Chapter 5: Blood and Silence

August 14, 2022 – 1:37 p.m.

University City, Underground Laboratory

The laboratory, with its soft lights and almost reverential silence, seemed suspended in time. Rodrigo knelt in front of the double stroller. His children slept, oblivious to the chaos that had brought them to him, their chests rising and falling in perfect rhythm.

He took a deep breath.

"Eidolon, take me to the Ark. Children's medical ward."

"Activating transfer corridor. Frequency set for human infants. Initiating transport."

The floor glowed blue. A dome of light covered them. In a breath, the laboratory disappeared.

Ark – Healing Core, Children's Section

The surroundings were vast, clean, and shimmering. The air had a perfect warmth. The ground pulsed with gentle life beneath their feet. Rodrigo appeared with the stroller in front of two translucent pods that emerged from the ground like alien flowers.

"Welcome. Scanning completed: human infants, 1 month old. Status: healthy, but vulnerable. Activate conservative genetic enhancement?"

"Yes. I want them to live without disease. For their bodies to be strong. For their minds to grow whole. But I don't want them to lose what makes them human."

"Understood. Ethical processing approved. The protocol will protect their original genome and biological identity."

Rodrigo took the boy first, with firm hands and a gentle gaze. He placed him in one of the pods, then the girl in the other. He watched for a moment, entranced by the peace they emanated.

"He will be Orion," he said softly. "Like the constellation I dreamed of seeing from other planets."

He looked at his youngest daughter, one hand closed on her chest.

"And you… Arin. A name that rings loud and clear. Like the first day of a new era."

"Beginning optimization process. Estimated time: 19 minutes."

The capsules closed. A blue mist filled them, as subtle energy coursed through Orion and Arin's bodies. Rodrigo stepped back, watched them without blinking. He had never felt so out of control, nor so full of purpose.

"Processing complete. Immune system strengthened. Genetic load stabilized. No phenotypic alterations. Optimal infants for natural advanced development."

The capsules opened.

Rodrigo took his children carefully. He felt a light warmth under each one's skin. They were no longer simply healthy children. They were the beginning of something new.

August 14 – 3:10 p.m.

University City – Underground Laboratory

Back at the lab, Rodrigo installed the twins in the sealed room Eidolon had set up: a warm, aesthetically simple space, filled with invisible sensors, with ambient lighting that adjusted to their breathing.

"Next suggestion: adapt the space for their care. Autonomous neonatal support setup initiated."

In a matter of minutes, the nanobots began working. The old lab changed once again: a small room was sealed and converted into a high-tech nursery camouflaged with shelving. Climate-controlled cribs, heart rate sensors, a mini-diaper and bottle replicator appeared. All automated, invisible to prying eyes.

Rodrigo sat next to the cribs and watched them sleep.

"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered. "I swear."

August 15 – 6:45 p.m.

Velázquez House – Iztapalapa

The sky above the city turned gray as Rodrigo knocked on the door of the house where he grew up. He had his backpack over his shoulder and Orión in his arms. Arin was sleeping in a sling across his chest.

His mother opened it, surprised.

"Rodrigo? Good Lord, you've... you've changed!"

His father appeared behind him, arms crossed, raising his eyebrows.

Rodrigo entered silently.

"I need to talk to you."

Sitting in the dining room, Rodrigo placed Orión asleep on his lap. His mother couldn't stop staring at the baby. His father remained still, but alert.

"They're my sons," Rodrigo said. "Twins. I didn't know they existed until two days ago."

His mother's eyes widened.

"And their mother?"

"He handed them over. He can't take care of it. And I... I didn't think I'd have to either. But here they are."

"What happened to you, son? What did you do?" his father asked seriously.

Rodrigo lowered his gaze.

"I've changed. I've learned things. I've found a way to move forward, to understand the world. Everything I need now... I already have it."

"What are you hiding?" his father insisted.

Rodrigo swallowed.

"I'm just not who I was before. But I'm still human. And I'm going to raise my children with everything I have."

Silence.

His mother was the first to break it.

"What are their names?"

Rodrigo smiled.

"Orion. And Arin."

She walked over and took Arin in her arms. Her eyes moistened.

"Then start well. With them. Don't repeat our mistakes."

Rodrigo nodded.

And for the first time in a long time… he felt at peace with his parents.

August 16 – UNAM, Engineering Cafeteria

The murmur was inevitable. Rodrigo walked across campus with his children in a discreet stroller. Some students looked at him with respect, others with suspicion. A couple of professors commented in low voices.

"That's him, right?"

"They say he's a dad now. That he lives in a laboratory."

"But you saw how he walks... how did he change so much?"

Rodrigo just smiled.

He didn't need to defend himself. He didn't need to explain anything.

Because he was doing his part.

August 17 – In front of the laboratory

When he returned from class, he found Valeria waiting for him.

She looked less tense. Tired, yes, but different.

"I came to see if you're doing your part. If you're really taking care of them."

Rodrigo said nothing. He opened the door. She followed him.

Seeing the secret nursery, the warm surroundings, the cribs, and the calm, Valeria brought a hand to her mouth. Arin was sleeping with a stuffed animal in his arms. Orion babbled meaningless words while a floating sphere projected soft images to her.

"What is this place?"

"My workshop. My home. His refuge."

Valeria approached Arin, stroked her hair.

"I don't understand. I don't understand anything about what you are now."

Rodrigo just said:

"You don't have to do this."

Valeria gave him one last look. And for the first time... she didn't judge him.

"Keep going, Rodrigo. Because if you ever fail... I'll come back."

Rodrigo watched her walk away, then looked at his children.

And he smiled.

"I won't fail."