Fate had a way of being ironic during May. As soon as Dorothy knew she was pregnant, the joys and woes of pregnancy came with it. Dorothy would experience bouts of morning sickness, late night cravings, and her emotions would be subjected to control of her hormones. During these mood swings, I would disappear into the hangar, sometimes working with Norman and Beck on Big O's maintenance, going back every so often to check on Dorothy to make sure she was alright. Of course, there were positives to her hormones as well, even though sometimes I had to disappear for a while in the hangar to recover. An additional pro to Dorothy being pregnant was the nightmare that was bothering her two-three times a week, got reduced to once a week, if that. The pregnancy was a big enough distraction to take her mind off of Angel's case and the danger associated with it.
At ten weeks, Dr. Plebanski ran a panel on Dorothy to make sure the babies were healthy and had no development issues. I found myself nervous and agitated waiting for the results, so I retreated to the office for a good portion of the days to avoid everyone until dinner time. Norman received the phone call with the results that the babies were fine a few days later. Norman told me that Dr. Plebanski had called me a nervous nelly when he informed her that I was in a mood and told me to relax.
Despite the change that was coming, our routine still carried on, though somewhat modified. Dr. Plebanski gave Dorothy stretches she could do instead of working out with me, so no harm would come to the twins. Running with Dorothy became a nice walk around the neighborhood, and with the weather warming up, it was nice to enjoy the slower pace. Norman also had planted his spring garden out in the alley way, asking Dorothy to assist him. He had found some roses, the same color of ones I had given her during the play, and planted them. They were real, and apparently, it was an expense he docked from his own pay, stating that Dorothy's joy upon seeing them was well worth the price for the two bushes he planted.
Of course, meals were also modified as well. It was touch and go for a while as Dorothy's hormones would allow her to eat something one week, but not the next. Eventually, the "safe list" as we called it, was established. I began to help Norman in the kitchen as I noticed he became somewhat stressed trying to create a balanced diet for the twins and Dorothy. Of course, Dorothy would raid the fridge for pickles and mayo as her craving snack in between meals, and I found it was an effective negotiating tactic to use in case her hormones were causing her bad mood, or if I needed a break from the extracurricular activities.
At twelve weeks, we were back at the clinic and getting an ultrasound done. Of course, we weren't the only ones watching.
"MISS DOROTHY!"
"Ah, ah, ah! Everyone single file and along the wall. Miss Dorothy said you could watch the ultrasound today, but you all need to behave, or you'll go back with Norman," chided Carlye to the children.
"They're okay, Carlye," said Roger, "They're just excited."
"See, Mr. Roger said it was okay…"
"Hush Michael! Roger, you're not helping me."
"Alright, alright… kids best listen to Miss Carlye and Dr. Plebanski. I have no authority here."
Dr. Plebanski, preparing the ultrasound, scowled. "You never had authority in my clinic to begin with, Roger."
Roger scowled mockingly at Dr. Plebanski, to which the children giggled. She turned to look at Roger, who had changed his look at this point, feigning innocence. Dorothy hit him on the arm.
"Behave, you're setting a bad example."
Roger raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Dr. Plebanski began working the ultrasound and found the twins.
"Yes, so now I can definitely tell that there are two separate placentas. They are very clear on the ultrasound. So, definitely fraternal twins."
"Is it too soon tell us what we're having?"
"Roger, do I look like a drive-thru? It's not place an order and I tell you. I just show you. How many times have I told you? You'll know the gender at MAYBE 16 weeks…."
"But, you did say you might be able to tell us early."
"If the babies were in a good position, which they are not. It seems they're shy today."
Roger sighed and Dorothy gently squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. Sheila approached the screen, looking at the image."
"They're so tiny, Miss Dorothy!"
Dorothy giggled while Dr. Plebanski smiled.
"That's because they're the size of plums, dear. They'll get bigger in time, especially if Miss Dorothy eats well and takes good care of herself. That's why Miss Carlye has been harping on all of you to be on your best behavior while Miss Dorothy visits. She doesn't need any trouble that could disturb her children."
Sheila turned around to the other kids. "You heard Dr. Plebanski! We have to behave for Miss Dorothy when she visits. See, I told you…"
"That's enough, Sheila, though I do appreciate the help."
