[Fan Fiction] Tony's earlier (and discarded) story collection

The taxi cab pulled over by the front door of the Roger Smith mansion high rise. Pygmalion could not help by feel intimidated by its size. She exited the vehicle and made her way to the front door’s intercom and pressed the button.

“May I help you?” the elderly male voice asked.

“Norman, I need to talk to Roger,” she pleaded. “It is of the utmost importance.”

“I am sorry, but if you don’t have an appointment…” Norman voice replied with a stern, yet polite tone.

“Norman, it’s about the foreign Hacker,” she interrupted.

The left side of the front door opened up. Norman stood there with his right hand holding the door. “Please come in,” he said.

Pygmalion walked in and Norman closed the door behind them. He then escorted her to the elevator. While in there, she started a simple conversation with him. After a few minutes of this, the elevator stopped and Norman continued to lead her until they reached Roger’s study.

“Ma’am, the Negotiator will see you shortly,” the elderly gentleman stated while opening the door and leading her in. “Would you like something to drink?”

The manager dropped her purse on the seat in front of her. “Yes, I would like some water. Please?”

The butler nodded his head and proceeded towards the door. Pygmalion gazed at the extensive library that Roger had. She starts to read the book titles, “Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, Great Expectations…”

“I’ve read quite a few of the classics. However, I must confess that I haven’t read them all,” said Roger as he walked into the room and towards Pygmalion. “Welcome, Ma’am. I have a policy that any good looking woman can enter my home, unconditionally.”

Pygmalion tries to conceal change of color in her face. “Just like I thought, so smooth,” she thought. “Thank you, Mr. Negotiator.”

Norman walked in with a tall glass of water. He hands it to the thirsty project manager, bows and walks away.

Suddenly, Tomato walks in with a power regulator circuit in his hand. “I think that I found the problem,” he says while his eyes are fixed to the board. Realizing that Roger was not alone, he looked up and recognized that Pygmalion was in the room. He turned to Roger and with joy in his eyes, he said with an exciting tone, “This is the person I talked about, Mrs. Pygmalion."

“Tomato, I can see what you mean now,” Roger said in a delightful tone. He approached Pygmalion and lightly kissed her hand. “Welcome, Madame.”

“Very smooth, indeed,” Pygmalion gasped as she changed colors violently. Shaking her head while she sat on the chair on the client side of Roger’s desk, she said, “Anyways, I am here to recollect my team. Tomato is one of my project team members and my husband.”

“So, how can I help?” the Negotiator asked while already sitting down on his side of the desk. “I believe you need an investigator, not a negotiator.”

“Mr. Smith, one of my team members’ maybe a danger to Paradigm City,” Pygmalion explained. “His name in Tony and maybe accompanied by the other two members of my team, Zola and Falcon. He is an excellent hacker and maybe erasing criminal records for profit.”

Roger noticed that Pygmalion and Tomato had a concern express and were very anxious. “Well then, I believe that I can extend job description.”

While Pygmalion reached over to shake Roger’s hand for agreement that was reached, Dorothy entered into the room. “Honey, are you busy?” the android asked in an uncharacteristically warm voice.

“Please excuse me,” said Roger as he made his way out of the room. “This won’t take but a minute.”

Waiting until Roger and Dorothy were out of an earshot of themselves, Pygmalion and Tomato hug for a second. Suddenly she remembered that he betrayed her trust, she pushed him away. “What the hell did you do? You took off and leave me alone.”

“Dear, you don’t understand,” said Tomato using an apologetic tone.

“Well, help me understand,” Pygmalion said in her “Boss” voice. “Why did you tell Roger about me and revealed your true identity. What’s with Dorothy calling Roger ‘honey’ too?”

“First, as you know, I’m not a good liar. Norman and Dorothy saw right through me after the forth hour of my stay,” Tomato explained while making it a point to avoid direct eye contact with Pygmalion. “Second, I always wanted to work on Big O, so for two weeks I have been here as Norman’s assistant. My official title is ‘Mechanical Assistant’ for Big O. Also, I have been working with Norman in getting Dorothy and Roger together.”

“Don’t you know that you could be irreversibly damaging this universe?” said Pygmalion with a raised voice.

“Pygmalion, how do you know that this was never meant to be, here?” reasoned Tomato. “Besides, it was all Norman’s idea.”

Pygmalion noticed that Tomato was looking depressed. “What do you mean?”

“In this universe, he is dying of cancer, dear,” the engineer said. “So, for the last year he has been trying to get Roger and Dorothy together, so that they won’t be alone when he passes on. Don’t worry, it won’t happen for a long while.”

“I see,” Pygmalion said in an emotionally detached way. “So, you didn’t have anything to do with this?”

“I only assisted,” he insisted. “I was not the architect.”

Roger and Dorothy walked back into the room. Dorothy had a faintly noticeable smile on her face and a platinum ring with a three carat diamond on her finger. “I am sorry about that. I want you to meet my fiancée, Dorothy Wayneright.”

“How do you do?” asked Dorothy while performing a cute, yet proper bow.

“Nice to finally meet you.” said Pygmalion using a polite tone.

“Pygmalion, looks like your story holds true,” stated Roger. “My officer contact phoned me that a member of the hacking team has been caught. Would you mind accompanying me to the military police station?”

“Absolutely,” replied Pygmalion. She then turned to Tomato and said, “Head back home, I will be joining you in a few minutes.”

With a delighted look in his face, Tomato nodded his head in compliance. “It’s good to be able to go home. Do you have somebody on the other side operating the ARS?” he asked. “Or is it timed?”

Pygmalion realized that she did not inform anybody about the trip or set up the timer to execute the return sequence at an appointed time. “Are you telling me that we are stuck here?”

“Well, not exactly,” said Tomato with a dowered look on his face. “Norman, Roger, Dorothy and I are working…”

“Tomato, I will tell her all about our project on the way,” Roger interrupted him, eager to get going. “I don’t like keeping Major Dastun waiting.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” said Pygmalion. She then gave Tomato a gentle kiss on the cheek and walked off with Roger.

“Pygmalion, I missed you,” cried Tomato as Pygmalion and Roger exit the room.

Roger and Pygmalion made their way to his private underground garage. There, in immaculate condition was the Gryphon. It’s shiny black finish and it’s fiery red interior was an exciting sight to Pygmalion.

“So this is it?” asked Pygmalion as her eyes were being seduced by its beauty. “The mighty Gryphon!”

“Tomato said that you would appreciate this car,” said Roger with a smirk on his face and the keys in his right hand.

“He knows what I like,” she said as she made her way into the passenger seat. “Shall we?”

Pygmalion sat in the leather seat of the Gryphon and thought about the irony of her position. Having argued against contact with the main characters, she was now depending on Roger Smith’s car and connections to find her scattered team.

Roger Smith… she turned her head to regard him. She’d seen his profile dozens of times, but being next to him was like nothing she’d imagined. He was so imposing; maybe only an inch taller than Tomato, but his wide shoulders and slim waist, emphasized by the cut of his suit, gave him a presence that quite eclipsed her husband. She suddenly realized she wasn’t just seeing him either – mixed with the aroma of the leather upholstery and a faint oily scent was that of wool and masculine sweat.

Roger glanced at her, and she dropped her eyes, blushing. Resolutely, she stared out the side window. His faint reflection smirked at her until she closed her eyes. Damn it, she was not going to fall for an anime character, even if she was one herself. She was an adult, she had a job to do, she was married. She scrubbed at her face with one hand. At that moment, she felt she understood Zola’s obsession completely.

“Tired?” asked Roger.

“Mm. It’s been a long day,” she lied. To try to steer her thoughts off the shoals of attraction, she said, “Mr. Smith, this car runs very well. What grade of gas does it use?”

“Well, I am not exactly sure,” Roger said with a slightly nervous smirk. “Norman takes care of the automotive maintenance.”

“So, you don’t pump your own gas?” Pygmalion asked as she recalled the first time she put together her own motorcycle. If he was mechanically incompetent, maybe she could shake this foolish attraction. She’d always prided herself that her male friends were at least as handy as she.

“I never had to,” Roger said with a certain pride. “This car has two 20 gallon tanks. I never let the primary tank get empty.”

Pygmalion though it was comical that a grown man never pumped his own gas, or even taken it to a gas station. Then it occurred to her, she never seen a gas station in Paradigm City. “Are there any gas stations here?”

“I am not sure what you are talking about,” said Roger with a perplex look. He then swerved around a truck and accelerated the moment he entered an empty pocket of traffic. “If you are asking where we get our fuel, you will have to ask Norman. I believe that he makes his own through fermentation.”

After 20 minutes on the road, they finally got to the Military Police station. Pygmalion exited the Gryphon before Roger was able to park it properly. She ran towards the entrance of the station. She desperately wanted to know which one of the “foreigners” were captured. At first she thought that they might have captured Tony. But, she rationalized that he may be more difficult to capture since he had a history of hacking and never getting caught.

It wasn’t until she was stopped at the entrance check point that Roger was able to catch up. “My, my, aren’t we in a hurry?” asked Roger with a sarcastic tone. “No need to rush, Colonel Dastun has him in the interrogation room. He will let us enter when he needs us.”

In disappointment, Pygmalion approached the nearest bench and sat down. She opened her purse and pulled out her notepad and pen. While thinking, she started to jot down some facts. She wrote that Tomato was abandoned by the rest of the team. Also wrote that Roger was helping Tomato recreate the ARS so that Tomato can get home. Third fact she wrote was that according to Roger, Tony and Zola were building their own ARS. However, he was not sure if Falcon was helping them.

“Pygmalion,” cried Roger across the station lobby. “He is ready for us.”

Pygmalion rapidly placed her notepad and pen back in her purse and walked towards Roger. They entered a large room of cubicles and made their way across. Roger then let her to a hallway full of offices on both sides. He stopped and briefly starred at a particular office.

“What’s wrong, Roger?” asked Pygmalion. “Did you forget something?”

“No,” said Roger. “Just thinking of my Police Officer days here, that’s all.” He then pointed at a door with an “Officer T. Heinz” inscribed on its window. “This was my office.” Roger shook his head and walked away, temporarily leaving behind Pygmalion.

Noticing that Roger was a distance away, Pygmalion jogged towards him. “So, why did you leave the force?” she asked. “Seems that you enjoyed this place.”

“I did,” replied Roger while looking ahead. “It was the corruption that I couldn’t handle. There are too many people getting away with crimes because they associate themselves with Mr. Rosewater. That’s not justice!”

Pygmalion raised her eyebrow and nodded. “I see.”

Finally, after walking through the labyrinth, they made their way to Dastun’s office. Roger knocked and opened the door before being allowed to enter.

They entered Dastun’s office and saw a mountain of paper work on his desk, its peak coming to a spot just below the "in" tray. The mid-sized bookshelf was covered by a plethora of very dusty photos of his fellow officers, as if to remind the Colonel of happier times long passed.

“Thank you for coming,” the Colonel said while putting down a file that he just read. “Pygmalion, is that you?” said Dastun after recognizing her from the newsstand.

“Yes Colonel Dastun, it’s me,” Pygmalion replied, being a little nervous. “I have your change. I borrowed some of it, so owe you $10.25 cents.”

“No, it’s all right,” said Dastun after he let out a loud laugh. “Please, call me Dan.”

