The Big O and all of its settings and characters are owned by Bandai Visual, Sunrise, and Cartoon Network.

THE BIG O:

ACT 38

KNIGHT AND DATE

Big-O!

Big-O! Big-O! Big-O!

Big-O!

Big-O! Big-O! Big-O!

Cast in the name of God!

Negotiator

Ye not the guilty!

Android

We have come to terms!

Butler

Big-O!

Officer

Big-O!

Big-O! Big-O! Big-O!

Big-O!

Big-O! Big-O! -O! -O! Big-O!

Chapter One: Just Testing

My name is Roger Smith; I perform a necessary job here in the city of Amnesia. This city, Paradigm City is a city without Memory. One day forty years ago everyone in the city forgot everything that happened before that day. In the chaos that followed, the Paradigm Company emerged as the dominant power, as both God and State. The city became divided between the rich and the poor, but who divided us this way? Who decided which person would be a have, and which would be a have-not?

Paradigm City was mess. Crumbling buildings and damaged skyscrapers filled the dystopian metropolis. The newer buildings tended to be clustered in areas covered by titanic geodesic domes, but these days those domes were shattered open like eggshells. Inside one of the shattered domes, a long black Cadillac a travelled down a boulevard surrounded by tall buildings.

"Roger, I don't understand why you're looking for this man," the sullen teenage girl announced stiffly from the passenger seat. The petite teenager was dressed in a reddish black dress that had a white ruffled collar and formal white cuffs. A set of black stockings and shiny black shoes completed her ensemble. Her red pageboy haircut was immaculate, her bangs broken by a black barrette. Her skin was alabaster white, her features were dainty and her dark violet eyes were as mysterious as they were innocent. Her calm high pitched voice as was as tranquil as a still life painting. "He's very likely been dead for a very long time. What do you stand to gain by looking for someone who might no longer exist? Why is he so important anyway?"

"He was the first ruler of Paradigm City, the power behind the throne," Roger told her as they drove through the damaged streets of Paradigm City. Roger Smith was a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. His white shirt was nearly hidden by the double breasted polo jacket he wore, but his black dress slacks and matching shoes were visible. A black tie bisected by a gray stripe was knotted around his throat. His eyes were hidden behind opaque sunglasses. Roger's broad shoulders and trim waist indicated both strength and agility. His jet-black hair, strong jaw and high cheekbones on his boyish face combined with his long legs made him the definition of 'tall, dark, and handsome'.

"He might be the only one alive who has practical experience rebuilding a civilization from the ashes," Roger explained. "Look around you. The city is a mess. The infrastructure has been torn apart and the executives of Paradigm are more corrupt than ever. Something has got to be done soon, or the city will destroy itself. After Alex Rosewater and Jason Beck screwed the pooch, there's no way a two bit gangster like Enoch Browning can put this city back together, even if we trusted him, which we don't," he added bitterly.

"I thought you convinced him that he couldn't live without you?" she debated without taking her eyes off the street ahead. "Doesn't he have to obey you now?"

"You mean when I convinced him that every rogue megadeus that comes out of the desert goes after the Paradigm chairman?" Roger smirked. "That's a temporary fix. Number One, we both know that isn't true. Number Two, blackmail is never a long term solution, particularly if you keep squeezing the target."

"Why not?"

"Because blackmailers always make deadly enemies out of those they extort," Roger explained. "When I was working homicide in the Military Police, I can't tell you how many murder victims ended up being blackmailers. It's the inevitable reversal: Sooner or later the worm must turn. Nucky won't stay cowed forever; we need a plan before he strikes back. Overthrowing him shouldn't be too hard, but if we wipe out the leadership of the Paradigm Company, what are we going to replace it with?"

"And how does Roland Knight help?"

"He and Gordon Rosewater created the civilization you see today," Roger gestured at the tottering buildings lining the street. "If we can find him maybe he can help us put things back on track after we do a little housecleaning. If he's willing he could be the next Paradigm chairman. He should be in his sixties by now so we shouldn't have to put up with him very long, just long enough for things to get back to normal."

"And why should we trust him?" Dorothy asked as Roger's long black Cadillac maneuvered its way around a parked truck and continued on its way. "Assuming he's still alive of course."

Roger didn't have an answer for that one.

"Roger, I get the impression that you have a different reason for searching for this man," Dorothy told him, "one that you're not sharing with me for some reason."

Roger sighed as they stopped at a traffic light. He took off his sunglasses and looked at the girl in the passenger seat. "You know I hadn't realized it, but you're right," he admitted. "Restoring law and order isn't the only reason I'm looking for him. I also want to know about my Memories."

"I thought that leaving Memories alone when they come up was the key to a happy life," Dorothy argued calmly. "You told me it was Rule Number One."

