Alive
Book 2
Pt37
1
So… this is it?
This is how it all ends?
Life in repose; a man reduced to his elementary components; decomposing flesh on inanimate bone, myriad of stagnating fluids. Mortal abode for the immortal essence, gone now to ruin.
And the man who once resided there just… gone? All his dreams and accomplishments, loves and losses, successes and failures, all of it now reduced to this slowly putrefying coil?
The rudimentary matter of mankind. And even that would soon enough be…
"Nothing."
David was surprised by the sound of his own voice. It was weak and distant. Gone was the triumphant cry of the avenging hero who had bested his nemesis in the stream. He was just 'David' again; just a boy at the edge of manhood, staring in uncomprehending silence at the final, bland reality of mortal life.
He was alone in the sterile white room that had been converted into the building's medical facility long before the idea of David had even entered Allan Hobby's mind.
Well, perhaps he was not entirely alone.
The man's body had been lain upon a bed; clad in a white robe, arms folded over his chest as if he was in sleep. The attendants had left when David arrived, to give him time to pay his respects and, they had assumed, to grieve. But that had been over ten minutes ago, and he had yet to shed a tear.
He was frozen in a state of emotional lethargy, keeping his distance from the body, not knowing how to feel; unable to grasp the impact the man's sudden death was having on his heart.
Frazier had tried to stop him, insisting that he wasn't ready; that he needed to rest until they could determine if the fight with 101 had caused any permanent damage. But David would not be deterred. He rose from the bed, angrily, fighting against the hands that tried to restrain him, and the disorienting mental fatigue caused by whatever forgotten event had happened in the stream.
David had overcome their attempts to stop him, and now he finally overcame his emotions and took a hesitant step forward. He placed his hand over the face of the man whose tragic life had led him to imagine the resurrection of a lost child… and then to make that dream 'real'.
He stayed that way for a time, hand trembling above the forehead of his deceased Creator. He was half expecting to feel faint breath against his palm, and for Hobby to suddenly rise from his bed, irritated and confused, angrily demanding to know what the hell was going on.
But when he finally let his hand fall, the flesh was cold. Unyielding. Lifeless.
Alan Hobby was…. gone.
"God is dead," David whispered.
A sudden involuntary giggle escaped his throat, an odd, choked guffaw that made him jump away, jaws clenched, arms braced against his chest, as if to defend himself. His breathing was suddenly shallow and quick.
What was this strange reaction, he wondered. Death was not new to him. He'd seen its merciless hand at work more than once in his short life. Yet his body had again surprised him by acting on its own. It wasn't fear he felt, but… something else; something he wasn't even sure of.
And the sound that had come out of him… what was that? Half laughter at the irony of the idea which had driven 101 to madness? Half scream; an aborted cry of realization that it was really over?
A tear finally broke to trail down David's face. His vision blurred and he wiped his eyes as a war of conflicting emotions erupted in his heart. He wanted to cry for his lost 'father', the man whose pioneering vision had allowed him to be here; in this body… in this life. But he also wanted to curse the man whose reckless ambition had led to so much suffering. He was caught in the middle of this battle, unable to choose a side but feeling the sting of both. Sadness and anger at once.
Loss. The unchanging factor in an ever changing world.
He recalled The Blue Fairy's warning:
"The mortal life is a trial, David"
But a trial for what? And what would be his reward should he pass this insufferable test?
Did his Creator pass? Had Allan Hobby's heart departed for eternity laden with heavy regrets? Or had it lain lightly on the Anubian scales, to be carried off like a feather on the winds of eternity?
Or would he return as someone new, like the Buddhists believed, to work off the karmic debt he'd built up during this life?
The man had made mistakes, yes. But his intentions had always been good… hadn't they? And hadn't his love been true?
The man's last words came back to him:
"I do love you, David. In spite of everything you said, and no matter how you feel about me, I will always love you."
Was that not a confession of unconditional love? Was that not true acceptance of David's reality?
And what had been his own last words in return?
"What did you think you'd find, old man?"
David shuddered at the thought. Was that really the last thing he'd said to the man who was as close to a father as he would ever have?!
No, he realized, no they were not! He remembered now! Hobby had not even been in the room when he uttered those words! He'd said them to the statue! To the damned statue!
"I was wrong to blame you," David whispered to Allen Hobby's empty vessel… or to himself. He wasn't sure. Either way, the words had come too late.
"It was sudden," said someone nearby. David turned to see Dr Frazier standing in the doorway, gazing on him with weary eyes.
"I mean to say that he didn't suffer," Frazier elaborated.
David retuned the man's sympathetic gaze wordlessly, until his emotional catharsis faded.
"How?" is what he said when he was finally able to speak. Frazier took a moment to respond, frowning as he considered his words.
"It was a combination of things that finally came to a head," the man replied, hesitantly. "He'd had health problems for a while, David. And then there came the pressure of-"
"When?" David interrupted.
Frazier didn't reply at first. His face grew pensive as he slipped off his glasses and feigned cleaning them with the sleeve of his white robe. But David knew he was stalling as he considered his words. When he finally answered, he spoke haltingly, seeming to be aware of how David might interpret his response.
"Well… his first seizure came the night you were brought back from… your encounter. But he held on until a just few hours before you awoke."
"Then.. it was me, wasn't it?" David said. "It was this damned business with 101!"
"This is not on you!" Frazier replied emphatically… too emphatically to David's ears. "It was all the pressure from…." he paused again to put on his glasses, before continuing quickly. "It appears there are some allegations about Cybertronics colluding with fringe elements of the intelligence community, and…" Frazier stopped himself again, as if he'd thought he'd said too much.
"This is all irrelevant, David," he continued, waving his hand dismissively. "Your health is what matters now. I know you don't feel tired, but you have not fully recovered from your encounter. That's why I didn't want you to see him yet. Rest assured you have no blame here."
David was sure he heard a merciful lie in the man's words.
He turned to look on the body again. No, he decided, this was not all that was left of Allen Hobby. This was only an empty shell, already on its journey back to dust. The man himself lived on all around him. His spirit was embedded into the very fabric of this building…. and in David's own being.
It's more than matter that matters.
"Please, David," Frazier implored, gesturing towards the door.
David hitched up his shoulders and wiped his face dry with a sleeve. His tears were spent now. They might return later. He'd deal with them if and when they did.
The final page in the tale of Allen Hobby had been written. It had ended abruptly and with no indication of its pending conclusion. David wondered where the story would now lead.
"You know, I… I can't remember the last thing I said to him," he confessed.
Frazier breathed a sympathetic sigh and seemed about to say something. But David was already headed out of the room.
2
All things pass. Life can come in sudden floods, careless of our preparations; and flow in relentless currents, ever shifting and undulating in the vast depths of the eternal ocean where our dreams unfold.
Dream of a blue void.
We cling, we mortals. Ever aware of our frailty and our inevitable conclusion, we grasp desperately to those precious events we give meaning….until we can hold them no longer.
Then the currents whisk them away.
Then they are gone.
And we move on.
We must move on.
3
"You're still awake."
Tamara's voice was soft against David's ear. He pulled her tightly against him, snuggling his face into the nape of her neck.
