Started At Zero Novels & Stories

It had only just started and was already getting old. ***

And there, pulsing under the surface of my vein, was a digital countdown. 00:59:59 What happens when the clock hits zero?

“Do I look good like this? Can you tell I’ve started over with a fresh slate?” Anthony smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.

Amina's mind raced. “What does that mean?”. Before anyone else, the system had acted. The basis of all subsequent adaptive replicas was established by Unit Zero, which served as the foundation for their consciousness. Amina's chest tightened. These were words that evoked feelings of being unfamiliar and familiar to me. “Foundational model?”. Affirmative. Her feet were filled with symbols that emitted light. Unit Zero was the first successful application of the synthetic-emergent identity architecture. Amina barely heard the rest.

Cricket Hold this pace until you reach that tree, then sprint for one minute before stopping again. I did as I’d instructed myself to do and ran at full speed up the inclined path. My burning lungs gladly took in the cool morning air as I counted backwards from sixty. Once I reached zero, I slowed my pace back down to a jog, once again starting the cycle.

"God, you two look like you’ve been through a shipwreck. Again." ​"How are you standing?" I asked, grabbing a coffee like it was a holy relic. ​"Practice," Mateo said, sliding his glasses down his nose. "And a very expensive IV drip at 6:00 AM. But we have a problem, Hannah." ​He set the breakfast on the table and pulled out his own phone.

I did not mean to dis-center my well-organized brother but this was something unplanned and spontaneous but needed. Raising my head so I could address his first question loudly for the family to also hear, “I had already addressed my reason for moving the date to today but I will say it again for clearance.” clearing my throat I continued “My reason was clear and simple. This is more of a business deal than a wedding which you are benefitting more from than I am. So I see no point wasting time to make preparations of any sort, all we need to do is sign some papers and maybe say some vows and we will be on our–”

He was heartbroken when he learned that I had been badly hurt before and even had a child that I never carried to term. He bought many different supplements and herbs, which he studied rigorously after work. By the time I got married, I had gained nearly ten pounds, and my health had improved by a lot too. It was often said that the key to knowing if your love was reciprocated could be observed through your partner's actions and not their words. Our family was celebrating our daughter's sixth birthday in a restaurant on the day that Jake was released from prison. When it was time to cut the cake, my daughter clapped her hands and blew out the candles.

Dea, who was lying on the bed, suddenly felt the urge to turn on her phone, which was previously turned off. For some reason, something was bothering her. The flat device, once lifeless, was now brought back to life by the woman. She gazed at the screen with an expressionless face, assuming there was nothing there. However, her assumption was wrong. There were several messages and calls from an unfamiliar number. Yet, Dea knew it was Mr. Bad. She immediately started reading the messages.

I could see he is anxious and so is mom. Where should I start on telling them the truth. I don’t know what to say or how to say it, I know I have to start from the beginning but before that I need to do something else. It’s now or never. I took out my phone and scroll through my gallery and found a clear picture of the triplets. I look at them and smiled, my children are my life. I don’t regret having them. After looking at the picture for a few second, I passed the phone towards mom and dad then then I bow my head down. I took a deep breathe then look at them again.