Pygmalion nodded. “OK, Dan.”

“Can we get down to business?” the Negotiator asked impatiently. “Dastun, you said that you have a suspect in custody for the hacking jobs. May we speak to him?”

“Certainly,” Dastun consented. “However, I need to ask a few questions of my own.” He turned his head so that he can fix his eyes on Pygmalion. “What do you have to do with this matter, ma’am?”

“Well, it’s complicated,” gasped Pygmalion. “All I can tell you is that three potentially dangerous individuals are on the loose. They need to be stopped.”

Roger can see that Dastun was not biting. “Dan, consider it a personal favor to me.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Colonel Dastun led Roger and Pygmalion to the interrogation room. There sat a heavy set man in an orange jump suit. His back had “Paradigm County Jail” in bold black letters. His ankles and wrist were bound together by a thick, shiny steel chain.

“Tony, it’s time to go home now,” Pygmalion announced.

The bound man did not respond. He just sat there with his head resting between his arms on the table.

“Mr. Perez, we can work this out,” Roger pleaded. “Just tell us where the other two members are?”

The man still didn’t respond. However, he did squirm a little, but his face still remained covered.

“That’s it!” the Colonel shouted. He pulled the man’s head back by his hair. “Come on, you!”

To Pygmalion’s dismay, it wasn’t Tony or Falcon. She shouted, “T-Bone? T-Bone! Where’s Beck?”

T-Bone’s eyes opened and stared at Pygmalion and Roger. “Finally,” he barked. “My boss has a message for you, Roger!”

“Beck, right?” Roger asked.

“Yeah,” the criminal replied. “His message is this: ‘Roger, you have two options. Your first option is to pack up your gear and leave Paradigm City; the wasteland is incredibly mild this time of year. Or you can take the second option.”

“What is the second option?” Pygmalion anxiously asked.

“He didn’t say,” the convict scoffed. “He did mention something about harvesting the power of the ‘Adam’.”

“Atom?” Pygmalion corrected. “You mean that he is building a nuclear powered Megadeuce?”

“I want to speak to my lawyer,” T-bone demanded. Dastun grabbed him by his jumper’s collar and led him to the exit. Suddenly, he stopped. “Oh, by the way, Tony, Zola and Falcon send their regards,” he said as he was laughing.

Pygmalion and Roger are rapidly walking down the steps of the Police Station. Roger is fumbling through his keys looking for the one that will start the Gryphon. “What do you think we should down,” he asked while still looking for the right key.

“Well, we wait until they pull off another job,” she replied coldly.

Outside the industrial sector of the Southside of Paradigm City lie many abandoned warehouses and factories. The buildings look dingy and old, and the only people who use them are drunken derelicts or harden criminals.

“This won’t do. This won’t one bit!” Tony shouted. “I told you I needed her alive.”
“It’s an android,” Dove proclaimed nervously. “Besides, you try to capture a 260 lb android without damaging it.”

“Beck!” Tony cried. “Please explain to this incompetent boob why we need her alive…err…functioning.”

“Why bother?” a voice echoed from a distance. “He could never appreciate the need a fast neurological computer system. And the only way to acquire one is to steal one from an android. Dorothy’s our last hope.”

“You mean, R*D,” Tony corrected. “We will need more capital. So, do we have another job, Beck.”

Beck jumped from a stack of crates, landing in front of Tony. He had on his usual flamboyant yellow suit, cheap shiny black shoes and a blond goatee. He pulled out his stun-gun/comb and start combing his hair. “Yes, we do have another job. Looks like our friend Angel got us a high class business man. The President of Paradigm Mutual wants us drain their accounts, so that they can collect on the insurance. He promises ten percent of whatever we take, provided that we return the rest back.”

“Ten percent?” Tony asked disappointedly. “You should have asked for fifteen percent. Oh well, how much are we suppose to steal?”

“Two hundred fifty thousand dollars,” Beck replied with a smirk. “That leaves us with twenty-five thousand and the rest goes to that pig’s private account.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tony retorted. “But, next time we must demand fifteen percent.” Tony then pointed at the lifeless android body on the operating table. “We need a new android.”

“Fine,” the canary colored crook said. “I can get Dorothy here by the end of the day.”

“No,” Tony frantically demanded. “Zola will handle this job. Isn’t that right, Zola?”

Staring at a blackboard, Zola dropped a piece of worn down chalk. Covered in chalk dust, she dusted her hands and approached her fellow criminals. “Sure, I can get that walking computer for you guy.”

“Good,” Beck grinned. “So, how are the plans for the nuclear powered Megadeus coming out. Remember our deal, I provide you with the material to build your Inter-dimensional bridge thing-a-ma-jig, you provide me with the most powerful Megadeus known to man. Right?”

“Beck, pop a chill pill,” Tony assured him. “Zola is working on it. She has a Ph.D. in Physics and Computer Science. She is the best.”

“So, do you think crow boy got our message?” Beck asked while lighting a cigarette.

Tony walks towards his laptop and after typing a few commands, he replied, “Yup! T-Bone was visited twice. The first was by Patty Lovejoy and the other by Roger Smith and Pygmalion Doe.”

He shouted to Zola, as she walked towards her car that was parked nearby in the warehouse, “Zola, Pygmalion is here. Looks like we’re in business.”

While looking back, Zola gave a thumbs-up. She started her car and made a raced away.

“I wish she wouldn’t do that,” Beck complained as he combed his hair. “That noise is bad for my hair.” He started walked away from Tony and Dove, but then remembered something. “Where is Falcon and Angel? There were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

“Boss, I think they are f…,” Dove tried to say, but Tony covered his mouth.

“Don’t mind to them,” Tony interrupted. “They’re on assignment.”

Tony then removed his hand from Dove’s mouth. “Make yourself useful and get me a Coke.”

“Coke?” the joker looking criminal asked. “What’s a Coke?”

Outside the Smith Mansion, Zola is pressing the intercom button. She is wearing a green feminine business suit with a pair of amber colored sunglasses. In her right hand is a slim black briefcase.

“Hello, May I help you?” the elderly voice from the speaker asked.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Zola greeted. “I am Terrie Henderson from the Android Civil Rights Society. Does a R. Dorothy Wayneright live her?”

“Yes she does,” the kind gentleman replied. “Would you like to speak to her?”

“Well, all I need is her signature,” she retorted. “It will only take a minute.”

“Very well then,” Norman complied. “I will send her down.”

Zola, removed a cigarette from her purse and started to smoke rapidly. She was very nervous about the hold ordeal. Was she ready to go through with it?

The left side of the double front door opened up and Dorothy stepped out. She was a covered in dust, making her uniform look grey. Her expression with lifeless, but one got the sense of life from looking at her obsidian colored eyes.

Noticing that Zola was petrified in place, Dorothy asked, “I believe you wanted to speak to me?”

“Oh…Of course,” Zola stuttered. “We at the Android Civil Rights Society, or better known as ACRS would like your support. The sooner you sign our petition for android suffrage, the sooner you can partake in the precious right to vote.”

“Certainly,” Dorothy smiled. “I need to get a pen.”

Pulling out a pen from her purse, Zola handed it to Dorothy. “Please, use mine. Just press that top button.”

Dorothy pressed the button and a spike of electricity incapacitated her. Still conscious, she was still able to hear and see Zola.

“I am sorry, Dorothy,” Zola apologized look down at the fallen android face. “But, we need you.”

Struggling to drag her to the passenger side of the car, Zola said, “I know it is wrong to make remarks about woman’s weight, but you are the heaviest petite girl I ever met.”

Dorothy’s eyes locked on Zola’s. Her arms and legs were still lifeless, but she was able to whisper a response. “Rrrrroooooogggggggeeeeerrrrr…”

Finally get Dorothy into the car, Zola ran around to the driver side and sped off.

Noticing that Dorothy had tears in her eyes, Zola gently whispered, “Honey, don’t fear me. I got something that will make it all better.” She removed a CD from her purse and placed it into Dorothy’s cerebral driver. “Now, you are ready to meet the Wizard, Dorothy.”

Falcon and Angel are lying on a bed in a dingy hotel room, reflecting on the blissful activity of 20 minutes ago. Angel reached for a cigarette that was on top of a mini dresser on her side of the bed, right beside the cracked lamp. Noticing that the cigarette was slightly ripped, she opened the dresser to get a fresh one from the packet. Looking into the dresser, she saw her packet of cigarette beside a Gideon Bible.

“That’s amusing,” she chuckled. “Why would they bother to put a bible in this place? Do they expect somebody to be saved in a rat trap like this?”

“I don’t know,” Falcon replied. “I think it is a tradition that they place something like that in hotel rooms, be it fancy or not.”

“Yeah,” Angel agreed as she sat erectly on the bed. Trying to cover herself, she added, “But, it gives me the creeps. I don’t need to be reminded of all the cruddy things I’ve done.”

“Hey, what are you trying to say, Angel?” Falcon asked, offended by Angel’s comment. “Are you saying that I was cruddy?”

“No, baby,” she replied with a cute smile, but still trying to cover herself. “It’s just that sometimes I feel like god is looking down at me with a frown.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Falcon shrugged. “Anyways, we need to meet Beck at the warehouse at 3 PM. What time is it?”

“4:24,” Angel yelled. “Beck’s going to kill us.”

“Don’t worry,” Falcon assured her while zipping his pants. “Tony’s covering for us.”

Angel fixing her hair, “Well, I hope so. You don’t want to get on Beck’s bad side.”

“Let’s go, doll face,” Falcon said as he opened the door and walked out. “We need to get some silicon wafers, solder, and a few circuit boards.”

“I still wonder what he needs all that for,” Angel asked while closing the door. “I would think he would need a whole bunch of transistors.”

Falcon smiled at her. He was amused by the fact that Paradigm City computers, androids and other electronic components used transistors. They never discovered the power of miniaturization of silicon and germanium. He thought that maybe it was for the best. The thought of the applying microprocessor computing power to Megadeuses made him nervous.

Finally walking down the steps and into the parking lot, Angel and Falcon made their way to her car. It was a pink circa 1955 corvette looking vehicle. Falcon couldn’t help but be impressed by it’s pristine condition.

“You sure take care of this thing, don’t you?” Falcon asked.

“This is my baby,” Angel responded. She placed the keys into the ignition and started the car. “What should we get first?”

“The wafers, Angel baby,” Falcon replied with a big smile. “It is a crying shame that this place doesn’t have EPROM burners or Micro-processor creation casts. It would make our job so much easier.”

Pretending to know what Falcon said, Angel responded, “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Angel and Falcon drove into parking lot of Paradigm Corporation R/D labs. She opens the glove compartment and pulls out two identification badges. Giving one of them to Falcon, she stated, “Wear this, Falcon. They won’t sniff around if you are wearing this badge. The security guards of Paradigm make the perfect centurion, loyal and gullible.”

Falcon took the badge from Angel and clipped it on his shirt pocket. He noticed the picture was of a man that looked nothing like him. “Hey Angel, this doesn’t look anything like me.”

“Falcon,” Angel replied with an annoyed tone. “I told you that these guys are the epitome of the perfect centurion. They will believe that picture is yours because you will tell them it is yours.”

Falcon nodded his head and followed her inside the labs rear entrance. Inside were two burly bouncer-looking security guards. After Angel flashed her badge, he approached the metal detector archway and did the same. However, the security officer stopped him to do a profile check.

