21.

I HAVE BEEN ON THE RUN, for a couple of weeks now, no weird phone calls from Darth, or Cynthia,  so far, this year has been great, it's 2018, my only companion so far is my car, Mercedes Benz CLA 250 coupe and inside it is my father's chamber, I haven't been able to set her up yet to go through it, I've been using cyber cafes, nothing like ANX_SP anywhere or Annex A... It's starting to feel like a goose chase.. I know my father was killed for this and I need to make whoever is behind all these expiate for their culpable actions which have led to the deaths of many already...

Finally, I find a remote place to stay hidden, the house stands like a bastion on the outskirts of Ibadan, its red-tiled roof glowing like an ember in the vibrant light. The surrounding landscape, a tapestry of rust-red soil and lush green vegetation, stretches out towards the distant hills. From the balcony, I see for miles, the city's sprawl unfolding like a patchwork quilt. The air is alive with the hum of motorcycles and the sweet scent of suya wafts from the nearby market.

In the crystalline light, I spot travelers from afar, their okadas kicking up dust on the winding roads. The house is a haven, a watchtower over the bustling city. Its windows shine like polished wood, reflecting the warmth and vitality of Ibadan. As I gaze out, the light intensifies, illuminating every detail, the vibrant colors of the agbada robes, the intricate patterns on the adire cloth, the bright smiles of the people..Here in Ibadan, I feel both connected and protected, a sense of community and vigilance. For in this radiant light, I know I can see everything coming  and everyone  in this vibrant, pulsing city...

I set up the house, finally set up my Father's chamber, a real old set of computer set, damn, how am I supposed to catch up with this thing..  After a while of connevting this and that I sit amidst the hum of antiquated technology, surrounded by the relics of a bygone era. The beige desktop computer, its bulky tower adorned with vents and wires, hums to life as I press the power button. The CRT monitor, its screen a soft glow, flickers awake, casting a pale light on the cluttered desk.

I insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM, the disk's colorful logo a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time. The computer whirs and whizzes, its processor struggling to keep up with the demands of the ancient operating system. I wait patiently, the sound of dial-up internet connecting in the background, a symphony of beeps and chimes.

As the desktop loads, I'm greeted by the familiar sight of pixelated icons and a wallpaper of rolling hills. The computer's fan whirs steadily, a gentle accompaniment to the soft glow of the screen. I'm transported back to a time of dial-up internet, AOL chat rooms, and the thrill of discovering the World Wide Web...As I delve into the computer's saved files, I'm met with a labyrinthine directory structure, a relic of a bygone era. The slow processor struggles to keep up with my clicks, each folder opening with a painful delay. I navigate through the virtual archives, the mouse cursor jerking across the screen with a mind of its own. The keyboard creaks beneath my fingers, the worn keys sticking and stuttering as I type.

I stumble upon a folder labeled "Pictures", and my heart races with anticipation. But as I click to open it, the computer groans in protest, the screen freezing for an eternity. Finally, the images appear, a collection of grainy JPEGs and BMPs that seem to belong to a different era. I scroll through them, the mouse wheel creaking in protest, each image loading with a frustrating slowness.

A faded photograph of a four people, my Father, Mr Mobisson, Darth's Father, Mr Korede Adetunji who was assumedly proclaimed dead, a lady and a white man all in  labcoats smiling at the camera, the background of the picture look so familiar, not like somewhere I might have seen in a picture but like where I have been, It's like I'm trying to identify the smell of that place in my head, it feels like it use to smell like drugs, acids and dead rats... I shake myself off the idea, I must have been watching too much movie to feel like I know what a lab is..

Despite the frustrations of the computer been old,  I press on, driven by a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. Each click, each keystroke, is a journey into the past, a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of a bygone era. The computer may be ancient, but the memories it holds are priceless...

As I scroll through the files, one name catches my eye: 'Hybrid'. I wonder when and how my father found the time to create this folder in my nickname, then I remember how i got my nick name, My father gave me when i was in what? Primary?.. He would lift me and call me "My hybrid baby" or "little Hybrid".. so growing up, I shorten it as "Hybrid"... Curiosity seems to knock me real hard, I click on it, and the computer groans in protest, the folder taking an eternity to load.

Finally, a subfolder appears: 'ANNEX A'. I click on it, and the computer chugs along, the files loading at a glacial pace. I'm met with a collection of voice recordings and videos, each one labeled with a date and a brief description.

_"No, No, No, this can't be!!!" I say as I watch in awe a young me appears on screen, cradled in my mother's arms. Another video shows me as a toddler, playing in a room that's definitely not in Nigeria - it's my father's place in the United States. I see myself at age 7, taking some sort of test and scribbling down answers with the same background as the picture, I said it!!!. Another video shows me at 12, doing the same. And finally, one at 18, in 2013 - the year I was in a coma, I was in combats with different looking kind of androids, machines... "Ohh my God"

But something's off. I have no memory of these events. I watch, perplexed, as my younger self interacts with machines, completing tasks with ease. And then, it hits me - the realization that makes my heart race and my mind reel: 'I am Annex A'.

The implications are staggering. Was I some sort of experiment? A hybrid of human and science experiments? I feel like I'm living in a science fiction movie, with my whole life turned upside down. I sit back in my chair, my mind reeling with questions and fears, unsure of what to do next...