Of Dreams and Memories

Hot, sweat rolled down his face. A gunshot sounded behind him, and he ducked to avoid being hit. A chuckle sounded nearby, and he clutched the gun in his hand tightly. There was another shot, and he jumped out from hiding...

Roger half- yelled as his body struck the floor. With a groan, he lifted his head, squinting at the pale shaft of sunlight that filtered down on him. Another beautiful morning. Damn, he was even up before Dorothy had a chance to wake him. With that thought, he heard the first keys struck on the piano. Ahh, sweet bliss. Banishing sarcasm, Roger pulled on his bathrobe and stiffly strode from the room. Not even sparing the android a glance, he stepped out on the balcony. Distantly, he heard the music behind him stop. A soft tread announced her presence as she stepped up beside him. "Roger." He looked down at her, noting the way her hair blew about her face in the updraft of wind. "Good morning Dorothy." She turned her head to regard him steadily with an unfaltering gaze.

"Roger, is there something troubling you?" The Negotiator felt his jaw come open in surprise, and he closed it quickly. "Now Dorothy, why would you ask?" The android looked out over the city. "Every day for the past two weeks, I have woken you by playing. Every day, you've run from your room and berated me for playing, as you put it, 'that god- awful racket.' However, this morning, you said nothing. Something is troubling you." Roger chuckled. "Dorothy, have you ever considered psychiatry?" Dorothy placed her hands behind her back. "Roger, you are evading the question." A clearing throat made Roger turn. "Ahh, saved by the butler. What is it Norman?"

"Sir, a Morgan Love is on the phone and wishes to speak with you." Leaving Dorothy to contemplate the city, Roger picked up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Roger, what have you found out?"

Roger chuckled. Miss 'Love' is it?" Angel didn't miss a beat. "I know you went out yesterday. Did you find out anything?" Roger sat in a handy chair and tipped himself back against the wall. "Are you going to be checking up on me every day?" The irritation in her voice was palatable. "I thought we had a deal 'Mr. Negotiator'." Roger dropped the legs of his chair down with a * thump *. "I work on my own timetable, and that doesn't involve checking in with you every ten minutes." His voice softened slightly as his ire died down. "Look, I know this is important. When I have some news, I'll let you know." He barely heard her response before she hung up the phone. "Thank you, Roger." Rubbing a hand across his face, Roger tipped the chair back against the wall again. Closing his eyes, he was just beginning to relax when he felt a hand on his knee. Opening his eyes again, he saw Dorothy looking at him steadily. "Roger, this position will damage the furniture." Smiling, Roger allowed the chair legs to return to their former place. "What would I do without you Dorothy?" The android regarded him a moment. "It is likely you would continue negotiating, taking time to date shallow women and consort with little-known acquaintances in shady bars.... much as you do now. However, you would also oversleep, causing you to miss appointments, and most of your furniture would need to be replaced." Smirking, Roger ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you for summing up my existence in such an exciting manner." Dorothy turned away, silently straightening the room. Roger watched her for a while, a slight frown on his face. Something about her tickled at something in the back of his mind. There was a flash of red hair and a smiling face.... and then it was gone, buried again. Shaking his head, Roger stood and walked to his room.

The bar was quiet this time of day. Smoke wove lazily in the air, drifting slightly where it encountered spinning fans. A few people sat in stools, sipping languidly at their drinks. Most people, however, sat at the many tables that were scattered about the room. At one of these tables Roger Smith sat, pretending to read the paper. Amid the gentle conversation, his eyes scanned silently. His contact should have been here by now. A waitress drifted to his table. "No thank you." Said Roger aimlessly, holding up his hand. She continued forward until she stood before him. "Would you like to try our special today?" Roger glanced up at her. "Thanks, I'm not hungry." Undeterred, the young woman held a menu before him. "I think you'd like it, it's the cook's favorite!" Glancing at the menu, Roger paused. Something was scribbled on the lower corner of the menu. "Cook's favorite you say?" The waitress nodded. "If you'd like, I can give you a few minutes." Roger lifted the menu. "Thanks, I'd appreciate it." Barely registering her departure, he examined the note closely. 'Too hot. Will contact tonight. Black Dog Inn.' There was a time there as well. After reading the note, Roger dipped the edge of his napkin in his water glass and cleaned off the writing. Then, with a cautious look around, he departed, leaving a sizeable tip for the waitress.

