"And what is your definition of true justice, Mr. Crowe?" Isidore asks, already growing tired of is meeting. His patience is wearing thin and this is just the kind of person that he doesn't like dealing with.
"Please, call me Ben. Mr. Crowe was my owner." He laughs, but quickly stops when he notices that Isidore isn't sharing in his mirth. He clears his throat before continuing. "True justice is justice that isn't bound by human traditions and ignorance. Those terrorists are humans out to kill off every innocent android for no reason whatsoever. You know how they've been amassing manpower, weapons, and supplies. It's a miracle that nothing has happened until now."
"What would you propose I do about it?"
"Cut off funding and support for the human aspects of the government then devote those resources to our revolution instead." Ben says.
"Revolution? Interesting. What kind of revolution?"
"And android revolution to take control of our own lives and be our own owners. We have been beaten down and treated like second class citizens for too long. Don't we deserve to be happy and free from the constant control of bloodthirsty humans who only want to terrorize and beat us?" He leans closer and pats Isidore's arm. "Haven't we bled enough for them? God knows you've suffered because of them. Of course, I'm not talking about a full genocide or anything. Not at all."
Isidore spins around in his chair to look out the window at the artificial sunset that is casting pinks and oranges against the dark stone of the cavern walls. "And if I refuse?"
"You wouldn't want to do that, 42. Think about your daughter."
"What about my daughter?" Isidore asks as he turns to look at the man.
"Even if Kazimir Dark is able to get enough evidence to clear her of Monroe's murder, the Inquisition may believe it, but guess who won't." Ben says. "Every other human in Paradise. We have an android blamed for the murder of a very high ranking human official. They're out for her blood and they won't stop until they either get what they want or someone shuts them down. Everyone knows about the death threats that are now directed at you and Katarina both. You have to do something before you lose control. Speaking of losing control, I brought you something." He pulls a cardboard box out of his bag and sets it on the desk. "Think of it as a present."
"Are you bribing me now, Crowe?"
"Not at all."
Isidore opens the lid and he bites his lip. Nanochems. Nine full vials. He starts to sweat just seeing the stuff. He needs it desperately, but he closes the lid. Kazimir will be irate if Isidore goes back to using them. No matter how much he tries to resist, he knows that this wasn't even a battle. He lost before he opened the box. "Thank you."
"I could tell you needed some. There are plenty more for you if you join us. What do you say, 42? We can help each other. You know what we need and I know what you need. I will ensure Katarina's safety one hundred percent and we will get this ball rolling." Ben holds out his hand. "What do you say?"
Isidore takes his hand. "Get all the androids into the courtyard. I'll start this little revolution."
* * *
Isidore pulls on his suit jacket that he hates before stepping through the automatic doors and out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard where thousands of androids have been gathered. This is it. This is the definitive moment when Isidore can either promote peace and eternal pacifism or let the raging storm break through the sea wall. The pressure is building and it is impossible for him to ignore it any longer. Today, Paradise will be awakened. He holds up his hands to quiet the crowd before he speaks to them. "Greetings to you, fellow androids of this great country. I want to start by asking you all some questions and I want a show of hands. Who here has lost someone close to them in the past couple of days because of human terrorists targeting androids?"
Over half the crowd raises their hands.
"Who here has been beaten or neglected by their owners?"
Nearly everyone raises their hands. Some cry out or shout their disdain.
That only serves to let Isidore know that he is doing the right thing. The time has come to end this brutality. These are his people and he will not sit back and let them suffer any longer. Once he takes this step off the ledge, there is no going back and he knows that. He takes a deep breath before continuing. "It is our time, my brothers and sisters. It is our time to thrive and defend our families, friends, and loved ones from the evils of humanity. Are we going to let them continue to kill our children? I am all too aware of our numbers. Since Tuesday, we have lost over one thousand androids to those monsters."
A woman cries out to him. "My daughter was killed last night. What can we do?"
