Paradise of Lead Trilogy

by Mackenzie Morris

  Isidore silently obeys.

  What could Clara say to incriminate Isidore? Enough. Even sleeping with Isidore is punishable by execution. Now they have a child together. Not to mention the work she's been doing with Clark. Does Isidore even know about all of that? "Has Clara talked to you about her assignment?"

  "Yes. She told me last night."

  "You two were together last night?"

  Isidore blushes.

  "Ah. I see. So you trust her?"

  "I do trust her. She is doing all she can to undermine Damien and Clark. Think of her as a double agent."

  "Good. I'm glad you understand that. I was so worried you would hate her and not let her explain. She has never been against you."

  "I see that now." Isidore says. "She still loves me."

  "I know she does. She wouldn't have kept your baby if she didn't. You slept with her, didn't you? Last night?" Blice asks.

  He blushes again and hides his face in his hands. "Maybe."

  "There's nothing to be ashamed of. She's your wife." Blice goes to the cabinet and finds some bottles of water. "Thirsty?"

  "No. I'm scared."

  "Don't be scared."

  "We're losing, aren't we?" Isidore asks.

  "You're still alive, so I think we're doing better than we could be."

  When the door opens and Damien steps inside, Isidore's demeanor completely changes. "What are you doing in here?"

  Damien smiles and pulls up a chair at the long conference table. "Just checking on my favorite little robot."

  Isidore leans forward. "Where is my daughter?"

  "She's fine. I wouldn't stoop that low and hurt a little girl, would I?"

  "I swear if you touched one hair on her head, I will skin you alive."

  "Threats won't help your attempts of proving humanity, Isidore." Damien says.

  "I don't give a damn." Isidore hits his fist on the table. "As a father, my number one priority is the safety of my daughter. I will do whatever I have to do in order to make sure she is safe. Now tell me where she is."

  "She's with Byron."

  Isidore seems content with that. Blice, not so much. "Where's Byron?"

  "I don't answer to you. I suggest you two focus less on that abomination and more on the case before I ensnare you in a beautifully constructed trap again."

  "Why are you doing this?" Blice asks as he opens his bottle of water. "You know that Isidore didn't kill those people. Why don't you focus your energy on finding out who did instead of trying to send an innocent man to his death? What will you gain if he dies?"

  "Is that all you think I'm trying to accomplish here? No. I'm going after Clara and the baby as well. They all have to die before something terrible happens. Humans have to band together against the common threat."

  "I'm not a threat!" Isidore yells at him.

  "Androids are a threat. T.I.M.E.s are a threat. You, sir, are both. And I simply can't sit back and let you threaten the security of the world. My plans for W.A.N.D. will continue whether you want them to or not. Now that I have the other androids, surely one of them will be able to take your place and accept the computer hardware necessary to function. Losing you, an outdated model, won't have any impact whatsoever."

  "I thought you were my friend."

  "Oh, Isidore. Not this again. I already told you that humans and computers can't be friends." Damien looks at his watch. "Well, we should get back out there so I can call my next witness. I'm sure your wife has much to say about you."

  * * *

  Blice is about ready to shoot everyone in this room and get it over with. It's not worth it anymore. Damien and Clark are going to drag this out and make a spectacle of it just for the hell of it. He looks at Clara who is more composed now than she was. Isidore isn't. He's slowly falling apart and it's killing Blice to see him this way. Now's not the time to lose his cool, though. He turns his attention back to the trial.

  Clark leans on his cane as he addresses Clara. "Hello, Ms. Lifestone."

  "Hello, Inquisitor Clark."

  "Before we begin, what is your function in the Inquisition?"

  "I am a document examiner and T.I.M.E. genetic researcher." Clara says.

  "Wonderful. Would you consider yourself to be knowledgeable about the genetics of humans?"

  "To a point, yes."

  "Do you often work with computers and genetic engineering in conjunction with each other?" Clark asks.

