Nathaniel
Origins: Chapter 3 . . . Written by Dk64rules (t∣b∣c)
7 YEARS AGO
Mikul Research Company - Conference Complex
May 11, 1972 - 12:00 P.M.
Cylath stood in the large, concert hall-esque main room of the Mikul Conference Complex. An hour earlier, he shared with the company founders and investors from all over the world the first drafts of Leading Laboratories, a Mikul Research building to be built in Arizona that would be focused on finding solutions for many variations of serious problems and diseases that implicate the human race.
Cylath stood, waiting for a founder to return to him with an important task.
The doors of the main room slowly opened. Cylath turned around, and, standing on the large stage, he saw Peter O'Kross, walking in, delicately carrying something in his arms.
"Master Peter," Cylath started.
"Please, from now on, you will call me just by Peter." O'Kross walked closer to the young Mikul Company CEO.
"...Peter," Cylath paused at Peter's correction. "What do you have for me to do?"
Peter smiled as he finally got close enough for Cylath to see what he was holding.
Or rather, who.
"This is a task fitting for a young man awaiting to be married with the woman he loves, is it not?"
"You bring me...a child?" Cylath was confused, and had a newfound nervousness of the task.
"This is my son. He is but a week old. Such infants need proper guiding, away from darkness and in an environment of new and flourishing love and passion. But that is not why I bring him. Such infants, they need be attended to at all times, and by the young who have such energy and time. But that is not why I bring him." Peter stopped and gently rocked the sleeping baby back and forth.
"Then why do you bring him, Peter?"
"You know our resident painter of the future, Hannah Cerato, yes? Well, she happened to paint a very interesting...well...how about she shows you herself?" Peter turned, as Hannah walked in to the hall, carrying a small canvas in her hands.
"Master Cylath," She began, "Peter would like you to have his son as your own to prevent this..." Hannah handed Cylath her painting.
An infant was present in the top left corner, cute and bright with new life. A simple black line came diagonally down across the canvas, quickly being covered in twisting purples and grays, representative of shadow and darkness. At the right of the canvas, the face of a young man was present, glaring with evil, white, and pupil-less eyes. His hair blond and wavy, but sticking out as if blowing in the wind, gave way to strands and waves of that purple and gray shadow. Inside the vortex of color, a dark sketch of Peter could be seen, looking down at his son's face with an expression of disappointment, and yet, contentment.
Cylath's eyes were wide with shock and confusion.
"I painted that while the baby was being born. It is a representation of the future. That boy becomes corrupted with an evil power if the future is unchanged. But it can easily be remedied." Hannah turned as the rest of the founders came in.
"We never left, Master Cylath. We were all waiting for Peter to return with his child." Georgio Altmanti admitted.
"If you are the father and not Peter, well, we believe that should be a big enough change to prevent the boy from ruining our plans with that darkness." Amelia Mount explained.
"Kaitlyn would never agree to this," Cylath began as an attempt to back out. "She doesn't want kids yet, and she wants ones of our own to begin with. Maybe, if worse come to worse, later down the road we could adopt him?"
"We feel that the baby should be yours now, to prevent problems an adoption later in life could cause him." Nikolai Halete chimed in.
"Ms. Kaitlyn, you can enter now." Daniel Dontori signaled for Cylath's wife-to-be to come into the hall.
"You brought her here?" Cylath asked.
"Of course, Master Cylath. What decision would this be if both parents were not here?" Daniel explained.
Kaitlyn stepped on stage to meet Cylath.
"I'm okay with this, Cy." She said.
"But, you..."
"I know what I said in the past about kids. But, I think it could be fun, being married and already having a family!"
"I just don't want you to agree only to save him, honey. We can wait."
"As far as I'm concerned, he's already our boy."
Cylath turned to Peter, who was still smiling, awaiting an answer. The other founders gathered behind him.
"Then it's settled!" Cylath agreed with newfound happiness. "We shall accept your offer, Master, I mean...Peter." Cylath got down and held his new son.
"What will you name him?" Peter asked.
"I've always been fond of the name Nathaniel." Cylath started.
"A bit less inventive than Cylath," Kaitlyn commented, winking at her husband-to-be, "but I like it."
"So be it," Peter started, touching the infant with his right hand, "from this point forward, this boy is Nathaniel Mikul, heir to the Mikul estate and position of company CEO. May this child be blessed with powers of light, and not darkness that once pervaded his future."