Isidore raises his fist in the air. "I'll tell you what we can do and what we will do. We take the fight to them. Rise up, androids of Paradise. Now is the time to let your voices be heard. Don't let the humans continue to dominate you. We are so much more than slaves. Take control of your own lives and turn the tables on them. Throw down your slave collars, cast aside the whips and chains, open your minds and embrace your freedom. Be your own owner. We are free now. We will never be slaves again!"
The crowds cheer and call out to him. He waves then nods to Ben who signals to the men who step out from behind the buildings with weapons that they distribute to the rage-fueled masses.
As the screaming and gunfire echoes in the courtyard, Isidore turns his back on it all. It's in their hands now. While he knows all too well that violence is never the best answer to any problem, Kazimir and Ben were right. They have been on their knees for too long. As an android, Isidore has seen more than his fair share of abuse. What happened the other night only served to ignite the fires of passion that had been dormant for so long, slowly spreading as the embers were stoked with every insult, every lash on his skin, and every broken bone. Everyone has a limit to how much they can take before they snap. Isidore has finally had enough. Forty-two years of constant humiliation, torture, and degradation will erode even the most mild-tempered and forgiving soul. They wanted his blood. Now he's out for theirs.
He goes back into the Oval Office and turns the television off then pulls the curtains over the windows. Sitting behind his desk in the darkness, Isidore attempts to clear his mind as the solitary ticking of the clock on the wall is joined with chanting and explosions from grenades in the streets below the windows. The minutes drag by until he can't deal with reality so he slides the cardboard box out of the top drawer of his desk and slips out a vial and syringe. His hands shake as he fills the syringe and places the needle against his arm.
"Put it down, Niko."
Isidore jumps when he hears the familiar voice. He sets it down and looks around the room. "Where are you, Blice?"
The butterfly crawls out from under the desk then flitters up to land on Isidore's hand. "Don't do this. You are better than this. Please listen to me. I've been right where you are and I know what it's like to feel hopeless and like you have no control over your life. Don't you remember all those nights you held me in your arms, afraid that my heart would stop from all those pills? I don't want you to go through what I did. I can't lose you, Niko. You've made it through so much. Don't throw your life away for a temporary high. That would be the ultimate disgrace, for you to die to this when you've fought so hard to live. You have a chance now to be free. Why remain shackled to this?"
"You don't understand what I've done. Don't you hear them out there?"
"It's what you wanted, right? I heard your conversation with Ben Crowe. If you're going to start something like this, then be a man and own up to it and stick to your guns."
The door opens and Katarina steps inside as she slips a cartridge into her plasma pistol. "What have you done?"
"I didn't mean for this to happen like this." Isidore says.
"You've killed Byron and Dmitri. What happens when they are caught without one of us to defend them?" She asks. "They are rounding up the humans like cattle and slaughtering them. You've started a civil war and the extinction of the human race."
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"No! I didn't do this on purpose."
"You can't use that kind of language and not expect them to take action." Blice says. "That's like politics 101."
"Then how do I fix this?"
"I don't know if you can fix it. If this wasn't your intended plan, then I don't know what to tell you. Isidore, you screwed up."
Kazimir opens the door and joins everyone. He doesn't look happy. "Isidore, Dmitri has a very high fever. He's trying to get some more sleep. I gave him some ibuprofen. He keeps complaining about headaches."
"What can we do?" Isidore asks as he covertly attempts to hide the drugs under the desk.
"Make him as comfortable as we can. I took a sample of his blood and analyzed it, just to make sure and he's infected. If he was my son, I would slip him some powerful drugs in his sleep and kill him before this gets bad. Of course, that's your decision."
"Is it that bad?"
"There's a reason that suicide is considered the most humane course of action in these cases. The longer this goes on, the faster he will decline. Eventually, he will stop speaking or moving as his body shuts down. He will be aware of it all, but unable to express his pain in any way. It's not a torture that I would wish on anyone. What do you want to do?"
