The white lotus of mercy, part three.
Night fell on the Nepalese valley, showing a myriad of stars to an amazed Zero.
Never in his life had he gotten the chance the bestow such an amazing spectacle, for he had always been stuck in a light-polluted city.
It was... awe-inspiring. And Zero truly felt small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
He heard some footsteps; it was Bahula Devi dasi coming back from her reconnaissance round.
"So... did you find anything?" Zero asked.
"No... Unfortunately, it seemed Kathmandu is bereft of humans." Bahula informed her new friend and student. "But... I do believe it will fit my temporary purpose."
Zero turned to the saintly witch, and inquisitive brow raised. " Which is?"
"To establish a refuge for those who have unjustly being labelled mavericks... and humans who are simply tired of what the material world has to offer," She explained. "And to establish to worship of Pancha-Tattva. Or the supreme personality of Godhead in Five features." She turned to Zero, a kind smile playing on her lips. "Of course, to those who seek refuge from undeserved persecution will have the choice to either worship Sri-Krishna or not; it is not mandatory."
"And why would that be?" Zero asked.
"Because Love is not something you force Zero. To worship Krishna means to love him... and love is a voluntary act." Bahula explained. "That's why it's so powerful in its soft sweetness."
Zero grunted. "So... Why do you worship him? Krishna, I mean?"
"Because the nature of all living entities is to serve. We serve our fathers, mothers, kins, country and kind... our minds and senses...we serve them all, expecting happiness." Bahula explained as she gazed up at the sea of stars. "But...as you have surely noticed, none of them can give us eternal happiness, protection and pure love, for it is all motivated and temporary."
"The soul's nature is to love and be love. And to experience such vital love, we serve. We serve either unworthy master who gives us paltry amount of wealth... or a lover who will break our heart one day."
Zero lowered his eyes.
"This material world is made of meeting and departure, and what we think is pleasure is no better than the feeling of relief one get after scratching himself."
"It's temporary then."
"Yes... But there is an eternal reality, one we, the eternal soul, belong to." Bahula began as she started to make her way toward the... not quite wreck, but not quite pristine space colony. "And we, the spiritual entity, are meant to be eternally happy, and this state of constant bliss can be attained there, In Goloka-Vrindavana."
"Oh... It's heaven, right?" Zero asked as he followed the saint.
"No... It is much higher than Swarga and definitely much higher than the Brahma-Loka. The highest planet of this solar system... I do not believe we have a western equivalence to this realm." She informed Zero. "No... This eternal realm I am talking about is existing outside this material realm. unlike here, it is self-illuminated, for it has no need for electricity or firelight... not even the sun. And there, death, old age and diseases and time are conspicuous by their absence."
"But... I thought the religion you practice was against the void." Zero asked as he kept a lookout for whatever danger may lurk in the valley.
To this, Bahula burst into sweet laughter. "Of my Son, Vaishnavism is not a religion." She informed her blond friend and newest student. " It is called, Swa-Dharma, or the practice of one's eternal nature." She explained. " This eternal nature of ours is-"
"Is to serve God out of love... isn't it?"
The saint of the white lotus gave one of her beatific smiles. "Yes indeed! But Krishna is not just the impersonal light my son, for He is the supreme personality of Godhead. The eternal person from which all eternal souls emanated and the source of the impersonal Brahman effulgence. The source of all light in all world."
" I see."
" Krishna also has a form." Bahula continued as she dived in the nectar ocean of Krishna's unlimited beauty. "The Lord's eternal form is that of a sixteen-year-old youth, his soft and flawless skin is... as blue as the sky at the moment, and it is said that his effulgent face is as beautiful as the full moon.
He wears his hair dark-blue hair long; the way it spills from his colourful turban are like dark waves, for it is soft and curly. His eyes are wide, their corners red like dawn and their iris as gold as the love that inhabits his heart."
"So... love's colour is gold then," Zero uttered with a slight smile, the first one he wore since boarding the shuttle. " I thought it was green."
"Green is the colour of Lord Rama or Dharma. The colour of amorous love is Shyam, of very dark-blue, and pure, unalloyed love is a type of Gold so pure, the rays of the sun bows in front of it."
Once again, Zero made a sound at the back of his throat.
