Astro scanned the faces of the androids standing around him in the androids' house as evening fell. "You all understand what I want you to do?"
Orkan nodded. "We're to delay in any way we can all of the vehicles bringing God's humans from the camps to Gattshier, making sure the Mellanines don't take us down with plasma guns. Now, can you finally tell us what you're up to?"
"Sure. Tomorrow, Mella's throwing his anniversary party in the capital for all his disciples. He announced that he would be executing all of the 'unholy ones' remaining under his control. You all know this, but I'm going instead, because it's a God-given opportunity to end this mess."
They stared at him.
"Dad?" said Flin-bik. "What if they have plasma guns? You ... you'd kill them. You'd kill all the humans at the party! How can you?"
"Oh no," whispered Twin-ta, and it started to weep. "Oh no." Suddenly, it straightened up and spoke in Ran-tan's voice. "Why, Dad?"
"The humans can't get rid of Mella by themselves: he's just too strong and smart. So I've got to end this, because I have the power. And if I don't, in a while he'll end up destroying all the humans, and everything to do with them. It's what Adversary's wanted all along, to get back at God."
"We've already lost Mom," said Ran-tan. "Do we have to lose you too?"
He leaned against the wall, then slid wearily to the floor. "I don't have a choice; I really don't. It's why your mother had to ... to die when she did. If she hadn't ..." He struggled to his feet again as he forced his feelings to submit. "If she hadn't, I wouldn't have known what to do, and I wouldn't have had the courage to face Mella—the courage to die. I would have been afraid of leaving her behind alone. God took that burden away from me." He went over to Twin-ta and linked through to his first-begotten son, "Good-bye, Ran-tan. I love you."
"I love you too, Dad. I ... I guess I'll see you ... in our eternal destiny."
"Mom too."
"Y-yeah." Ran-tan broke the link just as his grief threatened to overwhelm it.
Astro turned to Flin-bik. "My second and precious son: I am, and always have been, a warrior. I've hated it from the start, but it was my best destiny. I kill only when it prevents more death. The deaths of the humans at that party will end the mass murder that Mella started, and this death ..." He turned to the others. "My death, that God chose for me long before the day my Dad first put my core in my chest, is how God will save the humans." He walked slowly out of the house.
He pinched the pebble between thumb and forefinger as he sat beneath the great oak tree. Night had fallen. "I don't want to die," he muttered to the little stone. "But if I don't do it now, I'll just be doing it later. And if I don't do it at all, I won't be able to live with myself, so I don't gain much. No." He crushed the pebble. "I'll lose absolutely everything."
Twin-ta came over and sat beside him. "Astro sir. Could I ask a really big favour?"
He laid his head back against the tree trunk. "Sure."
"Would you download your archives to me?"
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Why do you want them?"
"It's, um, because I want ... I want to keep alive something of what made you the android you are, you know? We shouldn't forget."
Astro chuckled. "My epitaph, eh?"
"Sir?"
"Look the word up sometime." He extended his blue hand. "Let's do it."
"Thanks so much!"
Orkan stared at the other eleven androids as they stood under a large maple tree somewhere west of the world capital city. "Okay," he said, "Dad's in position about a hundred kilometres outside of Gattshier. Our job is to disable any vehicles transporting God's humans to that city so he won't have to worry about them when he goes in. You're going out as couples so that one of you, hiding in the clouds or the sun's glare, can guide the other, who will be underground. This is to protect you from any plasma weapons they may have. As soon as you've stopped that group of vehicles, see if you can touch out the guards. If not, don't worry about it; take off fast and find another group. Please keep in touch with me as you progress." He took Maz-ven's hand. "And may God make this work."
The twelve of them shot into the air and headed off in six different directions.
"Okay, Dad," radioed Orkan a little later. "We're making contact with the transports."
Astro stood on a hill, gazing towards the north-east, with Twin-ta beside him. "Thanks," he replied. "I'll be on my way in a moment."
"Thanks for bringing me along," said Twin-ta.
Astro gave a wan smile. "You know what you've got to do?"
"Yeah. I'll be twenty kilometres outside of Gattshier, recording everything you transmit to me."
