Big O Fan Fiction ❯ State of Grace ❯ Chapter 2: Prayer for the Dying ( Chapter 2 )

State of Grace

Chapter Two: Prayer for the Dying

By Devon Masterson

"Are you all right, Master Roger?" Norman asked as he helped Roger up.

"I'm fine," he answered. "Where's Dorothy?"

"She's no where in sight. I think they might have taken her," he replied.

"I'm going to find her," he declared. "She was deactivated when they were carrying her away. Who knows what they might do to her?"

"I'm glad your so concerned about my welfare," Angel replied sarcastically as entered the room. She leaned against the door for support as she held her the back of her neck. The attackers managed to whack her pretty hard and her head was throbbing.

"Where did they take her?" he asked rushing towards her.

"I had nothing to do with this," she replied. "I only came over to see how you were. We can not have Paradigm's greatest negotiator out of commission."

"And sleeping with me was part of the thorough exam," he snapped. He hated it when he was used, but then he knew some how it would have ended up there. "Tell Rosewater that I am alive and kicking."

Angel opened her mouth to say something then changed her mind. She straightened then turned on her heel. "I didn't use you," she said as she walked away.

Roger turned towards Norman. "I'm going to find some answers," Roger said as he left the room. "I am not going to let things ends like this," he thought, as he quickly dressed then sped off in the Griffin. Time was of the essence if he were going to find Dorothy.

A sinking feeling settled over him as he darted through the streets toward the downtown section. The best information always came from that part of town. He finally made it to the usual place and waded through the crowd. His contact sat as usual drinking a scotch on the rocks.

"You seem to be in a hurry," Big Ear remarked as he looked at his paper.

"I am," he replied testily, "my house was broken into and my friend kidnapped. I want to know why."

"Interesting," Big Ear commented. "The word on the street is that Machina is interested in your android friend. Not much is known but I believe that they want to do experiments on her. She is a highly advanced model, one with a distinctive personality, emotions, and quite lifelike. Yes, I am sure there are a great many that would pay handsomely to have her spirited away from you."

Roger clinched his fist absently. "I am slightly familiar with Machina's complex but what about their covert place of business?"

"They have an underground facility in the outskirts of the domes near the ocean front. I would be careful."

"I'll make a note of that," he replied as he placed a wad of bills on the table and walked away. Big Ear placed his newspaper on top of the payment as usual then continued to sip his drink

&&&

"Let's see what we have here," a technician commented as he removed the panel in Dorothy's headband.

"There is a switch to release top of the head to the right," another technician replied looking over a set of blueprints. "We need to get the androids higher functions and remove all of the memory circuits."

"This is entirely too much trouble for a client," he replied as he hit the switch he was looking for.

"Not for the money we will be getting," she remarked as she lifted a tray and placed it near him. "Our client paid us three times what were asking as down payment and we get more on delivery."

"You have a good point, Rachel," he smirked, "maybe you should have been a negotiator."

She chuckled. "Thanks for the compliment, Charles, but cybernetics is more my specialty. Besides, I'd hate to go up against Roger Smith."

"I know what you mean," he agreed. "We'll be done with the android by the time he finds his way here then he can have her."

Rachel shook her head. "The higher ups have ordered that we destroy this unit and all the blue prints associated with it once we're done with the harvest. These are the only copies that exist as it is. You and I are the only ones with access to them so if something happens it's our lives."

"Hmphf, I'm sure they would have no problem wasting us either."

"Knowing them, death would be the least of our worries," Rachel remarked as they put their contents on the tray. She looked at her watch. "We need to hurry. Roger Smith is not to be underestimated and we have been warned that he would make an appearance here. The sooner we get the harvest done, destroy her, and get out of here the better."

"Amen to that," he replied as he put the last of circuits to be harvested. He looked down at the silent shell of metal. "She's nothing without these anyway, just a standard machine."

"Well it won't be our problem much longer," she said casually. "I'm going to prep and send these."

Charles nodded. "And I'll finish up here," he added as she left the room. There were several loose ends he had to tie up. He picked up the blue prints sometime later and held the clear plastic. For a few moments he thought about keeping them for his benefit then he thought about what happened to the others the defied Machina. "It's not worth it." He placed the blue prints in a small tray of sulfuric acid where it dissolved almost immediately then looked towards the lifeless mass on the table. "You are definitely lovely. It's a shame I'm going to have to destroy you."

