Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing to do with Dark City, aside from the home video. I don't own the city, I don't own Schreber (If I did I wouldn't be WRITING about him now would I?) and I don't own anything else that'll get my behind thrown in jail.
Author's Note: This chapter sucks, sorry ^_^' Thanks to my LOOOOOOOOVELY reviewers, I didn't expect a single review until maybe a week after I posted it :D And thanks for the gammer correction, Grandfather taught me to do that ^_^' You guys rock!
ENJOY!
Slowly the rain ran fell into the cloudy streets, dripping off the red and white striped awning of the cafe, bouncing off the cars that drove down the street, spraying off the street as the tires ran through it.
She sat, cross legged at a picturesque little cafe table under the awning, a cup of coffee in her hand, staring out into the falling rain. It looked so beautiful when it rained in the daytime here. The daylight was the perfect shade of gray and the smell was wonderful when mingled with the smells from the cafe. How long had she been coming here? A year or so. In other words: For as long as she could remember....That was pathetic. Just like her.
Apparently the owner had made a deal with her some time before the time her memory started and she had earned all her coffee free, which was a good thing as she barely had any money at all.
"Daniel" She whispered to herself for the 6th time in the past two hours, slowly pronouncing every sound in the name. Daniel Schreber....It was a nice name she thought. Belonging to a (As far as she could tell) Nice man. And a kind soul she could tell. Thoughtful, intelligent, calculative...Perhaps even a bit lonely?
"Yeah, you'd know all about loneliness, Trinity" She sadly whispered to herself, her forefinger slowly tracing along the lip of her mug, looking down into the drink, almost white from all the creamer she put in it. She had only met one single person who had knew her in this city and he had tried to kill her, calling her a assassin. This confused her. How could she be a assassin? Yeah, a killer, but in her mind there was a difference. A killer faced their opponent, a Assassin hid in a high up place, way from any danger and plucked off their target without any challenge whatsoever. But...Who knows, maybe she had been....She couldn't remember. She didn't even know her age.
It was a sad, confused, lonely job being Trinity Butler. Sometimes she wished she could just change it, return this life and get a new one like returning a defective piece of property.
Sometimes she wished she could be changed.
"Daniel" A moan she didn't even realize escaped her lips.
"Trinity" Each of the three syllables slowly drew out, carefully pronounced, purred. How many times had that been now? 6? He lost count and anyway, what did it matter? No...That wasn't the correct question, the actual question is why was he musing over her name? Over iher/I? He had never done this before and he found it odd. For the love of God, he had only met her last night, what was the big deal?
'Because she was kind to you. Because she didn't make fun of your stutter, because she didn't mock your limp, because she smiled at you ' His mind answered. It was true, even if he didn't like to admit it to even himself, of all the people he had imprinted, had changed over and over again, she had been one of very few who had been kind to him in the waking world. Her and Murdoch was it actually. Everyone else regarded him like a 'shrink' with a limp and speech impediment. Oh if only they knew. If only they knew the tortures that had put these curses on him, perhaps they'd understand then.
His thoughts slowly drifted back to his little, gray lit office as he felt a soft scuttling feel at his ankle. He looked down to find a white rat pulling at his pants leg. A slow grin spread across his lips as he slowly bent down to pick up the little rodent.
"Now how'd - you get - out?" He asked the little furry creature which he held in his hand as he rose slowly from his chair and walked to the cage he kept the ex-lab rat in. He had gotten rid of most of his experimental equipment and had considered giving his furry little friend away as well but...He couldn't. The little rat had been his first friend really. He couldn't part with him. Slowly he placed the rodent in his cage, and secured the lid back tight. How had he not heard the clatter of the screen lid against the carpeted floor?
Never mind that question.
Slowly he limped back to his desk and looked down at his report on another of his few patients and was surprised to see it was done. How had he--Never mind. He placed the report in a file folder and slipped it into a filing cabinet and closed the door. He glanced up at the clock. Noon. Three more hours and Trinity would be here and the scherade would continue. How long could he keep her guessing at this? How long would it take? How long would his conscious allow him to lie to her?
"What does - it matter?" He asked himself aloud, looking out the window at the falling rain, inhaling the scent of it.
'Everything' The same little voice in his head answered again. Yes....It was true. And wouldn't she become discouraged if nothing happened? What if less serum than he thought had made it's way to her? What if his plan failed? Well...What would another failure matter? He had failed many times before, although he hated to admit it.
