Chapter Six
"I—I'll call you back," Cadence spoke into the phone. You remember me, she marveled privately.
"No," said Dr. Light quickly, determined to keep her on the line. "Wait a minute. Cadence, is Blues there?"
In front of her Blues held out the notebook, which was open to the sketch of himself. "What is this?" he demanded.
Cadence's gaze fell to the drawing, but she couldn't truly focus on it. Dr. Light's voice broke her heart; he had the tone of a tired, broken man.
"Just tell me, Cadence," he said softly. "I'm not mad at you."
Her lungs loosened; she let out a relieved sigh. "You're—you're not?" she asked.
"No," he said, still just as calm. "So please. Tell me if Blues is there."
"Cadence," Blues growled, losing patience.
"Yes," Cadence breathed. "He's here." Those words startled the robot to life. Blues dropped the notebook so it could join the others on the floor.
"Who are you talking to?" he prodded.
"Blues, one second, please," the girl said quickly, holding up a hand. She turned away.
"Is he all right?" Dr. Light asked nervously. "Cadence, you should know his energy core—"
"I know all about it," she interjected. "And I'll explain."
"All about what?" Blues asked. He followed her as she began to pace the room. She shot him a look that told him to wait a second.
"You said he passed out," Dr. Light went on. "He's awake now?"
"He's fine," Cadence reassured him. Besides the dying part. "I remembered what you taught me and was able to bring him back online." She stepped over a stack of fallen textbooks. Blues trailed close behind her.
"He's fully recharged?" Dr. Light asked. After a moment's thought, he added, "Is he happy?"
The question—personal and broad—seemed out of place after such technical ones.
"W-well," Cadence began, looking back at the robot. She couldn't make out his eyes beyond those dark shades, but he seemed anxious. He chewed his lower lip uneasily.
Without a word he held out his hand.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Cadence whispered. She handed Blues the phone.
The robot held the phone awkwardly to his ear. He was so used to using his built-in communication transmitter that he never really had the use for a telephone.
Blues swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Hello?" he mumbled. He had a feeling who was on the other line, but Dr. Light's voice still caught him off guard. Something weakened in his knees.
"Blues!" exclaimed Dr. Light. "Blues, is that really you?"
Cadence watched him silently, her eyes wide and curious. Talk to him, she mouthed.
"Blues, son," Dr. Light said again, uneasy when he didn't answer. "Are you okay?"
Blues carefully considered the question. He wasn't sure what necessarily qualified for okay. He wasn't entirely well, he knew that. But not quite so awful, either.
He balled his fists. "I am no longer your son," he said instead.
"You'll always be my son," promised the physicist. "No distance between us can ever change that."
Blues shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out his words. A million questions whirred inside his head:
What have you done since I left?
Have you looked for me?
How disappointed in me are you?
Will you replace me when I die?
He glanced at Cadence, who began tidying the wreckage of textbooks across the floor.
And, Doctor, what is this feeling?
He squeezed the phone so hard he was surprised it didn't shatter in his hand. You'll always be my son, his creator promised.
"Do not say that to me," said Blues when he found his voice. I have changed. He slammed his thumb into the phone's red button, once again cutting the connection between them. Halfheartedly he tossed the phone onto the floor. Cadence picked it up, staring at the screen, and then at him.
"The call fell through," mumbled Blues. The girl stayed quiet.
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Dr. Light studied the ceiling of the lab. Leaning back into his desk chair, he traced the tile patterns that hung above his head. He traced a lazy finger over the metal of his cell phone, which rested in his palm.
"Albert," he breathed, "why won't he just come home?"
Dr. Albert Wily was at the other end of the room, making use of the lab's coffee maker. Not surprisingly, the coffee maker was the most used machine in the room. It seemed a fresh pot was always brewing to keep the inventors at work.
Dr. Wily poured himself another mug. "Oh, give the brat another week. He'll come back."
Dr. Light turned to face his colleague. "It's been over a month already!"
Dr. Wily sighed. He walked slowly back to his friend's desk. A photo of father and robot son was displayed proudly beside the computer monitor. "Tom, you should have been prepared for this." He took a sip of his coffee. "You gave him the ability to make decisions. This is what he chose to do."
Dr. Light shook his head. "But I gave him a heart, too." He looked to the ceiling again, as though it might reveal an answer. "Why doesn't he see the pain he's causing?" he wondered aloud. "How can he disregard my compassion and just—just hang up on me?"
Dr. Wily squinted at the photo on the desk. "A heart, huh?" he mused. "His power core…"
That reminder sent the physicist spiraling into sadness. "His power core!" he repeated, tears in his eyes. "Not to mention he's dying and yet refuses my aid! It makes no sense, Al…"
Dr. Wily snickered. "I told you to write that rebellious streak out of his coding."
