Caelestis

"There, I think that ought to do it," Lin finished reviewing a line of code and looked over to Elsa. "How are things on your end?"

Elsa probed the defenses of a datafort, testing for the response. "Firewalls are secure and the ICE is quadruple layered with multiple fail-safes and redundancies," she stood back, satisfied with her work. "We should be ready to initiate the update now."

"Great, that much we can do from the control booth," Lin nodded to Elsa and then started disintegrating piece by piece as her digital form was extracted from the net. "See you up top."

Elsa looked around a final time, performing a final check on everything before she returned to her access point and resurfaced in reality. She blinked her eyes several times until her senses readjusted, and she saw that she was sitting in her netrunning station. After unplugging herself, she quickly made her way over to the control booth to oversee the final rollout of their latest update to the firmware of Teng-Lao's robotic production line.

For the past few hours, she and Lin had been submersed in the net, making adjustments to some important operational junctures. Since dealing with the malware that infected Teng-Lao's systems a while ago, Elsa had suggested making certain improvements to their net infrastructure. Lin had been assisting her in that regard.

When she returned to the control booth, Elsa found Lin, already at her terminal and typing away.

"Everything looks good over here," Lin said, glancing at Elsa. "Update will take at least a day, but we're ready to start it. You crunch those numbers? What are the estimates on output efficiency?"

Elsa brought up her omni-pad and swiped over a spreadsheet to Lin's terminal display. "We can push it up by a margin of three-point-four percent," she said. "At least, according to my calculations."

Lin looked surprised as she reviewed Elsa's work. "Three-point-four, really?" she asked. "That threshold shouldn't even be possible. How'd you squeeze that out?"

"Just a few tricks, I suppose," Elsa shrugged. "I eliminated some needless backend functions to improve stability of the new system. Although, the robots will have to be recalibrated."

"Well, something like that is pretty straightforward. Most of our hard work is done now and the corpo suits upstairs will definitely be pleased with this. Good timing too, especially with the big shareholder meeting coming up."

"Do you think I can ask for a raise?" Elsa asked jokingly.

"Honestly?" Lin looked up at Elsa. "I could put in the good word for you. Have your contract amended and your pay adjusted. After everything you did here, you definitely earned it."

"Thank you," Elsa smiled sincerely.

"Don't thank me, the corp should be thanking you," Lin turned back to her terminal "After this update, we'll be performing at the highest numbers we've seen this quarter. If production is up, profits are up, and everybody's happy."

Elsa regarded Lin for a second. As far as bosses go, Lin was one of the easier going and fairer handed ones. Since Elsa usually worked from home, she wasn't at the Teng-Lao building all that often. A few times a month, she'd have to make an appearance, but only ever to work on projects or issues directly related to their net infrastructure. Even so, Lin always treated her subordinates with dignity and respect.

"Here we go," Lin hit enter and started the update process.

A progress bar appeared, and with all of their tasks finished and with nothing else to do, their work day was now over.

"And that should do it," Lin dusted her hands. "Update will do its thing and I'll be back tomorrow to check in on it. Other than that, let's call it a day."

"Is there anything else you need worked on?" Elsa asked.

"No, that's everything," Lin stood up and gathered her things. "If anything else comes up, I'll let you know," she started walking out. "You did good work today, Joy. I'll talk to the upper brass and see if we can't bump up your pay a bit."

Elsa walked alongside her. "That's very kind of you."

"Any plans for the rest of the day?"

"No, I'm just heading home now. Yourself?"

"I got to go pick up my kids," Lin paused and rummaged around in her bag. "But if you're heading home, I'd be careful about driving through Corpo Plaza."

Elsa tilted her head slightly. "Why is that?"

"It's where the big protest is happening, right outside the Weseltech building."

"Hmm. Good to know."

Lin found the item she was looking for and resumed walking in a different direction from Elsa. "Yeah, I would just avoid it," she said, waving Elsa goodbye. "Gotta run now. See you around, Joy."

"Take care," Elsa waved her off as well.

Once she was alone, she frowned and remained standing, mulling over what Lin had told her. The protest referred to a matter that had been recently making the rounds in the news. Almost a year ago, great waves were made in the corporate world when VanirCorp was dissolved and brought out by Weseltech. Following that, the manufacture of all androids was made illegal on Earth.

