Build up our Machine from Bendy and the Ink Machine is the recommended song this chapter.
It had been about two weeks since the Megadeus Osrails destruction, and Ray still had a thousand yard stare much of the time. She hoped things could return to her normal, and she would wake to find Paradigm City a fading dream. Alas, no such fate awaited her, as daily she awoke in the city of forgotten memories.
Roger had tried to question her, Norman had tried to comfort her, but it made little difference. Ray was depressed. And why wouldn't she be?
'There's no easy way home for me. He may have well as just said I can't go home ever, like a death sentence. Am I gonna die in this world? So much for that isekai protagonist luck. Then again, very few ever want to go home, or ever think about going home. And most never think of their families. Is mine ok? Are they aware I got transported to another world? What about my friends, are they ok?' Such thoughts were a daily occurrence for Ray. But this only served to depress her further. The only answers she had was that going home was a far flung dream, and that she was more than likely going to have to see the story to the end, whichever route it took.
That in itself was a problem. With the world seeming to mix both the anime and manga stories together, there was a possibility that it could go either way, or neither way. And did the rest of the outside content, such as the novel, come into play? Ray didn't know, and it made her anxious on top of her depression. She sighed quite a lot when she wasn't working, barely read any of the comic books she had bought, and while the nightmares had bated for the time being Ray still couldn't sleep.
Finally Dorothy could take it no longer, and chose to snap Ray out of it, somehow. Norman was worried about her, and so was Roger. Dorothy didn't like the fact Ray was getting so much attention and was going to do something about it! She would find a way, not for Ray's sake; she disliked the young woman immensely. But that would have to wait. For today after waking Roger with yet another assault on the piano, he had had more than enough of the abuse to the instrument and his sleep schedule and dragged Dorothy away. Ray chased after, only for Norman to grab her shirt collar and ask where she intended to go when there was still work to be done.
"Um, I just wanted to go out for a while, can't I finish the work later today?" Ray looked deflated somehow. She really had wanted to go out. Being stuck in the house wasn't doing her any good, maybe going out would cheer her up.
Roger was holding open the elevator, and gave a concerned look to Norman. Ray hadn't expressed much of anything these past two weeks other than despair and being on edge, so this was a unique chance to figure out what was bothering her, and maybe get her to finally answer some of Rogers burning questions.
"Well, so long as they are finished by the end of the day, it should be alright." Norman let her go, and Ray joined Roger and Dorothy on their outing.
Ray knew where they were going, but hoped actually leaving the manse and doing something would calm her nerves. For two weeks she had been on edge as well as dejected. Of course Roger would start questioning her, she expected as much. But his probing was a tad gentler than before.
"What's been bothering you Ray? The past two weeks you've been, well, not you. Even the teasing way you speak to Dorothy is..."
"Nothing you can change sadly. It should be obvious why I'm depressed, I can't remember anything about how I got here."
"And it worries you?" Roger sounded concerned. Of course he was, the mysterious figure in his house had become even more so, shutting herself off further from everyone. "But at least you have some of your memories from before coming here, right?"
"Yeah to both, and a lot of other questions I can't or don't have answers too." Ray just looked out the window, watching the city go by.
"Such as?"
"Is my family ok? Do they know I made it to the City, did I even tell them I was leaving town to come here? Do they even know this place exists; they live pretty far away after all. And what about my friends back home? I'm sure their worried about me too, but I can't find a way to contact any of them," Ray gave a heavy sigh.
"Yeah, I can see why that would upset you. You still haven't remembered how you arrived here in the City right?" Roger had returned to his stoic self. Was he trying not to let Ray's problems bother him? She didn't know.
"No, I haven't." Ray sighed again and leaned against the car door. The cool of the metal and velvet interior was something to take her mind off the world.
In the back seat Dorothy looked as if she was pouting. 'Perhaps I should have just asked her myself. I will force her to go back to being herself for Norman and Rogers sake.'
Soon the Griffin and its passengers arrived in a colorfully graffitied neighborhood, and descended into the underground bar Amadeus. The interior was much the same as what Ray expected, dank lighting in alcoves, dark paint to help keep the light low, and a few tables neatly arranged around the piano in the center. In the bar was a friend of Roger's that neither woman had yet to meet, but whom Ray already knew about. Soon the music ended, and the friend came to introduce himself.
