3. The Truth About Cora
"Spine, you know I trust your judgment, but you have to realize that it may be dangerous bringing her here," said Peter Walter VI as he flicked on the lights of the second floor lab.
"I understand that, and I am sorry, but what other choice did I have?" The Spine replied.
He carried the now unconscious Cora, and was closely followed by a concerned and curious Hatchworth and Rabbit. The silver robot set the girl down on the table in the center of the room. That last stretch of road had been tense and quiet. Michael had continued to hold Cora in an effort to be a comforting presence during her occasional spasms of pain. There was a moment of panic when they realized that she had passed out, but as her condition didn't seem to worsen, they could only hope for the best.
"Becile agents were trying to take her," The Spine continued, "and for that reason alone I think we owe her our protection, not to mention-"
"Wait," Peter interrupted, staring hard at the girl's face, "I… I've seen her before."
"W-what do you mean?" asked Rabbit.
Peter turned around and glanced over the wall. It was covered with pictures of the various Walters and their staff members. He pointed to one of the oldest black-and-white photographs.
"There," he said.
"How is that possible?" The Spine asked after a pause.
Peter had gone to a large bookshelf in the corner and was sifting through old volumes filled with the notes of the first Colonel Walter's research. He pulled out one marked "1918" and turned back to the robots.
"It has to be in here somewhere," he said, "I'm sure I remember reading – Ah! Here it is. Listen…"
vVv
Walter Manor, California 1918
"I'm glad you could stop by, old friend," said Colonel Walter.
The tall retired soldier handed a glass of brandy to his companion. Peter Walter the first was not an old man, but his hair had become quite grey in recent years, and there was a sort of thin-ness about him in spite of his broad-shouldered stature. Still, the colonel smiled warmly at the older gentleman he was now entertaining in his sitting room.
"We've seen entirely too little of each other lately, Walter," Dr. Fritz Caldwell returned, "But I suppose we've both been busy."
"Yes, I'd heard you've been making tremendous progress on that project of yours. What was it, again?"
"Cryopreservation," Caldwell began, for Cavalcadians need little urging to speak about their projects, "The process of putting a human being, or any life-form for that matter, into a sort of stasis. I believe it has the potential to save countless lives if used in battalion aid stations or for disaster relief. Of course, I still have a few problems to work out."
He probably would have gone on for hours if the door had not opened to admit a dark-haired young woman in her early twenties.
"I beg your pardon, sir," she said to Colonel Walter, "My work in the lab took longer than I expected."
"It's quite alright," said the colonel, "Dr. Caldwell, allow me to introduce my assistant, Miss Verity Edgeworth."
"How do you do, sir," Verity smiled, shaking the doctor's hand.
Caldwell wondered at Colonel Walter's knack from finding lady scientists as he surveyed the young woman before him. Miss Edgeworth stood at the taller end of average height. She had a small mouth and her large, dark eyes were set a little close to her nose. Her clothing was a few years out of fashion, but the effect was rather handsome. The long white skirt was of the style known as "war crinoline", fuller and much more practical if one wanted to take steps longer than two inches, and over it she wore a smartly tailored blue jacket.
"I met Miss Edgeworth a few years ago when I was doing some work at the university," Colonel Walter explained, "She was assigned to me as a lab assistant, and we worked so well together that I requested her assistance ever since. What with my son and the automatons going off to war last year, I asked her to come live here for a while to help me with my research. Incidentally, her own field of study overlaps with mine. She's doing work on polydimensional physics: creating and controlling dimensional portals, the practical applications of them, and so on."
"Most impressive," said Caldwell, "Perhaps Miss Edgeworth will join us in the Cavalcadium one day."
"It would be a great honor," said Verity.
"I have no doubt that she will," the colonel clapped her on the shoulder.
"You're too kind, sir," the girl smiled.
"Speaking of polydimensional physics," Colonel Walter continued, "That's where you come in, Caldwell. We've been working on a device that would, if strategically placed at a weak point in the dimensional walls, be able to open another rift that can be used as a portal between worlds. And, we have located just such a weak point."