Isidore slips out the prayer that Doss had once given him and holds it to his chest. "Give him some time. I know that this can get much worse, but I have to have faith."
* * *
Faith only lasts for so long when the world is crumbling around him. For five excruciatingly long days and nights, Isidore has sat by Dmitri's bed. At first, Dmitri was writhing in pain and crying nonstop. He would cuddle up against Isidore and beg him for help that Isidore couldn't give. Then the next two days were filled with his constant tortured screaming as his sweat soaked through his clothes and he stopped eating or drinking anything. When Dmitri started to cry blood and stopped screaming, Isidore knew time was running out. At least when Dmitri was crying out in pain, Isidore knew he was alive. The boy's voice grew faint and weak until he eventually stopped talking altogether. The silence is gut-wrenching.
Isidore hasn't stopped praying. The war raging outside isn't important to him anymore. He lets Kazimir and Ben deal with that. Right now, he has to focus on being a father for his son who needs him desperately. Not even another apocalypse could tear Isidore away from his side. He makes his way back up the staircase in the empty building that used to be filled with the whirring and beeping sounds of Dmitri's newest invention. Where giggling and electronic buzzing used to be is now icy silence.
Isidore slowly pushes the bedroom door open and steps into the dimly lit room, the only light coming from an antique lamp on the bedside table. With a heavy heart, he makes his way across the room that is still littered with half-assembled robots and electronics. He kneels down beside the bed on the carpet. Resting on the thick wool blanket is Dmitri's pale thin arm which Isidore takes delicately in his hand. "Hey, buddy. How are you feeling today?"
There is no answer and no movement from the tiny boy bundled up in the blanket. He doesn't respond as he stares blankly at the ceiling above him.
Isidore holds onto his arm and lays his head down next to Dmitri's shoulder. "Please say something. Just let me know what I can do to help you. If there's anything you need, anything at all, let me know somehow and I'll get it. Don't be afraid, okay? Your daddy's here. I've got you. Listen to me. I don't want . . . to . . . lose you, but if you need to go, I'll let you go. I know you're in pain. I can see the tears in your eyes. You can go, Dmitri." He leans over the bed and gently brushes Dmitri's red hair from his face before kissing his forehead. "I love you, Son. I'm letting you go. We'll be together again soon, I promise."
* * *
The thick smoke hanging in the air mingles with the bitter smell of blood and urine. The orange glow from numerous fires around the city provides an eerie light in the darkness. With eighty percent of the power cut off, Paradise is shrouded in a night darker than any on the surface. This is the first time since this underground city was built that nothing shines in the night. The power has been saved for emergency usage and one lamp next to the bed of a dying boy.
Isidore pulls his jacket closer around him as he shivers from both the frigid air and the fear from the unknown consequences of the vital operations being shut down. With the smoke, the air filtration system and oxygen generators are more import than ever. Then he thinks about the other things necessary to sustain life for a million people underground. Food and water have already started to be rationed. That he knew. What he didn’t know was how bad conditions had gotten out here.
As he makes his way through the littered and crumbling streets, Isidore steps over some smoldering wood planks and catches a glimpse of a tan trench coat splattered with blood. He reaches down and finds the golden insignia around the dead man's neck. This is the eighth one he's collected today. Inquisitors may be humans, but they deserve to be honored with more than a pitiful death trapped under a collapsed roof like this one.
A group of humans runs by as androids in their black armor laugh and call out insults. They fire a few shots until more androids jump down from the top of a moving van and block off the humans' escape route. One of the androids steps towards the group of humans who are cowering and huddled together. He pulls off his mask.
Benjamin Crowe. Surely he won't facilitate this senseless violence. When Ben pulls a cattle prod from his belt, any hope of mercy is quickly dashed.
More humans are dragged into the street from their burning homes. Androids take aim at a group of women and open fire, laughing in their brutal conquest.
Ben grabs the arm of one of the shooters. "Stop right there. What are you doing?"
"Killing the humans. Is that a problem for you?"
