Chapter 13. Fallen Zigguraut
Halo didn't get very far into her nap. After only a few moments she heard a loud sound, like a buzz saw, cutting through the air. She could feel small tremors running through the wall that she had leaned against and sat up to peer around the dimly lit room.
The guy had gone already, she suspected he'd be back any time now to ask if she was telling the truth or something, and she really hoped that Red didn't find her just yet, at least not before she contacted Harbin. They had to have a phone in this Tower, right?
Halo sighed and reached for the door. She opened it slowly and silently and peered around both corners. When she was sure no one was around, she slipped out and closed the door, twisting the knob so it clicked without a sound. She began to run down the hall, her shoes making very little noise. The lights on the ceiling had been lit, the brightness casting her shadow behind her. She would stop every few minutes and peer inside seemingly empty rooms for a phone or something, or stop to listen for footsteps. But one time she stopped because she had heard a voice.
She leaned in toward a door to her left, which was left ajar, and peered through the tiny space to see the back of the guy from earlier holding a phone to his ear.
"Yes, sir, she just showed up here and told me you sent her . . . Yes, sir, I know, sir, but . . . Yes, she's still here . . . Keep her there? But why . . . ? Yes, sir, will do, sir."
With that he hung up, and all Halo could do was curse and swear quietly to herself as she began to run in the direction she had been heading before she had stopped. When she looked over her shoulder she saw that guy come out of the room, look at her, and then shout, "Hey! Get back here!" and then follow her. No matter how curious she was about whatever the Duke wanted to talk to her about, and no matter how bad she wanted to know about the 'throne', she wasn't about to let herself get captured for it, not until Harbin knew about at least part of Duke Red's plans. Not even Halo knew the full extent of his power or the whole of his plans, or what they were for and why, but she knew that when Harbin heard about this he would send over reinforcements, whether this was about robots or not; this was about his own leaders, so it was a big deal about the society.
Halo rounded the corner to her right. She felt foolish doing it; this worker guy most likely knew this place better than her, so if she was headed for some place where he could corner her, he knew about it and was probably laughing at her for being so stupid. But why was Red this desperate to catch her?
Aside from that, Halo needed to get back to that room with the phone. It had been left open from when that worker had left, so it shouldn't be that hard to find, but the question was: how will she get back to it? She would have to use force for it, so she stopped, turned quickly and reached inside her coat pocket for her gun just as the man came around the corner as well, but then she realized . . . her coat had been left on the bench in the room where she had slept!
Too concerned with that problem to notice the guy had come rushing right up to her, Halo was stunned when she felt him belt her around the waist and to the ground, feet from where she had stood before. He got up and she was left gasping on the ground for a few seconds before he pulled her to her feet and forced her back down the corridor and into another one. When she finally realized what was happening, he had shoved her into a room and locked it as well. She turned to beat on it, yelling, "I. Need. My. Coat!" saying each word with each time she beat with her right hand.
When there was no sound, no response, and definitely no coat, she sighed, turned and went to look for a place to sit down. That's when she noticed that this was the room that Red and Rock had been in before, when Halo had recorded their conversation. The floor pattern, if you could call it that, was certainly the weirdest one she'd ever seen; different silver hues, dimming into black and grey. But ahead of her was what appeared to be a giant chair.
"Could this be it?" she whispered to herself, walking forward slowly, not blinking and her eyes not roaming anywhere. It was such a sight to see, this chair, it's cool, silver metal surface. But she stopped. "Why? Why is this throne so important?" It was the only reason she stopped. Why could this chunk of chair-formed metal be so important? How could you rule a city, let alone a continent or whatever, just by sitting here?
Halo was jarred from her thoughts when the door behind her opened and entered Duke Red. He closed the door behind himself, yet Halo heard muffled voices outside. He stared down at her again, a faint smile chiseled onto his hard features.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly, walking past her to stand looking up at the throne.
"No. Nothing like this could be considered a beauty."
"And why not?" Duke asked as he turned to face her. His soft tone was making Halo nervous.