"Roger Smith. It's been quite some time." A jovial sounding voice came from a rather singular expression face.
"It has at that Instro." Roger was smiling. While Instro didn't have the range of facial movements Dorothy had, the pianist had other ways of expressing himself. Tone and gestures were his usual methods.
"What brings you here today?"
"I was hoping you could teach my ward some of your more, gentle playing techniques, shall we say." Roger winked. No subtlety or tact at all. Dorothy gave him a dirty look for half a second before going back to her dour self.
"You flatter me Roger, and you are Ms?" He turned slightly to look at the two who came with Roger to the bar.
"R. Dorothy Wayneright." Dorothy got off the bar stool and curtsied. Instro gave a half bow in return.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms Wayneright. And who is this other young lady with you?" Instro inquired further.
"Ah, I'm Ray, Norman's assistant more or less." Ray didn't mean to sound rude or evasive, she was just exhausted and wanted to listen to Instro play more. His playing was actually calming, unlike a certain other android she wouldn't name.
The piano lesson began shortly after, as Instro had the bar closed after lunch to prepare for dinner and the night time after work crowd.
"Her forte is on point, and piesimo is well tempered, the techniques are quite flawless, are you sure I have anything to teach her Roger?" Instro was bobbing a finger along to Dorothy's playing, keeping time in his own way, but turned his head to see Rogers face.
"Not to beat the poor piano in the morning would be a nice start." Ray chimed in over from the bar. She was too young to drink alcohol after waking up in Paradigm City, and also lacked the proper ID still, so the bartender had given her a soda instead.
"I can hear you, you know that right?" Dorothy's head was barely visible over the piano. Her eyes narrowed, and Ray was reminded of a cat trying to hide itself unsuccessfully before pouncing on its prey. Ray cackled at the thought of Dorothy being a little cat, it fit her somehow.
"I'm well aware, but what exactly do you think you can do to me rust bucket? Play a tuba to wake me up?" Ray was practically jeering. "Play a show tune? That would be a twist." Ray was laughing, a remarkable change in mood from that morning.
"Do they always act like this?"
"Unfortunately." Roger sighed, musing his hair in frustration. 'It's nice that she's back to normal I guess.' The piano lesson continued for some time, with Dorothy playing various pieces by Mozart or Chopin, until an old man in a rather comically large top hat and zigzagging hair interrupted them with his clapping.
"Instro your playing is as wonderful as always, hrm?" The old man then noticed that Dorothy was at the piano, and took off his hat. "Oh, I was unaware you had guests." his voice reminded Ray of craggy rocks and tires running over them.
"Ah, Mr Gieseng, it has been awhile, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Instro may have sounded fine, but somehow Ray got the sense he was tense, very agitated too.
"I was just coming to ask you to reconsider helping with your father's legacy, but I see you're busy. I'll return later." He returned the top hat to his head and left.
"Instro, who was that?" Roger asked. Something about the old man had set Roger off alarm bells in his head. Wasn't the bar Instro's father's legacy?
"Now then, let us continue the lesson shall we?" Instro refused to answer. If only being bothered about his father legacy were the poor droids only troubles.
Later that night, Major Dan Dastun would be requested at the sight of a murder. Yet it was no ordinary homicide case.
"As you can see, the corpse has been eviscerated with what looks like claw marks. Leg bones are broken to prevent escape. Blood spatter covers the entire one room apartment, and we can't get a solid ID on the victim as a result of the injuries to the victims face pre and post mortem. "
"This is gruesome, even for an android gone rouge. Are the teeth intact enough for dental records?" Major Dan Dastun had seen a few androids gone rouge in his life, but this was nothing like previous cases. Whoever or whatever had done this had been ruthless.
"No sir, whoever did this was thorough, they didn't want the victim ID'd." The grunt next to him, Dastun couldn't remember his name, but he seemed half competent.
"What's up with that bloody hand print over there?" Dastun pointed to a hand print on the wall, that looked like it had been made by a beast, palm and claws etched out in ruby red dried blood. But something about it caught Dastuns attention. The marking had no fingerprints, just seemed flat, almost like a machine had made it to hide the various markings an androids hand would have.
"It couldn't be." Dastun trailed off. "See of all the androids in this sector have an alibi." He pulled his cap down over his face and started to leave the crime scene. 'I hope I'm wrong about this.'
