[2078] Memories

September, 2078

“Seriously, Apai, another night out?” Chan furrowed his brows at Apaimanee, who had a skin mask pulled over his head to hide his real face. “How many women are you planning to hire tonight, hmm?”

“Not your business.”

Chan sighed as Apaimanee left without saying another word.

“I can’t believe that guy has two sons. But at the same time, I kinda do.” Chan pocketed his phone. He walked over to Sin’s room and knocked. “Hey, Sin, up for some night diving?”

They went diving in the cold, black sea. Sin loved the ocean, no matter how polluted it was. He said it made him feel calm, like he was one with something and part of a power bigger than himself. Only then could he feel the world.

Chan could not understand a word of what the boy said, but he thought night diving was good practice for future missions.

It was a full moon night. They sat on the pier, bathing under its light. Sin hugged his knees, seawater dripping down his hair.

“Why did you agree to teach me?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we’re similar. You have someone you want to surpass, and I do too.”

“Who?”

“My dead father.” Chan answered. He rarely ever spoke about himself, but when he did, he always cut it short, and this time was no exception. “Hey, Sin, do you ever miss Madame?”

“I think of her, but I don’t really miss her the way I miss… dad’s wife.”

“You won’t call her your mom.”

“She is Sud’s mom, not mine. My mom is Khun Malee. Speaking of Sud, I miss him too. I thought it’d be good to get rid of him, but something’s missing when he’s not around.”

“Well, that’s what it’s like to have siblings.” Chan laid down on his back. “Do you know that your dad is trying to kill Madame?”

“Yeah. And I guess I’ll help him.”

“You can’t guess, you either help him or you don’t. It’s his fight, and he won’t blame you for not joining in.”

Sin went quiet for a few seconds before changing the subject.

“Do you think dad still loves them? Madame and big sis…”

“I dunno. I can’t read him at all.” Chan almost blurted out how Apaimanee went to see women every other night. “I’ve never been in love. I don’t know what it’s like.”

“I think I have been in love, and I don’t think dad still loves any of them.”

Chan wrapped an arm around the boy.

“We should get changed and head to bed.”

After tucking Sin in bed, Chan laid on the couch. He planned to watch a couple of episodes of this new series that just came out, when he heard static from his embed internal line.

“Apai?! What happened?” He tapped his temples. “Apai, where are you? Answer!”

More static. Chan leapt from the couch and rushed outside. Su flew closely behind him. The two jumped into their car and sped away.

“Su, check the CCTVs. Find him!”

An explosion went off seconds later. Chan grabbed the steering wheel and turned the car in that direction.

When he reached the place, he saw Apaimanee lying on the ground, half dead. There was nobody else in sight.

Apaimanee was no amateur, so whoever the culprit was, they were strong.

Chan got Apaimanee to Crystal’s private medical facility. The man had to get a skin transplant for his burns. He was holding something in his hand, and when the doctors managed to yank it out, they could see that it was a floppy disk.

Chan brought the half-melted disk to his room.

“Su, see if you can read this thing.”

“Chirp.”

It may look like a floppy disk, but there was a chip inside. Chan plugged the chip into Su’s abdomen, and the bird went completely still. He pulled the red tail feather and activated the wireless data transfer to his computer.

“What the heck…? These are memory data…” Chan scrolled through, looking at the file extensions. “Did Madame…?”

When Apaimanee woke up, the first thing he asked for was the floppy disk. Chan and Malee were both there, and they demanded an explanation first.

“I ran into a bunch of people. They said they have the memories that Madame took away.” Apaimanee spoke through speakers, the skin around his mouth not set enough for him to speak yet. “I was careless. I walked right into their turf.”

“Is Madame behind this?”

“I think it is Khun Huren.” Malee spoke. “We checked the memories. They are safe for transfer. Do you want them back?”

“Yes.” He replied. “And one thing… don’t let Sin visit me. I don’t want him to see me like this.”

He was in the medical facility for a few weeks.

Apaimanee looked like a different man when he came out. His son almost did not recognize him. He had most of his skin replaced, and went through some cosmetic surgery. His eyes were cold and distant, and he rarely blinked.

It would scare the wits out of Sud, Sin thought.

Malee took off her gloves, holding the memory chip in one hand and Apaimanee’s head in another.

“We did a scan of your memory device. The device requires some sophisticated instruments to interact with it. I can act in their place.” She let out a long breath. “I will begin now. Please do not move.”

Glowing currents ran underneath her pale skin, connecting the chip in her hand to Apaimanee’s head. He could not move a muscle, and stared at the empty space in front of him.

Malee winced, not once, but many times.

“Huh. Some pretty nasty memories it must have been.” Chan crossed his arms.

“Wait, she can see them?” Sin watched from across the glass.

“Only a little. It usually doesn’t make any sense for those whom the memories aren’t meant for, but sometimes, you can connect the dots.”

“I know it’s strange to ask this now, but…is she really human?”

“Milady was modified, and that’s why she keeps her hands gloved most of the time. I don’t have her sophisticated enhancements, but I’m modified, too.” Chan took a deep breath. “We aren’t completely human, but we aren’t chihuahuas, that’s for sure. Do you think we still count as human?”

“I don’t know. It’s all strange. Papa doesn’t look human anymore. Is he really papa? Did I lose papa?”

Chan wanted to say something comforting, but words failed him.

They watched the memory transfer. After one full hour, Apaimanee snapped out of his trance, signaling the end of the process.

Malee sank into a chair.

“Are you feeling anything strange?” She asked.

“Not physically.” Apaimanee got up. He stared at his hands, then closed his eyes as he touched his face. “It’s just all so strange that I used to be that boy chasing after Neo-Tokyo. I feel…disconnected. It’s as if I have someone else’s memories in my head.”

“Those memories are still yours.”

“Yeah, I’m sure of that. Thank you for helping me recall them.”

“Are you going to exact your revenge on me?” She asked. Apaimanee went to the door and found that it was locked.

“I thought your faction wasn’t responsible for the bombing.”

“I am still under the name Crystal.”

The man stood completely still for a while before closing his eyes.

“I already have one woman to kill. Adding you to the list doesn’t benefit anyone, not you, not me, not my son.”

“I see. I will take you for your word.” Malee snapped her fingers, and the door opened.

They came out of the room. Apaimanee looked at himself using his phone’s front camera. A stranger stared back at him. Not one part reflected on the screen belonged to that boy who tried to run away from home to chase his dreams of becoming a musician.

“I guess I replaced too many parts of myself.” He pocketed his phone and shut his eyes tight, trying chase the feeling of being alienated by one’s own body away.

“Apai, how’s it? Your son’s worried.” Chan patted the man’s back. Apaimanee let his hands hang limp by his sides, replying in a hoarse voice.

“I need alone time.”

“Hey, I know it’s hard, but please at least say you’re okay or something.”

“I don’t want to see Sin right now.”

Sin was standing right behind him.

“What in the world was in that chip, Apai?”

“Proof that I have to kill Madame Butterfly.” He replied, and shut himself away in his room. Chan shook his head, coming back to Sin.

“He’s confused. He’ll come back eventually.”

The boy’s mouth formed a straight line. He slowly shook his head.

“Papa is already gone, Chan. I don’t know what happened, but I just know that he’s already gone.”

Big drops of tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks. Chan held him quietly, and Malee joined in.

Perhaps the real Apaimanee died in the airport attack fifteen years ago. Whoever they were seeing now was just a wandering ghost.