“Hey buddy,” Falcon demanded. “I am late for a meeting. Big Brother is expecting me.”

The security guard paused briefly, then returned Falcon’s badge in haste. “Yes, sir. You may pass. I am only doing my job,” the nervous guard explained as he saluted Angel and Falcon as they walked away.

“That was close,” Falcon whispered to Angel.

“Like I said before, they are mindless drones,” Angel replied in a normal volume. “OK, let’s get the goods and get going. You got the list, right?”

Falcon nodded, Angel held his hand and leaned her head on his shoulders. The only sound was the clacking of Angel’s shoes as they walked down the hall together.

The Gryphon parked by the side of the Midnight Diner, an appropriate name considering it was midnight. Known as a haven for drunks and pimps, it was a scummy place with a broken neon sign that lit up a few character that flashed the ominous message “Mi ght Di e .“ Pygmalion and Roger exited the car and headed towards the front exit, Pygmalion limping slightly. She noticed that Tony and Falcon were sitting at a booth on the left end of the restaurant, with their backs to the wall.

Upon Pygmalion and Roger’s entrance, Tony waved his hand to signal their location, which seemed redundant since there were no other patrons. “Over here, guys,” he called as he pulled a chicken drumstick from his mouth. “Sorry about starting our dinner before you got here, we were busy and this is our first meal of the day.”

“Tony, we are not concerned about that,” Roger explained angrily. “Where is Dorothy? What do you want? Where…”

“Before we continue,” Falcon recited while offering to shake Roger’s hand. “I would like to take this time to thank you for attending our armistice summit. My name is…”

“Falcon,” Tony interrupted him, annoyed by Falcon’s attempt to be pleasant. “I am sure that Mr. Caretaker and the PM doesn’t have time for such niceties.” He then turned to Roger. “The reason I called you here was to arrange a little trade...”

“Where is Dorothy?” Roger demanded. “I don’t care for your little facades. I just want…”

“Yes, about that,” Tony cleared his throat. “I am sorry to inform you that you will not be getting Dorothy back for a while.”

Pygmalion became flushed. She was disgusted by Tony and Falcon’s behavior. “Tony, cut it out. You’ve meddled enough. Let’s go home and leave these fine people alone.”

“Pygmalion, I have my reasons,” Tony sarcastically replied. He then turned to Roger. “Aren’t you the least bit interested in Beck’s professional affairs?”

“What is he up to, pray tell?” Roger demanded, still standing at the head of the booth with Pygmalion.

“OK, fair enough,” Tony retorted. “First, you and the project manager would have to take a seat. I hate to eat while people hover over me. I consider it rude.” He then drank from his cup, waiting for the two to slide into the bench. After the brief moment it took Roger and Pygmalion to be seated, he said, “I have been working with Beck to create the latest and greatest Megadeus known to humanity. A nuclear powered microprocessor driven behemoth, armed with tactical nuclear cruise missiles and topped with the force de resistance an Electron Neutrino attack cannon. It’s going to be awesome.”

“Tony! Have you taken leave of your sense?” Pygmalion scolded. "You are meddling with technology that they should not have. They are not ready.”

“Were we ready when we bombed Hiroshima?” Falcon interrupted. “Our world invested countless amounts of money, resources and lives to that venture. Nobody bother to stop Oppenheimer, right? Did Truman call off the Enola Gay mission that would kill several hundred thousands of civilians? No, he did not. They justified their actions as a humanitarian one, saving millions of lives from a brutal and savage invasion. Now, 60 years later, you are giving us a recourse on ethics? That’s precious!”

“Falcon, you are more intelligent than that, don’t do it,” Pygmalion beseeched them. “Why are you guys doing this? What do you hope to accomplish?”

“I don’t know about Tony,” Falcon chuckled. “But I am in it for the money.”

“Where’s Zola?” Pygmalion cried in anger. “She should be stopping this nonsense.”

“Zola is keeping Dorothy company,” Falcon answered. “They are getting along very well. Actually, I believe that she has already taught her a lesson about trusting strangers.”

“That’s it,” Roger shouted. “I don’t know what you mean by nuclear power, cruise missles or Electron Neutrino attack cannon. But, I do know that you are nothing but trouble and Dorothy is being held against her will.” He lunged across the table and grabbed Tony’s coat “What do you want?”

Tony smiled while he finished eating his last bite. “Roger, Roger, Roger, you’re so impatient. I thought you were a professional Negotiator. Emotions can be detrimental to any negotiation process. You know that.” Roger than released his coat and sat back down. After taking another drink, he stared at Pygmalion while saying, “The condition of your sweet counterpart’s wellbeing totally depends on your cooperation. Pygmalion, you need to stand out of earshot. Up by the counter will do.”

Pygmalion and Roger turned and stared at each other for a brief moment. Pygmalion said reluctantly, “All right, I’ll be at the counter.”

Roger stood up to let Pygmalion out of the booth, then sat back down. “OK, I am listening.”

“Roger, I have no intention on harming Dorothy,” Tony started. “However, I need certain assurances. First, Pygmalion and Tomato are not supposed to know the contents of this conversation. If this trust is broken, you will leave me no choice but to…” He ran his finger across his throat. “Do we understand each other?”

Sitting at the counter, Pygmalion struggled to stay awake and watch what was happening in the booth. Despite the strong coffee she drank, she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Tony, Falcon and Roger talked together for a while. During this time, Roger asked for refills of coffee three times. She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, Roger was standing behind her, shaking her shoulder. She stood up, wincing when she put weight on her feet. Without saying a word, he placed a twenty dollar bill on the cashier counter and escorted her to his car. They then drove off in a hurry.

“What can you tell me?” Pygmalion asked. “Are they going to return Dorothy?”

“Not yet,” Roger replied without turning to look at her. “They said they would call me about the details of her release.”

“Those bastards,” she snarled. And to think that I called them my friends, she wailed to herself. “Roger, they are playing for time. We have to find Dorothy before they get those weapons completed. They are far more powerful than anything you’ve got.”

Roger stopped the car and turned to Pygmalion with his eyes tearing up. “Pygmalion, I am not going to argue with you. Dorothy’s in trouble and I am helpless to stop it.” He then shifted the care into gear and smashed the accelerator. “It’s up to Dorothy now.”

Zola and Dove were sitting around a burning trash barrel inside the abandoned warehouse, while Dorothy was bound to a chair near Zola's car. Zola stared at Dorothy obsessively, which made Dove nervous. After a moment of fighting his cravings, Dove left the women alone for a private cigarette break.

Waiting for Dove to be outside of an earshot, Zola stood and approached Dorothy. “Dorothy, how are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

Dorothy paused for a moment and retorted, “I am fine, Zola. Thank you for asking.”

“Do you want anything to eat?” Zola asked. “I am not sure what androids need to refuel.”

“I don’t require nourishment.” Dorothy responded, still paralyzed from the intense power spike. “I get my energy through the absorption of electrons from power that runs through electricity lines.”

“Doesn’t it take more energy to absorb the electricity you need to operate?” Zola asked, fascinated by Dorothy.

“It only takes a very minuet amount of energy. It is my everyday operations that take the majority on my energy reserves,” Dorothy replied indifferently. “However, I don’t think you really want to know how I function. Do you, Zola?”

Zola stared silently at Dorothy.

“The electric spike did not damage my body,” Dorothy explained. “So, you don’t have to worry. The little damage the occurred is being repaired as we speak.”

Zola sighed in relief and smiled nervously. “I am relieved.”

“Zola, I can see that you have some question that you are anxious to ask,” Dorothy coldly stated.

Zola nodded her head and thought a while. “Dorothy, I just wanted to say that I am sorry about zapping you like that. It was…”

“No need to apologize. You are a criminal and you were just acting in the way criminals do,” Dorothy sarcastically interrupted.

“Dorothy, I thought you understood me?” Zola sobbed. “You have to believe that I didn’t do it out of malice.”

Dorothy just stared at Zola silently for a moment. She then started to wiggle a finger on her left hand. “I believe that I am almost fully operational.”

“Dorothy, I really like you,” cried Zola. “You remind me of me when I was a teen.”

Dorothy continued to stare, but she was smiling slightly noticeably.

“So, if you want, I’ll let you,” Zola offered.

“Why would you do that?” asked Dorothy. “You need me in order to execute your plans. A criminal shouldn’t get sudden flashes of morality and decency; it’s detrimental to their career.”

“Dorothy, I am serious. Please consider my offer.”

Dorothy suddenly became silent. Her eyes became fixed on Dove as he approached the ladies. She then lowered her head between her knees and kept perfectly still.

“What were you saying to the robo-maid?” Dove asked.

"Nothing, just having a little fun with the android," said Zola, removing her fanny pack and pawing through the contents. "I know I have one in here, somewhere..."

"Do you want one of mine?" he asked when he realized she was looking for a cigarette.

"Synthetic tobacco? That stuff will kill you!" Zola told him and kept digging. "There they are!" She pulled a slender black package out of a zippered pocket and opened it.

Dove threw his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it. He stormed outside mumbling indecipherably.

At the moment Dove exited the building, Dorothy became animated again. She stood up and tore through her bonds. She then approached Zola and offered her hand. “I decided to help you, Zola.”

Zola looked at her a little nervously and took her hand. “First of all, you still need to be bounded. If Dove or Beck sees you walking around, they would suspect something.”

“Zola, you forget. I am an android, easily manipulated by remote controlled will manipulation devices,” Dorothy explained as she opened her cerebral drive. “Do you have a blank CD? It will give everyone the impression that I am under your control.”

Zola smiled at Dorothy. She removed a music CD from her pack and handed it to her. “I don’t have any black CD’s, but I have this.”

“Duran Duran,” Dorothy read. “This will have to due.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then smiled. “What is the name of this song?”

“Which song?” Zola asked excitedly.

Dorothy started to sing out the lyrics, “Don’t say a prayer for me now. Save it ‘till the morning after.”

“Oh, that’s ‘Save a Prayer’,” Zola answered with a big grin on her face. “Why do you like it?”

“Yes,” Dorothy replied with her eyes closed. “I never heard music like this before.”

“Darling, you have heard nothing yet.” Zola laughed as she pulled out some more CDs from her pack.

“Zola, let’s get to work,” Dorothy interrupted.

With a handful of CDs in her hands, she replied, “Right. I will save these for you.”

Dorothy approached the black board where Zola had been working her computations before. Dorothy made some minor corrections. “It seems like an elaborate weapon.”

Zola nodded.

“Ah, I see,” said Dorothy with an uncharacteristic excited tone. “This is very good. Roger would like this.”

“So, do you think it would do?” Zola asked eagerly.

“With some modifications, I am sure it will be impressive.”

“Tony will also needs your assistance in building the…,” Zola started.

“The plans are perfect, he doesn’t need me to correct them,” Dorothy interrupted. “All he needs is to compute the coordinates based on Time-Space-Universe displacement. Right?”

Zola nodded.

“I will get started on that,” Dorothy offered. “As for the rest, tell him I like his microprocessor design. The instruction set algorithm is quite impressive.”

“I am not going to tell him that,” Zola stated sarcastically. “His head is as big as this warehouse already.” Zola laughed a bit and then walked to her car that was parked behind Dorothy and retrieved a flat black object. “Tony and Falcon created this for you. They say it will help you process data faster.”

