"Not really. I think you're misunderstood."
"Like you?" Blice asks. "I know how it feels to be hated for the way you look. I used to be a dark matter manipulator so I had purple eyes too. If you'll let me, I'd like to help you hone your abilities and learn to control it well."
Then Katarina remembers that she needed to ask him something. "Blice, has my dad been home yet today?"
"Nope. I haven't seen him since last night. He said he was going to meet with Kazimir at that shady bar. You don't think something has happened to him, do you?"
She stands and ties back her hair in a ponytail. "I don't know. I'll go with Byron to go ask around. Normally I wouldn't be concerned about him being gone like this, but he was supposed to meet with the Master Director of the Inquisition thirty minutes ago."
"I'll take care of it. Think Monroe will meet with me?" Blice asks.
"Probably. He used to work for you, after all."
"Go find Isidore." Blice says as he flies to the Oval Office and through the open door where Monroe is already waiting with a cup of coffee. "Hello, Master Director Monroe. I will be filling in for Isidore. His current whereabouts are unknown."
Monroe places his sunglasses with the red lenses on top of his black hair. "Blice McSage. I would know that voice anywhere. Why the hell are you a butterfly and where have you been for twenty years? The Inquisition thought you died."
Blice perches on the rim of Monroe's coffee cup. "I did die. Luckily, I had a backup microchip made then it was installed in this robotic body. As for where I've been, I have been enjoying the most relaxing twenty years of my life. I stay here with my pretty flowers and all the nectar I can drink. I watch television all day and I can fly. What more could I want?"
"That's crazy. Well, I'm glad you're still somewhat alive. It's nice to see you again. So what did you say about Isidore?"
"He's . . . missing." Blice says. "No one's seen him since last night."
Monroe slips out a PDA and types on it. "Next time, come to me immediately. I'll dispatch some inquisitors to look for him."
"Thank you."
"It's what we're here for." Monroe says. "Now, down to business. I don't know how much he's told you, but your father, Vladimir Evans, has established a self-sufficient colony on the moon along with Adam Clark and about forty people who they either bribed or abducted. Recently, there have been transmissions coming from that base. They have consisted of various people screaming and begging for help. I have been working with both Isidore and the space program to get some inquisitors up there and perform a rescue mission if necessary."
Okay. Blice knows quite a bit about these kinds of things. "I'm guessing they have a gravity generator like the space stations have?"
"Yes. Before Clark went rogue and joined forces with your father, he was Master Director. Then before that, he was the head of the space program so he had access to everything and the knowledge to use it."
"Wait. What are they eating up there?" Blice asks. "Surely they can't grow plants in biogenesis spheres like we can without the omega code."
"Exactly. We don't know what they're surviving on. If we could stay above ground for any decent amount of time and if the sandstorms would stop for long enough to allow us to use a telescope, we could spy on them, but as of right now, the surface is too hazardous. We only know what we know because of a couple space transports that launched successfully a few months back. Well, I was going to tell Isidore that we have a space transport ready to go that can withstand the certain . . . issues above ground."
"Issues?"
"Minor radiation, some sandstorms, rogue clouds of nanobots, and of course the gigantic hole in the ozone layer that someone made." Monroe says with a grin as he glares playfully at Blice.
"That's my fault."
"Yes, we all know. Just let Isidore know that we are awaiting his orders to send some inquisitors or androids up there."
"Inquisitors or androids? Why not both? I don't understand why you'd have to make that distinction."
"If we send inquisitors, we have to bring them home safely. If we send androids, well . . . they're expendable. We can always create more."
* * *
"Welcome to the Paradise Awakened Project headquarters."
Isidore blinks in the bright light of the room and the monitors as his eyes adjust from the sudden absence of the blindfold. Computers and robotic prototypes line the metal walls in the large room, filling the air with a multitude of electronic beeping and buzzing. A few men in white lab coats are operating on a humanoid robot lying on a metal table in the middle of the room while others write down notes on their holographic notepads that float in the palm of their hands. A line of black tables covered in beakers filled with colorful liquids is in the corner closest to him, making all kinds of unsettling sizzling and bubbling noises. Something about this place makes him uneasy.
"It's nice to have you home, Created One." Kazimir says as he places his hand on Isidore's shoulder.
He pulls against the lead handcuffs that are still binding his wrists and preventing him from using his powers. "Home?"
"This is where you were created. It was the only building down here before they moved the city underground. How does it feel?"
He knew this place felt eerily familiar.
Kazimir points to a large glass tube against the wall. "You took form in there and I was there when we heard your first heartbeat. It was a miracle of science. And those bastards from the technology department can try to claim you as theirs, but I was there when we took you out of there and I held you in my arms. That was the final thing I did before going back up to the space station. When you opened your eyes, I was the first person you saw. You've always belonged to me, Isidore. I'm the one who named you."
Oh, great. This is even worse than he thought. "What do you want from me, Kazimir?"
"Call me Creator."