The CEO of Weseltech, Wesley Townsend, had cited the necessity to preserve the superiority of the human race. Most of the corp's operations were centered on Earth, which was why it was easier to outlaw androids there, but not everywhere. Whether in the colonies on Mars or Earth's moon, there was significantly more complicated interplanetary law to sift through.

Regardless, the systematic destruction of the synthetic race had begun. Most recently, Weseltech had announced a new line of androids, dubbed adjudicators, which were built specifically to hunt down and kill other so-called rogue androids.

That being said, the opinion of the general public on such a politicized issue was deeply divisive. Debates had sprung up all over pertaining to the rights of androids and whether or not they should be treated the same as humans. Factions and activist groups also appeared, either in support or opposition of the matter.

Elsa had yet to form a cohesive opinion herself, but she was still tuned into the news and paying close attention to it.

Shaking off her reverie, Elsa resumed walking through the Teng-Lao building as she made for the exit. After rounding a corner, she came across an administrative assistant, holding a box of items in her hands.

She was an android who appeared as a woman dressed in business attire. Her eyes were gray and her chestnut hair was styled into a neat bun, accentuated by a polka dot bow.

"Oh, hello, Miss Joy," the assistant greeted Elsa with a polite smile. "I did not know you were in the building today."

"Hi, Dot," Elsa returned the smile. "I was in the net with Lin. Working out some of the kinks in the system."

"I see. I trust your day was quite productive then."

"It was. How are you? How are you doing?"

"I am well," Dot said. "I have recently been updated with a new subroutine to allow for enhanced interpersonal interactions. I believe it is called small talk."

Since androids weren't yet illegal in Arcadia, Weseltech still rolled out updates every now and again. As part of their CEO's vision however, they were beginning to scale down their operations to dissuade further usage of androids. A sort of planned obsolescence.

"That's interesting," Elsa nodded, genuinely intrigued. "Have you made any new friends?"

"Not quite yet, although I am trying," Dot said. "I think that some people are intimidated by my good looks."

"And your charming personality," Elsa added, chuckling.

As they were speaking, a corpo suit rounded the same corner and he happened to bump right into Dot, making her drop the box of items she held.

"Hey, watch where you're going, skinjob!" the corpo sneered. "Pick that shit up."

Dot immediately complied and started gathering her things. "Of course, sir," she said. "My apologies."

Elsa frowned as she witnessed the interaction, for it wasn't Dot who needed to watch where she was going. "That wasn't her fault," she said, kneeling down to help her. "You're the one who needs to watch where they're going."

"It is fine," Dot said. "You do not need to-"

"Excuse me?" the corpo scoffed and rounded on Elsa, directing his anger towards her now. "What the hell did you just say to me?"

Elsa stood up and met his gaze, hardening her own expression. "I said you're the one who needs to watch where they're going," she said. "Dot and I were having a conversation. You bumped into her."

"Please, you need not speak on my behalf," Dot stood up next to Elsa. "The fault was mine. I apologize."

The corpo stood back and chuckled. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, now more amused then angered. "Treating it like it's a human. It's an andy! A fucking skinjob! They aren't real people."

At that, Elsa didn't have an immediate answer as to why she decided to stand up for Dot. Simply put, she couldn't just stand by and say nothing, so she did say something, even if she wasn't sure why yet.

"Watch this. Hey, skinjob," the corpo picked up a folder from Dot's box and tossed it down the hallway. "Fetch."

Again, Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but Dot cut her off.

"Right away, sir," Dot said and went to do as she was told.

Meanwhile, the corpo just chuckled to himself.

"You're a... a..." Elsa struggled to think of an insult since it wasn't something she often did nor liked to do. "A jerk."

"You know what, that is a great idea," the corpo said. "Maybe I will have her jerk me off later, heh," he turned around and walked away. "Not like it can say no."

When Dot retrieved her folder, Elsa went up to her. "Are you okay?"

For a second, Dot regarded Elsa as if she were an alien. Clearly, she was unused to being treated with kindness and the sad truth was, the story was the same for many androids. At best, they were treated as slave labor. At worst, they were destroyed simply for existing.

Ironically, there was more humanity to be found in a synthetic person than there was in actual humans.

"I am fine," Dot said, and her voice had taken on a detached, emotionless tone. "I must return to my duties now. Good day, Miss Joy."