"Because you plan to use it as a weapon. Nothing like that could be considered beautiful." Duke Red laughed.
"You hardly know. You think this affair is about robots, yet only hardly. You shouldn't be worried about it. You shouldn't know about it, but I guess that that was Rock's fault." He emphasized Rock's name and Halo could sense the tone in his voice, one that clearly displayed the utter loathing he felt for his adopted son.
"But, sir, even if it's just the tiniest bit about destroying robots- or robot supporters, for that matter- then yes, it is my business, my concern, and my first priority. You loath robots, but I can't understand why-"
"It's hardly any of your business!" Red snapped. "But . . . If you must know, there is only one- and will only ever be one- robot that I will think of as an equal, and that is my daughter."
"Daughter?"
"Yes. Well, not my real daughter, of course, but the one I expect to sit on the throne."
"Robot?"
Red chuckled. "I had a mad old scientist to build a replica of my daughter. Unfortunately, she's not finished yet, and due to a minor incident, I no longer have a scientist. She cannot sit upon the throne when she is not complete, it would ruin everything. That's why I have chosen a different person to sit upon my throne. It will, of course, take some time to get her ready, but I think it will work out quite nicely." Red laughed loudly this time.
"Who-"
"Who do you think?" Halo's brow twitched, as if she were to raise it, but she didn't move. "Of course, something could go wrong, but my team of scientists should suffice. I trust them not to screw this up."
"But . . . Sir, what's the point? Why sit on the throne? What does it DO?"
"You shouldn't worry about that just yet."
"But . . . I don't understand. Did you mean you chose me to sit on the throne?"
"Only one of relation would be able to sit upon it."
"Relation?" Halo said, confused.
"Yes. The artificial Tima was of relation because she was a robot herself. You are of relation because a co-worker and what I understand to be a former lover of yours is at least part robot now." Rock had obviously told Red about Kenna.
"But . . . But why not . . .? Why . . . not . . ."
"Why not any of the others?" Halo nodded, not being able to choke out the words to finish her own sentence. "Because, my dear, no one is as close to robots as you are. You are more devoted to robots than either of the other two females who work with you. One was only here as a reporter for your own city. The other never came to your meetings with Atlas or your meetings with me. And you said it yourself that your first priority was the robots, did you not?" Apparently Rock had told Duke Red about Fern and Karen as well, but how did he find about about her meeting with Atlas about their follow-up rebellion?
"How . . . How did you find out about the meeting with Atlas?"
"I thought you would have known that Rock and I had sent in Marduks to infiltrate Atlas's little system, suppress the rebellion before it even started. Honestly, a person clever as you should have known that."
"But you knew that I was against the rebellion, you should have known that I could have suppressed it myself!"
"Yes, I figured that, but at the time I didn't trust you to be able to suppress a whole army. You really can't blame me. At that point I didn't know. Besides, I had had Marduks in the system for two months before you even met Atlas."
"Met him? What, were you spying then too? How could you have known when I met him?"
"Marduks, my dear, Marduks. But it's all part of the plan. Really, you're starting to slack. Rock was perfect, too. You didn't even suspect him! He did well in covering Boone's death. He's just so loyal, the loyal little puppy. He would have done what I told him to, believed what I said. Honestly, he's so gullible." Red laughed again.
"You're corrupting him. You're corrupting the whole damn city! You killed off Boone because he was starting to think you'd gone nuts, thought that your plans were just a little overboard. So you killed him. Bang. He's out of the picture. I guess you wanna kill Rock because you loath him. He knows too much anyway. If anyone ever got through his thick skull and he realized what you really are, he'd probably tell someone your little plans. Your Marduks told you I told Kenna and Fern about your little conversation with Rock, so to shut them up you'd kill them too. Then kill Atlas to suppress the rebellion. By the end of the day Rock went on a killing spree, he'd gone nuts, killed off Boone because you know his prints are everywhere. He threatened you too, you only narrowly escaped his deadly rampage. He killed off the leader of the rebellion and two people who he supposed were the leader's accomplices. And by dusk you're still the town hero."
"Very clever."
"My friend's a reporter."
