A Big O fanfic by Grendel226 a.k.a. Arren Dracone
Chapter 1: The Questing Beast
References, works cited, and authors comments will be posted at the end of the story. The action takes place directly after Act 13: R*D.
Paradigm City. Forty years ago everyone was robbed of their memories. Gone in a flash, society lost its collective and individual identity. The rest of the known world was laid to waste and somehow, this city is the only known structure still standing. As a negotiator it was my job to keep the peace in the city, not hunt for fragments of lost memories. But the terrifying reality of what happened forty long years ago quickly became intertwined with my own actions. And whether I was willing or not I was about to become a key player in an end game.
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Roger sat up in a cold sweat, his eyes rolling wildly as they attempted to focus on the surroundings of his room. Children surrounded by flames staring wide-eyed at some unseen distraction. Random bar codes that meant nothing to him. And everywhere the sea of flames, engulfing the children, the city, and himself. It always ended the same way. Shaking the nightmare from his mind he glanced at the clock. It was still the wee hours of the morning and well before dawn but he knew sleep was lost to him this night. His feet moved of their own accord as he descended the stairs. Behind him, Dorothy opened the door to her room and peeked out at his black clad form disappearing down the steps. Moving like prey being stalked so as not to be seen or heard, she followed him to where the Megadeus stood. Roger stared up at the lifeless glass eyes as if looking for answers that would never come. "Roger?" She cautiously stepped out of the shadows making her presence known. "Dorothy. What are you doing up?" "You left your room rather noisily. I thought perhaps you required assistance." Roger smirked wryly, "Were you concerned about me?" Dorothy turned her head to stare at Big O, her voice monotone as usual: "Concern is an emotion Roger Smith. You have forgotten I am incapable of experiencing these things." Roger sighed and turned back to the Megadeus. "You know, Miss Waynewright, that might sometimes be a blessing and not a curse." "You are referring to the Red Destiny," she countered smoothly. "Roger, did you feel fear when your life could have ended so abruptly?" Roger didn't bother trying to guard his ego or pride. And at any rate, there was no hiding from Dorothy. She would detect imperfections in his voice and point out his bold-faced lie. "Yes. Men are afraid many times, not just when their life was in danger. Maybe I wasn't afraid of dying. Maybe I was afraid of knowing..." He trailed off staring blankly into the dead eyes of the Megadeus. "Knowing what?" Dorothy questioned as Roger walked past her. "I'll explain sometime perhaps. Goodnight Dorothy." Roger ascended the stairs and slunk into his library leaving the android regarding the hulking shadow of the Megadeus. And Roger once again fingered the red cover of the book, examining the slanted gold writing on the cover: "Metropolis."
He had read the book time and time again searching for answers. Gordon Rosewater had said that the book contained the answers that he only needed to find for himself. But he had turned the pages, cover to cover a dozen times over and had yet to find what he sought. Flipping through the yellow legal pad of notes he had taken while reading Metropolis he hoped for some clue to suddenly materialize before him making everything clear, yet as usual the pages only reflected his own half-scrawled confusion. Staring out the window, he absently scratched at the page with the near empty pen, writing words that came to his brain like clockwork: "Cast in the name of God: Ye Not Guilty."
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"I need to make connections but I'm not finding them. Somehow
this all fits together." Big Ear regarded Roger with his usual, casual
yet wise demeanor and sipped at his martini. "Do you realize," Big
Ear began, "That all that you know is involved?" Roger's eyes widened.
"How? Don't answer me in riddles, tell me how!" Big Ear toyed
casually with the Spanish olive from his martini. "Are you a religious
man, Mr. Smith?" "What?" "Do you believe in a higher power.
Someone responsible for our creation and destruction? Someone in
control of events in which we are just pawns?" Roger stared at him
blankly. He had heard that Rosewater referred to the birth of the
Son of God when a giant spruce had overtaken the east dome on Heaven's
Day. However, these ideas seemed as preposterous and alien to him
as emotions must seem to Dorothy. "What does that mean?" Roger demanded
feeling frustration bubbling. "Let me show you something. A
memory." Fumbling for a moment the man pressed his chubby hand into
his pocket, drawing out a worn piece of paper. A photograph of a
happy couple who had just married. "What importance are these people?"
Roger asked growing more impatient by the second. "Don't jump to
conclusions. Don't look at the people. Look where they are."
Roger squinted to stare at the hazy background of the picture: a large
stone building that seemed to tower to the sky with a large stained glass
window gleaming over a set of double doors. "Do you see structures
like this in the city now?" Big Ear asked popping the olive into his mouth.
"No." "These were once houses of worship where people would ask God
for forgiveness. Sometimes they would ask him to alter the course
of what they found to be a miserable life, or would thank him for what
they found to be acceptable." "I still don't see what this has to
do with Paradigm," Roger grumbled. "Look for the remains of people's
faith," Big Ear said casually rising. "Perhaps once you find it you'll
have a revelation." Roger watched the man disappear out the door
and slammed his fist on the table in frustration. Always riddles.
Nothing more than riddles.
