Bubblegum Crash : Knights' End

A Knight Sabers' fanfic in nine parts
by Mark Latus

Part 9 : Merry Christmas Mr. Dumas

     6:00 AM Tuesday Dec. 25 2035 - The Penthouse Apartment of CEO Dumas,
                                    GENOM Tower, MegaTokyo

     Daniel listened to Kate's breathing and watched her until he was sure she
was still asleep.  Pretense couldn't fool his enhanced awareness but she 
remained firmly in the arms of Morpheus.  Which she undoubtably found 
preferable to his embrace.
     When he was certain he slid from the bed silently.  For all her security
trained senses she didn't wake up.  He pulled on a robe wandered out.  As he 
exited the bedroom Cynthia2 glided silently to meet her master.  He dismissed 
her.  He had no need of her as either butler or bodyguard.  This was one of 
the most fortified dwellings on the planet.  The boomer bowed and returned to 
her maintenance niche.
     Daniel crossed to the living room and sauntered over to the bar. 
Selecting a decanter he half filled a brandy glass.  On the far wall the curve
of the cloud wrapped planet rolled past.  "Natural view", he whispered softly.
The orbital picture vanished, replaced by what he'd see if the wall was one
huge window.  MegaTokyo sprawled before and beneath him.  GENOM's city.  His
city.
     Daniel sipped from his glass then set it aside.  He'd made himself a 
promise.  It was time to keep it.  He reached within his mind and turned a
key.  For the first time in months he allowed himself to feel.  He became 
aware of tears rolling down his cheeks.  Silently he began talking to himself.
     "Well Daniel, you've done it.  Everything worked as planned.  You've
taken over GENOM and all it cost you was the woman you loved.  Along with
hundreds of others who did you no harm and probably didn't even know you
existed.  You've also gained a wife who's terrified of you.  So the question
facing us now is 'Was it worth it?'"  
     "The only answer to that can be that it has to have been.  Had there 
been another path I would have taken it."  
     "I truly believe that."
     He crossed to the mantle and picked up the black bordered holoportrait.
Born Tanya Toitovna, subsequently Tanya Mason, finally Tanya Dumas.  He
picked it up and wandered to the room's console.  In response to his 
whispered command an image appeared on the screen.  Brian J. Mason.  He set
the cube on top of the console.  "Well mother, what would you have thought 
about the way your sons turned out?"  His gaze flickered to the face on the
screen.  The only man with the dubious distinction of dying three different
times.
     "So brother which of us is the biggest demon?  Under your own name your 
death toll was fairly low.  As Largo you killed more people worldwide than I
have or ever will.  You massacred purely because you could, to show off your
might.  I did it for a goal.  To gain the power to save our species from
itself.  So that would seem to make you the worse man.
     However there's a lot of evidence that you were a sociopath.  To you 
murder had no more moral weight than turning off a light.  You never gave a
damn about anyone.  
     Were you born that way, did you learn to lose your empathy, or was it a
side effect of Dr. Stingray's treatment?  I don't know.  There's a lot of
questions I can't answer.  Enhancement doesn't equal omniscience."
     Every step of the way I knew the consequences of my actions.  But I 
didn't let that stop me.  And I murdered the woman I loved in the process.  
Which by any objective standards makes me a far greater monster than you ever 
were.
     He replaced the picture of his half brother with one of Katsuhito 
Stingray.  "Well doctor, does this match at all to the brave new world you
thought you were building?  I hated you throughout my teenage years both for 
experimenting on me and forcing Sylia to dedicate her life to avenging you.
Now I know I could never have succeeded without the changes you made.  Though
I still hate you for what you did to Sylia.  Because of you I had to become 
her enemy.  I'm only thankful you didn't twist Mackie the same way.  While I 
was growing up in MegaTokyo he was like my younger brother.  It would have 
hurt terribly if I'd had to kill him too.
     I recreated your viral engineer a year ago.  Or rather the researchers
I engaged were able to from samples of my cranial fluids.  I'm somewhat sorry
they succeeded.  It meant another four victims on my conscience.  
     They couldn't be trusted to keep quiet and they knew far too much.
     So now I can replicate your treatment and enhance anyone I like.  Except
who would I trust with it?  Kate's a very smart woman, she'd be a prime
candidate for enhancement.  Were it not for the fact that she'd be using her
enhanced mind to replace me and take GENOM for herself.  
     That's the problem.  If I create others like me they'll immediately seek 
to take over.  Only an enhanced mind can direct the plans I have so choosing 
a successor was going to be a problem.  I was even considering manipulating 
Mackie to join GENOM.
     But we got Osiris working so I don't need a successor.  When I die I'll
be replaced by myself.  Which is the best solution when you can't trust others 
to complete your work.  One way or another I am here to stay.
     Sylia, if I could have found another way ... but I couldn't.  Quincy had 
to die at the hands of outsiders.  The mutual hatred between him and the 
Knight Sabers was well known.  They were the best candidates to do the job
and leave me with clean hands afterwards.  I miss you more than I thought I'd 
would.  As though I've cut away some vital part of my soul.  Kate is no 
replacement for what we shared.  I wanted to spare you but you'd never have
let the other Sabers die unavenged.  Should I have let you die in ignorance?
Unaware who was responsible?  If you'd had the choice I believe you'd have
wanted to die knowing the truth.  So that's why I told you just before the
end.  If I believed in an afterlife I'd hope to meet you there.  Except I
doubt we'd arrive in the same place.
     I've become a monster but it was the only way.  Better to damn yourself 
than damn the world.  Now I can stop the planet sliding into hell.  
     I'd ask you to forgive me but I know you never would."
     Dumas bowed his head and let memories ripple through his mind.  After 
several minutes he turned off the console and picked up the holoportrait.
He retrieved his glass and wandered over to the pseudo window.  Today people  
spent time with their families, exchanging presents and wallowing in 
togetherness.  When Kate awoke they'd exchange the presents their staffs' 
had picked for one another and pretend to be touched.  After which he'd
promised to endure the day with her parents.  With both his dead years ago
he was out of the habit of a family Christmas.
     Family.  A vagrant thought flickered through his mind.  Something thrown
up from the depths of his subconsciousness.  A murky memory from the days
before enhancement.  Since then he remembered everything with crystal clarity.
An ancient film?  Yes, one he'd seen years ago.  Black and white, so it was 
probably close to a century old.  The final line from the movie.  Ironic in
context but strangely appropriate here.
     Daniel looked down at the city spread below him.  He owned it, the
country surrounding it and a good chunk of the world.  He shifted his gaze to 
the image of his mother in his left hand then raised the glass in his right.
The perfect toast.
     "Top of the world, Ma."

The End.     

***************************************************************************
Author's comments:  While that finishes "Knights' End" it doesn't end the
                    story arc.  Events will continue and conclude in 
                    "Bubblegum Chaos : Hurricane Season".  The citizens of
                    MegaTokyo think '35 was a bad year.  But that's nothing
                    to the storm that'll hit the city in 2036.
                    So got an opinion on this story?  I'd like to hear it.
                    Email me at 
                    
mark.latus@msvu.ca  
                    Trivia note:  Daniel was quoting James Cagney's last
                    words as Cody Jarrett in "White Heat"  (Warner Brothers,
                    1949)  Not quite 100 years old in 2035 but Daniel didn't 
                    know that.

                    Mark Latus Dec. 17 1995

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