Blice crosses his arms and leans back in the chair. "So what? Do I retrain him to be friendly?"
"It's not that simple. He is far beyond simply changing or relearning. Isidore's obedience level is at zero. He has completely dismissed any ideas of submitting to you. Trying to kill you is proof of that. You have to do the only thing you can do to train him again."
"What's that?"
"You have to beat him down, humiliate him, and dominate him. You have to break him. When he's at his lowest, then you can extend mercy and love to him. Build him back up the right way, heal his wounds, and show him how to be human. Only then will his engrained behaviors be fixed."
"I have to hurt him?" Blice asks.
"You have to punish him and dominate him more than you ever have before. He has to lose his newfound arrogance."
"Isn't there another way? Can't we reset him or something?"
"No." Clara says. "We can't reboot him now that he has control. That was the single stupidest thing you could have done. I know there was no other way to save his life, but that only served to fuel the fire. This is the only way to do this because it's the way he was trained for the first twelve years of his life. I don't like it either. I can't stand the thought of my husband in that much pain."
"How will I know when I've done enough?"
"When Isidore can't breathe, think, or live without your permission, then he is ready to be retrained."
Blice looks down at his hands. "I really don't want to do this. I have been trying to never hurt him again."
"I know, but it can't be helped. Now get your whip and go train your android."
* * *
Clara and Byron listen uncomfortably to the shouting and yelling from down the hall as Blice and Isidore utilize every insult they can think of to hurl at each other. When Isidore begins to cry out in pain, Clara hides her face in her hands. This is awful. Every time her husband screams, she tears at her hair and wishes she was anywhere else. They've been at it for an hour already.
"How long do you think this will take?" Byron asks as he watches the news on the television.
"With how stubborn Isidore has become, there's no telling."
"Tell me something. Why are you condoning this?"
Clara sighs. It's not that she's condoning it. She hates it. It's the only way. "From all of my research and work with T.I.M.E.s, I know that this is the only way to make him better."
"So you support the Android Laws?"
"One hundred percent. Isidore needs that slave collar and Blice will have to use it. We have made a terrible mistake by regarding Isidore as a human. He's not. That's become all too obvious. I was blinded by love."
"Do you regret marrying him?"
What does she feel right now? That's a very good question. She should have known better than to become so romantically involved with an object. That's what Isidore truly is . . . not human. He feels what he has been trained to feel. Does he even genuinely love her? Clara looks down at the ring on her finger. Married to an android. She could have accepted Blice's advances and been happy with a real man. With how similar him and Isidore are becoming, she wonders if her attraction to Isidore was actually an attraction to Blice. Getting a divorce from an android wouldn't be difficult, especially since the marriage isn't legally binding.
"Clara, I'm here if you need to talk. I've never been married, but I have been in love and maybe I can offer some advice."
"You're sweet, Byron. I . . . I think I'm going to leave him."
"He loves you."
"Does he?" Clara asks. "It's all a lie. Don't you see that? If he loved me as a human man would love me, he wouldn't hurt me or put a gun to my head."
"I can't tell you what to do, but I will tell you to not rush into anything."
"You don't know what it's like to be caught up in a whirlwind romance of infatuation and lust then you wake up to the horrible reality that the person you married isn't human. Now, I think I might be in trouble. I will know in a few weeks for sure."
"Is it what I think it is?"
"I don't know if it will even survive if I am. Two kinds of DNA? I thought that androids were infertile."
"Have you told him yet?" Byron asks.
"No. I don't even know for sure. It's too early. But I have this feeling. If I am pregnant with his child, I will have an abortion."
Byron frowns. "That's not the answer. You'll regret it."
"Will I? I hate Isidore. I hate him so much and every day it grows. I can't picture my life with him anymore."
"Do you mean that, or are you caught up in your emotions?"
Clara starts to tear up. She can't deal with this right now. Her world is falling apart. "I don't know."
Byron takes her in his arms. "Hey, now. Don't cry. I will help you and Isidore figure this out. If you are pregnant and if you want to have an abortion, let me adopt the baby instead. I will take care of it and love it."
"Why would you do something like that? You don't seem like the father type."
"Leena was pregnant with my child when she died. I was ready to be a father and to have that taken from me was the worst feeling in the world. Leena wanted me to be a father. She believed that I could be a positive force in a child's life. I don't know the first thing about being a parent, but I would love that child."
"We'll talk more once I know for sure."
"Do you hear that? No more screaming."
Blice enters the room in a disheveled state and his eyes are puffy from crying. He grabs a beer from the refrigerator and drinks the entire thing at once.
"How's it going?" Byron asks.
"Not well." Blice tosses the empty can in the trash then wipes the red from his arms.
"Is that blood?" Clara asks.
"Yeah."
Clara groans and rubs her eyes. "I'm getting a headache. Blice, do you have anything I can take?"
He reaches into his pocket and hands her two pills. "Here. Well, I'm going back in there."
Even if she is questioning her marriage, she still cares about Isidore and she has to know if he's okay. "How is he?"
