Mimic
By Ayume Nekochan
Standard disclaimers apply. I own Celeste, Manning and Miles.
~~~
Winter has come again to Paradigm City. More than a year has passed since R. Dorothy Wainwright began her services with Roger Smith. Dorothy sat on the passenger side of the Griffin watching the snow dusted city pass by as she and Roger headed back to the mansion. A strange case arose giving Roger a new client.
"What's on your mind Dorothy?" Roger finally asked his silent passenger. "You've been silent since we left Mr. Miles' office."
"Nothing," She answered in her usual monotone voice.
"I find that hard to believe," Roger scoffed raising a dark eyebrow casting a sidelong glance at the young android. "Are you thinking of the offer he made?"
"Honestly yes," Dorothy replied simply. "Do you think I should accept Mr. Miles' offer?" she asked turning her gaze to Roger.
Roger remained silent not knowing how to answer Dorothy and continued driving back. Memories of his meeting with Mr. Leonard Miles kept running through his head. "Something Leonard said earlier isn't sitting well with me,"
~*~
Several hours earlier:
Roger stood at his easel, his paints, brushes and other various tools carefully lay out on a table right next to him. Dorothy sat at the piano playing the calm melody Instro taught her. The calmness of the scene was suddenly broken when the phone rang.
"Hello?" Roger said in a businesslike manner into the receiver.
"Are you Roger Smith?"
the man asked."Yes may I ask who is calling?"
"I am Mr. Miles and I really am in need of your assistance Mr. Negotiator." Leonard Miles began. "You see, my daughter has disappeared, and I fear she has been kidnapped."
"Why come to me? Why not go to the police?" Roger asked.
"Because I found a note that said keep the police out of it."
Roger thought for a moment then sighed, "Okay, I'll take the case."
~*~
For a reason still unknown to him, Roger insisted that Dorothy accompany him on this particular assignment. As the two entered the dome, they saw a dramatic change in scenery. Instead of dirty streets and decaying buildings, they saw tall well kept buildings and rather clean streets as well as the well kept denizens walking along minding their own business.
"Is that the place?" Dorothy asked as she looked up at a tall building that appeared to be a tower of glass.
Roger nodded his head and slid on his dark shades. "C'mon, Mr. Miles is waiting," he stated as he headed inside.
In the office, Dorothy and Roger sat in chairs on the opposite side of a massive oak desk. On the other side of the desk sat a man who looked to be in his mid to late thirties. The man had jet black hair with a touch of gray at the temples and piercing gray eyes which looked older than the man's true age.
"Mr' Smith, I called you here to help me locate my precious daughter," Mr. Miles stated matter of fact.
"I believe we already discussed that?" Roger said raising an eyebrow.
"Yes…that we did. Well as I said before I believe that she has been kidnapped. I last saw her at two nights ago at the gala my company hosted." Mr. Miles slid a photograph across the desk to Roger. "This is my daughter, Mimic."
The girl in the picture had the appearance of a doll with her long black hair tied in a low ponytail that was draped gracefully over her right shoulder. Her violet eyes stared straight ahead, with an annoyed glare to them. The bright red ribbon binding her hair stood out against the dark blue of her blazer. Cherubic cheeks a deep rosy hue indicating anger confirming the anger shown in her eyes. "How old is she?" Roger finally asked after memorizing the picture.
"She just turned twelve. Please find her and I will reward you quite handsomely. Thirty million plus," He said sounding strangely calm.
"Plus what?" Roger wondered.
Mr. Miles raised his eyebrows and glanced at Dorothy then looked back at Roger. "I'll convert your android there to a full bio-android…no charge at all."
Roger was about to open his mouth to turn down the second offer, but Dorothy spoke up before him. "It is a tempting offer, but I must think about it and carefully weigh the pros and cons."
"Very well, I will await your decision," Mr. Miles said calmly as he leaned back in his chair.
~~~
Back to the present:
"You're still thinking about it?"
