Paradise of Lead Trilogy

  Blice ignores Isidore and continues to drink his coffee while flipping through some paperwork on his desk.

  "Blice?"

  He doesn't look up from his papers.

  "Blice!"

  "If you want to talk to me, you need to address me the right way." Blice says. "Don't yell at me, Niko. I know you're upset, but there's no reason for that."

  Isidore crawls over and sits at Blice's feet. "Owner, please talk to me. Stop ignoring me. I think that I've served you well enough to earn some explanation about this."

  "Nope. Just pretend like it isn't happening."

  Really? He's supposed to just pretend like nothing is wrong? "How dare you? I thought you were my friend, Blice. Well, if you need me, I'll be taking your pills again."

  "Why?"

  "You've taken everything from me. Don't you see that? I have nothing left now."

  Blice puts down his papers and looks down at him. "Let me explain."

  "No, Blice. There's nothing to explain. How long have you been sleeping with her?"

  "It's not like that."

  "Then what is it?" Isidore asks as the tears fill his eyes again. "How can you possibly justify this? Aren't there enough single women in Paradise for you find someone else? Why do you have to marry my wife?"

  "I'm doing this for your daughter so she will be given citizenship and we can go look for her with the help of the police. If I adopt her, then she will be my daughter and have protection from those people who still want to kill her or exile her. If you would rather her grow up in the wasteland, then that's your decision."

  "Why can't you just adopt her? Why marry Clara?"

  "So I can be the father of the unborn baby as well." Blice says.

  "Aren't you already the father?"

  Blice takes his hand. "No, Niko. You're going to have another child."

  "I don't think I am, Blice. Something doesn't seem right about the timing."

  "She hasn't been with anyone else. You know that. Listen, I will never hurt you like this without a reason. I won't sleep with her. You can have her. You two love each other. I don't want to break that up. I want you to be happy, Niko."

  20

  Isidore slams the door to the Jeep and starts the engine without saying a word to Clara who gets in and gathers her hair in a clip then hands him a bottle of water.

  "Baby, don't be mad." Clara says with a smile.

  "How was your little private wedding last night?"

  "You're still upset about this?"

  He glares at her. "No, I'm so happy that my wife married my owner. I see you're actually wearing the ring he gave you."

  "I'm wearing the one you gave me too."

  "Clara, I'm not stupid. It's a fake one that you had made to trick me. You forget I can sense radiation and the real rejuvenation ring gives off the tiniest amount. So don't for one second pretend that you've cared."

  "Do you know why I wear a fake one? It's to protect you."

  "Whatever." He drives up to the main gates where the guards stop him and look at his slave collar.

  "Get out of the vehicle, android." One of the guards says.

  Isidore obeys and remains silent as Blice instructed him.

  One guard pushes him against the side of the Jeep as the other looks him over. "Do you have any bruises or marks on you? You have to show evidence of punishment."

  Oh hell. Isidore looks to Clara for answers, but she only covers her mouth with her hand and gasps. This isn't going to be good.

  "If your owner hasn't been punishing you, then we will be forced to do it." The guard pulls out a club.

  Really? They're serious? Then he remembers. "Lift up my shirt. I have bruises."

  They lift up his shirt and press their fingers into his bruises, making him groan in pain. "Okay. You're free to go."

  Isidore fixes his shirt and gets back in the Jeep then drives as fast as he can out into the desert. He never thought he would be thankful for Leblanc beating him two nights ago. They all forgot about that stupid Android Law. So it wasn't a joke. Next time, Blice will probably have to do it. Isidore isn't looking forward to that, but as his nervousness subsides, it is quickly replaced with anger directed at the woman in the seat next to him.

  "Did Blice do that to you?" Clara asks.

  "Leblanc did."

  "When?"

  "No one told you?" Isidore asks. "I killed two million people because Leblanc tortured me until I couldn't control my defect and he figured out the code to launch the nanobots."

  "I knew about that last part. I wasn't aware that Leblanc did that much."

