CHAPTER 4

THE GREEN MEGADEUS

"I'm amazed Dorothy," Roger said with a grin, "You haven't put those books down since we found them."

We were now back home, seeing it had gotten too dark to stay at the Wayneright Mansion.

After much persuasion, and a snide comment on android love, I had finally gotten Roger to take the android home.

Now he stood in the middle of the living room, standing stock still, eyes closed.

As Roger had observed, I had indeed, not put the diaries down. For the most part, the second diary was mostly on the construction of the android.

"Dr. Wayneright thinks I have enough experience to create my own android (It proclaimed)! I can't wait to start! I'll make him proud.

There was only two entries that differed from this, again, towards the end of the diary.

One was about Marriage. The other, was about pregnancy.

"November 5th.

Well, I did it. I finally asked Dorothy to marry me. God, it took a lot of guts! I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life. We were standing on the balcony of the Wayneright Mansion, just as the fireworks began.

And her answer?

(For what ever reason, he had left a few spaces blank)

YES! SHE SAID YES! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY IN MY LIFE! I just want to shout out to the world: DOROTHY WAYNERIGHT SAID YES!"

The second entry, was the very last one.

"December 31st

…

…

I'm gonna be a dad.

…

…

Dorothy told me as the bell struck midnight.

…

…

I'm gonna be a dad…

I'M GONNA BE A DAD!
YES! WHOO HOO! MY LIFE IS PERFECT! I GOT A LOVING WIFE AND FATHER-IN-LAW AND I'M GONNA BE A DAD!

PRAISE BE TO GOD!"

I couldn't help but Raise my eyebrows at the entry. It seemed that the original Dorothy had a good life. It made me wonder if my life would be as good.

Setting down the second diary, I picked up the third and began to read.

"Don't you ever rest?" Roger eyed me warily as he walked by.

"I do not actually require rest, Roger Smith," I commented dryly, before turning back to the diary.

Roger sighed and shook his head, before heading towards the garage.

"I'm going down Paradigm HQ. They said something about Schwarzwald and a pervious arrangement."

"I'll see you at dinner then," I replied emotionlessly as I flicked through a couple more pages of assembly jargon (I think I might have discovered a way for an android to run on air!)

"Don't forget you have a piano lesson with Instro at nine." I heard him call.

I glanced at the clock. I had a couple of hours, it couldn't hurt to read a couple more entries.

I skipped through several months, skimming over the pages to find something interesting to read.

Then a word caught my eye.

A word, I wouldn't have expected in a diary.

Megadeus.

My curiosity peaked. Flicking back a page, I decided to read from the beginning.

"July 30th.

It's finished. My greatest creation. Just a few more tweaks, and my android will be complete. I can't wait to show Dorothy, or the Doctor."

"Damiel?" I heard Dorothy behind me, "Can we come in now?"

I smiled as I looked behind me.

There stood Dorothy, along with her father. Dorothy was heavily pregnant with child, and so was being helped a bit by her father, and (to my surprise) Gordon Rosewater.

"Mr. Rosewater!" I stood up straight and wiped my hands on my lab coat, "I didn't know you were coming to see this! Had I know…"

"Oh relax Negotiator," Rosewater said with a smile, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd visit my dear friend Doctor Wayneright and, of course, his favourite pupil."

I ran a hand through my hair. Negotiator. Rosewater's pet name of sorts for me. I had met him properly last June, when he had been giving a lecture on running city in my Politics classes.

Seeing I was the best student in the class, the lecturer had brought me to Rosewater at the end of the lesson to introduce me.

When I said I had plans to be a negotiator, or a robot-engineer, he had laughed, and said that I had dreams, and achievable ones at that, one at each end of the status table.

So when we met again when he was visiting the Mansion, he was surprised to see me, and called me negotiator. And that's how the name kinda stuck.

"I hear you've finally finished that little project of yours?"

I smiled as I stood out of the way.

"Gentlemen, lady," I said with a sweep of the hand, "I give you the latest in android technology: R. Daniel Wayneright!"