Dorothy took it and examined it for a moment, then placed it inside her cerebral drive cavity. She then looked at Zola with a surprised look on her face. “I feel a strange sensation. Microprocessors are far more advanced than transistors.”

“They can be,” Zola replied. “Just remember that this is for computation purposes only. We don’t want you to lose your self-identity or something like that.”

Dorothy nodded and commenced with her computations. Zola joined her at the blackboard and they started to work on the design.

Tomato was in the ground floor of the Big O silo, working on the creation of the ARS transporter. He was meticulously assembling the computer main frame that would be used as the operating system. Norman approached the hard working gentleman with a clipboard in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“Master Roger will be back in about five minute, Tomato,” Norman said while handing him a glass of water. “Can it wait?”

“Norman, I need to talk to him as soon as he comes in,” said Tomato, still working on assembling the final controller panel. “I need to inform him that the ARS is almost ready and I still don’t have the coordinates to my universe yet.”

Norman nodded, then turned to walk away when he started to cough violently.

Tomato rushed to Norman side to assist him. “Norman, are you alright? You don’t look so good. Maybe you should rest.”

“No, that will not be necessary,” Norman replied politely while nursing his side. “I just need to catch my breath, ‘tis all.”

“Norman, I always respected you,” Tomato’s expression became somber. “I always admired your engineering and problem solving abilities. But, there is a problem that you have neglected to attend to.”

“Oh?” Norman looked at Tomato sadly. “I know what I have to do, Tomato. I just been putting it off until I feel that he is ready.”

“Roger is a grown man,” Tomato explained. “He will have to face the fact, sooner or later.”

“Tomato, can you tell a boy you raised as your own son that you have cancer?” asked Norman holding back his tears. “That you won’t live long enough to see him say “I do” to Dorothy. I can’t do that to him.”

“I wish you would reconsider, Norman,” beseeched Tomato.

“Well, I’ll inform Roger of your needs,” Norman replied in a proper, yet cold way. He then walked off as if nothing had happened.

Minutes later, Roger and Pygmalion entered the laboratory. Pygmalion grinned the moment she saw Tomato in his work fatigues.

“Well, looks like you have been busy lately,” Pygmalion smiled with satisfaction. “Is it complete?”

“Yes, dear,” Tomato replied with an equal sense of pride, then his expression became somber. “But, we are not going anywhere soon.”

“Why is that, Tomato?” asked Roger. “Is there something missing?”

“Yes, Roger there is,” Tomato replied sadly. “We need to compute the coordinates to our universe, but all the computers here are too slow and there is no public network to tie them together for distributed computing.”

Roger raised an eyebrow and thought for a while. “Tomato, do you think that Big O has the computing power you need?”

Tomato and Pygmalion faces lit up. “It’s worth a shot,” Pygmalion as she raised her hands.

Roger led Tomato and Pygmalion, through the cat walk to the neck entrance of Big O. After a few commands, the chest armor lifted, exposing the entrance to the control center.

“Please enter,” Roger invited warmly. “Big O has one of the faster computers in Paradigm. It is best analog computer ever created.”

“Analog?” Pygmalion and Tomato chorused.

“Why yes,” Roger replied with a smirk. “Is there any other kind?”

It was after a few hours of silent human-megadeuce interaction, that Roger, Tomato and Pygmalion began to talk again.

“It’s hopeless!” Pygmalion announced. “It is utterly hopeless.”

“Don’t give up, dear,” Tomato pleaded. “We got the coordinates to our Universe and galaxy.”

“That’s right, Pygmalion,” Roger agreed with Tomato. “All we have to do is figure out the location and time of your rightful place.” Roger smirked and then added, “Then I can send you home.”

“Not yet, we need to stop Tony from ruining your world,” Pygmalion proclaimed. “He needs to answer from his crimes. Building Beck a nuclear armed Megadeus is bad enough, but kidnapping Dorothy, that is unconscionable.”

“It is not your problem, guys,” Roger responded firmly. “I am not about to argue about it now. You guys need to think about getting yourselves back…”

“Master Roger,” Norman’s voice interrupted from Roger’s watch. “There’s a Megadeus sighting at the southern warehouse district.”

“Thank you, Norman,” Roger replied. He then turned to Pygmalion and Tomato and led them out of the Megadeus. “Guys, if you can excuse me, I need to handle this matter alone.” He then sat down as the center console rose between his legs. As the control sticks orbited around him and the chest shield closed off his entrance, he shouted, “Big O… It’s Showtime.”

Angel and Falcon are in the roof of there hideout warehouse. Angel is keeping watch, scoping the area with her binoculars. Falcon is lying on the roof, humming a tune.

“Falcon, what’s that tune you are humming?” Angel asked sincerely. “I don’t recall ever hearing that tune before.”

“It’s an old song, Angel,” replied Falcon as he continued to look at the sky. “It’s name is ‘Can’t get it out of my Head’.”

“What can’t you get out of your head?” Angel asked eagerly.

“Angel, I am going to tell you a few things that I don’t normal say,” Falcon hesitantly explained. “When I met you at the Speakeasy, I was on a mission. I was to get you to take me to Beck.”

“Well, you succeeded at that,” Angel replied with a cute tone. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Angel, I am not like Beck,” Falcon announced, “I’m not a criminal with a heart of steel. The past few days, I’ve really grown close to you. I didn’t realize that you were as sweet as you were devious.”

“Falcon, flattery will get you everywhere,” Angel smiled. “I must say that I am shocked myself. I never thought I can fall for a square guy.”

“Are you serious?” Falcon suddenly became nervous. “I need to know one thing from you? Do you see us having a future together?”

“Why do you ask?” Angel lit a cigarette and puffed it a few times. “Are you thinking of leaving me?”

“That depends, Angel,” said Falcon seriously. “You know that my friends will be departing soon. They expect me to follow. However, if you and me…”

“Falcon, I can’t promise you anything,” Angel interrupted. “But, I can say that I like you a lot and want to be with you. I mean, I use to like Roger, but he’s taken by that Android of his. Even though he wasn’t always like this, Beck is far too unstable for me these days. And, Dove is out of the question.”

Falcon rolled his body around, lying on his stomach.

“Why are you so insecure?” Angel was getting frustrated. “I really like you. If you can’t see that, then you need some glasses.”

“I want to stay with you, Angel,” Falcon announced. “If that’s what you want.”

Before Angel could answer, a sudden quake shook the building. Falcon got up and started to look around frantically. She then pointed her finger towards the Westside where a large Megadeus exploded from the ground.

“Oh my god,” Angel shouted. “It’s begun. Beck’s nuclear powered megadeuce is operational.”

“Look over there,” Falcon cried. “There’s Big O!” Falcon grabbed Angel’s binoculars to get a closer look. “Looks like the showdown has begun!” He grabbed Angel by the hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Let’s talk to Tony! I need to tell him of my decision.”

Cast in the name of God…. Ye not Guilty

Inside the cockpit, Roger was meticulously piloting the metallic giant. His attention to controls and the status were well orchestrated. He rechecked every gauge at least three times before he received a video call from the other Megadeus. The screen read, “Communication request from Big Khan…” After a moment to wrap up his preparations, Roger finally took the call.

“Well, it is good to see you again, Crowboy,” Beck taunted with a silly grin on his face. “Didn’t think that you were crazy enough to accept my challenge.”

“Enough with the foolishness, Beck,” said Roger angrily. “Just walk away from the Megadeus and I promise…”

“Promise what, crowboy,” Beck scoffed. “You don’t realize the power I have. Don’t you?” Beck laughed maniacally. “Well Roger, I gave you a chance to run, now it time to show you what real power is.”

The screen suddenly went blank, and the red Megadeus suddenly disappeared.

“What the hell?” Roger asked himself. “Where did it go?”

Suddenly Big O was hit from behind with a barrage of punches from Big Khan.

“It is an incredible sight to see how fast a nuclear powered megadeuce can punch,” Beck’s voice mocked from the speakers. “When you are ready to surrender, say Uncle.”

“Never!” Roger shouted as swung Big O’s fist at Big Khan. But, Big O missed. Looking around, Roger couldn’t find Big Khan anywhere. “Where did it go?”

“Pick-e-boo, I see you,” Beck’s laughed. Big Khan suddenly materialized right in front of Big O.

Roger fired off his entire load of missiles at Beck, but to no effect. He then fired his hip anchors that wrap Big Khan. Big O then punched the other Megadeus with a pile drive.

“Aren’t we getting desperate?” Beck scoffed. “Let me show you a little trick I learned from Tony.” Big Khan started to glow a crimson red and the chains melted off.

Roger noticed that the temperature in cockpit became unbearably hot. He piloted Big O to back away from Big Khan.

“Well Roger, as much as it would hurt me to lose such a great sparring partner,” Beck gloated as he reached for the flashing red button. “I bid you a fond farewell. Don’t worry, Tony will take good care of Dorothy for you.”

“No!” shouted Roger.

Inside Beck’s warehouse hideout, Tony and Zola are in the makeshift laboratory preparing the launch sequence of the ARS. A thunderous sound of an explosion can be heard as the ground shook violently. They are knocked to the floor and for a few moments they stood there.

“Tony, I am not sure if I am ready for this,” Zola said nervously.

“We must do it, it’s our only hope,” Tony replied coldly.

“What about Dorothy?” Zola asked frantically, “What will become of her?”

“She’ll be fine, I promise.” Tony replied. “I’ll make sure that she is well taken care of.”

Zola hugged Tony and then crawled into the ARS transportation chamber.

After standing up and dusting him self off, Tony entered in the destination address into the control panel: “PU-1753-0-12434.445674-4023387254.499565”. He then waved good bye to Zola and shouted, “In two months!”

Pygmalion and Tomato entered the laboratory. They saw Zola disappearing while Tony busy entering in new coordinates into the control panel. Tomato pulls out a pistol and fires a warning shot.

“Tony, stop what you’re doing,” Pygmalion demanded.

Tony continued to enter data into the control panel hastily.

“Tony, don’t you hear me? I order you to stop what you’re doing and surrender,” Pygmalion reiterated.

“Pygmalion... Tomato, don’t interrupt me. I have a date with my wife in 5 minutes and I don’t want to be late.”

“Hey, newsflash: This Dorothy is not your wife,” Tomato corrected. “She was engaged with Roger.”

“What?” Tony smirked. “Oh, that’s right! Roger is no longer with us, isn’t he?”

“How could you be so irresponsible?” Tomato asked angrily. “You killed Roger for your own personal gain.”

“Love will make you do funny things, Tomato,” Tony retorted. “Dorothy, show them the door.”

Dorothy appeared in back of Tomato and Pygmalion. Without saying a word, she grabbed and destroyed Tomato’s gun.

“Dorothy, don’t,” Pygmalion cried. “You’re letting Tony escape.”

Tony pressed the ignition button and ran inside the ARS chamber. With in a second, Tony was gone and the chamber imploded.

Pygmalion and Tomato were dumbstruck by Dorothy’s odd behavior.

“Are you under Tony’s control? Did he harm you?” Pygmalion asked.

“No, I acted on my own free will,” Dorothy explained.

“But he help Beck kill Roger, don’t you care?” Tomato asked with a perplex look.

