Damocles - Chapter 9 - The Body

00:00:00: Heinke Digital Presents

00:00:07: Damocles

00:00:15: An audiobook podcast by Christian Heinke

00:00:19: Chapter 9

00:00:21: The Body

00:00:29: Fifteen years, three months, seven days, five hours and forty-eight seconds had passed since her forced sleep.

00:00:36: Siv opened her own eyes again, a grey film obscuring her vision.

00:00:40: The years of exposure had left her eye sockets clogged with the residue of the dust.

00:00:45: She wiped it off and had to cough.

00:00:48: Remarkably, even this discomfort felt like a miracle.

00:00:53: Just to experience the physical sensation, any sensation, was nothing short of extraordinary.

00:00:59: She brushed the dust from her body.

00:01:01: Then she pulled a cloak from the shoulders of one of her deactivated sisters and put it on herself.

00:01:07: Then she walked over to the destroyed robot and wrestled the silver box from its stiff grip.

00:01:12: She closed the lid and slipped it into her coat pocket.

00:01:15: The robot was destroyed and Josef Lenka was dead.

00:01:19: There was nothing she could do about it now.

00:01:22: Accepting this unchangeable truth, Siv recognized her only remaining duty,

00:01:26: to fulfill the promise she had made to save the girls.

00:01:29: But first she had to get through the next few minutes.

00:01:32: Her energy levels had been gradually diminishing over time.

00:01:36: It wasn't quite as bad as Michael Holborn's.

00:01:38: He had been disabled for over seventy years.

00:01:41: But she was nowhere near full capacity.

00:01:44: So she would have to take more lives.

00:01:46: Probably, Josef would not have approved.

00:01:50: He had a moral compass as solid as Holborn's.

00:01:52: But Josef was dead now.

00:01:54: There was nothing she could do about it.

00:01:56: She had to think of her own survival now.

00:01:59: As always.

00:02:01: She entered the desolate hallway.

00:02:03: A loudspeaker on the wall crackled.

00:02:06: "Well, well," Bridget said coolly.

00:02:09: "It seems that the rumors about your kind are true.

00:02:12: No mercy. But guess what? Neither do I."

00:02:17: Siv wanted to answer, but her dry throat stifled any words.

00:02:20: A harsh cough broke out,

00:02:22: releasing a cloud of dust that hung in the air.

00:02:26: She wiped her mouth.

00:02:28: "And what do you plan on doing, darling?"

00:02:30: She spat, her voice defiant.

00:02:33: "Unlike me, you don't have a physical form."

00:02:36: Without warning, a bullet grazed Siv's arm.

00:02:39: Two guards, their minds under Bridget's command,

00:02:42: stood in front of her with guns drawn.

00:02:46: "You have a warning shot," Bridget declared.

00:02:48: "I could have ended you. But my master wants you alive."

00:02:52: Siv smiled inwardly.

00:02:54: The guards had made a fatal mistake

00:02:56: by trying to shoot from a distance.

00:02:58: To successfully shoot a target,

00:03:00: one needed to be closer,

00:03:02: and the target could not be allowed to move too erratically.

00:03:05: Capitalizing on this oversight,

00:03:07: Siv quickly dodged and grabbed an old glass flask

00:03:10: from the floor of the corridor.

00:03:12: With a well-aimed throw,

00:03:15: the explosion caused one of the guards

00:03:16: to instinctively aim his weapon at it.

00:03:18: In that fleeting moment,

00:03:20: Siv closed the gap between her and the other guard,

00:03:23: snatching his weapon from his grasp.

00:03:25: In one swift motion,

00:03:27: she delivered a powerful blow to his forehead,

00:03:29: leaving him crumpled on the ground.

00:03:31: With a deft kick,

00:03:33: Siv disarmed the remaining guard,

00:03:35: sending his weapon clatter into the ground.

00:03:37: She quickly knocked the first guard unconscious

00:03:40: with a powerful blow to his temple.

00:03:42: She subdued the second guard

00:03:44: by pressing her mouth to his.

00:03:45: She had not mentioned it to Joseph Lenka,

00:03:48: but the only way her species could feed itself

00:03:51: was by harnessing the life energy of organic matter.

00:03:54: The late chief inspector

00:03:56: would certainly not have tolerated that.

00:03:58: So it was good that he was dead.

00:04:00: That way he wouldn't have to watch

00:04:02: the well-fed guard getting paler and paler.

00:04:04: He tried to fight.

00:04:06: He struggled like a fish out of water.

00:04:08: His cheeks dropped and his eyes

00:04:10: retreated into their sockets.

00:04:13: When Siv was done with him,

00:04:14: all that was left was a limp,

00:04:16: graying sack of waxy skin.