"Trinity"
"Oh my God!" Trinity laughed as she walked through the raining streets. She laughed for what felt like the first time she had truly laughed sense she had been nine. Her sides ached with the effort and unseen tears due to the rain ran down her cheeks. She finally had to lean up against a brick wall to brace herself unless she fell over. She didn't pay attention to the people who passed her, regarding her like she was two cans short of a six pack.
"With rings on her fingers, bells on her toes and a bone in her nose, ho-ho!" She sang again, bursting into a fresh fit of laughter at the lyrics. It was a Ray Stevens song, "Ahab the Arab" and she had first heard the song at 18! A memory had finally came back to her and it had made her laugh!
With some effort she got herself under control and began walking down the street again, hands in her jeans pockets, soaking wet but happy. She was on her way to see Schreber, they had made a appointment for 3:00 today and she didn't want to be late. HA! What Irony! He had said he'd help her recover her memory and here she was, remembering something before their first try at it!
After a few more minutes she reached the building and walked in, dripping wet. She walked up the stairs to get to his office then realized that perhaps dripping wet wasn't a good look for her. She stepped into a dark corner and slid off her shirt and rung it out and slid it back on, then rang out her hair a little....Well, there wasn't much she could do with hr jeans, she wasn't taking them off.
As she began walking to the door with Schreber's name on the glass panel in black letters she thought on the lyrics again and, much to her embracement, began laughing again.
2:49 Daniel Schreber noted, looking up from his book for a slight second at the clock that hung on the wall then back down to the page he was reading. It was one of the very few fiction books he had and every now and then he liked to read through it, it helped take the razor-sharp pain of reality away for a few hours. He was disturbed a few minutes latter by a bellowing fit of laughter outside his office door. He looked up, his right eyebrow raised in wonder as the laughter grew louder somewhat. It was a female laughing and he found the sound, even if misplaced here, very pleasing. It was real, heart filled and -- beautiful.
Slowly a shadow appeared against the glass of his office door, paused, then the door opened onto a teary eyed, smiling, and LAUGHING Trinity Butler. Schreber blinked a few times, froze in his chair, book in hand, legs crossed, as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She was soaking wet, not dripping, but her cloths was plastered to her, her hair hung in limp locks about her face, and she was laughing as though she had lost her mind. She looked up, caught the look on his face and began laughing harder, placing one hand over her mouth, the other palm towards him in a "One second" motion. Slowly she gained control of herself and took a few breaths.
"Sorry about that Doctor Schreber" She spoke finally, her voice still merry, "I remembered something on my way to your office and I've been laughing sense". Schreber smiled as he closed his book and placed it on the small table next to his chair.
"I'm - glad to hear - that, Miss Butler. What - may I ask - did you remember?" He asked, placing his hands in his lap. If she had remembered that, then yes, she had more memories than just her teenage years. they would be scattered but it would make his job easier.
"Lyrics!" She replied.
"Lyrics?"
"Yeah! From a song I heard when I was 18!".
"This is - wonderful news - Miss Butler. Already - remembering something and - we haven't even - started yet" He smiled and she smiled back. He noticed that the tooth to the right of her canine was gold but besides that, it was a very lovely, lady-like smile. Outside the rain began to subside and Trinity broke eye contact with him to look out the window.
"Oh sure, now you decide to stop" She spoke sarcastically to no one in particular, fiddling with her wet shirt.
"Your - early" Schreber said, getting up from his chair and walking to a table with several flasks of different liquor. Trinity remained looking out the window.
"A habit of Mine I suppose. I always feel the need to be early for some reason". Schreber nodded, walking to her hand holding her a glass of brandy.
"You - seem cold. This - warms people up rather - nicely". Another beautiful smile as she took the glass from his hand and thanked him. She looked into the glass for a minute, sniffed then took a sip.
"What is this?" She asked, making a smacking sound with her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
"Brandy"
"Hmm...I don't think I remember drinking anything Alcoholic...I may wanna start...With moderation of cores!" She added after seeing Schreber raise an eyebrow. Schreber nodded his head and they stood there in awkward (Or so it felt to him) silence for a minute or two, ever now and then Trinity sipping at the Brandy.
"So" The gray haired girl finally spoke, looking in his direction but not locking eyes with him, "Where do we start? I've never done this kinda thing before, or can't you guess?". Schreber chuckled and looked out the window.
"I - was thinking of - taking you to Shell - Beach as that is where you - grew up at as a - child. Usually memories - seem to come back when taken - to a childhood -home".
"OK then" She said, looking back down into her drink. Schreber noted that most of the merriment that she had walked in here with was gone. Was it always like that with her? Was she always so brooding?
