Of Angels And Androids
Norman passed
by Roger's room and looked at the two figures inside. Dorothy sat upon the bed, her white hands holding Roger's head in
her lap. The bed sagged-in from her
weight. She sat motionless, a perfectly
carved, beautiful and sad statue.
Norman was reminded of the statues that honored the graves of heroes
from the forgotten past. Dorothy's
perpetual sad expression was the same as ever.
But now… it seemed appropriate.
She looked upon Roger's pale face with unblinking eyes. Roger grimaced, but his eyes remained
closed. The statue came to life
then. Her coldness dismayed by warm
caresses. Her stillness dispelled by a
soft voice.
"Roger. Roger Smith." Such tenderness in those words.
Yet, they made Roger thrash about more, as if in panic. He said things that Norman did not
understand.
"No! Red Destiny! I've got to get away!"
Dorothy continued speaking to him.
"Roger, it's
me, Dorothy. Dorothy Wayneright. You are at home now."
Roger quieted down, but sweat appeared on his face. Dorothy touched Roger's cheek. In a small voice, she said:
"Roger, it's
past noon. You need to wake up. Norman has breakfast all ready. Your eggs are getting cold…… "
Norman felt tears in his eyes.
Roger had always hated being woken up at noon. But he never realized why Dorothy really did it. And Norman thought Dorothy herself probably
did not know. It was clear she woke
Roger up at noon to tease him, but Norman thought she also did it simply because
she wanted to see him.
"Miss
Dorothy, I can watch Roger now. You
need to rest." Norman realized the
foolishness of saying such a thing to an android, but Norman gave Miss Dorothy
all the respect and concern he would give to a human being. Dorothy was not startled by Norman's
intrusion. She had heard his footsteps,
probably while he was still downstairs.
Her voice gained some of its usual matter-of-factness.
"Norman. I need neither rest nor concern. I am better suited to the task than
you. I am able to monitor Rogers
condition far better than you could."
"Yes, Miss
Dorothy." Her head bowed, shadowing her
face.
"Norman, I do
not think Roger will be eating dinner tonight." Again the old man felt tears coming to his eyes.
"I shall
prepare it, anyways -- just in case."
"Yes, Norman,
that would be perfectly fine."
Norman closed
the door, watching the girl. She had
once again become still. He wondered
what she was thinking. Before, Norman
would see Dorothy standing outside at her usual spot on the balcony, looking
off in the distance. He had wondered
then what she thought about. He had
asked her once. She had said: "I think about myself. I go over my memories. Sometimes I like going back and seeing my
father." And then Norman had understood
a little of what it was like to be an android.
Dorothy could actually re-live past events. With her perfect recall, Dorothy could do what no human being
could do. She could literally play-back
every moment, and if she so chose to, live in the past. Norman wondered now if Dorothy was going
back and re-living happier times she had spent with Roger. But her memory was both blessing and
curse. She could re-live the good
times, but she could never forget the bad.
How fortunate that humans could do so:
forgetfulness providing escape from our most horrible mistakes;
forgetfulness forgiving our sins, even when we could not. Was that why they had caused everyone to
forget forty years ago?
Norman hoped that Dorothy wasn't
re-living the terrible events of the last few days, analyzing her every action,
wondering if she could have done things differently, acting as a human might,
but remembering only as an android could.
Norman cared for Dorothy and Roger,
doted on them because they were like the children he was sure he had lost forty
years ago. But he respected them and
loved them because they were both brave, courageous people who had never
learned to fear the truth, unlike so many others who lived in this city. For very different reasons, these two young
people believed it was far better to tell the truth, then to please people with
lies. Roger grew up in a world of lies
just like every other child in Paradigm.
But somehow Roger was different.
He became disgusted by what he saw.
Dorothy was simply innocent, her lack of human contact isolated her from
the corruption that all human children eventually succumbed to.
Norman had
instantly taken a liking to Dorothy. He
somehow knew that she belonged with them.
Well, really that she belonged with Roger. Roger knew many women.