"But to return to Sri-Shyamasundara, He wears his abundant hair as a top-knot. And on the top is a peacock feather. His feet and palms are red like the dawn, His feet are so soft and delicate, and despite that, he's always barefooted as he herds the cows." Bahula described in great bliss.
"But... why doesn't he wear shoes?" Zero quite sensibly asked. "And... what's herding cows?... what's a cow?" The reploid asked meekly.
Bahula turned to the doll; it was clear he knew more about fighting than life in general. 'Oh my lord, how sad and fallen must this place be when even the concept of a cow is unknown to this great warlock.'
"A cow is a type of Mammal, they have four hoofs, kind eyes and one of the seven mothers and God's favourite animal, for, with her milk, we make yogourt, and from yogourt, we make butter, and from this butter, we make ghee. And from ghee... well, it would usually be used as an oblation to the fire in grand Vedic sacrifice. But nowadays, we use all of those ingredients, grains, fruits and vegetables to cook For him. She is also known to feed her milk to whoever comes to her hungry. Her dung is the best fertilizer and has around a hundred different applications ranging from fuel for the fire, detergent to medicine. Same with her urine."
Zero hummed as he helped the saint to cross a gap. "Those creatures sounds super useful; no wonder they are God's favourite."
Not that she needed the help, but it was clear he wanted to serve her.
How sweet.
"Oh yes. Krishna has his favourite thing, as we all do. He is our source, after all." Bahula mentioned as she skirted around the fact that cows were slaughtered by humans, for they thought eating her flesh was natural for them...
She would tell him that later, she Zero would have more control over his anger...
Not that murderer deserved such mercy.
"I see... so, what are his favourite clothes? His favourite food?"
Bahula Chuckled; she had been worried about the lack of devotees in this most unfortunate place. Truly, Krishna had already taken care of that. "He wears a golden-yellow dhoty made of Lotus silk. He is always bare-chested, save when it is winter and during the cold morning when his loving Mother dressed in a long shirt, either in wool, cotton or silk."
"Ah, I see." Zero nodded, completely engrossed in the narration of Bahula. "He has a mother then."
"Yes, he had two, actually," Bahula revealed, taking great pleasure at Zero's innocent eyes lighting with keen interest. "When he descends on earth, his birth mother is Devaki, and his birth father is Vasudeva. But due to the persecution of his demoniac uncle Kamsa, his father hides him in Gokula, at the other side of the Yamuna river." Bahula closed her eyes as she remembered the whole pastime and the dramatic arrival of Swayam-Bhagavan Krishna in this particular universe. "There, in Vraja, his foster parents are Yashoda, the source of all mother and Nanda-Maharaja... Not that Krishna took birth, for he is the unborn Lord." she hastily explained.
"You see, the Lord doesn't really have parents, for he is the source of everything, even of Nanda and Yashoda. But," She raised a forefinger. "Because the Lord wants to taste the sweet mellows of different types of love, he manifests an unlimited variety of souls who loves him... and you and I... and every other living entity has an eternal relationship with Krishna... we just need to remember it."
"Ah? so... I have a relationship with God... me, a Robot built for world domination and destruction?" Zero asked, clearly not believing it.
"No, of course not." Bahula continued with a little smirk of her own. "For you are not a robot built for world domination and destruction, but a spirit soul inside the body-type called Robot and whose God-given ability includes the destruction of the opposing element and the possible decimation of cities. But this is still you're choice, Zero..., and I do not know about your nature... and you are not really the one destroying anything, for it is Krishna who is the ultimate doer we can only desire."
Zero stared at her, some horror leaking into his ice-blue eyes.
"We still have free will, tough." Bahula quickly added. "You don't have to follow me around Zero, let alone listen to me... and yet you do. Can you tell me why?" She tiled her head.
Zero stopped dead in his track, his eyes wild as he probably checked how he worked.
It was clear he was having an autonomy-crisis.
"Zero... You followed me around because that's what you wanted." Bahula began. "We all have a certain destiny to follow, but we can still change some of it. The Lord is not cruel, and whatever happened to use was both desired and deserve... and the Lord in our heart, being impartial, merely serves us the result of our actions as he prepares our destiny to fulfill the rest of our desires."