  "He did more than that, but who cares anyway? I've lived through it before from Blice. I'll heal."

  "Can I help you at all?" Clara asks.

  "You can answer some questions. Did you consummate your marriage?"

  She looks out the window. "I don't have to answer that question."

  "Oh, so you did. Well, I hope you enjoyed it, Mrs. McSage."

  "Stop that. You don't have to mock me. Since when are you so hateful?"

  "You don't want me to answer that." Isidore says as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel.

  "I know Blice explained to you why we had to do that. Is Katarina not worth it?"

  "There were other ways of handling that situation."

  "You'll never understand, Niko." Clara says.

  Isidore slams on the brakes and grabs Clara's arm. "Don't call me that. You don't own me, Clara. No one other than Blice calls me that."

  She pulls away from him. "Get driving, robot."

  It takes every bit of willpower he has to not let his combat enhancement program switch on. He wants to hit her, but he punches the steering wheel and closes his eyes instead.

  "Isidore-"

  "You don't want to talk to me right now." Isidore takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down then starts driving again.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Tell me the truth. Is the baby mine?" Isidore asks.

  "No." Clara huddles up against the door and pulls her coat close around her. "Don't hurt me."

  "I'm not going to hurt you. When did you sleep with Blice?"

  "It's not Blice's baby either."

  Well, this is not at all what Isidore was expecting. "What? Whose is it?"

  "I lied to Blice and told him it was yours, but it's not. I don't want to say whose it is."

  "I don't know of anyone else who could have been with you."

  "Just drop it, Isidore. I made a mistake. He's a good man and I seduced him. It's not his fault."

  "Tell me." Isidore says.

  "I can't tell you. I told him I wouldn't say a word."

  "Oh God. Were you raped?" Isidore asks. "Are you lying to cover that up?"

  "No. I'm so sorry. You were never supposed to find out."

  Then who is it? "Is he an inquisitor?"

  "No."

  "Do I know him?"

  "Maybe." Clara says. "I want you to be the father, though. You're a great father. Katarina will love to have a brother or sister."

  "So what? You get pregnant with some other guy's baby then you marry another man? Where do I even stand in all of this? Do my feelings not matter?"

  "There's a reason I haven't told you. I love you, Isidore."

  He ignores her as he bites his lip until it bleeds. He thought they had been doing so much better, but now . . . he knows it's over. There's no way to fix this. Even if there was, he doesn't want to. "I haven't slept with anyone other than you. I haven't even been with any electronics. How could you, Clara? Am I not enough?"

  "It's not that at all. It's my fault and I was drunk."

  He's finished with all of this. "Fine. It's fine. It's not worth fighting over. I know our relationship was over a long time ago. I just wonder if you ever truly loved me. Or was that all a lie as well?"

  "I haven't stopped loving you." Clara says. "I messed up. I know that, but there's nothing I can do to change it."

  * * *

  Blice look
s up from his paperwork as Byron opens the door. He immediately knows something is wrong. His brother is never like this. "Byron? What's up?"

  "I need to talk to you."

  He leans back in his chair. "Have a seat. I'm not that busy right now. It's bothering you, whatever it is."

  Byron sits across the desk from him. "Blice, I swore I wouldn't say anything, but I know something about your new wife that you should know."

  "It's about her baby, isn't it? Do you know who the father is?"

  "I know who he is."

  Good. "How dare he do this to Isidore? When I find out, I'm going to hunt him down and kill him with my own two hands."

  Byron holds his head in his hands. "You can try, but I'll fight back and I'll win. I'm stronger than you."

  "What are you saying?" Blice asks.

  "Clara's baby . . . is mine."

  "I don't believe you. You're not that kind of man, Byron. You're an honorable man who wouldn't do that to Isidore. You're his friend. He looks up to you. Who are you taking the blame for? I know you didn't do this."

  Agent Monroe enters the Oval Office and bows. "Sir, Master Director Clark has called a press conference."