But Roger never had any serious relationships. To everyone in Paradigm,
it seemed as though Roger was simply a rich playboy. But Norman understood why Roger was so aloof. Roger could never get close to anyone,
because he worried that they might someday be put in harm's way because of
him. Roger was a gentleman. He would not love anyone, if it meant
putting their life in danger. There was
a reason why
Norman and Dastun were Roger's only friends. Anyone who Roger became close to had better
be able to take care of himself. Roger
could not afford to have someone hurt because of him, or have himself become
vulnerable because of his feelings for them. That's why Norman had immediately
realized the usefulness of Dorothy. She
was one of the few people in Paradigm who could work for Roger, and not worry
about the risks involved. Even more so
than Dastun and Norman, Dorothy was capable of taking care of
herself. Roger needn't
worry about her. And yet… it was
Dorothy who Roger worried the most about.
Norman smiled – the first in days.
If only Roger and Dorothy had had more time together....
A dark figure
moved in the hallway. Its shadow
turning afternoon sun into monsters on the wall.
"Miss Cassey
Jenkkins, it is customary to 'knock.'"
The beautiful woman moved towards Roger's bedroom door. She looked at Norman with a critical eye.
"Hello. Its Norman, isn't it? You can call me Angel."
"Angel of Death perhaps..." Norman said softly to himself. Angel smiled tightly and made a small
curtsy.
"I'm here to
see Roger".
"Some other
time. Roger is indisposed." Norman
moved between Angel and the door. Angel
seemed surprised.
"Don't you
think I know that! I can help him. Please get out of my way." Angel drew a small hand-gun. Norman non-chalantly karate-chopped Angel's
wrist, knocking the gun to the floor.
Angel again looked surprised.
But briefly. With amazing
dexterity, she back-flipped away from Norman, putting space in between
them. Norman had to step back to dodge
the flying kicks that came close to his head.
Norman and Angel looked at each other, each with a new-found warinesss
of the other. Angel smiled her
beautiful smile.
"Well, now we
know were both professionals. Oh, you
don't fool me, Norman. We haven't
forgotten about you either. But Angel
isn't here for you today. I'm here to
help Roger. You have my gun. I'm unarmed. I'm no threat to Roger."
Norman chuckled.
"Miss
Jenkins. Unarmed, you are one of the
most dangerous people in Paradigm. I am
not deceived by you, nor is Master Roger.
But I shall allow you to see him."
Angel was
surprised: Norman had allowed her to
see Roger -- without more convincing.
She was glad that she didn't have to fight Norman, that wasn't her
style.
Besides, it wasn't Norman's time yet. But she ruefully thought: "You shoulda put up a fight, old man. You made it too easy." Casually walking into the room, she stopped
when she saw Roger. He looked worse
than she had anticipated. He looked so
pale. Blood loss, she surmised. She wished she had gotten here sooner; it
might be too late. She had been so
focused on Roger, she only now registered the young girl holding his head in
her lap. And she realized then what a
costly mistake it might be. Her mind
screamed at what she beheld: Red
Destiny!? What was she doing
here?! Angel shivered. Norman had misnamed her: This was the Angel of Death that no man
could stop. Angel caught herself. No, it couldn't be. RD would have destroyed Roger, rather than
holding him so dearly. This must be
Dorothy, the first android made from the blueprints she had stolen from that
fool Wayneright. Still, Angel was wary
now, even more so than when she had faced Norman. She well-knew the capabilites of this android. Although Dorothy
wore no blood red cloak, she could be just as deadly as RD. This is why Norman had so casually allowed
her to pass. Angel put a good deal of
space between herself and Dorothy. She
glanced at the window and door, judging that she could make it to either before
the android.
"How is Roger?" Forcing calmness, she knew that panic would
be death. The android made no reply.
"You can talk, can't you,
android." Angel was worried. The silence scared her: Assasins moved in silence. Angel's nerve began to break.
"Say something!" She needed to hear Dorothy talk. Needed to know if this android was affected
by the same killer-insanity that RD had.
"Miss Jenkins, do you know what love
is." The soft-voice was so much like
RD's. Yet without the remorseless
ferocity, but with the same intensity.
Angel was taken aback. She had
not expected this question. This was a day of surprises.
"Call me Angel." Angel deigned a reply to the android's
question. "Love is obeying someone and
doing what they wish. How's that?"
"Then do you love Alex Rosewater?"
"No!" Angel exclaimed before she could even think. "That's not what meant." The android looked at her intently.
"Love?
You really don't know, do you."
The android said with such certainty.
