She should hate him for killing her brother. Dmitri did nothing wrong, but Doss used him as an experiment then infected him with destructive nanobots that he knew would kill him. She should hate him with a passion beyond any she has ever felt, but she can't. Since the IGR took him on their ship and left Earth, Katarina hasn't stopped thinking about him. Sure, she misses Byron, but beyond that, she misses Doss. Why? She has absolutely no idea. There's just something about him that has always drawn her to him. Maybe it's the knowledge that he's innocent, trusting, pure, and uncorrupted by the universe around him. He's enchanting and captures her attention whenever he is in the same room. And no, it's not just his wings that she admittedly loves. Even when she's with Zach, she is thinking about Doss. Is that a sin? Is it a sin to think about a chaste man in that way? She would never pressure him into doing anything that would break those holy vows that he takes incredibly seriously. Though, she sometimes wishes she could. That just makes her want him more.
"Stop there!" One of the men shouts at her and holds up a crow bar. "Who are you?"
Katarina holds up her hands. "Hi there. I was just wondering what you were doing out here. Why are you setting the city on fire?"
"We're destroying this hell hole and taking the government for ourselves. We don't need some android in charge after what they did to all of us humans."
"So, you're humans? How many of you are there?"
"We have about seventy-five humans and two hundred androids we took as slaves. We have the power again and we're making sure that those artificials never rise up again." The man says.
"Artificials?"
"Androids. They're not real and don't deserve to live on their own. We're rounding them up and doing to them what they did to all of us."
"That's not the way to handle this situation." Katarina says, trying to reason with them. "You'll just end up killing each other."
Someone else steps forward and takes Katarina's arm, twisting it behind her back. "Look at this, men. A slave collar. Looks like we've got ourselves a little android bitch." He taps the screen on her collar and chuckles. "Guess who this is? Android 43, Isidore Williams's daughter. Kill her."
Katarina screams as they throw her to the pavement and tear at her clothes while others hit her arms and legs. She presses her face to the ground and attempts to shelter her head from the blows. When they start kicking her, she tries to crawl away and fight back, but strong hands hold her there. When heavy boots hit the sidewalk behind her and she hears Jarred's voice, she knows that she is going to be okay.
"Hey, get off of her! She's mine." Jarred shouts at them. When they ignore him, he yells at them. "I said get off of her!" He slams the butt of his rifle into one of the men's shoulders.
Two shots ring out, echoing against the far cavern walls as the brutal assault stops and the attackers scatter while they scream out insults and drag their two fallen comrades away.
"Nice shooting, Jayce." Jarred says.
"It's what I do." Jayce says over the transmission.
Katarina grabs onto Jarred's strong arms as he pulls her to her feet. She can feel the bruises beginning to from along her arms and her back. It's good to feel someone here with her, the same kind of comfort she used to have with Byron as her owner. Maybe she is starting to rely on Jarred and finally accepting him as her one and only owner.
"You okay?"
She tries to fix her torn shirt with trembling fingers as she chokes back tears, not wanting her owner to see any weakness in her.
"Shh." Jarred takes her in his arms and holds her tightly against his chest. "Come on. Let's get you inside and into some acceptable clothes. If those ruffians come back around here, I'll let Jayce take the rest of them out."
* * *
Doss's resolve is crumbling, his courage is fading, and his pain tolerance is rapidly reaching its limits. His arms are covered in blood that is now dripping down onto his boots, the only thing that Clark let him keep on. He lost track of time, reality, and what new torture Clark is inflicting on him. Everything is a fog now and he can only repeat the same question he's been asking for what seems like days. "Where is Velex?"
"Stop asking that. I ask the questions here." Clark slams Doss's own sword against his fingers.
Doss cries out as he feels the blood flow from his hand and the searing heat of the welding torch burning his skin to cauterize the wounds. When he stops screaming, he asks again. "Where . . . is Velex?"
"I'm right here." The door to the facility slides open and thirty soldiers in full tactical armor rush inside with laser pistols and machine guns at the ready. Velex steps up to the front. "Let him go."
Clark only grins and drops the welding torch. "Hello there."
Velex motions to his soldiers. "Get Clark in handcuffs. I'll tend to Captain Doss." As the soldiers surround Clark and put handcuffs around his wrists then lead him out of the building, Velex pulls out a knife and saws through the thick leather bindings around Doss's wrists. "Talk to me, man."
Doss groans as he grabs onto Velex's arms and shakily stands. "Hey."
"Where are you hurting? You have a pretty bad gash on your head. That's where all this blood is from."
It's all Doss can do to remain awake. "I hurt everywhere."
Velex helps to dress him. "What did he do to you? Wait. Hold up your left hand. Did you originally have the same number of fingers as me?"
"Yes."
"Oh my God." Velex says. "We'll get you to the hospital."
"No. I'm fine. I'll be okay. Just get me to my room and help me bandage these wounds. I have some morphine that I'll take then go to sleep for a while."
"I would feel better if you got checked out by a doctor."
"Clark hurt me, but nothing that won't heal in time." Doss says.