  "Clark? Are you sure? What is it about?"

  "No idea."

  "Byron, we'll talk more about this later." Blice says. "Right now, I have another crisis to tend to." Blice turns on the news just as Clark begins his speech in the courtyard in front of an extremely large crowd of citizens. Are they armed?

  Clark holds up his hands. "Greetings, citizens of the Unified State. As you know, I am Master Director Clark of the Inquisition. I am here to address some very disturbing developments that President McSage has been hiding from you. It troubles me to know that our president has been keeping information secret. At ten o'clock last night, Administrator Ming of the Red Republic was assassinated. If that is news to you, imagine my surprise when I got a call from Queen Catherine of Great Victoria or Grand Victoria. Who cares? They change it every other day. Anyway, she told me that they are going to war with the Red Republic and if President McSage doesn't end all political ties with Common Ground, then they would be forced to declare war on us as well. Why is our president still in a political alliance with Prime Minister Leblanc after what he did to Eden? I know this is wrong. You know this is wrong. Are we going to sit back and let Blice McSage destroy this country or are we going to take the power from that spoiled tyrant? Rise up with the Inquisition and take your country back. Why does Blice McSage get to decide who lives and who dies? I know for a fact that he chose the names himself. Today we take the government back into our own hands!"

  Blice turns to a computer and begins looking for any way out of this. "So now Clark is inciting riots."

  "Sounds like it." Monroe says. "What do you want me to do, sir?"

  "Lock everything down. No one gets in this building. I need information." Blice lights a cigarette and takes a handful of pills. Sorry, Niko. He has to do it or he will lose his mind. They aren't really going to rise up against him, are they? "Monroe, please go check on Isidore and my wife."

  "Mr. President, they're gone." Agent Monroe says.

  "What do you mean gone?" Blice asks.

  "They left this morning together. They took your Jeep. I thought you knew."

  "Where did they go?"

  "I think they were going to the Unclaimed Lands."

  No way. This isn't happening. Not now. Why didn't Isidore say anything? "So my pregnant bride and my computer are going alone into one of the most uninhabitable places on the planet to confront whoever these evil people are? Pull up Isidore's tracking information. I have to find them before they go too far. If my father is involved, their lives are in danger."

  * * *

  "Here, I'll let you make the first incision."

  Xavier takes the scalpel from his brother and watches the light on the razor edge. When he looks down at the sleeping baby, he drops the scalpel on the table and turns away. "I'll let you do it. I . . . I can't."

  Zach smiles. "You're such a good big brother, letting me have all the fun. I'll let you have the bones after I'm done."

  Xavier runs out of the room. He has to get away from this. Even though Zach might be enjoying himself, this isn't what they were trained to do. This is going too far. Usually Xavier wouldn't be affected by this. His father was right. He is weak. Why does he feel like this?

  As he steps into the lounge, he sees his reflection in the mirror and frowns as he holds up a strand of silver hair. So the change is beginning earlier than he anticipated. He will gladly take silver hair to gain not being able to die from old age. Plus, he'll always look young. Maybe he'll dye his hair. It doesn't matter right now, anyway. Xavier needs to get his mind off of Katarina so he connects his phone to his USB port and turns up his classical music to drown out the baby's crying.

  21

  Byron loads his shotgun before pulling on his combat boots. When he stands, he grits his teeth against the pain that has come back above his mechanical leg. Why today? Of all days, why today? He reaches out to pick up his backpack, but stops when he sees his hands trembling. So it's spreading more. Perfect. Who knew that alcohol slows the spread of dark matter? Though, that's probably just in his mind. Too late to change anything now. Byron slings the bag over his shoulder and looks at the other two men who he knows will want to be a part of this. "Blice, you take the second floor windows. Kazimir, you get down to the first floor and get a barricade up. I'll get out there and stop those crazy rebels."

  Kazimir holds up his AK-47. "Rebels? You're not saying that the Rubble Rebels are here, are you?"

