The Meeting/Cold Hands warm heart/Isolation/So what now?
Couple of stories that happen between when Beck breaks out and when he is captured again.
In a restaurant in the Main Dome only accessible to the insanely wealthy, hidden in a back alley not much frequented by the lower class, a meeting between the King of what remained of the world and the Spys thrown out by the previous king is taking place.
Truly it all sounded melodramatic to Angel, but it was the truth, more or less. They, that is to say those participating in the meeting, were seated in a private room in the back of the restaurant that even normal patrons would be hard pressed to gain access too if they should know it existed. Though food had been served, and beverages available, there was little eating and drinking going on.
"Well then, I see no reason to delay this further. Tell me then, how is the search going for the replacement parts?" The king, Alex Rosewater, spoke in a calm and level attitude, but somehow Angel got the feeling he was actually excited to hear what they had to say. If it was good news, at any rate.
"Hrmp, we found a few parts that you have requested: rotors, processors and even coupling units. We're still looking for the joints, cabling and headpieces, however." The agent that spoke wasn't much higher in rank than Angel, but had been selected to be the main speaker as he was the only one with knowledge on machine parts, working in an android repair shop he would understand the jargon in the report from the homeland. Angel hoped he would be able to put such terms into simpler words for those unawares of the technical specifications.
"That is wonderful news. Should I expect a delivery from The Union any time soon?" Alex seemed to purr at the news.
"Not until the new year. We plan to wait until we have more of the parts assembled before sending them to the main production facility." The agent adjusted his tie nervously. What he was about to say carried a lot of weight, and messing up could impact a lot of his fellow agents' lives, "With that said, what about the citizenship status of a few of our members? It would be easier for us to gather parts if we knew some of our own could live and work in the city."
"You needn't worry about that end. I've seen to it that those from the outskirts are able to get citizenship, provided they have the necessary skills to apply for much needed jobs available. Speaking of which, there was an outsider who applied recently: a young woman by the name of Ray Law. My father seems to have taken an interest in her, but she doesn't appear to be one of ours. What do you know of her?" Alex had gone back to being serious, steepling his fingers under his chin, leaning forward ever so slightly.
"Not much. We looked into her on our end as per your request, and we have no records of such a woman matching the description given. Moreover, no one has a family member fitting that description either. Whoever she is, she isn't one of ours." The agent was empathic in his attempt to answer. If Alex Rosewater didn't believe him the whole meeting could turn sour, and that would put those families trying to live peacefully in the city could be in danger.
"That is most concerning. There isn't much information about her anywhere in our records either. It's as if she simply appeared out of thin air." He frowned, for this lack of information could cost him dearly in the future, better to know if it was just his father going senile and placing himself into matters that he had no real control over, or if he was trying to undermine Alex's plans for Paradigm Citys expansion projects. "I believe that you have had an encounter with the young woman, is that correct, Ms Lovejoy?"
"Yes, it is." It was unusual for him to address her directly, and Angel unconsciously straightened up. "That said, I cannot guarantee my information is useful."
"Be that as it may, I am still inclined to hear it. What can you tell me about her; personality, impresion, skills and the like?"
"To put it plainly, she is unlikeable. Quite frankly she is a typical rowdy and tomboyish teenage girl who is quick to anger and swear when she is so inclined. Yet, there is something about her, I'm not sure how I would put it, but strange is what comes to mind." Angel sighed; it was true, Ray was a thorn in her side, and a sharp one at that.
"How so?"
"Her past adventures are a mystery, as she cannot remember how or why she is in the city, though she seemingly remembers where she comes from. She also has an eclectic assortment of abilities. Though I have not seen it for myself, supposedly she can use computers with ease, and understands the inner workings of somewhat complicated machines like androids. That said…" Angel hesitated to continue, as what else she knew was probably just speculation.
"Do go on."
"It seems the only one she has taken a liking to is the negotiator's android companion. The android is said to be cruel towards her, yet Ray doesn't seem to mind that and accompanies the android to an underground bar owned by yet a different android the negotiator sees as a friend. In fact, she seems to dislike people in general and tends to avoid them when possible. When she does go out, it is to the Mall Dome on errands or to buy books."