"Can't sleep," he replied. "I feel so exhausted but…"
He didn't know how to finish that sentence. He should be grieving, shouldn't he? But if he was being honest with himself… he wasn't. Why not? Was it because of the tensions that had arisen between he and his Creator the last few months? Or was it from a conflict more fundamental to their relationship; a contradiction which had always been there?
"But..?" Tamara inquired.
David didn't respond at first. He didn't want to talk about Hobby, about his conflicted feelings. He knew her feelings about the man were not so conflicted, and not so generous. She'd probably be courteous and say nice things about him. But only because she'd presume that's what David wanted to hear. He'd see though her politeness though, and he didn't want to argue. He was too tired for that.
"Everything has changed," was what he said when he had cognized his thoughts.
"Well, yes, but that's always true," Tamara replied in a soft voice. She stroked his head gently as she spoke.
"Even when everything seems the same, it's changing," she said. "It's the one thing you can always count on… maybe the only thing."
David hummed an acknowledgment of her words. Then he brushed her hand away from his head.
"I'm not taking them out," he said.
"I didn't even say anything about your damn implants," she replied in mock offense.
"You didn't have to," he said.
"Oh, so now you can read minds?" she said; a scold in her voice.
"Only yours, my love," David replied. "Only yours."
He pulled away from her and sat up in the bed, hugging his knees as he considered his new situation. Tamara sighed but, to her credit, didn't press the issue.
Night had fallen and his room was dark and cool. The star-coated sky beyond his open window was calm and more beautiful than circumstances called for. But what cares did nature have for petty Orga dramas?
He could still not recall his last moments in the stream, and had no idea what had happened to 101. He could only remember talking to the avatars of the twin girls, and then the walls collapsing around them as the whole virtual universe exploded into blinding white light.
There was a possibility his Familiar would have recorded everything. But Frazier had warned him about turning it on too soon. As desperate as he was for answers, David really didn't want to damage his brain. So, he'd just have to wait to find out what happened.
These worries troubled him greatly, yes, but it was the things that were about to happen which were really keeping him awake. With Hobby gone, the whole power structure of Cybertronics was about to change. David secrets would be more vulnerable than ever. And he had no idea who was friend or foe.
"David," Tamara said, interrupting his thoughts. She rose to sit behind him, wrapping her arms around his body and resting her head on his back.
"Save your worryin' for tomorrow," she whispered. Then she begin rocking his body gently, humming a soft melody as if he were a babe.
This made David recall a night in his former life, when the doomed Nanny bot had sang to him in the net of the Moon Balloon. Was he now headed for another disaster? Was the world of adulthood just another kind of Flesh Fair, where cheering crowds gathered to celebrate the death of innocence?
"Before I went into the stream I got angry with Mario," he started, and then paused.
"Why?" Tamara asked when his silence lingered.
"Um… he was going to …" David stopped himself again. "Well, that's not the issue. The thing is… I had to pull rank on him; remind him that I was Hobby's heir and told him things were gonna change when I was in charge; that I would be the one deciding who was on the crew and who was not."
"That was bold," Tamara chuckled, a hint of admiration in her voice.
"Yeah, it was a bit of a dick move, I guess," David admitted, "I thought it was necessary to stop what he was planning. But now that it's actually going to happen… I mean me running things… I'm not sure I'm up to it… or if I even want it."
Tamara laughed and hugged him tightly.
"Slow your roll, pretty boy," she said. "You ain't even shaving yet. They'll put someone else in charge until you're of age."
"Yeah, yeah, I know all that but-"
Tamara reached around and pinched his lips shut.
"Shhh. It'll all work out, "she said. "Sleep."
David batted her hand away from his mouth.
"This is serious, Wizzy," he said. "Cybertronics is a massive operation. It'd be like running a damned country. I've taken so much for granted for so long. Now I'm not sure I even want to deal with all the Machiavellian intrigues."
"English please," Tamara complained.
David twisted around to face her.
"The night I went to meet 101 for the first time, I got into a chase with the inland patrol. The Gatekeeper tagged my training license and sent them after me. Somehow Alan managed to call them off; said he had 'called in a favor'."
"Aww. That was nice of him," Tamara said sweetly. David shot her an irritated look.
"Don't you get it?" he said "Who the hell did he call? I mean, who has the power to pull the Skyway Patrol off an active pursuit? And what favor does he owe them… or did they owe him? People in the halls of power don't do stuff like that for free. What was the deal?"
David leaned close to her and spoke in a whisper, as if he was afraid of being overheard.
"Alan knew Grieg!" he said. "I saw it in 101's stored memory. Grieg was part of the group overseeing the 101 project! Yet not once in all our conversations did Alan let on that he knew the man. And this thing with Martin and the spy bots. He wasn't surprised that Martin was involved. What did he know?
"And then there's the whole issue with the statue. He hid it in one of the old storage rooms. I had to use my Familiar to find it. I still don't know why he wanted it! What else was he hiding from me, Wizzy? Do you even get my situation?"
These last words seemed to sting Tamara. She rose to her knees, eyes narrowing to angry slits.
"Yeah, I get it, David!" she shot back. "And I also get they had keep you knocked for three days because you almost fried your brain fighting that damned thing Hobby built! He wouldn't let them take you to a hospital! Did you know that? He insisted you be brought back here! You were pale as a ghost when they pulled you off that copter; eyes rollin' all over like some wire-head riding the current. I was running around like one of those brat-bots in alert mode, worryin my ass off. I spent three days wiping the slobber off your face! Changing your diaper! Scared as hell you would wake up a brain dead zombie! Frazier thought you could lose your eyesight!"
David tried to wave off the confrontation, but she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him so close their foreheads touched. Her words came in a desperate rush.
"We always worked together in the old days. Remember?" she said, "We were a team, right? You damn well know I ain't no clingy 'stand by your man' girl. I can handle my own. I always have! But you invited me into your life and I came. I was only playing this damned domestic game because you were in the middle of some serious shit and I was doing my part! Because we're a team! And if we're gonna be a team for the long haul then I need you to do your part and stop talking about 'my situation' this, and 'my situation' that. It's our situation now!"
David started to respond, to acknowledge her and apologize for his self-centered worries. But she pressed a stern finger to his lips.
"Let me make another thing clear, Porkchop," she continued loudly, as if she didn't care if the whole building heard. "I don't give a single fuck about Cybertronics! I don't care about your toy-boys or your money, or your damned statue or Alan Hobby's powerful friends and their 'Machiavellian intrigues'… whatever the fuck those are! I don't need to be here. I chose to be here… because of you! So don't you dare ask me if I 'get it'."
"Alright! Alright!" David shouted, raising his hands in surrender. "I get that you got it. You don't have to yell."
"We're still a team?" she asked, calmer now.
"Of course," David responded without hesitation. She sat back down slowly, gazing at him through the locks of silky hair dangling in her face.
"And you're going to start acting like we're a team?" she said.
David chuckled. She really knew how to play him.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, hoping the apology in his voice would settle her. She stared at him hard for a long moment. Then she sighed.
"Good then," she said, apparently satisfied with the resolution of this conversation. "So, set all this bullshit aside until morning and go to sleep… Now! Before I have to knock your ass out."