"A wreck. He can't scream anymore because he's so hoarse. I need to get back to him." Blice leaves again.
* * *
Four hours later, Clara wakes up from where she fell asleep sitting at the table when Blice enters the room again. "Are you done, Blice?"
"I think I fixed our problem."
"Can I go see him?" Clara asks as she fixes her hair.
"Sure. Go ahead. Two doors down."
With dread filling her now, she stands and drinks some water before leaving the room. The hallway is quiet. She has to mentally prepare herself for what she's about to see. There is no part of her that wants to see even an android in pain. She takes a deep breath before opening the door.
What's going on? This isn't at all what Clara thought to see in here. Isidore is playing his harmonica while sitting on the window sill overlooking the gardens below. There's not a bruise or a mark on him. Yuri is sitting on his shoulder, his black wings shimmering in the afternoon light. The room looks like nothing has happened.
Clara closes the door behind her and tucks her bangs behind her ears. "Isidore?"
The music stops. He looks up and smiles the same innocent smile that Clara loves so much. "Hey."
"What have you been doing in here with Blice?"
"Talking."
"Talking?"
"We fought and argued and screamed at each other." Isidore says. "Then we both broke down and discussed all the things we should have talked about long ago."
"He didn't hurt you?"
"No."
"We heard you screaming." Clara says.
"Sorry about that. I lost my temper with Blice. I didn't know what else to do so I screamed."
"Blice had blood on his arms."
Isidore holds up his left hand where it is bloody and swollen. "I punched the wall too hard. Anyway, we need to talk. I want a divorce."
Even though Clara
had been considering the idea, it hurts more than she imagined to hear him say it. They haven't even been married one month yet. She goes to her husband and puts her hand on his shoulder as Yuri flies off. "Is that what you want?"
"Not really, but I know you do. Clara, you need to be with Blice. I am so sorry for everything. I'm not the man you need. I will accept responsibility for my actions and face the consequences. I acted like a child . . . an immature, greedy, heartless child. I'm twenty-one and I should be able to control my emotions by now. Blice told me what you wanted him to do to me. I still think he should have, but he didn't want to. He thought that talking with me would solve things. I rebooted myself twice then Yuri helped to calm me down. I understand why Blice gave him to me. He keeps me grounded and under control."
"That's good. So you realize how crazy you've been lately?"
"Yes, and I regret every moment." Isidore says as he kisses the back of Clara's hand. "Before you say anything, no, it wasn't because of some program or my training. It was because I felt hopeless, completely alone and hopeless. I was thinking how worthless I must be to be forced to wear this collar and have people regard me as not a human. The thing is, I realized while talking to Blice, that I don't need to be human. Just because I'm an android computer doesn't mean that I'm less important than someone else. I should view my subservience as a blessing. To be protected and cared for as someone's prized possession is better than being discarded as a mistake. Many humans don't have a life as good as I do. I should live my life at Blice's side and be thankful for what I do have. Blice explained why the Android Laws are important and I agree."
"You do? You're okay with all of that?"
He holds onto her arm and looks into her eyes. "If it means that I get to live my life with the people who love me, then yes. It's worth it. And if you think that I shouldn't know about the alpha code, then so be it. I'm done fighting. I don't want to argue anymore. I want to be happy."
6
Blice washes his face and fixes his hair before going back out into the room where his brother is still watching television. "Thank you for taking care of Clara while I did that."
"No problem." Byron says. "I just want them to fix this. I told her she shouldn't get an abortion, but I don't know if she even cares."
What's going on? "Abortion? What did she tell you?"
"You didn't know either? She's pregnant."
Pregnant? "Tell me it's not Isidore's baby."
"According to Clara, it is. Can they even have a child together? I would have figured that two different kinds of DNA wouldn't be able to reproduce. I don't know how all that works, though."
Niko can't be a father. What has Blice done, letting him sleep with a human woman? If that child is born, it is death for the parents and the child. That is . . . if the child even survives. Blice sits down next to Byron and attempts to rationalize the situation. "They haven't been together for very long at all. Is she sure she's pregnant?"
"She said it's too early to know for sure."
"I hope she's not. We don't need this. If she is, I have to side with her views on this. We can't have a half android baby."
Byron only shakes his head and pours another cup of coffee. "How bad did you hurt Isidore?"
"I didn't. I couldn't. I love him too much to hurt him. We sat down and talked about everything that has happened between us and mended some rifts that had formed. I don't think we'll have any more issues out of him."
The door opens and Clara enters, followed by Isidore who goes to his bed and lies down without a word. Clara crosses her arms and smiles at Blice. "You just can't follow orders, can you?"
Blice grins. "What? Don't approve of my methods? He's my android so I get to choose how to punish him."
"You're a miracle worker."
"Nope. I just know my Niko better than anyone. I promised him that I wouldn't hurt him again and I aim to uphold that promise. Androids don't have to be treated like animals. With all of my authority as president, I will fight those laws and ensure that the new androids are given to responsible, caring owners."
