Free Synthetic: Dark Beginning by Shonna Wright

address numbers on the Tuscan houses until he found the place tucked back off the street surrounded by newly planted olive trees. He pulled the car up beside a modern contraption and lurched back into a tiny parking spot, hitting the bumper behind him. He checked his face in the rearview mirror to make sure there was no blood around his mouth.
    He hadn’t bothered to call Dr. Kimura in advance. Ruby hated phones and frowned on all forms of external communication so this was his only shot.  If Dr. Kimura wasn’t home, he couldn’t risk taking the trip again. To his relief, a brightly dressed woman in her early sixties opened the door.  At first she smiled at him in confusion, but then her eyes opened wide and she dropped a pair of pruning shears. Vaughn bent down, picked the shears up, and handed them back to her. “My name is Vaughn Lazar.”
    “I know. Please come in.” Dr. Kimura closed the door behind him but continued to stare. “This is a great honor.” She waved him into her living room with the pruning shears. “I’m sorry for my odd reaction, but I can’t believe you’re here.”
    “How do you know who I am?” Vaughn gazed around at the odd furnishings. He was accustomed to dark rooms crawling with antiques, but Dr. Kimura’s house was modern and white. She directed him to a rectangular couch and gestured for him to sit.  He noticed it faced a window with a broad view of a colorful garden.
    “You are a legendary figure in the world of synthetics. May I get you something to drink, Mr. Lazar?”
    “No, and please call me Vaughn.”
    “Vaughn, what brings you to my home?”
    “I found your name a while back and I thought you might be able to help me.”
    “What seems to be the problem?”
    “I haven’t felt well for a long time. My two brothers are actually much worse off than I am, but they couldn’t come. One is aging at an accelerated rate while the other is getting younger. At least his mind is. We’re worried that soon he’ll be like an infant.”
    “I see, and you? What’s happening with you?”
    “I just feel very tired.” Vaughn drew in a deep breath and gazed down at the plush carpet.
    “Would you mind if I examined you?”
    Vaughn shrugged and Dr. Kimura guided him to a small room that was dark and cluttered compared with the rest of the house. Machines filled the shelves and an old computer hummed away on a desk facing an office chair stacked with papers and folders. “I don’t allow the maid into this room.” She pointed to a low file cabinet and Vaughn removed a stack of books before he sat down. Dr. Kimura pulled down a yellow box and removed a device that was neatly packed in protective foam.
    “May I take a DNA sample?  I'm afraid I do it the old fashioned way.”
    Vaughn nodded and she ran a swab over the inside of his cheek. After cursing and banging on her machine a few times, an elated grin spread over her face making her look like a young girl. “You’re in exquisite condition—a fine specimen. Your tiredness might be caused by anything from a lack of nourishment to general depression. Are you getting enough to eat?”
    “Probably not. Eating with me is…complicated.”
    Dr. Kimura’s eyebrows went up. “I see.”
    “Do you have any suggestions for my brothers?  Should I bring them here as well?”
    Dr. Kimura’s face snapped shut. “I don’t need to see them to know what’s going on. I’m surprised you don’t know that you and your brothers were created by two different people.”
    Vaughn felt as if he was suddenly adrift at sea. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean that Ruby made your brothers, but not you.”
    “That’s not possible.”
    “Of course it is.  Ruby is noted for her pioneering work in synthetic biology during the early part of the century, but her work is highly flawed and very controversial. In fact, Mirafield forbade her from creating any more sentient creatures without strict oversight. That’s why your brothers are