"Yes, but I am also thinking of something else," Dorothy admitted.
Roger raised an eyebrow and glanced at her while she sipped her tea. "What else is on your mind?"
"Mr. Miles didn't seem to eager to get his daughter back," she said before taking another sip.
"Do you think he is hiding something?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"You are correct that he is hiding something," a childlike voice said getting both Dorothy and Roger's attention. "Mr. Leonard Miles is not my father."
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Roger asked the young lady.
"My apologies Master Roger. I let her in." Norman said as he bowed. "She insisted on seeing you right away."
"My name is Celeste Manning, but Mr. Miles nicknamed me Mimic after he kidnapped me. And as for why I am here, I need your protection from Mr. Miles."
"So why come to me?" Roger asked.
"Because I already know you met with Mr. Miles." Celeste said as she stepped further into the room. "Mr. Miles took me away from my real father because he said he feared father was misleading me."
Roger raised an eyebrow. "Well if Miles isn't your father then who is?"
"Simuel Manning."
~*~
Roger got very little information from Celeste so he had to turn to his other source of information. He parked and secured The Griffin just outside the old speakeasy and headed inside. After picking up a bottle of whiskey from the bartender, he took a seat at the table next to a gray haired man reading a newspaper.
"What can you tell me about Simuel Manning and Leonard Miles?" Roger asked the man.
"What do you want to know about them?" The man asked.
"The common thread linking them to Celeste Manning."
The newspaper rustled as the man turned the page. "Simuel and his wife, Caroline, both began to regain their memories several years before Celeste was born. Not wanting to forget them again, they both kept detailed journals. Then of course, Caroline discovered she was pregnant and nine months later out pops the girl."
"This is all interesting," Roger began sarcastically. "But what does it have to do with Miles claiming Celeste is his child?"
"I'm getting to that," he said matter of fact. "One of Simuel's memories had to do with creating perfect bio androids."
"Perfect?"
"Mmm Hmm, Perfect," the man confirmed. "Manning thought the concept was dangerous so he locked it away and had no intention of using it until about fifteen years ago on New Heavens Eve Caroline was in a terrible car accident. Simuel was at home, but the girl was with her mother. Caroline was killed instantly but Celeste was left in intensive care."
"Wait, fifteen years ago? That would mean that Celeste is in her late twenties. Manning decided it was time to use his knowledge to save his daughter in turn keeping her a child forever?" Roger asked.
"That's correct in a manner of speaking, but Manning didn't have the finical backing…"
"So in steps Miles," Roger interrupted. "It's all starting to make sense to me now. Manning has the know how but Miles had the money so they partnered up, which makes young Celeste a bio-android…their first experiment, am I correct?"
"Yes, but that's not what is special about her. Not wanting his wife's memories to die with Caroline, Manning planted his wifes memories inside Celeste's memory."
"Still what is the common bond?"
"Caroline Manning," the man replied. "She was Miles' lover before she married Manning," he added casually as he turned the page.
Roger raised an eyebrow and looked up at the ceiling fan. He then stood and walked away placing a large wad of bills on the table.
~*~
Roger thought it was strange that Caroline and not Celeste would be the link between Manning and Miles. He ran through the factors as he sped back home. As he headed up to the living room, his ears picked up Dorothy and Celeste's conversation.
"So what is it like to love someone?" Dorothy asked Celeste.
"Don't you know?" Celeste asked innocently. "I…never really thought about it," she continued innocently.
Both amazed and perplexed by the girl, Dorothy just watched her. "But…" she began to speak when Roger stepped in the room.
"Miss Manning, are you ready to return home?" Roger asked rescuing the girl from having to answer another question.
The young twelve year old girl stood and walked over to Roger and nodded her head. Half way to the tall man, Celeste stopped and turned around and looked at Dorothy with young wise eyes. "It doesn't matter Miss Dorothy, you will be the same person as you were. Just don't wish to be like me…I am just a walking ghost."