“Not really,” Dorothy said simply.

“I don’t understand it,” Pygmalion threw her hands up. “I though you loved Roger.”

“But, I do,” Dorothy replied.

“I love you too, Dorothy,” Roger replied as he walked into the laboratory. His skin was a deep red color and his clothes stank of burnt cloth.

“But, we thought you were destroyed by the nuclear blast?” Tomato asked.

“Tony, told me that he would disable all lethal weapons and cause Big Khan to explode upon the execution of the main gun,” Roger smirked. “He didn’t tell me that I would get baked, though.”

“And Beck?” Tomato asked. “What happened to him?”

“Beck is unconscious in the cockpit of Big Khan,” Roger smirked. “The police will revive him when they get here.”

“Roger, so that is what you guys were discussing at the diner?” Pygmalion asked. “Why didn’t you tell me? And, why were you crying in the car?’

“Tony asked me not to tell you because you would never let him go,” Roger explained. “He went back to seek out his wife.”

“And?” Pygmalion shouted.

“Oh, as for my crying? That is the product of 2 years in high school drama club.”

Pygmalion made a fist and shook it at Roger. “Sometimes you get me so angry.”

“It is not his own fault, Pygmalion,” Dorothy came to his defense. “He’s a louse.”

Tomato and Pygmalion throw there arms up in the air.

“Know what are we going to do?” Tomato asked. “We still need to calculate our coordinates to our universe.”

“PU-91753-2332-42434.445674-4023382250.4839765,” Dorothy recited.

“How did you do that?” Tomato asked in amazement.

“Zola had me calculate your home coordinates,” Dorothy said proudly. She then open her cerebral drive and removed a black flat object. “No offense to your team,” Dorothy said as she gave the processor to Pygmalion. “But, I prefer transistor technology. I almost overloaded three times. ”

“I believe you should go now,” Roger interrupted. “Colonel Dastun will be here soon and I won’t be able to explain all this with you two here.” He turned to Dorothy, and asked, “Can you take them home? I will hitch a ride with Angel.”

“Angel?” Dorothy asked. “I am not sure if that is a good idea.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” Roger smirked. “I ran into her and her new friend in the main warehouse room. They seem pretty happy to me.”

Tomato and Pygmalion smiled and walked off with Dorothy.

Tony suddenly appeared outside the DLT office. He smiled as he turned the door knob. Zola was talking to Luis when she finally recognized him.

“Tony, is that really you?” Zola asked. “It’s been two months.”

“Yes, I see that everything worked out.” Tony replied. “Am I still married? Or did I screw this universe up?”

“Yup, you’re married” Zola replied. “Your old you should be on your way back to our old universe.”

“Great,” Tony smiled.

“Wait a minute, you just stepped into Dorothy’s office about a minute ago,” Luis shouted. “How can you be here, while you are in there?”

“Zola!” Dorothy cried from her office. “My husband is gone?”

“No, dear,” Zola smiled. “He’s right over here.”

Dorothy rushed out of her office and hugged Tony. “Where did you go?”

“I need to take care of business,” said Tony while giving her a kiss. “I’ll never leave you again, I promise.”

“What’s this!” Luis said looking perplexed. “I don’t get it. You were in Dorothy’s office, you disappeared, then you reappear here. Zola says that you’ve been gone for two months, but in fact you have been gone for a fraction of a second. Am I missing something?”

“Luis, take the rest of the day off. You need it,” Tony held Dorothy by the hand and said, “Let’s go out tonight, Dorothy?”

“Yes,” Dorothy replied, seemingly excited. “Zola, would you like to join us?”

“No, I don’t want to be a third wheel.” Zola asked.

“Zola,” Dorothy replied. “Tony and I had a discussion last night. What do you think about you and Roger?”

“Roger?” Zola replied, unable to hide her excitement.

“Last night?” Tony inquired, momentary perplexed. He then remembered their conversation, but from his reference point, it occurred several weeks ago. “Oh Right, last night! Well, if you are interested, let’s meet you at Chez Rosewater at 8 o’clock tonight.”

Zola smirked. “As long as I get Roger, count me in.”

*****************************************

Major Ray found himself on the floor with his hand covering his ears. The trip through the vortex was incredibly cruel on his senses. The unbearably loud pitch sound and blinding light was bad enough, but the deafening silence that followed caused his body to go into shock.

As he stood up, he found himself in a cold and dark tunnel. He realized that it was a subway tunnel, abandoned looking and damp. He bent down to retrieve his backpack from the floor. He removed the flashlight from one of the backpack’s side pockets.

“What the hell?” he gasped after flipping on the flashlight. Highlighting a sign, he read aloud, “PARADIGM CITY – CENTRAL DOME.” The Major became excited. “I can’t believe it, I’m actually here.”

He pulled out a folder from the backpack and started to review the profiles. He stared at the pictures of Tony, Zola, Tomato, Pygmalion and Falcon. Read over their psychological profiles, then placed the folder back into the backpack. “OK, I know Tony would come back to PU-1753-0. He wouldn’t willingly abandon his wife. And wherever he is, his team would follow. It’s a matter of finding Roger’s place.”

With a smile on his face, he started to walk down the tunnel, looking for a passage way to the surface. After a few minutes of wandering, he came across a ladder which led to a manhole. As he started to climb, he was struck by a sudden wave of terror. He fell to the floor. Immobilized my fear and before passing out, he heard a mysterious voice call to him, “Come to the desert and see.”

This was my very first fanfic that I ever written. It's based on Act 9, "Beck is Back". It was inspired by Lady Tesser's story (before I joined our illustrious forum). And was partially edited by Zola and Pygmalion. Enjoy.

Please Note: That this story will be edited and posted to the main fanfic section of Paradigm-City.

*************

The Afterlife

Chapter 1

Rooooooooggggerrrrrrrrr, I love you…

Dorothy found herself floating in a black abyss. She could not distinguish direction, for there was none. She was unable to see anything at all, not even her own body. The lack of visible reference points was troubling enough, but not being to see her own hands in front of her face was really unnerving.

“Where am I?” she asked, as if she was expecting an answer.

Suddenly, she noticed a strange, yet soothing light. At first, it gave her an odd sense of comfort. She wondered if the light was emanating from Roger’s flashlight or the Gryphon’s headlights. The bluish light grew brighter in intensity, but did not seem to be getting any closer or warmer, until the brilliant luminosity of it completely blinded her.

Chapter 2

“Lady Dorothy, are you all right?” a grandfatherly voice asked worriedly.

Still partially blinded and unable to focus, she turned in the direction of his voice. “Norman, is that you?” she responded softly, as she felt a pair of warm hands touching her shoulders.

“Yes, it is I. Did you injure yourself?” Norman helped Dorothy to her feet. “Shall I call for medical assistance?”

“No, that will not be necessary. I am fine,” she stated in her usual monotone. She felt a dull, yet intense sensation on her knees and elbows. Unable to resist, she rubbed them, as she asked, “How did I end up here?”

“It seems that you have slipped on some spilled tea.” His tone was apologetic and his eyes were anxious. “I should have been there. I am so sorry, madam. If only…”

“It is all right; it is not your fault.” Dorothy interrupted. She sensed Norman’s guilt and concern, she added, “It would take more than a minor slip to hurt me.”

“Will you need anything else?” the elderly butler inquired as he kneeled down to wipe up the remaining tea from the marble floor.

“No, I will be fine.” She stood up and a thought struck her. She looked at Norman and asked, “By the way, where is Roger? I need to speak with him.”

He looked at her with a surprised expression and cleared his throat. “Your husband is in his study, as usual.” When he realized she was staring at him with her mouth open, he became anxious again. “Is there something wrong, Madam?”

“How men amuse themselves. Was this your idea of a joke?” she replied coldly, seemingly upset.

Norman paused, contemplated about what he said that might have upset her. “Are you sure you’re all right? I only answered your question,” he told her. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong.” He stood up, bowed politely and commenced towards the kitchen.

Dorothy started to analyze the last few moments. “What could have possibly caused me to slip?” she wondered. Her gyroscopic positioning system should have been able to pick up any changes in her position; it enabled her to walk and balance almost anywhere without falling. And why did she have tea to spill in the first place? The only time she ate or drank something was when she was around humans as a formality—she had no need for sustenance when she was alone

The final oddity bamboozled her the most, his reference to Roger as her husband. After a few moments of thought, she dismissed the butler’s comments as a manifestation of his sense of humor, an occurrence that was very common in the Smith household. Roger had always claimed that she “needed to loosen up”, whatever that meant. She shook her head and proceeded to the study. The doors were closed, so she rapped on them smartly.

After three knocks, she had a distinctly uncomfortable sensation in her knuckles. The sensors in her hand, as well as her knees and elbows must be mis-calibrated, something that had been known to happen. The last time it had occurred, in fact, her sleeve had caught fire, and she didn’t realize it until Roger had jumped on top of her and rolled her on the ground to douse the flame.

“Who is it?” there was finally a response. “Honey, is that you?”

Dorothy was completely mystified by Roger’s endearment—unless he was expecting someone named Honey? “No, it is I, Dorothy,” she said, in her usual lifeless tone. Before Roger could invite her in, she proceeded into the room. “I have a question for you…” she began.

She noticed that Roger was focused on some documents in front of him. By his side was an empty bottle of bourbon. Apparently, he had been drinking, which meant that he wasn’t likely to make much sense. Without looking up, he asked with a syrupy tone that was apparently intended to mask his irritation at being interrupted, “What’s the matter, Honey-Bunny? Is everything O.K.?”

She stood there quietly, waiting for his full attention. She could see that he was resisting eye contact, but waited diligently, anyway. After a few moments, he finally looked up.

“Roger, you are a louse! Honey-Bunny?” Dorothy scolded. Before she could tell him off as he so richly deserved, she realized he had a strange expression on his face. She had seen it at least once before, during his second encounter with Schwarzwald; it was a look of complete and utter shock.

Roger jumped up from his chair. “Honey…err…Dorothy, are you O.K.?” Roger looked completely bewildered. “I thought you liked being called ‘Honey-Bunny’?”

Dorothy’s expression mellowed to indifference. “I can never understand you, Mr. Negotiator. Your sense of humor, like your sense of fashion, completely escapes me.”

“Mr. Negotiator? No need to be formal,” he replied sarcastically. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?” His expression smoothed. “Did you have a question for me?”

Believing that she would be not able to conduct a meaningful conversation with him in his current state, she finally replied, “Forget about it. I am not in the mood to speak to you at this moment.” She turned and left the room, wondering why there was a feeling of pressure in her midsection and a pounding ache in her head.

Mystified beyond belief, Roger pressed the intercom button. “Norman, is today an anniversary I have forgotten?” he asked.

“No, sir. Is there something wrong?” the old gentleman replied.

“Dorothy has run amuck and I am out of bourbon. Life is wonderful,” Roger snapped. Releasing the intercom button, he sighed heavily, a pitiful expression on his face. “Women!”

Chapter 3

Dorothy found herself walking down a hallway, without a particular destination in mind. She couldn’t fathom the sensations she had felt, or the odd behavior of Roger and Norman. The one thing he did know was that she had to leave at once.