"I said that huh?" he blushed. "I didn't think you remembered that."

A quiet electronic whir could be heard as she stiffly turned her head to face him. "You know what they say, Roger. An android never forgets."

"They did forty years ago," Roger murmured as he put his sunglasses back on. "That's why I want to talk to Roland Knight. Gordon Rosewater had his Memories, at least before he went senile or suffered a stroke or whatever happened to him. I'm betting Roland Knight still does too."

"That would explain why he's in hiding," Dorothy said as the traffic light turned green and the car moved forward again. "Those who are known to possess Memories don't seem to live very long. Roger, it seems to me that seeking him out will only place him in unnecessary danger. Remember what happened to Roscoe Fitzgerald."

"Roscoe Fitzgerald," Roger repeated absently while steering his car through the damaged streets of the city. The late Roscoe Fitzgerald had secretly been an android and was formerly an executive in the Paradigm Corporation and a senator in the city government. He had kept his memories from before whatever erased the past and had experienced political and economic power that no android had ever possessed. He had even gotten married and grown old with a human… an android marrying a human?

Was it even possible? During the brief time he had known the Fitzgeralds, Roger had observed the love and devotion Roscoe's wife Kelly had for him, right up to the tears she shed when he was assassinated. It was obvious that she wouldn't trade her husband for anyone else in the world, even though he wasn't human.

Roger looked at the pale young girl sitting in the passenger seat at his right. Could Dorothy make her husband just as smitten and devoted? Would a relationship with an android girl work? Could she truly make him happy?

At the next stoplight he did something impulsive. "Hey, Dorothy, look at me," he muttered as he removed his sunglasses. When she turned and cocked her head in his direction he leaned in and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss. He didn't smash his face into hers, he gently teased her lips and she teased his right back. He pulled back when he heard the tiniest gasp of a feminine sigh. Was the kiss that good? Dorothy was having an emotional reaction!

So was Roger. Wow. How long had it been since he'd been with a woman anyway? A single chaste kiss and Roger's motor was running like he was in a race!

Dorothy opened her eyes and looked away. "You're a louse Roger Smith," she declared with a hint of resentment in her voice. She was getting better at expressing herself.

"Sorry," he blushed as he donned his sunglasses and stepped on the gas pedal again. "Just testing."

"Testing to see how big a louse you can be?" she asked as she still gave him the back of her head.

"Something like that," he mumbled. Now Roger was blushing so furiously his cheeks burned. How could he admit that he wasn't any better at recognizing his real feelings than an android? It was sad. He was thirty-five and she was two, and she was more emotionally mature than he was! "Look, I'm sorry," he stammered and shook his head before they were forced to stop for the construction workers in the street. "I was out of line, but you were kissing me back. I shouldn't have… Hey, are you breathing?"

Dorothy's mechanical nature was apparent when her head snapped to the left to face him. "No, I don't have to breathe. You know that. I only breathe when I speak."

"I could see your chest going up and down," he insisted.

"Does a gentleman make it a habit to steal a kiss and stare at a girl's chest?"

"No, I just noticed that's all," he replied. "You're actually breathing and your frown looks so genuine, so lifelike. I can even detect a teensy bit of feeling in your voice. Are you okay? What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into you?" she retorted. "I didn't steal a kiss and stare at a girl's chest."

"Dorothy, I know darn well that you have emotions but you usually have such incredible control over your body's reactions I never get to see them," he insisted, "but for some reason you don't seem to be able to keep it all inside like you normally do. I don't mind but I am curious. Why is that? What's changed?" When she didn't respond he continued. "You know I'm just going to ask Norman when we get home."

Dorothy looked away as their car edged around the construction workers. "It's residual programming," she finally admitted, "nothing to get concerned about."

"I'm not concerned, I'm delighted," he smiled as he put his sunglasses back on. "You don't have to hide the fact there's a real woman in there; I already know, but it's nice to see you reaffirm it once in a while."

With a quick jerk of her head she turned to face him again. The frown on her pale youthful face was no longer subtle. "May I see your sunglasses Roger?" she asked as she plucked them off his face.

"Well actually…"

She slapped the right side of his face with a quick flick of the wrist. The car jerked to the left before Roger regained control of it. Wincing at the stinging sensation on his cheek (and the whiplash he gave himself when she slapped him) he pulled over to the curb and parked the car.

"You've got something on your face Roger Smith," she sneered. The frown wasn't subtle at all. Only the cold stilted quality of her soft voice revealed that she was an android, and that kind of voice was perfect for conveying barely controlled anger. She tossed his sunglasses into his lap. "There's no need to drive me to my Rossum Evaluation, I can walk the rest of the way." With that parting remark, she exited the car, slammed the door and strode purposefully down the sidewalk. "It's only a block or two more," she called over her shoulder.