Both Dorothy and Roger looked at the child strangely trying to ponder her enigmatic message. The two were torn from their thoughts as Celeste giggled and skipped over to Roger childishly taking his hand. "I'm ready to go home now Mr. Smith,"
~*~
Having located Manning's home, Roger did not hesitate in taking Celeste to her father. As he suspected, the Manning family did not live in one of the domes within the city but rather away from the city in a beautiful villa in the woods. Rather than just dropping the girl off at home, Roger and Dorothy got out of the car and went up to the house with the girl.
"Papa," Celeste called as she entered the large foyer. Her footfalls echoed softly against the marble floors. "Papa, I'm home," Roger took off his sunglasses as he looked around the foyer. He watched as Celeste darted through the living room to a bookcase. "Mmmm maybe he is in his sitting room," she thought. The clicking of the trio's shoes against the metal stairs as they went headed down into the study.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Dorothy and Roger both looked surprised at the sight that they saw. Shelf upon shelf filled with books surrounded them on three sides while along the fourth wall sat a moderately sized fireplace which at the moment cast a warm comforting glow in the room. In front of the fireplace sat two large armchairs with a pedestal table between the two. On the floor in front of the hearth rested a large overstuffed cushion.
"Papa?" Celeste called softly.
"I knew you'd return to me," a man's voice said softly. A man in his late forties rose from the seat. He was well dressed in a black and gray suit. "My name is…"
"Simuel Manning," Roger Smith finished as he looked at the older man.
"Correct," Manning said as he held out his arm and gave Celeste a wan smile. Celeste smiled brightly and ran to her father wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you for returning my precious Celeste to me."
Roger nodded, but deep down he knew that there still something out of place. "Mr. Manning, why would Mr. Miles be so desperate to take Celeste away?"
"As payback!" Manning said simply as he sat down gesturing for Roger and Dorothy to sit as well. Manning looked at his daughter giving her a loving smile. "What I am about to reveal goes no further than these walls. My late wife and I were just children when the city forgot everything. We had each other until I turned fifteen, then I had to go away with my father to study science. You see, it was he who discovered the secret to creating a fully functional biological android. I just kept detailed notes. When Rosewater found out, he had my father killed, but I kept the notes. When I returned home to my mother and Caroline, I discovered she was dating Miles, but I managed to win her back. As you could have guessed, Caroline and I married a few years later and then Celeste was born. I lived peacfully here in this villa with my family for eleven years. Then one night, I received a call…Caroline was in a car accident." Manning paused and took a long shaky breath. Dorothy cocked her head curiously as she noticed the vacant expression that washed over Manning's face.
"Papa?" Celeste asked curiously.
"Mr. Manning, have you ever told Celeste the truth before now?" Roger asked.
"No."
Celeste furrowed her eyebrows and scowled at her father with her childlike visage. "What have you not told me papa?"
"Every year for the past fifteen years I have been erasing parts of your memory. If you remembered, you would know the truth." Manning said as he rose from his chair and walked over to the fireplace. He carefully pulled on a silver candle stick revealing yet another secret room, this one a lab.
Dorothy, Roger and Celeste followed Manning into the lab. "Celeste Dear, please sit down on the table,"
Silently, Celeste did as her father bade. They watched as Manning took out one of Celeste's earrings and putting a thin stiff wire in it's place. Manning typed a command in the small computer causing Celeste to scream…Manning returned all her lost memories to her. Exhausted from the memory exchange, Celeste collapsed on the table into a death-like sleep.
"Mr. Smith, how can I repay you for returning my daughter?" Manning asked. "Oh wait, I know. I can make your android a full bio droid for you."
Roger was about to speak up and decline his offer when Dorothy spoke. "I accept your offer Mr. Manning."
"Are you sure Dorothy?" Roger asked as rested a hand on her shoulder. Dorothy nodded her head then turned her fathomless black eyes to him.
TBC
I know…where in the hell is this story heading??? I will give you a clue, I have become well known for abusing my own characters…in other words, someone dies in the conclusion