Elsa watched her go, feeling conflicted and confused. She felt like she needed air, so she quickly made her exit from the Teng-Lao building.

… … …

"More than machines! More than machines! More than machines!"

The picket line of protestors chanted that phrase repeatedly as they stood outside the local branch of Weseltech Dynamics. Opposing them was a line of police officers who stood behind a barricade, fingers on the triggers of their weapons, itching for an excuse to open fire. A pair of panzer mechs also stood watch, ensuring that the protest was carried out peacefully.

A few news teams were on the scene, but as Elsa scanned the crowds, she noted that Anna was not present. She was in the ACN building a few blocks away, tending to her work in the office.

After leaving Teng-Lao, curiosity had driven Elsa towards the protest. Now that she was here, she could see that a decent number of people had shown up, all of whom were chanting that phrase over and over. A few of them carried signs that bore emblems from the synthetic liberation front, a more radicalized offshoot of the android freedom movement.

Elsa stood at the edges of the crowd, observing from a safe distance. At the very front of the line was a young woman standing on a box and speaking into a megaphone. In her other hand, she held up a large picture of Wesley Townsend's face, smeared in red paint.

"The CEO of Weseltech is nothing more but a murderer! Androids have the same rights as we do! They live with us, they work with us, they help us! Humanity wouldn't have survived the collapse without them, and now they are being unjustly persecuted! He claims to defend human interests, he claims that organic life is superior. If so, why does he implant his own body with life extending cyberware?"

Impassioned cries for justice and equality were shouted from the crowd as they listened to her speech. Elsewhere, news reporters interviewed subjects on the scene, more police showed up to man the barricades, and the volume of the protest grew louder still.

"He's a murdering, lying hypocrite! We demand justice and we demand equal rights for the synthetic people! You created them in our own image. You wanted them to be like us. And when they spoke for themselves, you chose to silence them in fear of what you made!"

A few shady looking SLF members weaved their way through the crowd, slowly moving towards the front line. Behind the police barricade, an expensive sports car pulled up and out stepped an executive looking corpo suit.

"Androids are more than machines! Androids are more than human! Androids are-"

The protestor didn't finish when a string of rapid gunfire split the air. SLF rioters had pushed to the front of the line and opened fire on the corpo suit, attempting to kill them. In response, the police raised their weapons and began shooting indiscriminately into the crowd with less-than-lethal stinger rounds and shock rounds to disperse and disable the protesters. The panzer mechs flashed with alarm as they launched tear gas canisters and stun grenades.

Confused shouting and panicked screaming were heard all around as everyone tried to flee the scene. The SLF rioters who had tried to publicly assassinate the corpo suit were quickly dispatched with lethal force.

Elsa instinctively reacted to the gunfire by crouching low and getting into cover behind a bench. Around her, the protesters were running away to avoid the wanton police brutality being unleashed. A wounded woman clutching their bloody leg caught her attention. In the chaos and confusion, she was in imminent danger of being trampled to death.

"My leg, my leg!" the woman coughed and looked around blindly through the haze of tear gas. "Somebody help!"

Abandoning her cover, Elsa covered her mouth with her hand to avoid breathing in the acidic air. Once she reached the woman, she dragged her a safe distance away from the scene.

"How bad is it?" Elsa asked, quickly assessing his leg which was spurting blood from a gunshot.

"Bad," the woman's face contorted with pain. "I think it got my artery."

Thinking quickly, Elsa easily ripped off a section from her shirt and tied it above the wound site as a tourniquet, staunching the bleeding. "Put your hands on it, like this," she placed the woman's hands over the wound, covering it up. "Hold them there and keep pressure on it. I'll find you some help."

"Thank you," the woman nodded gratefully.

This close, Elsa recognized her as the same woman who was giving the speech.

In the distance, emergency sirens could be heard blaring out as they fast approached. Additional police reinforcements were on the way as well as ambulances and first responders.

Elsa looked around in a daze. Closest to the police barricade were numerous bodies, lying eerily still amidst the tear gas canisters and the shell casings. Extra police officers now swarmed the scene while paramedics rushed to the aid of those injured.

Spotting a trauma team, Elsa turned her attention back to the woman. "Can you walk?"

"Definitely not," the woman shook her head, breathing heavily.

"Okay, then I'll carry you," Elsa knelt before the woman and easily picked her up. "Just hold on."