"You're missing three fingers!" Velex shouts. "Do you think they'll just grow back?"
"Stop freaking out."
"What the hell, man? Never mind. I will make you go to the hospital. I'm not arguing with a delirious person. We were so afraid after you didn't show up for roll call and a body was removed from one of the interrogation pods. We then learned it was Byron Erikson. He just didn't have the strength to make it."
So Clark was telling the truth. He can't think about that right now. Instead, he vows to get in touch with Katarina and let her know somehow. "Isn't the woman who was interrogating him your vice admiral?"
"Unfortunately." Velex says. "As soon as I get a chance, I am putting in a request for her replacement."
"Just make sure her replacement isn't a Blood Force member this time."
"He's not." Velex says with a smile. "The man I want as second in command is a good guy who has plenty of reason to hate the Blood Force."
"Good."
"You."
"Me?" Doss asks, surprised.
"Yep." Velex notices Doss's limping and painful attempts at walking. "He didn't hurt you . . . you know, there?"
Is it that obvious? "There? Oh. That doesn't matter."
"Doss, you may not need it for reproduction, but it's still important."
Doss leans on his friend's shoulder. "I'm fine. What do people usually put on stuff like that? Ice?"
Velex laughs and helps Doss walk out of the building and into a black van. "Just relax."
"Can I get a martini?"
"Really?" Velex asks as he shuts the door then gets into the driver's seat. "I rescue you from extreme torture, you've lost three fingers, and the first things you ask for are ice for your groin and a martini? Well, at least I know you're still Doss."
"Hey, he couldn't take that away from me, Axel." Doss says as he wipes the blood from his face. "But yes, I would like a martini and something to eat."
"I heard they just made some strawberry cheesecake in the café."
"Awesome. Let's go."
"I was joking." Velex says as he glances back at Doss in the rearview mirror and give him a stern look.
"I'm not. I want cheesecake and a martini."
&n
bsp; 3
"Good Morning, Captain."
Doss opens his eyes in the pale morning sunlight cascading into the hospital room through the open window overlooking the beach. The cool breeze feels good on his face and he nearly doesn't remember the awful day he had yesterday. The IV in his arm ensures that the pain is sufficiently dulled, but his mind is still a bit foggy. So when he sees Velex sitting on the hospital bed next to him with a martini and a gigantic piece of strawberry cheesecake, Doss can only laugh.
"What's so funny?" Velex asks.
"Is that for me?"
"I'm technically breaking the rules, but I thought it would cheer you up."
"You're going to give me alcohol while I'm on whatever kind of painkiller this is and on an empty stomach?"
Velex winks at him. "That's what the cheesecake is for. And one little drink won't kill you."
"You're so bad, Axel."
"I'm allowed to be occasionally. So, tell me how your fingers feel."
Oh. Doss had forgotten about that. He almost doesn't want to know how bad the damage was, but he knows he will have to face it eventually. He holds up his left hand and is a bit shocked at what he sees. "What's this?"
"Metal. I couldn't let you not have fingers. You're a pilot, after all. Move them around and get used to using them. They should already be calibrated with the rest of your titanium bone structure."
"Whoa. Cool. I should have done this years ago."
"That's not quite the reaction I thought you'd have, but I'll take it." Velex says.
"Well, I'm not human, so I don't really care that much if I have all my original parts. I'm mostly metal to begin with."
"True, but now it shows on the outside."
"I really don't care. As long as I can do my job, I'm good." Doss moves his fingers around. "Please tell me that Clark is going to be removed from his position."
Velex laughs nervously. "Uh, actually, no. He escaped from his cell early this morning and then was pardoned by the chancellor."
"What the hell? How did he get a pardon?"
"You know well enough that Chancellor Dressler has never been on our side. Besides, he had some help from your brothers."
"The other archons?" Doss asks. "Just Gabriel and Michael?"
"All of them except for Raphael. They've been appointed to positions in the Blood Force as Archon Special Forces."
So now they have their own division? "That's ridiculous."
"We can't touch them and they can't touch you."
"I just got touched quite a bit, Axel."
"I know, but legally, they can't." Velex says.
"Like Clark? Why not? They'll just end up getting pardons. This is insane. What kind of government destroys its own judicial system?"
"You've been gone from Himmel for too long, Doss. There never was a judicial system that held any water. You know that. Remember the heretic trials of 2250?"
"Unfortunately." Hunger sweeps over him and he reaches out for the plate. "Give me that cheesecake."
"Here."
This is by far the best cheesecake he has ever eaten. "So, I had the craziest dream last night. Maybe it was the morphine, but I think it has some bearing in reality."
"Well, don't keep it a secret."
"What if Chancellor Dressler can't be killed?" Doss asks.
"Why-"
"Think about it. Himmel was created when? 2080? Who was the leader back then?"
"Kazimir Dark."
"Oh yeah . . . I forgot about that."
"Don't forget that I was around back then as well." Velex says. "If you have a question about Himmel's history, I was one of the first officials. I've been admiral of this awful place since day one."