As she towards the elevator, she noticed that Norman was replacing expired light bulbs for new ones in the main living room. “Lady Dorothy, are you going out?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” she said, still upset from her encounter with Roger. “I think I’m going to take a walk. Would you like me to get you anything?”

“No, that won’t be necessary, thank you for asking,” he replied. “But now that you mention it, I would rather you not go alone.”

“Are you asking to go with me?” she frowned.

“That’s kind of you, but I must decline. If we are to have dinner at a sensible hour, I must get started shortly,” he replied with stiff propriety.

“Then, who would you recommend?” Dorothy responded with a puzzled look.

“I would be delighted,” a feminine voice replied.

Suddenly, a silhouette appeared at the doorway that separated the kitchen from the main room. Suddenly it dawned on her, it was the unscrupulous Angel.

There was something different about Angel. For one thing, she was not wearing her favored seductive cat-suit, nor was she dressed in pseudo-business attire. In fact, she was actually wearing the same type of maid uniform that Dorothy typically wore, a long black skirt with a black long-sleeved blouse and her jabot. And her eyes, Dorothy did notice at first, but they were not mahogany brown, but obsidian black. Then it dawned on her. “She’s an android,” Dorothy stared in disbelief, then noticed she herself wasn’t wearing her usual maid’s uniform. She was wearing a black business suit, sexy, but professional. In shock, “How can this be?”

“Is there a problem?” Norman asked politely from a distance, with a gentlemanly smile.

In attempt to spare Norman from another round of circular explanations, she decided to take the android Angel with her. “It’s all right, Norman.” Dorothy turned to the android. “Please come with me, R. Angel. Your name is R. Angel, is it not?” The android nodded and they went off.

As they proceeded down the dome-less streets of Illegal Residence Sector, Dorothy tried to figure out exactly what was happening. At best, she found it extremely difficult to decipher Roger and Norman’s odd behavior. Believing she was speaking to herself, she said, “I’ve never had so many nicknames used to refer to me before. Norman keeps addressing me as Lady Dorothy, instead of Miss Dorothy or just Dorothy. Roger has referred to me by many names, but Honey and Honey-Bunny were never a part of it. And why do we have another android? Isn’t one enough?”

“Madame, the reason Norman refers to you that way is because you are Master Roger’s wife and the mistress of the house. The same applies to your husband’s penchant for pet-names. As for me, I assist Norman with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the house. For your final question; There is only one android, me.” Angel informed her frankly, with a seemingly prideful tone.

Dorothy was shocked. She was married to Roger? When did this happen? “Angel, please clarify. Married?” Dorothy asked hastily. “When did this happen? Details! Please!”

“Of course, madame. On September 2, 39 A.E., you and Master Roger were joined in holy matrimony.” Angel stated, with a synthetic smile that was beginning to irritate Dorothy. “This was the result of a two year courtship that originated after you and Master Roger met at the university campus. He was there to give a lecture on the psychology of the criminal element and wasn’t paying much attention to where he was going. You and he literally ran into each other.”

“Do you mean that I was a…,” Dorothy interrupted.

“A student. That is correct,” Angel answered. “As I recall from one of our conversations, he described you as the greatest art student of our time. He loved the way you sing and played the piano. I never saw him that excited prior to meeting you…”

Dorothy paused for a moment, trying to assimilate this new information. She was unaware of ever having attended any university, let alone having met Roger there. Was all of this somehow connected to the human Dorothy Wayneright? Had she malfunctioned and somehow triggered memories that rightfully belonged to her human counterpart? Her recollection of meeting Roger was when she had been held hostage and he had negotiated for her release.

“…Are you feeling well, my lady?” Angel asked anxiously. “You look very pale. May I suggest that we return to the Smith Mansion?”

Dorothy looked at the android with misgiving. It was no secret that she distrusted Angel, and she certainly didn’t know what her intentions were, especially around Roger. Under normal circumstances, Angel would lie if she thought it might benefit her. But, this Angel was different. If she was lying to her, she can really mask it well.

“Tell me, do you know a Cassey Jenkins or Patricia Lovejoy?” Dorothy said lightly, trying to conceal her suspicions.

“No. Should I? Shall I search my internal database?” the other replied.

“No, I just wondered,” Dorothy said, doubtfully. The Angel she knew would never be this forthcoming. “Did you ever work for Paradigm Corporation?”

“No. I was created by Dr. Timothy Wayneright on July 3, 22 A.E.” Angel said. “I was given to Master Roger on August 25, 37 A.E., as payment for services rendered to my creator.”

Dorothy was dumbstruck. She was finding it difficult to accept these statements. She was aware of her ‘father’s’ work, and it was possible that he would create another android in secret, being the eccentric recluse that he was. However, she could not believe that he would ever create one that looked like R. Angel.

“Is there anything else you would like to ask me?” she said earnestly.

Dorothy was almost shocked to continue, the responses she had received so far were extremely disturbing. After a moment of hesitation, she finally said, “Yes. When you said that you were the only android, what exactly did you mean?”

“Just what I said, my lady. I am the only robot in your household. Norman and Master Roger are quite human, as are you yourself.” the android stated calmly.

“Stop! What are you trying to say?” Dorothy was frantic. “If I am not an android, then what am I?”

R. Angel’s expression did not alter at Dorothy’s outburst. “Madame, you do not look well. Perhaps you hit your head harder than you realized and it’s affecting your memory. I suggest that we call for your husband and take you to a doctor.”

Dorothy was unable to handle this situation. There was a strange pounding and a feeling of pressure in her chest, and it felt as though her insides were collapsing. “Doctors are bio-technicians!” she insisted. “They are only for humans!”

Angel stared at her in apparent concern. “Yes, of course, and I believe that I should call one for you.

Dorothy dropped to the floor, suddenly dizzy and weak. She was barely conscious when Angel crouched down beside her and whispered, “Don’t worry, it will all come back to you.”

Chapter 4

“Are you alright?” Roger cried softly. His face was flushed, and his eyes unable to conceal his anxiety. “Please answer me.”

Dorothy found herself sleeping on a large bed in Roger’s bedroom. She was wearing her pajamas and a thick blanket covered her body. To her delight, Roger was by her side, holding her fragile hands.

“Ah huh,” mumbled Dorothy. The pain in her head and abdomen made it difficult to speak. After a few moments, she asked, “What happened?”

Relieved by the sound of Dorothy’s voice, Roger brushed her hair from her forehead. With a smile, he called, “Doc?”

Suddenly, a tall man in a dark suit appeared. Dorothy couldn’t help but stare at the middle-aged gentleman with an awkward mustache-goatee. His round bifocals and white robe gave him the appearance of a stereotypical professor.

“How are you feeling, young lady? I see that we had an incident,” he asked in a calm and soothing voice. Before Dorothy was able to respond, he hastily went on to ask, “Are you feeling light headed?”

“Mmm… Yes, I do,” Dorothy diligently replied, still battling her merciless headache.

The doctor wrote a few statements in his notebook. He then asked, “Do you feel nauseous?”

“Wha... Wha… What do you mean,” the Doctor’s question confused Dorothy. She knew the definition and the causes of the disorder, but had never felt nausea before.

“Does your abdomen ache? Do you have an upset stomach?” The doctor clarified.

“If you are referring to the sudden desire to expel burning substances from my stomach via my oral cavity, then yes, I do,” Dorothy said rapidly, yet unemotionally. She didn’t notice that Roger, Norman and the Doctor were repulsed by her statement.

By this point, Dorothy was feeling strange, since she had never felt ill before. The overwhelming feelings she was experiencing were leading her to believe that she was malfunctioning.

“Robert, will she be Okay?” Roger inquired with a shaky voice. He was uncharacteristically pale and unnerved.

“Well, that is common for a young woman in your condition.” The doctor said with a faintly noticeable grin on his face.

“A woman in my condition,” she said anxiously. Dorothy did not appreciate being patronized. “Tell me Doctor, what is your diagnosis?”

“Well, Lady Dorothy. I wanted to wait until you were feeling a bit stronger, but…” Robert hesitated for a brief moment. He cleared his throat, and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I am proud to announce that you are going to have a child!”

Suddenly, the room fell silent. Roger’s expression became numb. Norman, standing beside Roger, was frozen in place, reminiscent of an ancient statue. While Dorothy stared vacantly into the doctor eyes as if she was expecting him to shout ‘Got you, didn’t I?’

“Are you certain, doctor?” Dorothy asked with an inquisitive tone and a bewildered expression.

“Yes, I am absolutely certain,” the doctor replied with a melancholy tone. “If you don’t want this child, there are some alternatives…”

“No! No! No! I didn’t mean it that way. Thank you, doctor,” Dorothy excitedly proclaimed, forcing herself to smile. “I am very happy and surprised, that’s all.”

Robert then smiled and after making a sigh of relieve, he congratulated the young couple and bid them a good day. The doctor then headed towards the exit, and Norman followed.

Roger finally snapped out of his zombie-like trance. He said nervously, “Honey… err, Dorothy, I am so happy. I can’t believe that we are going to have…”

“Roger, is this really possible?” Dorothy interrupted in disbelief. “Am I really pregnant? Am I really married to you? Am I really human? …” Suddenly, she felt a pin-prick on her right arm. “What was that?” she cried.

“Lady Dorothy, the doctor prescribed a mild sedative. This will help you rest for a few hours,” said Norman, uneasy from deceiving Dorothy into thinking that he was no longer in the room.

“Where is Angel, I need to talk to her!” Dorothy cried out as she was losing consciousness.

After a few tense moments, Dorothy was asleep and Roger and Norman continued to stare at her.

“Angel? Norman, do you know what she is talking about?” Roger asked Norman who was standing beside him.

“I haven’t an idea, sir,” the elderly gentleman replied.

“What do you think she meant when she asked if she was married to me?” Roger asked somberly. He would never admit it, but he was deeply affected by Dorothy’s remark.

Norman, sensing that Roger was distraught, tried to humor him that everything was going to be fine. “Master Roger, I believe being married to you would drive any woman to her limits.” He noticed that Roger was not amused, so he warmly added “Don’t worry, Lady Dorothy is going through a stressful situation. Give her time. The transition to motherhood can be overwhelming to some.”

“I guess you are right, Norman.” said Roger, uneasy with the Dorothy’s latest episode. The two gentlemen quietly walked away from Dorothy, leaving her alone in the giant bedroom.

Chapter 5

Dorothy awoke from her drug induced slumber to find herself wrapped around Roger’s arms. She couldn’t help but smile. As much as she wanted to remain there, the unbearably taste in her mouth forced her to seek water. Delicately, she managed to free herself. Mindful not to disturb Roger’s rest, so she stealthily proceeded towards the kitchen.

After a brief stop to the kitchen, Dorothy took her glass of water to the balcony. She soon realized that her white robe and matching fuzzy slippers were no match for the brisk midnight breeze. “It’s cold,” she though. Her body shivered gently and her arms covered by goose-bumps. She was fascinated by these physiological responses, but was unable to overcome them. Conceding defeat, she thought, “I should go inside.”

However, before Dorothy realized it, a pair of arms unexpectedly surrounded her. She turned her head, and to her delightful surprise it was Roger.

With messy hair and squinty eyes, he moaned, “Enjoying the midnight skyline?”

Unable to resist Roger’s charm, she responded with a simple smile. She was glad to see him by her side.