"This isn't a joke, Al."
"I knew you'd make this mistake," sighed Dr. Wily. Dr. Light looked at him with questioning eyes.
"You're too close to him," Dr. Wily accused. "He's a project, Thomas. Some projects fail. Put an 'X' next to his name in the inventory and move on."
Dr. Light stood up. "A father doesn't give up on his son!" he exclaimed. "If I give up on Blues, he will die!"
"Robots cannot die, Thomas!"
"You're just envious," Dr. Light snarled. "I was not banned from working on robotics." The words, though truthful, tasted bitter. He shifted his gaze to the floor, ashamed. "If he was your boy, you'd understand."
Dr. Wily sighed. He stirred his coffee with the pen from his coat pocket. "Perhaps," he agreed solemnly.
His colleague sat back down, resting his chin in his hand. "I designed him with the human condition in mind," he said thoughtfully. "Isn't it human nature to survive? To want to be saved?"
Dr. Wily shrugged. "Could be." He took another sip from his mug. "On the other hand… It is only humans who are aware of—and are able to accept—their mortality."
"In that case," he went on, clapping his friend on the shoulder, "you've done a fine job of programming."
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The living room floor was once again visible. Books and folders were stacked neatly on the coffee table. Stray papers were once again ordered and organized. Blues sat with a blueprint in his lap, examining his design sketch.
"You knew Dr. Light," he marveled. He traced a finger over his creator's signature at the bottom of the print.
"We worked together all the time," said Cadence. "Even in grade school, I never had a friend such as him." She took a seat next to him on the couch, bringing her knees to her chest. "You deserve to know my half of the story," she told him. "It coincides with your own."
Blues shifted his position and leaned slightly forward. To hear her better, he told himself, though it was more to be closer to her. As she spoke, he took note of the curve of her mouth, the part of her lips, the way she made the words her own. Not once did he take his eyes from her.
For as long as she could remember, Cadence loved machines. She dreamed of one day living in Mega City, the robot capital of the world. Her passion for technology began with the endless stories she'd heard of advanced robotics. At the age of four she was dismantling and reassembling her remote control car and thinking of ways to make it faster, better.
"Technology is the source of today's miracles," she remembered reading. "It is the modern magic, and those who expand it, its rightful spell casters."
With wide eyes a young Cadence examined robots of her world. Her hometown was small and forgotten, and didn't see much in the ways of advanced robotics. All she knew of the field came from observing other cities, bigger worlds than her own. That was where she really belonged—amidst the most advanced technology and bustling city life.
The media kept frequent tabs on the growing robotics industry. Soon androids wouldn't merely be administering parking tickets or sweeping mindlessly along the sidewalks—they would be performing surgeries, building skyscrapers. They would assimilate into human society.
"Mom," Cadence had said at thirteen, tossing a stack of robotics magazines onto the kitchen table. "This is what I want to do." The magazine covers boasted pictures of bots large and small, engineered for automobile, construction, and medical fields.
"And this is how I'll do it." She dropped a brochure for the Robotics Institute of Technology on top of the magazines, beaming with pride. RIT was among the most prestigious schools in the country. Only those most serious about a career in robotics were accepted. Since Cadence discovered it, it had been her dream school; its location in Mega City made it all the more attractive.
"Cadence," said her mother slowly, looking over the magazines with a pained smile. "I'm happy for you, and I want this for you." She looked at her daughter. "But robotics is not a woman's field."
Cadence pouted. "So? I'll be the only girl in the class, big deal."
"No, Cadence, it's more than that." She brushed the hair from her daughter's eyes. "This road may be an unforgiving one. Are you prepared for that?"
Cadence shifted. "It's not exactly a simple subject," she reminded her. "I'm up to the challenge."
Her mother fingered the brochure gently. "RIT," she mused. She chuckled softly. "Goodness, Cadence, why can't you be interested in something simple?"
"I want this, Mom," said Cadence again, "no matter how tough it is." She picked up the brochure. "Plus I'd get to dorm in Mega City! Wouldn't that be so cool?"
Her mother chuckled at her enthusiasm. "As long as you're certain..." She kissed her forehead. "But no experiments in the house."
Cadence laughed. Her dream was set. High school passed in three quick years. (An elite summer program enabled her to graduate one year early.) Her acceptance letter to RIT hung proudly in her room; at just seventeen she would be attending one of the most prestigious universities, majoring in her lifelong passion.
She would have never predicted who her professor would be.
A beard as white as his lab coat. Unmistakable dark blue eyes. A friendly demeanor underneath the professional presentation. And not so underneath, the slight discomfort with public speaking.
