Chapter:6-Hybrid
Maria stood in front of the glowing holographic wall, arms crossed as she scrolled through ancient human records. The name Adam had been given to the child based on the code displayed on his pod when she found him—Adam-101. But as she dug deeper into human history, she realized that the name carried far more significance than she first thought.
Adam. The supposed first human. The father of all mankind, at least in some beliefs.
Maria didn't fully understand human religions. The idea that a single species could have so many different faiths confused her. While some alien races had multiple belief systems, it was rare. For humans, it seemed normal. Almost too normal.
She let out a quiet sigh and turned her head.
On the pile of soft pillows beside her, baby Adam lay peacefully, his tiny chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He was quiet—too quiet for a human infant. No crying, no fussing. Just staring up at the ceiling, his deep blue eyes reflecting the dim light of the holo-screen.
It unnerved her.
Maria switched the records from historical to biological. She needed answers.
The system's AI began reciting the data in its usual dull monotone.
[BIO-ENGINEERED HUMANS: OVERVIEW] Genetic alterations have led to various physiological and cognitive enhancements. Enhanced physical development is common, with rapid growth rates observed in many cases. Emotional instability is a frequent side effect, with mood irregularities and unpredictable psychological states.
Maria frowned. Then, something made her pause.
[BIO-ENGINEERED HUMANS CAN HAVE FRAGILE MENTAL BALANCE. THEIR EMOTIONS MAY BE UNSTABLE.]
[IN HUMAN TERMS, THIS WAS ONCE CALLED BIPOLAR SYNDROME, BUT IT DOES NOT FULLY APPLY TO BIO-ENGINEERED HUMANS.]
[BIO-ENGINEERED INDIVIDUALS WITH MIXED DNA STRANDS SHOW A HIGHER CHANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL VOLATILITY.]
[THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY DEPENDS ON THE VARIANCE BETWEEN THE HOST DNA AND THE ADDITIONAL DNA STRANDS.]
[BIO-ENGINEERED HUMANS TYPICALLY HAVE 5 TO 6 DIFFERENT DNA SAMPLES WITHIN THEM. THEY ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THIS CONDITION.]
[PEOPLE HAVE COME TO NAME THIS CONDITION AS HYBRID STRAIN DISORDER.]
Maria's gaze flicked toward the child beside her.
Baby Adam blinked up at her, his mouth stretching into a wide, toothless grin.
She wondered, Would this child be unstable?
Years Later...
Maria ran through the Sunlit Squad's courtyard, the heavy stomp of her boots echoing against the metallic walls.
Something was wrong.
When she reached the open yard, she stopped dead in her tracks.
A monstrous, multi-legged creature lay broken on the ground. Its thick exoskeleton was cracked and torn, its body twitching with the last remnants of life. Dark, inky blood pooled around it, seeping into the cracks of the courtyard floor.
A crater surrounded the bug. Adam had done this.
Maria's stomach tightened.
Standing over it was Adam.
Only five years old, but his body already looked closer to ten. His small hands were coated in black gore, his chest rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths.
But his face… his face was completely blank.
"KREGGHH...!!" The creature gurgled as its body was being torn apart.
Maria's sharp gaze flickered to the Sunlit Squad members standing around the courtyard. Not a single one of them stepped forward to stop Adam. Some looked disturbed, others simply turned away.
Maria didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, her voice firm but calm.
"Adam… what happened?"
The boy looked up at her, his piercing blue eyes devoid of emotion. Then, he spoke.
"…It chewed up my toy."
His voice was quiet, matter-of-fact.
As if that explanation was enough.
Maria's breath hitched. Her eyes darted back to the ruined creature. One of its legs was missing—ripped clean off—another had been twisted at an unnatural angle. Its mandibles were torn off, and when she looked closer… Adam had been using them as weapons.
This wasn't just retaliation. This was instinct.
Maria swallowed hard. Adam was five.
She reached out, gripping his wrist. Even at his young age, she could feel the strength in him.
"…Come on," she said softly. "That's enough."
Adam didn't resist as she led him away.
She glanced back at the squad members.
"Put down the bug," she ordered. "It can't live like that. Make sure its death doesn't bring it more pain."
The squad hesitated, but eventually, one of them stepped forward to finish the job.
That night, Maria sat awake, staring at the ceiling.
She could still see Adam's empty expression. His quiet, detached voice.
Her past was stained with war. She had been raised on a planet that thrived on conflict, where violence was second nature. When she came to Earth, she abandoned her old name and took on Maria, a name she had simply liked the sound of.
She had lived as an outlaw for years. Violence was familiar—expected.
And yet, when she looked at Adam, she didn't want that for him.
She wanted him to be better.
But after today…
She wasn't sure if that was possible.
More Years Passed…
Adam continued to grow, his body developing at a rapid rate until it finally settled at sixteen years old. He stopped aging after that, his height reaching 180 cm in human terms.
Maria was a bit relieved as unlike the records,Adam didn't seem to have 5 to 6 DNA samples in him,he had at most 2-3.
With time he became more calm and outgoing,acting like how a child would act.
He was normal but Maria was still anxious.
In her species, the Thavasis, when they came of age—the human equivalent of twenty-one—they left home. They had to. It was their tradition, their rite of passage.
She wanted Adam to do the same.
But a part of her had always dreaded it.
She feared what would happen when his anger resurfaced. What would he do if he encountered something that pushed him too far?
Would he be able to hold back?
Would he even want to?
But in the end… she let him go.
She had to trust him.
Even if a part of her whispered:
What if you're wrong?
What if you just released a monster into the world?
Maria didn't understand the human mind. No alien fully did.
So she didn't know what would happen when Adam walked out into the universe.
All she could do… was hope for the best.
End of Chapter.