by Aline Riva
Elise blinked.
“I want you to sit behind me and hold my hair out of the way while I work,” she smiled, “Don't worry – it won't take long!”
Fi looked back at her nervously.
“Okay...” she said quietly, feeling unnerved at the thought of her mother opening up her own head and taking something out of it, even though it was the android side and she knew no blood would be involved, it was still an unsettling thought...
A short while later, with her lover's tool kit open on the table in the motor home, with a mirror in front of her and one at the back and Fi to the side holding back hair and a flap of artificial skin that fascinated her almost as much as the metallic casing beneath it as she watched her mother slide open a panel to reveal a cluster of wires that joined at the base to a series of other wires, and above, to a small, black unit with a darkened screen and a series of buttons.
“I know what I'm doing,” Elise said as she looked into the mirror behind her at the same reaching into the tool box for miniature wire cutters, “Nothing will damage me – the unit is linked to a back up system that has no power running through it – the whole thing was disconnected and sealed with a locking code before I was turned into a human hybrid, to the UNA it was just a spare part inside an android that the code had rendered ineffective. If I needed the back up system it could kick in to replace damage to the main wiring system - but I don't have damage and the cluster beneath the Protocol Five unit is just a spare...I promise you, it will do me no harm at all to remove it.”
“Maybe you should ask Professor Riley,” suggested Fi as her eyes widened and she watched her mother part the blades and slide it into the cavity inside the robotic side of her head.
“Oh, no need for that,” she replied confidently, “Anyway, Riley's nervous about the plan. Until we find an android he'd refuse to take it out. But, once its out, he's got the part...then it's just a question of finding the right android.”
The blades closed about the connecting wire low at the base with a snap, and Elise passed the cutters to Fi and quickly reached inside, drew out the unit connected to the cluster and long connecting wire, placed it on the table then paused to look into the cavity.
“I took it right out at the base,” she announced triumphantly, “Job done!”
Then she slid the compartment shut.
“You can let go now,” she said.
As Fi let go of her hair, Elise swept it back, sealed down the artificial flesh then spent a minute tidying her hair. As she looked into the mirror at her daughter reflected behind her, she smiled and her eyes sparkled with warmth.
“We're halfway to saving your Dad. Now we just need to take the codes and the unit to Riley – then he'll have to find us a suitable android for the job!”
In the days that had followed since Joy had promised to help, her search had proven frustratingly impossible. The only androids in Cyborg Valley were standard production line creations used by Riley in the medical centre – and of course, his robotic serving staff back at the house. The only android she knew of in Bullet was Mandy One – who was, by all accounts, very basic - Mandy herself had confirmed when Joy asked, claiming to be curious about her specifications, that she was indeed a simple design...
It was not easy to look around both towns and seek out an android because if there were any ex UNA androids about, they looked human. There were plenty of humans in the Valley too, with cyborg partners and families, and given the hard time some human ex UNA got for talking of their past, she could understand why any androids that might be about would choose to stay quiet.
But as she walked the streets and searched about the place, she started to realise she was getting nowhere fast – this was Cyborg Valley, the place where cyborgs came to seek refuge from a world that did not understand them. Any existing former UNA creations still around now lived and served the community in Freedom – accepted as trustworthy, reprogrammed members of society. And she doubted any potential war machine androids would have been allowed to survive – once the war was over, everything had changed. It had changed so much that the technology inspired by the destroyed androids that had helped to save lives by use of cybernetics had made the recipients hated instead - seen as a new breed of threat that would slowly emerge...
As Joy headed back towards the mansion house, she thought of Jekel and her heart filled with love and heartbreak in equal measures and the thought that there were people back in Freedom that would hate him so much just for being a cyborg made her blood boil with rage. And still, she was no closer to finding a suitable android...
As she saw Riley leaving the medical centre, she ran to catch up with him and they met on the sweeping driveway that led to the mansion.
“Why don't you just build one?” she said angrily.
Riley met her angry look with one of equal measure.
“Because I was just the mechanic, I don't have the key to everything – Astral made the design and programming for some of the more refined machines and fed the info into builder droids that were rolling them off the production line and no, I don't have any of those, either!”
“So what are we going to do?You're King Steel, the man who built the first androids... the man who knew Astral, who knows bloody everything!”
“No, I don't!” Riley yelled, “I couldn't even make a design to counteract the threat of invasion when I learned the truth - all I did was manage to come up with a design with flaws and I put it into my best friend and now he's dying, because of me!”
There were tears blurring the anger that burned in his eyes, mixed with frustration and deep regret. Joy's anger simmered down as she realised the truth.
“You blame yourself for Ash? You saved his life when you used the prototype on him!”
“I thought it was perfect, I never once considered the possibility of what would happen in the event of a main cable break.”
Joy looked at him in surprise.
“Any cyborg can die from a severed main cable! It's standard design in heavily modified people to have a main cable running from the central power source, we both know that!”
