"Ew, I think I just stepped on some squishy!"
Yumi was wiping her feet on the old subway rail, disgusted by what she had stepped in. She prayed it wasn't a dead rat.
"Quiet!" Beck hissed, "We're deep in these tunnels. Sound echoes and I rather not get discovered."
Beck had navigated his way into the abandoned subway tunnels, looking a for a route he used when he needed to lie low from the Military Police when things got really bad. Dub, T-bone, and Yumi were with him. All had flashlights and were walking slowly among the tracks.
"Boss, why exactly are we down here again?" asked T-Bone, his voice shaking.
"We're here because I said so, moron! We have a job to do."
"But you always hated the Negotiator, so why are we helping him?"
"Yeah, but I hate losing my fortune, memory, or dying even more. Keep moving and keep quiet."
They walked in silence, Beck scanning the walls until they finally came to an opening. They had reached a loading platform area, with subway cars tilted over. Beck scanned his flashlight around, looking, muttering under his breath.
"Come on… where is it…"
He was looking for a poster, the demented rat he had called him. He hated the way the eyes looked, though age and wear and tear did not help either. The poster advertised something related to children, like a casino of sorts. People were strange forty years ago. He may be a self-centered bastard, but even he wouldn't sink that low to create a casino for kids. But on the other hand, he would sell his mother's soul to open one for adults if the profit was just right.
He found the poster, the color faded and covered in mold. Beck smirked at his success.
"Come on, this way."
Beck climbed onto the platform, then helped the rest of his cohort up. They followed him as he walked further back, passing abandoned stalls and check-in counters, moving his way down the hall until he found what he was looking for.
"Bingo!"
An old, dusty metal vent cover sat on the bottom of the wall ahead of him. Gleefully, Beck turned around to his companions.
"T-bone, come help me with this. Yumi, shine your light on us while we get this thing open. Dub, you stand watch."
"But Boss, it's all dark and creepy here. Why do I have to stand watch?" Dub whimpered.
"Because Beck won't let me do it, so go and watch," Yumi said, pushing Dub ahead of her, who squealed and stumbled, his legs shaking as he walked to the corner where the wall ended, keeping watch.
Beck smirked at Yumi's comment. She turned her flashlight onto them, and Dub and Beck began pulling at the grate to remove it. The grate finally wretched free, making a lot of noise in the process. Beck held his finger to his mouth, listening for any sound or movement. A moment passed and he heard nothing. Feeling it was safe to keep going, Beck shined his light in Dub's direction to get him to come back to where they were. Dub walked back to him.
"You first, you're skinnier than the rest of us."
Dub turned sickly pale at the sound of these words.
"I am NOT dying for you. Do it yourself!"
Beck kicked Dub in the knee, forcing him down onto the ground, then kicked his behind into the vent. Dub moaned in pain.
"I'm paying you guys too much for all this backtalk. Get moving! See if we can crawl in there…"
Dub huffed a sigh and began crawling in the vent, using his flashlight to look around.
"It looks safe," he called to them.
Yumi scowled at Beck.
"You're seriously making me crawl in this thing? I already stepped on something disgusting…"
Beck now felt his patience slipping. He shook his head, then regained his composure, turning on the charm.
"Yumi, my sweetest darling Yumi, I need you. You can unlock any door, window, lock…"
"Your pants…"
"My pants… hey! Knock that off! You're a damn good lock smith, so I need you here."
"What's in it for me?"
Beck felt his eye twitch in annoyance and anger. He put his hands on his hips, thinking, then snapped his fingers once he thought of an idea.
"I'll treat you to another spa day at the resort dome! Is that good enough?"
Yumi giggled softly, nodding yes.
"How come she gets a spa day and I get brute force?" Dub said, his voice coming from the vent.
"Shut it, Dub! Let's go, Yumi! T-Bone, you stay here. You're too big to fit in there," said Beck, crouching down.
T-bone felt relief that he got guard duty, even though it was in the dark subway tunnel. Beck and Yumi climbed inside, following Dub down the narrow path of the vent.
"Ugh, the smell… it's like something died," Yumi said, wrinkling her nose, but Beck shushed her.
"Keep quiet and keep moving."
They climbed around in the vent for a long time, following the path. Beck found himself grateful that he was rich now and not on the run from the law, even though they never followed him this far into the tunnels. He did not miss being on the run or in prison. He hated crawling around like a rat. Now, he was crawling around like a rat to save a city that probably would care less if he died right now. The irony of it all was not lost on him.