Sheila fell back in line with the other children, who were looking at the screen in awe. Finally, Carlye ushered them out.
"Okay, enough gawking. Norman brought cookies and milk! Go get some and no running in the hall!" she cried as they ran out giggling, calling for Norman, "Are you good here Mary or do I need to help you?"
"No, go get Norman so he can see. I can take it from here."
Carlye nodded and left to go fetch Norman.
"So, aside from mood swings and cravings, any more bouts of morning sickness?" Dr. Plebanski asked.
"I haven't had any this week, which was nice for a change," said Dorothy, sighing with relief.
Norman entered, smiling at the screen.
"Are the young masters healthy?" he asked.
Dr. Plebanski shook her head, smiling, began cleaning Dorothy abdomen. "Yes Norman, the young masters are healthy. It's weird calling them that though."
"Well, that's their official title in the household."
Roger shook his head. "My kids need to learn respect first. That title they will earn before you address them by it. But for now, or in private when they're older and not around, you can call them that."
Norman chuckled and nodded. Dr. Plebanski finished putting the ultrasound up.
"I'll print some pictures for you, Dorothy. That's good the morning sickness has abated. I take it my recipe for the tonic helped?"
"Yes, and Norman added some lemon to it, to help it go down."
"It's not the best tasting, but it does help. Just keep an eye on it. As you get further in the pregnancy, the morning sickness should subside. If it gets worse though, or if you start having it later on in your remaining trimesters, you'll need to see me. Just show up, regardless if I'm busy. We'll get you taken care of."
Roger nodded, then looked at Dorothy, who raised herself up and began buttoning her blouse up and hopped down from the table.
"I'm gonna say goodbye to the kids, if that's alright. I'm little tired today."
"Dear, with you being pregnant, I don't expect you to volunteer as much. You need to take it easy and focus on yourself."
"I will, Dr. Plebanski. Thank you!"
Dorothy walked out to say goodbye to the children with Norman following her. Roger went to get up, stretching.
"How are you holding up?" asked Dr. Plebanski.
"Oh? Me? Well, the mood swings with her have been… different. I'm used to a level head with her. Now I live in fear of my life, especially if I take the last bit of pickles and mayo from the fridge."
"Is that so?"
Roger chuckled. "I'm joking. Her nightmares have at least been reduced to once a week, if that. Finding out she's pregnant I guess has been a blessing in that area. It's kept her distracted."
"I see. Well, if you need anything…"
"I know, call you. By the way…"
Roger handed her an envelope.
"Ah, that time of the month again. Thank you, Roger."
Roger nodded. He heard the sound of the piano and the sound of clapping to the beat of the song drifting slowly through the hallway. Both he and Dr. Plebanski left the room to go check on the daycare where they entered and found Dorothy playing a rendition of Boccherini's Passacalle on the piano. Roger leaned on the door, an amused smile on his face, watching Dorothy play for the children, who were clapping along. She finished the song, the children cheering. Dorothy saw Roger, smiled, and bade the children, Carlye, and Dr. Plebanski goodbye as she joined Norman and Roger to walk out of the clinic onto the street.
"That was a lively piece," he said as they walked down the street together.
"It's Boccherini. Instro gave me the sheet music a long time ago. Said if I wanted to challenge myself to try that. I only found it just the other day when cleaning out my room."
"Well, I would love to hear it more often. Maybe you can teach it to me."
"Once you get your jazz piece down, maybe. Your timing's still off on the pedal, but you got the octaves down. You'll get it."
Roger smirked. They continued walking down the street, making a right turn, seeing the mansion now in view. However, there was a large truck being backed into the hangar garage. He saw the logo for Beck's construction company on the side doors. Roger groaned.
"What the… What's Beck doing now?"
Roger looked at Norman and Dorothy. He didn't want to leave them behind, but he had to see what was going on.
"Perhaps if you gently picked up Miss Dorothy and gently ran with her, we could get there much faster," suggested Norman.
"Do you mind? I'm kinda ticked off Beck would just bring a truck to my house without letting me know," said Roger to Dorothy. Dorothy saw a small pulsing vein on the side of his forehead.
"Alright, I understand."
Roger squatted to her height, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carefully picked her up in his arms and began running the remaining distance to the mansion with Norman following closely behind him. He entered the garage, setting Dorothy down near Norman and ran down into the hangar to find Beck.