"What do you mean he's been arrested Dastun?" Roger was shouting into the phone.
"Exactly what I said. Look Rog, he's asking to see you. Why I don't know, but no lawyer will take his case, so I guess he has to ask for you." Dan gave a heavy sigh, and massaged the lattice work of scars on his head to ease the tension headache he felt coming on. "Look, I don't think he did it either, but he's the only android in that area without an alibi."
"Fine. I'm heading over immediately." Roger slammed down the receiver and went off to see Instro at the precinct. Ray seemed distressed as Roger left, and the light made it seem like Dorothy was frowning.
"Thank you for coming Roger. I may not have much time left." Instro was only wearing pants! They had taken his coat and shirt to make sure he had no weapons, and to check for blood. They took his immaculately cared for shoes to check for blood and to match it to the footprints found at the scene. His hands were cuffed to the table in the interrogation room, but worse still he had some kinds of heavy mitts on to prevent him from harming anyone in the event he had gone insane. It was altogether too much for Roger's sensibility. Instro was a gentle android, not violent.
"This is ridiculous Instro, of course you didn't do it. You aren't that kind of android, you would never ruin your hands with blood. Everyone knows you care for yourself better than most androids so you can continue playing."
"Be that as it may, the City seems to think I am guilty. If no proof is found in forty eight hours I am to be decommissioned." Instro sounded crestfallen, not looking up from the table. Though his face didn't move, it was easy to tell he was sad.
"Decommissioned!" Roger couldn't believe his ears. They were going to kill Instro?! The gentleman droid whose love of the piano was unmatched by even humans. Roger couldn't stand for it! And he wouldn't sit ideally by either. He left the interrogation room and told Dastun he would find his proof of innocence.
"Look Roger, he's my friend too, but he doesn't have an alibi. Says he went down for a few hours for some kind of maintenance, so he wasn't recording for that time. No recording means no alibi."
"I know that. Someone must know something, I intend to find out," Roger's first stop was Big Ear at the Speakeasy.
"I need info in a hurry." Roger slapped the bills down ahead of time.
"What's the rush?" Big Ear knew this wasn't like Roger, but of course without questions then he couldn't give the right information.
"Paradigm Corporation intends to decommission Instro if proof of his innocence in a homicide case isn't found in 47 hours."
"I see, well, I'll tell you what I know." Big Ear flipped through his paper. "There's been rumors of someone in a trench coat walking around outside the domes muttering at night. Supposedly it looks like an android, but it runs away anytime someone gets near."
"I see, I'll have to go to that neighborhood it was spotted in then." He left and made rounds that night to find the real culprit. Roger didn't have to do much of anything however. While he couldn't find the person Big Ear described, another murder occurred in much the same way as the previous murder while Instro was in custody. But even so the city wouldn't let him free, saying he could have co-conspirators.
"This is just ridiculous." Roger was pissed, he knew Instro didn't do it, and Dastun knew too, but still the City wouldn't budge. He was fuming so much Ray avoided him more than before, hiding in her room until Dorothy attempted to drag her out for dinner.
"I don't want to."
"And why not?" Ray's fingers had a death grip on the door, and Dorothy couldn't force Ray out without harming her.
"Cause I don't. Just leave me be and go have dinner in peace ok!" With that Ray retreated into her room. "Not like she would believe me if I told her I can't handle being around aggressively angry people when I'm already in a not so good frame of mind."
Dinner ended and Roger went off with the new information he had gained that day. That night, while Roger was attempting to catch the murderer in the nick of time, Ray was walking around late at night, against Norman's wishes. Not sleeping was taking its toll, and Ray thought a nice relaxing walk later in the evening would help. She picked up some new comics at the magazine stand, and some new young adult fantasy series that was becoming popular. Heading towards the mansion Ray felt like she was being watched.
'Is it Angel again?' Ray had spotted a pink convertible a few blocks back. Ray started weaving through some back alleys to throw the woman off. She was sure that Angel couldn't predict where she was, maybe where she was headed for though.
Suddenly Ray was alone on the street, not a back alley, but smack in the middle of the street. In front of her, well, it looked like a mummy. Skin sunken and dried out, eyes looked hollow, mouth stitched shut, but most importantly was that its partly bandaged hands were covered in blood that dripped from the rotten bandages onto the asphalt. The fingers looked like claws, no less dulled for having recently been used. It, no he, had killed again. And now he was staring Ray down, eyes seeming to glint with ill intent in the low light of the street lamps.