There he stood, standing stock still, his ebony eyes staring blankly ahead. He looked like me, for that was who I designed it on. His dark, almost black hair almost clung to his skull, sticking out against his ivory skin like a sore thumb. It's amazing Daniel," Timothy breathed, "What did you call it?"

"R. Daniel Wayneright," I said proudly.

"Don't you mean Smith?" Dorothy asked, confused.

I shook my head, "It's basic design is of that of Dr. Waynerights androids, I've just made them more…human, but he will accept R. Daniel Smith."
"Oh," Gordon was now intrigued, "How so?"

"Well, for starters, it can breathe."

"Breath?"

"Yes sir? In order for his batteries to work, they require him to breath. When he's activated, he will inhale the air, just as we humans do. Then, the batteries shock the oxygen, leaving only the carbon dioxide, AND it only requires the same amount of oxygen as humans do."

Rosewater laughed, "Next you'll be telling me it can sleep too!"

I bit my lower lip, not really wanting to contradict the head of Paradigm City.

"Actually sir, yes it can."

"WHAT!"
"I installed a chip that allows it to sleep…if it wants too. It will conserve a lot more energy then just switching off at night.

"I see," Rosewater folded his arms, a small grin on his face, "Can it eat too?"

I smiled back, "Not yet, but like any other android it does require oiling, and it can imitate eating. Look at these though."

I reached into the pocket of my lab coat and pulled out a blue box, inside was a pair of microchips.

"These are emotion chips," I explained, With these, R. Daniel will be able to feel emotions. Happiness, sadness, anguish, anger…even love."

"Love?"

"Love is just a word Mr. Rosewater." I explained, "I simply analyzed myself whenever I looked at Dorothy and programmed it into the chip."

"I'm flattered…I think?" Dorothy murmured, flushing slightly.

"This is incredible," Timothy exclaimed, "Daniel…it's almost as if you've created new life!"

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," I looked away slightly. I didn't want to be compared to God.

"But you do have skill Negotiator," Rosewater said with a smile, "You have the engineering skills, as well outstanding skills in the art of negotiations," he turned to Dr. Wayneright, his eyes shining slightly, "Do you think…he could pilot it?"

"It?" I looked from Rosewater, to Wayneright. Rosewater stared at Wayneright, and Wayneright stared at me, a thoughtful look on his face.

I glanced at Dorothy, but she looked just as confused as I did.

"What it?" I asked, "Pilot what? I'm a college student, not a airman!"

Dr. Wayneright smiled as he walked over and pushed me towards an elevator.

"Yes," he said with a grin, "I believe he'll do well."

"What's going on?" I asked as we were all bundled into the elevator and descended down.

Rosewater's face was grave.

"What if I told you this city wasn't real?" he asked solemnly.

I blinked, "I'd say if you were any other man you'd be crazy sir. We're standing in an elevator, going downwards, to ground level. See?"

I indicated to the grated door, where the outside of the ground floor could be seen, only for it to continue going upwards.

"Or…maybe not."

"Unfortunately your wrong, Mr. Smith," Gordon tapped the side of the elevator, "This elevator looks real, it sounds real, it even feels real, but it's not. It's holographic, just like building in this city. The furniture is real, the food is real, oh yes. I'm real, your real, Mrs Smith and Dr. Wayneright are real, even that R. Daniel Smith upstairs is real. But the city in general is not."

"So…we're all in some kind of giant Star Trekkie like holodeck thing?"

Gordon smirked, "If that's the way you want to put it," his face turned grave again, "Do you watch the news, Mr. Smith?"
I paused for a moment.

"I guess I watch the headlines."

"Then you know of the situation between Russia and the United States?"

I scowled, "I said I watched the headlines, not the Politics Channel."

Rosewater sighed, "Then you'll need to be filled in on a few things.

For the past Forty years, tension between the Russian and United States governments has been escalating. It appears that they are on the brink of war. A big one."

"You mean like…a world war?"