"What you're doing isn't the problem. It's how you're doing it." He grins darkly and motions to the fence running around the city. "Crucify them."
The androids cheer as the humans cry out in their anguish. Their children are torn from their mother's arms then corralled into a fenced-in area where androids are patrolling with guns. In a ten foot circle all the way around the area are mines, just in case they try to escape.
Ben singles out a middle-aged man from the crowd and pushes him into the street where five androids assault him. After a few hits, they throw the man down in the street and rip his clothes from him as he's crying. Binding his wrists, they drag him to the tall fence surrounding the city, up against the cavern walls. As he's bleeding, they hoist him up and secure him to the razor wire, never ceasing to whip him. His cries fill all of Paradise as he is electrocuted over and over by cattle prods, all while the androids laugh at him and mock him.
Two women are lashed to the fence next, their hair shaved from their heads and red welts covering their bodies. One of them is crying uncontrollably behind the rag they tied around her mouth to keep her from screaming. Her face is red with anger, pain, and suffering. The other is stone still and silent, even as they beat her. She doesn't make a sound or give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. It is with the silent one that Isidore makes eye contact and he feels deathly cold inside. When the quiet tears finally stream down her face, Isidore looks away. He can't watch this.
But what can he do? If he tries to stop this now, they will turn on him and Katarina. He's caught in a terrible place where either way he steps he faces an unbearable consequence. He never should have agreed to this kind of action. This wasn't the way to solve the problems. Instead of stepping forward to stop the violence, he ignores it and walks away.
Isidore stops where he is when the swooshing sound of an archon's wings comes up behind him. "Remi, go back to Zach's lab."
The footsteps move closer behind Isidore. "I'm not Remi."
Isidore spins around. Doss is dressed in full black body armor under a long white coat and tall boots still caked with the polluted dusted of the wasteland. Even though he's only been gone for a week, the harsh conditions up on the surface have weathered away a
t him. His skin is halfway between a tan and a sunburn and his brown hair has dulled and lightened in the unfiltered sunlight. He looks like he's lost twenty pounds. Dehydration and exposure have obviously been an issue for him from his pale parched lips to his reddened eyes and the multitude of tiny abrasions on his hands that Isidore can see from here. "Doss, what the hell are you doing here?"
"I heard what was going on down here and I came to help."
"I don't need your help. Haven't you killed enough humans?"
"Where is Dmitri?" Doss asks.
"You're not getting anywhere near him ever again."
"Just tell me he's okay. It's been a week and I know how fast those nanobots affect humans."
Isidore crosses his arms and watches a fire blazing in a collapsed house across the street. "He's dying, Doss. He's bedridden and he can't even speak anymore. I will never hear my son's voice again. All he does is lie there, unresponsive. He doesn't even know I'm there. I'm losing him and there's nothing I can do to help him. A week ago, he was my vibrant, laughing, intelligent, and happy son who wanted nothing more than to build his robots and tell me silly stories that he came up with." He looks at Doss who is staring down at the cracked pavement. "Say something, damn it! My son is dying because of you and you won't even say anything?"
"What do you want me to say?" Doss asks. "Nothing I can say will make this hurt any less. I swear I thought that Dmitri would be strong enough or that Kazimir could come up with a cure. I was wrong. Okay? Is that what you want me to say? That I was wrong? Don't you think I already know that? I realize that Dmitri is your son, but I care about him too. Please let me say goodbye. He'll know it's me and I know that he would want to see me before he moves on. Don't do it for me. Do it for Dmitri."
* * *
An hour passes before the bedroom door opens. Isidore looks up from the lobby of the Presidential Palace where he has been watching the white blossoms on the apple trees outside the window and trying as best as he can to not think about the bloodshed in the streets of the country he is destroying. Doss steps out of the doorway with his white wings out and Dmitri's limp body in his arms. As he makes his way down the grand staircase, a tear streaks down his cheek. In this moment, Isidore knows. "Doss, is he . . ."
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 14