The files that James and Jeremy stole from the facility proved to be interesting. Portals aligning with energy from the heavens. It seems we hadn't erased all traces of Dark Matter from the world just yet. The device that was powered by an energy with similar properties, at least from an initial appearance. It had the ability to generate portals anywhere in the world, according to the files. And not just our world apparently, but the world in which my clients came from as well.
The news was deeply unsettling to say the least. All parties back at SCA HQ were at a loss as to what to do. Realizing that my clients had nothing to do with what had happened to them, Angel made the declaration to declare them allies and the PEF's attitude toward them changed for the better, thanks to Beck's input from working with them at the planetarium. But I could tell my clients were still bothered by what had happened. And, if I had been in their place, I guess I would feel the same way. They're not people who hold any kind of power. They were just minding their own business and got thrown into remnants of a war that many of us had hoped to be over. And now, they were being dragged deeper into the muck of it.
Beck and Dorothy went to work, studying the files. I think Dorothy was more desperate than Beck, but our new friends were her clients too. It was now going on a month that they had been gone from their world. One night, Dorothy confessed to me that had it been me, she probably wouldn't had even stopped to rest, working tirelessly until she brought me home. She said she couldn't imagine what they were going through and what their families were going through, back in their world.
Beck and Dorothy built the portal machine using the information from the files, and Beck tried powering it with all the energy resources we had. But none worked. Dastun even closed down the bridge and we had the trio try driving through a portal we had created, figuring the location from their first appearance might have something to do with it. But, they just drove through it and came out the other side, still in Paradigm. Everyone was getting frustrated. Despite having restrictions lifted on them and they were now free to roam Paradigm City (though one of us did accompany them for their safety due to the fiasco at the planetarium), I could tell they were getting home sick. But Norman told me that my clients were interested in mechanics. And seeing as Big O and Big Fau hadn't had a test in a minute, I decided to run a joint combat test for my clients to see.
"THEY'RE MASSIVE!"
Clarkson was standing on the catwalk with Roger, Beck, Hammond and May. The megadeuses stood in front of them. Big O stood off to the left, Big Duo was in the center, and Big Fau stood off to the right.
"I mean, we knew yours was massive, Roger, but them standing here together, in the open, it puts a sense of perspective on just how small we are."
Roger chuckled.
"Now that is the wisest thing I've heard in a long time," he said.
Beck scoffed.
"Puhlease. We should be spending more time researching…"
Roger glared at Beck, which silenced him at once, but the trio didn't notice, too occupied by the megadeuses in front of them. May spoke.
"Utter madness. This is what brought the end of the world?"
Roger nodded. "You could say that, James."
"How can man build something so amazing, and yet terrifying at the same time?"
Hammond was ignoring them all. Big Duo had caught his full attention, in part because of the color and because of the design.
"This one, over here, he's a bit more massive than the other two. But he can fly… how fast he can go?"
Beck shook his head.
"We're not sure, Shortie. The last pilot that tried to pilot him… well… he went berserk. We haven't tested any pilots since then."
Hammond ignored Beck calling him shortie, a look a puzzlement and worry on his face.
"He went… berserk?"
Beck nodded. "Crow Boy and I had had to subdue him. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully, no harm came to the pilot or us. But still… you have to remember one thing. These are beings in their own right. They have a will and a mind of their own. We are merely pilots whose will has aligned with theirs."
"Wot? How's that possible?"
"There's still a lot of things we don't know about the megadeuses, Rich," said Roger, turning to face him, "The only thing I know is, when I asked them to help us protect and discover the world, they agreed to do so. Big Fau chose Beck as his pilot and Beck accepted…"
"Reluctantly," muttered Beck, but Roger ignored him.
"Beck accepted the responsibility. Big Duo, however, has not found a pilot to sync with him. I've been the pilot of Big O as long as I can remember. And because of him, I have the life I have and could've only dreamed about a few years ago."
Roger paused for a moment, turning back to Big O to look at him, smiling.
"He's my friend, who has helped me protect the things I care about the most. And I could ask for no better friend than that. And I'll gladly make that choice, over and over again, to protect the world I care about so much."
Clarkson, May, and Hammond stared at Roger for a moment, then looked at Big O.
"He's your friend, huh?" said Clarkson, "You know, I did write a piece once, stating that cars, well mostly older cars have souls. We form relationships with them, either by fixing them up, driving them, showing them off, but if what you say is true about your friend, then it seems the relationship I described with cars has transcended beyond that with these megadeus things. From the way you describe him, I have to agree with Mr. Beck's observations from earlier."