"Beck! BECK!"
"Yo!"
"What the… what gives you the right to come into my house unannounced like this?"
"I come bearing gifts Crow Boy! Gramps gave me the code for the hangar. Consider it a baby shower present from me."
Beck cut the tarp off the truck showing a new arm for Big O that not only one piston on it, but three. Roger scratched his head.
"It's an arm for Big O? But what's so special about this one?"
"I've been looking over that file you found and reviewing designs on your regular arms, and I found that your Big buddy over here can actually handle the power of three pistons. Your Sudden Impact is going to have a lot more power now. The arm is designed exactly like your single pistons. Everything has literally been copied. However, it does come with more weight, so you'll have to account for that when attacking as the weight may you slow you down. I also wouldn't recommend firing both at once. If I did the numbers right, the attack would work, but the recoil would push you back, unless you need to gain distance from your opponent. Delivering this bad boy was a nightmare, but the other is already here."
He pointed at another new arm for Big O in the corner.
"I had to make two separate trips, but I would like to equip them and give them a test run on him." Beck now turned to Big O as the truck lifted the arm and set it on the hangar floor.
"Whaddayah think, Big Guy? Wanna try my new invention?"
Big O remained silent.
"Oh, come on! Why do you hate me so much?"
The truck began to move forward, leaving the garage. Dorothy rode the lift down, looking at what Beck delivered.
"I think Big O feels you're trying to buy his favor."
"What? No, I've been looking over that file and… there's a lot of things that are starting to jumble my memory a bit. The only thing is… if we had a book to translate the ruins in the book, we could understand the notes, and I probably could get a lot more done."
Roger studied the arms for a moment.
"Could I see your notes on this?"
Beck nodded and handed over the file to Roger. Roger started looking through Beck's notes, reading the scribble. As he flipped through the notes, he caught sight of one note that addressed the file he had found, with a copy of the weird cryptic symbols sketched next to them. Then he recognized one of them.
"I just saw this…" he muttered.
"What? What are you talking about Crow Boy?"
Roger ignored him. "NORMAN!"
Norman rode the lift down, now dressed in his maintenance attire. "Yes sir?"
"Call Dr. Plebanski's office right now on a secure line. Ask her what these symbols mean. I saw this one, I saw it on the ultrasound machine. Please…" Roger handed him the notes.
"Understood sir, give me but a moment."
Beck looked confused. "What's going on?"
"On the back of the ultrasound machine was this symbol…" Roger took out his pen and notepad and drew what looked like upside-down capital "L," but it had a line through it, like what they use for the non-smoking signs."
"Huh?"
Roger groaned. Norman shouted from over in the corner.
"Master Roger, Dr. Plebanski indeed knows what you are talking about, sir. She says she has a book on the letters! The one you say means 'No Gamma,' as in there is no radioactive materials present in the machine."
"Could you please get the book from her?"
"At once!" Norman didn't even bother changing as he ran over to his motorcycle to go back to the clinic.
A good chunk of the day had passed. Norman had met with Dr. Plebanski and was busy transcribing the notes in English. According to what Norman had told them, Dr. Plebanski received a book on the language, called Greek, while in med school. The Paradigm Health Board used the letters as warning symbols on medical equipment, and since the language was dead and only used by a select profession, it would be easier to understand. However, the books were strictly regulated and to lose the book would result in a suspended license. Norman quickly transcribed the key from her book and drove back with the key in hand. Now, he had been busy transcribing the pages in the kitchen while Roger, Dorothy, and Beck waited upstairs in the living room, as they had finished installing the new arms on Big O.
They heard the lift sound off and looked in its direction. Norman came back with the file Roger had stolen from the underground facility and pages of paper in his arms.
"Sir, the file has been translated. However, I must warn you this is incomplete. Apparently, there are some pages missing in Big O's section, related to the Final Stage cannon. But Miss Dorothy's section is complete. I also found out the author of the file, sir, and the date."
"Okay, who is it, Norman?"
"Dr. Timothy Wayneright, year 2004, prior to the After Event years."
Roger glanced at Dorothy, who felt like someone had kicked her. At last, she knew. Roger grabbed her hand quickly and squeezed, seeing the look of shock on Dorothy's face. Dorothy slowly turned to face him.
"You alright?" Roger asked.