"Hm, I see. That really is not much to go on, but at the very least that tells us one thing." Alex had a bemused smile across his features, and it made him appear a tad bit wicked.
"And that is, sir?" Angel didn't like that look one bit, it terrified her.
"She may possess memories that we have need of. Please continue to track her for a while longer, and mayhap we will have the answers we seek." He sat up and began to eat at that point. "No point in letting it go to waste gentlemen, please eat before it gets cold. Additionally, as we are seeking to build another farming dome in the near future, would you be so kind as to send architects and construction workers from your homeland to assist in the project?"
Soon the meeting was over and Angel was glad she could change back into her skin tight biker suit. She really didn't like wearing business attire as much as she had to for work, but it put food in the fridge and gas in the tank, so she didn't have much reason to complain. She left the building to find one of her own standing next to her bike, black fedora pulled down over his face to make it harder for cameras to identify him and his hands in his pockets.
"Something I can help you with?" Angel tried to play coy.
"We have orders from the homeland pertaining to that girl spoken of in the meeting: keep an eye on her, and if she does have the skills you assume, she cannot be allowed to fall into Rosewaters hands."
"Wasn't planning on it." The agent turned and left then, leaving Angel alone in the dark alleyway. "Just why is everyone obsessed with this kid? And it's not like I've seen any of her supposed talents for myself, just what I can pick up from gossip." Angel looked up at the top of the dome, with it's false sky and stars. "There's no place like home. I bet the stars are shining there." She whispered to no one in particular. On her face was etched a sad smile.
For a few days after the Amusement Park Dome incident, Ray felt a terrible chill down her spine, but was not certain why. It was as if her every movement outside the mansion was being watched, so she took to staying at home for the time being, where the only one spying on her so closely would be Dorothy.
NO SIDE
Cold Hands Warm Heart
Ray hadn't been feeling good for the last few days. Since a day or so before the Amusement Dome incident, she had felt awful, aside from feeling like someone was intently watching her. Her head had felt fuzzy and her sinuses stuffed up, and she even had a mild headache to boot. Well it is autumn now, and colds are becoming common. I'll be fine in a few days.
Still, Ray felt beyond awful that day when she woke up, sleeping well past her typical wake up time, and only waking when she heard Dorothy banging on the piano. She got up, stumbled her way into the bathroom, and looked at herself in the mirror.
"Ugh I look terrible." Ray couldn't help saying it. She looked haggard with her bloodshot eyes with blackish purple bags underneath, reddish cheeks and nose that seemed to be dripping. "Ew gross. Did a truck hit me last night? Geez."
"Not unless a truck can magically fit in your room and suddenly disappear without causing structural damage." Dorothy was at the door to her bathroom, Ray hadn't bothered to close it.
"Ugh, morning." Ray's voice sounded gravelly.
"You look unwell." Ray was certain she was hallucinating Dorothy's concern for her well being.
"I feel unwell. Huh?" Dorothy had closed the distance between them, and was very close to Ray. "What are you doing?"
"Checking your temperature." Dorothy put a cold hand on Ray's forehead for a few seconds before pulling it away. "You have a fever of 102 F, you need to lay back down now. I will inform Norman you are not feeling well. Please go back to bed and rest." With that Dorothy was gone and left Ray to stumble back to bed.
Norman came in later with some medicines and soup for Ray, but she was far too weak to care for herself at that point. When he attempted to help Ray, Dorothy swooped in and forced Norman from the room.
"You are likely to become ill too if you try and care for Ray. I will do it, so please leave." Dorothy then proceeded to care for a weak and pathetic Ray. Not that there was much she could do at that moment, Ray was asleep, but in much pain and discomfort. Ray was clammy to the touch, but was sweating bullets. Dorothy brought in a bowl of cold water and a washcloth and would occasionally clean Rays face off before putting on a cold compress.
Ray didn't remember much from the next few days, just that when she woke up a pair of small cold hands forced her back down, helped feed her and give her fluids, and once in a while brushed the hair from Ray's face.
"Is she..." Ray passed out before hearing the rest.
"How is…?" Voices seemed to float by her.
"Has her temperature gone down?" That was the first complete and coherent sentence Ray would make out after a few days in bed. It sounded like Norman, but she wasn't sure.