“But with Ash the wiring is micro fine, the damage he sustained was inevitable. I should have thought of that, I should have known the recipient of that design would have suffered essential wiring damage and tissue damage too in the event of cable rupture!”
Joy gave a heavy sigh. For a moment as the breeze blew and felt cool on her face she saw Elise heading towards them, then she turned back to Riley once more.
“You really are full of shit for a powerful man,” she told him, “You blame yourself for everything! You blame yourself for trusting Astral, for helping to start the android developments...it's not all about you!”
Riley paused for thought, he looked to the mansion, thought of his best friend who was not long for this world, then met her gaze once more.
“I love my best mate...And I want to keep him alive forever but soon he's going to start feeling weak. Soon, that wire will burn out and when it does... the outcome is very bleak whatever possibilities may exist. I've messed up, Joy. I don't think I deserve this palace or the title I have or the army or any of it. I'd swap it all to be able to cure Ashley. But I can't do that!”
“And he doesn't blame you! No one blames you for anything!”
As she hurried towards them, Elise called to Riley and waved, and he turned and waved back as she headed for the driveway, her daughter beside her. Riley turned back to Joy, looking into her eyes sincerely as he spoke again.
“If – when the worst happens, I want to make amends as best I can. I haven't asked Ash for his blessing yet but when we lose him, I would like to make you my wife – just to ensure Travis grows up as prince of Cyborg Valley. I don't think I'm the strongest of leaders, I try my best but at the end of the day I wish I could spend my time at the med centre and let another man take over the politics – someone stronger than me, better at negotiation. But I do want to help - if we lose Ash I'd like to
give his son my kingdom one day -”
The stinging blow to his cheek took him by surprise as he staggered back, his hand to the red mark left by Joy's palm as he saw rage in her eyes and counted himself lucky it hadn't been her fist.
“I was only trying to help-”
“Help?” she yelled, “When I lose my husband I'll never marry again!”
Then Joy stormed off towards the house as Elise called his name again, as he turned around to see her and Fi coming towards him he guessed they had been too far away to hear what had been said, but going by the looks on their faces, they had certainly seen it...
“What was that about?” Elise asked as they caught up with him.
“My fault,” Riley replied, deciding he might as well take the weight of all lifes problems on his shoulders, “Long story...and one that's not worth telling.”
Elise handed him the unit with the wires attached.
He turned it over in his hands, looking in stunned silence at the Protocol Five unit complete with unused, pristine wire cluster and connector.
“All yours,” she said.
“Mum took it out herself...I helped,” Fi added proudly.
His eyes widened as he looked at Elise.
“You just cut out a vital component from the android side of your head?”
“It's a spare part, not even wired to power. It was only supposed to work in the event of a disaster and even then, the Protocol Five was dormant. I had to decode the lock and the programming ability...here, take these – you'll need them.”
She thrust the paper into his hand. He looked down at the numerical codes and back at Elise in utter surprise.
“You unlocked a UNA coded seal? How the bloody hell did a part android ever gain access to the coding in the first place, its supposed to be impossible! Since when did you gain the ability to do that?”
“Not ability, determination – and that's something I've never lost sight of since I fell in love with Felix. Now please, find a suitable android, program the unit and send them into Freedom to save my child's father!”
He looked down at the set of codes, then to the unit in his hand.
“I can't promise,” he said in a hushed voice, “But if we can find one, yes Elise, I will...”
Joy's anger had simmered down by the time she got back to the house and gone upstairs to find Jekel sitting on the edge of her son's bed as he spoke with him before he turned out his light. She lingered by the doorway for a moment, letting them speak together uninterrupted as what she heard made her heart silently ache:
“I don't want you to worry,” Jekel said, “But if you are worried, just talk to me or your Mum. It's all under control...for now. I feel fine and I'm looking forward to hosting the festival like I do every year.”
“But what if you get ill?”Travis asked.
“Then I'll have to compromise and do part of the show and give the rest to Kade. He's becoming a good friend of mine – and he's wanted a chance to host the show for years. When I can't do it any more, he can take over one day.”
“But not for a long time,” Travis added.
Warmth filled Jekel's voice.
“Just know that when I can't go on as normal we will still spend as much time together as we can, I promise you that, son...”
Then as he continued to speak with Travis, Joy walked quickly away, blinking back tears as she softly crossed the floor and went into the bedroom she shared with her husband, then she went over to a large wardrobe and opened it up, clutched at the fine fabric of his suits and pulled the material close to her as she inhaled his familiar scent of masculinity mixed with a trace of cologne, as she silently made a wish that all the things she feared would never come to pass, and she felt as if she may as well try and hold back the tide for all the good it would do...She was losing him, and there was nothing she could do about it...
As she heard him say goodnight to Travis and close the door, she let go of the suits and brushed them down, smiling as she remembered how horrified he would be to find a single crease in any one of his precious threads. Then she closed the wardrobe and turned around as Jekel entered the room.