Beck crawled into Yumi's rear on accident. He grinned for a moment until her heel connected with his jawbone, and he backed off, rubbing his jaw in pain.
"Why are we stopping?" he hissed.
"There's a fork in the vent. Which way do I go?" Dub asked.
Beck sighed. "Crawl into one of the vents so I can take a look."
Dub and Yumi crawled to the left into one of the vents that branched off so Beck could take a look. He studied the fork for a moment.
"I'll be in the front at this point. We're taking the right. This should drop us into an office of sorts."
Beck crawled to the right branch of the fork, with Yumi and Dub following close behind him. They crawled for a little while more until Beck stopped.
"We're here. Scoot back and give me some room."
He turned himself around, and kicked the grate open after a few attempts. They all crawled out.
"Where are we?" asked Dub.
The room was dark, dirty and the windows were covered in grime. Tools laid skewed on the ground, rusting away from the lack of use. There were small squeaks coming from somewhere in the room, more than likely a family of rats hiding from the humans that were now in their dwelling.
"I want to say it was a maintenance office from prior to forty years ago. See the map with the tunnels? Thing's an absolute gold mine. However, it's an electronic of sorts, and there's no way of getting it out of here. But it's helpful if you're lost. Thing would be worth a fortune if I could get it out of here. Now, there should be another vent somewhere…"
Beck turned on his flashlight searching for it. He found it near the rusting console.
"This'll lead us out to a different area of the tunnels. And if my memory is right, we'll find an old maintenance shaft that should take us below the subway. Let's go."
Dub and Beck got the grate open and crawled through, coming out onto the subway once again. Yumi followed shortly afterwards.
"From this point on, stay close and no talking. This area used to give me the creeps, still does."
They all turned their flashlights on and set off walking quietly into the tunnels. They could hear the sound of squeaks getting louder and scurrying away from them. Yumi moved closer to Beck. She was not a fan of rats.
"They won't do anything. These rats are terrified of humans. They stay in the shadows. Not sure why though," he whispered to her, "Probably might have something to do with forty years ago."
Dub was beside himself. He hated dark places, he hated rats, and he hated the ghosts that were rumored to haunt the tunnels. But, he kept his whimpering to a minimum, and kept walking with Beck and Yumi. He didn't want to be kicked by Beck again for being a chicken.
Beck fanned his light, sometimes catching the glow of eyes of the rats watching them. The rails down here were dirty and hard to see. The pavement was also uneven and had large cracks that could take out an ankle. Then Beck stopped suddenly.
"Did you… feel that?"
Dub and Yumi looked at each other, then looked back at him. Beck felt his body tense up, sweat now rolling down his sideburns. He knew what he felt. A small tremor. Beck moved the flashlight, looking for any possible signs that the tunnel would collapse. Nothing. Dub had stopped whimpering at this point, trying to find what Beck was looking for. Yumi turned her head around slowly, trying to look for herself.
And then, they all felt it. A small tremor, coming from beneath them. The rumble was barely audible over the sound of the rats.
"Beck, we should probably turn around…" whispered Yumi, "Who knows what's going on below us. Otherwise, we could risk the tunnel collapsing."
Beck shook his head. "No way. Crow Boy told me that a guy he knew who maps the subway for a living said he heard weird noises in certain areas. This might be one of them. We're onto something. We keep going!" he hissed.
They resumed walking once more. The rats, now scared by the rumbling, were running further down into the tunnels, much to the relief of Yumi. Beck was scanning the tunnels, his senses now on high alert. His flashlight fell onto the maintenance shaft he was looking for, and he motioned Dub and Yumi over. The ladder descending downward looked to be in decent shape.
"This is it," he whispered, "No lights from this point on. I'm not sure what we're heading into. Keep quiet!"
Beck started down the maintenance shaft, taking each rung one step at a time. Yumi went next, following him closely, followed by Dub. They continued down the long descent, until the walls started getting less worn and appeared to be newer in construction. Finally, the maintenance shaft opened into a wide area. Beck smirked.
This definitely fits Crow Boy's description.
He got close enough to the ground and jumped the remaining feet. Dub and Yumi joined him.
"What is this? This looks…new…" she asked, turning her head around to observe.
