Ready for this? Probably not but it's here anyway.
In an alley outside the domes, an old homeless man walks into a dark corner, looking for his little hide away with his beat up mattress and crappy holey blankets. But once this grungy man turned the corner, everything was covered in slime. "Huh? What happened? Where's my bed, what is all this junk?"
The alleyway he called home was covered in slime and half eaten metals and other materials. A strange figure wiggled around on the ground, it was pink, had six legs with what appeared to be like thumbless hands, and a strangely smiley face. Behind it is an out of date quaint robot with no human features.
The bug thing was munching on what looked like metal, and quickly devoured it before rolling over and making its way towards the bum. "What, no stay away from me… ARGH!"
"Yes, yes, you must eat to get bigger, child." The robot spoke a clipped mechanical voice.
A few days later, grizzled veteran of the Paradigm City Military Police, Major Dan Dastun, was looking into strange happenings involving the homeless population. Mainly that many had been attacked by what they claimed was a monster. Many had stated it attacked them when alone. He didn't believe it of course. Monsters weren't real.
Yet what else could have done the damage he saw? Cars that looked as if rats had nibbled at them, dumpsters torn in half and trash all over the alley, a fire hydrant leaking all over the street with a side cap missing.
"... What the devil?" Dastun had his gun at the ready, on edge from what he saw. Turning a corner he got the sense he was being followed, turned around, and came face to face with the aforementioned devil eyes glowing down on him. He shot off a few rounds in the otherwise quiet alley.
Major Dan Dastun was laid up in a hospital bed, head covered in bandages. It wasn't like he was there for some small incident, he's been attacked by the strange creature that many homeless people had complained about. The Home office hadn't wanted info on it, and didn't send any officers to track it down. So Dastun had taken it upon himself.
Roger had gone to visit his old superior when he heard what had happened, but didn't himself believe it. For a monster to attack the old cop seemed bizarre.
"Did a monster really do this to you?" Something about seeing Dastun like this had Roger a little upset.
"I know what you're thinking Rog, and I couldn't believe it either. I had heard reports of homeless people being attacked and disappearing, but the home office doesn't care. They didn't want panic to spread unnecessarily. I went to check out the reports myself where someone disappeared and got attacked by a giant pink blob."
"Giant pink blob?" Roger really couldn't believe it. He had heard the rumors at the Speakeasy about homeless people either disappearing, but had chalked it up to some drunks having a few too many drinks and starting some fun, but seeing Dastun and the Military Police were looking into the matter and taking the hysteria serious, Roger had to assume there was something to the rumors and decided to look into it himself. He felt he owed Dan at least that much. "Someone needs to investigate this."
"Look Roger, you were one of the best MP's to ever work for me, you bailed me out more than I care to count. But you're not an MP anymore, don't bother getting involved with this." Dan gave his old lieutenant a warning gaze, but not so much stern as concerned for Roger's well being.
The alleyway where Dan Dastun was attacked was in a state of disarray. Trash cans overflowing lined the walls, and spilled out onto the grubby pavement below. Roger walked around gathering info from the various homeless that would talk to him. "Dan refused to tell me everything he knew hoping I would stay away. What I know: The destruction only happens in this part of the city far away from the domes. The so called omnipotent Paradigm Co doesn't care what happens out here or that a monster is cleaning it up. Everything of importance in this city is connected to the Paradigm co, like it's own fiefdom." Or perhaps a kingdom works better.
Behind him loud clacking footsteps resounded off the solemn brick walls, and a not so heavenly Angel stepped into view.
"Ah of course you're involved. What name are you using today? Is it Ms. Casy or Angel?" Roger couldn't help but have his shoulders fall in disbelief. The Paradigm Corporation wasn't investigating publicly but sent a secretary to gather info.
"Well hello to you Negotiator, what brings you down here? And I've told you before just Angel is fine." Angel was standing right behind him, her silhouette did nothing to hide her curves, and neither did the long pinkish faux fur lined coat she wore over her skin tight suit. Her hair was pulled back and she wore a warm felted cap, also in a light shade of pink.
"Even for a dangerous woman like you it's not safe to be walking alone at this hour around here."
"My my. A gold star for caring, but I'm not alone with you here now am I? Besides it should be here soon."
"You mean the beast from the rumors?"
"What else? It may have valuable memories after all." She was playing coy, but Roger could see through it. She may work for the Paradigm Company, but she only wanted those memories for herself. A person obsessed with the past until the very end.