Zero stared at Bahula, his eyes glowing a little brighter as the saint prayed for him.
"If I get this straight." The red doll began after a whole minute of mutism. "This world is like a video game with multiple paths... God gives us those we think we want and build our life-level depending on the reaction to our past actions... good and bad."
Great joy bloomed in the saint's heart... Zero had just received his first revelation.
"But... even if we suffer the worst of the tragedy of the greatest of bliss... he's just dishing out the meal, like a judge gives out punishment or not."
"Indeed!" Bahula jubilantly said. "Krishna did say in the Bhagavat-Gita that depending on how one worship, or treat him, he will reciprocate accordingly."
"Oh... I see, like everybody else then." Zero said as he rubbed his chin. "Gods a person, meaning that he will act like one."
"Yes! Oh, Zero, you are a very quick learner!" Bahula happily praised this very special soul in a very special body, resuming her walk to her temporary dwelling, with Zero in tow. " Now, to return to his full, sweet features." Bahula closed her eyes as she remembered her Lord's beautiful form. "He wears plenty of gold and pearl necklaces, lockets, a pair of ankle bells, toe ring an opulent garland made of five different flowers and at every blink, his beauty expands unlimitedly."
She heard Zero trip and barely managed to catch him. "Oh! Zero Prabhu."
"I'm Fine. I... I guess I should not build a composite image when I walk." He sheepishly admitted. "He's... I need more information but... I don't think I can make him justice."
Bahula stared. "Ah? a... ompositer?" She asked, quite confused at the word Zero had used.
"...I... Imagined how God looks like but... I... It's doesn't feel enough...He's... to beautiful more me to grasp"
A tender smile light Bahula's lips. "Yes, the Lord's Beauty is unlimited. Still, to meditate on his form gives the highest bliss... but to have his all-auspicious viewing is very seldom achieved, my son. For one cannot force the Lord to appear, He will reveal Himself to those he chose to do so."
Zero gave a small grunt. "Well... he's a picky boy."
"Indeed... but considering that we came to this material world while willingly turning our back to Him, cursing His name and desiring to exploit everything for our own pleasure, do you really think he would show himself?"
Bahula paused. And she smiled as she realized a small fact that made Krishna even sweeter.
"Actually, the Lord did willingly showed himself to all of us, twice, actually." She revealed as she resumed her walk to the small hut Zero had made for her out of whatever debris he had found.
It was more than acceptable for the Saint of the white lotus, a simple room with a roof on it made from the debris on the metallic palanquin. And since this palanquin had once been inhabited, there had been enough mattress.
It was quite thin and made from this weird jelly-like substance, but it was adequate and protected Bahula from the cold ground. Zero even went as far as to get her some blanket for the cold night and had also fashioned a heater out of some parts... oh, and some food ration.
But after reading the ingredients, Bahula had to sadly decline the generous offering, for it either contained meat, mushroom, onion and/or Garlic.
"You.. Don't eat meat?" Zero Asked, clearly surprised and somewhat upset at the news. "But how?... Meat is an important part of a healthy human diet!"
Bahula gave a wry smile. "No... It is an important part of predator diet, a human can definitely survive eating it... but if you were to see the cost of slaughtering an innocent animal and the amount of suffering that goes trough it makes it the most abominable thing to eat short of an emergency... Besides, it's not offer-able to God."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that the all-merciful lord Has asked us quite clearly in the Bhagavad-Gita to offer Him leaves, Flower, fruits and water with love and devotion, and he would accept them," Bahula explained as she sat down on her cot. " Would He have asked for meat, it would be what we would offer him."
" See." Zero hummed. "So you are following God's words then."
"That, I am." Bahula inclined her head as she removed her foot covering, revealing black, leather-like skin stretched upon desiccated muscles and bones.
Understandably, Zero stared.
The saintly witch gave a wry smile. " Who said I survived Hokkai unscathed?"
Zero averted his gaze as he stood outside Bahula's hut, playing the role of a guard for the woman who has given him so much.
He now had a reason to fight... No, to live.
He would help her... For he had absolutely no right to be by X's side...
Not after he had remembered his damned purpose.
As the night pass... Zero would chant to Holy name just as Bahula had shown him. But his mind could not focus on it... for he could not help but worry about his blue best and only friend.