He lunged at her then, swinging his hand like a club from above his head towards Ray's right side. She jumped back to get out of the way, but the hand connected to her lower leg, making a terrible and deep gash.
"AH!" She screamed out in agony and collapsed on the pavement, holding her leg to try and stop the bleeding.
The mummy loomed over her then raising his left arm above her head, intending to strike. Ray could only look up helpless and eyes wide with fear. Only he was the one that went flying.
CRACK! A gunshot rang out and the mummy ran away from his most recent intended victim. Too bad Ray wasn't safe yet.
"Are you alright? That looks bad, come on get up and move." It was Angel, her pink car only a few feet away. "Glad I was tailing you. If that monster had killed you… Well whatever, get in."
"I'm not…"
"You don't have a choice." Angel pointed the gun at her, but seeing that Ray couldn't get up she grabbed her and helped her stand. "Now walk!" The gun was pressed into Rays back, and she had no choice but to hobble to the awaiting car.
"Where are you going to take me?" Ray was out of breath from only going a short distance of maybe ten feet, and she was in pain.
"Home." Angel started driving in the direction of the mansion.
"Wait, you kidnapped me so you could take me home?" The entire situation was unbelievable.
"Would you have gotten in the car had I told you?"
"Yes."
"You'd have believed me?" Angel sounded flustered.
"Yes."
"Why?" Angel now looked confused.
"I'm bleeding. Where else would you take me? The hospital? Well, that would've been the smart choice, but then you can't question me if I'm in emergency surgery." Soon they were in front of the mansion, and Angel helped Ray hobble up the stairs to the door. "Oh, using an actual entrance this time are we? Norman will be thrilled."
"Quiet you." Angel rang the bell and the two waited. Soon Norman opened the door and his one good eye widened in surprise.
"Oh my, Ms Ray what happened?" He ushered them into the downstairs parlor.
"I got attacked by the thing Roger is chasing." Ray attempted to walk in on her own, but when she put her leg down the wound gushed blood onto the floor, and Ray felt as if she had been struck by lighting. "Gwah. Ouch." She moaned out face contorting as to try and hide the pain she felt.
"I'll help you to the medical room Ray. Come inside Ms Lovejoy, I have some questions for you as well. Ah, Dorothy would you be so kind as to clean up the blood? Someone could trip in that." Norman let Ray lean on him for support.
"Yes Norman." As if reading his mind she already had a mop and bucket.
"Sorry for making more mess Dorothy." Ray was weak, and her already pale skin more so from the blood loss. Soon she was lying down on a bench in the medical room which was really just a roomie supply closet. Her ankle was placed in a sling attached to the bench so her leg would stay elevated.
"You said this happened because of the monster Master Roger is chasing? My word this wound is quite awful. I'm going to need more than bandages to fix it I'm afraid. Some antiseptic rinse, numbing shots and stitches will be needed." Norman was slowly probing the Ray's leg and listening to her hiss or moan in response. Dorothy appeared in the doorway then, "Ah, Dorothy, perfect timing. If you would be so kind as to keep applying pressure to Ray's leg while I get the needed supplies. Ms Lovejoy, though you are a guest would you be willing to help Ms Dorothy with keeping Ray seated." The tone Norman used would brook no arguments from either of the two. "Wonderful. I'll be back shortly, and we can hear the tale from the both of you."
"Sorry I'm so pathetic Dorothy." Ray was continuing to pale. It wasn't a small injury to be sure, but it's not like she had been cut to the bone either. Still, it must have cut a number of vessels for Ray to be bleeding as much as she was. Maybe she did need to go to the hospital. She was going to need a blood transfusion if this kept up.
"This isn't your fault." Dorothy was doing as Norman instructed and applied plenty of pressure to Rays leg. Ray suspected she rather enjoyed having a logical reason to cause Ray discomfort.
Angel just stood at the end of the bench, not sure what she should do. Norman returned before long, and started to inquire as to what had transpired while getting Ray her local anesthetic shots and rinsing the gash out with rather stinging astringents.
"I was following a lead about the killer android hoping to find some memories. But it wasn't an android at all, turned out to be that weird monster that attacked this girl here." Angel pouted and crossed her arms, looking like a child that was being sassy and disappointed for not receiving what she wanted.
