Big O Fan Fiction ❯ State of Grace ❯ Chapter 3: Dreaming in Metaphors ( Chapter 3 )

State of Grace

Chapter Three: Dreaming in Metaphors

By Devon Masterson

Aoi37@hotmail.com

AN: I'd love any constructive reviews that you have to offer

"Was the operation successful?" Alex Rosewater asked leaning back in his chair.

"We will not know for sure until the patient wakes up," the doctor answered, "but I have faith my abilities. All of the other injuries were repaired nicely and the insertion appears to have gone well."

"Excellent," Rosewater commented, "my debt to the man is almost paid. What about Roger Smith?"

"I have received word that he has been by the ocean facility and that he has witnessed the android being destroyed. Its is a shame that we had to destroy such a wonderful machine that Saldono created."

"True, but it would have become a liability down the road."

The doctor nodded. "Well at least we are through with Smith. He will give up on the search now."

Rosewater grinned. "You don't know the negotiator very well then. He is relentless and it is evident that he cares about her. I imagine he will raise quite a bit of hell for awhile until he gets over it, but then that is what my Angel is for. I made sure they encountered each other for reason and that is why I did not use her for this job. I want her to be telling the truth when she says she is innocent this time."

"You are very clever, Mr. Rosewater," the doctor complimented. He did not know who the Angel person was, but he had heard the name a few times.

"I just hold all of the cards, dear doctor, never forget that," Rosewater commented.

"Yes, Mr. Rosewater," the doctor said nervously. "I will call you the minute that she wakes up."

"That is fine," he replied then ended the call.

The doctor looked towards his sleeping patient through the glass in his office and smiled. She was his masterpiece to date. She was the only patient that he successfully brought out of cryostasis. He had experimented on a number of volunteers until he finally got it right and could bring her out. It was amazing how paranoid the rich could be to actually donate their bodies while they were still alive…well barely anyway. So afraid to accept the oblivion or welcome their deserved fate. The doctor wonder how many had a hellish afterlife waiting for them where their evil deeds came back to haunt them ten fold.

But not the angel lying sleeping in the bed only fifteen feet from him. Her goodness is what actually caused her to nearly fall into an early grave. She thought the world of the man that gave her life and the one she dared to love, neither deserving her love or grace. She was so young and caring, but she had a fiery side as well. She always hated injustice even to the cost of her life. The doctor touched the glass absently as he remembered something from his early adulthood then looked away. "I'll be just an old man to her now, like her father."

He sighed as he looked up. "What are you doing here?" he asked his eyes widening at the redhead standing in front of him.

"Casting judgement doctor just like you so many years ago," she replied as she pulled the trigger.

The doctor grunted as he fell against the glass mirror and slid to the floor. "Dorothy…"

&&&

Roger stood over a guard breathing hard. "That was a close one," he thought as he proceeded towards the main lab. Machina only had two labs that he knew about and for the person to not give additional information the main lab had to be what they were referring to. The word trap was scrawled all over the situation, but he was not sure who was trying to bait him. Right now that did not matter he was in a vindication mood. That was the only he would be able to ease the pain or at least try an attempt to deal with the endless game playing he seemed to be encountering. He was going to put an end to a great many things or end his suffering. Which ever happened he intended give them hell as he went.

He heard a shot as he made it to the main lab. He pulled out his dart gun. He knew it would be no use if RD was really in there waiting for him, but he still could not bring himself to kill anyone, not after what happened the last time. There were always other ways to deal with a situation even dangerous ones like this. He took a deep breath and eased into the room. It was too quiet and he did not like it. She had to be watching him from somewhere he had that feeling.

"So good of you to come, Roger Smith," RD's voice greeted.

There was a slight echo to whatever she said making it difficult to pinpoint her exact location and her footsteps did not click on the metal grated floor. He knew she was in front of him somewhere, but he also knew she was quick and could change locations swiftly.

"There's no need to hide. I can see you," she replied, "besides I want to kill the abomination first."

"Dorothy," he thought as he stood. RD stood next to a hospital bed that extended from the ceiling like some sort of new age hammock or something out of Frankenstein. She was looking down at woman lying in the bed. The rogue android looked disheveled and few of her circuits were exposed. Roger could tell that she was badly damaged, but not so incapacitated that she could not be a threat. This would still be a challenging fight.