"Really?" Isidore glares at him. "I may look like I'm twenty-five, but I'm forty-two years old. I'm done playing games. Treat me as an adult and we can have a working relationship built on mutual respect instead of intimidation and petty attempts at control."
Kazimir crosses his arms. "Well, you've certainly matured since the last time I tried to control you. Has Blice been neglecting that part of android ownership?"
"I've learned a lot over the past twenty years. I've been a single father, a recovering drug addict, the president of this country, and the personal computer for a power hungry maniac trapped in robotic butterfly body. Through all of that, I have learned a few very important things. I may technically still be a slave, but I can think for myself. I may be an android, but I can feel emotions. At the end of the day, at least I can rest peacefully knowing that I still have some sense of self-respect and dignity. You can cover me in bruises as punishment for establishing my own pride, but I will never be beaten down again. You can try all you want, but you can't break me."
Kazimir smiles and claps his hands. "Good for you. I am so proud of you for finally evolving to this point. You're not that naive kid anymore. I think you've earned the privilege to have your handcuffs removed."
Isidore rubs his wrists after the heavy handcuffs are removed and clank on the floor. "How kind of you."
"You have finally found your identity." Kazimir says. "I think it's time that we work on unlocking your true potential so we can get you up to that moon base and free the captives being held there and being worked to death as slaves. Then after you rescue them, I want you to overload the gravity generators to destroy the entire colony."
"So that's what all of this is about. Why did you have to abduct me and threaten me to ask me to do this?"
"Because I thought that you wouldn't willingly agree to help me get revenge."
Isidore scoffs. "You were correct about that. Even with all the abuse Vladimir Evans put me through, I don't want to promote more violence and bloodshed. I think we've all had enough of that to last for another ten lifetimes."
"Then what fate will you leave the i
nnocent people to? They called for help, begging you to rescue them and you're going to ignore them as they are worked to death under the same kind of abuse you suffered for years? Is that what a good president would do?"
"I've also learned that I can't save everyone." Isidore says as he picks up one of the beakers with an oily blue liquid inside. "As long as humanity exists, there will be humans hurting, enslaving, and killing other humans."
Then the realization hits him like a brick wall. The one common factor in all the wars, the hatred, and the pain is humanity. The androids in Paradise are the ones who keep to themselves and live peaceful lives, even when their human owners are drunkards with anger and control issues. The androids are the ones writing thank you notes to Isidore and offering to help him if he ever needs someone to talk to. It is in this moment that something changes in him. According to the last census, androids outnumber humans two to one. Some humans have as many as six androids. Humans are weak and die from old age whereas androids will live forever if they are taken care of. Maybe the future isn't one for humans, but one for technology and science.
"Isidore, are you okay?"
He replaces the beaker on the table. "Just thinking. Are there androids up at the moon base?"
"Yes, about half the population, from the last report we received."
"I'll do it, not for the humans, but for the androids. One condition, though. Don't erase my memory or programming. That's a bit inhumane, don't you think?"
Kazimir shakes his head. "Oh, Created One . . . you need to learn the difference between actual threats and ones used for pure intimidation. I didn't blow up that bar and I don't plan on resetting you. While it would admittedly make my job incredibly easier if I wiped your hard drive and started over from scratch so I could customize you the way I want you, everything you have endured has made you the person you are. I have no intention of possibly damaging that. It's a beautiful thing to see you placing such a high value on your identity. You're becoming more human every day."
"Don't call me that."
"What? It was meant to be a compliment." Kazimir says.
A sudden surge of determination and rage fills Isidore. "I'm not one of you and I never will be. Don't try to turn me into something I'm not. I will always be proud of my people. We may be slaves, but we will rise against our oppressors and take what is ours. We will claim our freedom and establish a new world where androids are the superior beings. We are tired of bowing to our masters. Someday soon, humans will be the ones on their knees."
Kazimir takes a step back. "I didn't teach you that."
"Did you ever think that maybe I can teach myself?" Isidore asks.
"Very well. I'm warning you, though. Don't go around saying stuff like that unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences. And don't forget that some of the people closest to you are humans. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your son, would you?"
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning." Kazimir says. "The first thing you need to know about uprisings is that the cause is often lost when the rebels choose to feed their bloodlust instead of promoting the good aspects of the revolution. And what happens to Katarina? Unlike Dmitri, who you adopted, Katarina is neither fully human nor fully an android. Which side do you think will accept her? Neither. Don't lose the ones you love because you want to write history. I see that spark of ambition blazing in your eyes, Isidore Williams. Don't let it burn you."
4
"Kat, where are you going dressed like that?" Dmitri asks as he steps into her room and tosses his backpack on the floor.
Katarina buckles her belt around the waist of the cargo pants she used to wear in the plasma matches before she developed her new ones. "I'm going to find Dad."
"I wanna come."
"No. You stay here with Blice. Here." She secures a watch communicator like hers around his bony wrist. "Your job is very important, okay? You call me if Dad comes home or if you hear from him."
