Paradise of Lead Trilogy

by Mackenzie Morris

  Damien sighs. "Zach, Xavier, and Maria."

  "And security code one."

  Damien glances over at Isidore. "Isidore Nikolai Williams."

  Did he hear him correctly? His name? Isidore's name is one of Damien's security codes? He reaches out to steady himself against the wall. Something is waking up in his mind. His middle name. He hasn't heard that in years and he had forgotten about it. He vaguely remembers someone calling him Niko. The image of a dark-haired man crying in his arms flashes in his mind. What is going on? The image fades and Isidore touches his face. He's crying.

  "Isidore? Are you okay?" Byron asks.

  His pills. He hasn't taken a pill since before he was shot. That had to be what that was. He was reliving something from his past. "I'm fine. I need a pill as soon as possible."

  Commander Alexi goes to his desk, opens a drawer, and hands a clear pill to Isidore.

  "Thank you."

  "Thanks, Seth. Guess we have a new and unintended ally."

  "You call them an ally. I call them-" Seth's voice cuts out as Damien ends the transmission.

  He laughs. "Seth forgets that other people can hear him." Damien pulls up a large file on the screen. "Well, here's your proof. Read and enjoy. You are only the fourth person in this universe to see these."

  Commander Alexi pulls a chair up next to Damien and begins looking through the document. "Are these real?"

  "More real than Isidore's heart." Damien says.

  Isidore tries to not laugh out loud. If only they knew.

  "You have my apologies. I had no idea the Outlanders were part of the black sector."

  Damien crosses his arms. "Well, don't go spreading that information around. So, yes. I am a spy, but not for the Inquisition. We spy on the Inquisition."

  "I see. And what about Isidore?"

  "Look at page sixteen."

  Alexi scans over the pages. "Oh. Oh I see. World Annihilation Negation Decoy. W.A.N.D., right?"

  "Yep. That's why us three are together in the first place." Damien says. "Congratulations on finding out top-secret military projects. You should feel accomplished that you didn't have to torture me to get it."

  "And signed by President Evans himself?" Commander Alexi sounds surprised. "So Paradise is close to an all out civil war, then."

  "Well, we were trying to avoid that, but even the Inquisition can't get along with itself."

  Alexi chuckles. "Sounds about right."

  "It's worse now because the president's son is the head of the Inquisition."

  "Will he have the guts to kill his son for the security of the country?"

  "We have to wait and see." Damien says. "So far, we haven't had any reports involving Blice and President Evans."

  "Isidore has been working with you on this plan without even knowing it?"

  "We hadn't told him about it yet. Or Byron for that matter."

  "It's hard to be a spy if I haven't even been told I'm a spy." Isidore says as he touches the USB cable.

  "Don't mess with that." Damien snaps. "I'm transferring these documents to you so we can access them later."

  "But I still don't have an operating system and once they're in my mind, they get corrupted." Isidore says.

  "If I have it my way, we will fix both of those problems soon enough. I thought you could open some files on your own."

  "Occasionally, but not since this virus thing."

  "They didn't repair all of that when they healed your body?" Damien asks.

  "Apparently not. I'm not even sure who 'they' are. I don't know who my owner is yet, either. It was all secretive."

  "Where were you, anyway?" Byron asks.

  "Out in the wasteland about a hundred miles from here. I had a temporary administrator who took care of me."

  "Speaking of administrators, Damien, I want you to still be Isidore's administrator." Alexi says.

  What? Please no. This isn't going to end well. If Damien tries the same stuff he did before, one of them will be dead and Isidore is determined that it won't be him.

  "Good. I know how to handle him."

  Isidore looks at Commander Alexi. "Alexi, don't-"

  "It's Commander Alexi to you, computer."

  "Really? You were so supportive of me before all of this and now you're going to treat me like this?" Isidore asks.

  "Seeing you hooked up to this machine, I see that you aren't human. I shouldn't have given you a false sense of belonging. As long as you are a computer, you can't make decisions for yourself which means that you can't be held accountable for what you do. Isidore, do you see where I'm going with this?" He smiles and holds out his hand to Isidore.

