Logan's Records.

The following is a story tied to the Deteriorate concept that can be read as standalone. But for better context, read the two previous stories, 'Anemoia' and 'Navigator Archives'.

Entry One: The baby with two hearts.

The bright white lights in the room, the woman on the bed in a blue overall with legs spread and the newborn wailing in his arms, it was all unreal. Was there any one way of explaining this burst of blended splendor and euphoria? Simple enough, he would only conclude it with a few words, ‘I am a dad!’ Though the cries were insufferable, Logan couldn’t stop but curl his lips accordingly. To think that this day would come.

“Emily, we have...”

No movement. Her arms stiff and rested on either side of the bed, her head lolled toward the right and eyes shut. The doctor next to her proceeded to the neck. The look on his face confirmed it. Logan stepped back while the nurses took the baby from him.

“I’m sorry sir but you’ll have to stay out the room for a while,” she urged him.

Ushered out, he extended his arm as though that were the trigger to stop whatever transpired. The doctors gathered round her, impossible for him to know what went on. His mind swirled, how was it so? Was she really dead? He sat by the chair next to the door, heart proceeding to make things worse. Resting his elbows on the thighs, a pool of tears attempted to blur. If she died, it could mean one thing. One Drastic Thing.

The door swung open. He arose quickly and noticed the look on her eyes. His prediction was precise.

The legs gave way and he slumped back to the chair. Hands over eyes, he sobbed. The nurse stretched her arm but receded. It did no good. Crying was the ultimate form of healing.

The doctor slid beside her. “Mr. Durant, I’m greatly sorry for your loss. It is with every right we give you time to weep but I’m afraid now is not that time.”

Logan gazed him, rage brimmed. But that stare, something indeed was amiss.

“It entails your baby, Mr. Durant.”

He shot up and brushed through them. Right in front of him was Emily with a blanket atop her. He looked away and turned to the right. There was an X-ray screen tied next to the table where the baby laid. The glances shouted what he wished wasn’t and observing the screen was a worser way for confirmation. The baby possessed two hearts.

Entry Two: The Great Council.

He stroke his neck tie up to the top. His tuxedo, spotless. For such a meeting, it required him to be as spick, too bad it wasn’t one that he wanted to join as willingly. All surrounded by humans who wanted one thing... Sophia. But it wasn’t about her. It was that within her.

The doors flung, blinded by the bulbs set forth. Few steps forward, he lowered his arms and saw a fraction of the worlds’ leaders sitted in curved lengthy tables with a central round table at the center. The surface on the central table showed a colossal hologram of one of them with a long cloak running behind their back. They faced the other way with markings engraved onto the fabric.

The leaders and top researchers all glared with disdain. Great, exactly what he wanted.

“Logan Durant!” A man in a purple suit with spectacles hollered as he treaded side to side across the room. Was it because he lacked a seat or a way to show some sense of superiority.

Logan gulped. “Yes?”

He stopped and pushed the glasses to his bridge. All traced his movements. “I believe you know the reason why we called you here.”

He clenched his fists. “I do.”

The man snickered. “Sophia Durant. Right after delivery, Emily Durant was pronounced dead at ten thirty p.m. on the eighteenth of June. And as mandatory, Sophia went through a scan. Evidence sparked that she possessed two hearts, a clear sign linked to the power of longevity. The power made to save us from the impending doom this planet will face.”

A man from the left banged the table. “Enough with beating around it. Get to the point.”

“No!” Logan shouted. A part of him felt wrong to speak but the greater felt justified.

The politician turned bitter. “Look, we get it. It’s your child but she is the only one who has this crazy ability to begin with. As soon as we are done with her and the planet is saved, she’ll be back to your arms.”

“Are you even human to suggest that? She’s not some object for you to use the way you want,” Logan complained.

The man smirked. “Maybe if your wife didn’t die, you wouldn’t be here.”

A vein popped in his neck; he braced his steps. “You son of a ...”

The man in the suit held him back.

“Even if you cry about it,” a woman chimed. “There’s nothing you can do to change that. She is the one with this power and she will be used to save the Earth.”

He gazed her, oh how he wished to rip her throat out. Before anything, others murmured, perhaps afraid of what he would do were they to say it aloud. But the braver ones bellowed. Acclaimed there was benefit in using this child of prophecy.

“Don’t you see it young man,” another man, older, added. “The worth of saving billions only demands one sacrifice.”

He crept backward, ears on the verge of bleeding. Why did it have to be Sophia? He already pictured a future in detail. Everything they would do, everywhere they would go, only for it to be cut short over a destiny nobody quite understood... rather nobody cared. Did they share no remorse? Did they not have children of their own to understand that this was difficult for him?