The next morning... And X still felt amazing and, most impotently, well-rested.
His mind was clear, his purpose true, and life was amazing!
He felt alive! as if he had just found the cure for the maverick virus.
"Oh, Hey! Hare Krishna!" The fluffy greenette greeted as she stood above the capsule. "Some nightmares wanted to attack you, but Krishna and I chased them away with the sacred broom!" She excitedly declared. To which X simply smiled.
"Oh, That explains it. Thank you, Kokila."
But Kokila kept staring at him with a vapid smile... an expectant vapid smile.
"Ah... Hare Krishna?" X tried.
Kokila's smile widened. "Hare Krishna."
"... Hare Krishna." Was that what she wanted him to do? 'Seems harmless enough.'
"Krishna Krishna!"
"Krishna Krishna!"
"Hare Hare!" She lifted her arms.
"Hare Hare!" X tried to do the same, but with the lid still on... it failed miserably.
"Hare Rama." Kokila continued despite this little Hiccup.
"Hare Rama."
"Hare Rama."
"Hare Rama."
"Rama Rama"
"Rama Rama"
"Hare Hare!" Kokila finished by reaching for the unseen sky!
"Hare Hare!" X only smiled... he had no idea what it was, but... it made him happier.
Or maybe it was just Kokila's enthusiasm that was affecting him. And the fact that she was probably the most adorable being in existence when she clapped his hands like that.
"Alright! That's was great, X!" Kokila jumped off the top of the medical capsule. "So, what's the plan for the day?" She joyfully asked as she opened the lid and helped X to his feet.
"Well, I have to give my report on the failed mission... and I guess I could also take a shower."
"Yep! That sounds like a good idea!" She declared as X got out of the capsule. "Uh... I wonder were Douglas and Live-Saver went? Do you have any idea, Kokila?"
The winter-green touched her cheek, and she began to think deeply about it. "Well, Life-saver almost killed you because you were talking to me... you know, his name is very ironic, and he sees everyone as a machine, even humans."
"Hmm, I see... your right, to call him 'Lifesaver is really ironic." he agreed with his new friend. "He's a good medic, tough..."
"Is he really?" Kokila asked as she followed X out of the medical bay. But on his way out, X sent his diagnosis to Douglas, knowing that short of an emergency, the father of all reploids should not be out of the pod.
'I feel fine, and I'm virus-free...' X thought. 'Besides, I need to return to the crash site. I need to find Zero and this woman, Bahula Devi Dasi.' She held the key to the virus and... X had to return her cape.
As nice as it was to have, Doctor Light didn't make a thief out of his so-called greatest creation.
Actually, now that he thought about it... he really needs to meet this woman since magic could not be the only explanation for the super-human feat she pulled off yesterday.
'Alright... I'm still decently charged, I can skip the shower, but I really need to get back into action. I can't let other reploids approach her.' He together with a renewed sense of purpose. His strides confident and purposeful.
He made his way to the command centre, still holding on the red cloak over his shoulder. On his way, he waved at the passing personnel...
'Wow... I never noticed how everyone looks so anxious... Ether look like he's about to blow a few fuses too.' Really, it was like the base was preparing for yet another war.
"Well, you know. They still have no idea that Miss Bahula's a good person and only wants to help them. And Zero's not back, and you're looking too happy for someone's who's best Lover/brother/friend/mentor is Still missing in action."
"Lover?"
"That's what they think... But your feeling for him is even closer." She admitted.
"Yeah... We can't really put it into words, but I would readily die for him... I mean, He did the same thing for me. Twice."
"I see... and if he would go... not the way humans would want, would you still love him?" She asked again.
To this, the blue bomber paused his stride.
"I see... So your love for him is conditional." Kokila wisely spoke as she nodded to herself. "You only love him as long as it's convenient... and if he were to turn maverick, you would kill him."
"We made a promise that if one of us went maverick, the other would have to kill him."
"Why?" She prodded.
"Because being a maverick... it means you go against humanity at large."
"Why?"
"because we go against the first, second, and third law of robotic. The Asimov code."
"And is mister Asimov a human?"
"yes." X nodded. Not really caring that he was attracting a crowd.
"So... Mister Asimov gave you a moral code to follow... what did he base it on?"