  Oh. If he's a computer, they can't punish him like they would a human. It saves his life, but he doesn't want to think about the other consequences. He takes Alexi's hand. "Thank you, sir."

  "Now, I will need a copy of these documents and then you are free to go back to your room. I don't want to hear another word about any of this. I will address the other Rubble Rebels on the current situation and we will meet again in a few days."

  * * *

  "Give him one night of being in charge. What can it hurt?" Byron asks.

  "Me. It can hurt me." Damien says. "He hits hard for a little guy."

  Isidore grins and shuts the door behind them.

  "Why is he grinning like that? Byron, I'm scared."

  "He is quite the vindictive bastard, isn't he?"

  Isidore looks around the room and tosses his belt down on the floor. "Okay, I am exhausted and still hurting from the bullets you two let me take. I will enact my final decree of revenge."

  Damien sighs and gives Byron a look of accusation and resentment.

  "You sleep on the floor. M.A.G.E.s don't get to sleep in beds. Only T.I.M.E.s do." Isidore pulls all three beds next to each other in the middle of the room. He jumps on them and stretches out. "All of these are mine. Don't like it? You can go sleep in the courtyard where my blood is still staining the pavement."

  36

  "Did you enjoy your night of revenge?" Damien asks as he sharpens his knives on the floor.

  Isidore grins and pushes his silver hair out of his face. "Yes. Yes I did."

  "Good. Now get up and put the beds back where they belong."

  "Nope."

  Damien gives him a warning glare. "I don't want to be mean again like I was. Don't push me."

  "Yes, sir." Isidore obeys.

  "Did you annoy your other administrator like this?"

  "She was nicer than you." Isidore says as he rearranges the beds.

  "She? It was a woman?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you live in her house?" Damien asks.

  "Why does that matter? I also slept in her bed."

  Byron looks up from reading Leena's journal. "Isidore!"

  "Not like that. She slept on the floor so I could have the bed." An unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling begins to creep into his chest. He misses Clara. He has to get his mind off of her. "So, what happened to the Rubble Rebels storming Paradise? I thought you would have gone ahead with that plan even if I wasn't here. It's like you did nothing the entire time I was gone."

  "I did that." Damien says. "President Evans threatened to destroy all of Rubble City if anything happened. If you haven't noticed yet, I work directly under the president. I was able to renegotiate some stuff and get him to back down with his plan of ransacking Rubble City. In exchange, I had to destroy a few stockpiles of Rubble Rebel equipment."

  "That was you?" Byron asks.

  "Yes. Now, they will inevitably find some more somewhere or just make their own stuff again. Seth and I were having to start over again on our plans and we didn't need the distraction of me being made to fight against the Inquisition when we needed them to sign a treaty with us. Now that all of that has changed, we don't have much time until the fighting starts. Now that the Inquisition undoubtedly knows that Isidore isn't with his administrator anymore, they will come looking for him. How did you get here?
"

  Isidore looks out the window and rubs his eyes. "I stole a truck."

  "Oh, perfect. You are an Inquisition computer experiment who escaped and stole an Inquisition vehicle. I'm sure they don't want any of that back."

  "How long do you think it will take them to notice I'm gone?"

  "Let me talk to Seth and see if there are any more reports." Damien places the gold square on his arm and dials the number. From the other side, Seth shouts at him.

  "Get out of Rubble City."

  "What? Hold on for a second." Damien says.

  "I don't have time to explain. My communications have been shut down since last night and I don't know how you managed to get through to me. Inquisition forces are headed your way. They're not playing around. They have defied President Evans's orders. It's the red sector. They issued orders to not take any prisoners except for Isidore. That's who they're after. If you stand in their way, they will kill everyone in Rubble City."

  "When?"

  "If you haven't heard gunfire yet, you'd better get running." Seth says. "They know you gave the files to the Rubble Rebels. President Evans has ordered you to be shot on sight."

  While Damien talks to Seth and Byron is distracted by cleaning his shotgun in preparation for the fighting, Isidore slips outside and presses the blue button on his watch. He holds it up to his ear.