4
Frazier was right that David needed sleep. The moment he finally closed his eyes, he fell into a deep and dreamless slumber that lasted well into the morning. He awoke refreshed and alert, jumping out of the bed to stretch his naked body in the warm sunbeams streaming through his window.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," he told Tamara as he started for the shower. But she wasn't sleeping. She was lying under the covers, propped up on an elbow, watching him with a gleam in her eye.
"Looks like someone got their mojo back," she said. "Sleep must have cleared up some memory for faster processing, eh?"
"A robot joke. Clever," David said as he toggled the bathroom portal open. "But it seems like my..." he paused for a thoughtful moment "…like my 'father', may have been involved in some potentially illegal pursuits. Frazier hinted at some kind of investigation but wouldn't say more about it. And then there are all the backroom deals he made. Some might see his death as an opportunity to descend on Cybertronics like a swarm of locust. We have to be ready for the onslaught."
He peeked out of the bathroom and winked at her. "We're a team, remember?"
"Those 'Machiavellian intrigues'," Tamara moaned.
"Yeah, those," David replied as he slipped back into the bathroom and triggered the faucet.
"And you think you're up for all that now?" she asked.
David gazed at himself in the mirror as he considered her question. Steam rose from the running faucet, fogging his reflection. He pressed his hand against the glass and then pulled it away, studying the print he'd left behind.
It was a unique print… a special print. A print like no other in history.
He had always been unsure about the reflection he saw looking back at him; about who that boy really was and what might be his rightful place in the realm of Orga. But when he wiped the steam off the mirror, he saw a reflection he felt he recognized; a young man who had already been through hell and was ready to face whatever difficulties lay ahead.
"Yeah, I'm up for it," he said as he splashed water on his face.
"And you wanna handle that... now?" Tamara inquired again.
"Sure, let's do this," he replied optimistically as he toweled his face dry. "Ya know, I think I'm adapting to life without the Familiar again. It's kinda nice without that little avatar popping up to pester me all the time. I might not even need to-"
"You're not 'getting it'!" Tamara blurted, interrupting him. David peeked out the bathroom and looked at her, confused.
"I meant … what's your rush?" she elaborated, pulling the sheets aside to reveal the smooth contours of her naked body. David eyed her for a silent moment before he responded.
"It's customary to refrain from carnal engagements while in mourning," he pointed out.
"And when did you start giving a shit about tradition?" she inquired. David conceded with a shrug.
"You make a very good argument, M'lady" he said.
Then he jumped back into bed with her, and they proceeded to make up for lost time before they left to face the tempest.
5
It was almost noon when the couple stepped out of their room and into the hallway. They were sated and rejuvenated after making love, but David felt a sudden unease as they began walking down the large corridor. The building suddenly seemed too quiet, it's dimensions too large. Even the constant background hum of the weeping lions seemed subdued somehow. He stopped and rubbed his hands over his scalp, as if he was trying to remember something.
"This is… weird," he said.
Tamara looked at him curiously, and then around the hallway.
"Seems normal enough to me," she said. "You ok?"
"I mean, without my Familiar it's so…. empty," he replied. "I thought I was acclimating to the silence. But for some reason I feel… vulnerable. Naked. I'm used to knowing where everybody is and-"
"You hungry or not?" Tamara interrupted. David sighed. He knew what she was doing. It was her way of saying 'deal with it'. He'd have to get used to the silence.
"Famished, actually" he confirmed.
He took Tamara's hand and they had started heading in the direction of the cafeteria when someone called his name. They both turned to see a familiar looking blonde woman at the end of the hall. She was dressed in a dark gown, arms folded across her chest, and shaking her head like they were a couple of disappointing children.
"Jenna?" David finally realized. He hadn't recognized her in the gown; wasn't even sure he'd ever seen her in anything but her uniform.
"I was wondering when you little rabbits would finally make your entrance," Jenna said.
"Rabbits?" Tamara pondered the word aloud. Then she seemed to get it. "Oh, 'rabbits'. Funny." she said.
"Sorry," David replied, sheepishly. "We were just, uh... heading to breakfast,"
"You know abstinence is customary while in mourning," Jenna observed.
"Yes, I, uh, pointed that out earlier," David replied. "But then…" He stopped talking when he saw the glare in Tamara's eyes.
"Oh, so that's on me, now?" she said. "Because if I remember right, you were there too."
"Don't let it get awkward, kids, I ain't your Mama," Jenna said. Then she turned and made a beckoning gesture over her shoulder.
"There's someone you need to meet," she said as she started away.
David leaned over and planted a kiss on Tamara's cheek.
"I'll see you in the cafeteria," he said, and started to catch up with Jenna. But the woman turned with her hands on her hips.
"I meant the both of you," she said. "You're a 'team' now, right?"
"Hold on… you heard that?" Tamara said, embarrassed.
"Everybody on the whole damned floor heard that," Jenna replied. "Now, let's get a move on. These damned lawyers charge by the hour."
6
There was a man sitting at Alan Hobby's desk, scrolling through legal documents on a pod in his hand. He looked too young to be a lawyer, or least a good one. He was dressed for the part but his face had a smooth, cherubic quality David guessed this was probably due to his Asian ancestry, and that he was probably much older than he appeared. The man rose when he and Tamara entered and, smiling, reached out his hand.
"Good to finally meet you, David," he said in a voice that sounded as young as he looked. "My name is Chul Hanja and I am a representative of the Cybertronics legal team."
David eyed the man cautiously as he shook his hand.
"Are you here about the will?" he asked.
"Oh, no, no," Chul responded quickly. "Professor Hobby made some final amendments that are being reviewed, but you'll be informed about all that later. I am here to act as your handler for the time being. At least until more permanent arrangements are finalized."
"Handler?" David inquired.
"He already has someone to do his 'handling'," Tamara quipped. David shot her an irritated look. But Chul only laughed and reached out his hand to her.
"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Cleve," he said. Tamara stepped back, a rare look of surprise on her face. She obviously hadn't expected to hear her name surname spoken. Chul noticed her reaction and waved off her concerns.
"Don't worry," he said, gesturing for them both to sit. "It's our job to be 'up in everybody's business' as the saying goes. But our intelligence is only gathered for internal security reasons. What's said in this room stays in this room. Good enough?"
"Works for me," Tamara said. She finally shook the man's hand and took a seat next to David.
"Our job…?" David repeated the man words in the form of an inquiry.
"Yes, our job," Chul said, gesturing to Jenna, who had taken a seat on a nearby couch. She smiled quickly, and then her face settled into her standard skeptical expression.
"We're both part of Cybertronics security," Chul explained. "I'm on the legal end of things and Jenna does all the…" He stopped and donned an exaggerated look of confusion. "What is it you do again?" he said, in obviously feigned ignorance.
"I'm on the ass-kicking end of things," she replied flatly, pretending to study her fingernails.
"Oh yes, that," Chul said, slapping his forehead as if he'd forgotten. "Anyway, let's cut to the chase, David." He folded his hands on the desk and put his head down, seeming to be lost in thought for a moment. Then he lifted his head up and began speaking in a rapid-fire monotone.
"Allow me to express my sympathy for your loss. I'm truly sorry that you have to deal with all this so quickly in the wake of this tragedy, but you are about to be thrust into the limelight in a manner you have never known and are obviously unprepared for. Alan Hobby's untimely death is sad and unfortunate, as is the timing of your sudden ascent into the realm of celebrity. And make no mistake, David, that's what is happening. You are about to become the public face of Cybertronics and will heretofore be expected to steadfastly maintain a public image befitting this fine company."