"How long did you know it wasn't Instro?" Dorothy was the one speaking now. She didn't look at Angel, avoiding peeking at her altogether. That was shocking enough to Ray, who was well aware of Dorothy's almost pure disdain for Angel.
"Probably a day or so why?" Angel was also shocked by Dorothy's straight forward question, but chose to respond anyway.
"Norman." Ray weakly spoke.
"Yes Ray?" Norman was using some kind of medical tape to keep both half of the wounds close together to make it easier for him to sew her up.
"I'm going to curse up a storm now."
"Oh dear. If you must." Norman was wearing a magnifying monocle, threading the needle to be used in stitching her leg up. 'I would rather she didn't, but screaming in pain has a way of keeping patients alive after such nasty shocks.'
"YOU MOTHERFUCKING IDIOT! WORTHLESS, IMMIBILICLE, SCUMBAG! HOW COULD YOU NOT GO TO THE POLICE IF YOU HAD INFORMATION THAT WOULD SET INSTRO FREE? YOU WORTHLESS ASSHOLE! GAH!" Norman had pierced her leg with the needle then. Ray placed a pillow over her face and screeched into it, as much from pain as from anger. When she took the pillow off her face, Ray was as dour and expressionless as Dorothy. For most of the rest of the operation, Ray made no noise other than grunts, clenching her teeth and the pillow to her chest to keep quiet. Once Norman was done sewing her up he took the used supplies and left to go wash up and get more antiseptic wash and bandages.
"Are you doing better now that you have that out of your system?" Dorothy was using a cloth and some cold water to clean the blood off Ray's leg, and then cleaned the floor.
"A little, y-yeah." Ray was monotonous. Not that she could've been much more expressive had she wanted to be. Blood loss, exhaustion, pain and pain relief shots had dampened her ability to speak above a whisper at that moment.
"Why were you mad for that androids sake?" Angel had been silent since Ray's outburst, choosing only after the operation was complete to speak. She had done as Norman asked and held down Rays non-injured leg.
"It ain't about Instro. It's about people not doing the right thing. You could've gone to the cops and told them as much, and he'd have been free. Instead you left him to his potential demise."
"But the memories!" Angel was indignant that Ray was still mad at her.
"Are entirely worthless. What's the point of chasing something so freaking worthless to anyone but the original owner? Unless it's some war hero, a novelist or scientist, in which case they'll probably distributive it for free or a small fee to make sure others can gain their knowledge." Ray closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Adrenaline had its uses, but not now that she needed rest. Norman returned during this time and set about the second half of the operation, the clean up.
"But what about physical memories?"
"You ever seen a physical memory?"
"Books, statues?"
"Are history, that ain't a memory. Books allow for the sharing of information, ideas and theories. Statues tell a story about something or someone important, you can't horde it for yourself unless you want to be selfish."
"You wouldn't understand."
"That your stupid for chasing an intangible, unrealistic fantasy? Yeah I guess not." Ray hissed again as Norman started applying some kind of ointment to her leg and bandaging it. "I'm going to pass out now." With that, Ray was out. For once, Rays sleep was not interrupted by nightmares.
"Did she really pass out so quickly?"
"Oh dear. It wasn't exactly quick, but perhaps now she will be able to rest. Ms Dorothy, please take Ray to her room. I will escort Ms Lovejoy out."
"Hey, I didn't get to question her!" Angel stamped her foot down and acted like a child not getting their way, pouting and whining.
"You may return tomorrow afternoon then Ms Lovejoy. I suspect Ms Ray will not be up to answering any inquires you have until she has rested." Norman sounded stern and that let Angel know she had crossed the line. She left without any more complaints.
When Ray woke up the next morning, she found herself in her pj's, in her bed and a rather disgruntled Dorothy being forced to keep an eye on her. It was near impossible for her to put weight on her leg, so Dorothy helped her get a cane so Ray could at least get to and from the bathroom without help.
"Thanks for helping me."
"Can you stay out of trouble now?" Dorothy was definitely frowning, Ray was not seeing things.
"Why do you always act like you don't have emotions when you clearly have them?" Ray was propping her leg up with pillows.
"My range is limited, but it also seems to upset Roger when I display any of them." Dorothy went back to stoicism.