"One little flaw."
"Yeah? And what's that?"
"Rock would never disobey me."
"That's true, but I guess being tied down to you like a stake in the ground is what he wants and deserves. But that's heartless."
"Yes, I suppose it is, but you're right: It IS what he wants. He's probably kill you now, if I wanted him to. But no, I need you. The weapon will be finished soon. Shall I escort you to see it, the power you will be able to control?"
"No! It won't be my power! I refuse to sit on that throne, I refuse to be corrupted by you, just as you did Rock."
"I worry not. You will come to your senses soon." Halo turned and darted for the door. Red didn't move, only watched as she threw open the door. Two Marduks were there, apparently waiting, but she darted by them. They raised their guns, but Red ordered them not to fire. Halo continued to run until she tripped and fell to her knees. Ahead Rock came running with four other Marduks, and behind her the two from a moment ago following behind Duke Red, who was walking calmly with long, slow strides.
They all stopped, Duke Red continuing on. He stopped beside her.
"You're powerless without this. Don't you want to experience such great power? You could rule the world like this!"
"Where is Atlas?" she said quietly. Rock smirked but said nothing. Halo shot up in an instant and had struck Rock across the left jaw. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses as she stared angrily at him. This wouldn't have mattered anyway. Red had batted him around so much he either didn't feel it or was so used to it not to care anymore. "WHERE'S ATLAS?!" she practically screamed. It echoed lightly around them, but after a moment Halo felt Red's hand on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye.
"Anger. You are run by your emotions, like the way Tima was to be. You and my daughter are so much alike, you belong on the throne. My dear, you could use your anger to activate my weapon. You could rule the world!"
"I don't want to rule the world, dammit! I just wanna get Atlas and my buddies and GO!"
"I'm afraid that won't be happening soon," Rock said, amusement very clear in his tone.
"I refuse to sit on your throne until you let me see him!" Halo threatened. Rock only smirked, but it was quickly wiped from his face as Halo snatched a gun from the Marduk behind her and pointed it at Rock. "I said, I refuse to sit on that damned throne until I can see Atlas! And he had better be alive when I get there!" she threatened again. Red looked at Rock and nodded and Rock began to lead the way. Halo had been thinking about the throne and what she and Duke Red had talked about she didn't even know the way they were going, she was just kind of following Rock, absent-minded. It wasn't until Rock had pushed her into a room that she noticed Atlas standing there, his hands tied behind his back.
Rock looked at a Marduk and jerked his head toward Atlas, signaling for him to untie the ropes. When he did, Halo threw down the gun and ran towards him. His cap lay at the ground near his feet and his gun had been taken (which was understandable). She immediately threw her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "Are you okay?"
She pulled away and he croaked, "Yeah-" but he didn't get to finish what he was saying before a bullet went searing into his left side. He fell forwards back into Halo's arms and she fell slowly to her knees under his weight.
"W- w- wh . . . Atlas?" she whimpered. Her right hand had become covered his blood, clutching him near his fresh wound. She looked up at Rock, her eyes swimming in water. She looked back at Atlas. "Atlas?" Her voice had become a mere whimper, high-pitched. Then she looked back up at Rock. "W-w-w-why?" she questioned.
"He was alive when you got here, you didn't mention keeping him that way." Halo would have normally lashed out at him and beaten him to a pulp right then, but she just didn't feel like it as she was more concerned for Atlas. He was only barely alive, she could feel it, but still appeared to be hanging on. She reached over and took his cap from the ground. She was still holding it when two Marduks began to carry Atlas away.
Rock hoisted Halo up from her position on the ground and began to steer her back to the throne room, under Red's orders. She hoped Atlas would be all right. She hadn't much time to think of this, however, when they were suddenly back at the throne room. She expected to be dragged back in, but Red had a different plan. Rock let go of her and Red pushed her along in front of him. They continued to walk past the throne room, Rock and a few Marduks following several steps behind them.
"Now that you have agreed to sitting on my throne-"
"I saw Atlas, but I'm still not sure I wanna do this . . ." Halo would've said more but was afraid of their response.