  "If I know Commander Alexi, he won't pass up a chance at this. They'll be here, fighting against us. We want to strike first, directly at the heart of this uprising. We don't have to kill everyone. We only need to kill one."

  "Clark." Blice says.

  "Exactly. That's why I need you two to stay here while I go put an end to this before they get more organized. I want to kill Clark for what he did to Isidore anyway. This just gives me an excuse."

  "What about what you did to Isidore?" Blice asks.

  Byron turns his back on them. "What happened between me and Clara is private and I will pay for that in time."

  "Are you going to tell him?"

  "Like I said, in time." Byron leaves the room and takes the stairs down into the lobby as he hears the shouting outside. Perfect. He throws open the front doors and looks around. Protesters. They look peaceful enough.

  "Byron, over here!"

  Byron turns around to see someone he has been trying to avoid. Alexi. Oh, this just got interesting. Well, he's not doing anything until Clark shows up, so he decides to go up to him and shake his hand. "Just as I suspected. You wanted some of this action."

  "Are you here to take down Blice as well?" Alexi asks as he smoothes back his blonde hair.

  "Why are you doing this, exactly?"

  "Revenge." Alexi says. "What else? Isidore Williams dies too."

  "Why?"

  "For attacking me."

  "That wasn't him. It was Damien." Byron says.

  "Damien? Why would Damien do something like that? He's a hero."

  He's the last person who deserves to be called a hero. "So how do you want to do this? Take a few steps away then shoot? Do we duel like they used to?"

  "What are you talking about, Erikson?"

  "I can't let you kill my brother or Isidore." Byron says as he holds up his shotgun. "We can either do this like gentlemen down this side street where no bystanders will get hurt or we can fight dirty. Your choice."

  "I don't want to fight you. You were one of the best Rubble Rebels we have had. If you believe that Isidore is innocent, then so be it."

  "Good." Byron puts his shotgun in his backpack and turns back to observe the protesters. "What are you going to do now, then?"

  "Well, my men are ready to fight. They don't really care what cause they're fighting for as long as they get to kill some people. Got an
y room for us?"

  "We're going to kill one man and one man only."

  "Who's that?" Alexi asks.

  "Inquisitor Clark."

  "Ah. So what's the plan?"

  Byron leans against a building and studies the protesters as they call out insults and wave their posters. "We stay here and watch these protesters until Clark inevitably shows up to rally them to take action. When the fighting breaks out, I am going to confront Clark directly."

  "Where do you need the Rubble Rebels?" Alexi asks.

  "Have them surround the palace and keep an eye out for any protesters going too far. You know, like bombs and stuff."

  "Gotcha. Funny thing? They're already in place. I'll just let them know that they're fighting on the other side now."

  Byron remembers something about Alexi and he needs to talk to someone about this, so he gives it a shot. "Alexi?"

  "Yah?"

  "You're a father, right?"

  "I was, until my son died." Alexi says.

  "Right. Was it hard for you to go on fighting when your son was growing up?"

  "Of course. I was always afraid that I was going to die and leave him without a father."

  "Is it worth it?" Byron asks.

  "What? Fighting?"

  "No. Being a father. Is it worth it?"

  "It's one of the most amazing things ever. Why?"

  This is the first time he's going to say it and it terrifies him. "I'm going to be a father."

  "Really?" Alexi pats him on the back. "That's great. Congratulations."

  "I'm not that proud, actually. I slept with my friend's wife."

  "Oh. I see. You sure it's yours?"

  Unfortunately. "Completely sure. Clara is a T.I.M.E. so she was able to run some scans on the baby. It has my DNA."

  "Clara?"

  "Isidore's wife. Well, she's Blice's wife now."

  "That's messed up." Alexi says.

  "Tell me about it."

  "Does Isidore know?"

  Byron crosses his arms. "Nope. He looks up to me like I'm his big brother and I've let him down again. Now his owner marries his wife because their marriage technically never existed. I can't even imagine what he's going through right now."