"Crow Boy told me to expect this. It seems like someone's been doing additional remodeling though. This concrete looks new."
Beck rubbed his hands over it, rubbing his fingers together. He looked behind him, then looked ahead. He didn't feel any tremors. He decided to take the route behind him.
"Let's go this way," and he began jogging quickly. Yumi and Dub followed him.
The hallway seemed like it went for miles. Beck looked around him, trying to see if there were any other maintenance shafts or other escape routes in case things got hairy. But he saw nothing and kept jogging, trying to find where the hallway ended. After a while, they saw a fork in the path ahead of them. Beck stopped to catch his breath, along with Yumi and Dub.
"Boss, can we please go back now? We'll get lost if we keep going down all of these turns," Dub said, panting.
"You have the genius of Beck with you, and you're whining about getting…"
Beck stopped talking suddenly, listening. He heard something loud, like construction vehicles. He strained, hearing the familiar roar of an engine being fired up. Yes, they were construction vehicles alright. But here, so deep underground? Beck put a finger on his mouth, signaling to Dub and Yumi to be quiet. Beck at this point undid his suit jacket and pulled out a pistol, holding it close. Making themselves small against the wall, all three of them slowly approached the fork, stopping at the intersection. Beck heard the sound coming to his right. Beck cleared the corner and approached the small narrow opening, sealed by a grate.
The sight that met their eyes was in a word, incomprehensible, at least from they could see through the grate. The underground cavern had been cleared for a large open area. Construction workers were busy operating various vehicles. Beck saw a large opening with tire tracks leading in and out into the area. Materials were in piles scattered all over the area, but out of the way from the main machinery. The area in the middle had been cleared for something, but with the grate in the way, Beck couldn't tell what it was. But it was the ceiling of the cavern that caught Beck's attention and made him pause, frozen with shock. Power-line transmission structures were hanging from the ceiling, with cables being run, connecting them together.
"What the hell? How? Those are only used for an electrical grid! Why is something like that down here? Are they trying to regulate… Yumi, try getting the grate open. It feels locked."
Yumi pulled out a small bag of tools, analyzing the grate. She tested the corners, and got close to it, trying to see if there was anything she pry or apply leverage to. She saw a padlock dangling to her right.
"No good. If I force this open, I'll make a bunch of noise."
Beck frowned, but a thought suddenly dawned on him. The quarterly meeting, in which he had conceded to Paradigm to begin renovations on the power plant near the harbor, stated that the Paradigm Utilities Board to needed to upgrade their plant to be ready to receive the high amount of energy output from the Electric City dam. The plant was the closest power station to the dam and the only one that could distribute the energy to the domes. But what if it wasn't going to the domes? What if it was going below ground, like here?
Beck then remembered the trench his work crew had found on the harbor seabed, and the various reports that the "frog people" had been harassing the construction workers at different times of the day, including the night shift. He also remembered the lines they were trying to install, ones meant for high yield capacity.
All three of them suddenly felt a tremor, coming from the direction of the maintenance shaft ladder. Yumi grabbed onto Beck, holding on for dear life while Dub lost his balance and face planted the floor. Beck could hear the men below them panicking and shouting, as machines came to a dead stop, and they began running for shelter. Then, as suddenly as it came, it stopped. Yumi straightened herself up and helped Dub up. Beck was composing himself when he heard a voice that made the blood in his veins freeze.
"OI! GET BACK TO WORK! THE OTHER THREE CAN'T HANDLE THE ELECTRIC CAPACITY! FIX STATION 3 SO WE CAN GO BACK TO STATION 5, AND FINALIZE THE WORK OVER THERE! THE SOONER YOU DO THIS, THE SOONER THE TREMORS STOP!"
Cyborg chic is here? Damn it!
They had stayed long enough. Beck nodded at Dub and Yumi to go back the way they came. They ran for a while, not stopping. Beck kept encouraging them to run, until he saw the ladder of the maintenance shaft before stopping, and taking a break.
"Boss, what was all that?"
"I dunno, Dub. I dunno. But I'm not liking where this is going. I gotta bad feeling about this. Yumi, when we get back to the surface, get a hold of Crow Boy and set up an emergency meeting."
"But what if…"
"Tell him it's urgent. I don't care what you have to do. Just get the message to him. Let's get out of here. If that girl is here, this is the last place I want to be, even with my gun."