The shadows were long when Roger stepped under the awning of the Black Dog. He couldn't see Big Ear, but he knew he was there. "Well?" A shifting foot was the only sign of the other man. "Your doctor was practicing more than medicine." Allowing Big Ear time to speak, Roger put his hands in his pockets; sinking a little deeper into the shadows. "He was subsidized by a company known as Syne-Dyne- you may have heard of them." Roger nodded, though the gesture was lost in the darkness.

"Yes, I have heard of them. I thought that company folded over a decade ago."

Big Ear grunted. "So did a lot of people. Turns out they simply 'hid out' for a while, changed the name to something innocuous. They've been working under the guise of 'Future Technologies' for the past ten years- churning out little advances now and then, but nothing too radical. However, beneath the surface..." Big Ear paused, lowering his voice even more. "The work they were doing required a significant cash flow. There are a lot of politicians sticking money into this thing. The biggest contributor is Alex Rosewater." Roger's jaw dropped, but Big Ear continued speaking. "All of this was to aid your dear doctor in his research." Shifting his feet, Roger looked around cautiously before speaking. "What was the research?" A car drove by, and both men fell silent until it passed out of sight. Big Ear slipped a piece of paper into Roger's hand. "You'll find what you need here." Folding the paper into his coat pocket, Roger passed a thick roll of bills to the other man. Not looking back, he stepped away, melting into the night.

The pavement flew by in a gray blur as the heavy-bodied black car roared down the freeway. In the sky, only a sliver of moon remained, its feeble light adding a glow to the water beneath the bridge ahead. "Norman." The butler appeared on the small screen in his dash. "Yes, Master Roger?"

"I'm afraid I'll be a bit late tonight- I'm checking something out. Do you have my position?" The butler smiled. "Of course sir. Would you like it sent there?" Shifting up a notch, Roger put his foot to the floor. "You read my mind."

The address given to him by Big Ear was in a shoddy part of town. "Figures." Muttered Roger under his breath as he pulled out his flashlight. The small beam highlighted busted masonry, sagging doors, shattered windows. As he stepped forward, he stumbled on the broken torso of what had once been a beautiful sculpture. Glancing down, he frowned at the face that looked up at him. It was a woman, frail looking under the light of his beam. Her hair was long, down to the middle of her waist. The arms were broken off, and lying off to the side. A long crack ran up the middle of the face, dividing the features, and adding to the sadness of the expression. Roger found himself kneeling by the figure, and was ashamed to discover he was on the edge of tears. Shaking his head and forcing a chuckle, he stood to his feet again. Squaring his shoulders, the negotiator stepped through the looming doorway.

Dust hung in the air like a shroud. Coughing, Roger held his sleeve over his mouth as he proceeded further into the demolished structure. An eerie sound broke the silence, and his eyes raked the ceiling until he located the owl hunting among the cracked eaves. He frowned, wondering at the sight of such a rare animal. Shrugging the thought away, he ducked his head and moved on.

Several minutes later, Roger was muttering curses under his breath as he clambered away from yet another dead end. A thick streak of grime ran across his forehead, as well as stained both hands. Wiping his palms on a handkerchief, Roger paused to get his bearings. He had already explored several rooms to no avail. In fact, for the first time, he was starting to think Big Ear had sent him on a wild goose chase. "Never thought of you as the practical joke type." He said out loud, smiling in spite of himself. Well only a few more rooms to explore before he'd experienced the full tour. As he stepped forward, Roger felt something move beneath his feet. With a sharp yell, he jumped back, brandishing his flashlight like a club. Unfortunately, in doing so- he sent the beam away from whatever he'd stepped on. Quickly recovering his cool, he turned the light on the unknown object.