"So Paradigm Corporation admits that it exists?" Just then something large and rickety rolled down an adjacent alley towards them. "Geez is that a robot? What a relic, I'm shocked it's still moving."
"Yes, a vintage 40 year old relic." Angel pulled a camera from her purse, jumped from the alley wall both had hidden behind and took some pictures of it. When the flash of the camera went off the robot stopped moving and Roger covered his face from the blinding light.
"What are you…?"
"Au revior Negotiator, he's all yours now." Angel ran away, in heels of all the shoes she could pick out for such a mission.
"That Angel sure isn't from Heaven." Roger's brows twitched in annoyance. Angel would've been better named Headache. Behind him the robot extended two long clawed arms, with stretchy vacuum like hose running over it's mechanical structures. Too old to be called an android, it had no human-like features and it's appearance was like a bulbous lamp. The heck is that thing? And is it following the pink creature Dan mentioned?
Angel ran further away from the archaica machine and out behind from some trash cans a pink blob jumped out. Startled Angel said, "Hi there little fella."
The creature jumped at Angel's arm, the one that was now holding a gun she had drawn from her purse. Trying to bat it away it clung to her arm until Roger came from the side and knocked her down. "Look out."
The gun and creature were knocked from her arm. The creature had six legs with tiny nub-like fingers, two rows of sharp fangs, a long tail and chubby body. Angel was dsiturbed by the pink blob "...What is that thing?"
"Is that now what you were after?" The creature picked up the gun in its large mouth, fitting all but the handle in its cheeks. "And probably the monster that attacked Dastun. Huh Angel?" The pink clad woman had picked an ideal time to disappear.
"Eat all your food, you must grow larger." The robot's mechanical tone did not match the grizzly scene . "You are a very special child." Soon the strange creature had devoured the gun, bleached and walked up to the old robot, wagging its thick tail much like a dog.
"What is that thing? And what did Angel want with it?" Roger watched as the Robot rolled down the alleyway, the little monster following behind.
"Good boy. Good boy. You must eat more and more. Keep eating. That is why you were born..." Everywhere the monster went, it ate only artificial foods. Metal, concrete, plastics, glass. Dilapidated buildings began to fall. Homeless ran from the monster, and their shelters evaporated overnight to the monsters insatiable appetite.
Roger walked down the sidewalk of the dilapidated section at the end of town. Despite talking with Dastun again he had still advised Roger to get as far away from whatever the creature was. So much destruction just from one monster?
"Hey you," a nasally voice yelled at Roger, "We don't need your kind snooping here." It was Major Guas. Still somehow alive and employed after so many failures to the higher ups. A large fleet of MP vehicles drove past. Many parked near or behind him. "The REAL police are trying to conduct an investigation. You've got nothing to do with it. Now buzz off."
So now the Military Police take an interest? Why? … No nevermind I'm certain I know why. Roger walked off, certain somewhere in his glass tower Alex Rosewater was watching. From every corner the MP turned, homeless people huddled together for warmth under tatty blankets, too scared of the monster to start a fire.
"Hmph scum of the earth this lot, too bad we can't clean this whole place up while we look for that thing." Major Gaus scoffed at the judgemental eyes of the homeless. Some of the lower ranked officers grumbled complaints.
"Useless beggars." One mumbled. "We should have just cleaned this place out after Major Dastun was attacked."
A slightly higher ranked officer walking a bit ahead of the others spoke up. "Our orders came from Mt Olympus itself, so just do as you're told and save the grumbling for the tabloid reporters." Looking behind him the other officers looked terrified. "Hm? What'za matter?". Behind him a large ghastly mouth filled with sharp white teeth opened up and slavered on the ground behind the unawares lietuitent.
"Gwarh!"
"Holy shit run!" The man yelled as they all ran away.
Officers meeting with Major Gaus were discussing their findings as of that moment when they heard the screaming. "What have you found men?" Gaus yelled to the subordinates.
"We've located the suspect!" The men yelled as they ran back to the tanks. Behind the men the wall close by burst open in a rain of bricks, and out scuttled the creepy pink monster.
"That's the suspect!?" The large creature close to three stories tall looked around, ignoring the men below, until it spotted the tanks and began to slobber in hunger. It lurched forward to make a snack of the tanks.
"It's actually eating the tank. How are we supposed to fight that, let alone capture it?" As it finished swallowing one tank Gaus found his resolve and shouted orders. "It's a monster, men, same as any other we fight. No alternative but to fire the missiles! Rain fires down on it."
