Chapter 6: Political and Ethereal Quagmires

They arrived back inside of the dome. Dastun parked the car, and everyone got out. They approached the off-limits perimeter, looking inside.

"What are their demands?" Roger asked Dastun.

"They want the Madam President to look over the budgets again and send them back to the council."

"Has anyone contacted her?"

Dastun shook his head. "We've tried, but she's not responding. We're not sure where she is. Her detail reported she was last seen at the Presidential Suite."

"Keep trying. We may need her on the line. Anything else?"

"They want government reforms. Representatives elected by the public, like what they have in Electric City."

"That's DEFINITELY not happening. The council won't agree to it and if Angel tries to use her power, it may backfire and cause additional problems for her and for you."

"I agree, but I think they think that with them holding half of the Paradigm elite hostage, including those who serve on the council, they think the council will give into their demands."

"And get rid of appointment board that's been bought and paid for by those council members?" Roger shook his head. "I mean, I want change too, but this is ridiculous. Have they stated what they'll do if their demands are not met by a certain time?"

"You handed me their solution and we have until morning." Dastun held the bullet Roger had given him in his fingers. "Michaelson has $50 on you winning. $100 if the megadeus shows up and causes more problems."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence."

Dorothy was standing next to Roger, surveying the line. Roger turned to Dorothy.

"Will you hold the line here?"

Dorothy turned to look at Roger. She didn't want Roger to go, alone. But she understood why he had to. In order for negotiations to conclude successfully, she needed to remain here.

"Yes. Just… be careful."

Roger smiled. "Just babysit Dastun for me and I'll this wrapped up by midnight."

"Eh, what? Dorothy's staying here with me? Roger! Why you…"

"Dastun, manners. You're in the presence of a lady."

Dastun grumbled explicits under his breath, and stormed off. Roger then turned to look at Norman.

"Norman, could you please make sure Dorothy is safe, just in case?"

"Of course, sir." Norman moved his jacket aside, showing a side holster with a 1911 inside. "Miss Dorothy will be well protected."

"I think it should be the other way around, Norman," muttered Dorothy.

"Come now, Miss Dorothy. Have faith in Master Roger. He will come back safe." Norman placed a hand on Dorothy's shoulder and beamed at her. "We should probably catch up with the Chief and keep an eye on things with him, hm?"

Dorothy nodded. Roger stepped over the barrier tape, putting his hands up, and began walking back inside the restaurant. Dorothy watched Roger go inside.

"Good luck, Roger," she whispered.

*************************************

"Compared to how I was treated earlier, this is a nice change of pace."

Roger was being patted down by one of the accomplices with former Lt. Davidson. Former Lt. Davidson was standing, watching him.

"He's clean. Nothing on him."

"Impressive. You manage to take two of my men down, unarmed."

"It's all part of being a gentleman," Roger said as he shrugged and sat down at a nearby table. "Forgive me, I've been running all night. I need a moment to rest my legs."

Former Lt. Davidson scowled at Roger and his attitude. "Where's your lady friend?"

"That's none of your concern. If you're thinking about trying anything, let's just say it won't end well for the man who's thinking about trying," said Roger firmly, "Let's get down to business. I want to hear your demands."

Former Lt. Davidson smirked. "Okay, you obviously know why we're here. We want to see change for Paradigm City. The current government regime has not changed since its founding. The rich have sealed themselves away inside glass domes, ignoring what happened forty years ago, while those who are less fortunate suffer. How many orders have been given that you and I have witnessed where the Paradigm Corp. told us to wait or forget the outside of the domes?"

"Let me make it clear. The circumstances in which I resigned from the Military Police are my own and none of your business. My previous history with the MP has nothing to do with the current situation."

"Oh, but it does. It explains why you are who you are and why you're a negotiator."

Roger grimaced at these words. Was that really why he was a negotiator? No, now was not the time to ponder his existence.

"I've found that being the role of a mediator allows me to explore all avenues of an argument while negotiating terms. It is why I'm here now. You have given the MP until morning to meet your demands. With respect, Lt. Davidson, or shall I say former, you know clearly well that some of those demands will not be met. You're talking about the establishment of the Paradigm Home Office that has been in existence since after the event occurred. Neither you nor I will dismantle it overnight. However, changes can be made. They will have to be made legally and you know how the legal system works…"

"Slow, inundated with red tape, and frivolous spending! By the time they figure out what to do, many more are going go without basic needs to live a decent life!"

"And change that's not governed and regulated is no better than the system we have in place now! You'll be harming those you're trying to protect. Is that what you want?"

Former Lt. Davidson grumbled to himself. Roger continued.