"Human's safety and survival," X answered... knowing exactly where Kokila was going with this.
"Yes... But to be honest, Mister Asimov also wrote it for humans to follow. There are actually five laws of Robotic and... they have clearly being ignored here." She informed her friend as she continued down the hallway. "Mister Light and Mister Wily did a big No-No by making child-like robots with weapons..." She skipped down the hall, causing X to the sun to catch her.
"What do you mean by that?" X asked... having forgotten where he was supposed to be at the moment.
"Mister light made Blue, Rock and Roll and plenty other happy little workers. And those three looked soo human; they had fake skin and all. Light was hailed as the best roboticist while his colleague was either forgotten or ridiculed. And out of envy, Wily stole those robots and somehow made them evil." Kokila explained as she took a fire extinguisher. "But to be honest, the first one in the wrong was doctor Light, since he's the one who put three dying orphans in fancy dolls as house cleaner... you know, he must really like kids if he made them work around like housemaids."
X could not hide his cringe...
"Anyway, Human laws are all flawed anyway." Kokila declared as she skipped her way down a seemingly random corridor, humming to herself a very popular tune, the Maha-Mantra its lyrics.
X... had no idea where she was going or what was her plans, but he felt the need to follow his new friend.
She seemed to know what she was doing.
"So... If human laws are flawed, what is to be our moral north?" X asked as he began to place himself on his mental map.
She was going at the cold storage, were all mavericks were kept for further studying... but to be honest, it was more like a Necropolis. For once, the core ceased to function... then nothing, not even the memories could be accessed.
No... the reason why they kept the bodies was not for studying them, it was to keep them untouched by those humans who thought it was just a body of a machine, a doll that had human-like expressions.
For the reploids... this was a part of their 'culture'. Their death culture.
X would come down there every month to remember those he and Zero had to decommissioned. And to remember that those used to be persons, they used to have loved ones, friends...
But recently... he began to see them as mere shells empty and... cluttering the space.
"You don't have to feel bad about it though." Kokila chimed from further down the crypt's maze-like corridors. "I mean, those are just bodies, and once the person is out, it's better and wayyy kinder to just burn it," she informed the reploid as she skipped down a well-known corridor.
The one Zero would traverse practically every week.
"But... those are still-"
"Nope... a dead body's not the person. Because they left it!" Kokila declared. "You see, death is just a transition from one body to the next. Sometimes were human, sometimes animals or plants, some time were demons in hell and sometimes were demigods and celestials in heaven." She explained. "it's a perfect process called Re-in-car-na-tion!" She jumped a few times as if she was playing hopscotch in the middle of maverick tombs. Coming ever closer to the most visited sepulchre in the complex.
"I see... so, who left it?" he asked.
"The soul, Silly! Were not these bodies... since bodies are always changing and we have a new one after seven years. Well, maybe not for you... but it's true for those who have a body made of individual cells." She informed the Reploid. "So that's why robotic laws are super silly!
"Were not the body, were the soul, there's no such thing as a human soul, an animal soul and a robotic soul since the soul's the person in a body. It's like discriminating between a bike and a motorbike. Both are bikes, but the motorbike has a motor and can't go in bike lanes. But the one that's fined is the human, not the bike! And besides, the one's who are at faults for this whole maverick wars are humans because, by law, robots can't be held accountable for criminal acts~"
X stared as he computed this new information...
Robots can't be held accountable for their criminal acts... because those are just machines that are programmed but...
"Reploids are not Programmed, they are born like this... by the way, your planet is called Cybertron." Kokila pipped up. "Cain and Light did a big bobo and the only one that was capable of stopping them was a mad man who had no idea what he was doing. And those who were not robots were cybertronien that were smart enough to realize that cars were not the main species there... Oh, wait! That was just for a fanfiction I read about in which you were a girl and..."
At this point, X's processor couldn't follow the greenette and simply began to nod as Kokila expounded on his skill as a mother... while he wilfully discarding his over-reliance on the Asimov law.
He was a free-willed android... No, the spirit soul inside the body made of metal-like matter. it was grend time he began to act like it
"So... why did you bring me there?" He asked his silly new friend. " I doubt you'd want to stay in a crypt." He didn't want to stay there now... he had no reason to.