Clara joins them at the table. "That's very admirable of you, Blice. However, we need those laws. You know that."
Isidore ignores them both as he plays with Yuri on his bed. At least he looks happier now and he seems to be back to himself. That's all Blice wants.
"So what was all that about missiles being fired?" Clara asks.
"Someone fired missiles from Eden without authorization from me and did so without leaving anything on the Paradise network or radar to be tracked."
"Who would have the power to do something like that?" Byron asks.
"The president. Only the president. And I can assure you that I had no involvement in this. I spoke with Great Victoria and the Red Republic and things have stabilized for now. I need a beer. Anyone want anything? Niko?"
"No thanks."
Blice picks up his phone and calls for his secretary. "Miss Aveline, please bring me some more beer."
There's only silence.
"Hello? Aveline? Are you there?"
Still nothing.
He tries someone else. "Monroe, can you go check on my secretary?"
Agent Monroe sounds troubled. "Sir, she's dead. I was about to deliver a report to you."
Dead? She was fine yesterday. "How did she die?"
"Throwing knife to the throat. It went all the way through and into the wall behind her."
"Throwing knife?"
"Yes. Know of anyone proficient with those?" Monroe asks. "The knife wasn't left behind so we have no fingerprints."
"Never mind, then. Good God, what is going on around here? Were there any security breaches?"
"No, sir. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing and had level 10 security clearance."
"Only Isidore and I have that and I can assure you that neither of us were involved. Who is investigating this?" Blice asks.
"Outlander Force Chief Investigator Damien Montgomery is the head of this investigation."
Oh hell. "Well, keep me posted and bring in that report when it's finished."
"Yes, sir. Goodbye."
Blice hangs up the phone and looks around the room at the people wanting answers. "My secretary was found dead just a bit ago. She was attacked with a throwing knife. Who does something like that?"
Isidore motions for Blice to come closer.
Blice leans close to his friend. "What is it?"
"There's only one person I know of who is that good with a throwing knife."
"Damien." Blice says.
"Exactly. What could he achieve by killing Aveline?" Isidore asks.
"I don't know. When would he do it?"
"Beats me." Isidore looks over at Byron. "Byron, was Damien with you this morning?"
"Yes. He hasn't left the house."
"This isn't adding up."
"You don't actually think that Damien did this, do you?" Byron asks.
"I have no doubts that he did this. He's behind everything. I can feel it."
* * *
After Byron has left and Clara was called out for assignment, Blice focuses on his friend who has been uncharacteristically silent. All he has done is play with Yuri. Blice hopes that things truly are better now. He sits on the bed next to Isidore. "Hey, buddy. Still thinking about our talk earlier?"
"Not really, I'm more heartbroken than anything."
"Clara?"
He nods his head and watches Yuri crawling on his finger. "She wants to leave me."
"Did she tell you anything else?" Blice asks, careful to not insinuate too much in case he doesn't know. "Anything important that you should tell me?"
"I don't think so."
So he doesn't know yet. Well, Blice isn't going to be the one to tell him. Besides, surely Clara is mistaken. It's better for everyone if he pretends that this problem doesn't exist. They can deal with it later once it's confirmed. Now she wants to leave Isidore? "Did she say why she wants to leave?"
"I was mean to her. She loves you." Isidore says.
"Me? Are you sure?"
"I see how she is around you. I told her to be with you if she isn't happy. I won't stop her from leaving. You can be a better husband for her anyway."
"I wouldn't do that to you, Niko."
Isidore goes and retrieves a can of soda from the fridge. "I just want Clara to be loved and if she doesn't feel safe with me, then she needs to find someone who will protect her. I know I messed up. I honestly don't know if she can forgive me."
Blice can see the pain in Isidore's eyes. "The question you need to ask is if you love her."
"A week ago, I would have sworn I did. I would have proclaimed it to the world and died for that truth. Now I don't know."
"How about you give it some time?" Blice asks. "Clara will be gone for a couple of weeks on her new assignment so you two can have some time apart. If you miss her, then you know that you love her and you can work on mending this relationship."
"Thanks, Blice."
"I'm here for you."
"I know." Isidore finds a bag of potato chips and lies back down on his bed. "Want some? I'm about to eat this entire bag. I'm starving."
Blice laughs. Silly computer. "Go ahead. I'll have someone bring us some food later."
"So what are we going to do while waiting on Clara to get back?" Isidore asks with a mouthful of chips.
"I have a lot of business to take care of. Tensions are deteriorating and if I don't give it the attention it needs, we could be in another war. No one wants that. I had to reschedule the meeting with Prime Minister Leblanc so he will be here on Thursday."
"That's tomorrow, Blice."
"No it's not."
Isidore holds up his watch where the date is displayed.
Blice rolls his eyes. "Great. This isn't what I needed to hear. He wants to talk with you."
"With me? What for?"
"He wouldn't tell me. Said it's a secret. I don't know why, exactly. Be wary around him. Leblanc is crazy."
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