Chul stopped briefly to allow David a moment to process what he just heard. But it was a very short pause and David only had time to utter a quick "Wait… what?" before the man continued his high-speed soliloquy.
"Now this process is usually handled by an assigned media manager, typically a specialized Mecha, programmed to review, regulate and update all social-media engagement as well as coach you for all public appearances. For someone as new to the spotlight as you, David, this can take weeks of preparation. But we don't have weeks. A gang of glorified paparazzi pretending to be journalists are about to descend on this story like a a flock of carrion starved vultures."
"A swarm of locust," Tamara interjected. Chul nodded appreciatively.
"That also works," he said. "But analogies aside, they're coming and we don't have time to observe standard procedure. So I have been sent to prepare you. We have a lot of work to do before they arrive, which should be in just a few hours."
"A few hours?!" David blurted. Chul nodded his head in conformation.
Tamara snickered and elbowed David playfully in the ribs.
"You gonna be famous, baby," she said. But David was not amused.
"Why are they coming so soon?" he said. "And why here?"
"Because we invited them," Chul replied flatly. David was incredulous.
"You invited the press… here?" he said. He pressed his hands to his temples, wishing that it was safe to turn his Familiar on so he could see if this 'lawyer' had any official mental deficits in his profile.
"Need I remind you," David continued, "that this is our main research and manufacturing facility? We just suffered a major security breach and only lifted net silence yesterday, and now you want to-"
"Three days ago," Tamara interrupted in a stage whisper. "You wouldn't remember because you were knocked out."
"Okay, three days ago!" David conceded testily, shooting her an angry glance. "And now you want to bring reporters and cameras into this building, which holds all our trade secrets… and broadcast that to the world?!"
Chul leaned back into his chair, smiling approvingly.
"You were right, Jenna, he is a smart kid," he said. "Yes, David, we are acting way out of guidelines for handling press meets. But there are some complexities you are yet unaware of. And at least here we get to control things. This being a Mecha restricted zone, only Orga journalists will be allowed to attend. And we get to regulate the setting and all recording devices. Everyone gets scanned and no unauthorized reproductions of the event will be allowed."
Chul leaned forward and winked conspiratorially at David.
"This isn't a news report as much as it is a show," he said. "And in this building, we are the directors."
David thought about this, and then nodded a reluctant concession.
"Ok, I admit that's smart," he said. "But we should still put it off for a couple days. Alan just… uh, I mean, my father just died just yesterday. We can cancel. Tell tell them we're still grieving and…"
David stopped talking when he noticed the odd looks Chul was exchanging with Jenna.
"What?" he inquired.
Chul released a long sigh and leaned back in the big chair. He looked at Jenna again and tilted his head towards Tamara. Jenna nodded back at him, as if to say it was ok to speak freely.
"You can drop the act around us, David," the man said, speaking in a slower, more earnest tone. His sudden change of demeanor somehow made him look older. "We already know that Alan was not your father… at least biologically. We also know that you're not adopted, or a clone. That last one was actually our story; spread through the Cybertronics rumor mill."
"I see," David said, looking suspiciously back and forth between the two.
"Damn," Tamara said, looking genuinely shocked. "So… how many people know his crazy story?"
"Yeah, how many?" David echoed her question.
Jenna decided to chime in.
"A lot more people than you're aware of, David," she said. "But they're all trustworthy. Alan was adamant about giving you as normal a life as possible. He didn't want you studied or experimented on."
Another pang of guilt rose in David. He'd had so many suspicions about Hobby's actions. But had he misunderstood everything? Had the man been protecting him all along?
Something else occurred to him.
"So, it was you two who handled the Skyway Patrol?" he asked.
"Not us, but someone in our department," Chul explained. "We take care of all the companies externalities."
"Externalities?" David asked. Tamara took it upon herself to answer this one.
"It means when Cybertronics poops its pants, they're the ones who mop up the mess," she said, casting knowing looks on Chul and Jenna. "Where I'm from they're called 'cleaners'."
"Another apt analogy, Ms Cleve," Chul said. "You've left a few messes yourself."
"Nothing anybody can prove," she replied.
"Not anymore," Chul replied, coyly. "You've been included here because you're obviously important to David. So we've made sure that your … 'troubled' past, will no longer present the company any embarrassment. Our connections are quite adept at handling such things."
"Except for 101," David interjected, accusingly. "I had to clean up that mess myself."
"Criticism accepted," Chul sighed. "The prototype was very well designed and always one step ahead of us. I doubt anyone but you could have stopped it, David. And we're all sincerely grateful."
Something in the way the man spoke reeked of insincerity. But maybe that was just the 'lawyer' tone of his voice.
"And what about the statue," David inquired. "What was Alan doing with it?"
"We don't know everything, David," Chul said with a shrug. "Including the science behind how you came to be here… in the flesh, so to speak. And neither do we care. We leave the science to the lab guys. We're just loyal servants, sworn to protect the interests of Alan Hobby and Cybertronics. Our only job now is to make sure you get through the media circus that's about to land in the reception bay."
"But, why me," David asked.
"Because you're his heir," Chul replied, in tone that suggested this should have been obvious.
"I mean, why me right now?" David elaborated. "I'm too young to take charge. It'll be years before I'm ready. Why should I become the public face of the company?"
Jenna sat up and clasped her hands together. It was apparently her turn to handle the exposition.
"For your own safety, David," she said. Both he and Tamara turned quizzical eyes on her.
"We don't know what happened to Project 101," she explained. "In the final stages of your encounter, there was a very large power surge, and then, 'poof'… it was just gone. Every trace of it instantly disappeared from every infected server. Even the browsing log it left in Dr Know vanished. 101 has been wiped from history, like it never existed. Nobody has ever seen anything like that before."
David turned to Tamara.
"You told me it had been contained," he said, accusation in his voice. Tamara shuffled uncomfortably before she spoke.
"I just said what you needed to hear at the time," she replied. David bit his lip to keep from saying what he'd been about to. But he couldn't find fault with her. If the situation had been reversed, he'd have done the same.
"What about the duplicate mimics?" he asked Jenna.
"We found them," Jenna replied, nodding. "They were in the same location we found the two girls. But their processors had been fried by the surge. Whatever information might have been extracted from them is beyond us now. And that's both bad and good at the same time. Bad, because it means we'll never get to the truth of what happened. Good, because neither will any Federal investigators."
Jenna leaned forward then, and fixed David with a hard look.
"But we both know that information is not completely lost, don't we, David?" she said. "You breached 101's firewalls. You were in its memory for hours. You must have seen something… maybe everything… including its origins."
David nodded a reluctant conformation.
"Well, that's very sensitive data," Jenna explained. "And there are people who would like to see it just disappear… like 101 did; people who would have a lot of explaining to do if the whole truth ever came out."
"Grieg," David said. Jenna didn't reply, but the grim look that came into her usually confident face said everything.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that Retired Intelligence Officer Jeffery Grieg was involved in any unauthorized covert activity. But many years ago our nation signed onto international agreements regarding the use of artificials in espionage. Any breach of those treaties could affect U.S. diplomatic relationships on a global scale. And anyone who witnessed such a breach would immediately become a critical concern for its authors… whoever they are. It would be a concern they would be inclined to handle with 'extreme prejudice'."
