Mother’s study was always cleaner than Father’s, maybe that’s why Jason preferred hers to his. Despite the mechanical parts and circuit wires spilled across the huge wooden workbench in the middle of the marble room, it all seemed strangely in place, like everything was exactly where it should be. Walls lined with hanging mechanical limbs and complex circuit boards might not have been appealing to most women, but Mother was not most women.

Jason knelt atop a high stool beside the workbench, still too short to get a clear view just standing. He gazed transfixed on the molten wires melting together over his mother’s shoulder as she tinkered with a mechanical arm. Any moment now, that grey-haired monster would come cart him off to torture him somewhere. It’s been a year and his skin still bore the marks of that day. At least for now, he could make the most of his time in Mother’s study.

Jason’s eyes brightened, fixed on the intricate combination of metal, wires, and electrical components. The mechanical arm was a thing of beauty. Flexible carbon tubes laced tightly atop each other, giving rise to intricate patterns that strengthened the structure. The tubes interlocked, running from the elbow to where the wrist should be, resembling the muscles in a human arm. Each copper tube ended with a solid aluminum disk, firmly fixed into the metal frame that formed the base of the arm.

She was just about finished when one of the wall circuits crashed to the floor. Mother sighed and looked at John across the room. He stood, face curious as though he stared at him for nothing, hands clasped before him with that toy gun that never left his person. He resembled Father. “John, darling,” Mother said calmly, “do you want to pick that up for Mommy?”

“I am sorry, Mother,” John said softly.

“I know you are,” she replied. Jason chuckled, and John shot him a glare. “Now,” Mother continued, “put that gun away and sit down.” John’s grimace deepened. He did not like staying still. Jason wasn’t sure he could stay still without exploding. John moved toward the bench, shoulders slouching. Mother refocused on the circuit again. Jason wasn’t sure what she was trying to accomplish, but he was sure it had to do with the power source.

“Almost done,” she whispered, brushing back her thick black hair and settling into position again.

“Mother,” Jason said, “can I finish it?” He had used the soldering gun before, but this was an actual arm being used by an actual person.

She nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said, handing him the tools and pulling the stool over. Jason steadied his hands and observed the board. It was so clean. How did she get it so clean? No spill of soldered metal, not a wire out of place. Jason hesitated. He didn’t want to mess up her work. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Just focus on the ends you want to connect,” Mother said softly. “Nothing else in the circuit matters right now.” She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. Jason took a breath and moved the soldering wire toward the circuit board, the soldering gun in his right hand, the wire in his left. Okay, let’s do this—

“May I go to Father?” John asked. Jason jerked his hands back. John smiled at him.

Mother sighed. “You may go, John.”

Jason watched as his brother John left the room, the door clicking softly behind him. The room now felt quieter, the only sound being the hum of machinery and the slight hiss of the melting wires. Mother turned back to him, her expression calm and focused.

“Alright, Jason,” she said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s time to fuse the wires together. This is the final step.”

Jason nodded, his pulse quickening. He took a deep breath and grasped the soldering tools again, steadying his hands.

“Wait,” Mother said softly. Jason froze. He wasn’t sure if he had made a mistake already, but he didn’t want to mess up. “Think about the flow of the circuit,” she said, her voice low and reassuring. “Observe the surrounding mechanics and decide how to connect.” Jason squinted at the intricate arrangement of wires and components, the delicate balance between them. His mind whirred as he traced the path the energy would take.

“This one is the ground,” he said, pointing at the black wire. “And this one is the power source.”

“Now, which one should you connect?” Mother asked, her gaze steady.

Jason paused, deep in thought. His eyes darted from one wire to the next, the weight of the moment settle on him.

“This component powers the fingers,” he said after a moment, looking to his mother for confirmation.

“Good,” she said with a soft smile. “That’s correct.”

Jason’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but doubt still lingered in the back of his mind. “I’m not sure,” he admitted, holding out the soldering tools to her. “I don’t want to mess it up.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head with a smile. “Remember what I told you.”

Jason’s eyes brightened. He straightened up, a glimmer of realization flashing across his face. “No matter how far, no matter how long around, every circuit must come back to ground.”

“Nice,” Mother exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with pride.

Jason’s confidence grew as he worked. He carefully connected the wire to the ground and secured the power source. When he finished, he looked up at his mother. She nodded approvingly and pointed to the switch beside the workbench.

“Try it,” she said.

Jason hesitated for a second, his fingers hovering over the switch. Then, he flipped it. The arm responded immediately—the fingers flexed, curling into a tight fist before releasing, as smooth and precise as if they had been in use for years.

“Good job,” Mother said, her voice full of pride.

Jason beamed, he made it work, and he figured it with barely any help. “Mother,” he called, his voice full of wonder, “do you think I’ll ever be as good as you? ”

She placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. “I have no doubt, son,” she replied without hesitation.

Jason’s mind raced, thinking about all the things he had yet to learn. “If I master mech,” he asked, “do you think I could be excused from combat training?”

Mother laughed softly, a warm and genuine sound. “Not at all. You are the son of the General—you will be well-rounded.”

Jason’s face scrunched in confusion. “John said Dad would kick me out of the family if I don’t get good at fighting.”

Mother chuckled again, shaking her head. “Lies,” she said with a grin. She placed her hand over her heart. “This is your ground, and no matter how far you go, you will always have a home with us. That goes for your father too.” Jason’s smile spread across his face, the reassurance washing over him.

“Now,” Mother said, her voice softening, “let’s go take care of something else.”

Jason’s face fell, the weight of her words sinking in. He knew what that meant. “But—”

“No arguing,” she said firmly, reaching down to lift him up effortlessly, as she always did. He let her carry him to the sparring room, not wanting to protest. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to do, he knew that it was part of who he was supposed to become.