Roger looked at Clarkson curiously, but smiled and closed his eyes.
"You're definitely onto something there, Jeremy," said Roger, looking at Big O.
"Are we going to stand here and gawk all day? Because I have work to do," groaned Beck. Roger shook his head.
"Fine, Beck, fine. Let's go back to the control room."
All them began to walk back, except for Hammond. Hammond was still memorized by Big Duo, lost in his thoughts.
It's a shame you can't find anyone to pilot you. There's something really special about you I want to see. You're not like the others, of that I can tell. I hope one day you'll fly again, mate…
"EARTH TO HAMMOND!" Clarkson yelled.
Hammond snapped out of his thoughts, seeing Roger, Beck, May, and Clarkson were waiting for him at the end of the catwalk.
"Hurry up, you muppet!" May called out.
"I'm going, I'M GOING!" Hammond yelled back.
Hammond started to walk back when something caught his attention. And then, everything happened at once.
Big Duo stepped forward and placed his hand over the catwalk, between the group and Hammond. Hammond stared at it for a moment, his eyes trying to process what was happening. Hammond's ears were not working correctly, in part from the sheer panic consuming him. He turned around and try to run in the other direction.
No sooner than he had turned around, Big O moved forward, leaning down towards him. Hammond was now trapped on the catwalk, and silently, he began praying.
Dear God, just get me out of here, please!
The catwalk was rumbling even more now as Big Fau now stepped forward. The three megadeus, their eyes flashing, were now leering down toward Hammond, or to him it felt like they were leering at him. Hammond then became aware of yelling all around him.
"FOR GOD'S SAKE, SAY SOMETHING YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Clarkson yelled, running back and forth with May, trying to see what was going on. But Big Duo's hand blocked the view.
"I'M FINE! I'M FINE, I THINK? SOMEONE… HEEEELLLLLPPP!" Hammond cried back, falling on the catwalk.
Roger and Beck had used their grappling hooks and were running along the ceiling beams to get to Hammond, as soon as Big Duo began moving on his own. Finding an opening, they pointed their wrists and fired their grappling hooks once more, swinging down to Hammond. Roger stayed close to Hammond while Beck ran towards Big Fau.
"OI! OI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? YOU'RE GETTING US ALL WORKED UP HERE! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?"
Roger couldn't contain his anger.
"BECK, SHUT UP! Don't be stupid!"
Roger got Hammond to his feet. The megadeuses had stopped moving. Roger looked at Hammond.
"You alright?"
"Um, maybe? I think I might need a change of trousers."
"Understandable. Give me a moment."
Roger slowly approached Big O, in a confident, but cautious manner.
"Big O… what's going on? You haven't acted this way in a long time…"
Big O lowered his hand to the catwalk. Roger looked at it for a moment, then looked back at Hammond.
"You got the strength to walk?"
"I think so?"
"Come with me then."
Hammond gulped nervously as Roger and himself climbed over the railing of the catwalk and onto Big O's hand. Big Duo and Big Fau then approached Big O, surrounding them. With the hand not blocking anymore, Clarkson and May ran onto the catwalk and met up with Beck, who was eyeing the scene in shock.
"What the hell is going on?" May asked, irritated.
"I… dunno how to explain it…" Beck trailed off.
"What do you mean?"
"It's like that one time. When we finally got them, Big Duo and Big Fau, up and running, Big O did the same thing with Crow Boy. And Big Duo and Big Fau, they all gathered around him while Crow Boy made his request."
"Good God man, you're not making any sense! Speak plain English!"
"It's a gathering, and not just any gathering. Shortie, your friend? I think the Three Knights have chosen him."
"Chosen him? To do wot?" asked Clarkson irately.
Beck turned to him, looking very solemn.
"I think Shortie is a Dominus Magnus."
May and Clarkson looked at each other, then back to Beck.
"Wot?!" they both exclaimed.
"A Dominus Magnus. It means, they want him to be a Great Lord. He has the potential to pilot all three megadeuses, the potential to work with them, the potential to carry out his will through all three."
"Oh good Christ," muttered Clarkson, in shock.
"So… what does this mean for Hammond?" asked May, turning to look at the megadeuses.
"I dunno. That's a conversation for later, and trust me when I say this, the council is getting involved. If your friend has the potential to pilot Big Duo, and the other two, well, they might just ask him to stay."