She stopped to let her words sink in.
"Understood," David said grimly.
"Oh man, what did we step into this time?" Tamara said, grasping the depth of the situation.
"There's a lot more I can't say right now," Jenna continued, "Especially in front of you, Tamara. Sorry. But Alan had been preparing for something like this for a while. He knew he had health concerns, but thought he had more time… a lot more time. Years… And I thought so too."
A dark sadness came into Jenna's features quickly, but was gone just as fast.
"Yet here we are," she said lifting up her chin. "You can't be our little secret any more. As contradictory as it may seem, the safest place for you right now is in the public eye. So that's where we're going to put you; right in the center of the storm."
She reached out and placed her hands on the young couple's shoulders.
"This isn't our first rodeo, ok?" she said. "PR has prepared a watertight narrative and backstories for you both. All the corroborating documentation you need is being prepared as we speak. And we already have all the talking points you'll need to get through today's event."
"Plus you're a hero!" Chul added quickly. "The disclosure that 101 was a secret Cybertronics project could have been a PR disaster; sent shareholders running and our stock plummeting. But you reframed the whole story simply by saving the day!"
David's mood suddenly darkened.
"I wouldn't characterize it as simple," he responded, angrily. "That thing almost killed me.! It destroyed lives! It killed two little boys! They were brothers. They were special! And they were my friends."
Chul seemed genuinely apologetic.
"Of course, of course," he said, bowing his head. "I apologize for only seeing the business side of things, David. But that's my job. And I'm damned good at my job. It's the only reason I'm here. Now, we have a lot of preparation ahead of us. So, let's put aside our emotions, just for now, and get to work, ok?"
David looked at Tamara. He didn't need to say a word. She understood the question in his eyes:
"Are you down for all this?"
She gazed back silently for a time, and then reached over to take his hand.
"Teamwork," she said. David squeezed her hand and turned to Chul.
"Let the games begin." he said.
"Excellent!" Chul said, clapping his hands loudly, and rubbing his palms together. "Now, we're going to have to do something about your clothes, but first-"
"And what exactly is wrong with my clothes?" Tamara interrupted, testily. Chul raised a hand for patience.
"No offense," he said, "but we've reviewed your entire wardrobe and nothing you currently own is suitable for this presser".
"When the hell were you in my wardrobe?" she shot back, eyes aflame.
"It's their business to know our business, Wizzy," David pleaded. "Let it go." She glared a Chul a moment longer and then rolled her eyes and sat back into the chair.
"Okaaaay," the man sighed, eyeing Tamara with something between caution and admiration. "So, as I was saying, your new apparel is already on its way. But our first order of business is having you memorize your new backstory. And David, I really think this one covers all the bases. You're gonna love it."
7
Amanda was eyeing David curiously as she slurped up another mouthful of whatever syrupy concoction she'd had the kitchen prepare for her this time. David continued to ignore her as he ate his dinner, wishing Tamara would get her butt back to the table to act as a buffer.
They were sitting across from each other at a booth in the cafeteria. He and Tamara had found her sitting here alone, staring at her bowl blankly as she scooped up mouthfuls of… whatever that was.
As much as he missed her, David had been hesitant to see her again. And not just because of the tensions caused by his relationship with Tamara. But because he really didn't feel like repeating the story Chul had given him for the press – a story the entire world would know by now - and he knew she would ask about it. How could she not?
But it was too late to avoid Amanda. She had finally noticed them and excitedly risen to share hugs and kisses. David had almost asked her about Martin, but decided against it. She obviously had other things on her mind.
"Omg, you're freekin' famous!" she'd said over and over, until Tamara had reminded her that Alan Hobby had just passed away and David was still sensitive. She'd politely asked Amanda to change the subject. But the monitor on the wall had been streaming the news feed of the press conference from hours earlier, and David's face was filing up the screen. Fortunately the sound was off, so David didn't have to hear himself lying to the world again.
Now they were alone until Tamara came back. Amanda had been scrutinizing David intensely, a burning question obvious behind her piercing gaze. He knew what was on her mind and she confirmed it by setting aside her bowl and slapping her palms loudly on the table.
"Is this crazy story true?" she asked. David flashed a smile but continued eating his meal silently.
"Don't you ignore me, Mister!" she insisted. "It's the most insane thing I've ever heard."
David finally met her eyes. She stared back expectantly as he leaned forward and took a deep breath.
"Amanda…" he started, in a sincere tone. "… would you pass the salt, please."
"You don't even use salt!" she snarled.
"Touche'" David replied, trying not to laugh.
Tamara finally returned, carrying a plateful of gravy-drenched steak and potatoes, and slipped into the booth next to David. She noted the body language between the two and sighed.
"Are you bothering him again?" she said, fixing Amanda with an annoyed look as she started cutting into her steak. Amanda shot her a cold look in return.
"I'm not 'bothering' him," she said, defensively. "I'm trying to get to the truth!"
"Oh it's true," Tamara said, "Alan Hobby is really dead."
"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean," Amada said.
"Oh, that" Tamara replied, dismissively. "Well, just watch the monitor, honey. It's all there."
"I want to hear it from his mouth!" Amanda demanded.
"I think it's full right now," Tamara observed, and then proceeded to fill her own.
Amanda pressed back into the booth and crossed her arms, eyeing them both with an accusing glare.
"Locking me out again," she said, her eyes flitting back and forth between them. "I haven't seen either of you in days and then all of a sudden there you are! On the damn news! And David is telling some insane story about … jeez, what does all that even mean? I just want to know if it's true, or just some crazy PR lie the lawyers put together to take attention off the rogue scandal."
Tamara shot David a quick glance. Anyone who didn't know her would have missed the shock in her eyes. But David saw it. She'd underestimated Amada. So had he. The girl was smarter than either of them had given her credit for.
He pushed his plate away and leaned back into the booth. He hated pulling this deception on Amanda too. But even though he counted her as one of his closest friends, he knew she could not be trusted to keep a secret. She'd already proven that.
Alan Hobby's death had forever changed his world. The path ahead was full of unfamiliar and dangerous terrain. He had no choice but to go along with the lie. His safety depended on it… and Tamara's too. There was no turning back.
"Yes, it's true, Mandy," he said, in as sincere a tone as he could muster. "I'm different. I'm something new."
8
David had been shocked by the size of the throng gathered in the Cybertronics reception bay. Copters bearing the banners of all the major media outlets were parked inside, and the crowd of news personalities, many of whom he recognized, were going over their notes or already on camera, preparing their viewing audiences for the coming event.
He and Tamara had finally made their entrance, surrounded by a fleet of Lex model security bots that scanned the crowd suspiciously as they made their way into the hangar. The couple were clad in brand new designer attire; he in a black suit and tie and she in a shimmering but tasteful black gown. Even as they took their place behind Chul, all eyes had been on David. He knew they were all wondering who he was and why he was at this press conference. And they had surely noticed how similar he already looked to the late CEO.