"I don't have a car"
"I - guessed that - when you came in - soaking wet" Schreber said, walking to his desk. Trinity nodded, looking out the window again as she heard the rattle of a key on a chain. Schreber regarded the key for a second, remembering the day Murdoch had handed it to him.
"Schreber, you need a car. The city's grown and I worry about that limp of yours" Murdoch had told him, smiling, as he lead him to a black Ford. Indeed, it had came in handy and his leg had somewhat healed sense he stopped walking about the city so much.
Trinity turned her head moreso towards the window, making the light play at her face in a odd way. For a few seconds, the gray hair suited her worn and sad face, another scar peaking out from the collar of her shirt. Schreber found himself wondering what age she was, really was, not just what he had imprinted her to be.
"I think perhaps - you should - have a dryer - shirt. I have a - spare you can - barrow" He said at length, shaking himself from his thoughts. Trinity turned to face him, the youth coming back to her features as her pail green eyes grew slightly.
"No, really, it's OK".
"Nonsense. Perhaps you - don't remember - what it's like having - a cold but I - do" He said, walking to a closet and bringing out a white button-up shirt. Trinity offerd a shy grin as she took the shirt from Schreber's hands, running the cloth through her hands. It was soft as she was sure his skin was, as his smile was. She nodded and looked around for a place to change.
"You can - change in the - bathroom if - you like" Schreber said, motioning to a door to the right of him. She nodded and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Outside a distant sound of thunder carried to his ears. That sound brought back memories, dark ones. That had been the sound he had heard during his first punishment for failing to complete a task, for rebelling against them in his early days of being in their service...Being their slave. It had always seemed to thunder whenever they punished him, as though the weather was voicing it's opinion, that it was agreeing with The Strangers. Even the sound of the clock sounded thunder as it stopped time. A constant reminder of how much control they had over the city and everyone in it. Why had they picked where ever it had been to get their test subjects? That couldn't have been the only place they could have gotten beings with a soul...Although, he was sure that if it had been another place, one of those persons who would have been in his shoes would have asked the same question.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the clicking of the door as Trinity closed it behind her. She had tied the shirt at her stomach, the outlines of a black bra showing through the fabric. She had also dried her hair somewhat. Schreber gave her a grin and walked to the door and opened. it.
"Lets go find - your memory - then" He spoke.
'Lets go find those lies I gave you with the lies I'm giving you'
Author's Note: This chapter sucks, sorry ^_^' Thanks to my LOOOOOOOOVELY reviewers, I didn't expect a single review until maybe a week after I posted it :D And thanks for the gammer correction, Grandfather taught me to do that ^_^' You guys rock!
ENJOY!
Slowly the rain ran fell into the cloudy streets, dripping off the red and white striped awning of the cafe, bouncing off the cars that drove down the street, spraying off the street as the tires ran through it.
She sat, cross legged at a picturesque little cafe table under the awning, a cup of coffee in her hand, staring out into the falling rain. It looked so beautiful when it rained in the daytime here. The daylight was the perfect shade of gray and the smell was wonderful when mingled with the smells from the cafe. How long had she been coming here? A year or so. In other words: For as long as she could remember....That was pathetic. Just like her.
Apparently the owner had made a deal with her some time before the time her memory started and she had earned all her coffee free, which was a good thing as she barely had any money at all.
"Daniel" She whispered to herself for the 6th time in the past two hours, slowly pronouncing every sound in the name. Daniel Schreber....It was a nice name she thought. Belonging to a (As far as she could tell) Nice man. And a kind soul she could tell. Thoughtful, intelligent, calculative...Perhaps even a bit lonely?
"Yeah, you'd know all about loneliness, Trinity" She sadly whispered to herself, her forefinger slowly tracing along the lip of her mug, looking down into the drink, almost white from all the creamer she put in it. She had only met one single person who had knew her in this city and he had tried to kill her, calling her a assassin. This confused her. How could she be a assassin? Yeah, a killer, but in her mind there was a difference. A killer faced their opponent, a Assassin hid in a high up place, way from any danger and plucked off their target without any challenge whatsoever. But...Who knows, maybe she had been....She couldn't remember. She didn't even know her age.
It was a sad, confused, lonely job being Trinity Butler. Sometimes she wished she could just change it, return this life and get a new one like returning a defective piece of property.
Sometimes she wished she could be changed.
"Daniel" A moan she didn't even realize escaped her lips.