"Oh... I'm used to it." Kokila chimed. Shocking X to no end. "Buuuuut... It's more like a Hell crypt than a robot crypt." She mentioned as he located the viral container holding the remains of Iris.
X was still not sure what to think about Zero's obsession with visiting this particular dead body every week. It was not like he could do anything for her anymore...
"Say, Kokila?" X addressed his friend. "What really happens when a reploid dies?" he asked, his voice rebounding weirdly in the cavernous vault's expanse.
"The same thing as a human, you get a new body... But this type of death has to be natural."Kokila explained. "Basically, we all have a certain number of breath to draw. Some have a super long life while other has super short life... and those who are not accepting that they are about to change their bodies will remain around as ghost!" She finished her explanation as she began ripping the containment lid off of Iris's grave... "Oh, and violent death does that too... except for actual warriors, for them, they go to Swarga."
And X let her... she must have her reason. "Oh, I see... So all of those reploids I've killed are ghosts now."
"Hmm-hmm." Kokila once again nodded as she pulled the magnetic slider –along with the remains- out of the little nook. "You know, some really hate you and some are just sad they fell prey to the maverick virus... you better start chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra for them tough, cause there a vengeful penguin eating away at your subtle body... and a peacock is doing his best to protect you, how sweet!" She informed the father of a cursed race as she pulled Iris's remains from the containment units.
"Oh yeah, Cyber-Peacock and Chill Penguin."
"God loves Peacock, He wears their feathers on his turban, He and His Radha have peacock outfit, they can turn into peacock and God once outperformed heavenly high society girl by strutting beside them as the most attractive peacock." Kokila declared as she began to make her way out of the crypt with X in tow... and Iris's remains.
"Wow... and how about eagles?" X asked. "By the way, do you want me to carry that?" He asked as he gestured to the colourful dead weight Kokila was holding.
"Nah, I'm good." The sunny girl didn't seem to mind it at all. " And yes, Vishnu loves eagles too, His carrier is the Mighty Garuda. And Garuda's his best friend Sridhama in Goloka." Then she gasped. "Oh my God... I soo need to tell you the story of Jatayu!"
"What type of Story is it?" X asked as they made their way out of the grim place. 'I need to tell Signa's to clear everything out... I think jet fuel would be the most efficient way to burn all those corps, or maybe nuclear destabilization?"
"Yeah! That would be a great idea... we just need to have Uttara with us." Kokila piped up. "Anyway, it's a story that will make you cry. Because Jatayu's the bravest and most fortunate bird around. It's true!"
"Oh really?" X perked up, his smile bright and his eyes shining with deep interest. " Can you tell me more?"
"Oh, Course I can!"
"Yay!" X could not contain his excitement... and those who traversed the corridor their worry.
"Oh... I see. So this is the type of world you live in." Bahula spoke to Zero as she and the reploid began to clear up the Eurasia space station. "You all definitely need Krishna-Consciousness here, for anything else will just end up having dire consequences in the long run."
"Yeah... If you say so." Zero mumbled as he cut away at an old door, Mother Bahula desired to have the damaged space colony turned into a proper shelter for the persecuted Reploids. AkA, mavericks.
Zero would've scoffed at the idea, but after explaining to this otherworldly woman from wonderland about the whole Reploid/Human politics and the conflict that had arisen. The Aspiring Vaishnavi had been horrified.
She thought Reploids had souls... and from her description of what was a soul, the red android could not help but... agree.
Beside... Iris's words when she turned had always struck a chord.
"I... Just want to live in... a place just for us... for reploids..."
A place just for reploids... meaning a place where no humans would force them into fruitless, a place where they would be treated as persons and not as appliances... A place where they would be respected and permitted to love and pray.
They would not be gawk at... and they would not be treated as soulless objects. For what was soulless had no desires... no want and no lust. They simply performed tasked following the most logical outcome produced by their algorithmic calculation.
But... Zero was not so dangerously optimistic as to believe that it would solve all problems. Sigma was gone, meaning that there was now a power vacuum... and who knows who would fill the gap.
'Maybe I should.' He thought, now aware of his true powers and purpose.
Well... not the 'Destroy X' Part since his partner never did something to warrant it... save for the time where he had requested Zero to take care of him would he turn Maverick...