"I forget that you're that old."
"So are you."
He takes a huge bite of cheesecake and talks with his mouth full. "True. Anyway, when Kazimir left, he placed control of the IGR in Dressler's hands."
Velex only shakes his head as he watches Doss. "No. Hans Dressler came from Friedhof, one of the other four artificial planets."
"Are they all still under IGR control?"
"Nope. That's the problem. They are all trying to expand their borders by creating their own artificial moons then have plans of planets in the future. Friedhof, Vergessen, and Himmel make up the unified IGR. Verloren and Strafe are the rebel planets who are trying to emancipate themselves from IGR rule. Needless to say, the Imperial Galactic Reich is not happy about it."
"Strafe? Isn't that where they've been sending the criminals?"
"Yeah." Velex says. "Do you see the problem with that? If you keep sending a bunch of violent criminals who already hate the government far off to their place so they can band together and develop weapons, then they can eventually fight back."
"So, back to Dressler."
"Hans Dressler was Kazimir's roommate from college when he was getting his fourth PhD from Cornell. He was one of the first people who let Kazimir experiment on him. Once he was a T.I.M.E., Kazimir sent him up to Friedhof where he lived for a few years and moved up in the government there. Well, as most friendships tend to go, they had a falling out and Dressler cut ties with Kazimir then led an uprising that ended with him seizing control of Himmel and the entire IGR. So now Dressler has all the power and the capital."
"Uh huh. But he could be immortal, right?" Doss asks.
"Not a chance. No one is actually immortal."
"What about me?"
"You can die, Doss. Remember Remiel?"
"True, but with enough scientists, I can be restarted." Doss says.
"It doesn't work that way. If your system suffers enough physical trauma, which is admittedly a lot more than a human or an android, you will die and never turn back on."
Doss finishes his cheesecake and quickly drinks his martini. "Let's get going."
"Where do you think you're going? Your physician and scientist haven't given their consent for your release."
He gives Velex a disappointed look. "I have to be cleared by a physician and a scientist?"
"Yes. You are both organic and robotic, after all."
"Forget that. It's not like they can hunt me down or anything."
"The Shadow Spies can." Velex says.
"What's the deal with those guys anyway?"
"They're the most secretive and exclusive spy networks in the galaxy. Even the members don't know who their colleagues are. They meet once a month at midnight on the one night that the maintenance robots repair the city lights. All the power goes out for two hours. That's when they meet, taking advantage of the darkness. The members show up with altered appearances and disguises. There are always forty-two members. They worship some kind of humanoid idol. And being founded by Kazimir Dark, I think I have an idea who the idol is supposed to be."
"How do you know so much about them if they're supposedly so secretive?" Doss asks.
"How do you think?"
"Oh my God. Are you-"
"Maybe. I couldn't tell you, actually. Lower ranking agents and initiates remain oblivious to even their own involvement. They have some crazy strong mind altering drugs."
"If you are a spy, then wouldn't you have known that they were on to our plan?"
"First off, I never said that I was a member." Velex says as he starts gathering up Doss's clothes and armor. "Even if I was, I wouldn't know it. Not only that, but every spy has their own agenda. Some are probably loyalists to the chancellor while others could be sympathetic to the rebel cause. But I don't know."
"So . . . wait. Does that mean that I might be a member?"
Velex tosses Doss's pants to him. "There's no way to know for sure."
"This is idiotic. How can the members of an organization not know that they're members? Never mind. I'm ready to get to work. I have one place to stop first."
"The temple?"
"How did you know?" Doss asks as he slips on his pants.
"If there's anything I know about you, it's how religious you are."
"
I have some issues to deal with." He turns back to Velex. "Can I trust you to keep a secret?"
"Of course."
"I've started having issues adhering to my vows of chastity and purity."
"The ones you took are very strict, Doss." Velex says.
"I know. I haven't broken them yet, but . . . I had a dream, an erotic dream, the other night."
"Oh. I see. But did you act on it?"
Doss sighs. "No. I didn't do anything, as much as I was tempted."
"Then you don't have anything to worry about. You have some crazy self control, man. Everyone has their own temptations. If it bothers you this much, have you thought about giving up on your vows?"
"No. I will never break them." Doss says adamantly.
"So you're never going to have sex?"
"No."
"Weren't you talking about getting married at one point?" Velex asks.
"If I get married, we will consummate the marriage then that's it."
Velex laughs at this. "Oh, Doss. You're so innocent."
"What? It's not like I'll enjoy it anyway."
"You've got to be kidding me. You don't know anything, do you?"
"Nothing. I did kiss Katarina once." Doss says. "But then she accused me of raping her, so I guess that was God's way of punishing me for that."
"Buddy, I would love to help you figure this out, but I'm not the one to be talking to about it."
"Then that's why I need to find a church." He says.
"There's only one religious building on Himmel now and it serves every religion."
"That sounds . . . awful."
"There aren't many believers in anything anymore." Velex says. "The dominate belief is Technotheism."
"Oh, great. Religious fanatics of the worst kind."
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 24