"I've taken my punishment."
Velex pours himself a cup of coffee. "All of it?"
"Fifty-two thousand lashes over one hundred years. One hundred lashes for every bruise, broken bone, and cut I put on Heather's body."
"Damn." Velex says. "Well, congratulations on finishing that. I know how much it hurt you."
"Nothing will ever hurt as much as losing her did. I'll do it all over again just to hold her hand one last time."
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened between you and Heather?"
Doss turns off the lamp and presses his face against the cold windowpane as he watches the snow quietly falling on the beach below the balcony. Kazimir already knows. Velex knows only the basics. It's been long enough that this shouldn't still hurt him to talk about, but Doss knows that he will never be able to get over Heather or the memory of that night when the police showed up and arrested him.
"Doss?"
"I'll tell you everything." Doss says. "I first saw Heather one hundred and two years ago today. She was standing outside a small chapel in a rural city in the southern United States. She was stunning, but what really caught my attention was the way she would smile and talk to everyone around her as if she had known them all of her life. Even complete strangers would come up to her and she would comfort them and welcome them. Then I noticed that she would stay afterwards when the congregation had left to pray all alone. After watching her for a few Sundays at the church, I decided to go down to her. I made sure to remain hidden behind the church until I heard her praying, asking for an angel to protect her. I knew then that I had to make my move. So I slipped inside as silently as I could then walked down towards the altar and placed my hand on her shoulder. She wasn't startled. She didn't scream. Heather stood up and turned around. When she saw my wings, she began to cry. I wrapped my wings around her and introduced myself as the archangel Uriel, sent from heaven to protect her."
"Really?" Velex asks.
"I'm not lying. I was then, but I'm not now."
"So you impersonated an archangel just because you have the same name and vaguely resemble him?"
"Yep. I'm not proud of that."
The apartment door slides open and Zerachiel steps inside. "Oh. Pardon me. I needed to speak with Uriel. I'll come back later."
"No. Stay. I think you should hear this." Kazimir says as he motions for Zerachiel. "He's explaining what really happened between him and Heather."
Zerachiel sits at Kazimir's feet obediently and rests his chin on his creator's knee with his jade wings spread out across the floor.
"Continue, Uriel." Kazimir orders as he pets Zerachiel's hair lovingly.
Doss actually feels a hint of jealousy rising in him as he watches those two together. Kazimir has never been affectionate like that with Doss. That doesn't matter right now, though. He'll let Zerachiel be happy. He continues his story. "After claiming to be the archangel Uriel, I saw how willing she was to obey everything I told her. All I had to do was say that God sent me to tell her to do something and she would do it without question. Every week, I ordered her to meet me at the church where I would give her orders that got increasingly evil."
Velex sounds concerned. "Evil?"
"I became so protective of her that I ordered her to not see her family or friends. I told her to drop out of school and spend all of her time with me. She never questioned it."
"Oh my God. I think I see where this is going."
"No, you don't." Kazimir says. "Just let him finish telling it."
Doss takes a steady breath and continues. "One Sunday, I flew down there to the church and I told her that if she was going to be accepted into heaven, that she had to have sex with me."
Velex chokes on his coffee. "Doss, no!"
"Yes. So, eager to please as always, she began to undress right there in the sanctuary. Of course, I had no idea what was going on, but I knew from watching humans that I wanted it. I wanted her. Well, it wasn't long before her father came looking for her. He opened the door to the church right as she was pulling off her skirt. I couldn't fool him into believing that I was an angel. When faced with the barrel of a shot gun, I fought back and barricaded myself and Heather inside the church. Her father was going crazy, calling the police and gathering up the entire town to kill me. I knew that as long as I had Heather inside the church, they wouldn't try to do anything that could harm her. For five days and nights, I held her hostage. She cried the entire time and I felt more and more terrible as the hours passed by. Eventually, the police officers threw in smoke bombs and I was startled. They kicked open the doors and I was trying to protect Heather, but I lost control. I pushed everyone outside then created a wall of fire to prevent them from getting close to the church again."
"That's not the end. Tell them what you did then." Kazimir says.
"Heather didn't leave me for another man like I told everyone. I held the door shut and set the church on fire. She died inside."
Velex looks concerned as he stares down at the floor. "I have a question that I don't know if I want to know the answer to. If she died in the fire, how did you know how many bruises and cuts you inflicted on her?"
"Because Heather was dead before I lit the fire." Doss says. "I beat her to death with my own hands. I counted every mark I made on her body. It took her two hours to finally die. If I couldn't have her, then no one would. I then malfunctioned as the police arrested me, but Kazimir was there and able to reset me."
"How could you do something like that? That is awful."
"I went back down there a year after her death to visit her grave and apologize." Doss says as he pushes back tears. "I swore to her that I would pay for what I did to her. Now I've paid for my crimes and I've atoned for my sins."
"Does Katarina know about all of this?" Velex asks.
"No. And she doesn't need to know. I'm not the same man I was back then. I have observed so much and evolved into a completely different person than I was back then. I'm not that lust-crazed murderer anymore."