Dorothy nodded. "A little, I suppose. A bit queasy."
"I'll make you a tonic dear to settle the nerves. There's also one more thing, Master Roger."
Roger turned to look at Norman once more.
"It seems Dr. Wayneright designed Big O, sir, and apparently, I was his assistant before forty years ago, along with Miss Dorothy, or well, the girl Miss Dorothy was modeled after. It seems this particular Miss Dorothy also had a hand in the design. I'll get you your tonic, dear."
Norman rushed off quickly to the kitchenette. Beck started pacing back and forth.
"So, your old man… he's the creator of the megadeus, along with the girl you were modeled after?"
Dorothy shrugged, shocked. In a way, it made sense with Big O and how she was always able to understand him. But there's was something else…
"Wait a moment. So then why am I in the file, if it was before forty years ago? You know, the blueprints for the android me?"
Roger flipped through the notes, going over to Dorothy's section. He then flipped back to Big O's to compare.
"It seems your father dated his notes. The ones with Big O are from before forty years ago, the ones with you are labeled AE."
"So, Father was…. With them after all? But why, Roger? Why?"
"I dunno."
Dorothy shook her head, trying to remove the shocked feeling that was numbing her and concentrate. There was an answer here. She just had to find it. Why would her father be a part of this group?
"Could you hand me my section, Roger?"
Roger nodded and handed over the notes and the file for Dorothy to peruse. She began flipping the through the file, looking at the blueprints, pictures, and diagrams while looking at Norman's transcribed notes. Norman returned a short while later with the tonic. Seeing Dorothy in deep concentration, he remained silent as Dorothy looked through the file, as he set down her drink.
Her father was the top leading man in android and robotic research, but even he couldn't obtain the complete knowledge of how she operated as android. However, he understood enough to create a self-learning AI, programmed to have some understanding of human emotions and feelings, according to what she was reading, with a possibility of improvement, evolution? The wording didn't seem clear, but…. Even as an android, she felt different from other androids. She couldn't understand why at times she pondered about Roger and his feelings, or about Big O, and Norman. She had just attributed it to being a quirk of her system after being with them for so long.
Dorothy downed her tonic quickly, turning back to the Big O section of the file, and comparing Norman's notes. She noticed a trend in the file. The symbol she had found in the cockpit had remained untranslated.
"Norman, I thought you translated everything."
Norman frowned.
"Sadly, there was one symbol that was not translated in Dr. Plebanski's book, and it was the symbol we found in Big O. Apparently, in the newer version of the books, they don't even have the symbol anymore. At the time she became a doctor, apparently Paradigm's memory research team from the memory archives was still trying to search for its meaning, and to see how they could use in the medical field, and they never found it."
"Symbol? What symbol?" asked Roger, confused.
Dorothy then remembered the day she had found the symbol.
"It was on the day I found out I was pregnant, Roger. I was… so shocked by the news, that I forgot to tell you. But I found it underneath comm link screens in Big O. It was very tiny, but was also located on the file as well. It's this one here."
She showed the symbol to Roger on the file, and he looked at, confused at its appearance. She began reading the file again, this time looking at Big O's notes. The file was strictly notes in this section and not her father's opinions, with the exception of the page containing the last entry, the entry that was cut off about the Final Stage cannon. However, there was a standalone sentence written below.
"The Big To Counter All," she read quietly.
"What?" said Roger.
She pointed at the file then at the notes. "Are you sure this is correctly translated, Norman?"
"Letter for letter, Miss Dorothy. I double checked it. Apparently, each of the symbols have meaning, but when I translated the first word, it seems your father used the symbols to hide what he had written in a simple formatting, though the key Dr. Plebanski had was not complete as it did not contain the letters of the alphabet you and I know. But most of the words were complete, so there's some guesswork on some translations based on common English. There's a good chance that our enemy has enlisted a large number of scientists, so to their eyes, this probably wouldn't make sense if they were going off the meaning with each of the symbols, but to his eyes, he would know how to read it."
"It's strange that he used the same code before forty years ago and after."
"The mind has a way of remembering things subconsciously dear, even after a traumatic experience."
She set the file down. Beck stopped pacing and sat down at the living room table, looking it over along with Roger. They were quiet for a while as they looked it over, then Beck spoke.
