Slender fingers worked rapidly to turn the pages of his father's extensive notes. There were numerous manila folders, filled to their limit with notes and data, labeled mysteriously scattered about the office. The only connection upon the folders was a single letter, usually distinctive and written in thick black ink; the letter "Z". Benjamin's stormy blue-grey eyes scanned page after page all the while his expression crumpled with frustration. It was when he could take no more of his father's disheveled gibberish that he tossed the folder onto the desk. It triggered an avalanche of folders and paper to come cascading to the flooring beneath.

A long sigh winded from his lungs and through his nose, those same fingers rising to pluck his glasses from his face. Using his index and thumb fingers to rub the bridge of his nose, Benjamin's weight pressed back into the office chair. It leaned back, his slender frame slouching into the cushions before the solitary silence was broken at the sound of a knock. Quick to slide his glasses back on, his exhausted stare focused on the door to his office. "Come in." The shy face of his assistant, Elizabeth, peered in through the opening she had made.

"Sorry for interrupting, sir, but... Dr. Hyde wishes to speak with you. He says it's about Z."

Benjamin's expression instantly soured. "Understood. Inform him I will meet with him shortly." Relieved to see Elizabeth nod wordlessly and excuse herself, he slowly stood for him chair. Rolling his shoulders to try and relieve the tension locked in his muscles, he gave one last perturbed glance at his father's work before shaking his head. "Crazy old coot." Locking his office door behind him, the male soon ventured towards the observation room. The room that Z was housed in was under constant surveillance. There was an observation booth hidden by a thick, nearly impenetrable glass-like material. It could be looked through into Z's room, but Z himself couldn't see into the observation area. It was, essentially, an indestructible two-sided mirror.

Upon entering the room, the scientist didn't spare a glance into Z's room. Instead, he focused his attention on his father's long-time colleague, Dr. Hyde. Dr. Hyde and his father (commonly referred to as Dr. King) had gone through college together. Under Dr. King's request, Dr. Hyde was hired on as his assistant. He was a year young than his father, and Benjamin had only brushed paths with him once or twice before being hired on to the project. Giving Dr. Hyde a stiff nod in greeting, Benjamin tucked his hands into his lab coat pocket. "How may I help you, Dr. Hyde?" Benjamin refrained for allowing his distaste for the suspicious character to trickle through into his tone of voice.

Dr. Hyde gave a return nod, clearing his throat as he continued to stare into Z's room where the weapon was being held. "I don't suppose 'help' is the correct term for it, Dr. King... however, I felt the need to... express some concerns about Z." Benjamin was quiet, a brow quirking upward in response. "Ever since your father's... passing... Z has taken an interest in reading and further pursuing knowledge in which I don't feel is really necessary. He was designed as a weapon... a... tool to be utilized to serve the military and our country," he paused as he tried to carefully choose his words. "Your father, brilliant man he may have been, did not see eye to eye with me on the issue. I fear his... investment into the project may have clouded his judgement." Benjamin's expression instantly mimicked stone; emotionless and aloof to the senior's words.

"Get to the point, Dr. Hyde. If you haven't noticed, I'm extremely busy trying to get up to speed on this project, and I don't have time to decode your implications."

Dr. Hyde scowled, hardly appreciating the icy bite to Benjamin's tone. "Certainly, Dr. King. In short, now that you're in charge of Z... I highly advise against allowing that thing to soak up any further unnecessary information. Our goal wasn't to merge him into human society. He is meant to do what he's told, when he's told, and exactly how he was told. Don't make the same mistakes your father did, Benjamin. I can assure you will regret it if you allow that creature to convince you of its supposed humanity." Benjamin remained tense and silent towards the threat, watching as seasoned male gathered his paperwork before excusing himself silent. As the door shut behind him, Benjamin's gaze finally inched towards the solitary figure confined to his room. This was the first time Dr. King's heir laid eyes on the project.

'Why human? Why not an actual weapon, or chemical of sorts? There has to be something I'm missing...'

A slow sigh escaped him, once more his frustration evident in his body language. He would never understand unless he jumped right in... right? He shook his head, and before he could be persuaded by his doubts... he open the hidden door that led into Z's territory. "You must be Z," he began, uncertain on how to address the mysterious experiment. "I will be overseeing your care and progress from now on. I'm sure you're familiar with my father, Dr. King. You may address me as Benjamin." He never did like being called 'Dr. King'. It reminded him far too much of his father, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.