Chapter 7: The Loner’s Request to The Recluse

Roger, now nursing a black left eye and swollen right side of his face, was eating dinner down in the hangar with Dorothy, Norman, Dastun, and Angel. Beck and his entourage were also eating with them. Beck had finished uploading his data to his terminal and they wanted to review the information they had gathered from the device as well as review what they had collected. Roger seemed in better spirits than he had been in the past few days, eating more than Dorothy had seen in recent days. Beck finished his plate and began serving seconds. Norman had to reset his nose once Beck had cleaned up himself as it had been crooked.

"Gramps, this chicken's amazing! How much you want for the recipe?" he asked as helped himself to a second plate.

"The recipe is not for sale; however, I would be more than happy to provide a copy."

"Please do, Gramps!"

Norman chuckled at Beck's nickname for him. Dorothy picked up the ice packs Roger had set down.

"You're swelling again," she said as she tried to apply them. Roger got annoyed.

"Can I have a moment to eat?"

"If you don't apply them, then you won't be able to move your mouth tomorrow to eat. Though, you not talking would be nice for a change."

Roger scowled as held one ice pack over his eye and the other on his face. Dorothy began cutting his food and offered him a fork full.

"Dorothy, I can feed myself, I just…Mmph!"

Dorothy shoved the fork his mouth, rolling her eyes, Roger looked at her for a moment, but then accepted the offer of food. Dastun and Angel chuckled. Angel leaned over to him.

"You're not going to let him forget that, are you?" she whispered.

"No, I'm not," replied Dastun, grinning.

Everyone began finishing up their plates. Dorothy and Norman began collecting them, setting them on a cart Norman had brought down for dinner. Roger brought his pack and opened it, pulling out the files and paperwork he had stolen along with the notes he scribbled quickly. Beck brought out his devices and they sat them down. Everyone stared at them.

"So… where do we start?" asked Beck.

"How about this status report?" said Roger, pointing at it. He began reading it off.

"March 29th, After Event Year 43. Project Name: Final Ultimatum. Status, 160 days from completion."

Roger faltered for a moment. The 29th was two days ago and they were nearing completion. But how? He continued.

"Project status: Additional power from Stations 1-4 has been granted. Station 5 will be operational by April. Cables are being laid connecting the dam's electrical power from Electric City to the Power Plant along the Hudson. Hudson Power Plant is being remodeled to accommodate power input and output transference. To Do This Week: Continue working to get power station remodeling done. Continue investigating power resurgence coming from containment tank from early this week. Continuing Issues: Monitor power transfer levels and avoid catastrophic failure at the stations. Investigate why power re-surged in the containment tank during September, November, February, and March…"

Angel felt like someone had kicked her in the gut. The times she had called Big Venus were doing those months. Roger set down the paperwork and looked straight at her.

"I think we can safely say that presence you felt is probably whatever is in that containment tank, and they're monitoring it. Those are the months in which you tried to contact Big Venus, right?"

"Yes… but how… did they know?" Angel shook her head. This was too much.

"Well, you did say that they may have some of your power. Perhaps they found a way to remove it and house it safely, however it's still connected to you. Maybe they didn't put all the power in you or Big Venus, keeping some as a fail safe."

Angel curled up, bringing her knees close to her. "I feel… violated." Dastun put an arm around her, comforting her.

"It's alright. We'll protect you."

She nodded. Her hunch was right from September, but it didn't ease her worry.

"So… I guess contacting Big Venus is not an option anymore."

"No, unless absolutely necessary and it would have to be a last resort, if I'm being honest," said Roger. He looked at Dorothy, who nodded in agreement. He set the status report down and moved on to the next file, containing the budget. This one he perused quickly, going through it and looking at the numbers.

"I had to raid a foreman's desk or something. Could've been that Lucille's girl's desk too. You wanted to know where the budget's been going. Judging from what I saw, I think I found it," he said, handing the document to Angel. Angel and Dorothy looked it over. Angel recognized some of the numbers from the budget she had signed a while ago. She set the document back in the middle of their circle.

"Well, at least we know how they're funding their project. Now we're getting the answers. I just…I'm still trying to comprehend that…I might've helped them and that bothers me…"

"We'll worry about how your power, and whatever they're resurrecting, are connected later," said Dorothy, quietly, "But it's not your fault. We didn't know. Now, we do."

Roger moved onto the file that had Big O and Dorothy in it. "Dorothy, I found one on you. It's a thick file, but… you should be the one to read it. It also has some information on Big O." He handed it to her, and she began perusing through it. It was written in a language she couldn't understand, but she saw the pictures and was able to make deductions from them. She saw the different weapons systems, how to change out the weapons, ways to amplify them. She even found notes on the interchangeable arms and what could be equipped.

"Roger, all I'm seeing is information on Big O…"

"Yours is at the end. I didn't have time to go over it. The page just sort of… fell there…"

Dorothy skipped ahead and found a complete blueprint of herself as an android, complete with all of the plans of what she used to have: Her inner circuitry, her memory circuits. However, the notes next to them were written in the same language and she couldn't understand them.