Clarkson and May said nothing, the weight of Beck's words hitting them harder than the realization they had landed in a different world a month ago.
Clarkson and May were sitting outside the meeting chambers. Only Hammond had been allowed to enter the meeting. They were hearing shouts and yelling, sometimes from Hammond, sometimes from Roger, and from others. Clarkson tapped his foot impatiently.
"Supposedly we're foreign dignitaries, but they're back to keeping us in the dark! This is beyond asinine!" said Clarkson, annoyed.
"But can you blame them, Jezza? This has only happened one time and it was with Roger. They're scared right now. It's like Roger said, they still are discovering things about those giants, things that have been lost to time and war. But to find another pilot like Roger, and it just happens to be Hammond…"
Clarkson sighed.
"I hope Hammond is alright."
There was pandemonium in the meeting chambers. Hammond was being asked questions left and right about what he was doing, what was he thinking about, even down to what he had eaten for breakfast before the Bigs acted up. Everyone wanted to know why the megadeuses were responding to him. He finally reached his breaking point.
"FOR THE LAST BLOODY TIME, I. DIDN'T. DO. ANYTHING!" Hammond yelled, "I was staring at Big Duo because he looked cool and then my mates called for me. I was walking back when utter hell broke loose. I'm sorry!"
"ENOUGH!" Dorothy yelled, and the room fell silent. She continued to speak.
"It's obvious my client had no idea what he was doing. The Knights simply reacted to Mr. Hammond. Perhaps they identified with his soul, his personality, who knows! We still don't know why they all reacted when Roger asked them to help us protect and discover the world. And now, you're going to subject my client to all this questioning, simply because he's not from here and because of what happened? Angel, John, you're my friends, and I understand why you're scared! But you're setting a poor example of the Paradigm Electric Federation! You're acting no better than the previous regime! And then you want to have the nerve to ask him to stay, after treating him so horribly and especially when he has a family back in his world he needs to get home to!"
Dorothy steadied herself, breathing hard. Roger put a hand on her shoulder. They were both standing, staring down at the council. Angel's face had a hard look of frustration, but she sighed. Her look softened.
"I'm sorry, Dorothy. And, I'm sorry Mr. Hammond. Please understand… there are many things about this world we still don't understand yet, and when something like this happens, we think of the cataclysm that happened long ago."
Hammond nodded at her. "I accept your apology and I'm sorry too, for yelling. I honestly don't know what's going on. All I want… is just to go home."
Frustration seemed to seep through Hammond's voice. Roger sensed this and sighed.
"Enough for one day. Let's just go home and everyone relax and cool off. We'll resume the test another time. We can discuss this later in the week."
Angel, Batter, Dastun, Beck, and Yumi nodded. They rose from their seats and left the chamber. Only Roger, Dorothy, and Hammond remained at the table. Hammond held his head in his hands, tired.
"Roger, I'm going mad," he said softly.
"Mad?" asked Roger, puzzled.
"Crazy. I'm going crazy. There's something else I need to admit."
"What is it?"
"This isn't the first time this has happened to me."
Hammond now had Roger's full attention. Roger grabbed a chair and pulled it close to Hammond.
"What happened?"
"A while ago, the first night when we arrived here actually, Jezza and James had woke me up with their snoring. I went downstairs to my car to find some ear plugs, and the Big Chap, he activated the lift and some storage cabinet. He… gave me some. Then of course, there was the maintenance…"
Roger shook his head.
"Maintenance we don't really count, but the ear plugs, that is interesting. It seems like… well, why don't we go home? We got a home out here, surrounded by nature. Maybe that will help process everything that happened today, hm?"
Hammond looked at Roger.
"I don't want to be a pilot. I just want to go home. I want to go home with my friends, please."
Roger clasped his shoulder.
"I know, Rich, I know."
Hammond sat on the steps of the porch at the retreat Roger and Dorothy had built in the outskirts of Electric City. Because of everything that had happened, May had broke out one of his gin bottles he had packed with him. Hammond made a gin and tonic and was trying to process what had happened. But instead of remaining with Clarkson and May, Hammond had asked to be alone and retreated to the porch.
It didn't make any sense to him. But he understood them. He understood what they wanted. He had even asked it himself as he stood with Roger in Big O's hand.
"You want me to pilot you, Big Duo?"
The words had escaped him before he could stop them. And then, another question formed.
"All three of you want me to stay? To help protect this world?"