"Trinity" Each of the three syllables slowly drew out, carefully pronounced, purred. How many times had that been now? 6? He lost count and anyway, what did it matter? No...That wasn't the correct question, the actual question is why was he musing over her name? Over iher/I? He had never done this before and he found it odd. For the love of God, he had only met her last night, what was the big deal?
'Because she was kind to you. Because she didn't make fun of your stutter, because she didn't mock your limp, because she smiled at you ' His mind answered. It was true, even if he didn't like to admit it to even himself, of all the people he had imprinted, had changed over and over again, she had been one of very few who had been kind to him in the waking world. Her and Murdoch was it actually. Everyone else regarded him like a 'shrink' with a limp and speech impediment. Oh if only they knew. If only they knew the tortures that had put these curses on him, perhaps they'd understand then.
His thoughts slowly drifted back to his little, gray lit office as he felt a soft scuttling feel at his ankle. He looked down to find a white rat pulling at his pants leg. A slow grin spread across his lips as he slowly bent down to pick up the little rodent.
"Now how'd - you get - out?" He asked the little furry creature which he held in his hand as he rose slowly from his chair and walked to the cage he kept the ex-lab rat in. He had gotten rid of most of his experimental equipment and had considered giving his furry little friend away as well but...He couldn't. The little rat had been his first friend really. He couldn't part with him. Slowly he placed the rodent in his cage, and secured the lid back tight. How had he not heard the clatter of the screen lid against the carpeted floor?
Never mind that question.
Slowly he limped back to his desk and looked down at his report on another of his few patients and was surprised to see it was done. How had he--Never mind. He placed the report in a file folder and slipped it into a filing cabinet and closed the door. He glanced up at the clock. Noon. Three more hours and Trinity would be here and the scherade would continue. How long could he keep her guessing at this? How long would it take? How long would his conscious allow him to lie to her?
"What does - it matter?" He asked himself aloud, looking out the window at the falling rain, inhaling the scent of it.
'Everything' The same little voice in his head answered again. Yes....It was true. And wouldn't she become discouraged if nothing happened? What if less serum than he thought had made it's way to her? What if his plan failed? Well...What would another failure matter? He had failed many times before, although he hated to admit it.
"Trinity"
"Oh my God!" Trinity laughed as she walked through the raining streets. She laughed for what felt like the first time she had truly laughed sense she had been nine. Her sides ached with the effort and unseen tears due to the rain ran down her cheeks. She finally had to lean up against a brick wall to brace herself unless she fell over. She didn't pay attention to the people who passed her, regarding her like she was two cans short of a six pack.
"With rings on her fingers, bells on her toes and a bone in her nose, ho-ho!" She sang again, bursting into a fresh fit of laughter at the lyrics. It was a Ray Stevens song, "Ahab the Arab" and she had first heard the song at 18! A memory had finally came back to her and it had made her laugh!
With some effort she got herself under control and began walking down the street again, hands in her jeans pockets, soaking wet but happy. She was on her way to see Schreber, they had made a appointment for 3:00 today and she didn't want to be late. HA! What Irony! He had said he'd help her recover her memory and here she was, remembering something before their first try at it!
After a few more minutes she reached the building and walked in, dripping wet. She walked up the stairs to get to his office then realized that perhaps dripping wet wasn't a good look for her. She stepped into a dark corner and slid off her shirt and rung it out and slid it back on, then rang out her hair a little....Well, there wasn't much she could do with hr jeans, she wasn't taking them off.
As she began walking to the door with Schreber's name on the glass panel in black letters she thought on the lyrics again and, much to her embracement, began laughing again.
2:49 Daniel Schreber noted, looking up from his book for a slight second at the clock that hung on the wall then back down to the page he was reading. It was one of the very few fiction books he had and every now and then he liked to read through it, it helped take the razor-sharp pain of reality away for a few hours. He was disturbed a few minutes latter by a bellowing fit of laughter outside his office door. He looked up, his right eyebrow raised in wonder as the laughter grew louder somewhat. It was a female laughing and he found the sound, even if misplaced here, very pleasing. It was real, heart filled and -- beautiful.
Slowly a shadow appeared against the glass of his office door, paused, then the door opened onto a teary eyed, smiling, and LAUGHING Trinity Butler. Schreber blinked a few times, froze in his chair, book in hand, legs crossed, as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She was soaking wet, not dripping, but her cloths was plastered to her, her hair hung in limp locks about her face, and she was laughing as though she had lost her mind. She looked up, caught the look on his face and began laughing harder, placing one hand over her mouth, the other palm towards him in a "One second" motion. Slowly she gained control of herself and took a few breaths.