"Well, he's a right louse ain't he?" Ray settled back in the bed and tried to relax. Soon Major Dan Dastun came by and questioned Ray about what happened, and then proceeded to fill her in on what had transpired that night.
The mummy that had attacked Ray the night before had been a cyborg gone mad. He had been in a bad state of mind for forty years, and when he finally woke up to his truth, all he remembered was a list of names given to him to assassinate. Only the cyborg was forty years late for whatever contact he had been given. The men had no real connection, and Ray certainly wasn't like the previous three victims. The three had been men in their fifties, various levels of success and health. The only thing they had in common was that all had been single, which didn't really given any clues as to why they had been targeted.
The cyborg assassin had remembered something before his death and had fallen off a roof, laughing on the way down as he committed suicide. With no other suspects, and the real killer found, Instro was freed and gave Dorothy a lesson at home that day as thanks for Rogers help. Ray listened from her room, reading the books she had bought yesterday. It was relaxing when Dorothy chose not to play her more violent music. Then again, Ray would've loved to hear some heavy metal or metal symphonic. But with a piano alone that would be difficult.
Later that day Angel returned to question Ray.
"You're going to answer me this time you twerp!" Angel burst into her room, waving a fist around and Norman not far behind.
"Ok."
"And no more… Wait did you just agree to me questioning you?" Angel stopped mid tirade and looked stumped. She had plenty of arguments for no, but no response for yes.
"You technically saved me last night." Ray closed her comic and tried to get up. "But you also pointed a gun at me, again. So, what do you want?"
"Tell me where your from."
"South west of the city, a long way away."
"Fine be evasive. But why did I find your name in the automatic assault ships log?" Angel started shouting.
"You found my name where?" Was Ray hearing things? The ghost ship had her name in it's logs?
"In the assault ships logs." Angel looked ill content.
"Show me." Ray grabbed her cane and tried to get up.
"I'll need a computer." Angel protested.
"Roger has one in the study. And I don't think he will object to us using it." In fact he did not, and was curious to see these logs for himself.
Ray had initially been excited to learn that computers were not uncommon in the city. Most libraries had one with their catalogs inside. But unlike the sleek and fast machines of Rays world, they were more like the terminals found in the Fallout franchise. Diode monitors with crystal glass front, green light the only one from the screen instead of vibrant colors. Slow, and with few uses other than email and recording documents. Roger's looked like something out of a steam punk revival aesthetic book. Black stand for the monitor, brass castings and bolts. The keyboard keys were brass circles with matte black finish, the letters etched in bronze. No mouse though, no real use for them yet when no one had graphical user interfaces. Indeed, the computers of Paradigm ran some kind of DOS clone, and still used floppy disks and tapes instead of optical media like what Dorothy's head drive was compatible with. Ray couldn't understand why, but was also immensely saddened by the fact that there was no real internet as she would know it. Sure there was email, but only if you know someone's address. No social media, no news sites, no music. So no real use for poor Ray.
Angel popped the disk in and Roger navigated the system to the floppy drive, mounted the disk and the file opened immediately. The logs listed the coordinates the ship had gone too, and whom had given it the orders, until those orders stopped and it just drifted. The ships automatic recorder had worked until it's destruction, and still listed the coordinates. But then there was something in the record that didn't make sense. A record from a year ago listed a name again and again as having given orders to the ship. Ray Law!
"But how? I can't remember ever being on a ship." Ray racked her brain, shifting through the rampart thoughts bouncing in her head. Yet there was no solace to be found there, only panic. No memories of a ship, no memories of arriving in the city. Absolutely nothing.
"If it hadn't been destroyed I might have been able to get more information." Angel gave a pointed look at Roger, rather obvious that she was displeased with how that ordeal had concluded.
"Thank you Angel." Ray was staring at the screen, thousand yard stare returning to her features.
"Huh? Have you lost it? Why are you thanking me?"
"Because this was information I didn't have, and it might have been how I was transported to Paradigm City." Ray hobbled back to her room, she needed time to think. The dim lighting in the hallway made Dorothy's expression that of a frown.
While Ray was recovering, Instro gave into Mr Giesengs request to fulfill his father's legacy. Sadly there was little Roger could've done to prevent it. After Instro had gained his freedom, Gieseng had redoubled his efforts to get Instro to help with Amadeus's legacy. When Roger went to look into him, Dastun gave him limited info.