He pinched himself. He was awake. But in that moment, standing on the hand of Big O, he didn't feel like Richard Hammond. He felt like… someone else.
I can't stay. I'm not a pilot. I'm just a bloke who loves cars and making shows about them. That's it. What is so special about me that they gravitate to? I could never bear such a responsibility. God, I feel so… ostracized and alone. Jezza and James, they'll think I'm barking mad. Robots, doing some sort of telepathic communication with me? I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask for any of this at all. Why can't I be in Scotland right now? Why can't I just go home?
Hammond took a long sip, staring at the ground. He was starting to feel the effects. May had broke out the Navy Strength and Hammond had poured it a bit longer than the tonic. He took another long sip, not caring what state he would be in. He just wanted all the thoughts in his head to stop.
A sound of a door shutting made him turn around. Dorothy was standing there with a cup of tea in her hand. She walked toward him and sat down next him.
"Hello lass," Hammond said quietly.
"I think one of the many things I like about you and your friends is the way you speak and the amount of wonderful words you have to call people," Dorothy said, with a gentle smile.
Hammond smiled sadly. "Thank you. To be fair, you're technically Americans and they think we have pompous English."
"I don't care if it's pompous or not. I just think it's just lovely way of how you speak."
Hammond took another sip of his drink as Dorothy took a sip of her tea.
"You know, your friends are really worried about you. Especially Jeremy. Well, I think we all are. But, if I may, I think I have an idea of what's on your mind."
Hammond, in the process of raising his glass, lowered it and looked at Dorothy. Dorothy stared out at the yard.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you're wondering if you're sane or not. And I can assure you, you are very sane, Rich. You're also wondering about the burden the Bigs have offered to you."
Hammond now sat his glass down in front of him, still looking at Dorothy. Dorothy continued staring ahead.
"You need to understand this and this alone. It's your choice. It's not one to be made lightly, but it's your choice. You have the final say. They judged you to be worthy, but the decision lies with you."
"I don't understand though, Miss Dorothy. Worthy of wot?"
"Worthy to pilot an instrument that bears the power of God."
Hammond shook his head. "That doesn't make it any better, lass. I'm not worthy to pilot such a thing."
Dorothy gave a small smile. "You know, Beck said the same thing when Fau offered him to be his pilot. Often times, I think there are two groups of people that make the best pilots. Ones that do not wish to fight and others who have a child-like fascination of the Bigs. Both are innocent in nature, and yet, in many ways, you are like my husband. He rather solve his problems with words and actions than his fists. But sometimes, he has no choice. But, he still has a child-like innocence to him when he pilots Big O. I've glimpsed at it more than once."
"But, I'm not like him. I'm not like Roger at all."
"Really, Rich? You can't think of a time where you had to step in and mediate, none at all?"
Hammond picked up his glass and took a drink. Now, come to think of it, Clarkson and May had had their fair share of rows on trips over the years, and more than once he had to step in to calm things down. But he had never had to get physical with either of them.
"So… Big Duo… he wants someone like Roger to pilot him, but he can't have Roger because Big O has chosen him?"
"Mmm, I guess that's really oversimplifying it, but yes. I think Big Duo wants a bit more though. His last pilot, by the name of Schwarzwald, was so obsessed with finding the truth, that he was willing to unleash unspeakable devastation to Paradigm with Big Duo, until Duo rejected him when he realized his plans. But I think he resonated with Schwarzwald in such a fashion, he's looking for someone like Roger, but with a dash of Schwarzwald's personality," said Dorothy.
"But I don't want to bring untold destruction onto anyone."
"No, not that, Rich. But you do have an honest demeanor about you, and it was you who helped with the planetarium. Deep down, you want know why you were brought here, don't you?"
Hammond took a sip of his drink, now nearing empty.
"I do, and mainly for one reason."
"What's that?"
"They said they visited our world before we came here. No offense, you have found a way to live with your world the way it is, but my world? We couldn't handle the idea of giant robots, let alone ones that have a mind of their own. Our world would suffer your cataclysm, but it would be far much worse. And… who ever brought us here, we need to stop them. I have too much in my world that I care about. I don't want them getting hurt. But, I think the drink is talking at this point."
Hammond stared at his glass. Dorothy got up as well as Hammond. He swayed a bit, but steadied himself.
"Right. Rather rude of me to get like this, especially in front of the lady of the house. I think I'll say good night and thank you. This helped clear my head."
Dorothy nodded as Hammond went back inside. Dorothy turned to stare at the yard once more.