  "I do. That's part of my job. I focus on T.I.M.E. technology."

  "You are involved sexually with Mr. Williams. Is that correct?"

  Clara gives a little gasp then closes her eyes. "Yes."

  "You have given birth to his child?"

  "Yes."

  "You were aware that he was not human at the time you slept with him?" Clark asks.

  "Define human, Inquisitor Clark."

  "Inquisitor Lifestone, you are a woman of science and a fellow inquisitor. Your grandfather was a T.I.M.E. and you are a T.I.M.E. as well. Is that correct?"

  "That is correct."

  "Would you classify yourself as human?"

  "Yes." Clara says.

  "Because you were human before you had a microchip installed?"

  "That's one reason."

  "What if a robot looks like a human but has no parents because the DNA was fabricated and altered with radiation then grown in a gestation tube in a laboratory?"

  Clara looks over at Blice. "I don't understand the question."

  "Do you believe that humans are born with a purpose?"

  "Sure."

  "Were you born, Ms. Lifestone?" Clark asks.

  "Yes."

  "Do you consider yourself to be human?"

  "I do."

  "What about me?"

  "Yes. You are human." Clara says.

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "We can analyze your DNA and trace it back to human parents."

  "So DNA is what inevitably makes a human human?" Clark asks.

  "Um . . . yes."

  "Are you aware that Mr. William's DNA is different from human DNA?"

  "Yes."

  "Since DNA is what makes someone human, if that being does not have human DNA, they cannot be human."

  The look on Clara's face reveals her panic. She knows she messed up. There's no going back now.

  "Mr. Williams does not have human DNA so he cannot be human. Thank you, Ms. Lifestone. That is all. The prosecution rests, Your Honor."

  Shit. Blice slams his face on the desk. Strike three. There's no way he can make up for this massacre. That's what it is. They are being slaughtered.

  The judge stands and addresses the room. "We will return to the courtroom in three hours. I understand that there is a plea bargain in the process. I expect an answer once we return."

  Plea bargain? Why hasn't Blice heard anything about this until now? Damien motions for him so he follows him and Clark into a side room as Isidore is escorted back out of the courtroom.

  "What's this about a plea deal?" Blice asks as he sits across from Clark and Damien.

  "We will allow Isidore to live if he takes responsibility for the crimes then undergoes some . . . alterations." Clark says.

  This doesn't sound good. "Alterations? What kind of alterations?"

  "Emasculation."

  "What? That's a little harsh, isn't it? What about a vasectomy?"

  "No. We can't take chances." Damien says.

  "So it will be done in a hospital or something?"

  "In the courtyard. No anesthesia."

  God, these people are sadistic. It wouldn't be the court of the Unified State if someone wasn't bleeding. "Oh. I see. So you want to torture him. That's what this is really about."

  "That's better than death." Clark says coldly.

  "Is it? You are all horrible people."

  "Talk to Isidore and let him decide." Clark says. "See how he feels about it."

  What did he just say? Blice's eyes narrow. "Why would I ask him? If he's just a
n android who can't feel, why should it matter? You do know that he's alive and has a say in his future."

  Damien flips through some more papers. "We didn't say that."

  "Fine. I'll talk to him."

  * * *

  Blice steps into the Oval Office where Isidore is watching the news about the trial with his jacket off and looking like nothing has happened. "Niko, I need to talk to you about something."

  "What's up?"

  "If you go through with this and they find you guilty, you will be executed. Damien has put up a plea bargain. If you take it, you will more than likely live, but it won't be pretty."

  "What is it?" Isidore asks.

  "They want to unman you."

  Isidore laughs and pours himself a cup of coffee. "Really?"

  "Why is this funny to you?"

  "Because it is. If I didn't laugh at it, I would be panicking and losing my mind. Let them do what they want."

  "It would be in front of everyone with no anesthesia."

  Isidore laughs again as he drops a few cubes of sugar into his cup. "Nice."