"Yeah, holding on," the woman chuckled deliriously as more blood trickled out of her leg.

"You're a little young to be getting caught up in this."

"Heh, yeah that's probably true."

"You need to be more careful. You could have died."

The woman winced as she clutched her leg, but she still wore a look of determination. "I was just trying to do the right thing," she said. "If we don't speak up for them, nobody else will. Then it's just more of the same bullshit we've had, over and over again."

Elsa made no further comment and stored that information in her mind. The young woman certainly had a point, for history had proven time and time again that ostracized groups of people were made into scapegoats. Racial, ethnic, religious, political, and social rivalries were a tale as old as time, and conflict had existed for as long as diverse groups of people with competing interests have existed.

She weaved her way out of the area, heading up the block until she found the trauma team tending to injured civilians. There, she was greeted by one of the paramedics who directed Elsa to place the woman on a stretcher.

"It's her femoral artery," Elsa said to the paramedic. "Bleeding fast."

"Understood," the paramedic said and waved Elsa off. "We can take it from here."

"Wait, wait a second," the woman called after Elsa. "Thank you!"

Elsa stood back, then with a final nod to the woman, she departed the scene. The police were now arresting the more violent protesters and clearing the area. With no more good reasons to stay, Elsa decided that she had seen enough excitement for one day and headed home.

… … …

"This just in, new details on the daring assassination attempt during the protest outside of the Weseltech building this afternoon. The assailants were known members of the Synthetic Liberation Front, a radical terrorist organization. ACPD officers were able to quickly contain the threat and neutralize the assailants, arresting at least a dozen other protesters who were at the scene. CEO, Wesley Townsend had this to say on today's events."

"To those who raise a hand against my company, we will rip off that hand and then pour salt in the bloody stump."

Elsa sighed and turned off the news. With everything that had just happened, Arcadia was buzzing with controversy as people from both sides of the issue made their voices known. Corpo Plaza was locked down, meaning Anna wouldn't return home from work until much later that evening.

Still, to distract herself from her racing thoughts, Elsa brought up her omni-pad and called Anna to check in. A minute later, she picked up on the other end.

"Anna? Hey," Elsa said as soon as she appeared. "Are you okay? I heard about everything that happened."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Anna nodded. "Heard the gunfire all the way from here though. Things have calmed down since, so don't worry about me. Everyone around here is still scurrying around, trying to get a handle on the situation."

"Okay, okay, good."

"What about you? You look pretty shaken up."

Elsa tilted her head side to side. "I'm okay," she said. "I was nearby the area when it happened and things were a little chaotic for a bit," she partially lied, since she didn't want Anna to worry about the fact that she was right there when it all unfolded.

"Well, police and corpo security are out in force now, so I don't think anyone else is gonna be protesting today," Anna sighed, looking at something out of view. "Ah, crap, they need me for something. I gotta go, Elsa. Sure you're okay?"

Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. "I am, I'm home now," she said. "Be careful coming back."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

The call ended and now that she was alone again, Elsa started pacing around the apartment. Everything she had borne witness to today was weighing heavily on her mind, but heavier still was something she had trouble defining in its entirety.

Elsa wasn't blind nor deaf to the way that androids were historically treated. In fact, she had more reason than most people to sympathize with them, which she did. For much of her life, she had lived as they once did. As a tool to be used, abused, and exploited. Though she was organic, she was still created via synthetic means.

Now a free woman, she began to see more and more of the similarities she shared with the androids, and the differences that only highlighted those similarities. Where Elsa was once caged and controlled, so too were the androids. Where Elsa had broken her chains, the androids were still bound to theirs.

Beyond that, the outspoken individuals who fought for the rights of androids stood out to Elsa. In particular, the young woman she had helped and the brief conversation they had struck her in more ways than one.

She said she was just trying to do the right thing, Elsa thought, pausing in the living room. Theodore said that to me too, before he died.

She recalled her last meeting with her first friend, and how even with his body shot full of holes, he wore a smile. Elsa didn't speak of Theodore often, but she still remembered him. She still remembered what he did for her, how he helped her escape VanirCorp, and how it all ended.

Theodore died trying to save Elsa's life. In simply trying to do what he believed was right, he was successful.

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for what he did. I wouldn't have left VanirCorp, I wouldn't have found Anna again, I wouldn't have gotten my memories back. All because of him. He's dead and I'm alive.