Beck slipped his gun back into his holster as Dub and Yumi began the long climb back up the maintenance ladder. He'd rather deal with creepy subway tunnels than with cyborg chic who put clown boy on his ass on that fateful day while he was fixing Big Fau.
Beck's assistant sounded desperate on the radio Beck had given us. Dorothy and I looked at each other, as each of us were confused. What could possibly be that bad to warrant another emergency meeting after we just had one not too long ago? Beck wanted it as soon as possible, so we radioed Dastun and Angel on our comms. Of course, with their schedules, it would be hard for them to find time. But Dastun was able to get Angel's second detail decoy ready to go in a couple of days' time. Beck wasn't happy, but surprisingly was understanding, even if grudgingly about it. He said he wouldn't say anything else until the meeting, afraid someone was watching and listening. Honestly, at this point, I found myself looking over my shoulder frequently as well, more so than from my MP days, while out and about.
My secret got out with Dorothy on my work out routine. She caught me trying to do push-ups in the bedroom after I stated I was going to take a shower. When I dropped off my monthly donation to the clinic with her later on, she made a passing remark, which caused Dr. Plebanski to threaten me with the staple gun if I didn't quit. However, after issuing her threat, she sighed and handed me some stretches for physical therapy. After poking and prodding at me, she stated that apparently, I knew what I was doing and it was okay for me to continue, as long as I didn't push myself. Which was a good thing I suppose. I missed running with Dorothy.
Roger and Dorothy ran back into the hangar while Norman went ahead of them and parked his bike. Roger took a moment to breathe, leaning on the wall, as he shut the garage door. He felt like he had a gaping hole in him the entire time he tried to keep pace with Dorothy. Dorothy even had to slow down, and take multiple breaks while they ran on their route when she noticed he began falling behind.
"Are you alright?" Dorothy asked.
"Not really. But at the same time, if I don't try to get myself stronger, then well… if I need to summon Big O…"
"Come on. Let's get you some water and find a place to sit."
"No, we got that meeting here in a little while. I wanna freshen up and be ready for when everyone arrives."
Dorothy nodded and walked with him back to the lift, where Norman was waiting.
"Where to, sir?"
"The main floor."
Norman hit the kitchen floor and main floor levels. The lift began to move upward.
"Shall I bring some liquid refreshment once you are done with your shower, sir?"
Roger nodded.
"And for you, Miss Dorothy?"
"Thank you, Norman. That would be lovely."
The lift finally sounded at its arrival at the kitchen. Norman stepped out and shut the gate, the lift now rising to the main floor a moment later, before stopping at its destination. Roger and Dorothy stepped out, heading over to the bedroom. Roger shut the door as they both entered. Dorothy began getting herself ready for the shower.
"I guess I'll take a shower with you then, to make things easier."
Roger coughed, turning pink, as he began taking off his clothes.
"Dorothy, you know how that ends…"
Dorothy raised an eyebrow at him, and gave Roger a coy smile.
"I wasn't suggesting that. I would like to get ready myself and have something to eat."
Roger gave her a perplexed look. "You never eat anything after you run. Dinner will be served after we are done. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm just going to go and get a snack in the kitchenette. Besides, I have a feeling this meeting might run longer than expected."
Dorothy admired the view of Roger shirtless and in his sweats before heading to the shower and getting the water started. Roger shook his head, finished undressing, and joined her. They made a quick work of the shower, minus a few playful gestures toward one another. They finished and stepped out, toweling dry, heading to the bedroom to get dressed. Dorothy decided to wear just her white blouse, green broach, and skirt, Roger dressing in his usual business attire minus his suit jacket and gloves. They both stepped out of the bedroom, chatting happily about the day's events. Norman had left a jug of water and teapot on the table with cups on a tray on the living room table. As Dorothy went into the kitchenette to find herself something to eat, Roger poured refreshments for the both of them. Dorothy returned a short while later with two bowls in her hand.
"Norman made his potato salad for dinner!"
"Hey, save me some of that! He makes good potato salad!"
"That's why I brought a bowl for you, you louse."
Dorothy smiled sarcastically at him, handing him his bowl. Roger eyed her suspiciously as she sat down next to him, happily eating. She grabbed her glass of water, and nodded her thanks towards him, drinking a little before setting it back down. Roger returned the smile, and began eating. Maybe a snack before this meeting was a good idea after all.