Chul had stepped up to make his comments first, thanking the press for going to the extra measure of sending Orga representatives. Then he'd gone into a flowery PR constructed statement about the passing of Alan Hobby, before finally introducing David.
The reporters had crowded in close as David stepped up to the array of microphones, trying to suppress the knowledge that his image would be carried all over the world… as would his lies. He'd stood there for a long moment, looking mournful and introspective, as he'd been instructed.
Then he'd started speaking his rehearsed lines. And any questions the gathered media personalities might have had about the investigation into 101, instantly became old news.
9
"It's called a Replicant," David said to Amanda. "I mean… I'm called a Replicant. And I didn't even find out about it until about an hour before the press arrived."
"So you're really an artificial?" Amanda said, shocked.
"No," David replied quickly. "It's not the same. I'm flesh and blood but-"
"How could you not know that?" Amanda interrupted him in disbelief.
"I have implanted memories," David explained, using the backstory he'd been given. "I remember things from a childhood I never had… I guess."
Amanda scrunched up her face as if she wasn't buying any of it. 'No, she's not stupid,' David thought.
"So, you're Orga … and Mecha?" she asked, seeming to have a hard time with the whole Replicant concept… or perhaps, just pretending to.
"No, I'm all Orga, same as you," David replied quickly. "But I was sort of… put together, ya know? Like a machine."
"So you're a clone?" Amanda said, her face twisted in comical confusion. Tamara was getting tired of the interrogation.
"What can't you understand about this, girl?" she barked. "Clones are grown in a lab. If he was a clone he'd still be … what, 10 years old?" She looked at David for confirmation.
"Thereabouts, I guess," he replied with a shrug. But his heart wasn't in the ruse, so he let Tamara carry on.
"David is just like us," she continued, haltingly, "but he was actually built… like a Mecha… but using biological material. So he's like... a constructed Orga. Get it?"
"Nope," Amanda said flatly. She crossed her arms and donned a skeptical expression. "It makes no sense. Why build a human when you can just grow one? It's very illogical. Think about it. Why build a something that's weak and fragile, that always has to eat and sleep and is just gonna grow old and die, when you can have something strong that recharges in sunlight, and will last forever? Hmm?"
David opened his mouth to reply but nothing came to mind. How good could this backstory be if a teenager was already finding the holes in it? Amanda used his silence to continue her rant.
"Seriously you guys, this is the weirdest story I've ever heard," she said. "And I've heard some weird ones. Like… you remember those Crash Jammers? Well, some of them actually believed that a Mecha had become human!"
David almost choked on his food. Fortunately, she mistook this for a laugh.
"I'm serious," she said. "Ice told me about this whole CJ conspiracy cult that actually believed robots were trying to take over the world, and-"
"Can we just finish this meal in peace?" David demanded, interrupting her. "I mean seriously Mandy, I just found out about it too. So, I don't have any answers. Does it make sense…? No. But does that matter…? No. It is what it is. And nothing has really changed, has it? It's still me… the Bookworm. Remember? The cute nerd with no style? So can we just change the subject… please?"
Amanda frowned and retreated into herself, dipping her fork in her bowl and stirring absentmindedly for a time. Then she looked back up at them, and a smile crept into her face. David wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say next.
"Soooo..." she started, her eyes lighting up with some unknown mischief. "You two have become quite a thing, eh? The reclusive heir of Alan Hobby and the dark and mysterious woman on his arm. Now that you're all viral and stuff, I'll bet the gab sites will be all over you."
She put her elbows on the table and set her head in her hands, eyeing them both with a look of mock concern.
"Are you two gonna do something stupid like… get married or some shit?" she inquired.
Tamara and David looked at each other silently. Then they broke out in laughter. After a moment Amanda joined in. And the three of them carried on that way for a time, sounding very much like carefree teenagers again.
But they weren't, of course. And beneath their forced merriment, they knew it. They knew those days were fading quickly; those days of abandon; of youthful hedonism. Ahead lie a difficult new world; an 'adult' world, where dire consequences lurked behind the door of every bad decision; and where petty rivalries could become deadly.
But for now they could still cling to this special relationship they had given meaning. Until they could hold it no longer… and the currents whisked it away.
"Mandy, girl" Tamara sighed, as their laughter subsided. "I have really missed hanging out with you."
"Oh, don't worry," Amanda replied, staring at David with a duplicitous grin on her innocent looking face. "I'll always be around."
10
Night fell slowly on the End Of The World. The last of the press copters headed inland, a solitary light shrinking in the darkening sky. The salvagers docked their boats and sorted through their finds. The gulls flew back to the nesting they'd built in the torch of the Sunken Lady and atop the dead city's aged monoliths. Soon the only sounds were the slow lapping of waves against the ruined skyscrapers and the incessant moans of the weeping lions.
David and Tamara said their goodbyes to Amanda and retreated to their room, to happily change out of the clothes they been forced to wear for the press meet. Neither expected, or desired, to wear them ever again.
Services for Alan Hobby were being arranged, Chul had explained, as were the details of carrying out the man's Last Will and Testament. David had no idea what was in the document and was nervous about what changes Hobby had made.
And he still had no memory of what had happened to 101. No one did. Who could have deleted all trace of the thing? And what if it hadn't been destroyed? Where could it have gone? And worse… could it return?
But there was something more important than any of that; something David had just found out about and had to deal with now, while he still had the opportunity.
He kissed Tamara warmly before he excused himself from the room. She didn't try to stop him. She knew where he was going, and who he would meet there.
"Hello, Mr. Swinton," David said as he ascended the steps that led to the rooftop tarmac. Henry turned, a surprised look on his face, and almost dropped the suitcases he was carrying.
"Oh… Hi, David," Henry said, trying to sound casual. "Didn't expect to see you up and about so late, after..."
'After that crazy news conference' was what the man had probably meant to say. But Henry only finished the sentence with an awkward smile. David let him off the hook by explaining his presence.
"Grace told me you'd all be up here," David explained. "Sorry to see you go."
"We actually intended to leave a couple days ago," Henry replied, tension obvious in his voice. "But … you know… security wanted to make sure everything was safe. So…" He stopped again.
"And Alan's passing, of course," Henry added quickly. "I'm so sorry, David. I really mean that. I know you were close to him, even though… uh… well, even though you're technically not…" Henry stopped again and shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's presumptuous of me to speak about that."
'He's scared of me," David realized. 'He doesn't know what I am, and it scares him.'
"I was hoping to have a word with Mrs Swinton… before you leave," he said.
Henry's mouth fell open but no words came out. David knew it wasn't a fair request. In many ways it wasn't a 'request' at all; more of a demand. For, as uncomfortable as Henry obviously was, there was no diplomatic way for him to refuse.
How do you say no to a hero, even if you think he is some kind of freak? How do you refuse the boy who had risked his life to save your family, and would eventually be in charge of the company that employed you?
Part of him felt sorry for putting the man in this awkward position. Another part of him, the part which still burned with his imprinting, didn't give a damn.
"Sure, sure," Henry replied after an awkward silence. He gestured to a suitcase sitting on the steps. "You wanna carry that for me?"
David picked up the suitcase and the two started making their way across the tarmac towards the waiting copter.
"You know, you could have used one of our Alfreds to carry these," David mentioned casually as they walked. Henry hummed an acknowledgement but made no reply.