"Yes, it's down to only 100 F now. In a few more days she should be well." Dorothy's voice, Ray could tell that. She sounded close, but Ray still couldn't make out much from the conversation the two had, save for that.
When Ray was finally able to stay awake for more than a few seconds at a time a day later, she felt gross, she was sticky from sweating so much, and her eyes felt too heavy to open for longer than a minute. Not that she needed to see much. Soon a cold cloth was placed over her face by a pair of cold hands.
"Are you finally awake?" Dorothy's voice, no mistaking it.
"Yeah. How long have I been out?"
"Three days. A doctor came by that first day and said you had influenza. So I have been caring for you since then." Dorothy removed the cloth from Ray's face and helped her sit up.
"Why, don't you hate me?"
"You dying would be an inconvenience to both Norman and Roger." Ray's chest hurt when she laughed at Dorothy's snarky comment.
"Yeah I guess it would." Ray's stomach growled loudly then, protesting not having anything to eat in days.
"I'll bring you something to eat. Stay here."
"Yeah, not sure where else I could go. Um if it's ok, could I have a cup of tea too?"
Dorothy looked back at Ray, slightly annoyed, before her features seemed to soften. "I'll bring you some."
"Thanks." Ray wasn't sure how much time passed while she sat there fading in and out of consciousness, but before long Dorothy had returned and tried to help Ray. "I can feed myself, you don't have to baby me all the time."
"You're shaking."
"Oh."
"Here." Ray wasn't given much choice but to let Dorothy care for her.
"What time is it now?" It looked like it was late to Ray.
"1:30 in the morning. You woke up around one."
"Ok. I need a shower." Ray tried to stand up, but was still shaking a lot.
"No, lay back down." Dorothy put her cold hands on Ray's shoulders. Even through her night shirt she could feel them.
"Dorothy, come on, I smell awful and I'm covered in sweat. I can't go back to sleep like this." Ray really felt pathetic, and wasn't sure if a shower would completely make her feel better, but being clean was better than being dirty and smelly any day. Dorothy pulled away and let Ray up.
"Don't lock the bathroom door. If you pass out I will need to be able to get to you."
"Yeah yeah, sure, whatever ya pervert." Ray was finally smiling again, for the first time in days, so it was enough for Dorothy to let her be. Ray got into the shower, and realizing that she was a bit dizzy, she sat down and took a shower that way. "Maybe I wasn't up for this. Whatever, not about to give up now. She wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I did."
Dorothy came to check on Ray once or twice, but didn't enter when Ray answered back. After almost twenty minutes in the shower, Ray got out and dressed, dried up her hair and started back to bed. When she was close she noticed her sheets no longer had a puddle of sweat on them, and looked clean.
"Oh, guess she changed them for me." Ray crawled back into bed and fell asleep. Soon a little furball jumped into bed with her and started purring away. Just beyond the door frame Dorothy kept watch on her, but for what remained of the night Ray slept peacefully. The next day she awoke at around ten, got up and started getting dressed for work. When Ray walked into the kitchen Norman was making breakfast and Dorothy was trying to help.
"Really Ms Dorothy, this is rather unusual coming from you. Why the sudden interest in cooking?"
"It's too much risk for you to try and care for Ray. I am the only one that cannot be made sick, so it stands to reason I should learn what is needed in case either you or Roger become ill as well."
"Heh." Ray couldn't help but laugh at the absurd scene in front of her. Dorothy was really trying to cook, but it seemed like she was having trouble.
"Oh, you seem to be doing much better Ms Ray." Norman hadn't noticed her come in, as he was keeping an eye on Dorothy's culinary disaster in the making.
"Yeah, I'm feeling much better. Thanks for taking care of me these past few days Dorothy." Dorothy gave no reply, just looked over at Ray before asking something of her.
"Would you try it?" Dorothy held out a spoonful of some unrecognizable slop to Ray. It appeared to be gray ooze.
"Why me? Normans the better cook and would be far more capable of reviewing this." Ray grimaced.
"Killing Norman with food poisoning would not be ideal." Dorothy deadpanned.
"Haha, well you have a point. I guess I'll try whatever this is." Ray hesitantly ate what it was that Dorothy had given her. "Huh! This actually isn't that bad. The texture is weird, but it tastes alright."