"Idealism is great on paper, but it needs to be tempered with reality. Without that, it will be poorly executed and cause more harm than good. All parties need to be understanding of the situation. You resigned from the MP and could've gone multiple routes to helping those outside the domes. Why… why did you think robbing the MP weapons cache and training revolutionary warriors was a good idea? A soldier, who still believed in the honor and justice of the Military Police, is dead because of your actions. The people you're holding ransom tonight are going to want you dead for holding up their dinner. These people you're holding ransom have no idea what's going on, or why they're being held hostage. Do you honestly think that what you're doing tonight will get them to care about what's happening outside the domes? If anything, what you're doing is harming the very people you want to help by creating a resentment against them."

"Taking the route of a social worker would've brought no change. The MP may have found our hideout. But my soldiers will fight on, even if I bite the big one. We will bring about change that's everlasting, eternal, and fair for all. And if I have to do so by killing the elite of Paradigm, so be it."

Roger could sense the situation was turning south and fast. The look former Lt. Davidson had was maniacal and wild, a man who had nothing to lose. However, if he could appeal to the justice side of the lieutenant, he could buy some time, at least until they got a hold of Angel. But then afterwards… Roger looked at his watch, but knew Big O was not the way to conclude negotiations tonight. He had to talk this guy down or risk the MP running in to take him out, and possibly others caught in the crossfire. Roger took a breath, maintaining his cool.

"Negotiating requires that all parties understand where each one is coming from. The MP have understood your point. The man outside right now, leading this MP operation, understands how you feel better than most. I understand how you feel. At least wait until they get a hold of the President. At least hear what she has to say. She has done more than the previous two presidents of Paradigm for those living outside the domes."

Lt. Davidson motioned at the two men standing near Roger to pull Roger up from his chair. Roger jerked his arm away, rotating it briefly. Davidson walked over, standing toe to toe with Roger. Without warning, he punched Roger in the solar plexus. Roger dropped to his knees, doubled over in pain, gasping for air as he held his midsection. He looked up at Davidson.

"I'll hold off for now. Until they can get a hold of the President. I know you stole a radio from one of my men from earlier and gave it to them, so you can use this one contact the MP and inform them I wish to speak to her. And that punch was for my men from earlier. Consider us even now, Negotiator."

He tossed a radio at Roger. Roger winced as he reached for it, calling for Dastun.

"Dastun…come in. Dastun!"

"Roger! What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he panted. "Just get me the President."

"But…"

"Now Dastun!"

One of the men took the radio away from Roger while the other grabbed Roger and pulled him up from the floor, escorting him to where the other hostages were being held. But Roger stood his ground for a moment and turned to look at Davidson.

"If you really care about these men, you'll do what's best for them and see that they also don't get hurt."

Both men tugged at Roger, taking him away.

*************************************

Angel was sitting in the bunker of the presidential suite, concentrating, muttering to herself.

"I have to be aware of what triggers it and controls it."

She closed her eyes and began controlling her breathing, thinking. What did I feel that day? What caused me to release Big Venus?

An intense sadness rushed up from deep within her, when Gordon told her she was just a memory, Roger delivering Vera's last message to her. Then she remembered when Big Fau turned its gun onto Roger and Big O. She tensed up for a moment, but then Roger's words from Big O crept through her mind. She felt her breathing slow, and then a warm sensation along the scars of her back. Then, a flash of light appeared.

Angel was now standing in the grid room once more. She had spent multiple nights trying to access her power. This had to be it. She became aware she was sitting and stood up, looking around. She caught her breath and steadied it, as she found herself beginning to panic. No, she needed to remain calm.

An eerie groaning sound came from behind her, and she turned around slowly. Just as on the day of the reset, Big Venus rose from the grid floor standing in front of her. Angel's breath got caught in her throat.

"Big… Venus," she managed to say.

You are me and I am you. Why are you afraid?

The voice that spoke to her sounded disconnected as it had before, otherworldly, and reverberated with an echo. Angel took a step back, then composed herself to speak.

"I'm not. It's just… I'm stunned." Angel took a deep breath. "I want to ask you some questions. I want know more about you, if that's okay."

Angel's legs felt weak at the sight of Big Venus and so she sat down the grid floor. She wasn't afraid, but Big Venus' size and power emitting to her made her feel overwhelmed. Big Venus tilted its head down to her.

"You say you are me. But how can I be you? I'm not a machine."

Doubt enters, faith leaves.

Angel was annoyed by the answer. Why did Big Venus speak in riddles? She would come back to it later. She moved on with her next question.

"I don't under this power I have. I have the power to erase and restore, to any point in time. But why would that be in… me? Why me?"

A choice was made, carried out by the man who played the creator.

