I woke to the sizzling sound of eggs, sausages and bacon frying. 'Perfection' my stomach told me, and I had to agree. The machine-made breakfast I usually had, served its purpose, but now that Shin-Lee was here, my stomach expressed gratitude to the end of blandness!

It’s not that I didn’t know how to cook, I just didn’t have the time to stand around and make it, but that’s on me and my laziness.

Shin-Lee on the other hand wasn’t going to encourage that around Hannah and me. After living a life of poverty in Latrina, she ensured that whatever food she put inside her, Hannah and I was made by her. 'That machine wastes food and it's as bland as they come.' She told me, and I had to agree, despite me not agreeing openly.

Coming to the Antillean Federation with me, was a blessing in disguise, especially with the access to the food she didn’t have back home. Yes, she did run a bar back in Latrina, but she barely got through even. What didn't help either was when the soldiers came to harass her, scoffing at her payment request. the pieces of shit.

Now, that didn't matter. she was here, and she was with me. Shin-Lee took in every moment as a blessing. I surely did, because she gave me a daughter. something I never thought would've happened. Especially how expendable I was to the Federation. Me. A father? It was like a dream…because it certainly felt so.

My job as a father meant that Hannah needed the best and I ensured she got it. Especially with the rare blood disease she had. I didn’t grow up like Hannah, a loving father and mother. I was orphaned before I even realised it and because of that...I'd damn well made sure Hannah was spoiled!

The aroma of the eggs, sausages and bacon made me forced from bed. I stomped across the hallway and into the kitchen. I used my cybernetic eye, zooming in on what looked to be my plate.

Chopped tomatoes were sprinkled on top of the eggs, whilst the sausages were smeared with ketchup, and bacon bits sprinkled in-between. My stomach growled loudly, which made Hannah giggle.

“You’re finally up,” Shin-Lee said, feeding Hannah a forkful of sausage, whilst she still played that Monster eating game. “Yeah…the scent woke me,” I said. Shin-Lee didn’t answer, shaking her head, as she fed Hannah-Lee her sausage.

“You know that synthetic stuff you love so much has no scent right?” Shin-Lee asked.

“Synthetic? I don’t eat that stuff!” I said, lying through my teeth.

“Yes you do, that thing might say ‘organic' but it’s all synthetic, you know that right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You never realised that both the ‘synthetic and organic’ option on this machine is just artificial spray right?”

I stood there for a full three seconds, speechless. I’ve been fucking duped! I thought, trying to form words, but simply scratched the side of my head and smiled in embarrassment.

Hannah smiled, chewing her food and giggling as if there was no tomorrow. “Whatever” Shin-Lee said. “sit and eat you’re going to need the energy. I’m heading out, need to get some stuff from the mall.”

“Need energy?” I asked, confused. “For what?”

“You’re taking Hannah for the day.”

The urge to say something was there, but before I could say anything Shin-Lee snapped her head towards me, nullifying that urge in one which made me smile nervously.

“Sounds good to me,” I said, pulling my chair back and taking a seat. I devoured my food in a few minutes, feeling paunched and making my way over to the living room once more.

Shin-Lee got herself ready in 20 minutes and left Hannah-Lee and me to our machinations.

Hannah and I spent the majority of the morning playing her monster eating game. She even let me play, the munchkin.

The game was a monster who ate buildings, and the more buildings you ate, the faster it grew. Hell, there was even an evolution upgrade for your teeth.

I tried keeping up with Hannah, but she knew all the weak spots for specific building types, whilst I just tried eating. She even tried coaching me to eat faster, and guess what it worked.

Hannah tired herself out after two hours and watched television for a bit, but as soon as the clock struck 11 o Clock, I made my way to the medicine cabinet, pulling out her Anti-Mienyelfribosis nanites shot.

As Hannah lay on the couch, snoozing, I jabbed the nanites shot in the heel of her foot, watching her wince from the prick, then rollover. She saw me with the shot and opened her arms to hug me.

I scooped her up sat back down, and allowed her to lie in my lap. These shots zapped her energy. I hated them, but what else was I supposed to do, watch her die slowly?

Hell. No.

Hannah-Lee was born with a rare blood disease, Mienyelfribosis. Luckily, Bridge City had one of the finer health care systems within the Federation, which we both took advantage of.

Mienyelfribosis was a disease that attacked the production of blood cells within one’s body, draining them of the natural acids and proteins that would strengthen the body, leaving you in a state of acute anaemia.

When Hannah-Lee was born we thought she was TOO small for her size. After a year of pestering paediatricians from all over the Federation, we finally found out what was wrong.

Mienyelfribosis, the doctor told us, is a result of receiving the Mientesis virus, native to Latrina. That news brought Shin-Lee to tears, as she had the virus as a child and almost died because of it.

The Latrina Empire had their version of the vaccine for the Mientesis. It wasn’t as effective as the federation’s own. Only capable of 65% efficiency and because of that, traces of Mientesis could pass onto their children in the form of Mienyelfribosis.

Luckily, the federation was advanced enough to have a cure for Mienyelfribosis in the form of nanite shots. The only problem was, that these Anti-Mienyelfribosis shots had to be taken monthly, for over ten years.

The worst thing about that, is the damn shots cost a fortune.

The Anti-Mienyelfribosis shots were a minimum of 2884.25 weekly. Which equated to roughly, 1,499,810.00 Credits. So yes, I may have millions of credits, but I had to take inflation into account over a 10 year period, and also the price cost as well.

I wasn’t cheap, just cost-effective to ensure my little girl would live to be an adult. I lived in a cruel world, but with ice in my veins already for thee former duties I did for the federation, this was but sunlight to my heart.

The way the nanites worked, was to slowly adapt her to replicate her damaged cells, and replicate new ones constantly, till her body was able to produce cells without damage.

I didn’t like it, but what other choice did I have? It was that or watch Hannah die slow and painfully…and that was something I surely wasn’t going to let happen.

“Are you OK Daddy?” Hannah asked, taking me out of my daze. “ She gave me an innocent smile, showing her gapped teeth. “I’m fine sweety, I’m fine…what about you, how are you?”

“I’m OK…just a little a cold.”

“Really? Well, give daddy a big hug!”

I caressed Hannah in my arms, curling her into a ball, then lifting her whilst spinning around the room. The sound of giggles and hick filled the room, whilst my lips curled into a smile with flashing lights and moving cars passing by our window.

It was rare for me to have moments like this…moments where I to get love my daughter to the fullest.