"Dr. Thomas Light," whispered Cadence as she took her seat. She glanced at her desk partner. "You mean he's our professor?"
"Guess so." The boy grinned. "It's part of a program that they're doing. RIT requested notable alumni to come back and teach for a few semesters."
"Notable?" Cadence scoffed. "The man's a genius." She read about him all the time. Every robotics magazine, it seemed, and every science article, seemed to mention him in some respect.
At the end of the first class, Dr. Light—down to Earth as he was—shook hands with each of the students and personally wished them success.
"Let's see here…" He scanned the attendance sheet and smiled at her. "Cadence, is it?"
"Y-yes," the girl answered. It was the only word she could manage, she was so awestruck.
The doctor held out his hand. "I look forward to having you in my class."
She took it gratefully, grinning embarrassedly. She was sure there was no way she could impress him. "Thank you," she said, controlling her nerves. "Me too."
But impress him she did—so much so that she was often summoned to his lab to help him with his projects. Internships were not part of the curriculum that RIT alumni had to fulfill, but Dr. Light couldn't let the opportunity escape. Here he had a chance to personally influence the life of a young roboticist. It was a project he had anticipated for who knew how long.
One day in particular is burned into memory.
"Dr. Light?" Cadence called as she entered the lab. "The door was unlocked. I hope you don't mind—"
"Nonsense, Cadence," he interrupted. "Come here, quick!" Dr. Light gestured wildly for her to join him at his desk. She peered over his shoulder curiously.
"What's this?" she asked, examining the rough design sketch. "DLN-000..."
"Also known as Proto Man, or—more personally—Blues," the doctor added. "He will be the first of his kind. I don't know yet just what I'll call this line of robots, but it'll be groundbreaking!"
Cadence's eyes followed the inner pathways of the robot's mechanical organs. "He looks so…"
"Human, right?"
She nodded, her eyes still attached to the blueprint. "What's this for, anyway? Another military request?"
"No," said Dr. Light, "just a personal project of mine." He ran a hand over the sketch. "This is no ordinary robot, Cadence. He'll have the power to think and act on his own. He won't just appear very nearly human—he'll behave in the same manner as well."
Cadence raised her eyebrows. She looked at her mentor and found he was completely serious. "That's—that's a big task." She shook her head. "Is it even possible?"
"Anything is." Dr. Light stapled his gaze to hers. "What do you think?"
While there was no way she could bring herself to disagree with the genius, she admitted the idea seemed a little far-fetched. She wasn't about to tell him so, but he caught her expression and laughed.
"You look skeptical," he said with a grin.
"I'm not," she chuckled, although she was. "I want this to pull through. I'd love to meet DLN—er, Blues."
"Then let me show you what I'd like to do," he began. He grabbed a pen and began tracing the inside of the robot's frame. "Add some sensors here… The main control panel here…"
Cadence nodded. "Good idea. And you should add a ventilation system, to prevent overheating."
Without a word Dr. Light offered her the pen.
She didn't accept it right away. "You mean, you want me to—?"
"I didn't call just for your company," he told her with a smirk. "I'd like your input as well."
Cadence went pale. She took the pen carefully from him, as though it might explode in her hand and all over the blueprint. Aware of her mentor's watchful gaze, she nervously made additions to Blues's design.
She finished quickly, unsure of how far to go. "Thank you," she said, suddenly shy. She handed the him back his pen.
Dr. Light smiled warmly. "You're not just my apprentice, Cadence," he began. "You're my colleague. I'm joyed to share my ideas with such a brilliant mind."
Cadence's heart pounded, a proud smiling tugging on her lips. Dr. Light called her brilliant. The words were sweeter than any dream.
"Don't tell Dr. Wily now," he teased. "Albert gets jealous of anyone who shares me."
Cadence laughed as, as though on cue, Dr. Wily burst through the door. A couple of textbooks rested underneath his arm.
"Those damn kids," he grumbled. "Can't even recall simple formulas from high school." He stomped across the floor of the lab without so much as a hello.
Dr. Light concealed his mouth in an effort to hide his amused grin. Cadence swallowed her chuckles. But when they once again were alone, they laughed so hard that they split their ribs.
Months passed. Dr. Light shared not only his ideas for DLN-000 Blues, but the workload as well. Nearly every weekend was spent at Light Labs hauling supplies up from the basement, testing new circuits, or beginning programming for the world's most advanced AI yet.
"Easy, Cadence!" Dr. Light warned. The girl was attempting to attach a circuit board to Blues's exposed chest. More than once she zapped herself.
"My fingertips are frying," she grumbled, failing to angle the circuit board correctly yet again.
"Let me take over," he offered, gently taking the board from her hands. "Why don't you go see if the data for the IC chip has finished downloading?"
