologram object.

“What’s that?” Neo asked. He walked approaching the strange yet looks powerful gloves, and suddenly his heart beat faster than before.

“For you, a gift. Special made by me.” Corine tapped Neo’s shoulder and gave him a nod.

Neo didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what those gloves were for. And he even didn’t know how to react to that gift.

“Go get them. Touch.”

Neo held his breath before gently moving his right hand to touch the glove. And that, suddenly, his implanted robot’s left eye gave him a notification on the red screen.

[The Mutant System has been granted]

[You have 0 DNA essence in your bank]

[Unlocking DNA Extraction Skill Level 1]

[Cost: 0 DE]

[DNA Extraction Skill Level 1 has been unlocked]

[No DNA sources available at this moment]

Neo was confused to see the notification, but before he could barely talk to ask the question, he passed out.