“What a day,” he said, going over to the wardrobe and grabbing a hanger as he took off his jacket, “Rehearsals went really well...I'm tired, though. But not because of the shots, I'm still doing okay...”
Joy said nothing as she watched him undress, taking in every inch of his body, the only clue that outwardly showed an indication of the truth were the bruising needle marks in his arms from the injections that had had got him back on his feet.
By the time Joy got in bed, Jekel had also got in and joined her, sliding his arms around her and pulling her close in the way he always did, and it seemed so ordinary the truth almost seemed like a lie as he looked into her eyes. As her gaze shifted over his upper body, he tenderly brushed his hand over her cheek.
“Don't look at the needle marks, pretend they're not there because I feel fine right now,” he told her softly.
Joy answered him with a kiss, then he took her in his arms and made love to her as if nothing mattered but the moment they shared, and for the precious time he held her, Joy could pretend that nothing was wrong.
After another uncomfortable night on his hard bed in his cell on death Row, Lynch was woken sharply by the locked door being sharply opened.
He sat up, eyes fixed on the door as it opened, and as Josh entered the room and the door close behind him, he stared at him in disbelief.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded, “Did you want to congratulate me on falling for your shitty little trap? I don't know how you can sleep at night, knowing you're having me gassed to death for a crime that wasn't a crime when the real terrorists – the bombers – are among your own people and still out there!”
But he saw no hint of pleasure in the eyes of the Premier as he met his gaze with eyes shadowed with regret.
“My back was against the wall, I had to make a choice - your case was high profile -”
“We fought on the same fucking side!” Lynch yelled, wishing he could get up and land a punch on him, and he would have but for his paralysed robotic leg that kept him trapped sitting on the bed, “You know I was on your side! You know I'm not deserving of the fucking death penalty! Where's your sense of loyalty?”
Josh stepped no closer as he looked at Lynch as guilt weighed heavy.
“I just came to say I'm sorry,” he said quietly, “But from the moment you stole that cybernetic fluid, in that political climate at the time – you knew the consequence. I can only do so much. I've tried to work around the sentence but I believe it will stand. I know the second stage of the appeal will be met with resistance and I'm not the only person who gets to make the choice. I don't think I can change the outcome. As it currently stands, one week from today, assuming the appeal will fail, you will go to the gas chamber.”
As his words hit, Lynch paled as he thought of Elise and his daughter. Long ago he would have faced torture and threats of death fiercely, resisting the urge to give in to fear. Back then he had been a different man. Time had changed so much...Elise and Fi were still in his thoughts as the door opened and Josh turned back. As he looked at him, recalling the Lynch he had known years before who had fought so fiercely in the tower, he was shocked to see how his words had visibly shattered him. Clearly the years that had followed had changed him greatly – especially the fact that he was now a family man who had just realised he would never see his family again.
“I'm sorry, Lynch, the only advice I can give you is when the gas starts to rise, take a deep breath. Don't fight it. I'm told it's quick and painless that way.”
Then Josh was gone and the heavy door was locked behind him, and for the first time in many years, Lynch looked to the locked door, thought again of Elise and his daughter and didn't bother to fight the tears that filled his eyes.
Chapter 8 : Hostage
Jekel was up early that morning, planning to start rehearsals as s
oon as he could because the festival was just a short time away. He put on a dark blue pinstripe suit, a silk lilac tie patterned with the same swirls that decorated the veneer at the side of his head and spent a while in front of the mirror, combing his hair, then as he inspected the comb he smiled, noticing he was not shedding any hair despite Riley's warnings about possible side effects of the pain relief. He did feel like skipping breakfast, though – the odd stomach cramp had flickered on and off as Riley had said it probably would, stomach pain was something he had been told to watch out for, and so far, it hadn't been too bad. But he decided all the same he would tell Riley about it after rehearsals, even if it meant taking more medication to counteract the side effects of the stuff he was already on.
Joy was getting up and he went over to her and kissed her goodbye.
“Do you feel okay?” she asked.
“Yes I'm fine,” he replied, avoiding the subject of the stomach cramps, “I wanted to practise my vanishing act today because I'm going to need it several times on day one of the festival but so far my stealth modes not kicking in – Riley said it's down to all the medication I've been on, it's making my energy flow sluggish and it's not quite back to optimum yet. Oh well, I've got a few more days before I'll need it...See you later on, love.” Then he left the bedroom, glanced down the hall and saw his son's bedroom door was still closed, and he didn't bother calling out goodbye because he assumed he was still sleeping, so he went down the grand stair case and headed for the door.
Just down the hill, Jasmine and Violet sat in a battered old car – it had got them as far as Cyborg Valley and the risk was, whether or not it would take them all the way back again – the few major routes that were open were fenced both sides and hummed with the power that ran through them in case of Howler attacks, but if that car broke down, Violet didn't much fancy their chances of getting back, especially with Jekel tied up on the back seat...It would be a case of the City Guard catching them out, or Howlers ripping them up on the way to Freedom...