The monster turned it's rather flabby neck towards the sounds of the missiles coming toward it. But instead of running, it's rather innocently chubby face swallowed the missiles, but within seconds regretted the decision to eat the explosives as it squeaked in pain and it's stomach destined outwards with the force of the explosions in its gut.
"So it's not entirely worthless. Men keep firing while I contact HQ!" Gaus ordered as he hoped into his personal vehicle and retreated.
"Major! Did he just leave us here? Dammit, no other choice, keep firing." Those left behind by the cowardly leader kept the assault up in hopes of escaping later themselves.
"What the hell is that creature, and can it really have memories the company wants?" Gaus mumbled from the back seat.
"Um. Major."
"What is it?"
"We're being followed by that thing."
"What?" Sure enough the monster had abandoned the tanks to follow the running food source, slobbering all the while.
Back at the main dome, in a dark office, the head of the Military Police picked up a receiver and was conversing with a driver. "It's heading into the city?"
"Chief, if that thing causes any more destruction I will hold you personally responsible." Alex Rosewater stood tall, even over the head of the police.
The chief looked a bit downtrodden by the news. "Sir, we are doing everything we can to contain it."
"The more metals it eats the bigger it gets?" Alex was holding a series of pictures taken by various employees and spies.
"Yes sir. We believe it's a man-made creature made with memories from 40 years ago…"
"A biological weapon? Famine proof livestock? Well either way it's turned into a real kaiju on our fair city." (he actually uses godzilla here, but without memories would people remember godzilla?) Below in the streets people ran for their lives from the monster shrieking in fear. "Destroy it."
"Sir?"
"This memory is worthless. Isn't it your duty to protect this city? Then protect it by destroying that thing." Alex sounded bored of this conversation.
"Yes sir." The Chief bowed before exiting to give further orders to his men.
In the street below people ran as the monster moved ever closer to the domes, eating cars, fire hydrants, street lights and anything else it deemed tasty. The robot below encouraged the destruction as it followed it's now gigantic charge. "Eat all you can and get bigger."
Very far away from the carnage, a small red headed android and a long, curly chestnut haired teen girl watched as it got closer to the domes.
"Well that's not good." Ray opined as the creature shrieked in the distance as more missiles hit the pink blob.
"Big O has left to deal with it. You did not tag along." Dorothy''s voice seemed small for all the cacophony the creature made.
"No need. I can hear that thing from here, but it isn't talking like the others." Ray shrugged. "Besides, Big O will destroy it soon enough." Ray had rested her face on a curled up hand while leaning on the concrete railing, peering over at the trouble the monster caused as a child might look at a boring homework assignment.
Nearer to the creature the MP tried to coordinate efforts to contain the monster. "The Hostile is on 32nd street."
A dispatcher at HQ relayed orders. "Roger that. We've got reinforcements on the-"
"The hostiles at East Gate 2!"
"What?"
"Hostile at North Dome 3 requesting reinforcements."
"Hostile my ass that thing is a giant monster!" Conflicting reports resounded over the headset.
"Clarify, how many hostiles are there?" In the various domes and gates below, long mouthed tentacles reached out and devoured more metal, injuring many below.
"That's a good boy… you are eating well and growing." By now, the robot's voice was barely discernible from the noise. The monster now covered a number of city blocks, damaging buildings and causing chaos.
A loud rumbling roar alerted the creature to the presence of a new food source. On top of North Dome 3 the creature looked down at the black Megadeus as it emerged from the pavement. It looked curious and hungry.
"Big O, Showtime!" Roger shouted as he tapped in the missile launcher commands. The creature gladly devoured the explosives sent from the Big's chest cavity.
Down below the homeless watching felt despair. "Damn. It's just, devouring the missiles."
As the creature lunged at the Big O, it sunk below ground, leaving a rather confused predator in its wake. It got a happy look on the chubby pink face, and dug down into the hole, following the Big.
"Norman, I need you to send the Prairie Dog somewhere wide and open, fast."
"Wide and open, sir?" Norman was in his repair bay office, and it was rather dark save for the screen.
"Yes I intend to use the Chrome Buster."
"Understood sir, give me just a moment to re-route you."
"Hurry, he's on my tail," The creature was in deed keeping up with the fast moving Prairie Dog, eagerly chasing what it thought to be a tasty meal though it's humongous form took the whole of the tunnel and nothing but its face was visible. Above where the homeless and ragged worn out citizens stood around praising the Megadeus.
"The black Megadeus saved us." "The Black Megadeus lured the monster underground." "Thank the gods." "Thank Buddha."