The room is silent as no one moves or speaks. Doss turns back to the window where the snow is piling on the balcony railing and shining in a dim yellow glow from the streetlights. A couple walks hand in hand down the beach near the icy waves. They are smiling and laughing with each other as the snow blows around them. He watches them closely, observing their body language, the way they look at each other, and their hands interlocked the entire time. He wants that. He could have had that with Heather, but he wasn't prepared. Doss hadn't learned how to regulate those emotions yet. He had been focused on learning about the human aspects of anger, bravery, and ferocity. Then when he was faced with love, kindness, and compassion, Doss wasn't able to differentiate them. He wasn't programmed to feel love. He was programmed to be a stalwart defender who would use violence as his first choice.
"We will take a vote." Kazimir says. "Velex, Zerachiel, and I will take a vote to determine if we think you have come far enough from that time in your life. If even one of us decides that you still pose a threat to Katarina, then you will still be bound by your vows of chastity and your punishments will continue." He turns to Velex and Zerachiel. "Keep in mind that over a hundred years have gone by since Heather's death. Doss's programming is partially my fault. I knew I should have scrapped him when I saw the signs back in 1998. I didn't have the heart to destroy my first successful creation. We'll start the vote. Velex."
Velex shakes his head as he rubs his eyes. "You killed her? Why didn't you tell me the truth? I knew you had hurt her, but beating her to death with your own hands? Doss . . . that's unforgivable."
"I know."
"However, the Doss I know is as far away from that monster as light is from dark. I don't know what you've done in the past or what was going on in your mind and programming. But what I do know is that you are the single most admirable man I have ever met. You would never hurt anyone like that. You're not the same man who did those terrible things. I would trust you with my own da
ughter if I had one. I trusted you with my son and even though that turned out poorly, I never blamed you. I vote to free you from your punishment. You deserve to know what love is and be with a woman the right way."
Kazimir sighs. "I feel the same way. Yes, I've been incredibly harsh with you, Doss. But you and I both know why I had to be like that. You wouldn't have learned how to move past that stage. You wouldn't have given up the nanochems. You wouldn't have stopped abusing alcohol. I had to make sure that you learned something from what you did to Heather. And now, I know you did. I vote to release you from your vows. Zerachiel, your turn. What's your vote? The reason I include you in this is because of the friendship you had with Uriel so long ago before he betrayed you and Remiel down in Australia."
Zerachiel stands and walks up to Doss. "Brother?"
Doss looks up at him and he's met with a slap across his face.
"You are a demon . . . who doesn't deserve to live. But I forgive you."
"Zerachiel . . . thank you."
"Uriel, I believe that our feud has gone on for far too long. If we are going to join together and take down Gabriel and Clark, then we have to be able to trust each other. You've paid for your crimes. Now it's time for you to be free."
16
Byron kicks the snow from his boots before entering the Humanity Data Center where Blice suggested he go to find out the information he needs to know. Byron's thoughts have been focused solely on Jarred. There haven't been any transmissions from Paradise so he has no way of knowing if Jarred and Jayce are alive. That's the unsettling thing that is eating away at his sanity. He can't sleep because of the nightmares and constant thoughts of losing the grandson he just met. And now, Byron has to ensure that every final plan is in place before tonight. He was able to sell his house extremely quickly. Apparently, there was a great deal of interest in it to begin with. He removes his coat and backpack which he piles in a chair against the wall.
The lobby is empty except for a couple of people in the corner reading holographic magazines and watching television. A large assortment of artwork hangs on the walls from all around the Imperial Galactic Empire. Their different techniques and colors reflect the individual cultures of each artificial planet. Byron ignore all of it and goes straight to the reception desk. "Excuse me."
The woman looks up from her computer and smiles at him. "Hello. Welcome to the Humanity Data Center. How can I help you today?"
"I need to know about my grandson."
"All right. I can help you. We have information stored here about almost every person from both the IGR and Earth. Who is your grandson?"
"His name is Jarred Cunningham." Byron says. "He found me about a month ago. I had never met him. I was told that the records here include many families on Earth. I just want to know more about him."
"Why can't you talk to him yourself?"
"Because he's trapped in Paradise as a hostage. We had to leave him and his husband down there. I have no way of even knowing if they're alive or not."
The woman types something into the computer and shakes his head as he scans over the information on the screen. "I'm sorry, sir. I have nothing."
He was afraid of that. The search will continue, then. "Okay. Well, thank you for your time."
"Are you all right?"
Byron pulls his coat on and prepares himself to step back out into the cold. "I'm just trying to tie up loose ends before . . . tonight."
"Do you need some help? You don't look so good."
"It doesn't matter." Byron says. "I won't need anything else after tonight."
"Sir, I can look through some more databases if it means that much to you. I can't find any children with that name."
"He's twenty-four."
She laughs. "Oh. You said your grandson."
"Yes. He's my grandson."
Her laughter quickly vanishes. "Do you mind me asking how old you are?"
Why does this matter? "I'm fifty-one."
"And your grandson is twenty-four?"
"Yes."
"Let me call someone to come help me with this." The woman says. "Please have a seat over there and I'll get back to you."