The being in the hologram turned to face Logan. The face was covered by a ridged mask. The abdomen was also concealed with Armor of the same type. They tapped their fingers on their elbow, observing. Nobody spoke. For them to turn meant a great deal.

“Logan Durant!” it uttered, a voice so impeccable and beyond comparison from thunder. All the leaders startled and others began to sweat. Logan rose his eyes, his body quivering.

“Ye-Yes.”

“There is no need to be afraid. I understand your concern over your child. As any loving parent, none would allow their children to face matters they cannot understand. But then, the Earth is in peril. The Deteriorate has plagued three planets currently and only the power of longevity can be used to save it...”

“Do... Don’t you possess the same power as well?”

They nodded. “I do, but I cannot interfere with a planet I do not reside. And that is why it’s essential for a human to do so. Young Sophia cannot escape her fate. I understand you must have planned her future. Only for it to be taken away.”

Logan lowered his head. Was there no other way? He could hear most of them cheering. If Sophia left, who would be there for him.

“Though there is something I can do,” they spoke, all turned. “I may exert influence from out here instead. If I can prevent the cause from immediately happening by adding a few set of years, it would work in your favor as you would have the precious time needed to spend with your daughter.”

His eyes glistened.

“The power of longevity is dependent on the person, that means one should be free of long-term regrets and willing to save the world for the time spent is already enough.”

“What exactly do you mean Sir Navigator?” the spectacled man asked.

“Logan Durant! For the time we shall give you, spend with you daughter in all manner of ways you can. If the bearer of the power of longevity is content with life, they become powerful enough to extend the same amount of satisfaction to a dying planet. If Sophia has enjoyed the time spent around you and the life she is leading, she will have enough power to reciprocate and eventually save the planet.”

All of them now turned to Logan. His pupils enlarged, tears cascaded and a smile played on his mouth.

“Thank you! Thank you!” He nodded.

Entry Three: The Simulation.

He was given four years. The Navigator’s powers could only reach that far and even though it wasn’t enough, Logan appreciated. Did he fulfill as required? Not really. Sophia was only four and he could do so much, too bad he was always on his own. Not even his own kin could imagine how “selfish” he became for the sake of the world.

Since she was so young, the navigator requested that she be taken somewhere where she would be exposed to the same conditions but at a higher degree. For that reason, a simulation was made for her own benefit where everything would go according to her favor. The limit the navigators gave was two years; the researchers had to be creative.

Logan held her hand. He was still reluctant. There can never be enough time with the ones you cherish. He looked at her, oblivious to everything and only licking an ice cream cone. The grasp over her hand increased, why did this have to happen.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” she asked.

Logan snapped out of it and squatted, it felt like her large eyes tried to peer through his soul, just to confirm he wouldn’t leave her alone.

“You were hurting me, is something wrong?”

He checked; it was fine. “I’m so sorry bear. This was my mistake.”

She nodded then carried on licking. She scooped a bit with her finger and painted his nose, followed by an innocent and gleeful chuckle. He joined her.

She looked over his shoulder, tracing, they saw the spectacled man wearing a large lab coat with a humanoid machine next to him. On the top of the chest were initials, I.S.E.

“We need to talk Mr. Durant,” he said turning to the robot. “Look after the girl ISE.”

The robot nodded as it approached. Sophia wriggled back and whimpered. Logan stared and calmed her down, nodding in assurance.

“I’ll just have a chat with the man over there, kay?”

After a few seconds did she reply.

Logan strutted to him where they discussed at a corner. The man leaned on the wall and crossed his arms.

“I just waned to let you know that the simulation is going to be very favorable to her,” he explained. “But to increase the authenticity, there are some things she will undergo as long as she ages. Like the common teenage girl problems.”

“Hmph! Tell me something I don’t know,” he replied.

The man smirked and pointed him. “Watch that tone big guy. It’s like we told you years ago, she was destined for this and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Are we done here?” Logan taunted. “I wanna embrace what could be my last days with her.”

“Well there’s one thing,” he stroke his hand forward. “Thank you for seeing this through.”

Logan glanced the hand then back up his face. The man wasn’t bluffing. He sighed and gave into it.

“You’re doing the world a favor. I promise, I’ll look after her.”

He squinted, then walked away. The robot was accustomed to the child already. On seeing her father coming, she ran to him.

“What was that about daddy?” she asked.

Logan lifted her. “Nothing. Just ol’ boring work stuff. Hey, do you wanna go somewhere fun.”