"My baby. My baby." The robot lamented the monster fleeing the chaos and remembered what its maker had told him. He couldn't remember his face or name, but the voice was still part of the undamaged memories. If this experiment succeeds you'll have done a great service for humanity… You have an important responsibility. We're counting on you.
"I must… stay by his side." With that the robot jumped into the hole and followed the creature. Jets on the bottom of the base of the machine lit to life as the robot zoomed after the creature. You'll raise him until he's ready for the world to see. That's your job. "Professor where are you? I'm looking after him. I looked after him, I raised him, I protected him, and now I follow him quickly. But where are you?"
"This is more like it." Roger was a little nervous fighting something that ate metal. But also glad nothing else was out here so he could go all out without fear of hurting anyone. "Sorry big boy. I don't know who made you, or why they unleashed you in this city, it's certainly not your fault… But there's no ecological niche for you in this world." First Big O's left arm, then his right arm, pulled into 90 degree angles, then smashed his fists together while the glass head piece gleaned and shot out a blinding bright and purple light. "Sorry, but it's time for you to rest in peace."
The creature let out a shocked cry as the light of the Chrome Buster slammed into its body. Melting away from the heat and force of the ray, the creature melted away. The robot that had followed it around only stood by, doing nothing and making no noise.
"Robots are slaves to their programming. They can't help what they are." Roger spoke softly as the melted remnants of the beast rained down on the two metal beings. "I wonder if humans are any different."
After that the robot stayed by what remained of the corpse, never leaving it's side.
"Are you sure you don't want the Negotiator dealt with?" Angel asked her 'employer' while meeting a dark room in the Main Dome.
"He's no threat to me or this city. Things are fine the way they are. Memories are fleeting and elusive after all. Now you're to keep me informed about the Seebach case. Report all findings directly to me." Rosewater looked from the pictures of the melted down creature to a picture on the profile of a reporter. The man was tall, had a sharp grey beard, short combed back hair, and a crazed look in his eyes.
"Yes sir."
In a hospital Dan and Roger were catching up.
"So it's over then?" Dan Dastun was much better. His head was no longer bandaged, bruises gone and healed, and no longer looking like a mugging victim.
"The city's a mess." Roger winked and started laughing, "But you were onto something that night weren't you?"
"Roger the MP HQ told me you were there that night."
"Well the MP should've been more prepared. I was down there on a case." Roger gave a half hearted answer.
"Hmph, well whatever." Dan didn't really care.
"... Those fools down at HQ never change, why do you keep working for those Paradigm Suits?" Roger went from jovial to serious rather quickly.
"I'm an old dog, it's too late for me to start over." Dan laughed and soon Roger left to work on another case.
"I guess it all runs down hill." Roger shrugged in the chilly weather. Dorothy was next to the Griffon waiting for him, Ray seemed to have a new book while leaning against the car.
"What does?" Dorothy was at least willing to engage.
"Trickle down stupidity." Ray snorted in laughter at Rogers quip.
"I don't understand."
"Nevermind." Roger sighed and his breath created a small cloud of steam. "... Dorothy are robots and humans really so different?"
"Robots don't really understand humans. And humans can't understand robots either."
"You're probably right, but sometimes I wonder." Roger mused.
"I think both understand each other more than the other thinks they do." Ray put the book away and got into the car's back seat and the three went home.
A small toy robot walked in the underground cellar and crawl space of the old church, it could only move forward. The toy was a muted robin's egg blue, save for some of its features. A round short cylindrical head, blue leds for eyes, toy little antenna on both sides of the head with red tips, the body and arms both squarish, and the arms ending in small claws that clicked together as it walked. The legs were long cylinders and ended in little red blockey feet that chugged and struggled to go forward the further away it got from the remote signal controlling it. In the center of the square body was a little orange and yellow light that blinked.
Those sitting in the church above, completely unaware of the danger below, attentively listened to the preacher Sam Lawrence who was once a chairman of the Paradigm City Board of Directors. He had retired about ten years ago and had vowed to live a peaceful life and guide the people of the city spiritually instead of in a government compactity. He preached once a month at this old church outside the domes, a rare occurrence for those who had lived and enjoyed the high life to the fullest.
Just then the little toy robot pushed up from the cellar door, struggling as it went. A little girl sitting in the front row reached for it, and the statesman turned preacher tried to shout a warning, but it was too late. The next second, the entire church was aflame, those inside lost to the blast.
An hour later the Paradigm Military Police were on the scene collecting evidence and bodies. The Paradigm City Fire Department had of course beaten them to the scene of a fire, as well as paramedics. But by that point it was too late, and the corener was called instead.