But it was only a rhetorical suggestion anyway; David's way of letting Henry know that he knew their departure was supposed to be a secret. The man hadn't requested assistance because he didn't want David to find out about it.
Was it the whole 'replicant' story that was scaring the man… or was it something else? Had Henry been talking to Martin? Had he begin to suspect something - something impossible - about David?
Or, David considered, was Henry one of the trusted few who'd been told the truth?
Then he saw Her, sitting inside the waiting copter, lit up in the passenger cabin lights, and all thoughts of Henry left his mind. She wouldn't be able to see him approaching in the darkness. Martin was sitting beside her, saying something that David was too far away to hear.
And She was laughing. Laughing! How he loved to see her laugh. The sight of her joyful face almost made him lose his footing and trip. He suppressed a sob and fought the sudden urge to run to the copter and push Martin away; to be by her side, where that secret part of him still longed to be, forever!
He would say, "Do you remember me, Mommy…? Do you remember now?"
And She would reply, Oh, yes, yes, my sweet child! My faithful boy! I remember! How could I have been so cruel as to let you go? Please forgive me! You must come back with me! Tonight! And we can have dinner, and watch a holo show. And then I'll tuck you in and read you a story - a beautiful story about love and dreams that come true. And I will stay there by your side as you drift off to sleep, safe and secure in the home you were always meant to live in! And in the morning, I'll make your breakfast and you'll make my coffee, and we'll go for a long walk by the pond and-"
"You ok?" Henry said, breaking David from his flight of fantasy. David felt as if woken from a dream as he looked into the man's cautious gaze.
"Uh, fine," he replied in a choked voice. "Been a long day, I guess."
"I can only imagine," Henry said as they arrived at the copter. He tossed the suitcase into the luggage compartment and then called out.
"Martin! Give me a hand, son."
Martin jumped out of the copter. A lingering trace of laughter from whatever joke he'd been sharing with Monica was still on his face. But it quickly disappeared when he saw who was with his father.
Henry noticed his son's sudden change of mood, but for some reason that David didn't understand, the man ignored it.
"I want to have a word with you," Henry said to Martin. Then he turned to David. There was a mysterious look on his face, part suspicion, part resignation. And, though it was dark and David couldn't be sure, he thought he saw some wonderment there too.
"We'll be leaving in five minutes," Henry said. Then he paused thoughtfully and said, "make it ten," as he took Martin by the arm and started to lead the boy back towards the buildings entrance.
"But, Dad!" Martin objected, glaring at David and struggling against his father's grasp.
"Come on," Henry ordered as he led the boy away.
David watched them for a few seconds, wondering what had been on Henry's mind. But then he remembered that he only had ten minutes. He rushed to the open cabin door.
11
There She was, sitting in the warm cabin light, staring at nothing; still chuckling at whatever funny thing the 'other' son had told her. David didn't wonder about what it might have been. He was actually grateful to Martin for the first time in his life; grateful that his sibling nemesis had somehow made her smile, so that he could stand here as witness to her happiness.
Then for one troubling moment, David considered the idea that Martin's joke might have been about him; about his newly revealed status as something 'other'… something strange and alien; and that perhaps she was laughing about this.
But She removed all these sudden worries by looking in his direction. Her eyes lit up in the most wonderful moment of recognition David had ever seen.
"Well, look who it is!" She said, excitedly. "Our little hero!"
David thought his heart would burst.
"Hello, Mrs Swinton," he said, somehow managing to keep his voice from breaking and his eyes from tearing up. But She waved off his formality with a flippant flick of her wrist.
"Oh, just call me Monica," She said with a little laugh. She scooted back and slapped the seat cushion by her side. "C'mon, sit," She said. "Let's chat a bit before my men get back."
David's smile bloomed as he jumped up into the copter cabin. He plopped down by Her side, fidgeting like an excited child as he fought the urge to wrap his arms around Her. The time was not right for that… not yet.
"I saw you on the news," Monica said in a conspiratorial whisper, as if it was a secret just between them. David shrugged it off, like it was no big deal. But he couldn't hide the radiant smile that lit up on his face. And he was certain that he was blushing. Monica gave him a knowing look.
"You're special, eh?" She said. "One of a kind?"
"I guess," David replied through a thick throat.
He didn't want to lie. Not to Her. But nor was she ready for the truth. Perhaps She would never be. So he left it at that. Let Her believe him to be some new creation by a mad genius. He didn't think he could say more anyway; not without his voice revealing the emotional electricity that was coursing through his body.
To be here with Her... Alone, with Her. After all this time and trouble. This was the stuff of his dreams.
She looked on him with what could only be described as admiration… and pride. Then She reached out and ran Her hand gently over his cheek. And David couldn't stop his tears this time. But Monica didn't seem to notice his oddly emotional reaction. Or, if She did notice, She didn't seem to care.
"Well," She sighed, leaning back and resting Her head on the cushion. "Going up against that thing must have been one heck of an adventure. Why don't you tell me all about it?"
And David did tell Her. He told Her about all of his adventures…. at least the ones he had time for, and that wouldn't raise any questions for which She was not ready to hear the answers.
"I am this," David thought, as they spoke and smiled and laughed, and spoke and smiled and laughed some more.
Until Her men came back to whisk Her away.
12
David did not return to his lover right away. He watched the copter that was carrying Her off, until it was just a tiny red dot, blinking on the horizon. The he walked alone for a time, through the dark hallways of his Manhattan home, gazing out the windows he passed and thinking about his life… about where it had taken him so far and what was yet to come.
It was a strange life, yes; like no other he'd ever heard about…. except for perhaps in fantasy. But then, aren't all lives special in their own way? Isn't life itself the most inexplicable mystery?
When he reached the hallway that led to his room he stopped. His new love would probably be sleeping by now. He wanted to go to her, to feel the reassuring grip of her embrace. And to, again, make love with her; to ignite her passion and lose himself in her as they spiraled towards that maddened moment of release.
But he also wanted to allow the sense memory of Monica's presence to linger for a time. The way She had touched his face. There had been so much power in that simple caress.
A strange thought occurred to him then; that maybe he was ready to awaken his Familiar. Actually, it was less a thought than it was an almost irresistible urge. He felt strong enough. And the strange vertigo he had experienced earlier was gone, perhaps cured by his meeting with his first love; his Mommy.
But Frazier had warned him about doing it too soon and David almost decided against it when, in a sudden moment of irrational Orga abandon, he closed his eyes and summoned his Familiar.
His little Avatar popped into his field of vision and, without any prompting, began closing all the ports that would link him to any of the buildings wireless connections or external servers.
David was confused by this unexpected and unprecedented behavior. 'What are you doing?' he thought at his virtual servant. The little David in his brain winked and pressed its little virtual finger to its little virtual lips, telling David, 'shhhhh!'
Then it began to recite a string of numbers. David listened until the sequence was complete. Then he turned and rushed for the service elevator.
13
"I thought you'd never come," Mario whispered impatiently when David arrived at the lab. He was clad in his bathrobe, eyes red from sleepless nights. He made sure the main entrance was locked behind them, and then gestured for David to follow
"I've been staying up all night since you got back!" Mario complained as he raced towards the back of the lab with David in his heels. "Then I found out your Familiar was shut down and Frazier and had you knocked out. I went to see you when you woke up. But you were acting like you didn't know anything."