Dorothy seemed to smile at that. "Well sit down and eat then. I was making it for you anyway."
"Really? Why?" Ray couldn't hide her surprise at that statement.
"Because you were unwell until this morning. And you still aren't completely well, now sit down and eat."
"Ok ok. Don't be so pushy." Ray sat down at the kitchen table and ate whatever the slop was that Dorothy had made for her. After Ray had eaten it, Dorothy cleaned up after and told Ray to wait for a bit.
"Wait for what?"
"I need to check your temperature again." Dorothy came over and placed her cold hand on Ray's head. "98.5 F, so you should be fine later today."
"Hm. Cold hands, warm heart."
"What?" Dorothy tilted her head in confusion.
"It's something my mom used to tell me, I wasn't entirely sure what it meant when I was little, but as I grew up I realized it meant that someone that seems cold can actually be pretty kind. I hadn't even thought about it in a long time." Ray gave a sad smile. "It's just… these last few days you've been the one caring for me, and for some reason that saying keeps coming to mind. You're usually pretty cold to me, but you can be nice when you want. So… I guess I'm trying to thank you, is all."
"You must still be sick. Go back to bed." Dorothy shoed Ray out of the kitchen and made sure she made it back to her room and rested. After she left Ray's room Dorothy thought to herself, "She is a strange human. Who would think to thank an android for following logic?"
We Have Come to Terms
Isolation
The last few days, Ray had a terrible sense of unease when she went outside. It didn't matter for how long, or where she went, it felt like there were many sets of eyes on her, and none of them wanted or warranted in her mind. It had come to a point where Ray just flat out refused to leave the mansion, save for the patio in the evenings. At least she didn't feel like she was under surveillance, other than the usual from her typical present company.
"What's gotten into Ray? She's acting like she fears for her life," Roger had noticed the girl had become withdrawn and more secretive in the last few days. And she wasn't exactly forthcoming in his eyes to begin with.
"I'm not sure myself sir, but she seems to think someone is stalking her whenever she leaves the house." Norman was working on his motorcycle when Roger had found him. Changing out some parts and tuning others to his high standards.
"Other than Dorothy, who would be keeping an eye on Ray so closely as to stalk her?" Roger knew that Dorothy had taken keeping an eye on Ray a bit far when the human teen had complained that the robot teen was watching her sleep at night, and Ray felt it was creepy and needed to stop. Roger had warned Dorothy that such actions were indeed going a bit too far, but didn't entirely discourage it. Ray still had too many secrets for his liking.
"I wouldn't know sir. But if Ray being skittish and past events are any indication, she may well have reason to be scared." He stood up from his crouched position then, and went to clean grease off his hands. "It's not as if an assassin tried to kill her a few months ago or anything."
"Ah, yeah that is true." Roger scratched at his chin nervously. It wasn't like Norman to subtly scold him without reason. So Roger knew he probably shouldn't press Ray any further on the issue. "That said, if Ray won't open up under these circumstances, maybe it's time to drop the subtlety myself. Right now she should be finished with her work and reading in the lounge."
Roger's guess was of course correct. Much like any human in this city of amnesia, Ray kept to her daily habits even when her life was disrupted. Habits and traditions had a way of keeping people sane in a city without a known past.
"Ray?" Even though Roger had used a softer tone of voice so as not to startle her, Ray still jolted to attention from her slouched seating in the armchair. "There's no reason to be on edge, I just wanted to ask you something."
"Ok. What is it?" She closed her book and tried to relax a little, but it was difficult to do, as usually his questions were those Ray couldn't or refused to answer. For a pleasant change of pace, he asked her something she could tell him the truth about for once.
"Do you really think someone is stalking you when you leave the house?" Roger sat on the couch adjacent to Ray, hoping that getting on her level of sight would apply to part of her subconscious that he was trying to help her. Roger certainly didn't look like it, but he had studied quite a bit of psychology to use during his negotiations, though much to his irritation Ray was usually aware of said tactics and they failed to reach an understanding as a result. But Ray was not as on guard this time, or perhaps she was just tired of putting up walls all the time. Whatever the reason was, Roger felt she was willing to talk.
