Scott hadn't gotten a call in over a year.
So when the shrill Beep! Beep! echoed through his filthy room, it felt like an alarm for the apocalypse
"Ah!"
"Who's calling me?"
A boy groaned as he crawled out of bed. He looked thin and sickly, his hair was a complete mess, and his room? "Dirty" was an understatement — it was a disaster.
He looked no older than eighteen, with striking blonde hair that fell in messy clumps over tired green eye's, that looked like they hadn't seen sunlight in days.
He shuffled toward the hologram, rubbed his eyes, and stared at it. His gaze, dim and sunken, squinted toward the blue glow of the call.
" AUGH..., Never had a call in like... a year...? Is it Zack?" he muttered.
He hesitated for a moment, then tapped the answer button.
Suddenly, a crisp, muscular soldier flickers into view on the holo screen.
Uniform tight, posture stiff. His voice? Like a gunshot.
" Mr. McKnight, you have been accepted into the NANO SOLDIER PROTOCOL. You are to report for duty next week.
You've already missed the due date, but we're calling to confirm whether it was a mistake or if you had an important delay.
Since you signed the documents, you should know there's no quitting and I'm sure you know the consequences. We're expecting you this week, son. Good luck "
Click.
Silence.
Scott stared at the now-empty screen.
"What the—!!"
Scott's eyes widened in disbelief. He dug his fingers into his arm, needing pain to confirm this wasn't a dream…
He bolted out of his room, screaming.
"Mum!! Mum!!"
His mother froze, shocked to hear his voice after so long, replied.
"Scott!?".
She asked shocked - he hadn't left his room in over a year since he failed the honor's exams.
"Mum, did you enlist me!?" he asked voice filled with fear
"Wha? What do you mean?". She replied, confused.
His face pale and his voice in panic.
"The military! Did you enlist me in the military!?".
"I didn't! Who.. why would i do that? Wha— wha— what happened!?".
Her eyes bulged and her face was filled with suspense.
"I just got a message. They said I applied and got accepted into theNANOSOLDIER PROTOCOL, and I'm supposed to resume this week!."
"What... decline! Tell them it was a mistake!."
"Mum...
The way they spoke.
It didn't sound like a mistake."
" They were sure I signed up, and there's a penalty for backing out".
His mother narrowed her eyes.
"Okay... do you know the penalty?."
"No— I don't... Come on, Mum, you know I don't know much about the military."
He turned to the sleek A.I. terminal on the wall. A small blinking face animates.
"Ziggo!" he called out to the computer.
"What is the penalty for quitting after passing the NANO SOLDIER PROTOCOL?."
[THE PENALTY IS DEATH] the computer replied, in its cold, synthetic voice.
Scott and his mother froze, their eyes locked.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke, not out of confusion, but of pure bone chilling fear.
The silence hung, and the room became heavy.
Trying to break it, his mother asked cautiously.
"Wait a minute… what type of soldier did you say again?".
"Nano Soldier".
Scott replied.
There was a pause. His mother blinked, the weight of the word settling in.
Then, slowly, her expression shifted first confusion, then surprise, and finally... wonder.
"That's… amazing".
she said, unexpectedly excited.
" It's one of the two most elite autonomous military forces in the galaxy, matched only by the Sun Bearers."
"They're responsible for protecting entire star systems. Money, power, fame… they have it all."
"Yeah.., I know, Mum."
He replied, voice trembling.
"But this is fake!, I never signed up for this, i'm not even sure they recruit outsiders."
" They're known for only picking elites or academy candidates, They're going to find out I'm a fake… and when they do— i."
"Okay, relax. I'm not going to let you go and get yourself killed. You're not even trained"
She rests her hand on her head, trying to think.
" Tell you what — take a teleporter, go to the protocol base, and clear the mistake, did they give you a key?."
She held her hand out.
"Yeah".
Scott muttered, handing it to her.
In her hands was a shimmering metallic card.
She scrolled through the documents and said.
"Just imagine… what if it's real?."
She said, scanning the document with a faint smile, trying to lighten the mood.
" Mum! You're way too relaxed. What if I die?!."
The air grew heavier. Scott's mother didn't look up.
At that moment, Scott's mother was yanked back into the emotional torment she had endured over the past year.
The sleepless nights, the endless attempts she had made to reach him, the silence, the stench of depression that had clung to his room.
And just like that, all the pain she had buried erupted to the surface in a fierce wave of anger and heartbreak."
" You think you'll die scott?, well, you were already dead!."
she snapped " A year's worth of bottled emotions exploded."
"You wasted in that bed for months after failing you exam.That wasn't living, Scott."
" I talked to you. Your brother talked to you, we begged you to listen but no!, you shut us out "
"But, Mum—"
Scott's voice cracked as he looked at the floor, guilt knotting his chest.
" Don't Mum me, Saw! I told you — not passing the honors exam isn't a death sentence!!.
She took a deep breath and continued, but more softly this time.
" Just because your dad and your brother were scholars doesn't mean you have to be. I'm not a scholar, do you see me hurting myself?."
The house fell into silence.
She turned to the window and rubbed her brow.
The weight of everything was catching up to her.
" Go take a bath, Scott. And get something real to eat — no junk this time."
"Scott"
She said softly.
He turned around, bracing himself, expecting her to continue scolding him.
In a calm voice she starts talking.
"Scott, you think I don't understand how you feel, but I do. I failed my honor exams too.
" It hurt — a lot. But my boyfriend at the time, your father, encouraged me. I found myself again. And if I were given a time machine or a wish to change it..
She paused and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
" I.. wouldn't change a thing. I learned I was more than that... more than failure and I rose above it. I failed an exam — not life."
Scott's face fell with quiet sorrow.
" Mum... you never told me that."
Scott said quietly.
" And I'm sorry."
She whispered, eyes downcast.
Scott's eyes widened.
"What do you mean, Mum?."
He asked softly.
" If I hadn't pressured you... I knew you wanted to be something else. I knew you were only trying to please me."
Tears slid down her cheeks.
"And when you failed, you thought you failed me. I ignored the comparisons with your brother , I knew it broke you. I'm so—."
Before she could finish, Scott stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry too, Mum."
They stood there, holding each other for a good minute.
She sniffed, then smiled gently.
"You smell awful. Go take a bath."
"Yes, ma'am."
Scott grinned, bolting toward the bathroom.