"On it." Cadence made a beeline for the computer.
"You're sure this is a good idea?" muttered an irritated Dr. Wily. He stood up from his spot at the end of the room, where he had been observing the two at work. "She's just a kid. She could screw it all up."
"Quite the contrary, Albert," Dr. Light disagreed cheerfully. He looked back at the girl in front of the computer monitor. "Cadence has more than surpassed my expectations. She's easy to work with, not to mention she's truly intelligent." He gave his friend another signature smile. "I'm only aiding her in carving her future."
"Well," Dr. Wily huffed, "if the school finds out how much private work you've been giving her, you'll have your own future to worry about."
Dr. Light smiled uncomfortably. "I'm aware," he said guiltily. "But it's not like we're doing anything necessarily wrong. Our work is completely ethical."
Dr. Wily raised his eyebrows at his friend's last sentence. "Trying to tell me something, Tom?"
Dr. Light's eyes widened. "Oh—!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, Al. Honest." Dr. Wily grunted in disbelief. "I know it's been hard on you since your ban from robotics," continued Dr. Light, "and especially since they fired you from the university. But you'll find work. I'm confident in that."
"It doesn't matter," sighed Dr. Wily, going back to his seat. "Go back to building Jazz."
"Er, Blues."
"Same thing."
Another day of work lasted well beyond midnight. As Cadence gathered her things to leave, she took one final look at the young man on the operating table.
"He looks asleep," she noted. More than that. He looked human.
"Another week or two and he'll be ready to awaken," promised Dr. Light. "For now, get home safely. And Cadence?" He grinned through the dull 2 AM lighting. "Thank you for all your work these past few months."
She shook her head, edging her way out the door. "I should be thanking you. I never could have imagined the opportunities that you've given me." She gave a final glance to Blues before heading out into the night.
"Cadence," said Dr. Light one gray afternoon, "you can't stay here."
"I won't go home!" Cadence cried. She plopped herself onto the couch and buried her face in her hands.
"Cadence, I'll get you a cab out of Mega City," Dr. Light offered. "But you need to go home immediately. You have a sister there."
"I won't go back," the teen choked. "Please let me stay here."
"I'm not allowed to," said the physicist sternly. "You know that."
Dr. Wily emerged from the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. "Poor kid," he mumbled. "You have my condolences," he said to Cadence. He placed a hand on her caved shoulder.
"Cadence," began Dr. Light, "did you gather your stuff from the dorm?" The girl shook her head. "I'll help you," he told her. He looked up at the other doctor. "Call a cab, will you, Al?" Dr. Wily nodded and disappeared from the room.
Cadence rose from the couch. "If I leave now," she said, her words unsteady, "I'll never see you again."
"Of course you will," Dr. Light dissented. "I'm not going anywhere. Neither is RIT."
"But how am I supposed to come back?" Cadence sniffled. "Duet's just a kid. I'll have to take care of her now."
"There isn't any other family," he asked, "that can care for her while you're in school?"
"Not any close to where I live," answered Cadence. "And I don't want to sell my mother's house. That's all that's left of her now." She smiled brokenly. "Please," she scoffed, "let me lose one thing at a time."
The doctor nodded. "I—I understand." With a sigh he studied the remains of his student. She looked picked apart, ravaged by an unfair fate. Cadence wiped her cheeks in frustration, as though aggravated with her own tears.
"Cadence," said Dr. Light wistfully, "in the awful event that you don't return to RIT—"
"Don't say that," she begged. If he didn't say it out loud, perhaps it wouldn't happen.
"No, you need to hear this." He took a breath. "I must tell you how grateful I am to have worked with such an intelligent young woman." He blinked away the mist in his eyes. "You have restored more than my childhood vigor and energy—you have rekindled my passion for robotics."
"Dr. Light," she sniffled.
"You have been an asset to my class," he went on, "and it has been an honor to share what I know." He quickly wiped his eyes. "You have been of endless help to me—and not just with Blues or other smaller projects. Just talking about the weather with you has been enough to heal this tired heart." He brought a hand to his chest.
"There is no doubt in my mind," he concluded. "I am a changed man."
In that moment Cadence had already lost several things: a school, a city, a mother. But she was about say goodbye to one more: the man who had been her inspiration since age eight. The one with whom she spent Sunday afternoons when there was no work to do except the weekend crossword. The man who helped fulfill her childhood dream, who shared her passion and brought it to life.
She hugged him until the taxi arrived.
In the backseat of the car, she ran a finger across the ten digits of Dr. Light's cell phone number. Just in case, he told her. In case of what, she wasn't sure.
The cab glided effortlessly over the bridge. It was the last she saw of Mega City.