"Well, when I show you what you will be controlling I'm sure you'll change your mind."
"Hmph," was Halo's only reply, as her arms were already crossed again. After several flights of stairs and two elevators, they finally came to a large lift, much like the one that led into Zone One. Red ushered Halo on there and waited for the Marduks before starting up. When they stopped again Red and Halo stepped off and into another long corridor. At the end they approached another flight of stairs and when they climbed them only one door was across the landing. Red looked at Halo, as if to confirm that she was ready for such a sight, and then pushed open that door.
They had arrived on top of the Zigguraut, the open-domed portion of the city surrounding them. They sky was a vivid blue, something Metropolis had rarely seen before, and the larger, more industrial building surrounding them, though none of them living up to the Zigguraut. The sides of a retractable roof had been pulled away to reveal the city, though it hadn't retracted all the way. But looking ahead were about five scientists holding clipboards, turning knobs and dials at a large console, or messing around with what appeared to be a very large cannon of some sort.
"Could this be the weapon?" Halo whispered to herself. Duke Red had apparently heard her because after a moment he replied,
"Yes, it is. Care for a demonstration?" Halo couldn't keep her eyes off of it. It was beautiful . . .
But what was she saying?! No, it wasn't beautiful, it was an item of war, a killing machine, what was beautiful about that? No, nothing was, but . . . she couldn't . . . help herself!
The scientists had had goggles pulled back in their hair, so as Duke Red announced this machine to be fired, they pulled them down over their eyes and continued their work. Duke Red took two pairs of goggles for himself and Halo, the Marduks, they supposed had some as well. Halo stuffed Atlas's cap, damp with tears, in the pocket of her shorts where it stuck out some. She then left the goggles to her face. When they were secure, Duke Red announced they were ready and it began to charge up.
Halo watched as it lit up, an odd, dark color against the red of her goggles. The weapon shot a beam into the air, going up quite a distance and then breaking into several smaller beams and shooting across the sky. The blue of the sky began to darken and it seemed that the clouds were disappearing. After several moments it stopped and everything turned back to normal.
Red and Halo removed their goggles, Halo turning to the Duke.
"What was it? What did it do? What's it for?"
"It's just a simple little device my scientists and I designed. That beam was pure radiation. It wasn't at full power of course, it's not finished. It's going to get rid of the robots. I can't run a filthy city, can I?"
"Yes, you can, you just refuse to! I still don't understand why you hate robots!"
"Controversy, my dear." Red chuckled. "No, I suppose you'll never understand, even if I told you."
"But if you were going to do this then why try to disband the people in the rebellion? It's pointless!"
"It's simple. We wouldn't want manifestation in our streets, would we? Besides, Atlas's rebellion was trying to rise to a higher state than my Marduks, thus, they were against each other. They would have rebelled anyway, causing a much bigger threat upon my city."
"Threat? If they were already killed off how would they threaten you?"
"An uproar like that wouldn't go unnoticed. It would bring immigrants here, such as yourself, and I would no longer have the trust of my people. Maybe you should have taken in more politics before you came here in the war effort?"
"No, this isn't politics that I'm here for, it's the slavery and mistreatment of a more delicate race! If I sit on that throne, I'll end up doing the exact opposite of what I was sent here to do in the first place, which was to abolish the slavery of robots, not destroy them altogether! I'm a supporter, for cryin' out loud! If I sat on that throne it would completely defeat the purpose!"
"What do you want more, the happiness of robots, or of humans? A race that can be rebuilt, or an in-expendable one? Something that has no meaning in life but work, or something that has more meaning in life than it's counterpart, the robots?"
Halo looked at Red, her eyes widened. "That's a trick question. No one can answer that question!"
"The population of Metropolis can."
Halo took a deep breath. "Robot supporters think that humans and robots are equal. I am a supporter, therefore that question cannot be answered by me."
"By you. You are just one person in the world. The rest of Metropolis is over five hundred thousand-"
"Yes, and half of that is robots!"