Angel sighed, frustrated. "By Gordon? But he's… dead? No… I didn't want him back. I made sure of it. I made sure of it with Alex too. Are you saying that we have the power to decides who stays and who goes?"

Decisions must align with the one to be affected.

Angel groaned. So, Gordon wanted to leave this world? What about Alex? With Alex, she couldn't see that, then again, she had been so determined to make sure Alex and Gordon didn't come back, she wasn't sure if she had sensed anything during that moment. Did Alex believe he was going to die in the moment she erased him? So, that was the reason why he didn't come back? Was that what Big Venus met with a decision aligning with the one to be affected? She shook her head. She felt like she was not getting anywhere.

"Look, please help me! Try to explain things in a way I can understand. Please! What's going to happen now? Who's the enemy?"

Free will … the gift of the life and soul … apocatastasis vs universalism. Rebirth vs unification.

Angel found it hard to understand Big Venus. She cleared her mind.

"Forgive me, I don't understand. What is apocatastasis?"

The final restoration, the rebirth.

"What is universalism?"

Unification of all human beings across the world under the values of one.

"And who's that? Who's this one?"

As Angel asked her question, a darkness fell around her again. No, it was that damn presence once more. It felt evil, sinister, closing in around her.

Just when I'm getting the answers, this happens.

But before she could ask anymore questions, Big Venus emitted a flash of light, encompassing Angel. Time was up. Angel stood and turned to look back at Big Venus who said one last thing to her before disappearing:

The door is unlocked. The key decides to open whenever needed.

Angel found herself lying on the bunker floor, breathing hard and covered in sweat. She slowly pushed herself up, finding the emergency lights had kicked in. The main lights were out in the bunker. She slowly raised to her feet, shaking. A long hot shower was needed, and she went to entrance of the bunker.

Angel opened the door to the bunker room, breathing heavy. That latest session with trying to tap into and understand her power had yielded some success, if you had compared to the last month she had been trying to understand more about her power. Dorothy's advice on trying to figure out what seemed to trigger it and control it had helped somewhat, but the discovery had left her feeling more down.

Roger in trouble and Roger's words from the second reset are what triggered her into meeting Big Venus once again. Angel knew she would need to find another trigger, unless she wanted to feel heartbreak every time. Roger's words were that of a friend, not of a lover. Then there was Big Venus. Big Venus spoke in riddles. She was still trying to wrap her head. Rebirth? Unification? Decisions aligning with the one to be affected? What the hell did that even mean and how did it relate to her, if at all? She wanted to go talk to Big Venus again, but that presence… something about that presence that she hated told her it would be unwise to try again. It's like they're spying on me. Then there were the aftereffects of the meeting as well.

Angel felt achy, drained, and nauseous from the session. No, there would be no more for tonight, for a while even. As she stepped out, she went over to a control panel and unlocked with a key on a necklace she had on. Once opened, she punched in an access code that restored normal lighting to the bunker area. She shut the control panel door, turning around, resting on her back against the wall.

Angel, Roger is gone. He was never yours and you need to move on. It hurts, but you need to let him go. Those words he said to you, were ones of a friend, and nothing more.

Angel wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes. She felt strong enough to ascend the stairs that lead to her office in the presidential suite. She pulled a lever and shut the door to the bunker. She thought she would never have to use something left over from Alex's regime, but with the way he had built it, she felt safe inside. It blocked all forms of communication and she felt 100% certain it would block any signals from her power.

She noticed the light on her desk phone was blinking and the communicator Roger had given her going off. This couldn't be good. She answered the communicator.

"Madam President? Where have you been?!"

"Dan? What's going on?"

"I have a hostage crisis going on at the resort dome! Roger's buying us some time, but their demands…"

Angel quickly began gathering her belongings. The shower would have to wait, and she summoned what little strength she had, to take notes as Dan talked. "What is it they want?"

"They want you to rescind the budgets you signed off for the domes and conduct an extensive review of them. They also want government reforms, a government similar to Electric City's that's more representative and elected in nature, not appointed."

"Anything else?"

"Roger's tried talking them down, but the leader's having extremist views and may take drastic action with the hostages. Dorothy overheard everything via her communicator when Roger was talking to them. They're fighting for those outside the domes and wanting to improve their lives. If you got anything up your sleeve, now would be the time to use it. They have made a request to speak to you. Would you be willing to do it?"

"Yes, anything I can do to help. I have some program ideas in the back of my mind, but I'll see if I can get them to at least release the hostages."

"It's 9:00 now. They're giving us until morning."

"Let me make some phone calls and call in some favors. Give me until midnight."

"What are you doing?"

"Tell Roger when you get the chance, he's not the only one visiting Big Ear. Time to start playing dirty with some politicians."