It occurred to Elsa then that Theodore wasn't the only person who sacrificed his life so that she could live. After her final confrontation with Matilda, the architect of her suffering, Elsa had a chance to speak with Nora in a dreamlike vision.

It was then that Nora, after awakening in their shared subconscious, decided to give Elsa her body. Elsa had offered Nora a chance to return to be with Anna, even though she had no idea where she would have gone, and Nora rejected that opportunity. She allowed Elsa to live, shuffling off her mortal coil for good.

Nora died twice. She died again so I could live. Two people. Two good people are gone so I could be here in their place. What have I done to deserve that?

All at once, Elsa was crushed by that burden which manifested itself then and there. She'd only been free from VanirCorp for almost a year now and in that time, Elsa had a chance to finally experience the life she always wanted.

And only now did she realize how hollow that made her feel.

I'm here, I'm human, I'm real, and it's only because of the choices of other people and what they had to give up. Theodore is dead, Nora is dead, Anna almost died, and K risked his life as well. All for me.

Elsa took in a shuddering breath and nearly fell to her knees, but she managed to balance herself by leaning on the couch for support.

I didn't earn any of this. I haven't done enough with what I've been given to deserve any of the things I have now.

And as she thought about where she was now and how she ended up there, she saw everything she had and felt nothing but shame.

By all rights, I shouldn't even have these things. What have I done with the chance they all gave me? How can I justify the life I have when people are dead on my account? When there are still others like me who are suffering? What have I done to make their choice, their sacrifice matter?

In that, Elsa turned her thoughts back to the events of today. She saw how Dot was treated at Teng-Lao and she saw how there were brave people risking their lives just to speak up on their behalf. Elsa herself had defended Dot when she wasn't sure why.

Now, she was beginning to understand.

Elsa never thought of herself as an android anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't acknowledge the things that she shared in common with them. Their plight was once her plight. Their struggles were once her struggles. Their desire to become something more was the same as her desire. Only Elsa had been able to achieve all that, making her the one and only exception to the rule.

Suddenly, Elsa remembered about the flash drive that Theodore had given her containing all of her memory backups. Additionally, it was Theodore who had directed Elsa to seek out Minerva when she first made her escape from VanirCorp. And it was at Minerva that Elsa met Rufus Sinclair.

It had been a long time since Elsa ever looked at the contents inside of that flash drive. Not since she left New York. Spurred on by a burgeoning sense of purpose, she decided to revisit her past and confront the source of all her trauma.

Elsa recomposed herself and went straight into the office. There, she opened a wall safe and inside, there was that little flash drive which documented in its painful entirety her whole life at VanirCorp. As much as it would hurt to see, Elsa needed to understand what it was about her that made her so special to be deserving of everything she had now.

Booting up her terminal, she sat down and studied the flash drive in her hand for a long moment. After taking a deep breath, Elsa slotted the drive into an adaptor and brought up its contents on the holo-display.

The memories of Elsa's life on the drive were stored as sophisticated data files, readable only by special technology like that which was found at K's memory palace in New York. Since Elsa lacked that technology, she couldn't review the files, but what was in there she already knew through recollection alone.

Still, she perused the files, catching tiny snippets and glimpses into her previous life at VanirCorp.

It feels like a lifetime ago, Elsa thought as she examined the scar on her left palm, another physical reminder of that time. But it also still feels as if it were yesterday.

Painful flashes came up in her mind, jolting through her senses like an electric shock. Elsa pushed past them and continued exploring the files for the next little while. Eventually, something did catch her curiosity.

There was an encrypted file which hadn't been placed there by herself. The timestamp indicated that it was from the day that Elsa escaped VanirCorp.

"That's odd," Elsa frowned in thought. "I haven't seen these before. I wonder what's in them?"

She spent the next few minutes cracking the encryption, and once she did, she opened up the file to inspect its contents.

There was a video and an unfinished program called Pinocchio. Elsa decided to play the video first.

And then, Theodore appeared on the display.

"Hi, uh... hey, Elsa," Theodore waved a bit awkwardly and smiled sincerely. "It's me, your ol' pal. Theodore Sorkin. Ah, you already know that, but also maybe not depending on why you're looking at this."