Angel became angry. What was an
android doing, criticizing her? Telling
her about emotions! Angel's hand raised
back of its own volition.
"You'll
only hurt yourself." Dorothy said, in a
tone sounding as though she did not really care. Angel raged, her hands clawing the air. She had to hurt this thing, and there was only one way how.
"Look, you might look like one of
us, you might sound like one of us, but you will NEVER, EVER be human! Get that through your mechanical mind! Enough of this." Angel took out a small, gold pen. Dorothy immediately recognized it. It was the same one Beck carried. Angel twisted the top. This
android was dangerous, but she knew its weaknesses and was prepared. Dorothy became still.
"Stupid android. You think he's yours. Roger belongs to Paradigm. He belongs to me. What do you know about love?
What does that have to do with anything?" Angel moved to take Roger from Dorothy's lap. Ever cautious, Angel jumped back expertly,
hands in ready position, when Dorothy spoke.
"Roger doesn't belong to me. Or anyone.
People aren't belongings. Things
are. People are free to make their own
choice." Dorothy glanced at Angel's
useless golden pen, then looked again at the golden-haired woman. "Even androids can. That's what Roger believed. Angel, you can choose too. There is no gold pen controlling
you..." She looked in askance at
Angel. The blonde woman made no
reply. Dorothy spoke again.
"Roger will stay here. When he wakes up, I'll tell him Alex
Rosewater would like to see him."
"Will you tell him I was
here?" Angel asked plaintively. It was Dorothy's turn to give no reply. For some reason Angel suddenly said:
"Please, let me just touch
him." The two women looked at each
other across the room. And for a brief
moment the machine girl and flesh-and-blood woman understood one another.
"I know you could break my arm in
an instant, if I tried anything. You
know I won't." Angel walked to Roger's
side. She was momentarily annoyed: The
android would hear everything.
"I don't suppose we can have some
privacy?" Dorothy was silent. Angel noted the android's wrinkled black dress,
the dust in her hair, how the metal bed-frame had been warped by the android's
weight. "You won't leave him, will
you?" Silence. Angel
laughed in a surprisingly low voice. "How melodramatic." Moments passed with no reply. It gave Angel a chance to stop and
think. It was suicidal to goad an
android. What was she doing? How could a thing make her so mad? A noise shook her out of her reverie. She moved closer to Roger. Vexed, she realized that she could not touch
his face without also touching the android's hands. So Angel put her small, delicate hand over Roger's instead. She gasped at how cold it was. Was Roger dea....? She was surprised that she could not say that about him. No, he was alive. He must be. The android
could easily monitor Roger's vital signs; the android would know exactly when
Roger's heart stopped. Angel
shuddered. They would not be guarding
him, unless he was alive. Finally Angel
spoke to Roger.
"Oh Roger. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I truly am sorry. I tried
to warn you. Why didn't you listen...
Roger, I.... I...." Dorothy spoke.
"Norman, Angel will be leaving
now." Angel grinned. It was her first genuine smile of the day.
"Maybe you are a woman after
all. I'll call you Dorothy from now
on." Angel did not need to be convinced
to leave. She calmly sauntered out the
door, seemingly victorious even in defeat.
She turned her head and flashed her winning smile.
"Dorothy, I'll drop by when Roger's
well. Take care of him for me."
She blew Roger a kiss and then winked at Dorothy. "Ciao!"
Epilogue
Angel closed
the door behind her. As she was about
to leave, she heard something from the other side of the door that caught her
breath. Tears welled in her eyes. She started to sob uncontrollably, and she
did not care if the other woman heard her.
Norman was
surprised to see the strong, blonde woman, curled up, hugging her knees, crying
softly outside the door. He heard a
sound that passed him like a ghost and echoed sadly down the long hallway. Moved by compassion for the woman, he
said: "I'll wait for you downstairs,
Miss Jenkins."
Dorothy did not even glance up as
the other woman left. She took some
rubbing alcohol from the nearby coffee table and dabbed at the hand that Angel
had touched. It was getting late. She hoped Roger would wake up so that they
could have dinner with Norman. Not
understanding why, she smoothed Roger's ruffled hair. He had always been so foolishly vain about it, she thought.
Knowing no other way to express how
she felt, Dorothy started to sing quietly to Roger.
Fin