I understand how you feel, Rich. I understand more than you'll ever know.
Hammond didn't eat much that night. Not feeling sober and not wanting to embarrass himself, he ate what he could and went to bed, lying awake, staring at the ceiling. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching and he rolled over, feigning sleep.
He heard the door open, with a small creek.
"Hammond," whispered Clarkson, "You alright?"
Hammond said nothing. Clarkson sighed.
"Don't get caught up in your head. If you need to talk…"
"I'm fine, Jezza. Just want some sleep," came Hammond's muffled voice.
Clarkson nodded and shut the door. He turned and walked away, heading back out to the living room. May was sitting in the living room, along with Roger, Dorothy, Norman, and the children. The twins were playing on the floor with their toys. Dorothy was holding the baby. Clarkson sat down and shook his head.
"He's not wanting to talk," said Clarkson.
Roger sighed.
"Just give him some time. It was a lot to take in today."
"Yes, but forgive us, we're worried. The last thing we need right now is to return with our friend, a shell of his former self," said May, "Mr. Beck told us what happened with you, but I still don't understand all of it."
Roger nodded, taking a sip of his drink and loosening his tie.
"There are some parts of it I still don't understand. But, I guess I'll start at the beginning. After Dorothy and I got married, the SCA formed a survey team to find Big Duo and Big Fau. Going off previous intel we had, we searched the areas they had been in previously. We found them not too far from their original sites from a previous reset. So, we spent the rest of the year and part of the following year, restoring them."
Roger took a moment to take a sip of his drink and sat it on the table in front of him.
"The first event was Beck. Beck was conducting maintenance checks on Big Fau and he basically had a conversation with the megadeus in the cockpit. There's not another way to explain it. His sixth sense became on point, and it's like he knew what Big Fau wanted. Beck actually got into argument with him, but in the end, relented and accepted being his pilot. But then… there was mine, and that's the one that still has people on edge."
Roger stared at the floor, recalling what happened.
"We were conducting a combat test, going to test another pilot for Big Duo. But we didn't even get out of the hangar. Like what happened with Rich, I was cornered by the Bigs. But unlike with Rich, Big O held them back, almost as if he knew I was scared of what was going on. He offered his hand, and I climbed on. They all surrounded me. And something, deep down, just told me to start talking and negotiate with them. Explain to them what we were doing now and what we wanted to do. I told them our purpose with the SCA. Our goal is to discover the world and protect it. We work with everyone, as long as they have good intentions. I think I talked for nearly 15-20 minutes. And then, it was as if someone was whispering questions. As soon as I thought of them, I would answer them. That part took even longer."
Clarkson and May stared at Roger.
"So… is that what happened today? With Hammond?" Clarkson asked.
Roger nodded.
"They were insistent that he stayed. They said he was like me. But he kept telling them, he couldn't. He had to go home. He had responsibilities there he had to take care of. I think the part that really got to him was the questions part. After we were done and Big O lowered his hand, he kept saying he was mad, he was going mad."
Clarkson leaned back in his seat, at a loss for words. May stared at the floor for a moment, then raised it to look at Roger.
"So, what happens if he declines?" asked May.
Roger shrugged. "I don't know. No one has ever declined the Knights, so it would be hard telling."
"So, they could go berserk or they could accept his decision and leave him alone?"
"Those are the only two options I can see. And so, naturally…"
"Everyone is on edge because you think the end of the world may happen again. And that's why the PEF wants Hammond to stay…" said Clarkson in a low voice, "But… where does that put you?"
"Me?" asked Roger, "I'm not following."
"Well, if Hammond refuses, what happens to you and your friendship with your chap, the Big O?"
"Well, I hope we can weather that. But I get the feeling, we've been through so much together, he probably would stand up to the other two."
"And how do you know that?"
"I have faith in it."
Norman smiled at these words as May spoke.
"That's a lot of faith, mate."
Roger smiled as Norman got up, clasping Roger on the shoulder as he grabbed his glass to top it off.
"We've learned that it's the only constant in life, besides change. And knowing that, when you can only see what's in front of you… I think that has carried us through troubled times, more than once, don't you agree, Master Roger and Mistress Dorothy?" asked Norman as he went into the kitchen.
Roger and Dorothy nodded.
"Yes, Norman, it has," said Dorothy, "I'm sure Rich will be fine. We just need to give him time, space, and have faith in him."
Clarkson and May looked at each other and sighed. The twins giggled as they continued playing on the floor.