"I still don't see what that has to do with me," said Caldwell.
"It's in the basement of your hospital, old fellow," the colonel laughed, "Now I assure you, the device is perfectly safe, and the worst that could happen is that nothing at all happens. What do you say, Caldwell? Would you be so good as to let us try it out?"
"I could never turn you down, Walter, old boy," the doctor shook his head with a smile, "Provided I am allowed to oversee this experiment of yours."
"I knew you wouldn't let me down," said the colonel, giving the doctor a hearty handshake.
A week later, Dr. Caldwell watched as Colonel Walter and Verity set up a strange-looking contraption in the basement of his hospital in Bakersfield.
"And you're quite sure this thing is safe?" Caldwell asked for what must have been the tenth time.
"Perfectly sure," the colonel answered, "All we have to do is turn it on, and – there!"
The device began to hum and glow with a soft blue light. The three stood back and watched it expectantly for a few moments.
"It doesn't seem to be doing anything," Caldwell said at length.
"No, it doesn't," Colonel Walter frowned, "I suppose that answers that question, more's the pity. Shut it off, please, Verity."
As she moved towards the device, it suddenly sparked and flickered. The humming grew louder and was accompanied by a strange rattling sound. Colonel Walter ran forward.
"I don't understand! Somebody must have tampered with it," he exclaimed.
He opened a small panel on the top of the mechanism, and sickly green glow poured from it. The colonel slammed his fist against the wall in anger.
"Beciles again!" he shouted, "If I don't find a way to stop it, this thing will cause a dimensional fluctuation that will obliterate the entire county. Do they have any idea what they've done?"
"I think they know exactly what," said Verity solemnly, "You will either be killed, or discredited, or both."
She took off her jacket and, handing it to the colonel, rolled up her sleeves and began to work on the device.
"If I can disable enough components," she continued, "I should be able to contain the reaction to a very small explosion that will only affect this room. You and the doctor must leave now, sir."
"Don't be foolish, Verity!" said the colonel, "If you stay in here, you'll be killed. I'll be the one to stay."
"Would you have me explain to your son how I let his father die?" Verity's expression was suddenly fierce, "Don't mistake my actions for heroics. Only you or I can disable the device, and you have much more at stake. I am the practical choice. Dr. Caldwell, please get him out of here!"
"Yes, Miss Edgeworth," the doctor nodded, his voice strained as he grabbed the colonel's arms, "Come on, Walter, we must leave."
Colonel Walter struggled desperately as Caldwell dragged him from the room.
"Please, Verity, don't do this!" he cried.
"Goodbye, sir," said Verity.
The colonel looked one last time into her eyes, now full of undisguised distress, before the door slammed shut between them. He continued to struggle in vain, but the old doctor was stronger than he looked. A few moments passed. Suddenly, the building shook as the device exploded. Then there was silence. Colonel Walter was still, and the doctor's grip on his arms loosened.
"No…" he said faintly.
"Peter, I'm so sorry," Caldwell began.
The colonel broke away and threw open the door. He dashed inside the room, and then stopped dead in his tracks. The doctor followed him.
"Dear God!" the colonel said, his voice breaking.
He dropped to his knees beside Verity's motionless form. Dr. Caldwell was a medical man. He could see that the majority of the shrapnel was lodged in the girl's chest. He tried to look at the situation objectively, and to bring himself to tell the colonel that she was as good as dead.
"Caldwell!" Colonel Walter cried suddenly, turning to look up at the doctor, "Your cryopreservation system, is it functioning? Is it here?"
"Yes, it is," answered the doctor confusedly, "But Walter, her injuries are too severe, there's nothing I can-"
"No! It isn't too late. You've heard of the new studies in cybernetics? I've been working on some myself, it's practically complete. She saved my life, now you must help me save hers. Please, Fritz! We must hurry!"
Over the next month, Colonel Walter and Dr. Caldwell worked feverishly. They spent all their waking hours assessing the injuries and building replacement parts to repair the terrible damage. Finally, one summer evening, their work was done. Verity was out of danger, and would soon awaken. Colonel Walter sat at her bedside, with Dr. Caldwell standing nearby, as she opened her eyes.