  Well, this certainly isn't how Blice thought this conversation would go. "It would be incredibly painful. You understand that, don't you?"

  "Sure. Sounds painful." He giggles.

  "Are you okay? Normally a man would cringe at the thought."

  He sips his coffee. "I'm fine. We should have someone bring us some lunch. I'm thinking meatball subs."

  "Now you're just being crude."

  "What? Me? Where would I have ever learned to joke around like that?"

  "Why is this not bothering you more than it is?" Blice asks. He sits down and swallows some select pills from his pocket.

  "Who said it wasn't bothering me?" Isidore leans back in the chair and turns the volume of the television up.

  "Usually when faced with death or castration, people would be freaking out."

  "I have no reason to freak out, Blice. If it's going to happen, then it's going to happen. What good does it do me to worry about it right now? Don't we have more to discuss before we go back into that courtroom?"

  "Are you going to accept the plea deal or not?" Blice asks.

  Isidore puts his feet up on the table and holds out his arms to the ceiling. "A great man once said, 'There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear.' I will acknowledge my fears, but I will not let them devour me. I will stand strong in the face of my adversaries and fight for what I know is right. I will never back down from protecting my daughter. This is all for her and the hope that something will change and she will be able to grow up in a world that won't automatically deny her happiness because of me."

  "I never thought you would quote General George S. Patton."

  "Why? Because I'm not very confrontational? 'Better to fight for something than live for nothing.'"

  "You like him, don't you?" Blice asks.

  "I just think it's very fitting at this point. But in all honesty, I'm starving."

  "What do you want me to tell the judge?"

  "I want you to tell them this exactly as I say it: I'm keeping my manhood and I'll screw all of them while I still can."

  Blice shakes his head and looks out the window at the reporters who are buzzing around the entrance to the building. "I don't have any witnesses."

  "Nothing?"

  "Nope. I can't offer a defense without witnesses or evidence. I attempted to get my brother to help you out, but he declined. He said his loyalties will always be with his partner. Byron won't go against Damien, no matter how bad it gets. The only other person I can think of is Clara, but what could she say now to change things? Besides, I don't want to have her safety in jeopardy if Clark finds out that she is actually working for us."

  "Then what happens now?" Isidore asks.

  "If you don't accept the plea deal, then I tell the judge that we have no defense and then it's in the hands of the jury. They'll deliberate, hopefully, and we'll wait for the verdict. It's entirely up to you, but I don't want to watch you die."

  "I would rather die than give them the satisfaction of my surrender. We will lose this battle, but I will die knowing I fought until the end."

  "Okay. We'll do that, then. We'll fight." Blice says.

  After a few minutes of silence, Isidore finishes his coffee. "Call Damien to the stand."

  "What? Why?"

  "Will the court let me question him?" Isidore asks.

  "No."

  "Never mind then."

  What does he know? "No, tell me. What are you trying to do?"

  "Apples."

  Blice puts down his coffee and looks at his friend. "Apples?"

  "I didn't steal those apples, but I took the blame for you so you could go on living the life you wanted."

  "Niko . . ."

  "I have all the evidence I need to prove my innocence, but I want to be the one to reveal it. If you do it, you will be exiled or worse. I can't let that happen."

  Blice drops to his knees in front of Isidore and grabs his arms. "Tell me. I don't care about being president. I'll live in the wasteland. If I have you, everything will be okay. You can't sacrifice yourself for me."

  He looks out into the hazy blue sky. "I already have. You were my executioner. You could have stood up to your father, but you didn't. What's the difference now?"

  "You have a child." Blice says, almost begging. "You're a father, Niko. That baby needs you in her life."

  "I'm not doing it. Clara can take care of her. At least then Katarina will grow up knowing that her father loved her so much that he gave his life for her."

  Blice shakes him. "You don't have to be a martyr. You have given me so much. Let me take a hit for you this time. I owe you more than that."