"You will change your mind soon," Red said, turning and walking back toward the door. He stopped, said something to Rock, and then continued. Rock stepped forward toward Halo and forced her back through the door, down the stairs, and onto the lift.
"Where are we going?" Halo said after a few minutes.
"I said you would change your mind, you will change it soon, for your time is coming . . . My time is coming. A time where Metropolis will be free of the filth that infests it! Free . . . of the robots." Halo knitted her eyebrows together in worry and thought. She didn't want to do this, she didn't want to sit on the throne. Her objective in this town was to free the robots or make an agreement with Red or Boone. Well, all failed with Red and Boone was dead. There was no alternative for her but to return to Harbin and the society, a failure in Harbin's plans, but this wasn't an option.
Atlas had died, though he would have died by Rock's hands anyway or in the rebellion, Kenna and Fern had probably been done away with, and there was no telling where Karen and the boys had gone to. That suddenly sparked some hope in Halo's mind. Maybe Karen had contacted Harbin already and told him that something was definitely up, since she didn't know about anything but the massacre.
As the lift stopped Halo was forced back out, though this was practically pointless as she would've had to cooperate anyway, and then back down those staircases and elevators and all that and back to the throne room. The Marduks stayed outside, Rock stood inside by the door and Red stood side-by-side with Halo.
"There it is," Red whispered softly. Halo was definitely not going to do this. She refused to sit on that throne.
"No."
"What?"
"No. No, no, no, no, NO. I'm not gonna sit up there. Besides, it looks cold and . . . hard. I'd imagine it's very uncomfortable."
Duke Red sounded another laugh.
"Rock!" Rock stood straight, saluting. "Go get my little package, will you? And hurry it up."
"Yes, sir." Halo noted a sudden drop in his voice, as though he were irritated, didn't wanna do it, and didn't wanna do it because he didn't like it.
"What is it?" Halo said, looking up at Red.
"You shall see. Until it arrives, I'm going to tell you something. You see, the reason I detest- despise- robots is because a robot killed my daughter, Tima. After that, I adopted Rock-"
"Where you abused him and twisted him to fit your own ways, turning him into a killing machine, a monster-"
"To destroy robots. Not just any robot, of course, I set some limits, but now I want them gone. You've heard the story of the Tower of Babel, have you not?"
"Yes. God didn't want them to reach the heavens, so he struck down the tower and cast diversity over the people, giving each their own language so they couldn't communicate to rebuild the tower."
"Yes. But you see, His plans have failed. We have rebuilt the Tower, only it now serves a slightly new purpose. God didn't mean for these robots to be created, so we are striking them down, flushing them out, destroying them, just as He wanted."
"Atlas told me about this. Your plan will fail."
"And what did our rebellious rebellion leader compile in you, eh?"
"H- he told me that the same thing will happen to the Zigguraut because it's not supposed to end this way. It's all wrong, and if God wanted the robots flushed out and destroyed he would do it Himself."
"I see your Atlas is a strong believer. However, despite what Atlas has said, it will end this way, and I will be successful!" At the end of his sentence the door opened slowly and Rock stepped in, walking aside to admit the entrance of a small girl. Or, well, what appeared to be a small girl. Her blonde hair was flushed around her pale face, framing it perfectly, her large green eyes seemingly blank. Red turned to her, then looked at Halo.
"This is my daughter, Tima."
"She's a robot . . ."
"Yes, she is."
"But . . . I thought you said she wasn't finished."
"No, she's not, and I hadn't a scientist to finish the job. But despite that, she's still fit to do things, but let's just say . . . She's not up to the task of sitting upon the throne. She doesn't speak well now, but she's learning quickly." Halo had been staring into her blank eyes. They had gotten creepy, so apathetic . . . It was sad.
"How could you do this . . . To a robot?"
"What do you mean?"
"She can't be happy this way . . . And then, if the throne is used, she'd be the only robot left. I'd hate it if I were a robot. You apparently, as a father, don't give a damn about her. I suppose you felt so sad when she died that you just had to have her back, so you created a replica so you'd be happy, but do you think she's happy here? I was told a long time ago that when people die there's a reason for it. I don't think when your daughter died that that meant you should build a replica to sit on the throne and destroy all the robots. Or do you think that's your message from God?"