"Sorry about that Doctor Schreber" She spoke finally, her voice still merry, "I remembered something on my way to your office and I've been laughing sense". Schreber smiled as he closed his book and placed it on the small table next to his chair.
"I'm - glad to hear - that, Miss Butler. What - may I ask - did you remember?" He asked, placing his hands in his lap. If she had remembered that, then yes, she had more memories than just her teenage years. they would be scattered but it would make his job easier.
"Lyrics!" She replied.
"Lyrics?"
"Yeah! From a song I heard when I was 18!".
"This is - wonderful news - Miss Butler. Already - remembering something and - we haven't even - started yet" He smiled and she smiled back. He noticed that the tooth to the right of her canine was gold but besides that, it was a very lovely, lady-like smile. Outside the rain began to subside and Trinity broke eye contact with him to look out the window.
"Oh sure, now you decide to stop" She spoke sarcastically to no one in particular, fiddling with her wet shirt.
"Your - early" Schreber said, getting up from his chair and walking to a table with several flasks of different liquor. Trinity remained looking out the window.
"A habit of Mine I suppose. I always feel the need to be early for some reason". Schreber nodded, walking to her hand holding her a glass of brandy.
"You - seem cold. This - warms people up rather - nicely". Another beautiful smile as she took the glass from his hand and thanked him. She looked into the glass for a minute, sniffed then took a sip.
"What is this?" She asked, making a smacking sound with her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
"Brandy"
"Hmm...I don't think I remember drinking anything Alcoholic...I may wanna start...With moderation of cores!" She added after seeing Schreber raise an eyebrow. Schreber nodded his head and they stood there in awkward (Or so it felt to him) silence for a minute or two, ever now and then Trinity sipping at the Brandy.
"So" The gray haired girl finally spoke, looking in his direction but not locking eyes with him, "Where do we start? I've never done this kinda thing before, or can't you guess?". Schreber chuckled and looked out the window.
"I - was thinking of - taking you to Shell - Beach as that is where you - grew up at as a - child. Usually memories - seem to come back when taken - to a childhood -home".
"OK then" She said, looking back down into her drink. Schreber noted that most of the merriment that she had walked in here with was gone. Was it always like that with her? Was she always so brooding?
"I don't have a car"
"I - guessed that - when you came in - soaking wet" Schreber said, walking to his desk. Trinity nodded, looking out the window again as she heard the rattle of a key on a chain. Schreber regarded the key for a second, remembering the day Murdoch had handed it to him.
"Schreber, you need a car. The city's grown and I worry about that limp of yours" Murdoch had told him, smiling, as he lead him to a black Ford. Indeed, it had came in handy and his leg had somewhat healed sense he stopped walking about the city so much.
Trinity turned her head moreso towards the window, making the light play at her face in a odd way. For a few seconds, the gray hair suited her worn and sad face, another scar peaking out from the collar of her shirt. Schreber found himself wondering what age she was, really was, not just what he had imprinted her to be.
"I think perhaps - you should - have a dryer - shirt. I have a - spare you can - barrow" He said at length, shaking himself from his thoughts. Trinity turned to face him, the youth coming back to her features as her pail green eyes grew slightly.
"No, really, it's OK".
"Nonsense. Perhaps you - don't remember - what it's like having - a cold but I - do" He said, walking to a closet and bringing out a white button-up shirt. Trinity offerd a shy grin as she took the shirt from Schreber's hands, running the cloth through her hands. It was soft as she was sure his skin was, as his smile was. She nodded and looked around for a place to change.
"You can - change in the - bathroom if - you like" Schreber said, motioning to a door to the right of him. She nodded and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Outside a distant sound of thunder carried to his ears. That sound brought back memories, dark ones. That had been the sound he had heard during his first punishment for failing to complete a task, for rebelling against them in his early days of being in their service...Being their slave. It had always seemed to thunder whenever they punished him, as though the weather was voicing it's opinion, that it was agreeing with The Strangers. Even the sound of the clock sounded thunder as it stopped time. A constant reminder of how much control they had over the city and everyone in it. Why had they picked where ever it had been to get their test subjects? That couldn't have been the only place they could have gotten beings with a soul...Although, he was sure that if it had been another place, one of those persons who would have been in his shoes would have asked the same question.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the clicking of the door as Trinity closed it behind her. She had tied the shirt at her stomach, the outlines of a black bra showing through the fabric. She had also dried her hair somewhat. Schreber gave her a grin and walked to the door and opened. it.
"Lets go find - your memory - then" He spoke.
'Lets go find those lies I gave you with the lies I'm giving you'