"What happened here?" Major Dan Dastun looked up from the slag on the ground in front of him. A young lieutenant that had been assigned as his personal escort and secretary was looking over witness statements that had been gathered and given to him by other cops.
"An explosion sir. It's the same MO as the others so far. Thirty nine confirmed casualties, including previous Paradigm Board member Sam Lawrence." The young man had short blond hair and spoke with a bit of a quiet and timid voice. Yellow tinted glasses with gold rims made it difficult to see his eyes in the darkness.
"They never saw it coming, did they?" Major Dastun pulled his cap down as a corpse was carried away and the hand of a small child slipped. When he looked up he noticed a familiar face in the crowd, blinked and she was gone, a red balloon floated up from where she had just been standing. "Huh?"
"Sir. Sir!"
"Uh, oh sorry, what is it?"
"It's the device used to cause the explosion. It's too early to tell, but it looks like the work on the same bomber as last week sir."
"A serial bomber then. Canvas the area and question the witnesses." Looking around there was a balloon selling van not far away, and it sped off the scene as cops made rounds to clear the area.
A scene from a movie played out on a large silver screen. In two seats in the front row, a young boy with a buzz cut and a girl with long curly blonde hair watched as the scene placed out, dressed in mid winter attire to keep the chill away. A man in a military police uniform shoots a woman in a trench coat pointing a gun at him. Fireworks begin to go off in the background as her gun falls to the pier they stand on. The cop rushes to her, holds her close, and she speaks a line he knows only from this dream of a movie.
"Vous êtes si gentil."
He awakes with a start, no longer a boy watching a film, but a grizzled cop long overdue for some real shut eye not in a metal fold out chair.
"Is everything alright sir?" A young subordinate asks as Dan Dastun rubs his temples.
"Yeah. I just had that dream again."
"Are you sure it isn't a memory? You've told me you've had that same dream over and over."
"Who knows? Almost feels real enough to be one." He got up and grabbed some coffee before heading back to his office. He still had a lot of questions about the reports the luietents had gathered and wanted to review them himself before submitting the reports.
The next day after sleeping in his office Dan Dastun got ready to visit and report to the head of the Military Police, when an unexpected guest arrived at his door.
"Huh? What are you… Oh never mind I have to go." Dastun tried to get around Roger in a strange game of dodge that led to both being frustrated. "Seriously Roger, what are you doing here?"
"Well I was in the area and thought to drop by for a visit." Roger backed away from the office door.
"You got lousy timing, you know that. I have to make a report to the head office soon." Dastun pushed past him and walked towards the elevator. "Hey Roger, have you ever heard the phrase 'Vous êtes si gentil.' before?"
"Hm, no can't say I have, sounds foreign. Where'd you hear it?"
"Hm, well if you don't know then never mind." He left without another word.
In the top office of the Main Dome, Major Dan Dastun was trying to give a report to the head of Paradigm, the Chief of Police and some sitting board members. "As I said in the previous report, I suspect the perpetrator is a foreigner."
"Quit with these preposterous notions. There's nothing outside of Paradigm City save for a few hovels, and none would be capable of this level of destruction." The nasally board member reprimanded him.
"Why exactly do you suspect a foreigner Major?" The sole female board member asked.
"The voractory of the attacks leads me to think it's someone from outside Paradigm. Not to mention the MO is completely different from any we have experience with in the past." Dastun reported his theories and findings.
"Such a foolish notion. Quit chasing a fantasy and find the real culprit like your job entails. Foreigners have nothing to do with these mass killings, a deranged psychopath is the real mastermind." The stoic and deep voiced board member added in his two cents.
"That will be all Major. Dismissed!" The Chief of Police sent Dastun on his way and the meeting ended.
Up on the rotating dais that moved the president's desk round the large multi sectional room a fallen angel asked a poignant question. "Won't it ruin your plans if the general population finds out about foreigners?"
"Not really, my plans won't change even if people find out the truth about foreigners. It's not like there is any secrecy. The citizens of Paradigm just assume them to be random vagabonds looking for a more permanent home and don't consider them a threat." He shuffled a few papers and put them away before the next meeting began. "Besides, unlike my father, I intend to keep my promises to them."
Angel frowned behind the giant of a man's back and prepared to take notes for the next meeting.
"What is the meaning of this?" Major Dan Dastun asked the head of the military police.
"It's simple, the higher ups feel you are becoming too involved, so I'm taking you off the case. Consider it a vacation. You're long overdue for one as it is."