"Wait!" Roger called. "Dorothy! Swell," he muttered under his breath.

When Dorothy turned the corner she was joined by a tall buxom blonde wearing a pink double-breasted raincoat. "Hey!" the honey haired enchantress yelped as her long shapely legs matched Dorothy's quickstep. "Dorothy! It's me! Don't try to run away! I've got a bone to pick with you!"

"What do you want Angel?" Dorothy replied calmly without slowing her pace. "I have a doctor's appointment. I'm getting my Rossum Evaluation done today."

"This is more important!" the beautiful young woman known as 'Angel' snapped. "You were supposed to make Roger forget about me and looking for lost Memories but you dropped the ball, Dorothy! Where do you get off on this 'hard to get' stuff anyway? Your primary job is protecting Roger from himself and keeping him sane!"

"I wasn't aware that maintaining Roger's sanity was part of my job description," the little redhead retorted, "nor was protecting him ever mentioned."

"Consider yourself informed!" Angel growled. "You know how confused Roger is right now; you're supposed to be stabilizing him! What would happen to the city if he lost his mind? I thought you loved him!"

"I do," Dorothy admitted coldly as they reached the opposite sidewalk. "I have to love him. I have no choice."

"Then prove it by knocking off all this 'hard to get' stuff!" Angel ordered. "This 'I'm only an android' nonsense will drive him nuts, and he's halfway there to start with!"

"I am only an android," Dorothy replied as they strode quickly up the block. "I'm only a pale imitation of that girl who died forty years ago, that girl in Roger's Memories. No matter how much I want to be, I can't be her. Roger would be better off with a woman who could make him truly happy."

"You're the only one who has a chance of that!" Angel barked. "Can't you see that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, it's just healthier for everybody if Roger leaves the past in the past okay?" Angel growled as she put a cigarette in her mouth and lit up. Her hands were shaking so badly that it took her several tries.

"I know I'm only an android but I thought that smoking wasn't healthy for humans," Dorothy observed drily.

Angel choked angrily before flicking her cigarette into the street in frustration.

"You've got to make him stop looking for Roland Knight! Neither of you realize this but there are people who will stop at nothing to keep Roger from finding him! If you don't back off they'll try to kill you!"

"What do you mean?" Dorothy asked as they stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light to change so they could cross the street. "Who will try to kill us?"

"It doesn't matter. They'll stop at nothing to keep Roger from finding him and they won't hesitate to use force!" Angel hissed. "Don't ask me any more, I can't elaborate any further. Too much is at stake."

"Can't or won't?" Dorothy retorted with uncanny calm. "No offense Angel, but your information hasn't always been pinpoint accurate in the past."

"Oh, you're calling me a liar now?" Angel snapped.

"You told us that Schwartzwald was dead," Dorothy continued. "Do you remember? That deranged killer formerly known as Michael Seebach, the one who somehow became the domineus of Big Duo? You said that he was dead, when in fact your colleagues in the Union had captured him. You told us he was dead to throw Roger off the trail."

"I don't work for the Union anymore!" Angel spat.

"I understand," Dorothy said matter-of-factly as if she was discussing the weather. "You're ashamed of your association with them and what they had you do. You don't want to talk about them because a part of you still thinks of them as your people. That's all right. We haven't heard anything out of them for several months. You don't have to say anything."

"I didn't say the Union was involved!"

"I know," Dorothy said. "You don't have to talk about them if you don't want to."

"I don't!"

"Before we change the subject, what are they up to right now?"

"They're trying some crazy experiment, the same one that Gordon tried only it can't possibly work!" Angel gasped as she blinked in realization of her slip. "I've said too much. I've got to go." She turned and walked away as quickly as her high heels would allow her.

"Wait. Angel," Dorothy called after her without raising her voice. "What crazy experiment? Are they the same people who are trying to stop us?"

"Good luck on your Rossum Evaluation!" Angel called over her shoulder and waved. "Be seeing you!"

From a certain angle, Dorothy's neutral expression looked like a frown. She looked both ways and walked across the street.

She only had another block to go before she turned a corner and arrived at the entrance to the Baxter Building. Her appointment was on the eighth floor. The last time she had scheduled a Rossum Evaluation she had been kidnapped by the new Paradigm Chairman. Hopefully she'd be able to get her evaluation done without any trouble this time. The Rossum Evaluation was the final step for an android to be legally recognized as a person and not a thing.

At that moment Dorothy was being watched. She had no idea that she was in the crosshairs of a hunched figure on the rooftop of the building across the street. He stared at her through the scope of his high-powered rifle and grunted in frustration. "I don't see Roger Smith," he whispered. "I'll have to wait until they're together."

On a desk filled with hourglasses a phone rings. Roger's hand picks up the receiver and a sinister voice says:

Next: A Friendly Ear