"Jeez, I literally have all I need here to power up your weapons systems AND it uses materials I can get access to. That's convenient. I'm gonna start working on that. At some point, we'll need to take the Big Guy out into the field and test the upgrades. I may have to tweak them if they're under-powered or overpowered."
Roger thought hard.
"It's risky, Beck. There are only two places I know that have open space. JFK Mark and the Wastes. The Prairie Dog can go as far as to the beginning of the Wastes before the rail stops. JFK Mark might result in the Military Police being called. If the enemy spots us…"
"They're in the underground. They're literally hiding from the naked eye. I doubt they would be anywhere out in the open. But we have to conduct testing and make sure these notes and the equipment works . A lot of time has passed, and things could have changed between now and then."
"Mr. Beck does have a point, sir, with the testing. With this new information, we may be able to upgrade Big O in a way that we could never before, and honestly, you'll need every advantage you can get," said Norman.
Roger sighed and turned to Beck.
"How long will it take you to make everything and get it installed?"
"Let's see, it's the end of May now? Uh…a coupla' weeks if I use the right contacts to get the remaining materials, and if I have my team work around the clock."
"If you need funding…"
"I'll worry about that. I told you to win the fight and we would be square. I don't go back on my deals. Consider it a part of my new outlook on life. Anyway, let me run some system checks on those arms, then I'll go. I'll check in so often and come by if I have new stuff. Gramps, could you help me with the checks?"
"Certainly, Mr. Beck."
Roger nodded at the both of them as they got up and headed to the lift. Roger turned to Dorothy, now not feeling queasy anymore thanks to the tonic, but still feeling numb about her father working for the New World Order.
"Dorothy, do you wanna talk about it?" Roger asked gently.
Dorothy shook her head. "I dunno, Roger, I dunno. I never thought my father… I always thought he was just a craftsman. There had to be a reason why he joined them and why he was still with them afterwards. I just don't understand why he would do such a thing. But it seems this enemy has the knowledge of forty years ago, from what you told me about the underground. So why? Why? If it hadn't been for Beck's goon, I could've asked him. I've been trying to maintain a level head around him, and be logical about this… but that was my father. I'm so mad at Beck and I'm not because he's helped us so much. But we really need my father now… why did he create Big O? Why did my previous incarnation help him? How did he create me as android after the event if he didn't have a complete understanding of the technology of how my mind operated? I'm confused…"
Tears silently began to fall down Dorothy's face. Roger moved closer to her, comforting her.
"I'm wondering that myself too, Dorothy. But then… I wonder if it would be worth getting those answers to those questions. Look at what we have discovered so far. And it seems every time we discover more, it only leads to misery for you, or Angel for that matter. I thought solving the mystery of forty years ago would help us with her case. But lately, I'm starting to rethink my strategy."
He gently pulled her close toward him and leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. Dorothy wiped her eyes, and laid her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat, beating slowly and calmly.
"Don't doubt yourself, Roger. Your strategy is working. We've been finding more clues and slowly things are coming together."
"That's true, but at what cost now? I don't want you to get upset and well…"
He looked down at her and kissed her, gently putting his hand on the bump that was growing.
"I don't need to be coddled. I'll be fine and they'll be fine. That I will see to."
"You're not the only one who will see to that."
Roger sighed. Dorothy began unbuttoning his suit jacket.
"You seem like you don't want to pilot Big O," she observed.
"Mmmm? No, not the case at all. I haven't piloted him in what… going on almost a year now? I want to, but at what costs? And then of course there's you to worry about and Angel."
"Then why don't we survey the Wastes and JFK Mark? Make sure they're safe?"
"I think the Wastes will be a safer bet, but you're right… mmph!"
Dorothy kissed Roger passionately on the lips, holding it. He enjoyed it for a moment, then Roger gently broke away, holding her hands.
"Really? Now?"
"You're complaining?"
"No, not complaining. Just hungry… for food, for food! No, not that. Don't you try to twist my words."
Dorothy giggled as she kissed Roger once more, now undoing his tie. She nuzzled his head, as he gave a small smirk in response. She picked up his jacket and tie.
"I'll set these in the bedroom since you won't be needing them tonight after dinner." She gave him a sardonic smile as she entered the bedroom. Roger sank on the couch, sighing loudly, hanging his head
Damnnit… not again… I can't keep up with her!