Well, now he had a place where he could, with a woman who cared for a bunch of dangerous robots she never met... just because she felt that there was an injustice there.
And she wanted to teach him Yoga... Bhakti-Yoga. And how to use his magic more efficiently in the service of the Lord, Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead.
Once again, would he have met her on the street, Zero would probably have called the mental hospital for the poor woman.
But... After all that had happened to him... Zero was willing to give her a chance.
Besides... wasn't there a saying about how insanity was to do the same action and expecting a different result?
Zero had hunted down maverick for more the twenty years now... being the chief propagator of the virus didn't actually worked in anyone's favour but... He also had a feeling Sigma was the one who made it worst.
Otherwise, if Zero really had been the first ever viral carrier, then the first victims would have followed him and not Sigma. And how about all the other reploids that hang out with him, his Zeroth unit, and Life-saver?
No... the more the red Ripper thought about it, the less his Virus made sense.
"Zero?"
"Yes, Mother Bahula?"
"You seemed lost in thought." She stated. "Is there something you care to share?" She gently asked.
Zero was about to tell her no... but then, something told him that... she was a safe person. And he was not ready to return to X yet.
Not after the crazy voice of his creator ordering him to destroy X still kept ringing in his processor. It's echo now the most annoying thing in the world
"You know, to share what burdens your heart will lighten the load... and I promise that I will not hastily judge you, I will merely listen," Bahula Assured him.
Zero sighed as he entered the room he had just open. They had yet to reach the upper level, but Zero knew there would be nothing to find.
While the Enigma had only managed to divert Its course, the damage had been significant. And if there had been anything alive in it, it would be dead by now.
"Mother..." He began. " Can another person's... magic turn others mad?" He asked as he inspected the room... a way to keep his mind clear as he waited for the answer.
"No," Bahula answered. " Magic... pure ether may cause one to become a bit more quirky, but never murderous." She explains. " But... to some who are already demoniac at heart, they may take this opportunity to act on their destructive desires." She explained as she moved some rubles away. "Power corrupts..."
"So... Sigma was just one in a million and... how about all the rest of the mavericks me and X killed?" Zero asked, looking at the witch as if she held the answer to all questions.
"You told me you were all free-willed." She answered simply. "My dear Zero... We all have to power to choose a given path. But we have to be aware that we are also fated a certain number of possible paths."
Zero turned to the saintly witch."But why do they chose to be evil? Why do they chose useless wars over Peace?" He asked her, his voice breaking. "They have a choice, we all have it. I get that... but why do they follow Sigma? Even the nice and sane reploids fall for him and..."
The sight of his sweet Iris; once so bright and pure spouting about how reploids should have a place just for themselves... how she and Zero could make a life somewhere... just the two of them.
It was a nice prospect, to be sure... But Zero was a bit leery about it.
Did she wanted to move away from Abel and live alone with Zero in the most remote place they could find or... Was it more sinister?
And how about Colonel? This man had chosen death over a peaceful resolution. Fighting until the bitter end by Zero's sabre, dooming his sister in the process.
Nevertheless... it was another innocent he had to slain.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and for a moment, he thought his sweet Iris had returned from beyond the grave.
But no... It was Bahula, the kind witch.
"In the Bhagavad-Gita as it is, Sri Arjuna, Krishna's best friend asked the Lord the same question." She began as she had him sit down.
"God has a best friend?" Zero asked, his purple eyes growing wide.
"Of course he does! He is the source of all relationships, meaning, he must also have friends, family and intimate associates." Bahula happily informed the Reploid. "But to return to what I was about to say... Or, What Krishna was about to tell Arjuna... It's lust alone Zero, that will push a man... and a woman, to perform the most horrific of the act." The saint told him.
"Lust...huh? So, Freud was right." Zero pursed his lips. remembering the astounding amount of sexualy charged jokes and inuedo's that were floating around the canteen at any given time. especially to those who where more humans then animals... and who where not called Lifesaver or Signas. there was always this... vile Aura around those conversation, a type of... ill feeling that the Red Reploid would get away from as fast as he could.
"Partly," Bahula admitted. "Everything in this material world is aimed at Sex pleasure, for it is considered the highest pleasure." She began. "But lust does not only denote the desire for enjoying a partner...but whatever sense gratification will take us away from Krishna."