Beck arrived later, carrying large parchment roll tubes in his hands, along with Yumi assisting him. For the sake of the meeting, they had decided to meet in the office, where Roger had boards in which Beck could tack up the paperwork. Judging from the size he had, they looked like maps of the city.
Angel and Dastun had arrived before Beck. Like Roger and Dorothy, they were confused at Beck's insistence on a meeting so soon. When Angel asked Dorothy about it, Dorothy shrugged, and said she had no idea herself on what was happening. Now, all five waited patiently for Beck and Yumi to finish their set up, Norman bringing refreshments once everyone had arrived. Once completed, Roger saw that Beck had put up a map of the city domes and an electrical grid map of the city as well. He also posted a map of the harbor separating Electric City and Paradigm. Roger felt a ping of annoyance.
"What's going on, Beck?"
"Give me a sec, Crow Boy, I'm not done yet."
Beck began marking the maps with different color pins and string, some of which were overlapping one another. This took him a while to finish. Roger went over to his miniature bar and poured himself a drink. He offered one to Dastun, who held up his hand, declining.
"There! Now we're done!"
"Oh boy, you finished your school project," said Dorothy rolling her eyes, "What are we looking at?"
"The map of the city and the map of the electrical grid. The blue pins and string represent the new power lines on the city map. The yellow pins on the electrical grid map represent the existing lines in the city. Please tell me I'm not hallucinating," said Beck.
Roger set his drink down, approaching the map along with Norman, who placed his monocle in his good eye to study it. Dorothy, Dastun, and Angel also approached, studying the map. Then Norman made the connection.
"These wires, they are all going to the central dome for Paradigm HQ."
Angel raised an eyebrow.
"But Paradigm HQ has always been the central point for everything. It's how Gordon set up the government. I'm not following."
"Miss President, wake up. All of these blue lines are new, according to this map,
said Beck, pointing at the map, "They're the high yield lines I was talking about. Took forever to get this map from the utility board. They weren't keen on handing it over, which didn't help my suspicions. The Paradigm Utilities Board has been laying new electric lines for the city, under the guise of being able to handle the power supply from Electric City, but it's not. I went into the tunnels a few days ago, found an old maintenance shaft that hadn't been blocked off."
Beck pointed to the map, close to the power plant near his construction site.
"I had to trace my steps, but what I saw underground, they're setting up an electric grid for something. Something big. Yumi was with me. We felt tremors and then I heard that cyborg chic. According to her, they had four of those stations already up and running and it wasn't enough to stop the tremors. There's… something… that needs the electricity…"
Roger suddenly remembered the quarterly meeting and the issues with the grid and the power plant on the harbor.
"So that's why they needed to lay down new lines and remodel the plant. The power output from the dam, it may not be enough or they're going to amplify it, and then funnel it into one area…"
Beck nodded. "I wanna say it's underneath HQ dome, but…"
"That area is too large," finished Roger, "What are they hiding? What's going on underneath HQ that they need the large space for?"
Roger held his chin, thinking. Angel and Dorothy looked at each other alarmed. Norman stopped studying the grid and went to Roger's desk, looking for the map of the subway tunnels his contact gave him to compare. Dastun on the other hand, spoke.
"These tremors, how long did they last?"
Roger looked at Dastun, confused.
"Your megadeus likes to shake the ground and pop manhole covers because of the pressure. Call it a signature if you will," he looked back at Beck, "Well, what did they feel like?"
"It nearly knocked me on the ground. Knocked Dub and Yumi off their feet. Also, I could feel it in the subway."
Dastun grimaced.
"Whatever is causing the tremors has to be huge. There's a bunch of stone and concrete in that underground area from what Angel told me. That should be enough to absorb most of the impact from the tremors…"
Dorothy then remembered the reoccurring nightmare she had. She grabbed a piece of paper and started sketching out the shadow of the Big that haunted her dreams. Angel studied her drawing for a moment as it took shape.
"What's wrong, Dorothy?"
Dorothy frantically finished the sketch and set it down for everyone to look. Roger finally saw what had been haunting her dreams for the past month and even though he was not easily scared, he now understood why Dorothy had refused to describe it to him.