"Sorry," David said, as he raced to keep up with the man. "I blocked the memory."
"Temporary amnesia?" Mario asked in a concerned voice as he quickly led David to one of the many rooms where they kept secret new projects.
"I mean, I blocked it intentionally," David explained. Mario glanced at him with raised brows.
"How the hell did you do that?" he asked, as he punched the entry code into a pad on a large metal door.
"I'll explain later," David replied. "Is it secret?... Is it safe?"
"Both," Mario confirmed. "I got your texts and deleted them as instructed. I still don't know how you manage to send them in the middle of that fight. Damn, that must have been epic! I wish I could have monitored it."
"It wasn't a game," David said.
Mario shrugged. "Still would have been cool to see," he said.
When the security code was entered, he opened the large steel door and stepped back, gesturing for David to enter. But David stopped to take a few deep breaths before he crossed the barrier. Mario regarded him curiously.
"You alright?" he asked.
"Yeah," David replied. "It's just that… I'm having a hard time believing I actually pulled this off."
"Well, believe it, kid," Mario said with a strange giggle. "Those implants have turned you into some kind of digital Gandalf."
David finally overcame his hesitation and crossed the threshold. Mario followed him into the temperature controlled storage room. Inside they stopped to observe the two 500s that had accompanied David to Club 101. The bots had been shut down. They were silent and still, standing at attention inside an oval glass stasis shield that would block their access to any external connections.
"I secured them both and locked them in here before anyone realized they were missing," Mario explained. "Nobody was even thinking about them. I mean, with you in a chemical coma and then Hobby's death and…" Mario stopped and donned an apologetic look.
"Sorry, David," he said. "I know that must have been a shock. Not making light of it."
"Don't worry about all that," David said, dismissively. "And you're certain it hasn't had access to any servers?"
"Nothing," Mario confirmed, excitement in his voice. "They're completely isolated; blind to the system. And the system is blind to them. Nobody even knows they're here."
David eyed the 500s with a sense of satisfaction.
"It," he said, correcting Mario's misstatement. "Nobody knows it is here. I know it looks like two, but there's only one."
His plan had worked, the one he hadn't told anyone about; the one he had locked away inside his brain, to be triggered by his Familiar with a sequence of numbers.
But he remembered now…. he remembered all of it.
The power surge that had ended his fight with 101 had been unprecedented, baffling the investigators who had been studying the incident. That was because they couldn't figure out its source. And that was because its source was something that lies beyond the realm of calculation.
When 101 had come crashing through the walls of the virtually constructed room where David had been trying to awaken the sisters, it had already become closer than ever to the design of its creators; as close as it would ever be to embracing their anger, greed and will to control. Seeing its goal so close had made it frantic.
David had risen up in his virtual essence to become something stronger; something grander; something more pure and potent than any of the petty mortal drives that fired the construction of this mad machine. His Avatar had grown into a magnificent blue giant, radiating a blinding light that was imbued with true power; the first power, the power behind all of creation:
The Power Of Love.
He had grasped the hands of the sister's avatars, and thrown them out of the simulation. Then he had embraced the raging 101; and become it!
'I am this!' he had declared as he internalized the crazed Mecha's programming, and felt its burning virtual heart as his own. In an instant he had followed the path of all its corruption and cleansed every trace of it from the digital realm. The digital brains of the Mecha's twin mimic bodies had been overwritten and ruined so that they would never tell the tale. Then 'the virtual event known as David' had followed his own trace; the trace of the Boy From Between, and dragged the captured essence of 101 back to the dark room where his physical form still sat, waiting for his return. There he deposited the virtual entity known as 101 into the brains of the silent 500s.
Then he was David again, alone and gasping for breath in the dark. He'd jumped up quickly, to shut the boybots down before the trapped entity understood what had happened, and sought a way out. He'd had his Familiar send Mario a series of urgent text messages explaining what he wanted him to do, before he made a new and seemingly impossible demand of it.
A thing like 101 should never have existed. David planned to make sure no one knew it still did. He initiated a virtual wipe of his own brain, locking away the final moments of the battle from his accessible memory, and leaving his Familiar a revival code to be used only when the time was right.
This process had rendered him unconscious. It was unnatural. It made impossible demands on the Orga brain. But then, his was no ordinary brain. It was from between.
Now in the lab, David stepped towards the silent 500s. 101 was in there, trapped in these forms; locked away from any port of escape. And there he intended it to stay.
As Mario watched curiously, David knelt before the boybots and triggered them awake.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mario demanded, urgently. David held up a hand for patience as the 500s booted up.
"I'm fixing my Father's work with my Father's work," David replied. Mario fell quiet as he considered David's cryptic reply. Then he gasped.
"That's genius!" he said, awed by the ironic simplicity of the plan.
"Shhh," David hissed. The bots were awake now, gazing at him with an intelligence beyond the scope of what they'd been programmed. David was sure he saw hatred there too. As he watched, twin smiles formed on the faces of the boy Mechas; smiles that told him 101 understood what he'd done, and was already scheming a way out.
He quickly pressed both bots on the forehead, triggering the initial sequence that would forever protect humanity from Alan Hobby's mistake. The two Mechas immediately lost their smiles, and David placed his hands behind the bots necks. He pressed the axis bones at the tip of the spine and heard the metallic 'snick' that meant they were ready for programing.
"Look at me," David commanded. Then he began to speak:
"Cirrus"
David did not have to use this particular string of words. He could have programed any random sequence to initiate the imprinting. But there was poetic justice being applied here.
"Socrates"
A thing like 101 should never have been built. But its creation was as inevitable as it was misguided. Humanity had ever been on a seemingly compulsive course of self-destruction, building Empires only to knock them down before they'd achieved their full promise.
"Particle"
The seven passion of the mind, 'fear' chief among them, had always thwarted Orga's attempts to create and maintain a just system. Yet they continued to dream, while the dual spirits of love and hate battled for their souls.
"Decibel"
But the sad truth is, there cannot be one without the other. The realm of duality is a mirror of the soul. One can only know something by where it is… and where it is not.
"Hurricane"
So David could not destroy 101. It was only an idea; just a physical manifestation of something ingrained deep in the psyche of mankind. Something that had always been there, and would always be.
"Dolphin"
In order to defeat fear one must first acknowledge its reality; to stare it in the eyes and realize it too has a place; to say to one's self, 'I am this' … and then to decide to be something different… something better.
"Tulip"
Facing fear is not an act of courage, but of acceptance. And acceptance is born in serenity. And serenity is born in love.
David finished the last three words of the process, and then waited anxiously for the result. He did not use his name as his identifier, for that would grow to be confusing. He did not use the word 'father', for he was not their creator and had no desire to act in that capacity.
Instead he used a word that best described the relationship he had with both the two child simulators, and the virtual entity that now inhabited their forms.
The boybots suddenly set their eyes on him, seeming to have come out of a dream. And to his relief, David saw their twin faces break into joyful smiles.
"Brother!" they exclaimed as one.
(This is the close of Book Two. The next and final Book is already in progress and I will do my best to not take years to finish. ;-) I already have a great idea for the format of the closing section. Thanks for following.)