“How‘s little Roger? Is he happy in there,” he asked in a sweet and silly tone.

Still in Roger’s arms, Dorothy turned her body around to face Roger. “What makes you think the baby is a he?” she replied with a cutely sarcastic tone. “Besides which, she is doing fine.” The both smiled while glaring into each other’s eyes.

Suddenly, a growl sounded from Dorothy’s stomach. Roger gave her a playful smirk, and said “Sounds like junior’s hungry. Beside, I can use a midnight snack, myself.” He took her by the hand and led her inside.

They passed through the Main Room, straight to the Kitchen. To Dorothy’s amazement, Roger quickly made two sandwiches and then led her towards the elevator.

“Roger, shouldn’t we eat in the Dinning Room,” she asked with a perplexed look to her face.

“Nah, I don’t want to wake Norman,” he said casually. “Besides, I have a better place in mind.”

Dorothy, miserably failed to mask her excitement, followed Roger into the elevator. “Where are we going?” she asked anxiously as they entered.

“It’s a surprise,” he said, still smirking.

It was when the elevator finally stopped when Dorothy found that they where in Big O’s catwalk. Confused, she asked, “Here? Does Big O need repairs?”

“No, Honey…err…Dorothy. Don’t you remember when we were on the date, and Schwarzwald…,” Roger asked sweetly.

Suddenly, a memory occurred to her. She remembered during a particularly romantic date, Schwarzwald and his Megadeus, Big Duo attacked Paradigm Headquarters. Unable to sneak off unnoticed, Roger had no choice but to invite Dorothy into Big O, together they fought against the menace. Unfortunately, after a long and grueling battle, Schwarzwald some how escaped. It was at that moment, while in Big O’s cockpit that Roger proposed to Dorothy.

With a sudden rush of euphoria, Dorothy said, “Yes, Honey, I remember.” Unable to contain her joy, she practically jumped on top of Roger, while giving him a hug.

Roger, trying to mask his mutual feelings for her, he made a superficial stop gesture. “Dorothy, not in front of the sandwiches,” he said jokingly. He opened the cockpit doors. Trying to impersonate Norman, he made a hand gesture and said, “After you, my lady.”

Upon entering the cockpit, Dorothy noticed that the interior was candle lightened and on top of the control console was a bottle of Champagne complete with two crystal glasses. Roger, with his relentless smirk, filled the glasses. As he raised glass, he asked, knowing the answer already, “What should we toast to?”

“To us,” Dorothy proclaimed. In that instant, Dorothy had a vague account of being an android. However, she then dismissed the memory as a result of her overactive imagination, and added, “To our life together, may it be eternal.”

Chapter 6

The air was filled with music. Dorothy is tossing and turning in bed. “Who can be playing that infernal racket,” she thought. “Curse that inconsiderate person. Don’t they know it is absolutely rude to play the piano when my head is pounding the way it is?”

For a moment, she continued to squirm around between the sheets. Finally, she decided to take action against the beast that was producing the ear piercing noise.

As she sought to find the perpetrator of this heinous act, she visualized the rasping she was going to inflict. She rushed into the Main Room, there she found the criminal responsible for the musical assault. It was R. Angel.

R. Angel noticed Dorothy had been staring at her with a look of disdain and loathing. “Lady Dorothy, you are 13 minutes late, and your eggs have gotten cold.”

“Why are you playing that racket?” Dorothy shouted, still suffering from a merciless hangover. “Don’t you know it is rude to wake up somebody like that, especially when she has a headache as bad as mine?”

“Lady Dorothy, nobody is ever happy to hear an alarm bell!” R. Angel proclaimed, with a expressionless voice.

Vague recollections of Roger reacting to an android’s morning renditions filled Dorothy’s head. “Now I know how Roger felt,” Dorothy thought.

Finally, over her morning grumpiness when she asked, “Where are Roger and Norman?”

“Begging your pardon, Madame, I believe your husband is out on business,” the android replied expressionlessly. “As for Norman, he is over at the market place. I do not expect either one to be here for another three hours, or so. Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason. However, since we are alone, I have a few questions for you. If you don’t mind me asking, please keep our conversation discreet.” Dorothy asked in a gentle yet firm tone.

“Absolutely, Lady Dorothy. If you would like, I am able to encrypt our conversation in my memory banks so nobody would be able to access it.” R. Angel replied with pride.

“That will not be necessary, Angel. But, thank you anyways for the offer.” Dorothy then cleared her throat. Apparently, Dorothy was extremely nervous, her eyebrows were sweaty and her eyes were anxious. “Angel, I don’t know what has happened to me, but I am not Dorothy Smith. At the very least, I am not the Dorothy that you believe me to be,” Dorothy stated.

“Interesting…” Angel coldly stated. “Then who are you?”

For a moment, Dorothy was unable to recall anything prior to yesterday. Then, it came to her. “I am R. Dorothy Wayneright, an android. I am not sure how it happened, but I was suddenly transformed into Dorothy Smith and ended up here,” she confessed, her eyes shifted about the room, ready to stop talking at any sign of Roger or Norman.

“Interesting…” Angel repeated. “As long as I known you, I never heard you say anything like that. However, if what you say is true, and you were an android: How do you feel about this transformation?”

“How do I feel? I don’t know. I am confused,” Dorothy replied still perplexed by her sudden loss of memory.

“Dorothy, do you like who you are?” Angel asked forcefully, yet soothingly. “Do you like being Lady Dorothy Smith? Don’t you love Roger?”

“Well… Well… Yes, I do. I believe I do enjoy being Dorothy Smith.” Dorothy hesitantly replied. “And I Love…”

“Good. It is all settled.” Angel hastily interrupted. “Take my hand and we will make some tea.”


Dorothy grabbed R. Angel’s hand and closed her eyes. Then it happened. Flashes of memories popped into Dorothy’s head: Memories of her parents; her college days; meeting Roger; their first date; her first time in Big O… The memories were started to overwhelm her when out of the sudden it stopped.

Dorothy opened her eyes to find that R. Angel was no longer there. “Angel, where are you,” she demanded, but her cries fell on deaf ears.

Chapter 7

Dorothy sat on the Living Room couch, analyzing her situation and the events that had occurred thus far. She turned her head towards the coffee table, where she noticed a silver picture frame. She leaned forward and picked it up. Dorothy smiled upon seeing the picture. “Is this really me and Roger?” she thought.

Dorothy was trying to recall her memories when she heard the elevator powering up. “Somebody’s coming?” she thought. Dorothy placed the picture back on the table and sat perfectly still. She waited in anticipation, hoping that it was Roger.

To Dorothy disappointment, it was just Norman. His arms filled with grocery bags, as he struggled to get them on to the kitchen table.

It was when Norman started to place the grocery items onto the shelves that he noticed that Dorothy was staring at him from the doorway. “Lady Dorothy, I trust that you had a restful night,” he said politely. “How are you feeling?”

“I am fine, Norman. Thank you for asking,” she said graciously. “Do you need any help?”

“Thank you,” he replied, grateful for her assistance. “By the way, Roger wanted me to relay to you that he will be on time for dinner tonight. Do you have a particular dish that you would like me to prepare?”

“No Norman, please feel free to prepare anything you like,” Dorothy stated, indifferently. Still nervous about her encounter with Angel, she was about to ask, “Norman, I would like to ask you something personal? Do you think that Roger is happy with me?”

“Lady Dorothy, I am surprised you would ask that question,” Norman replied with a warm smile. “Roger adores you like no other. Before you came along, he was a lifeless recluse. He was never interested in anything social or artistic, but now he is full of life.”

“Tell me, have I always been this way?” Dorothy asked hesitantly.

“Like what, my lady?” the elderly gentleman inquired. “You mean a redhead? A musician? A singer? Adorable?” Norman laughed along with Dorothy.

“Thank you, Norman. I never did tell you how much I appreciate you,” Dorothy said, wiping her tears of laughter away.

“Lady Dorothy, you don’t have to say anything, I already know,” Norman replied with a hint of a smile. “If you would excuse me, I need to prepare supper now. Colonel Dastun, the good Doctor and his wife will be joining you and Roger.”

“Would you like me to help you, Norman?” Dorothy asked, with a gleam in her eyes.

“No, thank you,” Norman declined politely. “You need to get ready for the dinner. Your evening gown is back from the cleaners and is on your bed.”

“Thank you, Norman,” Dorothy gave Norman a peck on the cheek. He blushed and shook his head.

------------------------------------

The dining room was live with chatting and laughing. Dorothy, Roger, Dan, Robert and Karen were sitting around the dining table. They had completed their meal and were entrenched in deep conversation. Norman brought out desert and after dinner coffee.

“Thank you, Norman,” Karen said, as she received her slice of chocolate covered brownie. She looked towards Dorothy and smiled. “You must be happy about your newest addition.”

Dorothy blushed and smiled at Roger. “We are very happy. Roger and I always wanted a baby.”

“Roger, you old dog you,” Dastun laughed and cheered. “You’ve only been married for six months, and the first thing you do is knock up Dorothy.”

Roger blushed and Dorothy gave him a kiss on his cheek. “He can knock me up anytime.” The whole group, including Norman erupted in laughter.

“That’s not what I witnessed yesterday,” Robert laughed. “Everybody was as white ghosts when I broke the good news.”

“I guess I wasn’t much of a negotiator there,” Roger said bashfully, watching Norman excuse himself. “I let my emotions get the best of me.”

“Apparently, you were an excellent Negotiator with the Mr. Stork,” Karen laughed out loud.

Norman walked toward Roger and whispered to him. Roger’s expression became serious. The Negotiator excused himself and walked away.

“Norman, is there something wrong?” Dorothy asked, worried about Roger’s abrupt departure.

“No, madam, everything is fine,” Norman said, attempting to mask his concern. “Please, don’t alarm yourselves. Roger asks if you would remain and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

“Does Roger need any assistance from the Military Police?” Dan offered earnestly.

“I don’t believe so. Please don’t worry yourselves,” Norman bowed and excused himself.

Hoping to stem the rising anxiety in the room, Karen asked Dorothy, “Have you decided on a name for the baby?”

Chapter 8

Dorothy woke up and found herself alone in bed. She looked around and found that Roger’s clothes were not on the floor, as they would be. It was only 9 am, so he would have been in bed. She concluded that he didn’t return home from his business meeting last night.

Dorothy rapidly got dressed and entered the main room. She saw Norman polishing the center coffee table, in a nervous trance. But, before she could ask him of the whereabouts of Roger, the telephone began to ring.

“Excuse me, Dorothy,” Norman said hastily, yet politely. He then exited towards the study.

Dorothy, unable to resist from eavesdropping, overheard Norman’s voice. “Oh Dear… I see… Yes … The Old Cannery… by Shoreline Highway… I understand…”

Sensing something was wrong, Dorothy dashed towards the study, where Norman was. She rapidly approached Norman as he placed the telephone’s handset back on its cradle. “What happened? What is wrong,” she asked.

“That was Colonel Dastun of the Military Police. It seems that Roger is being held hostage. He suspects that his captors are lead by Jason Beck, a known hoodlum,” Norman said solemnly. “He said that the captors will kill him if they are within viewing distance. I don’t know how we can help Master Roger. He is the only one who can operate Big O!”

“Norman, don’t worry. I’ll get him back! Did he say what the kidnappers wanted?” Dorothy asked hastily. “Whatever they want, they can have!”

