The Abyss

Kyle looked surprised before his face brightened up with a smile. 

"I was curious why he would kidnap you and have you checked for trackers so thoroughly before meeting him. Now, I wonder if he was diligent enough. I think someone might come looking for you," Kyle said. 

I laughed because I know no one would come looking for me. The incident with the Kingmaker was enough evidence that it took a while for people to notice I was missing due to my isolated life. 

But I could not deny that I was a little flattered by the compliment.

An unfamiliar warmth covered my face. I felt a little embarrassed because the words were not truly complimentary. If anything, they should have made me afraid. If not, his next words should have made me run for the hills.

"If I could, I would keep you," Kyle said with that manic light back in his eyes. He lifted his hand as if to touch my face, but he dropped it before he could touch me. Then, he took a step back from me.

This move scared me more than it gave me comfort because I could see everything in his eyes. It was like I could read his mind. 

When he said he wanted to keep me, he did not mean it lightly. I could see the demons in his eyes, the strange beast that seemed leashed inside of him, it had almost reached out to me from within him, ready to devour me.

It seemed like he was barely able to hold it back as he took a step back. 

It was frightening and exhilarating.

I cleared my throat to get rid of the feeling that felt like suffocation from strangulation. I turned to look at the lab, afraid to look into the abyss in his eyes. I did not want the abyss to look back at me. 

"You do not seem like someone who would be interested in babies. Why did you come up with the idea of developing artificial wombs?" I asked. 

Kyle answered immediately. "Strictly speaking, I did not come up with the idea. The thought has been around for decades, perhaps inspired by some kind of dystopian movie or book. Ectogenesis was the natural next step, following in vitro fertilisation."

I scoffed at the thought that it was necessary to produce babies to the point of mass production. The world had enough problems as it was. However, it seemed that Kyle thought I had reservations about the science.

"Come on, Katie. Be honest. You do not seem like someone interested in babies either. I do not think you are also the kind of person who would be against this kind of progress, either. Do not tell me you have ethical concerns," Kyle said with that low drawl.

There was something strange in his voice, almost dark, but I could only feel the warmth from behind me. If I tried to explain it, I would say there was something that made it feel like he knew me… It was like we knew each other in another life. 

I could not tell who the real Kyle was. The mad scientist who giggled, this man who felt warm against my rational judgement, or the demon that I would glimpse in his eyes, reaching out its claws toward me.

I turned back to face him.

"I think the human race is not worth saving. I think we should die out," I said candidly.

Kyle froze again before he smiled.

He lifted his hand again and raised it towards my face. His movement was slow as if he was giving me time to back away. I did not move because I wanted to know if he was as warm as I was imagining or if my empathetic 'powers' were failing me. 

The hand touched my cheek and cupped it. His thumb rubbed my skin lightly. I looked up at him and saw the three parts of him merged into one: the mad scientist, the warm man and the terrifying demon. 

The real Kyle…

He did not frighten me. 

But the calmness and peace I felt from his touch did. 

I had never in my life been drawn to toxicity because I could see through people. Even the bad people I had met and even trusted, I was never drawn to them. Yet, this objectively terrible person felt like home. 

I was losing my mind. 

"I really want to keep you," Kyle said softly. 

I leaned a little into the warm touch like a cat before I caught myself in the action and took a step back from him. I could not let myself be entrapped in this strange thing that made me want to be close to him. 

"Have you considered how harmful your work could be?" I asked. "I am not opposed to the idea of artificial wombs. In theory, an artificial womb could mean less danger for women, so it would save their lives."

"However, the pronatalists are not patient because they want to have results and their offspring now. It will take time to establish a working uterus. What do you imagine that they will do in their bid to accelerate the timeline for more children?"

Kyle looked at me blankly. 

I rolled my eyes because I knew it would be difficult for someone with a limited understanding of real human beings to grasp the nuances of what I meant. To someone like Kyle, humans were merely a distraction, a non-factor, in his pursuits.

Therefore, he could not comprehend what I was implying.

"You must have considerable success in the other parts of your research apart from your pet project, especially with regard to eugenics. If I were an evil narcissistic pronatalist, I would use that research as I wait for the rest." I said, not daring to reveal more than I should.

After all, I was still a captive.

Kyle's face cooled down as he realised what I meant. 

"I know you are still wondering how a random person like me ended up here. It is a cruel world, Kyle," I laughed lightly. "Once, I met a woman who told me that their people planned to turn women into coerced incubators through manipulation and denial of rights."

"Imagine how much more one could do if they had power, money and technological resources to force women to bow down. It is just a passing conspiracy for me, but I have seen enough to know what will come to pass."

Before Kyle could respond, there was a light knock on the door. 

Kyle looked at me for a long moment before stepping away from me and looking at his phone. I did not assume that my words had an impact on him. After all, even if he understood, he was still an intellectual with little care for humans. 

But it felt good to say it.

The door opened to reveal Nurse Nancy. 

She looked suspiciously between me and Dr Kyle. Kyle looked coldly at her, confirming my initial thoughts. Nancy was not only an assistant but a spy placed beside Kyle to keep an eye on his activities. 

It also made me more confident that his research was probably already being misused. 

Kyle might be a mad scientist, but I have met a few of them to know one thing. 

They hated being lied to, especially with regard to their work. 

That's how they often ended up dead at the hands of their funders.