A Short Story About Viktor and Janna

Walking through his laboratory, the walls lined with jars filled with pieces of both organic and synthetic life, the mechanic man picked up a jar that had exactly what he needed inside it. Striding back to his operation, he allowed himself the smallest hint of glee in his steps as another human made the right choice to evolve from their flesh prison. At the end of the room was a man, moving in minor pain, strapped to a table, who had given himself up. His face that was once marred by a chemical spill was now plated in black metal, so glossy that it even shined in the darkness of the room. The chemical damage done to his fleshy body was so bad that Viktor had to plate his body all the way to the man's midsection. He had outfitted this man with everything he thought he needed, with half his head transformed to metal, a respirator so he would no longer have need of chemical suits, and his new left eye that would let him see in even the darkest alley ways. Now all Viktor needed to do was insert the final piece.

Unceremoniously flipping the man onto his back, the man groaning in pain, Viktor grabbed what he needed out of the jar and placed it into syringe. Lining it up for perfect precision, Viktor did not give warning before he stuck the syringe into the man's nape, and injected the device. With this, the poor sod would never feel pain again, nor fear or hatred, no emotion, he was now beyond human error, perfected. Undoing the straps that bound the man to the table, Viktor stepped back and allowed the man some room to readjust himself. Satisfaction filled him as the man sat up, and took in his surroundings.

"Thank you." Was all as he said, his voice monotone, as though all the emotion was drained from his body.

"You need not thank me, I merely did what was needed." Viktor replied with a hint of loftiness. He would have smiled if that were still possible. "Welcome to evolution."

Helping the man up and seeing him out the laboratory, Viktor watched as his accomplishment walked out into the streets of the city, until the Grey clouded him from sight. Yet another to join the glorious evolution, but still Viktor still had some contempt. If the man would have allowed him to do so, he would have completely changed the man into the perfect image. Weak bones replaced with the strongest steel that could withstand three times his weight, and a smooth metal plating in favor of soft fleshy skin. He would have been devoid of all human difficulties, beyond human error. Signing off to his desk, Viktor sat in his chair and stared at his body as he thought of what else he could do to improve himself.

His eyes boring down on the metal of his arms, he could see a reflection of himself, but that was not what caught his attention. Just behind his reflection, he saw something he would not have ever expected. Floating effortlessly in the air, was a woman, with fair features, and long blonde hair so pale and fine in color that it was a few shades away from being white. Her long tapered ears stuck out to the sides, and in hand she held a staff that resembled crystallized air. It was Janna. Before his upgrades he would have been astounded, and more than likely have pleaded for her favor, but he was beyond such human foolishness. Turning around towards her direction, he gazed at her, and for a moment there was nothing but silence. Looking into her eyes, that were a cold sky blue, he could see all the wisdom and sorrow that her young appearance kept hidden.

"You don't need to do this." She said, finally breaking the silence, her sweet voice hiding her sadness.

"I am perfecting them, helping them." He replied with a nonchalant yet defensive tone, knowing exactly what she was referring to. Not even a spirit should dare question his work.

"But you aren't helping them." Those words began to fill Viktor with rage, stoking the fires of an already burning anger. "You're taking their bodies, taking their humanity, without emotion, what are they?" She wore a calm face, but it did not keep Viktor from seeing the wealth of sorrow she truly felt by looking upon him.

His voice growing louder, but his tone stoic, he spoke, "What have you done to help these people? Through my work I have saved countless lives, improving people to their best possible version. You have done the bare minimum. You give them hope only to take it away when they need you most. Where were you when that man needed your help?" Viktor stood up, waiting for a response, anything she might do to redeem herself. Staring her down, she did not speak, nor move, her only response being an apologetic smile.

"Where were you?" He asked again, his voice angrier than before. Still she did nothing but smile apologetically, and Viktor couldn't help but feel that he was being mocked. Her smile aggravated the man, and this aggravation only helped make him angrier as he realized he was giving in to human emotion, the error he tried so hard to break free from. "Where were you?" He asked one final time, on a knives edge from letting the anger overtake him.

Still she only smiled apologetically.

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" He shouted rhetorically, letting the rage and contempt flood his every thought and action, his third arm unleashing a beam of pure light that would burn through anything it touched.

In the hours that followed, Viktor gave into his humanity, his weakness, and let his anger loose. In the wreckage his lab was reduced to a battle zone, spare parts flung across the floor, among other things, scorch marks staining the walls, and more than a few shelves toppled over. He used everything he had against her but they all proved fruitless. Whenever anything hit her, it went straight through her like her body was made of air, she didn't so much as flinch. When he was finally brought to trying to physically hit her, his arms passed through her, and he only swung more and more from the irritation of not being able to do anything to her. Through out the fight she levitated in air, unyielding, unfeeling, as though nothing was happening, and she looked down at Viktor with discouragement and sorrow. Even though his body was upgraded and replaced to be "perfect" it still suffered from exhaustion, and finally Viktor gave up, falling to his knees before her.

With Viktor finally calm enough to reason with again, Janna lowered herself to the floor, placed her arms around him, and embraced him. Her touch was the most comforting thing he had ever felt. "You can't save everybody, Viktor." Her calm sweet voice piercing his heart with the words she said. "I've tried, and it will only cause your heart to ache as each person you couldn't save fills you with guilt. I'm sorry."

"You can't, but I will." He said with a calm resolve. Pulling back from him, Janna looked at the man before her, her eyes filled with pity. Viktor simply dismissed her presence, staring forward like she wasn't holding him. Letting go of him, Janna vanished into thin air, her pitying eyes being the last thing that remained.

Getting back up to his feet, Viktor began the process of cleaning up his lab. Once done with this, there were so many more people that he needed to help.

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