The Big she had sketched took up most of the paper. On top of its head, where the glass dome would've been on Big O, was a crown, sharp, angular, and wide as its edges extended past the width of the head. The face plate was skull-like in nature with a pointed chin. The mouth, or where the mouth should've been, was slightly open in a malevolent sneer with points inside to indicate where the teeth were. Around its shoulder area were spikes, forming a collar around the base of its neck. The arms looked similar to Big Fau, equipped with saw cuffs at the end where the hands were, but it seemed the chain extended to wrap around the entire arm and connecting at the point of the wrist. The hands themselves were not even hands like what Big O had. This Big's hands were large, and the fingers were pointed and angular in nature, like human hands deforming into claws. At the center of its hands, were large jewels, similar to the ones Big Fau had in his arms. Even Roger noticed similar jewels speckled throughout the arms of the Big.
So, this is the monster that's haunting Dorothy at night, Roger thought. He felt his hand turn into a fist, trembling with anger. This monster was the reason why Dorothy wasn't getting any sleep. Roger narrowed his eyes in frustration, his irises trembling with fury at the thought of him not being able to keep this monster at bay in her thoughts. Roger slid his arm around Dorothy's shoulder and squeezed it. Dorothy was caught off guard by this gesture at first, but she saw his face, and understood what he was trying to say to her.
Beck took the paper and studied the image, looking it over. Dorothy took a deep breath, composing herself as she too had been trembling from the sketch.
"Would that… would that be large enough to cause the tremors you felt? Be large enough to fit underneath the HQ dome?"
Beck shrugged. "You're only showing me the top half, Toots. I couldn't say for certain. What is this thing?"
Dorothy shook her head. "I don't know. It's been haunting me at night, when I sleep. It's almost weekly now. I think it's a memory fragment from the first reset."
"Toots, looking at this drawing, and doing a size comparison to Crow Boy's mech, this thing would have to be taller and much more massive in size. This thing is not a megadeus, it's beyond that. Like a… like a… a gigadeus."
"A gigadeus?" asked Dastun, "Great, that's all I need right now. Something bigger than the megadeus to wreck more havoc and destruction!"
"Yeah, except now you're talking about reality and dreams, Pops. There's no way something like this could exist," Beck countered, "The mass, the size, the sheer amount power needed to power this thing… even if it existed forty years, there's no way something like this could exists now. We don't have the capability to power this thing. Toots, this is just a nightmare, a bad dream. I don't see how this has anything to do with what I'm talking about."
Dorothy sighed. "I knew I shouldn't had brought it up…" But Roger placed a hand on her shoulder.
"But you don't have any proof to prove that it doesn't exist either, Beck. Perhaps they found a way with the electricity to power a Big of this size, or a gigadeus. Likewise, whatever they're hiding underneath the dome could also be Big Venus, which poses another problem if that's the scenario. Until we get answers, no theories can be ruled off the table if negotiations are to conclude."
Dorothy felt lighter at Roger's words, supporting her. Then again, Roger had seen enough strange things in the world to know not to rule anything out. All the same, she felt grateful for his support.
Norman returned with the map his contact gave him and rolled it out on the table to compare with Beck's maps. Roger saw him busying himself, marking points on the map, and comparing them with Beck's, every so often going up close to them to study them, and then coming back to his. He finished a short while later, setting his pen down.
"I know a good portion of these rails. Every so often, I'll do inspections on them to make sure they're in decent running order for the Prairie Dog. And if my memory serves me right, this area that Mr. Beck has explored is right underneath the dome, specifically, West Dome #5."
Roger studied the maps, comparing Norman's work with Beck's layout.
"Beck, how many did you say they had up and running?"
"Four right now. Apparently, there's a fifth one being built."
Roger looked at Dastun and Angel.
"It would explain the trucks we saw coming in and out of West Dome #7 a while ago, and that's close by. Plus, the day I got stabbed, there was that construction lot that was housing them not too far from the dome."
Roger looked back at the maps, scowling.
We need to get down there, unless the guy who tried to kill me talks. No, I don't see that happening any time soon. The underground has the answers. I know it!
Roger broke free from his thoughts when he heard a crackling sound that he knew all too well.
"Excuse me, I have to take this," said Dastun, picking up his radio and stepping away.
Angel sighed, trying to think of anything Big Venus may have said to her, indicating that there may have been another Big or if Big Venus had possibly been captured by the enemy. But as far as she knew, Big Venus told Angel all she had to do was summon her. She crossed her arms, frowning. It seemed all the answers were underground.