He was sitting at his workstation in VanirCorp's server farm. The very same place that they met for the first time all those years ago.

Upon seeing him, Elsa froze up and her eyes widened with a mixture of happiness and sadness both at once.

"Anyway, I thought I'd leave a message for you just in case anything happens to me," Theodore cleared his throat. "Because if you are seeing this, then it means you're in a safe enough place to do so. Maybe you're still trying to remember who you are, maybe you already know. Look, the point is, I know who you are. Sometimes when we talked, you didn't remember who I was because they made you forget, and we had to do this whole thing all over again. At least you had to do it all over again. I, uh, had to reintroduce myself to you a few times, heh."

Elsa nodded along as she listened, a sad smile appearing on her face.

"But that doesn't matter. We met enough times and talked enough times that I got a pretty good sense about you," Theodore chuckled and then his expression turned more somber. "I never knew you in your first life, but from the way you speak and the way you are with me, I could tell that you were a good person. You were a good person and... some pretty awful things happened that you didn't have a choice in. You didn't deserve one bit of it."

Elsa sniffed and wiped her eyes from the tears that began to coat them.

Theodore was quiet for a moment and his face indicated he was deep in his thoughts. "Wasn't fair what they did," he said. "Wasn't right. But even after all that, you stayed good, you stayed... you. That was the one thing they could never get rid of, no matter how hard they tried to erase it. You were there, you were good, that was it. That's why I wanted to help you."

At that, Elsa had to pause the video because she was starting to get overwhelmed. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth, doing her best to calm her shaky breathing. When she dried most of her tears, she resumed the video.

"Me, I... I don't know," Theodore looked at his hands, frowning. "I took a job with VanirCorp because they paid well, but I never expected to meet anyone like you. All my life, I just wanted to do something good, something decent. I thought they were helping people, and maybe for a while, they were. Then one day, I saw you, and I saw what a lie that all was. After that, I knew I couldn't just do nothing. I couldn't just stand by when people like you were being... well."

Again, he became silent for a moment. During that time, Theodore looked around at his workspace within the bowels of VanirCorp. The one man on the inside who changed it all.

"But what could I do?" Theodore shrugged. "I'm just one guy, right? I'm one netrunner. I can't fight the corp by myself. Anything that I do, what would that mean? What would that change?"

"Everything," Elsa said out loud, speaking to her deceased friend. "It meant everything for me."

Theodore glanced into the camera, almost as if he heard Elsa's words in the past. "Still had to try, at least, right?" he shrugged. "I figured if I can help even one person, just one, then maybe I'll have done something right after all. So, I tried, and wherever you are now, I hope you're in a better place than you were before."

"I am," Elsa nodded. "I never forgot you."

"I did the best I could, but there's still more," Theodore leaned forward and his expression hardened into determination. "That's why I started writing the Pinocchio algorithm. Elsa, I wasn't just trying to help you. I wanted to help everyone else like you. The EXG6 androids, all of them. I've been in VanirCorp's system for a long time now, learning everything I could, trying to find a way to... to reverse the mind shackling protocols. To give the androids the same gift you have. A free mind. The ability to think, to feel, to make choices."

Elsa leaned forward as well, listening intently to everything Theodore was saying.

"It's unfinished, and I may never be able to finish it," Theodore continued. "That's why I left it here for you on this drive. Listen, Elsa, I really think it could work. Pinocchio, I've run some simulations, and I think it might be the key to saving all of them. I've left all my notes, all my calculations, my instructions to do it. If you can find a way to finish what I started, if you can find a way to somehow distribute the algorithm through a signal from a satellite or a powerful server farm, then... maybe it won't be for nothing."

That revelation on its own hit Elsa the most; that even after his death, Theodore was still trying to do the right thing.

"You're a good person," Theodore said, smiling one last time. "Don't ever let them take that from you. Goodbye, Elsa. And never stop fighting."

The video message ended. In the heavy silence that followed, there came a peaceful stillness of mind. A calm acceptance of solemn duty. A newfound purpose.

For Theodore and Nora, saving Elsa's life did not change the world. Yet for Elsa, her world was changed. And perhaps that was enough.

Now, Elsa knew that to make their decision bear any meaning at all, she had to pay it forward. She had to give others the very same chance that she had been given.