"I feel this is all rather conspicuously timed."
"Dismissed Major." Dastun saluted and left the office.
"How are we supposed to solve this case if they chain us down like dogs?" Dastun complained to his subordinate.
"Aren't we, sir?" His subordinate driver asked while peering at his boss in the rearview mirror.
"Huh?"
"Aren't we supposed to be Paradigms watch dogs?"
"I suppose you have it right, but that doesn't mean we have to like the disrespect." Dastun grumbled, and looked down while crossing his arms.
"Well this is unusual. I almost never have visitors this late." Roger was in his night robe when he greeted the disgruntled Dan Dastun.
"Yeah sorry about that. I was just out late walking and found myself wandering here."
"Well, sit down, and have a drink. What's troubling you?" Roger had the gas fireplace turned on to beat the night's chill, dismissed Norman and offered Dan some strong brandy to warm him up.
"It's just, I keep seeing these memories, and I don't know if they're mine." He gratefully took the alcohol. Roger never was one to buy the cheap stuff, so Dan felt fine imposing and drinking some of his stash whenever he visited.
"What are they about?" Roger wasn't one to care for others' memories or worries about them too much, but Dan was a friend and an old colleague. The least Roger could do was offer a sympathetic ear for him.
"It starts off in a movie theater, there's this kid that looks like I might have at that age, and a girl with him. They watch this old spy movie and it ends with the female spy being shot by the cop. At that point I always wake up. It feels too real not to have happened." Dan downed half his tumbler and sighed.
"Is that where the foreign phrase you asked me about comes from?" Roger downed the rest of his glass and refilled it, and offered more to Dan.
"Yeah. Thinks there's a chance Ray knows what it means?"
"Who knows with that girl? But I'll ask her in the morning."
"She and Dorothy getting along any better?"
"Well now that you mention it, the last two months the two have been getting along, or at least not fighting all the time." Roger scratched at his neck, like he didn't really care.
"That's good though, isn't it? Better than the two of them fighting all the time."
"It beats them being at each other's throats, that's for sure. But Dorothy still seems icy towards Ray, and says she'll be glad when Ray goes back home." Roger gave a resigned sigh.
"Ray still wants to go back home huh?"
"She keeps saying as soon as she finds a way back she'll leave, but honestly, I wonder if her home outside of Paradigm even exists."
"What do you mean?" Dan refused another refill from Roger, he could feel his cheeks turning red as it was.
"I'm not sure myself, but I just have this feeling at the back of my mind that there isn't a way for Ray to go back. That the home she says exists isn't real."
"Like she has someone else's memories?" Dan thought about it for a second before musing, "That's rather pessimistic of you Rog, you feeling alright?"
"Haha, who's comforting who again? But I guess you're right. Thinking like that isn't like me at all. Something about that girl really makes my mind run in circles for some inexplicable reason." Roger stared into the warm glow of the false fire.
In Ray's room she emerged from the bathroom, towel barely covering her form as she went to get her night clothes on for bed. The day had been tiring. Winter weather meant that seasonal maintenance needed doing, and so Norman enlisted her help.
"I was concerned you had fallen asleep in the tub again." Dorothy was at her desk reading one of her fantasy novels.
"I almost did. Why are you in my room reading though? Wouldn't one of the plush chairs in the lounge be better?" Ray just tossed her towel in the laundry bin and forwent coverage.
"Roger has a guest over." Dorothy peered up from the pages of the novel to see a naked Ray. "You have no shame do you?"
"Shame is just peer pressure we allow others to force upon us, so no not really." Ray grabbed a pair of her underwear and some soft jammies. "Besides, it's not like you haven't already seen me naked, what with your spying and utter lack of care for my privacy."
"I do not enjoy seeing you in the nude."
"Then quit watching. You're in my room after all." Ray had slipped the clothes on and started getting comfy on her bed, grabbed some yarn and picked up her knitting. "Who's visiting Roger this late anyway? Dastun?"
"Yes. But why did you ask if you already knew?"
"I didn't, just a hunch." For a time companionable silence went on, with only the clack of the knitting needles, turning of pages or a purring Robin to disturb it.
"What are you making?" Dorothy put the novel down.
"Oh, this?" Ray held up the project she was working on, "It's a scarf for Norman."
"It's grey, and it seems rather short."
"Well yeah, but Norman tends to wear grey as an accent color. And if I made it black I'd lose it in the house." Ray went back to her stitching. "It'll be done soon enough. He needs a new one anyways, his old scarf has holes in it."