"I don't think Big Venus is in the hands of the enemy, though I do understand your concern there's a possibility, Roger. I'll make some time this weekend. I think it's time to go back to my spy days and go snooping."
Roger shook his head.
"No, and as my client, I'm advising you not to do so. If you get caught by the enemy, it'll be game over for all of us. If you're the key to Big Venus' activation, you need to stay in our hands. Likewise…" Dorothy had begun to speak, but Roger turned his head, looking at her, "You're not coming either. They came after you once. They've already said they needed you alive over me. The both of you are not expendable and will be staying put."
Both women began heatedly arguing at the same time with Roger. Roger crossed his arms and leaned on the desk, closing his eyes in frustration, taking the full force of their anger and insults in silence. He would not budge on this. He only got a reprieve when he heard Dastun yell at the top of his lungs, "WHAT?" Both women stopped arguing and turned in Dastun's direction. He began walking back, issuing orders on his radio.
"I don't care who authorized it! I want the damn paperwork on whoever signed off on this! I don't care! Get the forensic techs down there, pull the footage! Everyone who's on shift now that was in his wing stays on shift until they're interviewed! I DON'T CARE WHAT THE COMMANDER WANTS! TELL HIM IF HE STILL WANTS HIS JOB, HE'LL LISTEN TO MY ORDERS!"
Dastun turned clicked off the radio as he stopped in front of the group staring at him. He turned his focus to Roger, meeting him in the eye. Dorothy did not like the look Dastun was giving him.
"The guy, who tried to kill you and Dorothy… he's dead. Dead in his cell."
Roger's face, now mixed with shock and fury, felt both of his hands curled into fists, shaking. He took a deep breath to compose himself.
"I thought you had him under surveillance," he said, trying to remain calm.
"We did, 24 hours. It was a move mix up again. He got put in a medium security ward. Someone got to him in the cell then left. They just found him while doing rounds. I don't know any more details, but we'll need to get going soon. This isn't going to be pretty…" He nodded over at Angel.
"So, we've lost the only lead that could've given us answers, or point us in the right direction. So now, we have no other choice, but to go underground." Roger shook his head, going back over to grab his drink and downed half. What a day…
"We're not leaving yet, Chief," said Angel, coldly, "I'm going in those tunnels, whether you like it or not, Negotiator."
Dastun groaned. "What did I miss this time?"
"He's saying I can't go in the tunnels."
"Again, because if you fall into the enemies' hands, it's over, Angel. They can use Big Venus against us. Having you remain safe is our priority, as well as Dorothy. As long as you're safe with us, Big Venus can't be summoned, and they can't use Dorothy for whatever they need her for," said Roger, raising his voice now.
Dastun sighed, knowing the next words he would be saying would start a fight with Angel.
"He's right. You're the Madam President. There's too much to lose if you go down there and get caught. We don't know what we're dealing with."
Angel let out a frustrated sigh, looking away from Dastun. "I have every right…"
"You do, I'm not saying you don't. But you have to think of this from a tactical perspective. Roger's right. They came after Dorothy already. If they see you, they're gonna try to come after you. It's just that simple."
Angel sighed, relenting. "Fine, I'll stay. Don't expect me to be happy about it."
Dorothy looked at Roger, who met her gaze. Their discussion on the matter was not over yet, and they both knew it. Roger finished his drink, going back over the map, studying it once more. Then he remembered what he had been trying to say before.
"If we're to test our theory with the information given, we'll need to visit another area. As far as I know, there's no map of the underground unless you have any…" He pointed to Beck and Angel and they both shook their heads no. "No matter, we'll make do with what information we have. I have a hunch and if it's correct…"
He pointed at the outer lying domes closest to the harbor.
"I have a feeling these domes are central points for the electricity. The domes might help channel the energy, considering they use so much anyway to generate artificial sunlight. But if you found one generating point at West Dome #5, then that means West Domes #4, #6, #7, and #8 or North Central Domes #1 and #2 might be where the other points lie. If we can confirm one, then we'll have a better idea of how to infiltrate what's underneath Paradigm HQ dome, if we can get that far. I have a feeling our best bet would be West Dome #7, considering the activity we saw on the last stake out I was on."
He turned to Angel.
"Is there any chance you can find any routes to the underground below HQ? Without alerting anyone?"
