Project Life

The rain outside was relentless when Finch heard the distinct sound of an android beeping its way towards his humble abode– frankly, he could hear it from a mile away, a familiar but quite misplaced tone amidst the song of nature around him, growing louder and louder as minutes turned to hours.

Pacing back and forth in his living room, he thought about rumors going around his district about the government starting the project they had been talking about for years– Project Life, that was what they called it, and he did find it funny how their leaders deemed it appropriate to name it that when the project was for those who almost ended the world in the first place.

"They could change," he recalled their President saying, looking silly with her tailored suit and rounded glasses, "Let's teach them our ways, let's teach them how to live in harmony."

Harmony, he couldn't help but scoff at that.

Years of never-ending wars and even more years of trying to survive a desolate world, anyone would think that the survivors would be kinder and softer to each other but it didn't really matter what happened in the past, didn't matter what would happen in the future– it was in everyone's nature to be a little mean, to have their own thoughts and beliefs, and die fighting for them.

Finch had little to no hope about the project, thought of how his neighbor told them that his cousin in one of the farther district had a friend who lost his mind and started shredding Project Life into nothingness, "It was a bloody mess," his neighbor rolled his eyes, obviously opposed with whatever their government was planning, "Buttercup said he couldn't make it to stop whining so he just killed the vile thing– I would've done the same."

It was horrible to think about.

But after everything they had been through, Finch couldn't blame them for their animosity– maybe he would've done it too, maybe he would've even done something worse.

With a sigh, he padded towards his foyer and sat patiently by his wilting plants– Finch had no talent keeping anything alive, he wondered how long he would be able to keep the government's project breathing long enough to see if their vision was right.

The storm was still raging around his district when he heard a loud thud on the other side of his oak doors. It had arrived, and by the time he was outside, the android was already gone– a brown box with holes poked on the sides sitting by his feet, occasionally moving with soft mewls dancing to the tune of the rain.

Finch tongued his cheek, bending down to lift the box and get the package inside, heart thumping on his chest as he cautiously placed it on his coffee table.

He hated it.

He hadn't even opened it and yet, he knew he was going to hate it.

Heading towards his bathroom with trembling knees, he stood on a stool and looked at himself in the mirror– apricot fur slightly drenched with rain, bright hazel eyes swimming with disbelief, and paws shaking with tremors that was either from his rage or hus apprehension.

Finch didn't want to do it.

But he had to.

So with one final look, he jumped down and swallowed the lump forming in his throat, telling himself that everything was going to be alright as he headed towards the package, claws glinting under the dim lights above him, and ears twitching at the sound of whining.

Finch swore he would kill it.

He was going to try taking care of it but he knew that at the end of the day, he was going to kill it.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind, he opened the box in front of him as he held his breath, retracting his claws just because he at least wanted to see if the rumors were true, that they were real, and that they weren't androids guised as them.

Finch blinked, the anger in his chest simmering down to something warmer and unexplained, the corners of his mouth curling in a small smile– it was marvelous, and he couldn't quite believe it.

A human.

A baby human.

A living and breathing baby human looking up at him, a cat.

"Eva," he mumbled under his breath, unconsciously cooing when the baby raised its chubby little arms and held his paw– it was soft, its cheeks were red and plump, and its eyes shone like they were mirrors reflecting all the stars in the universe, "Eva."

Finch was going to take care of it– and he was going to do everything that he could to keep it breathing for as long as he could.

It was cold outside, but inside his humble abode with his human baby gurgling in his arms– he felt warm and hopeful.