"What are the other two projects? One has red in it."
"That's a secret." Ray smiled mischievously.
"Much like everything else with you."
"It's not like I'm trying to keep everything a secret. It's more the fact you all keep asking questions I don't have answers for." Ray shrugged. It was true enough. As much as Roger pestered her about remembering how she got to Paradigm City from far away, she couldn't tell him. She didn't know how she got here herself after all. And how does one easily explain they are from another world in a reasonable and believable manner? If she even suggested it Dorothy would call the loonie bin for her. Not to mention even Ray had a hard time accepting it at first. It just wasn't realistic. But she was in a world from an anime, so realism had left the proverbible building.
"So if we ask you the right questions you will be honest."
"I'll tell you as much as I can at the very least."
"I see. So if I start asking personal questions you would answer?" Dorothy wasn't certain she should or could believe Ray.
"Yeah sure, what's on your mind that you want to know so bad?"
"Why do you dress like a boy?"
"Oh, starting with an easy one? That's simple. I hate dresses and skirts, pants are comfy and have pockets. Also I dislike having to carry a purse."
Dorothy blinked. "I was not expecting a reasonable response."
"Who's the weirdo again?"
"Still you."
"Yup."
"Are you an alien?" Ray burst into laughter at the ridiculous question.
"I mean technically yes. An alien is just another term for foreigner after all. But if you mean a little green person from outer space like in the pictures then no. You've been reading too many of my sci fi novels." Ray had a cheerful snide expression.
"Are you from another world."
"Yes." Ray became serious. Oh, wait does she already know?
"Lair. I thought you said you would be honest."
"Just because I'm telling you the truth doesn't mean you'll believe it. Also let's be real, if you did believe me we would have problems, not the least of which is knowing my deepest and darkest secret." Ray played it up, like she was being sarcastic. Damn, figures she thinks I'm making it up.
"You are a strange and sad human."
"Don't I know it."
For the next week Dan Dastun did as he wanted. Stayed up drinking, watching movie reels, reading the news. And he hated all of it. Today was a day where he was at the films, watchings some cartoons on screen and some newsreels after which he went outside for a smoke. From the crowd he thought he spotted a red balloon slowly wove its way to the glass ceiling of the dome. Dan followed a familiar blonde woman in a trench coat and folding cap out of the theater entrance and lost her in the crowd. "Hey stop, get back here!"
But it was too late, she was gone. A sound of an explosion nearby rang out in the otherwise quiet street. Dan Dastun, still being the cop he was even not in uniform ran towards the explosion to discover a horrific site. A bus full of passengers, innocents who likely had nothing to do with the bombers hatred of old Paradigm senators, was obliterated, and a crater the size of two buses in diameter had destroyed the street. Worse yet, to the side of the crater, Dan Dastuns personal patrol vehicle, which his subordinate had been using in his absence to cart other officials around, was little more than crumbled scrap, the young subordinates yellow tinted glasses lay broken in front of the vehicle. Little remained but a mangled corpse.
Dan Dastun attended the funeral of his subordinate in the following days, and seeing the absolute disregard for life the bomber had made him sick. After the funeral for his subordinate Dastun was back on the job, and no one in the MP thought to complain. He redoubled his efforts, but still couldn't quite find a lead, other than a balloon truck showed up at all the assassinations, so his best efforts to catch his mysterious killer, and maybe find out about his past, would be at the next event held by an old Paradigm board member.
Soon, he would enlist an old friend for help.
In the Amusement park Dome, children screamed in excitement as the roller coaster that covered the whole dome sped up and went through twists and turns. In dark contrast, soldiers armed with rifles patrolled the ground, hid in the sewers and escape routes, posed as park workers and private security stood by near the stage.
"With the bomber still at large wouldn't it be better to cancel tonight's speech?" Roger and Dastun were seated in the amphitheater, behind them more soldiers walked their rounds, and children followed colorful suited mascots around the park.
"We've suggested it, but no one understands how a statesman's mind works. He refused and said he wouldn't succumb to fear." Dastun could only shrug. It meant over time sure, but he'd rather the still living former board members took the threat to their lives and safety seriously and stayed in doors. "He said it would brighten the children's moods if he acted like everything was fine."
"Figures, some things never change. Oh, I looked into that matter you requested."
"What did you find out?"
"The movie you keep dreaming about existed. It was called Winter Night Phantom, and the female lead was named Sybil Rowan, it's her only known acting role that survived the Event. I talked with every movie restorationist in Paradigm just to get that much."