Red looked slightly puzzled, but his face relaxed into a small smile.
"Clever, but you still seem to not understand. Only a little while longer and the radiation will be charged up again, and then you may take your throne and use its power."
"Why not take it now?" piped a small voice. They both turned to look at Tima, who had obviously been the speaker. "Why not sit upon it now?" Red walked over to her and kneeled down and began to explain something to her. But Halo just turned back to the throne. She didn't want to look at it. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to consider sitting upon it and being its ruler, but it was hard . . . it was all so . . . enticing. But no, she knew that seeking the equilibrium of power was wrong, he was using her as a pawn, he wanted it all to himself. Why do this? It was only to his benefit, what was in it for her?
NO! She couldn't think this way! It was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. But . . . Somehow, without her wanting them to, her legs began to take her forward. NO! her mind screamed out. No! Stop it! Don't! But they wouldn't stop. The stairs were in front of her now and there she stopped. She was still. She gazed up at the throne, seemingly twice her size, and she began to climb the steps.
The floor beneath her was trembling, starting slow and getting faster. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she heard Red yelling for Rock to check the control room to make sure everything was all right. Then the floor began to crack and break under her feet, she heard Red calling Tima's name, and small scream, a small whimper, then she turned and faced Red and Tima, and sat down. Her arms were lain on the arms of the throne and she leaned back, her feet coming inches off the ground.
She no longer had control of herself. Inside her mind, she screamed for it to stop, for the pain, for the power, for all of it to stop, to go away and leave her alone, but she knew it wouldn't. She was screaming for someone to help her, for Atlas to wake up and come to the rescue as he did before. But her body had taken possession, as if she were possessed by some outer mind, some spirit. Looking out into the room she saw the floor collapsing, but Red laughing maniacally with Tima still in his arms, and then the throne began to rise up and she was sent into darkness. The wind was whipping her hair around her face, she felt it stinging her cheeks, and her shirt was whipping around her stomach. But she was in darkness, complete darkness, there were no sounds, she only felt the wind and her hair and clothes whipping at her body, and she could see, feel, the darkness closing her in, sealing her into eternity, a lonely eternity, but she couldn't hear it. The darkness bore down on her like death, and how she wished it would come. Nothing felt like this. Duke Red had promised her power, though she knew she didn't want it. Something about this throne had driven her towards it, however, and now she had to accept her fate as a pawn of the city, of the world, of the power-hungry Duke.
But instead of feeling that power it was pain. All that had been promised to her was pain.
Still in her mind she was screaming feebly for something to let her out, for it to stop, for a glimmer of light to shine through. But that feeble little voice soon faded and she gave in to it. She accepted it as it was, it was all she could do. But then she felt it, saw it, tasted it. A burst of green light right before her eyes . . . Green, the radiation. She had activated the weapon. Now all Metropolis was doomed. The robots wouldn't survive, the humans wouldn't survive without the robots. It was just the way it was. They had grown so accustomed to their non-living counterparts that without them the humans were to die. But Halo was guilty. The robot-supporter had done it all, killed the robots, the humans, the city. It was all her fault . . .
And then there was nothing, nothing except the pain in her. That's when she realized that the power of the radiation was too great. The throne was crumbling beneath her, the sharp metal sending shoots of an even greater pain through her legs. It was all too much to bear, so she screamed again, only this time it was real. She had screamed, the noise coming from her, it wasn't just in her mind there.
"NO! NO! Stop it! STOP!"
And then it did, but she could feel herself rising rapidly, feel the air whipping through her, her hair being thrown back. Then she burst through the ceiling and saw the now-gray sky, scorched with the power of the radiation, her eyes half closed. She felt the end coming, but it wouldn't come just yet, she just knew. The pain was excruciating, but she didn't really care anymore. She was hurtling through the air, oblivious to what was happening below her, the Zigguraut falling, destroyed, beaten, and Atlas was right; the Tower had fallen once more.
Author's Notes: FINISHED!!