“As long as you’re with me daddy, I’ll always have fun.”

His stomach twisted and brows knitted. He rose his hand, flinched then eventually brushed her hair.

“Hehe,” she giggled. “That feels ticklish.”

“It sure does, come on let’s go.”

He looked at the robot. “I believe you know the way?”

It nodded. They walked across the hallway, his mind in peril.

Entry Four: The order.

It had been a year since Sophia entered the simulation. She was monitored 24/7 and whatever wasn’t caught on camera, ISE would deliver. And what about Logan? His end of the deal wasn’t fulfilled. As long as the Navigators weren’t involved, Logan had no say.

This time, glasses was in his office. He found out his name was Ryan.

“What happened with looking after her?” he asked, about to bang the table.

Ryan assessed through some documents. “And have I not done that Mr. Durant.”

“Bullshit! That doesn’t mean I don’t get to see her.”

“We promised we would look after her, not you snooping around in business that doesn’t involve you.”

He curled his fists and his breaths answered correspondingly.

“Are you done?” he asked, using his pen to point the door. “You can leave.”

He stomped to the door and grunted.

ISE walked with some of the researchers. They headed to the common room where the evaluation of the day was to take place. Ever since they began, it grew complacent with the humans and engaged in their daily chats. If no one was going to aid him then he would play his own cards.

They passed him, cutting through a corner. The humans were all over about themselves and that struck the perfect opportunity. He crept behind and took it as though a professional kidnapper. Good thing that it didn’t have any cameras on sight. The humans carried on, oblivious.

Logan was able to secure an office. They did this under the guise of “thanking” him for granting Sophia. It was way farther from the other main offices. It was expansive and inviting enough. The desk and chairs occupied the center of the wall from across the door while there were brown leather couches by the side windows. And the water dispenser tucked to the left corner.

Logan opened the door, pushed it in and closed the window binds.

“What are you doing Mr. Durant?” ISE asked. It was incredible to note its tone as closely human. “I have to go back to the main office and offer my evaluation.”

Just to be sure, he opened the binds slightly. Some of them strode the corridor from far way, no one was going to guess they were here, good.

“If you don’t explain yourself then I will push this red button on my neck and I will...”

“Yeah, yeah whatever,” he said waving it away. “Look I don’t mean to be rude or anything but I need to know how my daughter is doing.”

“I am not obligated to tell you anything.”

“Please,” he rushed to him holding the hands. “You’re just a machine so you can’t understand but this is my daughter we’re talking about. An offspring. I fought for a year to know how she was doing and I got nothing. So please, I beg you, let me know how Sophia is doing.”

ISE remained quiet. Whenever humans expressed emotions, it felt a tinker in its module. For lack of the appropriate word, it disliked the feeling. Were it human, it would hurl.

It touched the chest twice and a screen slid in. It showed her sleeping, a teddy bear close to her chest. She was in the room meant to be his. She believed every word from him and was just waiting.

“She always talks about you,” ISE commented. “It bothers me so, I don’t like when your kind expresses strong emotion.”

Logan clasped his mouth. Seeing Sophia as she was, so peaceful, would whatever in mind be very low and selfish of him? But he saw the world. How humans were greedy and vile and when she would save them, they would let their masks slip. He had to. Who cared about the rest. Sophia was what mattered.

“Hey robot,” he called.

“ISE,” it interjected. “Initiative to Save Earth.”

“Good to know. You can keep a secret, right?”

Entry Five: The goodbye

There was something wrong with the Simulation. ISE was able to move as it pleased but when it was time for Sophia to come out, it was impossible. It felt like something was preventing her from connecting with the real world, many dismissed it as overreliance on the simulation but it was immediately thrown away. When they checked the robot, there was no issue, it performed the duties as intended and returned to the simulation to collect another set for evaluation. They created many other inventions but nothing worked. Trying to create mores ISE’s was also futile.

There was only one year left for the Earth’s survival and the Navigators were to only enter the earth when the time was ready. This was beyond their reach and no matter how much they wanted to help, they couldn’t.

For the first time, humanity gave up. The lab was shut down and everyone ventured to connection, the only reasonable thing to do. Though it never made sense, they believed nothing could be done.

But out of everyone, only two beings knew. A simple order ought to have done the trick and he didn’t care. Sophia was too innocent for a cruel world.

With the labs deserted and only two left in the office, Logan decided to film the truth. Like the others, he was no lesser hypocrite and he yearned for atonement. ISE stood before him as he sat on his desk, recounting the reason behind all this.

Perhaps he was wrong, maybe not, but in the end, Logan Durant lost his daughter.