  Blice answers. "Isidore? Is that you? Where are you? Everyone is looking for you."

  "I'm repaying you, Blice. Get out of Paradise now. Byron and all of the Rubble Rebels are probably going to retaliate for this attack on Rubble City. They are out for your blood. Consider my debt repaid."

  "I can't get out." Blice says. "The helicopters and aircraft have been grounded. We're under lockdown. This isn't my doing."

  "Where are you right now?"

  "The Presidential Palace."

  "I'll do what I can to keep them away from there if I can." Isidore says.

  "Thanks, buddy."

  "One more thing. I need to know if I can control technology."

  "Control it?" Blice asks.

  "Can I cause it to blow up?"

  "I guess, if you wanted to. But why would you-"

  "Bye." Isidore ends the call and goes back inside. "Give me my revolver." He catches it when Byron tosses it to him. He straps the holster on his hip and ties back his hair. This is about to get ugly and he has to be prepared. Even though he is still stiff and hurting, he knows he will need to be able to fight. Isidore refuses to go back to being someone's slave. He finally found himself again and no force on this planet will make him forget that.

  Byron stuffs his shotgun in his backpack and pushes past Isidore.

  "Where are you going?" Damien asks.

  "We're ending this right now. We need to go tell Commander Alexi about the attack."

  The ground shakes and a loud explosion rings out as thick black smoke fills the air outside the window. They drop to the floor and cover their faces to protect against the part of the ceiling that is crumbling and falling down around them. The lights flicker and go dark. People scream outside the room as the blowing sand and debris crashes into one of the windows, shattering the glass and strewing rubble into the room.

  Isidore stands up and brushes the chunks of plaster and soot from his arms. "I think Commander Alexi knows."

  More screaming and shouting fills the darkness. The blowing sand and smoke have shrouded out the sun and the only light in the room is from Damien's sensor and the soft blue glow of Isidore's watch. The three men grab their weapons and huddle down in the back corner as far away from the window as possible. More of the ceiling collapses and fills the room with dust. Loud footsteps approach the building. They listen to the yelling and the orders being given nearby. Is it Commander Alexi and the Rubble Rebels or someone else entirely? It's too far away to tell. Someone is knocking on doors then a woman screams and a flood of popping inundates the chaotic silence.

  "That's gunfire." Byron says.

  Something starts beeping quietly and they look around the room then at Isidore. He looks down at the watch Blice gave him. What's this? He holds up his wrist and looks at the tiny screen. It lights up and a tiny display appears. Radiation Levels Rising. Recommend Evacuation. "I think we have a lot more than gunfire to worry about. There's radiation."

  "It's okay. We're M.A.G.E.s. It won't hurt us much." Damien says.

  "You and Byron are M.A.G.E.s. I'm not. My amounts of radiation were concentrated to specific parts of my brain. If I get too much, I will still die."

  "Calm down. We'll figure something out."

  A voice calls over the speaker on the watch. "Isidore, get out of there. I saw your radiation sensor going off."

  Blice. "You're monitoring me?"

  "Yes. Now run. You will die. I can't lose you."

  Someone pounds on the door. "Open this door by order of the Inquisition."

  Damien pushes Isidore up against the wall. "This is all your fault. That watch has a tracking device in it. You led them right to us."

  "No. I didn't know. You have to believe me."

  "I was right about you all along. You are worthless."

  "You know what? I've had enough of this." Isidore holsters his revolver and pushes Damien and Byron out of the way. "Yah, that's right. I'm taking a stand. Now get out of the way and open that door. You think I can't love anyone? You think I don't care about people? Then I guess this won't mean much to you."

  "You're insane."

  The soldiers kick the door open and Isidore puts his hands up. "Shoot me instead. I'm the one you really want. My name is Isidore Williams. I'm a T.I.M.E. I have your microchip in my head and you can have it back. I will surrender and come quietly if you let Damien Montgomery and Byron Erikson go free."

  "Isidore, no!" Byron calls to him.