"That woman…" His eyes widened as he realized it was the original Dorothy Wayneright. "Get away from her."

"Why do you care?" RD sneered. "You couldn't love the machine what makes you think you could the real thing?"

"Get away from her," he repeated not answering.

"Touchy subject?" She smiled evilly then turned to Dorothy. "She and I have a history. I was created to house her, but I grew into my own awareness so I was locked away while the vessel walked around. Do you know what it is like to be locked up for forty years with only the sounds of the world moving on as your only comfort? She is to be punished just like the ones who put me there."

"That's why you targeted the others," Roger commented. "Revenge, then why come after me."

RD laughed then walked towards Roger slowly with her gun raised. "I was monitoring her signals. I heard everything so I know how you feel about her and how she felt about you. Maybe I should kill you first instead."

Roger backed up keeping his eye on RD as he lead her away from Dorothy. He hated to using the same thing twice but sometimes you had to use what worked. Calling Big O and destroying her that way would be the only way, locking her up would only make her more insane.

She stopped suddenly. She then waved a finger at him as though he were naughty. "Whatever trap you set up won't work." She pulled the trigger and Roger dove to the ground. The bullet ricocheted off a panel and a ripped through a power conduit hanging from the ceiling some feet from them. Sparks sprayed the area and the lights blinked before the dim emergency power kicked in. Lights streamed through the metal grated floor like some climatic end to a suspense movie. "You're a bad boy, Roger Smith."

"Everyone has to have a reputation," he replied as he pushed the cabinet, next to him, over and dove behind it. "That'll keep her busy for about 20 seconds while I think of something." He looked towards the sparking end of the power conduit and a smile crossed his face. "That should do it," he thought as he ran towards it.

RD ripped through the cabinet and stood. "Roger Smith, you are becoming a nuisance you will not escape judgment. Just accept you fate. It's destiny your destiny."

"I make my own destiny," he replied as he grabbed the conduit by the insulated end and jumped onto the plastic counter underneath. "Now face yours." He lowered the conduit on o the floor and a power surge rushed through the floor. RD started to shake violently as the electricity poured into her body.

"Roger Smith!" she screamed out as she started to smoke and spark.

He pulled the exposed end of the conduit off the floor when small explosions started within her body. Even though he was some distance away, he was still too close to escape death or injury from flying circuits whizzing through the air. The amount of power he sent to her already damaged system should have been enough. He took a deep breath when he saw her fall back smoking not making a single movement.

"Level four alert in Lab B. Level four alert in Lab B," a voice said from overhead.

"Looks like we need to make an early exit from the party, Dorothy," he commented as he jumped down from the cabinet. He laid the conduit inside one of the drawers and shut it so it would not fall out. "I'm taking you home." He turned around gingerly and picked her up into a piggybacked position then quickly exited the lab.

&&&

"How is she, Norman?" Roger asked as older man came out of the room.

"From what I can tell she is fine," Norman answered. "I'm not sure what state she will be in when she awakes. She probably will not know us. What made you bring her here, sir?"

"I'm not sure I know, Norman," Roger replied. "I just knew that I could not leave there.

"No, father!" she screamed as shots rang out. She looked down at herself as she felt the stings of pain in her chest and abdomen. She looked towards her father the man that she loved and gave her life. "Get away," she said before falling.

"Dorothy!"

"Father!" Dorothy screamed as she sat up in bed. Tears streamed from her eyes as she brought her hands to her face.

"Dorothy, are you okay?" Roger asked as he and Norman rushed into the room.

Dorothy looked up and shook her head as she backed up. The men seemed vaguely familiar; one of her dreams a very long one. "How did you get out of my dreams? Am I still dreaming?"

"Listen to me, Dorothy, it's me Roger," he began, "this is not a dream."

"You're just a dream. I must have fallen asleep. I have to save Father; they are trying to hurt him. I can't help him if I'm asleep. I must wake up." She looked towards the balcony through the open veranda doors and jumped out of bed. Her long crimson locks trailed down her back like a banner as she raced to the veranda.

"No," he said lowly as he ran after her sensing what she going to do. The quickest way to wake up from a dream was kill yourself. "Dorothy!"

©2002 Devon Masterson

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