Authors Note: This story is something that has been bouncing around in my
head for quite some time. I often felt as if there was an aftermath to
'His Silicon Soul', that needed to be told. If you've seen the episode,
you may appreciate this story more than those who haven't seen it, but I do
hope whoever reads this enjoys it.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Not making money off 'em. This is just for fun. =)
IMAGES IN DREAMS Author: Onyx Rating: PG-13
"M-master Bruce!?" A shaky British accented voice echoed through the abyss.
Far below, in the darkness, a small light appeared from a lamp pole protruding from the stone wall. Batman pulled a grappling hook from his utility belt and shot it up to the caves ceiling. When it was securely fastened, he let go of the pole and ascended to the stone platform above him where Alfred was waiting.
Alfred reached out, grabbing Batman's hand, and pulled him to safety. "Thank heaven you're alive!"
The two of them walked back to the car, Batman leaning on Alfred for support. The Batman duplicant lay scorched and torn against the car.
"It would appear, Sir, that it preferred to sacrifice itself, rather than to allow innocent lives to come to harm. Somewhat like you."
Letting go of Alfred, Bruce knelt down in front of the robot and pushed its cowl back, revealing the face underneath. "It seems it was more than just wires and microchips, after all. Could it be it had a soul, Alfred? A soul of silicon. But a soul none the less?"
"I'm not one to speculate on the hereafter, Sir, but....perhaps."
Bruce frowned and stood with some difficulty.
"Sir?" Alfred stepped closer.
"I'm alright, Alfred. A little sore, but alright." He glanced back down at the robot, then around at the cave. The main computer was in shambles, as was the lab, a few pieces of equipment, and the display case below. Nothing that couldn't be replaced, but it meant Batman would be inconvenienced for a while. He'd have to get Dick to help him set up the computer systems and transfer the files. "There's nothing that can be done down here tonight. We'll leave this until morning. I'll give Dick a call then, see if he can give us a hand. Mean time, I'll set the security systems and lock the cave down. Just incase."
"Incase of what, Sir?"
Bruce looked down at the robot. "Three months ago I thought HARDC was destroyed. Obviously I was wrong. I'm not taking any chances."
__________
"Holy...!" Dick stood in the cave, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, as he looked over the damage. "And you and Alfred are okay?!"
"Yes. We're fine," Bruce answered calmly.
"Man. I go away to college and look what happens. Can't leave you two alone for a minute!"
Bruce grinned. "Then why not stay here? The University is only a half hour away."
"Yeah. But I like it, Bruce. Gotta learn to be on my own, someday."
"Yes. I suppose you do," Bruce said, smiling.
"So, where do you want to start?" Dick asked, almost sounding excited.
"Think you can pull the files and check them, then go through the system and check it?"
"No prob!" Dick went over to the wrecked computer and stared at the mess. "Wow." He searched through some of the wreckage and found Bruce's leather desk chair tipped over. Aside from being covered in dust and debris it was fine. Dick tipped it right side up and sat down at the broken console, making himself comfortable.
About an hour later Dick's stomach started growling. "Hey, Bruce, where's Alfred?" A few grunts and groans sounded behind him and he swiveled in the chair, seeing Bruce lugging a pile of scrap.
"He had a few...*grunt* errands to run this morning." Bruce stepped back from the pile and looked at his watch. "He should be back by now."
"Hmm. I'll go upstairs and check. Maybe he's fixing lunch."
"Tell him a sandwich would be good!"
"Some of Alfred's cookies would be, too," Dick muttered to himself as he ascended the stairs. "The ones in the University's cafeteria taste like cardboard."
__________
"Alfred?! You up here?!"
"In the kitchen, Master Dick!"
Dick pushed the door open and saw Alfred standing at the counter. He was pouring a glass of milk with what appeared to be bandaged hands.
"Are you alright?!" Dick asked alarmed upon seeing Alfred's hands. He rushed over to the older man.
"Quite alright, I assure you, Young Sir. Just some minor burns from the computers console when I tried to stop the upload."
