One

Aso Rock, Nigeria.

21, 4, 2030.

3: 30pm. 

Ever since the plague in 2020 and the ensuing riot that followed, things had changed. 

The people evicted politicians known to be corrupt and manipulative. They placed new leaders in the seats, most of them were youths. The despicable state of the nation had taken a turn for the better. Roads were smooth and pothole-free, and twenty-four-seven electricity.

Nigeria produced its goods itself, subsequently promoting agriculture. Nigerians abroad found it hard to believe, but they came in their numbers. Every single person had a job. Even the unimportant jobs proved important.

The country laid less and less dependence on external services, to the surprise of many. Nigeria, at some point, cut itself off from the rest of the world. It became rare to find a Nigerian in foreign countries. 

With the onset of Sevil Virus, preventive measures were taken just like ten years prior. While the country had improved, some bad habits still laid; especially greed for more power.

"So this technology could bring us more money?" Asked the tall dark man in an expensive tailored Aba suit.

"Yes, money and there would be no more death. For anyone." The pretty middle-aged woman who presented the Diadem Project said. 

The people at the table murmured to one another.

The man at the head of the table raised a finger. All went silent as they waited for the President to speak. The man was bald and incredibly dark-skinned, so dark it shone. He was dressed casually in a blue and gold striped agbada. His eyelids drew around his rather intelligent brown eyes. His cheeks hollowed as his mouth twisting cruelly. 

As handsome and innocent as he looked, he was dangerous and cruel. Anyone who offended him twice ended up with a beautiful hole in the head. His gaze lingered from one person in the room to the other. 

"Mr President, what do you think?" The man in tailored Aba suit, who also is the Vice President asked him.

Not a word escaped his mouth for a while. Tension lingered in the air with everyone holding their breath. 

"How do we know it's not dangerous?" The President finally asked.

"Sir, we have several test runs, but one subject seems to stand the chances of fulfilling our desires." The short man who was the beautiful woman's partner answered.

"Subject?" The president raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, your Excellency. However-"

"Where is it?" He asked, closing his eyes.

"Sir, it's not currently with us-"

"What do you mean it's not with you?" Though it was soft, it had an edge that cut through their courage.

The two partners glanced at their boss nervously.

"A man has stolen it from us. He betrayed us." Their boss finally speaks for the first time in the meeting. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

"So why are you here? Do you have no proof? You come here to present something to me and you two splatter nonsense." He looked pointedly at the two who quivered in their seats. "You had it and now you don't. You want me to waste money to launch this so-called project that might not save the country?" He slammed his fists on the table. The people jumped, terrified.

"Sir, this technology has worked on only one subject. Someone has stolen it. It is Dr Dayo Johnson. He used it for his selfish purposes, Your Excellency,” The boss slowly said. 

The mention of a man who has been a frenemy to him distraught the president.

The people were his priority, and even if someone close to him became a nuisance, he has to remove it.

"Dora!" He called for his Artificial Intelligence. "Put me through with the NSS."

That same day.

8:45pm.

Osun, Nigeria. 

"This wouldn't have happened if you had just gone out by yourself!" He yelled. 

All Dayo saw was red. They had just barely survived the attack from the men in black suits and were currently hiding in the warehouse where his daughter revived a week ago. 

He clenched his jaw and turned his attention to the two children, who were petrified. Dayo harrumphed and laid his hands on his glass desk.

The warehouse was lit and less crowded than it was before. The boxes were gone but the super technology, fifth, and seventh-generation computers were still in the room. 

"Daddy, it is my fault. I shouldn't have left the house for the park to play football. If I stayed, Temi would not have left the house and those assassins wouldn't have attacked us," Ire, his son, said with remorse. He had been quiet the entire time they were on the run, except for the occasional sniffles. Dayo glanced at Ire, who had his arms around himself and head lowered. 

Sharon, his wife, let out a long sigh beside him equally staring at their two children; one human, the other not quite human. 

"I should not have left the house. I should have obeyed and stayed home just as you told me to," Temi added. 

"Well, the deed is done. They discontinue Rhema," Dayo sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. 

After Temi had arrived from buying drugs at the medicinal, his anger took a new turn. Engineering intern, Rhema, and Ire cowered beside him. Just as Dayo was reprimanding Temi, the trained assassins burst in training their guns at the family. Alpha, the Artificial Intelligence, warded them off shooting lasers. Alpha had given them enough time to enter the hover car, but they shot Rhema in cross battle. 

Rhema's death weighed heavily on Dayo. If only he had not known about Temi, maybe he would still alive, probably tinkering off with that heart monitor of his. 

"We shouldn't blame each other anymore. We all had a hand in what had happened," Sharon said after a while, "I'm sorry, Dayo."

Dayo nodded and typed off on the holographic keyboard, "This should put us off the radar for a few more hours. We are going to have to move and fast."

"How? We could withdraw money to purchase some things, but they would use it to track us." Sharon fell into a seat that hovered from the ground. 

"Alpha," Dayo called out, looking intently at a hologram of numbers that appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Dr Johnson?" A male hologram that looked exactly like Doctor Dayo Johnson appeared. 

"Where's the safest available place in the country we can lie low?" 

“Searching…” Alpha paused for a while, "The Underwater city of Lagos. The population is one million. Private security officers abound there with very few National Secret Service (NSS)." Alpha reported. 

"That's good. Alpha, I hope you deleted all the files at the house that had to do with Temi?" He asked. 

"Affirmative. They were deleted once the NSS broke down my shields and attack."

"You are the best." He said, while the rest of his family watched on as he continued to converse with the AI. 

"Alpha, please could you show me the way to the rooms?" Sharon asked, weary from the guilt and the excitement of the day. 

"Right this way." Alpha split into two. One of him stayed with Dayo and the other clone led them to their rooms. 

"Stay behind, Temi." Dayo ordered just as Temi was about to leave the room. 

Sharon glanced back at her daughter before walking away. Over the past six years, ever since she fell ill, their family tore apart. Sharon remembers weeping bitterly, wondering if this was some sort of punishment for the things she had done back when she was younger. They went from hospital to hospital, spiritual doctors seeking a cure, but none seemed helpful. 

Then came the theory and a crazy one that has them at the top of the government hit-list. Dayo went with the theory of transferring her sense of being into a body of platinum, covered in a brown plastic skin. Alpha made the skin look so much like their daughter's true colours. The resemblance is stunning except for the cold, inhuman eyes. This didn't mean she was ungrateful that her daughter was more or less alive, it is just that she felt she has lost her daughter more than she got her back. Her emotions were all over the place as she sighed. She kissed Ire on the forehead before he stepped into the room provided for him. 

When she got to hers, she fell on the bed and sighed again. She felt cramps in her lower abdomen that had her hissing in pain. It was this stupid menstrual pain that caused it. Why had she not thought to send Alpha to buy it in the first place? 

Alpha asked, "Sharon, are you alright?"

"No. My stomach hurts."

"Would you like to use the drugs now?"

"Yes, please." She forgot to use the drugs when those killers had charged into her home. A glass of water and an orb appeared by the bed. She sat up, unclasped the orb and poured the tablets into her mouth, then flushed it down with water. 

She laid down on her back and stared at the ceiling. Tears trickled down her cheeks. 

If only... 

A ballad played in the background as the white bulb lights dimmed. Slowly, her eyes closed until sleep took over.