"Gieseng is an old German fellow. Word is before Instros maker passed away, he and Gieseng were getting funding from the Paradigm Corporation for some kind of research."
"What were they researching?"
"Don't know, but it seems he might still be experimenting on his own." Roger thanked Dan and headed for the door, "How is Ray doing by the way? She didn't look so good when I was over the other day."
"Better. She's healing up and getting back to working on simple tasks Norman gives her. Did you ever find out more about the assassins targets?"
"Not a thing. Whatever reason they had to die went to the grave with them." With the info Dastun gave him Roger headed to the Speakeasy to ask Big Ear.
"The experiments supposedly had to do with sound waves." Big Ear was talking as if discussing the weather.
"Sounds waves huh?" Roger sipped at his beer and thought for a second, "Have you found anything out about why Ray was targeted by that assassin?"
"Not at all. It's as much as mystery as everything else about the young lady." Big Ear flipped to the next page, "How is she by the way? Healing up alright?"
Roger started laughing nervously, "What's with everyone's concern with Ray anyway?"
"Says the man asking about her."
"I supposed I deserve that." Roger finished his beer and left a stack of bills before heading home, he needed to pick up Dorothy for her lesson.
When they got to the bar, the Amadeus was closed and locked, which was odd. Instro was expecting them. When Roger went to use his key hidden in the pen to unlock the door Dorothy just knocked it down. Superhuman strength had its advantages. The inside was a disaster, sheet music scattered, no lights, dust falling, and the piano! It had a massive gouge in it, insides exposed and ruined.
"Roger, I… Please Roger, you have to save him." Dorothy pleaded with Roger in an octave just above monotone.
"Come on," they went back to the car and headed for Amadeus' house outside the city. While driving to the destination Roger sped along, but sounded amused. "I find it interesting you would make another negotiation request of me, Dorothy."
"Who else would I turn too? You are my employer after all." Even though monotone Roger got the sense of despair in her voice.
"True enough," he laughed. "Ok I'll help Instro, but about my fee?"
"You fee will be paid back by my ability to play more human like." Staring straight ahead, the city passed by the car window.
"Sounds good to me!" They soon arrived at the edge of the forest where Amadeus house was. Roger used the machine guns hidden under the headlights of the Griffin to destroy the "Do Not Enter" signs closing off the road. But they couldn't go much further, snow and tree stumps obscured the way forward, so Roger and Dorothy went on foot to the ruins of the house.
"What the?" The house had a massive chunk missing, and a huge hole was below the part that was still there. Little wonder it had been condemned to rot. "This place looks like a war zone, what happened here?" Roger and Dorothy had made their way through the remains to the upstairs to find an abandoned piano in front of a wall now gone.
"Roger."
"Yeah I know Dorothy." Soon the sound of rubble breaking, machinery whining and earth opening up not far away rung out in the quiet of the snowy forest. "What is that?" A giant robot had appeared not far from the huge ditch in the ground and started walking towards the city.
"Now, enact your father's revenge Instro!" Gieseng yelled at the robot. It had a large cylinder torso, eight arms like that of a spiders legs, small cylinder like legs with ball joints. The head was just a silver ball with two golden fringes on the side like sideburns.
"Instro!" Roger ran after the robot that had appeared. The machine stopped and its head look downward.
"Roger Smith." Instro lowered the robots torso so he could talk to the black clad negotiator. The head slid open to reveal Instro's torso and arms were visible, but his legs and hands had been strapped and bolted into the machine to operate it.
"Instro what are you doing in there?" A hum was heard to Roger's right, and Gieseng was holding some kind of staff.
"Don't interfere!" His gravelly voice shouted.
"That's enough Mr Gieseng. I'll use Constance to finish fathers legacy and destroy Paradigm City." With that the robot stood upright and began walking towards the city.
"Instro stop, you don't have to do this." A subsonic shot hit the trees close to Roger, throwing up dust and debris.
"I'm sorry Roger, I must finish what my father started." Instro sounded sad.
"Now Big O." Roger spoke into his wristwatch, and the mechanical giant known as Big O, but the iron giant again had a hidden passenger. Ray had snuck aboard yet again, and was waiting. "And Action!"
