Fragments Of Us

[A few months ago]

The rooftop café buzzed faintly with the clinking of plates and murmurs of distant conversations. Kieran and Victor sat at a small round table near the railing, the sprawling glow of Horizon City stretching endlessly behind them. The cool night breeze tussled their hair as the waiter silently placed two steaming cups of coffee on the table before walking away.

Kieran scrolled through his laptop; his silvery-blue hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. The screen cast a soft glow, illuminating rows of charts, data logs, and photos—an intricate puzzle only he seemed to grasp. His sharp blue eyes darted across the display, dissecting every detail with precision. Across from him, Victor sat in calm silence, sipping his coffee, the city lights glinting off the edges of his polished glasses, adding a quiet sharpness to his composed demeanor.

Kieran broke the quiet, his voice low but firm. "Have you ever wondered why same-gender relationships are the only norm in this world? In nature, cross-gender relationships dominate nearly every species. Why are we the exception?"

Victor set his cup down, his gaze steady. "It's a question we've all asked, but never found answers for. And consider this: humans still have reproductive organs like other species. If that's the case, why do we rely entirely on LifeMatrix for reproduction? Why is there no natural human reproduction anymore?"

Kieran leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening. "And LifeMatrix isn't just any company—it's owned by Horizon Corp. Research into natural reproduction is not just discouraged; it's outright banned by both the government and Horizon's own biotech labs." He paused, lowering his voice further. "But Dr. Noah, Ethan, and I have been conducting research in secret."

Victor's eyes narrowed. "Horizon owns 13 out of the world's 15 major corporations. The Genesis Cradle, the cornerstone of artificial reproduction—who invented it? Why don't we know? We have the most advanced technology humanity has ever seen, yet the origins of everything before the pandemic remain a blank slate."

Kieran stood abruptly, resting his hands on the table as if to steady himself. "Too many questions, Victor. Why does our history vanish beyond sixty years ago? Why does no one seem to care? Do you think Horizon Corp and the government are hiding something?"

Victor pushed his glasses higher up his nose, his expression thoughtful. "It looks that way. But what are they hiding, and why go to such lengths?"

Kieran reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a steady hand. He exhaled a stream of smoke into the night air, his gaze fixed on the shimmering cityscape below. "If we want answers, we can't sit around waiting for them. We need power—real power. What if we eliminate Director Magnus? You're his assistant. Once he's gone, you'd take his place as director."

Victor stared at him, his cup frozen mid-air. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," Kieran said, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Director of Horizon Corp means near-governmental authority. The only way to uncover the truth is to control the source."

Victor set his coffee down, leaning forward. His voice was a quiet challenge. "Kieran, do you understand what you're proposing? Killing Magnus isn't just dangerous; it's treason."

"Do you see another way?" Kieran countered; his tone unwavering. "We both know Magnus will never let us near the truth. As long as he's alive, we're stuck in the dark."

Victor sighed, running a hand through his hair. The weight of Kieran's words lingered between them like a storm cloud. "When do you plan to act?"

Kieran crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, his expression unreadable. "We wait. We watch. And when the time is right, we strike."

The two men sat in heavy silence, the city lights twinkling behind them like stars in an abyss. Above, the sky stretched dark and endless, mirroring the growing conspiracy that loomed over their world.