"I don't understand. Father was the only one… Father was the only one who knew of my design. So, how did they have it?"

Dorothy remembered the flashback of memories when she was working with her father on the Bigs as his lab assistant, or at least that's what it appeared to her to be. Was it possible he was working with this New World Order before forty years ago and had conceived this idea of her as an android during that time? Or did it come afterwards, after he lost his daughter? She shook her head. Dorothy closed the book and set it down.

"I think Norman should at least take a look at the part with Big O. It might help with the maintenance," she said, while still looking at the file, "I'll look at this later. It's a bit much right now to take in. Was there anything else you found?"

"A map of their underground facility. I found a route that might lead us to underneath HQ, but I doubt we would be able to get to it now, after breaking in. Beck found that the energy amounts their importing are massive and have to be going somewhere and be consumed at the same rate of the transference."

Beck nodded. "I took notes on all of the information Yumi and I found. It's amazing nothing has exploded yet."

"Except that building inside the dome, near the Townsends case," said Dorothy, remembering that day.

"Oh yeah, I remember that. They said it was a gas line though, Toots."

"No, it wasn't," said Roger, "Apparently that was Station 1 that exploded due to a malfunction. It's online again, but apparently, it had to have set them back for some time. I overheard the guards talking about it."

"So, the only question that remains now is what are they trying to resurrect," said Dastun, "It's possible it could be the Big Dorothy drew, but we weren't able to confirm."

"And we won't be able to now unless we find another way in that doesn't alarm them. Security will be fortified, and we'll probably be spotted before we even get to their facility. So going through the subway is a no go anymore."

They finally had answers, but the one they needed to answer the most was still a mystery. Beck cleared his throat.

"If it's okay with you Crow Boy, I think we should start preparing your megadeus for the fight to come. It has to be something related to your megadeus or bigger, like a gigadeus. At some point, we can try again to explore the underground, but for right now, it'll be best to lie low."

"But what about them sabotaging the expansion project?" asked Dorothy, "They'll keep continuing to do so until they accomplish their goal."

"It'll be a lost cause. They have the money and means to do so, judging from how thick that budget file your Crow Bird nicked. I'll run out of money trying to stop them. I'll still put up some resistance, to not alarm them. If we win this fight, I can always fix what they sabotage. Best thing to do right now is we invest what time we have remaining into fortifying what tools we have we can use in the fight. That also means… well, you're the pilot, Crow Boy. You're a bigger target now than ever before. Laying low would be a good idea, except during the quarterly meeting coming up in June. Show up for that one. Everything else… I don't think it would be worth the risk taking on more cases now."

Roger thought long and hard. Beck had a point. However, his household still needed to eat, and of course, getting supplies for the home defense system and Big O would not be cheap.

"Norman, continuing screening calls for the time being. Let me worry about my household, Beck."

Beck shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll see if my connections have anything that can help with your megadeus."

"Beck, I'm not asking…"

"I don't care if you're asking or not, Crow Boy. I told you, I like to win, even if I have to play dirty. You're our best bet on winning this fight, like I told Toots a while ago. We need you, and now that's more apparent than ever. Win this fight and you don't owe me a penny for what I invest in your megadeus. Deal?"

Beck offered his hand for Roger to shake. Roger looked at Dorothy, who smiled and nodded.

"Fair deal," said Roger and he shook Beck's hand.

The rest of the night passed quickly. Beck gathered his entourage and said he would be back in the morning to work with Roger and Norman on maintenance and modifications to Big O. He wanted to look at the notes he took over Big O's extensions and different arm components, to get an idea of what Big O could handle. Angel felt unsafe going back to the presidential suite, but was tired, so Dastun and Angel left for the night, going back to his place. Roger, Dorothy, and Norman collected the dishes and were now heading to the lift, Roger holding the documents in hand as they would go into the safe he had in the bedroom for safe keeping.

The lift stopped at the kitchen and Norman stepped off with cart.

"If it's okay with you, Miss Dorothy, could you please attend to Master Roger while I do the dishes? It seems Master Roger hasn't been applying the ice packs regularly as he should've been. I believe there are some in the freezer in the kitchenette upstairs. I'll bring more ready to use for later tonight along with some tea."

"Oh! Okay, Norman. Thank you."

Dorothy shut the lift and hit the button for the main floor, Roger grumbling.

"The way you two worry sometimes is a bit annoying," he muttered.

Dorothy moved over to him. "He worries about us both. I'm pretty sure he needs time to digest that someone else had Big O's secrets in their possession, and he's probably ashamed that he couldn't protect us from them in that regard. He'll be alright. But, he's right. Unless you want your eye to swell shut, we need to get ice on it. Your cheek's not bad though."

"I need a shower. I wanna wash the day off me."

The lift came to a stop and opened.

"Then go get a shower. I'll see you a moment."

Roger began walking down the hall, stopping for a moment.

"Come with me."

"Huh?"

"Come with me, please?"

Roger whispered the last part so quietly that Dorothy stopped heading to the kitchenette and followed Roger to the bedroom.