Byron shakes his head and goes back over to the chair. Why is this such a big deal? What's not to understand? No doubt she did the math and figured out that something was wrong, but that's not Byron's fault. It shouldn't have any bearing on him finding out the information he wants to know.
"What's the problem?" Velex steps into the room. "Oh. Hey, Byron."
"You know each other?" The woman asks with wide eyes.
"Sure do. What's up?"
Byron coughs and leans against the wall as he feels himself falling apart. He doesn't have much time. "I'm trying to find more information about my grandson."
Velex shoos the woman away and takes over the computer. "What's his name? I'll tend to this. I have about an hour before Doss and I are meeting with Chancellor Dressler."
"His name is Jarred Cunningham."
"Uh huh." Velex looks around the room and motions for everyone else to leave. Once the room is empty, he continues. "Byron, I'm going to need some more information. Are you sure that Jarred is your grandson?"
"One hundred percent." Byron says as he joins Velex behind the counter.
"His father's name was Garret Cunningham?"
"My son."
"This says that he was born ten years after you were born." Velex says as he scrolls through the information on the screen.
"That's correct."
"You were a father at age ten?"
Byron crosses his arms and pulls up a chair next to Velex. "Not by choice."
"Oh. I see. I'm sorry."
"It's not a big deal. Stuff like that happened out in the wasteland all the time. I never got to meet him."
"It is a big deal. No child should be treated like that." Velex says. "I found some incomplete information about Jarred. What do you want to know?"
"Primarily, I want to know if he's had the training to get out of where he is now. I know how bloodthirsty Clark can be and I want to do anything I can to help him and Jayce escape."
"If there's anyone who would be able to get out of that place, it would be those two. Jarred's father was an inquisitor undercover as a deacon in the church so he probably taught Jarred some tactical skills before he died. Looks like Jarred has been arrested eight times for murders and theft, but never served time. Jayce was trained and conditioned for combat and of course you know about his skills with a rifle."
Byron sets down his backpack and pulls out an envelope that he sets on the desk. "I want you to have this. Use it to save my grandson and his husband. It's all I have left and I sold my house that Annette bought me."
Velex opens the envelope and pulls out a large stack of thousand dollar bills which he flips through. "A million dollars? What are you going to live on? And where are you going to live?"
"There's no reason to worry about that. I want you use that money to get supplies and save them. Then please give Jarred whatever is left. I'm leaving it all to him."
"I'll do what I can. You don't look so good." Velex says.
"I'm fine. It doesn't matter. Just please find a way to rescue Jarred and Jayce."
* * *
Doss is pacing nervously at the top of the white stairs in front of the IGR Assembly Hall where Chancellor Dressler is waiting to meet with him. Where is Velex? There's no way in hell that Doss is going to go in here alone. He checks his watch again. Four minutes. Come on, Velex. Just when Doss is about to call for the tenth time in an hour, Velex runs up the steps and pats Doss on the arm.
"Hey. Sorry. I was busy helping Byron with some stuff."
"You were almost late."
"Almost, but not quite. That's what matters." Velex says. "Do you have the dossier?"
"No. You had it."
"I didn't have it. I sent it to you last night."
"You were in my room last night. Why didn't you give it to me personally? Do you really thi
nk I had a chance to check my email?"
Velex searches through the files on the screen of his watch and shakes his head. "God, Doss. We needed that. What are we going to do without it?"
Doss flashes a mischievous smile. "Wing it."
"Haha. Was that a desperate attempt at humor?"
"Maybe. If anyone here could wing it, it'd be me."
"You're dumb. Let's just get in there and get this over with. I have a feeling that I'm going to catch flak for taking your ship down to Paradise."
"What can he do to punish you for that?" Doss asks as they step into the lobby.
"During peacetime? Not much. I'll probably just be reprimanded. If we were at war, then I'd be facing treason charges. Don't worry. Dressler may be an ass, but he's not heartless."
"Look." Doss points over to the side hallway where Clark and Gabriel are talking to each other. "Why are they here?"
"Interesting. Now that I think about it, this meeting might be about deciding what to do with Michael."
Doss can't take his eyes off Clark's cane gun that he knows is probably loaded right now and could be used to kill either him or Velex if things go wrong in here. "Oh, that's right. I forgot we brought him back with us. Won't Dressler just side with Clark and the Blood Force then let Michael go?"
"Not necessarily." Velex says. "When Michael attacked you in Paradise, he violated the longstanding truce between the Blood Force and the Himmel Military. Dressler doesn't take too kindly to this growing feud between the two factions. If he values Kazimir's opinions at all, which he does, then Dressler will hand down some kind of punishment for Michael. Remember that Michael's wings have already been clipped so he can't fly anymore and some of his system functions have undoubtedly been damaged in the process. It might be a simple and definitive scrap order."
"They'll have him scrapped?"
"It's very possible." Velex says. "The only thing I can see standing in the way of that is Gabriel who counts Michael as his closest ally."
"True."
The tall door opens and a steward bows to them. "Chancellor Dressler will see you now."
"Let's get this over with." Velex says as he steps into the large conference room.
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 33