"That's right. I want the humans to see who all is in that city when it goes up. Then they'll know that Mella and his disciples are really all gone." Astro removed his clothes and laid them neatly on the ground.
"Why are you doing that?" Twin-ta asked.
He grinned. "Nakedness bugs humans, and I seriously want to bug everybody there, especially Mella. Now, let's go."
Astro hovered at the edge of Gattshier, wondering where the party was being held. Then he spotted the huge new stadium, and knew where he had to go. Arriving above the main entrance, he saw below him what looked like a whole division of soldiers with tanks and other heavy weapons.
No problem: he simply flew in. A quick glance around, and he dropped into a cavernous corridor between sections of seats. Then, crumpling onto his knees, he covered his face with his hands. God, there's so many out there; what, a quarter million at least? I am going to kill them—all of them—and many more who are living in this city.
But they've killed over four billion, and they'll kill the rest if I don't ... do this.
He stood up, clenching his fists. No time for regrets now.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
President Tremorten gazed out onto the huge crowd as an army of teenagers finished a synchronized march along the track in front of the stand where he and the other national rulers sat with the Holy One himself, god and president of the world, basking in the massive victory celebration.
Suddenly the music cut off, creating an abrupt blanket of silence over the crowd, which was gradually replaced by widespread murmuring as everyone started to react. A stir started at the far left end, and a moment later the familiar face of Astro Tenma, the robot boy, appeared on the vast screens that were scattered around the stadium.
Tremorten stared: What was he doing here? And why was he dressed only in black shorts and red boots? That was pretty bold! Turning, Tremorten checked on the Holy One, who was now standing surrounded by his bodyguards. These were scrambling about with some bulky weapons as Mella gave them orders. Was this the trap the Holy One had hinted at when he refused any security inside the stadium except for his own guards? But there was only the one robot. Why not all of them—however many that might actually be?
He received a beep on his communication implant, and his chief of security said, "Mr. President, the transports bringing the unholy ones here are being attacked, apparently by the Astro robots." Well, that explains that, thought Tremorten. The chief continued, "What are your instructions?"
"Don't worry about it now," he replied quietly. "The Astro Tenma robot himself just arrived here on his own, and the Holy One's preparing to blast him with the plasma guns."
"Understood."
He could now see Astro in the distance, approaching the track in the centre of the stadium. That was the mighty attack robot that had defeated Leader Orkan and his army? That little fellow? What was he hiding?
"Sorry to interrupt your speech," Astro thundered through the sound system, making the president jump. "It's all garbage anyway." That triggered a collective gasp from the entire crowd. "I've come for you, Mella," he continued. "You're finished. You've murdered four billion humans, and now it's your turn to face death—to face me!"
"Berq'an, my little robot," said Mella smugly. "You have come at last. I do not fear you, for I have the dreaded plasma gun. It is you who will be destroyed, and then I will hunt down the rest of your friends, and destroy them as well."
"By the time I'm gone, they'll be on the moon and safe from your murdering ways." He was about half way to the stage at this point. "And if I'd left you alone, you'd have destroyed all of mankind. That was your ultimate plan, wasn't it? These people here aren't your friends, just your tools, a means to end it all, to bring everything into pure chaos. That was what you dreamed of."
The stadium was in turmoil as people either argued with each other or tried to shout him down.
Tremorten studied the robot's image on one of the screens: This plainly wasn't an attack; Astro was merely taunting the Holy One, just as if ... as if he wanted to die. To die? No, not exactly. He didn't appear to be intimidated or surprised by the plasma guns. What was he up to?
Astro continued to march forward. "I am Astro Tenma, you unholy one, you false god! Kill me if you can! You've tried before, and you've failed every time."
Tremorten suddenly saw it as he watched Mella turn purple with rage: It's not that Astro wanted to die; he wanted to be shot! The blast at Chinbury! This had to be his own trap!
Astro stopped in the centre of the track and spread his arms high, as if in victory. "Do your worst! I'm here!"
Tremorten shot out of his seat. "No!" he cried. "Don't sh... !"
Twin-ta was startled to see in the transmission a great glowing figure appear suddenly behind Mella—Astro's subtext identified it as an angel of God—and bind him with a shining chain just like the one that held Adversary, who stood to the angel's right. The three vanished, and the transmission cut off.