  Isidore looks into Damien's eyes as the handcuffs are tightened around his wrists. "This is for you, traitor. How does it feel to be wrong?" The soldiers drag Isidore outside and into a transport. He watches Damien and shouts one last thing to him. "We were both wrong. I hate you, Damien Montgomery!" The soldiers slam the doors and the transport leaves.

  Damien punches the wall and screams. He goes around the room throwing everything that isn't too heavy. The glass bottles shatter against the window and it eventually breaks, sending shards of glass out into the street. The lights on the ceiling begin to flicker and spark as Damien holds up his hands and the sparks jump out. With one last scream, he throws his arms out and the light fixtures explode with the surge of the energy. He drops to the floor and grabs his hair in his hands then slams his head on the floor.

  "Get up, Damien. This isn't over." Byron loads his shotgun and packs some ammo in his backpack. "Go tell Commander Alexi we are leaving for Paradise."

  "Isidore!" Damien cries out.

  "I said get up. This is no time for your self-pity. You're the one who drove him to that now make the most of the chance he gave you. Go round up whoever you can and get prepared to fight. Today is the day Paradise falls."

  * * *

  Isidore tries not to laugh with the growing excitement he feels. Just a little longer. He almost can't contain his anticipation. The soldiers have their machine guns pointed at him and never look away. He doesn't need them to look away. They are all about to be dead anyway. No one says a word to him as they drive across the bumpy road. Isidore watches their eyes through their gas masks and tries to imagine what a human would normally feel in his situation. What are these soldiers feeling right now? Joy? Elation? Success? Well, good for them. He'll let them have their momentary satisfaction. Emotions are fleeting and you can't feel anything after you're dead.

  He closes his eyes and focuses on the growing energy he feels inside of him. He can visualize his watch around his arm, pressed up against the handcuffs. The high pitched ringing burns inside his mind, but he pushes past it. He has to continue or he will die. Stay calm and breathe, Isidore. He talks to himself in his mind and forces through the pain. Isidore
has never been happier to be a T.I.M.E. than in this moment. Before he finishes it, he opens his eyes and looks at one of the soldiers. "Hey, you."

  The soldier looks surprised. "What do you want?"

  "Do you believe in God?" Isidore asks.

  "What kind of question is that? You a priest or something?"

  Isidore grins. "As a matter of fact, I am. So, do you want to pray with me?"

  "I don't pray." The soldier says.

  "That's a shame."

  "Why?"

  Isidore shrugs his shoulders. "I tried to lead you to salvation. I gave you a chance to pray."

  "What are you going on about?"

  "Eventually people are gonna learn to pray when I tell them to." Isidore can't control his laughter now as he lets the power surge from his hands and into the watch. The explosion throws him forward into the floor of the transport. He pulls his arms apart and the broken handcuffs fall off. The popping of gunfire rings out in the darkness and the smoke from something that has caught on fire. In the panic, Isidore draws his gun then pushes past the screaming soldiers who are now falling from friendly fire. He finds the latch for the door and pulls it. The fresh air is a welcome blessing and he dives out of the transport and into the sand.

  Isidore coughs and catches his breath as he brushes the sand from his face. He holds up his wrists where the blood is dripping from the jagged scraps of metal that have lacerated the skin. Oh, that's not good. Should he pull the pieces out? Here goes nothing. He holds his wrist up to his mouth and carefully grabs the twisted metal in his teeth and pulls it out. The gush of blood tells him that he might have just made the wrong choice, but he continues and gets all the shrapnel out. Now that his arms, pants, and face are completely red with blood, he stands and looks around. Where is he? A black inquisition helicopter speeds by overhead. They're probably headed towards Rubble City. Isidore takes off his shirt and binds his arms with it as best as he can and takes off in the direction the helicopter went.

  37

  Byron stands outside the gates of Paradise with the other Rubble Rebels: red shirts, white camouflaged pants, and all. While the excitement in the air is electrifying and he is ready to get this started, something feels like it's missing. And he knows exactly what that is. Isidore should be here with them. Damien hasn't stopped crying the entire time since Isidore was taken onto that transport. For being so heartless and beating him, Damien certainly seems to be torn up about losing Isidore again. Maybe he always cared. He just had a terrible way of showing it.