She laughed nervously. "You're going to think I am insane or paranoid, but yes."
"Maybe you are being paranoid, but talking about why you feel that way is certainly better than bottling it up." "Yes! Finally some progress."
"What are you? My therapist?" Ray laughed again, but it was genuine and mirthful. "Alright fine then, best get your notepad and pen ready." Roger pulled a small notepad and pen out of his pocket, and that sent Ray into howls of laughter.
"Ok, ok you got me. I wasn't expecting you to do that." Ray was smiling for the first time in a few days, and it certainly was better than her being jumpy.
"So, what makes you think you're being watched?" Roger was making headway, and he didn't want to lose the momentum when Ray had finally let herself be open. Ray tensed up. "No, just a bit more and maybe we can finally chip away at that wall you built."
"Well…," Ray sighed and hesitated for a second before launching into her explanation. "I'm not sure why exactly, but everytime I leave the house it feels like every move I make is being recorded, followed and traced. It's not like I see anyone specific, or notice anyone out of the ordinary. More like there's this… vacuum of space around me that shouldn't be. And it's… well it's weird. There's people around me, but it feels like they aren't there."
"Yeah, that does sound weird, and like you're paranoid." Ray frowned at Rogers blatant assessment. "But it's not an unheard of tactic."
"Huh?" Ray blinked in confusion.
"The best way to surveil someone isn't to follow them, it's to have regular people walk past them and then pay them for whatever information they can provide." It was a tactic Roger has used in both his Military Police days and in his more recent endeavours at finding out more about some certain women in his life. He didn't think Ray would want to hear that however. Well, he was actually keeping an eye on Angel these days, but that was another issue. "Ray might still slap me if she ever found out I had paid some neighbourhood kids off to keep an eye on her, but that was a few months ago."
"So I might not be insane and have actual reason to be worried?" Ray was having trouble believing it, but did Roger think she was telling the truth? She was of course, but he was always so pushy with trying to get her to be honest and open.
"You're sane, whether that's good or not is up to you." He gave her one of his charming smiles trying to win her over just a little more, but Ray's facial expression had a way of conveying that she found it bemusing and annoying at the same time. "Well, if you're willing, there might be a way to make it stop."
Ray sat up straight at that, and nodded agreement. "Alright, then for this we'll need to…"
Some hours later in the early evening, Ray left the house to go to her favorite used bookstore. Tonight, she was indeed being followed, but at least she knew some of her shadows. Dorothy would be with her, carrying her shopping basket. Inside the basket Norman had placed a device that pinged nearby recording devices. A block behind them, Norman would be following in his relaxed day off clothing and had a device that would receive signals from the device Dorothy had. If someone was stalking Ray, they would know immediately and he could deal with it. Roger went on ahead to the bookstore and would pick them up there.
"This is nerve racking." Ray was shaky as the two teens walked on. She kept trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on her, but it was difficult.
"You are probably insane and wasting everyone's time with this goose chase. But if you are then Roger can simply put you in an asylum and I will never have to deal with you again." Dorothy was blunt as always, but somehow Ray had come to find that reassuring instead of annoying.
"Meh, they'll probably just medicate me. I'm not trying to hurt anyone, so no reason to lock me up in a padded room with a nice straight jacket." She shrugged, but felt a calmer for Dorothy's verbal assault. "I never thought I would get used to that again. Then again, she had every right to suspect and dislike me."
The two kept on towards the bookstore, and made it there without incident. The closer they got, the less fearful Ray felt, as if doubts evaporating like rain on hot pavement. She even began to hum a juantly little tune from a video game. Within another ten minutes they arrived at the steps leading into the corner shop that the bookstore resided in. Ray let out a loud sigh of relief.
"Well, that was all for nothing." Dorothy deadpanned. She really didn't like having to go along with Ray anywhere. And certainly not when it was what she felt to be a waste of time.
"Yeah, but hey, we're here, may as well pick up some reading." Ray went into the shop while Dorothy waited outside. Roger pulled up from around the corner and idled there until Ray came out with a stack of books. The three headed home to meet Norman. His news was the proof Ray needed.