He nodded, "Unfortunately, yes. It was the reason this place was built. With the fear of war upon them, NATO advised the United Nations to build a new city, somewhere, in the deserts of the planet. No one actually knew where it was going to be built, only those who built it know, and their inside this superdome.

The plan was, to keep it's construction a secret from the Russians, and the U.S., so, if this war is as big as people say was, at least a small portion of humanity would survive.

However, as you saw at the Christmas party a couple of years ago, the Americans found us."

"They demanded that I create a weapon of mass destruction. A weapon as powerful as a nuclear bomb, without the radiation." Timothy explained.

"Why?" Dorothy asked, as she held my hand tightly, "Why did you do it?"

Timothy gazed at her sadly.

"Because they threatened to hurt you…and later, my dear pupil, and son-in-law."

My eyes widened. They threatened me? But before I could ask, Timothy continued.

"In the end, I conceded, and drew up and built three prototype machines, with the help of a Mr. Soldano.

They were giant robots, each designed to excel in a different environment.

I called them, Megadeuses.

The Big O, the Megadeus of land.

The Big Duo, The Megadeus of air.

And The Big Fau, The Megadeus of water.

But unbeknownst to the Untied States, I constructed…a fourth Megadeus.

A Prototype, which combined all three Megadeuses into one machine.

The Big Tao, The Megadeus of Earth."

The elevator ground to a halt, the grilled doors slowly opening out into a giant man-made cavern.

I gasped as I ran down the walkway to it's centre, where two great giants sat.

Both looking exactly identical, except of the colour.

One was green, the other was black.

"These two are the only ones the American Army doesn't know about," Rosewater called as Dorothy joined me, her eyes wide.

The Black one of your left is the Megadeus of land, The Big O. the green one on your right, the one we want you to pilot, is Big Tao."

I gazed up at Big Tao in astonishment. It's body for them most part was a dark green, save for a large portion of it's neck, and a strange helmet like object on it's head, which were jet black.

At the end of it's arms were large piston like objects, standing out white against the dark green, and the grill on it's front was a blood red.

"Big…Tao?" I gazed up at the machine, "You want me to pilot…Big Tao?"

"Mr. Smith," I broke out my trance and stared at Gordon, "Mr. Daniel Smith. I need your Negotiating skills."
"My what?"

"If things are going the way they are now, I will be forced to reboot the city. If that happens, the master computer that runs Paradigm will wipe the memories of every person in the city. I myself have tried to bypass this function, by placing the memories of some of our more respected people into children, like my own son, Alex. However, I don't think even that will solve the problem. I want you, with the help of Big Tao, to negotiate with the Master Computer to stop peoples memories from being erased. However, if it's true about this world, if it's one enormous stage, then we're just merely actors playing out our roles on it. We don't need to have any memories, but I've always wondered why can't there be those who can change their roles? You Mr. Smith have the expertise of both a negotiator and a engineer. You have the ability to change your role if you wish, which is why I'm asking you to do this for me."

He held up his hand, while Timothy, for whatever reason held up a camera.

"In case we fail," he explained, "I'll take a picture. You know what they say, a picture lasts longer."

I looked down at his hand, before taking it soundly.

"Fine, I will do this. For the good of mankind."

"Excellent."

I felt Gordon slip is arm around my back and grin at the camera. I just glanced over at it, my face solemn.

There was a flash.

"And now, for the final touch," Timothy held out a watch, a watch with no face, "Once you speak into this, you and Big Tao will be bonded. The only thing I can think of that will be able to pilot him will be that android of yours, seeing it looks like you, and no doubt talks like you."

I looked at the watch, before finally taking it, and strapping it to my wrist.

I looked over at Dorothy, who smiled back.

"It's up to you now, Negotiator," I heard Gordon say.

I smiled as I looked up at the Megadeus, before raising my wrist to my mouth.

"BIG TAO!" The giant robot's eyes suddenly lit up a brilliant white, "SHOWTIME!"

I gazed at the diary in my hands, my eyes wide. Another Big. Another Megadeus.