"So it did exist. Is she still alive."
"About that. Sybil Rowan was an activist against the restoration of Paradigm City and expansion of the domes that destroyed older housing projects. She and every other resistance member were arrested, had their names blacklisted in every industry and disappeared."
"Wait then you mean…?" Dastun didn't want to believe it.
"She died in jail some years ago, and there's no record of her having a daughter." Roger got up to leave. "Whoever it is you've been trailing, it's not the actress from 35 years ago. Sorry, I couldn't give you better news Dan."
"No, it's alright, it's more than I knew to begin with." "
"And about my fee…" Roger really wasn't going to charge his old friend, but he did have standards to keep up.
Let's just say I owe you a drink."
"Fine by me." With that Roger left Dan to his thoughts. He had a lot to deal with, and a lot of emotions to sort through before the speech tonight. Not long after the previous board member took to the stage to give his speech a rather large and uninvited guest appeared from the harbor, the same blue and appearance as the bomber bot used to kill the other members, only this one was fifty times as large. It easily smashed through the glass panels and steel bars that structured the dome. Lumbering ever slowly towards the center of the dome where the amphitheater resided, terrifying all those below and in the path it trod. In the ferris wheel directly in front of the theater scared families clung together hoping for a savior.
The Main Dome had a hidden office, and within that hidden office were particular plans, plans that a certain someone did not want released to the general public. A room where the ruler of what was left of mankind watched in dismay. "Is that the threat? A gigantic toy? Well, so long as the job gets done it matters little how I suppose." A wicked grin set upon Alex Rosewaters features as he watches the bomber bot slowly make a steady path towards the former board member. "With that, the last of the influential senators of my father's generation shall be dealt with."
"And if the black Megadeus shows up?" Behind him Angel watched the tiny black and white screen, biting her lower lip.
"Oh I'm counting on it." Alex rested his head on a curled on fist, watching like a sadistic child taking gleeful please in squashing an ant.
"Big O. Showtime!" With the command given, the city's large black protector lumbered towards the blue toyish like robot. Big O grappled the giant toy robot back towards the hole it had created and began to drag it out into open water, but as the robot was good at putting up a struggle it proved to be more of a challenge than Roger anticipated.
"Geez, you're a slippery thing." It's appearance may have been cute, however the ordinance it held was anything but. Big O's screens lit up with warnings, at least ten huge bombs capable of taking out a city block were packed into its chest. "Yikes!"
While Roger and Big O fought the giant bomber bot, Dastun was chasing a familiar ghost. Seeing the blonde haired woman in the crowd he gave chase, only to end up on a peer outside the dome. Snow began to fall as the two faced off.
"Hold it right there! Huh?" When the woman turned around she looked so familiar. The spy from the movie. She raised a gun-like object to the cop opposite her. "What are you? A ghost, a long forgotten memory that came back to haunt me?"
"I'm a ghost alright, but it is not you I haunt, but this city! I'll make them pay for what they did!"
"What did they do? Try and help me understand. I don't want to shoot you." Why was Dan Dastun so desperate to stop this woman? He didn't know her save for vague dreams of a long forgotten past. Yet, he didn't want to go down that same road.
"You couldn't possibly understand Paradigm dog! With a push of this trigger it will all be over, and everyone will know!" Her finger tightened on the trigger, and within a split second shots rang out, the toy robot in the dome stopped moving and powered down.
"Hey thanks for that!" Roger yelled as he dragged the archaism out of the Amusement Dome, tossed it into the sky and fired a Chrome Buster into it's torso, setting off a chain reaction similar to fireworks.
In a dark office atop the Main Dome, Alex Rosewater watched the events unfold. "Typical foreigners. You give them the means to commit the act and they still muck it up."
Behind him, a disgruntled angel frowned. You'll get what's yours. I'm just disappointed I won't be here to watch it. She knew nothing but distaste for the King of the Dome. Back on the pier a familiar scene of memory played out live for the actors.
"Why are you crying?" Sybil Rowan's look alike asked Dastun.
"Huh?" he hadn't been aware that he was crying. The woman reached a gloved hand to his face, wiped the tears away and spoke in the language Dastun couldn't understand.
"Vous êtes si gentil."
In a dark theater, a boy watches the end of the movie, tears streaming down his face as a small blonde girl rests her head on his shoulder. He releases a red balloon that floats to the ceiling, the word Fin is displayed on a silver screen before it all fades to black.
And that's it. Poor Dastun can't catch a break. Ray didn't have much to do in this chapter, but it was focused more on Dastun anyways.