"Well Norman, find anything useful?" Roger asked as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Indeed I did sir. Four listening devices, two civilians being paid for their information, and a few unscrupulous individuals who ran at my approach." Norman seemed rather proud of himself. "That should take care of any prying eyes for a while."
It was as if Ray had shouted into the void, and the void slapped back. Her head was reeling from this information. "So many people following and spying on me, and for what? Who would want to…?"
She didn't need to finish the thought, she somehow knew exactly who was watching her, maybe not why, but definitely who. And it sent chills down her spine. "No… But at the same time, it makes sense. His father contacted me for seemingly unknown reasons, and he also keeps an eye on Roger, so he would have to know I was here already. Moreover, Angel keeping an eye on me would be because of her own curiosity, but what if her higher ups told her too?"
Ray's contorted face of terror told the other three that whatever she was thinking, it was absolutely awful.
"Ray, get a grip on yourself. Ray!" She snapped too as Roger gripped her shoulders lightly. She shook her head as she slammed back into her present reality, and noticed her lower lip was hot. Touching a hand to her face she saw blood. She must have bitten herself, but she was so out of it with shock and fear she hadn't noticed.
"Oh…" She didn't finish speaking, as Norman handed her a handkerchief and told her to apply some pressure.
"You should rest. We'll talk about this later." Norman gently pushed her towards her room.
"You're right, I'm clearly not feeling well." Ray was too out of it to fight back.
Behind Ray, Dorothy appeared as if she was frowning. "She's going to have more nightmares now, isn't she?"
"Probably, but can you blame her? A paranoid nightmare for most people just became a very terrifying waking reality for her." Roger loosened his tie and headed to his office on the floor below. "And she probably knows exactly who it was, and she won't tell me. But if those watching her are the 'enemies' she seems to think I have, then maybe Ray thinks she's protecting us by not saying anything. Either way I'll have to be more aware of these attempts in the future. What if whoever was doing this planned to kidnap Dorothy or Ray?"
"I'm going to need a drink before all these spy vs spy games are over." Roger sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. As he sat down at his desk and went to turn his computer on, he found a note written in a rather femine hand left in front of the keyboard. And it smelled faintly sweet. "Hm? Did she sneak in again?"
Dear Mr Negotiator,
Even should you scare off watchers now, more will come. 'She' has come under the scrutiny of the king and his court. Moreover, those waiting in the wings have interest in her as well. Prepare her for an in person meeting in the future. It will be to your benefit if she behaves.
Yours truly,
The note had lipstick in lieu of a signature, but it wasn't hard for Roger to imagine who had left it for him. The note was short and simple, but the message was impactful all the same. He grit his teeth, crumpled the note and tossed it in the trashcan before running a hand through his hair again.
"Is that what Ray meant by my having enemies?" He growled low under his breath. "And now I have to deal with the Paradigm Corp too?"
No Side
So now what?
Ray was fully healed, and doing much better, but since Beck had broken out of prison not quite two weeks ago and had yet to be caught, Ray kept having an ever present sense of impending peril. Not that she could say why, but Ray also knew what would happen the next time Beck tried to fight with Roger.
At least she thought she did. A proverbial wrench had been thrown into the gears that was Paradigms City's forward march when the two realities of the anime and manga had mixed. Almost nothing had gone the way Ray had expected from the entrance of the ghost ship. That said, it wasn't as if the story was ignoring events from the two so much as mixing them into a somewhat cohesive single story. Somewhat, because Ray still felt stilted by it all. And while many events were happening, it was somewhat out of order.
Moreover, Ray had started thinking on a new set of questions. She had to see the story through according to the old King of the Dome, Gordon Rosewater. But what if that wasn't true? What if there was a way for her to leave a little early? She would still have to be around for a bit longer for certain, but what if she could leave after a particular plot point was hit? It was worth a shot as far as she was concerned.
Either way, she would have to wait a little longer before she could attempt to leave. And even then, it wasn't a short wait. The earliest jump off point would likely be late winter, around the time she had awoken in the city. Meaning she would have to see the year out at least.
Yes a whole year in this city of no past and unknown future. Well, it wasn't so bad. In truth, Ray had actually enjoyed much of her time here, as it was far less stressful than her life back home. She had a decent full time job, room and board, and even earned enough after to pay for hobby goods and luxuries. She even had paid sick days! Something that had been unimaginable to her before.