“Lady Dorothy, they demanded just one thing: You. They demanded you meet them at the Old Cannery.” Sadden by the prospect of Dorothy attempting to rescue Roger, Norman pleaded, “But Dorothy, you mustn’t go. I beseech you!”

“Norman, I can’t sit here and do nothing, while my husband is taken captive. Don’t worry, I will be fine,” Dorothy assured him.

Norman tried one last time to dissuade Dorothy. Noticing that she was determined to go, he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “For luck,” he whispered to her ear.

As Dorothy ran towards the elevator, she stopped by the coffee table and grabbed the picture frame. The trip down the elevator seemed endless. All she can think of was: How’s Roger? Is he hurt? What should I do when I get there? Beck is going to pay for this!

She finally reached the garage to find the Gryphon missing. She realized that Roger must have taken it so that he can attend to his business. Looking around frantically, she noticed another car right next to the Norman’s motorcycle. It was another Gryphon, except it was a midnight blue and had license plates with one word on them, “Hers”.

Upon entering the vehicle, Dorothy discovered that the keys were already on the ignition. As she attempted to start up the Gryphon II, she shouted: “It’s Showtime!!!”

Chapter 9

Dorothy raced through Shoreline Highway. She thought, “Let’s see what she’s got.” She stepped on the accelerator and to her disbelief, she found herself going 130 miles per hour. “What a rush!”

Speeding down the highway, Dorothy took the picture out of her purse. She stared at it for a moment, and put it back into her purse. “I now know what I must do,” she said determinately.

She noticed that her exit was coming up soon, so she turned the Gryphon II towards the off ramp exit. But instead of braking, she continued on at her present speed. The Gryphon II burst through the ramp and into the building that was in close proximity. It cut through the block wall, where it finally came to rest on the warehouse floor.

As Dorothy exited the car, as she heard, “What the hell is that, boss?” She thought it sounded like one of Beck’s cronies, Dove.

“Beck! I’m here, Beck! Where is Roger,” Dorothy shouted, as she looked around for the canary clad crook. She never felt anger before, but was getting a massive dosage. “Show yourself, coward!”

Beck was nowhere to be seen. However, his laughter surrounded Dorothy, like the howls of a pack of wild hyenas. “Well, well, well. Isn’t it our little Dorothy,” he taunted. “Here to save her wittle wusband.”

“Enough, Beck! Where is he?” Dorothy demanded. “I don’t have as much patience as my husband.”

Beck replied sarcastically, “Boo hoo hoo. I am so scared. Really, I am petrified.” With a taunting tone, he added “Jokes aside, I wanted to practice my negotiating skills on the Negotiator’s wife. So please be gentle, it is my first time.”

“What do you want?” Dorothy stated as her patience worn thin.

“Well, what do you have?” Beck’s tone gave Dorothy the impression he was toying with her.

“Boys, fetch Crow-Boy for me.” He demanded his cronies.

Suddenly, Beck appeared. He was standing on a short stack of crates. His flamboyantly tacky yellow suit and his black imitation leather shoes only furthered Dorothy’s disgusted. With a silly smile on his face, he jumped down and landed in front of her.

Noticing that Dorothy was not amused, he cried “Come on, that was a gold winning jump! You have no idea how athletic you must be to do that!” Suddenly, T-Bone grabbed her by the wrist.

“Boss, he’s gone,” Dove shouted.

“What? You fools lost him? Find him,” Beck’s expression changed within an instant. “If you lost him, it will be your butt!”

“Right, boss.” Dove and T-Bone chorused.

“As for you, my sweet, sweet Dorothy, you can keep me company,” Beck held his gun to her side. He grabbed her by the arm and drew her close to him. He placed his nose close to her neck, as sniffed. “Ah, do I smell Channel No. 5? Geez, looks like Crow-Boy keeps you in silks and satin sheets.”

“Beck! Leave her alone!” Roger voice boomed from the top of a distant tower of crates. “Leave her out of it!”

“Roger, Roger, Roger, I see you’ve decided to join the party,” Beck mocked. “Come down! Let’s chat.”

Seeing Beck held Dorothy at gun point, Roger fired his mini grappling hook towards a pipe over Beck’s head. He the leaped from the crate tower and managed to kick Beck off balance.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound emanated.

“Holy crap!!! Let’s get the hell out of here,” Beck cried out as they scampered off.

Dorothy saw that Roger was face-down on the floor. She ran towards him and rolled him over. His had the look of horror on his face.

“Dorothy! My god! You’ve been shot,” Roger cried out!

Dorothy noticed that she was bleeding and felt a sharp, burning sensation in her stomach and back. She collapsed to the floor. “Roger! I am sorry, Roger. I couldn’t stop it. I…,” Dorothy muttered sadly.

“Don’t speak. You… You are going to be fine. Look at me, Dorothy. You are going to be fine!” Roger frantically attempted to assure her. He lifted her frail body from the ground.

“Roger, I… I want you to know something,” Dorothy gasped. “I love you.”

“Dorothy, I love you too! Don’t leave me! I need you! Don’t leave me,” Roger cried in agony.

In that instant, she fell silent. Her body lay still in his arms. Her eyes still fixed at his face.

“Nooooooooo! God, please no,” Roger cried towards the heavens. “Don’t take her from me again!”

Moments later, after he collected himself, he noticed the picture frame. He hesitantly looked at the picture enclosed.

“Oh, my dearest…” He dropped to his knees and dropped the frame. It contained a picture of Roger and Dorothy in their wedding attire. On the Mansion’s balcony, also stood Dastun as his best man and Norman giving Dorothy away. With the inscription, “I truly love you.”

Chapter 10

“How sweet? I think you guys really have a future together. Don’t you agree?” A feminine voice asked.

Dorothy suddenly found herself alone in black room, with her silver picture frame in hand. Her wound, Roger, the Gryphon II, Beck and his thugs were nowhere to be seen. Noticing she was unable to see anything else, she demanded, “Show yourself!”

At that moment Angel appeared, in an English maid’s uniform, with an hour glass in her hand. “My dear, you have performed marvelously. Bravo,” she said with a cheerful tone. “You should be proud of yourself.”

“Where am I,” Dorothy asked in frustration, apathetic toward Angel’s praise. “Where is Roger? What have you done with him?”

“Questions, all I hear are questions. Dorothy, the middle word in ‘life’ is ‘if’, didn’t you know that?” Angel sarcastically stated. “If you really want to know where you are, just think of what you were doing before you noticed these strange occurrences.”

Dorothy tried to recall the events prior to floating in the abyss and the bright light. After a few moments, it finally came to her. “I was in a warehouse. I was stuck to a large magnet”

“Right,” Angel stated. “What else?”

“I remembered Beck placed a remote-control unit into my cerebral drive,” Dorothy answered. “Then, all went blank.”

“Come on, think harder.” Angel urged her on. “What else? I know you can do it!”

“I remember lifting Roger up from the ground,” Dorothy stated hesitantly. “Then, I started to crush him, I couldn’t control myself. I killed him, didn’t I?”

“Dorothy, you are not focusing!” Angel said, seemingly frustrated by Dorothy’s lack of initiative. “Think harder!”

“I told him I loved him,” Dorothy gasped. Then it dawned on her, she said excitedly, “Now I remember, I shorted out my I/O bus, rendering the remote-control unit powerless. That’s all I remember.”

“You see, Dorothy. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Angel said proudly. “As for your location, you’ll be able to determine that out for yourself, later on.”

Dorothy was in a state of shock. Still confused, she asked, “Who are you, really?”

Angel gave a gentle pat on Dorothy’s shoulder, and replied, “That should be self evident. Besides which, I have some good new…” She paused briefly, then added, “…and some bad news.”

“I was shot, Roger’s missing, and you have bad news. What’s next?” Dorothy scoffed.

“Dorothy, you sassy girl, I always wondered how Roger tolerated your insufferable behavior,” said Angel with a playful tone. “Well, you know that you were sent here when you…err… passed on. The bad news is… well, you committed a major infraction, now you must vacate this area. You know, I don’t make the rules.”

”Which rule did I break? I don’t know what you are talking about,” she pleaded. “I don’t want to leave Roger. You can’t do this.”

While staring at the hour glass in her hand, Angel said with a joyful expression, “Look at the time, you got to get going. The gates of heaven don’t open for androids that commit self-destruction, even if it was for the well-being of another. Good-bye, Dorothy.”

“Wait a minute! What is the good news?” Dorothy pleaded. “Please, I need to know.”

In that instant, Angel was gone. While trying to determine where Angel disappeared to, Dorothy’s pain overwhelmed her. It didn’t take long before she collapsed from the pain.

Chapter 11

“What do you wish done to her? To prevent this from happening again, perhaps it would be wise to switch out her memory circuits.” Norman asked.

“Leave her be, Norman. There is something she’s been wanting to ask me.” Roger replied.

Moments later, Dorothy opened her eyes. She found herself lying in a gurney in the Big O repair laboratory. Sitting beside her was Norman.

“R. Dorothy Wayneright, are you alright?” Norman asked with concern.

“Norman, is that you? Where’s my husband? What of my baby?” Dorothy demanded frantically.

“Husband? Baby? Dorothy, are you malfunctioning?” The elderly gentleman replied, concerned and perplexed by her statement.

“What?” Dorothy asked. Then she remembered that she was R. Dorothy Wayneright; An Android; A servant and friend of Roger Smith.

“I am fine, Norman. Thank you for asking.” She replied somberly.

“Miss Dorothy, why did you ask for your husband? I wasn’t aware that you were married,” Norman asked with a puzzled expression.

“I am not,” she replied in her usual monotone. “At least, I do not recall ever being married.”

Dorothy got up. She noticed she was wearing her black maid uniform. Relieved, she turned to walk away, and then she felt the sudden urge to ask: “Norman, do you believe the original Dorothy Wayneright was ever married or pregnant?”

“Why Miss Dorothy, I am surprised that you would ask such a question.” He stated in disbelief. “I am not sure. Very little is known of her.” Puzzled by her question, he asked, “Why, do you ask?”

“I am not sure. I had a dream. Or, at least I thought it was,” Dorothy said slowly.

“I don’t want to alarm you, but…”

“What is it, Norman?”

“Your circuitry and electro activity was nonexistent,” Norman replied sadly. “For all intents and purposes, you were…”

“Dead?” Dorothy interrupted, without expression or feeling. Dorothy stood up from the gurney and stood beside Norman. “Do you believe in an afterlife?”

The elderly butler stared at Dorothy, in total shock. He cleared his throat and retorted, “As a matter of fact, I believe that there is an afterlife. Why? Did you experience…”

“No particular reason. I was just curious.” Dorothy interrupted, and sighed.

It was when she entered the elevator that Norman noticed a small tear streaming down Dorothy’s cheek. He shook his head and gasped. Unable to unlock his eyes on her, he whispered, “Mrs. Dorothy Smith.”

cool stuff tony but

you have double bilionth posted

for my third line this is alot of posting for 1 member

quote:

Originally posted by R.Jesse cool stuff tony but you have double bilionth posted for my third line this is alot of posting for 1 member

actually posting stories like that isn't doubleposting. If you have a REALLY REALLY long story, like the Blues Brothers one, that is acceptable