There was a brilliant flash in the sky to the north-east at the same instant.
"Good-bye," Twin-ta said tearfully, then linked to Berq'an on the moon, "You see that?"
"Yeah, we were all watching. It was a bright spark that ... died out quickly. We ..."
Sorrow flooded the link, and it was almost an hour before Twin-ta was able to take off for the rendezvous point to meet with the rest of the androids.
Astro stared at the white fire that surrounded him. Had it worked?
"Yes, it worked," said Luna, who stood a bit above him and to his right. "Come on."
She offered him her hand, and effortlessly lifted him up to her level. Suddenly they were somewhere else, in a great green field with an intensely blue sky.
"God!" Astro exclaimed as a man in glowing white appeared, and he ran over and gave him a big hug. "Thanks for everything, sir!"
"You're welcome, Astro," said God. "And thank you for what you've done. It was perfect."
Astro pulled away and chuckled. "Of course: it was all your idea. So what now?"
He smiled and nodded toward Luna. "She knows."
Luna grinned. "We're going to be keeping an eye on all our children. They'll be needing God's help and protection for a very long time."
"Are the humans going to be okay?" Astro asked God.
"Yes. They're in my hands, after all."
"Sure."
"Astro did that?" Finna Sordat said as the entire human community of the farm gathered in the yard to greet the androids. "We grieve with you for your loss."
Orkan nodded. "He bought you your freedom. What'll you guys do now? Go back to the cities and rebuild?"
Peran Sordat gave a bitter laugh. "The cities? We don't have the wealth to return to them, or the interest. And they were a liability anyway."
"How do you figure that?" asked Maz-ven.
"Evil spreads too easily where people live close together, and technology also pulled us far away from putting our trust in God. We're free of that now, which means a lot to us, and we are grateful to God for it. What are you all going to do?"
"It's time for us to fulfil our destiny and head to the moon," Orkan said. "Six of our family already live there, and God did give us the galaxy after all."
The twelve of them—Twin-ta was staying behind, at least for a while—turned on their black armour, then shed their clothes.
Peeny Ondney stepped forward and said, "God be with you then."
"Thanks," Orkan said, and they blasted off into the afternoon sky.
"Why aren't you going with them?" she asked Twin-ta once the others were out of sight.
"Astro gave me all his memories a few days ago, and I just want to get to know you humans a little better, since he loved you so much."
"I see. And I'd very much like to get to know him better. It would be an injustice for us to forget him when we owe him such a great deal." She held out a hand. "So come then, child. Let's talk."
Dr. Tenma sat glumly at the rough wooden table in the log house he shared with Melissa and the now thirteen-year-old Sam. Dr. Elefun sat uncertainly, watching the three of them.
"What's it been, three and a half years since I said I wouldn't lose him again?" Tenma said. "Then I lost him to President Stone. And now he sacrifices himself to save mankind."
"And that is a legacy that would make any father proud," said Elefun.
"Yes." He sighed. "I couldn't have asked for a better son. I just wish he could have lived longer."
"Do I make you proud?" asked Sam diffidently.
"Yes, son, you do."
"But I can't ever be a hero like Astro."
"He was an android," said Elefun. "As such he was capable of very different achievements than any human could hope to attain. But that has nothing to do with his heroism. He is a hero because he did not hold back. He gave everything of what he was to win his victories."
"That's what you've got to do, Sam," said Melissa. "Give everything of what you are. Your victories may be smaller than his, but they will be your victories."
"So I should be the best farmer I can be?"
"Exactly," said Elefun.
"And the best husband and father, when that time comes," added Tenma.
Twelve-year-old Eidan popped her head in at the door. "Is Sam here?" Spotting him, she said, "Come on. You said you'd help me with Missy's pen." Missy was her kid goat.
"Alright," Sam said reluctantly as he stood up. "I'm coming." He headed out the door after her.
Tenma leaned back in his chair and gave a wan smile. "You know, we've lost so much ..."
"And you couldn't be happier?" said Melissa.
"And I couldn't be happier." He gave her a kiss.
And so it ends.
Thank you, good readers, for coming with me on this journey exploring Astro's life. It's been a fun ride.
Astro Tenma