Zero Grunted.
"Lust means 'For me and only for me.' It's, 'I, Me and mine.'"
"It's selfishness." Zero resumed. "You just want to have fun and pleasure by exploiting others."
A bright and beatific smile light Bahula's youthful face. "Yes! And this exploitative nature is the source of all misery and human tragedy in this world." She explained... and Zero could not help but agree.
Oh... He may not be as smart as X, but he did notice how everything went to hell because someone wanted his ass to be on the throne... and didn't care for others.
"Bhakti-Yoga is the process by which this lust is turned back into love. Love for God." Bahula continued.
Zero's apparatus opened wide. "So... Lust is the opposite of love!"
"Divine love for Krishna," Bahula explained. "All souls have the ability to love, Zero... but they chose to love themselves only and maybe those that had a connection to the body they inhabited. And in doing so, became afflicted by the blazing fire of lust... and this Lust will consume everything."
Zero remained quiet as he mulled things over...
Bahula patted his back. "It's alright... take your time, my son."
"I... I expected to be destroyed... not. Not living and..." Zero struggled to put his feelings in words.
"Yes... And learning about the Supreme and Absolute truth." Bahula spoke kindly. " I may not know you, But I have a feeling you went through plenty of pain and suffering caused by others' lust."
Zero let out a snort... that was one way to say it.
He felt Bahula's soft and delicate hand grasp his own as she began patting it. "Do you want to talk about it? It will help lighten the load."
Zero turned his jaded eyes toward the saint. What he was there were raw compassion and love...
Real love... Not lust.
She wanted nothing but Zero's happiness.
The red reploid lowered his eyes, looking at the more or less intact floor.
"It's... not a pleasant story."
"I don't doubt it," Bahula stated. "But to keep it in your heart will just keep hurting you." She interrupted him before he could even retort. "And no, you don't deserve this pain Zero, For by doing so, you are torturing your Best Friend in your heart."
"If God's my best friend, then why did he let this happen?" Zero asked as he peered into the saint's eyes.
A sad smile light Bahula's lips. "My dear Zero... Krishna cries for our day and night as he witnesses our suffering. He wants us to return to him and to live the blissful, eternal life we were meant to have..." Then her smile fell. "but we turned our back to Him, thinking we did not need him or his advice."
Both fell silent... Until Zero broke it with his gentle tenor.
"So... you're telling me that." He licked his lips, a purely human habit he had picked up from X. "The reason why were suffering so much is that... We forgot God?"
Bahula nodded as she released an anxious sigh. "Yes... It's not that Krishna hates us, far from it. It's just the nature of this world that no one can be happy."
"Hmm..." Zero grunted.
"We are all entitled to a certain amount of mysery and pleasure, But Krishna Consciousnesses makes us strong enough so that the dualities of this world do not affect us."
"Hot and cold, day and night, good and bad... pain and pleasure. We have to learn how to tolerate them all, for we are the spirit souls, an aloof witness to this drama we call material life."
The Soul... we cannot be affected by whatever the material reality sends at us. We are so small and so subtle, nothing can see us save the pure souls free from their false-Ego and God. We can't be burn, moistened by water, buffeted by the wind, cut by any sword or cleaver... and not even magic and the atomic bomb can destroy us."
Zero's brows went up to his hidden hairline. "Are you serious?!"
"Oh yeas, Absolutely!" Bahula assured the war machine. "The body will eventually meet with destruction, but the soul will always remain. And I know someone who met a few ghosts from Nagasaki and Hiroshima."
The reploid's mouth fell open.
"yes, Ghosts do exist... I have a few Ghost I call good friends." She admitted. "Now... please tell me more about yourself... I know it's very sudden, but trust this old nun; a grieving heart heals faster when its pain is shared."
Zero looked at the thoughtful nun, her eyes holding a wisdom a twenty-something women should not possess.
He knew he could keep it in, Zero knew he had no obligation to this woman save the fact that she saved the world and himself...
"So..." Zero sighed as he prepared himself to drag from the mire of his overburdened RAM and ROM, all of those painful moments that kept hunting him. "It all started when I woke up in Cain Industries Lab...