Angel shook her head curtly. "There's none. Alex had them sealed up, in part because of you. And it remains that way in this reset."
"Well, so much for that idea, I guess. So, we might have to settle for exploring underneath the outlying domes if we can't access what's under HQ."
Angel sighed, gathering her things. "Let's go, Dan. I assume you need to drop me off and then head to the prison?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Yumi began breaking down the presentation, putting the maps back into their parchment tubes and putting the other materials in her briefcase. She nodded at Beck, who gave her a short nod back.
"So, when are we going?" he asked.
Dastun stopped putting on his coat. Angel looked up from gathering her things. Roger put his hands in pockets.
"Let's shoot for this weekend, if possible. Time is of the essence now. We'll meet here and use the Prairie Dog to go out into the subway. If things get out of hand, I can call on Big O to help."
Dastun nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
"I'll bring some stuff too. See if we can't map any of the underground out for future use," Beck said, taking parchment tubes with him.
As they began to leave, Angel turned to Dorothy, who had a dour look on her face.
"You okay?" she whispered.
"Not really. Someone thinks they can tell me what to do, and I'm perfectly capable of handling myself," Dorothy said, crossing her arms, scowling.
Angel gave a small chuckle. "But at least they both care in their own way. Trust me, I want to go too. I want to find answers, afraid they might miss something. But, if we go, we might be putting them in more danger too. They'll be focused on protecting us more than trying to find answers. Either way, it's not the answer we want."
Dorothy leaned on the desk, looking away. "Yeah, but that's not the only thing bothering me either."
Angel put her hand on Dorothy's shoulder, understanding her concern, and squeezed gently. "He'll be alright."
Dorothy nodded, looking back at Angel, with a small smile. "I know."
Angel nodded and walked away, following Dastun, Beck, and Yumi out. Norman followed behind them, to escort the entourage out of the mansion. Dorothy remained on the desk, looking at the map Norman had laid out while Roger poured himself another drink, bracing himself for a fight. He sighed.
"You want a drink?" he offered her.
Dorothy shook her head. "No, thank you."
Roger sensed the curtness in her voice. "Dorothy…"
Dorothy sighed and looked up at him. Roger finished pouring his drink and turned around.
"Roger, I know what you're going to say, and I get it. I do. But it doesn't make it any easier. And there's also that Dr. Plebanski told you that you were on light duty for right now. How can you not expect me to protest any of this?"
Roger raised an eyebrow. He was expecting a fight, but not expecting this. Dorothy's emotions had been running high as of late, which he attributed to lack of sleep and stress. He cleared his throat.
"I guess that would be normal then, considering the circumstances and recent events."
Dorothy walked over to him, putting her arms around him. Roger's face now became confused at the sudden gesture. Compared to the argument from earlier with her and Angel, he definitely was not expecting this.
"I know why you have to do it. I get that part. But, this is my fight too, is it not? I feel like you're telling me I can't do my part."
Roger set his drink down, putting his arms around Dorothy.
"I'm not saying that. It's your fight too. But, they told us they're after you again. I need you here. You can help Norman monitor comms and the Prairie Dog systems. It doesn't sound like much, but every little helps."
"I hear what you're saying, but it still doesn't feel like that's a decent way for me to help you at all."
"Dorothy, look at me."
Dorothy slowly turned her head up at him, the dour look on her face, now mixed with sadness. Roger kissed her on the forehead.
"I need you here, where you'll be safe. I'll find out why they need you alive. Once I do, we'll go from there. But if I take you with me, and if I lose you… I already waged war once to get you back. I don't know what I would do or be capable of doing if I lost you again. I promise, I will come back. I've kept that promise, right?"
Dorothy grabbed his hands, squeezing them. "Even if barely, yes, you have."
"But barely still counts."
Roger smiled warmly at her, before kissing her passionately on the lips, unaware Norman had walked into the office to see if they needed anything, before turning red, and quickly taking the stairs to the kitchen to prepare some tea for later. They broke away, Roger being the first to speak.
"You wanna play a chess game or two? See if that helps tire out your mind before bed?"
"We could, or we could do other things to tire me out too, besides chess."
"Uh huh, I see. Let's try the chess first, then move our way up…"
Dorothy snickered as Roger gently grabbed her hand, and headed to the lift to go upstairs to the living room.