As I looked down at the diary, I realized that the remaining pages after the last entry were blank. I flicked through all of them. Obviously something had happened to stop him from writing in his diary. Perhaps these Russians and Americans did engage in combat after all.

After flicking right to the end, I found one last entry, although on the page, December 31st, someone, most likely Daniel, Had scribbled, October 31st.

"I don't have much time so I'll make this quick. Dorothy is dead, crushed underneath steel girders as part of the house fell in. James is okay though. My dear, dear boy. I don't know how, but the Russians somehow built their own Megadeuses and are attacking the city. Despite my best efforts, the master computer has decided to reboot Paradigm, in an attempt to rid the city of the Russians and the Americans.

(A large gash in the paper appeared here)

Apparently the Americans are also here, and are tearing the city to shreds to get to the Russians. I have to take Big Tao and defend the city. I've downloaded my memories onto a disk for R. Daniel. If anyone survives to read this, just put the disk in the drive and say the password. I've also hidden the emotion chips away, just in case. I've told Norman to take James away from the Mansion, I just hope Timothy gets out okay. He's just kneeling by the rubble where Dorothy died.

(another gash)

I've run out of time. I'm going to shelf my diaries, in the hope that someone will read them. I've also hidden R. Daniel in his work Pod. The Pod should be revealed when you step in front of it.

(yet another gash)

That's it I'm out of time. I've got to summon Big Tao before it's too late. Just remember: Isn't it funny how a ringing Phone has to be answered?

My God be with us all.

Daniel Roland Smith.

I frowned at the entry. It was a weird thing to say when the man was obviously about to go to his death.

I flipped the page over, only to find the back of the diary, and a disk.

I blinked, there it was again, that same sentence, under the disk.

Isn't it funny how a ringing phone has to be answered?

I took the disk out of it's pocket and looked at it closely. It looked just like the one in my hard drive.

I looked over at the android, standing stock still, his blue jeans standing out against the darkness of the furniture.

As I approached him with the disk, a slot opened in his forehead, revealing the disk drive, as though in anticipation.

Without hesitation, I gently placed the disk in the drive and shut it.

It was then that I heard it. Breathing. The android was breathing. I watched in fascination as his chest rose and fell slightly.

And yet, he wasn't active. His eyes were still closed, as though he was waiting for something.

Then it hit me, the password! That phrase was the password.

I looked up at his face and said quietly:

"Isn't it funny how a ringing phone has to be answered?"

The effect was instantaneous. The android's shot open, as well as drawing a shark intake of breath.

"Your alive," I said blankly.

The android looked down at me with curiosity.

"Yet you are not supposed to be," he stated in a monotone.

That was a strange thing to say.

"You must have mistaken me for the original Dorothy," I replied, "My name is R. Dorothy Wayneright. Do you have a name?"

"My name is…" he paused for a moment, "R. Daniel Smith. However most people call me R. Daniel Wayneright. So not to get confused with my creator."

"Oh, Dorothy I think it's time for you to…oh good heavens!"

A crash was heard from the doorway, causing the two of us to turn our heads.

There stood Norman, his face a picture of shock, a tray of knives and forks scattered on the floor.

Daniel turned his full body to face him.

"Hello Norman."

"Have we met?" the old butler looked confused.

"Your are Norman Berg?"

"Yes…who are you?"

"I am R. Daniel Wayneright."

"Oh? Dorothy I didn't know you had an older brother?"

"I don't," I said flatly, "He was built by Roger's grandfather, Daniel Smith. If anything, he would be my husband."

"Oh my," Norman's eyes widened father, but before he could say anything, I interrupted him.

"Were you going to say it was time for me to leave for my music lesson?"

"Yes…but…"

"Do you have a car?" Daniel intoned.

"Yes, Master Roger has two, but he's using one and…"
"I will drive Dorothy to her lesson," he interrupted, walking up to Norman and holding up his hand, "The keys if you please."

Norman looked from left to right, before sighing in defeat and lowering his head.