"What's going on?" she asked him. Roger began stripping, throwing his clothes in a pile. He would have this set dry cleaned or burned, seeing as it had all the muck from the subway and underground on them. He shook his head.

"I… dunno. Just… I don't want to be alone right now."

Roger headed into the shower to get it started. Dorothy saw his face, wrapped in worry. She took off her clothes and joined him. Something was on his mind. She stepped inside, shutting the glass door, where Roger was washing the day off of him, looking down at the drain.

"Roger?"

He looked up and moved so Dorothy could have a turn with the water. She stepped into it, allowing the warm water to wash over her. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"What's going on?"

"I think the day's hitting me, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not sure."

Dorothy sighed. "Well, why don't we finish up? Perhaps a chess match and some piano will cheer you up, after we take care of that eye."

"That sounds nice."

They took turns washing each other in the shower. Roger's hands trailed down Dorothy's frame where he noticed her stomach looked slightly bigger than normal.

"Late night snacking?" he joked. Dorothy playfully hit Roger on the arm.

"We haven't been working out as much and you haven't been keeping up with my self-defense lessons."

"I'm sorry. I guess it's because you've been busy taking care of me."

"We'll just focus on the work outs. Honestly, between everything going on, I barely have the strength now. Dr. Plebanski has told me to take it easy. Stress can be… well… I guess I'm still getting used to it."

"You don't want to practice self-defense anymore?"

"No, no… I do, but lately… I've been so tired just from doing basic stuff around the mansion. Even sometimes I need a break from the kids. Part of me thinks it's related to this case with Angel and the nightmares. The lack of sleep…"

Dorothy finished showering off the soap, stepping out to grab her towel. Roger showered the soap off of him and finished as well, shutting the shower off. He toweled himself dry, wrapping the towel around his midsection. Dorothy finished brushing her hair and went back into the bedroom to get dressed into more comfortable clothing. Roger lingered, taking care of his personal hygiene for a few more minutes. Dorothy came back in wearing one of his clean gym shirts and her sweats.

"I'm going to go get the ice pack. I'll be back."

Roger nodded as he finished up and she went to the kitchenette, finding the ice packs Norman had told her about in the freezer. She took one and walked back. She saw Roger had emerged, wearing his lounge clothes. He had moved the chess board over by the piano. She walked over and gently placed the ice pack over his eye.

"Ow…"

"Sorry. The shower did help it a bit though. Hopefully, this ice pack will get the swelling to come down."

She sat down on the bench next to him. "Any requests?"

"How about the jazz one you know?"

"You want to get the lower octave?"

"I'll try. My timing's off."

"You'll get it. You just need to listen to the notes and sense the timing."

A slow familiar jazz theme began to play, soothing Roger's worries.

"White or black?" Dorothy asked.

"I'll be black. You want me to move your pieces?"

Dorothy nodded. "And lower octave."

Roger hit the lower octave notes, but was off-key. Dorothy cringed at the sound.

"Better luck here, again, and now…"

Roger adjusted his hand and hit the right notes, but left them on a tad too long.

"Better. Much better. You're getting there. King's side knight pawn, G4. And you're coming up again…"

Roger hit the octave notes once more as he moved her pawn. Roger moved one of his pawns next. Dorothy studied the board for a moment as the song began going down repetitive octaves, then going up once more. She repeated this twice.

"Queen's side pawn, A4 and here's the octave…"

Roger hit the keys again, now getting the timing right, and made her chess move. Dorothy finished playing the song, looking over the chess board. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Roger pulled her into a deep kiss. He held her for a moment, enjoying the moment before breaking away, nuzzling her head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I feel like… I didn't get the answers you wanted."

Dorothy sighed, moving his hair, a mess from the shower, out of his face.

"That's what's bothering you?"

He nodded. "We got so close and now… well, we'll be lucky if we could ever get that close again."

"You need to hold that in place, or it won't do its job," She adjusted his ice pack, Roger wincing as she did so, "Roger, please don't feel bad. You did your best. And we got some answers. Just not definite ones. But, as much as I hate to admit this, Beck's right. We need to start focusing on the battle that's coming. They know we know and they're going to put in all their efforts into stopping us. Even if we have to fight dirty, we need to win this, not just for Angel, but for everyone."

Roger turned facing her and brought her into a warm embrace. Dorothy didn't know what to do. Roger was acting strangely, but the pressure in which she felt the embrace made her eyes grow wide with surprise.

"Just promise you won't give up, no matter how hopeless it gets."

Dorothy felt his words hit her right in her heart. He was referring to her nightmare.

"Why are you saying this?"

Roger shook his head, still holding his ice pack over his eye. "This case has now evolved. It concerns you as it does Angel. They made a threat against you today, saying that they need you and Angel for their plans. But I know you won't get peace until this is over. I made a promise to you that I would protect you. I stand by that now. But, don't ever give up, please. I'd be… lost without you."

Dorothy returned his embrace, holding Roger tight.

"Okay, I promise."

NO SIDE

NEXT – ACT 32: OUT OF THE BLUE