Dick blinked at him as he gently took the glass and carton away from Alfred and finished the pouring. "What do you mean?"
"HARDC had set up tampering precautions on the computer and I was injured," Alfred answered.
"But, you're okay?" Dick asked once more.
Alfred refrained form rolling his eyes. "As I said before, I am quite fine, Master Dick. You needn't worry so much." He gave the young man a reassuring smile and set about finishing the lunch.
He took the now filled glass from Dick and placed it next to a previously filled one, along with a plate of sandwiches and some homemade cookies.
"You've been reading our minds again, I see. How do you do that?"
Alfred smiled. "I know you both far too well, Master Dick."
Dick smiled. Alfred was amazing.
Alfred capped the milk and returned it to the refrigerator.
"So, now that you're home, are you gonna help me and Bruce in the cave?" Dick leaned up against the counter and munched on a cookie he'd snatched off the tray.
"'Bruce and I', Young Sir."
Dick rolled his eyes. "Bruce and I. Anyway, are you?"
"Err...I'm not sure. I have quite a few chores to tend to up here. And I have to be mindful of my hands for a day or two I'm afraid, Master Dick"
"Well, Bruce has most of the heavy stuff piled. He's gonna go through it and whatever he doesn't want, or can't be used by anyone else to do any harm, is going to go to the scrap yard via anonymous donation."
"What about the duplicant? Did Master Bruce mention what he was going to do about it?"
Dick shrugged. "We really haven't gotten that far yet. Or, I should say, Bruce hasn't gotten that far yet. All he did was move it to the infirmary. He has it lying on the bed. I would assume he's gonna have to dismantle it."
Alfred sighed.
"Something wrong, Alfred?"
"Uh, no, Master Dick." Alfred picked up the tray. "These sandwiches and cookies are getting stale and the milk warm. I'd best get them downstairs." The older man turned on his heels and walked to the door.
Dick furrowed his brows and quickly followed his surrogate grandfather out the door. Something was clearly bothering Alfred, but Dick knew better than to hound the older man about it. If Alfred wanted to talk, he would. And if he didn't, it was best to leave him alone.
To be continued...
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Not making money off 'em. This is just for fun. =)
IMAGES IN DREAMS Author: Onyx Rating: PG-13
"M-master Bruce!?" A shaky British accented voice echoed through the abyss.
Far below, in the darkness, a small light appeared from a lamp pole protruding from the stone wall. Batman pulled a grappling hook from his utility belt and shot it up to the caves ceiling. When it was securely fastened, he let go of the pole and ascended to the stone platform above him where Alfred was waiting.
Alfred reached out, grabbing Batman's hand, and pulled him to safety. "Thank heaven you're alive!"
The two of them walked back to the car, Batman leaning on Alfred for support. The Batman duplicant lay scorched and torn against the car.
"It would appear, Sir, that it preferred to sacrifice itself, rather than to allow innocent lives to come to harm. Somewhat like you."
Letting go of Alfred, Bruce knelt down in front of the robot and pushed its cowl back, revealing the face underneath. "It seems it was more than just wires and microchips, after all. Could it be it had a soul, Alfred? A soul of silicon. But a soul none the less?"
"I'm not one to speculate on the hereafter, Sir, but....perhaps."
Bruce frowned and stood with some difficulty.
"Sir?" Alfred stepped closer.
"I'm alright, Alfred. A little sore, but alright." He glanced back down at the robot, then around at the cave. The main computer was in shambles, as was the lab, a few pieces of equipment, and the display case below. Nothing that couldn't be replaced, but it meant Batman would be inconvenienced for a while. He'd have to get Dick to help him set up the computer systems and transfer the files. "There's nothing that can be done down here tonight. We'll leave this until morning. I'll give Dick a call then, see if he can give us a hand. Mean time, I'll set the security systems and lock the cave down. Just incase."
"Incase of what, Sir?"
Bruce looked down at the robot. "Three months ago I thought HARDC was destroyed. Obviously I was wrong. I'm not taking any chances."
