Charles

"NATHAN! YOU STUPID IMBECILE. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GET GOOD MARKS? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GO TO SCHOOL LIKE NORMAL?" Hermann shouted at Nathan, a school-age child. Hermann reached out and grabbed Nathans ear, "I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU! TEACHING YOU, MENTORING YOU! AND THIS IS WHAT YOU GIVE ME. AN F. YOU IMBECILE!". Nathan curled up and cried. He scurried away, "GO RETHINK YOUR CHOICES", Hermann shouting behind him.

Hermann Fuller woke up. Glancing around, just his office. A poster on reality restructuring events was hanging on the wall. His laptop with CCC-57s file was open on his wooden desk. Hermann sighed. He must have fallen asleep again, with that same nightmare. The thing that lead up to his son running away, and never coming back. His son was bright, but for some reason he was always getting horrible marks. It was already hard to keep going when Hermann's wife died, and these marks just caused him to go over the top. After Nathan run off, he never came back. He never remarried or had another son.

Hermann shook his head and looked back at his laptop. He had been transferred to CCC-57, and had to read the briefing. His day had been busy, and he had only gotten the chance to read it at this late hour. He read on. "CCC-57 used to be a human named "Charles Charlesson" according to records recovered", and suddenly Hermann stopped. It couldn't be. Charles Charlesson was the pseudonym that Nathan had thought of, inspired by some character he read about. But it couldn't be, yet it all added up. Nathan ran away, survived on the streets, grew up, and saw the biotech company. He signed up under his pseudonym, and went inside. The whole pocket universe thing made sense, that must have been how Nathan skipped so many classes. Hermann stood up, and went to do possibly the stupidest thing he would ever do.

The CCC-57 chamber was enormous from the entrance catwalk. Past the railing was a hulking pool of water, immersed in it was the containment cube of CCC-57. Sneaking past the sleeping guard, Hermann sighed. About as much security as he expected. Down the stairs to the observation room, he thought. What if he was wrong. What if "Charles Charlesson" was a coincidence. What if Nathan died, like he thought for years? He had to risk it. In the small observation room, a massive pane of glass showed the water pool just outside, and the cell immersed in it fully. On the screen was a camera feed from inside, a humanoid figure curled in a ball, rolling back and forth. Hermann took a deep breath, and pulled the lever up.

Immediately, the cables holding the cell retracted, pulling the immense cube of stainless steel out of the water. The figure in the camera feed responded immediately, standing up, looking around, and reaching its hands through a red pocket dimension portal, stepping through. The sound of the cell rising alerted the guard, who stirred and pointed his gun around. Hermann watched as the decayed hands of CCC-57 reached through the portal and stretched it wider, allowing it to step through. It stepped its hobbled steps toward Hermann, smiling dementedly in its stolen skin. It reached for Hermann's neck, but he just says "Nathan". CCC-57 stops, and lowers its hand. Its fingers shake, as it says "Dad?" back.

Agent Miller orders her guards to aim their assault rifles at CCC-57's head, making sure the laser dots were straight in the centre. She was caught completely off guard when Hermann simply apologises "I'm so sorry it had to go like this Nathan. I'm so sorry for everything. I caused all this. I, It was me. If you kill me right now, just know that I deserve it". CCC-57s shallow, stolen eyes simply shed a tear, and the thing says "Its ok, Dad", and smiles. For the first and possibly only time, CCC-57 smiles in a human way, not in its demonic manner like usual. Agent Miller can't help feeling sorrow, as CCC-57 willingly teleports back into containment. Hermann pulls the lever back down, and CCC-57 waves through the camera feed as the cube immersed back underwater. Hermann, teary, turns around and sees the agents lower their guns. "I'm his father" he explains simply, and Miller nods and walks away, leading the agents with her.