It was a dog.

Roger's jaw dropped. "What in the hell?" Owls were one thing. But dogs ran right up there with finding plutonium in a swamp. Roger cautiously leaned forward to examine the beast more closely. It was primarily brown, with a few white markings. And it was small- with two sharp ears turned toward him curiously. Considering how rare dogs were to begin with, Roger wasn't surprised he couldn't identify the breed. "Hey boy- what are you doing here?" The dog responded with a sharp bark, and quickly bounded away. With a quick intake of breath, Roger shot after the creature, stumbling a little as he ran.

Ahead, the dog made a quick turn down a long hallway. While some part of him realized how stupid this was, none-the-less, Roger continued his pursuit. The chase came to an abrupt end at a blank wall. Pausing to catch his breath, Roger looked at the dog, who returned his gaze eagerly. "Well... now what?" As if in response, the small animal reached out with a paw and clawed at a slight indentation in the wall. Immediately, the wall began to rise. Without thought, Roger scooped up the dog and backed away, shielding his eyes from the sudden burst of light. When the spots faded, he found himself looking down from an observation deck into a vast chamber. Spotlights illuminated the area, giving everything a feeling of the surreal. The sound of machinery came to him, and he could detect movement in the distance. He realized he was in a very precarious position- especially when the sound of gunfire suddenly erupted around him. "Damn!" He shouted, throwing himself back into the previous room. The dog bounded from his arms, making a beeline for the exit. Following close behind, Roger had almost made it when he felt a stinging slap in the back of his left leg. Rolling to the ground, he grit his teeth in pain. More shots exploded around him as he pulled himself forward. One shot grazed his side, while another sent a bolt of agony through him where it impacted with his shoulder. Slumping forward, Roger reached for his watch, and connected with a slender hand instead! He barely had time to register who it was when he was dragged from the room. The wall slid down behind him with a solid thunk. On the other side, the muffled sounds of gunfire could barely be heard. Roger looked into the face of his rescuer. "R. Dorothy." The android tilted her head, regarding him solemnly. "You are injured." Roger looked himself over. "What, this?" His response was cut off as he suddenly slumped forward, halted in mid-fall by two solid arms around his waist. Laying one arm around Dorothy's shoulder, Roger held her tightly as he limped forward, glancing back at the door. "We probably should move a bit faster..."

"Of course Roger." Without missing a beat, Dorothy scooped him up in her arms and ran from the building. Roger smiled a little when Dorothy set him gently into the passenger's side of the car before nimbly installing herself behind the wheel. They left rubber on the pavement as she wheeled the heavy machine around amidst a hail of bullets. In moments, they were gone. "It's not often the prince is rescued by the princess."

"Do you consider yourself a prince, Roger Smith?" Roger opened his mouth, then simply smiled. Dorothy glanced into the rear-view mirror. "They are pursuing." Roger looked back. Sure enough, two cars and a heavy truck were quickly closing. Bullets spattered the pavement around them, occasionally striking the car. "What do you say we give them something to think about?" As he spoke, Roger flipped a switch- and with a jolt, two small rockets shot from the rear of the car. The first two vehicles swerved to avoid the missiles, and took out each other instead. The heavy-bodied truck avoided both the missiles and the car wreak- and continued to give chase. "Damn, slipped through." Roger grunted in pain as Dorothy swerved to avoid more shots aimed their way. One bullet took out the right side mirror. Roger clenched his hands. "It's one thing to shoot me- nobody shoots my car!" Deftly, he reached over and flipped another switch. There was a muffled clunk as something released onto the concrete. Seconds later, the truck jerked to the side as a small explosion went off beneath it. Roger watched long enough to see it roll a few times before the pain overtook him again. Sliding down in his seat, he barely noticed when Dorothy reached out to grip his arm.

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Thank you to those who've kept reading, your reward is one chapter away! I know for review purposes, I should have loaded these up one at a time- but I was excited to have this posted. Anyhow- I look forward to hearing from you!