__________
"Holy...!" Dick stood in the cave, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, as he looked over the damage. "And you and Alfred are okay?!"
"Yes. We're fine," Bruce answered calmly.
"Man. I go away to college and look what happens. Can't leave you two alone for a minute!"
Bruce grinned. "Then why not stay here? The University is only a half hour away."
"Yeah. But I like it, Bruce. Gotta learn to be on my own, someday."
"Yes. I suppose you do," Bruce said, smiling.
"So, where do you want to start?" Dick asked, almost sounding excited.
"Think you can pull the files and check them, then go through the system and check it?"
"No prob!" Dick went over to the wrecked computer and stared at the mess. "Wow." He searched through some of the wreckage and found Bruce's leather desk chair tipped over. Aside from being covered in dust and debris it was fine. Dick tipped it right side up and sat down at the broken console, making himself comfortable.
About an hour later Dick's stomach started growling. "Hey, Bruce, where's Alfred?" A few grunts and groans sounded behind him and he swiveled in the chair, seeing Bruce lugging a pile of scrap.
"He had a few...*grunt* errands to run this morning." Bruce stepped back from the pile and looked at his watch. "He should be back by now."
"Hmm. I'll go upstairs and check. Maybe he's fixing lunch."
"Tell him a sandwich would be good!"
"Some of Alfred's cookies would be, too," Dick muttered to himself as he ascended the stairs. "The ones in the University's cafeteria taste like cardboard."
__________
"Alfred?! You up here?!"
"In the kitchen, Master Dick!"
Dick pushed the door open and saw Alfred standing at the counter. He was pouring a glass of milk with what appeared to be bandaged hands.
"Are you alright?!" Dick asked alarmed upon seeing Alfred's hands. He rushed over to the older man.
"Quite alright, I assure you, Young Sir. Just some minor burns from the computers console when I tried to stop the upload."
Dick blinked at him as he gently took the glass and carton away from Alfred and finished the pouring. "What do you mean?"
"HARDC had set up tampering precautions on the computer and I was injured," Alfred answered.
"But, you're okay?" Dick asked once more.
Alfred refrained form rolling his eyes. "As I said before, I am quite fine, Master Dick. You needn't worry so much." He gave the young man a reassuring smile and set about finishing the lunch.
He took the now filled glass from Dick and placed it next to a previously filled one, along with a plate of sandwiches and some homemade cookies.
"You've been reading our minds again, I see. How do you do that?"
Alfred smiled. "I know you both far too well, Master Dick."
Dick smiled. Alfred was amazing.
Alfred capped the milk and returned it to the refrigerator.
"So, now that you're home, are you gonna help me and Bruce in the cave?" Dick leaned up against the counter and munched on a cookie he'd snatched off the tray.
"'Bruce and I', Young Sir."
Dick rolled his eyes. "Bruce and I. Anyway, are you?"
"Err...I'm not sure. I have quite a few chores to tend to up here. And I have to be mindful of my hands for a day or two I'm afraid, Master Dick"
"Well, Bruce has most of the heavy stuff piled. He's gonna go through it and whatever he doesn't want, or can't be used by anyone else to do any harm, is going to go to the scrap yard via anonymous donation."
"What about the duplicant? Did Master Bruce mention what he was going to do about it?"
Dick shrugged. "We really haven't gotten that far yet. Or, I should say, Bruce hasn't gotten that far yet. All he did was move it to the infirmary. He has it lying on the bed. I would assume he's gonna have to dismantle it."
Alfred sighed.
"Something wrong, Alfred?"
"Uh, no, Master Dick." Alfred picked up the tray. "These sandwiches and cookies are getting stale and the milk warm. I'd best get them downstairs." The older man turned on his heels and walked to the door.
Dick furrowed his brows and quickly followed his surrogate grandfather out the door. Something was clearly bothering Alfred, but Dick knew better than to hound the older man about it. If Alfred wanted to talk, he would. And if he didn't, it was best to leave him alone.
To be continued...