  "Then you shouldn't have programmed me to protect you at all costs."

  12

  Once everyone is back in the courtroom, the judge takes his place. "Have you accepted the plea deal?"

  "No." Isidore says.

  The judge clasps his hands and looks at Isidore. "I don't normally do this, but I strongly suggest you accept the deal."

  "I don't accept and I never will."

  "Very well. Defense, do you have any witnesses or evidence to present?"

  Blice looks to Isidore. Come on, Niko. Don't let them do this to you. When Isidore remains silent, Blice knows it's over. "No, Your Honor."

  "We will move on to closing arguments, then." The judge says. "Mr. Montgomery?"

  "I don't think that will be necessary, Your Honor." Damien says.

  "President McSage?"

  Blice starts to speak, but stops when something hits against his hand. Isidore's notebook. He picks it up and glances over it. "Are you sure?"

  Isidore nods his head.

  "Okay." Blice goes up in front of the jury and holds up the notebook. "This is a statement from Mr. Williams, directed not only at the jury, but at everyone who is watching this trial right now." He clears his throat and begins reading the familiar curly handwriting he knows so well. "People of the Unified State, thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to live. You have never been accepting of me for many reasons, reasons I will never understand. I don't understand them, not because I am just some computer who wasn't programmed to understand, but because the actions you claim to be so human are instead monstrous and evil. I am a father, a husband, and a man. I've never claimed to be better than anyone else. I cry like you, I bleed like you, and I pray like you. What does an android pray for? To be loved." Blice takes a breath and feels a tear fall down his cheek before continuing. "All of my life, I have wanted nothing more than to be loved. I sought acceptance from people like you, only to have that love stripped away and burned as if it was never important. Do I not deserve love? When I was a boy, I tried to make friends, but those friends abused me. I tried to befriend my teacher, but she was killed. Just when I was hopeless and at my lowest, I was given to Blice. He made my life worth living. Without my owner, I truly would b
e just some mindless robot. I found love in him and I thank him with what are probably my last written words. If humanity deems me unfit to live and serve my owner, then I deserve to die. If I have done something so terrible to break the bond I have with Blice, then I should have been killed long ago. My final wish is for no one to hold him responsible for anything that has happened. He is great man. He deserves to be president. Place all guilt on me instead. Let that animosity and hatred die with me. Then your Paradise won't be marred by a creature like me."

  The room is frozen. No one moves or makes a sound as Blice closes the notebook and sits down next to the greatest man he has ever known. He can't even look at him.

  The judge stands and delivers instructions to the jury then dismisses them for deliberation.

  As the courtroom resumes its normal buzzing and bustle, Blice feels cold. He is cold and disconnected from the reality around him. Is this what Isidore feels when no amount of heat can warm him? From here, it's in God's hands. Can God send a miracle for the soul of an android?

  * * *

  Blice stares up at the ceiling in his bedroom with the television off. He doesn't want to hear it. He wants nothing to do with this trial ever again. It's been four hours. That's four hours longer than what he thought it would take them to reach a verdict. Apparently something that was said or not said struck something somewhere. What? He has no way of knowing.

  Isidore is still asleep, curled up next to Blice under every blanket they could find. As Blice feels his friend's shallow breathing, he can't even imagine losing him. If the court hadn't tampered with the slave collar to explode if Isidore leaves the city, Blice would tell him to run. If Isidore is killed and shuts down, there is no bringing him back this time. The hospitals won't operate, of course. Even Clara's regeneration magic won't be enough, especially after they burn his body.

  "Blice?"

  He looks down at the large blue eyes of his dearest friend. "What is it, Niko?"

  "Don't cry."

  Blice dries his eyes. "Oh, buddy. Sorry. I didn't want you to see that."

  "Can you go get Clara?"

  He's not wanting to say goodbye yet, is he? He is. It's time for them to make amends and forgive everything that has been going wrong between them. "Sure. I'll give you some time alone."