"Verity," the colonel said eagerly, "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," she answered, looking at him curiously, "But, who are you?"
"You-" his voice faltered, he could feel his heart drop suddenly, "You don't know me?"
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't."
"Would you excuse us, miss?" Dr. Caldwell interrupted.
He drew Colonel Walter aside. The colonel's face was blank and his voice was distraught.
"I don't understand, Caldwell," he said, "What's happened?"
"Sometimes, in the case of a particularly traumatic physical injury," Caldwell struggled for words, "It results in amnesia in the patient. Permanent amnesia, in some cases. And considering all she's been through. Walter, I'm sorry."
"What do we do?"
The doctor went to the table by the window, and poured a cup of tea from the steaming teapot. He dropped a small pill into it.
"Sleeping medicine," he said in a low voice. He handed the cup to Colonel Walter and motioned for him to give it to Verity.
The colonel forced himself to smile as he walked back to her.
"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."
"Thank you, sir," Verity smiled back.
Colonel Walter took the empty cup and returned it to the table by the window, watching in silence as Verity's eyes closed once more. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands.
"I've failed," he said softly, "I saved her life, but I still lost her."
"We'll put her back into cryopreservation for the time being," said Caldwell, placing a hand on the colonel's shoulder, "And I promise you, Walter, we will find a way to fix this."
vVv
"…and so Verity sleeps on in the basement of Caldwell's hospital, in Cryopreservation Operational Research Room A," Peter read, "until such time as I can restore her memories. I cannot shake the feeling that, in my grief and desperation, I have done something very rash. That's all there is. The colonel found himself under further sabotage by the Beciles, and then the war ended, and for a while he didn't have time to work on helping Verity Edgeworth. And then disaster struck. A wildfire burned Caldwell's hospital to the ground, and the doctor was killed ensuring all the patients and staff made it to safety. The site was covered by a mudslide two weeks later. The colonel must have assumed that Verity was lost to him forever. Eventually the city grew over the ground where the hospital once stood. In fact, it wasn't too far away from the theater where your concert was."
"That earthquake in Bakersfield a few days ago," said Rabbit, "It m-must've uncovered the site."
"And perhaps caused the cryopreservation system to fail, which is why she woke up," Peter concluded.
They looked from the face of the girl on the table to the face of the girl in the picture, standing beside Colonel Walter. There was the same small mouth, and the same close-set eyes.
"I have no doubts," said Peter, "Your Cora is really Verity Edgeworth."
Peter returned the book to its shelf and looked at the shelf full of boxes next to it. Each box was labeled with the name of a robot, and contained various spare parts. Peter crouched down, reaching to the very back of the bottom shelf. He pulled out a box labeled "V.E." which was hurriedly placed on the workbench and opened. This box contained a set of small and delicate-looking tools, a smaller box of spare parts, a notebook, and folded underneath them was a blue jacket. Taped the to the top of the box were a set of complicated diagrams and a tiny key. Peter studied the papers quickly and took the key, going back to Cora.
"If I'm reading these correctly, there should be an access panel just underneath her collarbone… this brass plate here. Right. And this key must open it."
There was a faint click as he turned the key. The panel split and opened outward, a soft blue glow emitting from within. The robots moved closer, and leaned in to see what had rendered Peter speechless. Beneath the panel was a small chamber, also made of brass, and inside that was a ticking clockwork heart.
"Incredible!" Peter exclaimed quietly, "Blue matter powered, clockwork cybernetics! The concentrated force of that bullet must have damaged it. You can see here and here parts have come loose, and here something fell off completely. It's ticking out of sync. I should be able to repair it, but I'll have to build her a sturdier one later. I could do this more efficiently if I had a mechanic to decipher these schematics. Would you please send Mr. Reed up here, and tell him I need his help? And send Paige, too. I'll need someone to keep an eye on the blue matter."
Peter had already started to work as he spoke, and was now completely engrossed. The Spine ushered Rabbit and Hatchworth from the room. He sent Rabbit to get Paige, and set off to find Michael himself.