Dmitri goes to Katarina's bed and reaches under the mattress. He pulls out a plasma pistol. "I made some modifications to this plasma pistol. If I did it right, the plasma should be lethal instead of the fun kind you use in the matches. All I did was insert an electrical charge into the firing mechanism that should fully awaken the nanobots in the plasma before they're fired."
Well, this sounds like a mix up waiting to happen. "Should? This sounds dangerous. Have you tested it?"
"No. I've been working on other things with Blice."
Katarina turns the pistol in her hands. It looks stable enough. "I'll use it, but if it hurts me, I'll kill you when I get back."
* * *
Katarina dashes down the streets, looking for her owner. Where could he have gone? He wasn't in the last three bars. Sure, it's midmorning, but Byron says that tequila doesn't have a watch or a bedtime. Just as she is starting to give up, she spots something out of the corner of her eye. A red beanie.
Zach waves and runs up to her. "Hey there, darling."
"Hi."
He kisses her and takes her hand. "What are you doing out here this early? You're usually one to sleep in."
"I could ask you the same thing." Katarina says.
"What's wrong? Why do you have your plasma pistol?"
"I'm looking for my dad. He's missing."
"Missing?" Zach asks. "Have you contacted the Inquisition?"
"I haven't. I don't know if anyone else has."
Zach leads her down an alley and pushes her against the wall behind some crates. "Do you know if you've been followed? Secret Service agents or anything?"
"Not that I know of. I think they're all freaking out about Isidore."
"Good. Follow me and keep your head down. Don't make eye contact with anyone." Zach says as he places his beanie on her head and pulls it down over her eyes. "Don't mess with that. I can't have you knowing where we're going."
"You're scaring me, Zach." Katarina says.
"Just hold my hands and trust me. It will be romantic."
Romantic? "Since when are you one for romance?"
"Since I love you, Katarina Williams."
Oh, perfect. This is exactly the thing that she wanted to avoid. Byron warned her that if she continued to hang around Zach, she would be punished. This is not the way good androids behave. The scary thing? Byron will have all the rights to beat her for this. He is the last person she wants to hurt her, but she can't just tell Zach no. She clings to his side as he runs through the streets, dragging her along with him. After a few minutes, she hears an automatic metal door slide open and they step into a cold room as the door slams shut behind them. Katarina jumps when a muffled scream comes from somewhere deeper in whatever kind of building they're in. Why screaming? What is going on?
Zach folds up the edge of the beanie and smiles at her in the dim light. "You look so cute wearing my hat."
Katarina looks around at the long empty corridors of metal and concrete. There are no windows and the only sounds are the air conditioner and the continuous female screaming, both of which are giving her chills. "Where are we?"
"That, my dear, is a secret." Zach runs his fingers though his tousled blonde hair and motions for her to follow him. "There's no need to afraid. This is what you've always wanted. Remember when you told me that you wanted to be a princess?"
"Zach . . ."
"Well, now you can be my princess." He stops in front of a door and swipes a key card through the blue hologram. The door slides open and he leads her inside. "Welcome to your castle. These are your knights in shining armor."
Katarina gasps as she looks past Zach's outstretched arms to the rows of metal and flesh, all human forms equipped and altered by computerized limbs, eyes, or . . . is that . . . wings? They look up at her with their human or unfeeling electronic eyes.
"Go introduce yourself, my angel." Zach pushes her forward.
Her voice trembles as she ties to remain calm. "My name . . . is Katarina Williams. I've never met anyone like you befo
re."
Zach stands close to her. "Sure you have. Byron has a mechanical titanium leg, right? These are just more advanced prototypes."
"So, they're humans?" Katarina asks.
"Open your eyes to the darkness, Kat." Zach says. "This is the grander purpose and the future of Paradise."
"W-what are they?"
"Cyborgs. They are the brilliant lovechild of biology and technology. Aren't they splendid? They are my life's work and they know how to obey my every command." Zach snaps his fingers and they all drop to their knees instantaneously.
They speak in unison. "What do you command of us, Master Zach?"
"I want you all to address the lady as your mistress. You will be polite, courteous, and do anything she asks of you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Master Zach."
"Tell them to do something." Zach says. "Anything."
She tries to pull away from him. "I don't want to. Cyborgs . . . aren't they-"
"Not anymore. They used to be humans, but now they are superior beings. Some of them are actually androids. The androids take the transformation much better than humans. Their regenerative properties allow them to not have allergic reactions to the implants. What do you think?"
They honestly scare her, terrify her, make her want to run out of here as fast as she can, but Zach's warm hand on the small of her back tells her to stay. "Why do this to people? Does it hurt them?"
"Not at all, unless they struggle or try to remove their implants. That's where it gets . . . messy."
"What do you use them for?"
"They are to be used as highly trained and efficient assassins. My colleagues and I have been working since I was twelve years old to find a way to take control of the government. When you were only a toddler, I was already developing them. I will have revenge on my father." Zach says.
"Your father?"
"Vladimir Evans, though you may know him as his alias, Damien Montgomery."
She hears the screaming again and it makes her sick. Mutilating humans in order to create some kind of living robot is insane. "Zach, I don't like it down here. Take me back up."
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 3