Well, whatever the case would be, there was another question Ray had, and this one she could get an answer too, provided the one she had to ask would give it to her.
"Um, Dorothy, I want to ask you a question, but it might be kind of personal, so if you don't want to you don't have to answer it." Ray approached Dorothy, standing on the patio and not the concrete railing that evening.
"What is it?" She didn't turn to face Ray, just kept looking out over the city.
"Did… Did your 'big'," Ray made air quotes at that word, "sister have a voice? Ya know, like the Megadeus do? I was curious, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"She did."
"Is that so. Do you think you could tell me what she said?"
"It's rather disturbing, are you sure you want to hear it?" Dorothy finally turned her head to look up at Ray.
"Yeah, if you don't mind. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though." Dorothy's choice of words made Ray nervous.
"She was crying in pain." Dorothy looked back out over the city.
"Huh?" Whatever Ray had expected Dorothy to say, it wasn't that.
"When I met her for the first time, she was crying. The mind control device being used on her hurt, as it was a hijacked version of the proper control mechanism. She couldn't break free of it, and I tried to connect with her so I could help ease her pain…" Dorothy stopped then, her voice just trailed off and she seemed so small to Ray.
"Oh, you don't need to…" Dorothy found her voice again despite Ray's attempt to insist she didn't need to continue.
"Then Big O punched her through the chest, and her voice was gone. The connection shut off so suddenly it caused some mental feedback pain to me as well. I thought… I thought that was the end of her. Not long after that I ran back home to my father and I never wanted to remember it again. But the next night that gaudy gold clothed man kidnapped me again, and one of his henchmen murdered my father in front of me as well."
"You don't mean… When you were being used as a living battery that… that she was talking again?" Ray could only stumble over her words and look at Dorothy in horror, not for what she was, but what she had experienced.
"She did. But it was no longer cries of pain, instead a chorus of shrieks in agony." Dorothy's body shuddered at the memory. "She knew. She knew that she shouldn't have been awake or even functioning, and begged for it to end over and over. She also knew I shouldn't have been there, but attempted to control me as a means of escape. I was hooked up to her, forced to control her through a hijacking program, bound so that I could not move, there was no escape for either of us."
"Oh my god." Ray's eyes widened in horror and she became slack jawed as she could only imagine the terror her friend must have had to face. "How have you been able to deal with it?"
"When Roger rescued me that night, and pulled me away, I was finally able to control my motor functions again and was no longer a part of her. Her voice died again, I hope for good. Knowing that she cannot be abused again helps, a little bit at least."
Ray didn't say anything at first, she just took a step toward Dorothy and hugged her. "Dorothy, I am so, so sorry. You've been through hell, and I didn't even realize it was that horrific. I shouldn't have asked you about your sister. I'm sorry."
"It's alright. Thank you Ray." Dorothy pulled away. "I never told anyone about that before, for fear no one would believe me, or think I was malfunctioning."
"Norman would have believed you." Ray spoke in a softer tone than her typical brashness.
"Maybe, but he worries about my well being enough as it were."
"Well, as much as it must have hurt for you to tell me, I'm glad you did." Ray could only sigh as she looked out over the city forlornly. "And now I have yet another answer I needed, another step forward, but at what cost?"
There were multiple takeaways from this that Ray received. One was that even androids could suffer from psychological trauma. Another was that, given a craftsman's skill, they could even make an imitation Big that was capable of thought. And the third and last revelation was that Beck was truly a monster. Ray was not letting him get away if they met. She already immensely disliked the man, without ever having been forced to interact with him, now she wouldn't let him escape unscathed no matter the cost. She didn't want to kill him, but if he was mained a little then maybe that would be enough to stop him, and maybe if she did, the course of the story would change and eject her from the world.
We Have Come to Terms.
So now we have a set up and reason for our viewers to dislike Beck even more. I felt like Ray disliking Beck with little reason other than "You're criminal scum who I have no attachment to" really wouldn't work. It's like a villain in a video game who the hero never meets with, but for some reason really hates the hero and never explains themselves as to why. Well now there's a very real reason why Ray would hate him.