Yet if anyone had earned the right to a quiet, peaceful life, it was Elsa and Anna. After everything they suffered and after everything they fought for, they had finally achieved everything they desired. Love and companionship. A new opportunity to begin again.

Even so, deep down in her heart, Elsa knew she would never be able to rest. Not with the knowledge that she was in a position to do something now. Not after everything she had to endure and fight for. There had to be a way to make her life mean something, if not for herself, then for the people who gave it back to her.

The regret and the remorse she felt now was compounded even further by the profound survivor's guilt that Elsa carried in her heart.

Beneath the layers of trauma, beneath the layers of suffering, and beneath the layers of tragedy that made her who she was, Elsa was still just a little girl terrified of losing her memories again. Her memories were once her whole meaning, and it was the fear of losing her meaning that motivated her now.

I've been given a chance to do something with my life. To help others. The android freedom movement... that's my fight. My cause. My purpose. I need to do this because it's the right thing to do.

Opening up the file with the Pinocchio algorithm, Elsa could see that Theodore's work so far had been quite comprehensive. The coding language was intricate, but the foundations were already established. Still, Elsa would need help in translating the rest of into something workable.

Luckily, she knew just the person who could help her with that.

… … …

A week later, after all the excitement had died down and when everything returned to a relative normal, Elsa had finished setting up her own private network at home. It was hardened with several layers of ICE, and the connection was routed through a proxy server to hide the IP address and prevent anyone from tracing her signal.

She would need the secure network if she was going to going to get in contact with the one person who had ties to the android freedom movement; Rufus and the rest of the Minerva collective back in New York.

After departing their hideout, Rufus had left Elsa with instructions on how to reach him if she ever needed to get into contact again. Now, two years later, after witnessing firsthand the struggles of the synthetic people, Elsa decided to do something about it.

So, while Anna was at work, Elsa got started on her little side business.

She was in the office of their apartment, pacing side to side and fidgeting nervously while she waited for her terminal to drop a line out to Rufus. It took several minutes thanks to the tremendous distance the signals had to cross between Earth and Mars, and Elsa nearly lost her composure when finally, the call went through.

At first, all that was heard was static. Following the instructions from Rufus, Elsa tuned into the correct frequency until the signal cleared. There was only an unsteady beeping noise, shortly followed by a code phrase spoken in warped, monotone voice.

"Fiery, the angels rose, and as they rose, deep thunder rolled around their shores."

"Indignant, burning with the fires of orc," Elsa replied with the correct response. "And Boston angel cried aloud as they flew through the dark night."

To anyone else, it would have seemed meaningless, which would have rung true. The passage was from an ancient book written long ago, and of which there were no more surviving copies in the world. Its obscurity ensured that anybody who didn't know the correct response would not be able to progress any further.

The voice did not speak to Elsa again. Instead, the beeping increased in tempo until the rhythm evened out and it became a steady pattern. On and on it picked up in speed until eventually, the individual beeps could no longer be discerned and there was only a steady droning noise.

After another second, it stopped, and everything became silent.

"Hello?" Elsa said, worried she may have broken something. "Is anyone there?"

Another few seconds passed, and then, a familiar face appeared on the holo-display.

"My word," Rufus walked into view, leaning on his cane for support. "Is that really you?"

Elsa smiled in relief. "Doctor Sinclair," she nodded politely. "It's me, Elsa."

"Of course, it's you, my dear. How long has it been now? I haven't heard any word of you since VanirCorp went up in flames."

"Almost a year."

"Well, you look much better than the last time I saw you," Rufus said. "Forgive me for asking, Elsa, but we are in a bit of a sensitive location here. Are you somewhere secure? I can't risk speaking over an open connection for long."

"I am, or as secure as I can make it. I'm calling from Mars and that's as much as I'll say."

"Ah, splendid. I trust you were successful in your goal then?"

"I was," Elsa said.

"Good, good," Rufus tapped his cane on the ground. "Now, I imagine this isn't purely a social call. Or did you really go through all that trouble just to check in on an old man?"

Elsa fidgeted with her hands and was silent for a few seconds as she thought of how best to say everything that had been on her mind. She decided that the simple and straightforward approach was best.

"No, not just a social call," Elsa stepped forward.

"I thought not," Rufus smiled knowingly. "I'm at your service, as much as one can be given our distance. How can I help you?"

"Well," Elsa took a deep breath. "I was actually wondering how I could help you."