The fight between Instro's Constance and Rogers Big O was rather one sided. Constance subsonic weapon chipped away at Big O, and the noise it made was deafening. Big O couldn't get a move in edgewise, as the attacks kept pushing him back. Constance spread out its eight arms and they vibrated to create the subsonic attacks. But something stopped Instros assault, the sound of a piano playing in the distance. Dorothy's playing had calmed at least one beast.
"Dorothy? Alright Big O now!" Roger used the laser beams in Big O's eyes to cut the arms off Constance, and as one fell on top on Gieseng and crushed him, his subsonic staff making mush of what was left.
Constance cockpit opened, and Roger stepped out to meet him.
"Roger… Thank you, but…" As Instro was about to rip his arms away from his bolted in hands to destroy them, a cane flew past Roger and smacked Instro right in the middle of his forehead, clattering onto the control panels.
""Will not harm myself!" That's what you were gonna say right?" Ray hobbled up to Rogers side, leaning on him for support.
"But I must prevent my body from being misused." Instro started to shout in protest.
"But you musn't Instro." Dorothy popped out of a hidden elevator then, and fished Instro's bow tie out of her pocket, "You must continue my lessons."
"Now stay still and I'll get you out. I borrowed Normans tools, not that he'll be happy with me." Ray hiked a bag onto her shoulder.
"Norman is like to be rather upset with you." Dorothy turned her head to look at Ray, who was pale and shivering in this cold and snowy weather.
"Yeah, but I'm sure he'll understand, but still punish me later." Ray walked to the edge of the cockpit platform. "Hey Big guy, hold up your hand so I can walk over there."
"Hold on Ray I'll get his hand into… HUH!" Big O responded to Rays request, and his hand formed a bridge for Ray to slowly stumble over.
"Now you hold still got it. I gotta get you out." Ray set the bag down and started shifting through the tools inside.
"Why help me? I'm an android after all."
"I got ninety nine problems, you being an android ain't one." Ray gave a wide grin. She had wanted to use that line at some point. She found the right sized wrench and began trying to loosen the bolts, but found it almost impossible. Then a small cold hand gripped the top of hers and began helping. "Thanks Dorothy."
"While I do appreciate the help, I must inform you that I am, well, naked for lack of a better term." Instro sounded embarrassed.
"That's fine. I brought along a towel." Ray gave another mischievous grin.
"You seem awfully prepared." Roger had come over to help free Instro as well.
"First rule of hitchhiking the galaxy, always have a towel." Ray said matter of factually.
"Hitchhiking the what?" Roger just gave Ray a grimace. 'What the hell is she even talking about? She's either crazy or full of someone else's memories. I'm not sure I want to find out.'
"I find your lack of literary knowledge disappointing." Ray said that in a low and grim voice as she could manage. Instro laughed, for what else could he do at the comedy playing out before him. Soon he was free and wrapped in a towel. His clothes were in the ruins of the house, so he was able to dress, and joined Roger and Dorothy in the car ride home. Ray sat in Big O's command chair and rode him home, not able to walk the length of the forest back to the Griffin. Soon the Big had descended into the Prairie Dog below, and total darkness was Ray's companion in the cockpit until a few red lights began to glow.
"Hey Big O, I have a question for you. Do you know why I'm here?" Ray was half asleep in the chair.
The middle screen came awake and the words CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD: YE NOT flashed at the end.
"I see. So you don't know either. Well, was worth a shot." Soon she was back at the manse, and indeed, Norman was rather upset with Ray for taking his tools and hiding in Big O again, but also understood why she had done it, and would decide her punishments later.
All's well that ended well. Instro's hands were saved, Dorothy's lessons would continue for the foreseeable future, Angel had gotten some answers for her questions, and Ray some of hers. Roger hoped that he would be allowed more restful sleep now. Yet what had happened before left Ray feeling even more shaken. She truly had no other recourse than to ask something she desperately hoped it wouldn't come to.
"Norman, there's something I want to ask of you." Ray had gotten serious.
We Have Come to Terms
AN: From now on it will take a bit longer for chapters to come out. I'm attempting to translate the novel and get that out, as well as working on material from the manga and radio drama. Fear not my various readers. Though it may take me longer between chapters now, I intend to finish this piece eventually. And a real epic it will be, I'm currently estimating about 32 chapters for now. Or more. Hopefully they won't all be super long.