"Move away from her," Roger commanded from behind him.

"Look, buddy, I'm just doing my job," Charles argued. He felt sorry for the guy, but there were two things in the world that one could not over come and that was will of Machina and Alex Rosewater. He did not know why, but their sights were set on the android's higher function circuits and no one would stop them, including the obviously revered Roger Smith. "The deal is already done and she has been paid for."

"Dorothy is not a commodity that can be bought and sold," Roger replied angrily. "I will not tell you again."

Charles did not budge from his spot. His eyes were focused on the reflection of Roger on the glass cabinet in front of him. "What are you going to do shoot me?"

"I make it a policy to never carry a gun," he answered then raised a hang gun to Charles's back, "but I will make an exception."

"It's my life regardless and his quick vengeful way is better than their torture." Charles pushed a button near his hand, just as Roger fired a tranquilizer dart into the side of his shoulder. His face cringed in pain and relief as he realized what had happened then he fell forward onto Dorothy.

Roger's eyes widened as a panel in the floor and the table tilted in a vertical position. He rushed forward and pulled the slumped over man away so he could get to Dorothy, but he was not fast enough. He reached out for her as she slid down the chute. "Dorothy," he called as he dove onto the floor and grabbed her by the hair. Crimson locks intertwined with his fingers for a few moments before the natural force of gravity had its way. "No," he yelled as he watched her body fall into the darkness.

"She's not the same," Charles mumbled as he slipped further into unconsciousness.

"Where does the chute lead?" he asked angrily as he grabbed Charles by the lab coat. He wanted to throttle the man and would have if he had the time. The number one objective was saving Dorothy from whatever fate the Paradigm higher ups decided for her.

"Not the same."

Roger slapped him a few times in an effort to increase his coherence. "Where does this chute lead?" he asked again.

"Incinerator," he replied before he lost consciousness.

"Dorothy!" he exclaimed dropping the technician and running down the hall. He had been so careful upon entering so as not to encounter anyone and keep the element of surprise, but he abandoned the idea as he rush to the lower levels. He actually in some way welcomed a fight; he would feel better that way. Something in the back of his mind told him that he would be too late and he needed to distract himself from his thoughts. "The hall is completely empty of personnel. They knew I would show up," he thought as he continued on.

His mind started to play back to six hours ago when they were on the balcony together and the actual look of hurt that passed her features. He always wanted her to be more human and she never obliged him except in sarcasm. Unrequited love was not what he wanted to inspire with in her in his attempts to make her more humane. He did not know why he bothered, but her behavior always annoyed him. It was more than just how she treated him.

"Human beings are complicated. You don't know whether you love or not..."

"Are you jealous?"

"Yes," she replied. "I do have feelings, maybe not as many as you do but I do have them. I love you, Roger, and I'm jealous that I can't express my feelings to you like her."

He pushed open a large set of doors then stopped short for a second as he finally reached his destination. The incinerator room was dark and reeked of must and heat. The only light was that of the hot coals that kept it raging. On the ceiling was a system of chutes that joined into one large chute and eventually to the incinerator itself. He rushed over to it and looked into an operator's view window. Roger's eyes widened as he saw Dorothy's body burning amongst the trash.

"NO!" he banged on the glass. He then turned away. "Shit!" he screamed out as he fell to his knees. He did not know how to deal with this. It had been quite sometime since he lost someone important and even then it was only vaguely that he remembered. For the longest he had known it had been Norman and him, then Dorothy came into his life and exited just as quickly as she came. He wanted vengeance and he would have it.

Roger collected himself then looked up towards a security camera that seemed to be focusing on him. "You will be hearing from me soon," he declared as he exited.

Within minutes he was in the abandoned warehouse where he stashed the Griffin. His eyes narrowed as he saw the body's of a few Machina operatives across his car and writing scrawled all over his windshield. "Come to the lab and both you and the abomination will be judged," he read. He growled as he pushed the bodies off the car. He already knew who had sent him the message because it was concluded with, "Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty."

©2002 Devon Masterson

My fic, someone else's main characters. Any questions?