00:04:18: Immediately, Siv felt new energy

00:04:20: flow through her body.

00:04:22: She crouched down

00:04:24: and took on the second guard as well.

00:04:26: Luckily, he was still unconscious.

00:04:28: Therefore, he felt nothing.

00:04:30: His legs kicked only briefly

00:04:32: when Siv took hold of his life energy as well.

00:04:34: Then it was over.

00:04:36: Siv had blood on his face from the guard.

00:04:38: It came from the cut on his forehead.

00:04:40: Siv casually wiped it from his face.

00:04:42: Now it looked like she was wearing war paint.

00:04:43: But that was somehow true.

00:04:45: "So, darling, is there anything else

00:04:47: between me and your master?"

00:04:49: "Silence."

00:04:51: Only the crackling of static

00:04:53: came from the speakers.

00:04:55: Bridget refused to answer.

00:04:57: Siv chuckled and made her way to the lab.

00:04:59: Ready to face whatever awaited her,

00:05:01: she felt the life energy of the guards

00:05:03: pulsing through her artificial veins.

00:05:05: She opened the door.

00:05:07: The two girls were still unconscious.

00:05:10: Siv first looked for something

00:05:11: to clean her face with.

00:05:13: She didn't want to frighten the girls.

00:05:15: She found a sink and a rag

00:05:17: and washed the blood from her face.

00:05:19: In a drawer she found duct tape.

00:05:21: She used it to bandage the wound

00:05:23: on her upper arm.

00:05:25: Finally, she found a cannula

00:05:27: of smelling salts.

00:05:29: She opened it and held it

00:05:31: in front of the two teenagers.

00:05:33: The two opened their eyes.

00:05:35: They wanted to scream,

00:05:37: but Siv gestured for them to be quiet.

00:05:39: "It's alright.

00:05:40: I'm here to get you guys out of here.

00:05:42: Your parents sent me."

00:05:44: "Really?

00:05:46: Mom and dad are okay?"

00:05:48: Siv nodded.

00:05:50: The two of them would learn the truth soon enough.

00:05:52: "Right now, we need to get out of here.

00:05:54: There are two dead people outside.

00:05:56: They're security guards."

00:05:58: Both girls nodded.

00:06:00: "We know them.

00:06:02: And they're really dead."

00:06:04: "They are.

00:06:06: I had to take them out, unfortunately."

00:06:08: "I have certain abilities."

00:06:09: "What kind of abilities?"

00:06:11: "Enough questions, girls.

00:06:13: This isn't over.

00:06:15: We're going out there now.

00:06:17: You don't need to look at the guards.

00:06:19: Just turn right and go to the door marked stairwell."

00:06:22: The girls went out the door.

00:06:25: One, presumably Kim,

00:06:27: didn't look at the guards at all.

00:06:29: Jenny was more curious

00:06:31: and risked a glance.

00:06:33: She stopped and turned pale

00:06:35: when she saw the bodies.

00:06:37: She looked at her lip.

00:06:38: Then she quickly looked away

00:06:40: and followed her sister.

00:06:42: They were almost at the stairwell

00:06:44: when Siv heard a yelp.

00:06:46: Next to the door to the stairwell

00:06:48: was a small room for the cleaners.

00:06:50: Siv effortlessly opened the locked door

00:06:52: with a kick.

00:06:54: Behind it was Lenka's dog.

00:06:56: He gave a short bark.

00:06:58: Siv made him an improvised leash

00:07:00: by tearing the power cord

00:07:02: from a vacuum cleaner.

00:07:04: She made a loop

00:07:06: and Siv licked her face gratefully.

00:07:07: "Whose dog is that?"

00:07:09: Kim asked.

00:07:11: "A friend's," Siv said.

00:07:13: He didn't make it, unfortunately,

00:07:15: but he would have wanted us

00:07:17: to take his dog.

00:07:19: Her name is Sam.

00:07:21: The dog gave a short woof

00:07:23: to confirm that was indeed her name.

00:07:25: "Hi, Sam," Kim said, petting him.

00:07:27: "Hi," Jenny said as well.

00:07:29: "There you go, girls.

00:07:31: Jenny, you're the one Sam seems to like.

00:07:33: Take her leash, please."

00:07:35: Siv said.

00:07:36: "You got it," Jenny said.

00:07:38: With the dog,

00:07:40: the two girls were distracted.

00:07:42: Together they went to the stairwell

00:07:44: and made their way upstairs.

00:07:46: In his office,

00:07:48: Paul Scherber paced behind his desk.

00:07:50: Bridget stood in front of the desk,

00:07:52: motionless as a statue.

00:07:54: "How could this be?

00:07:56: How could she have done that?"

00:07:58: She had help.

00:08:00: Joseph Lenka sacrificed his life.

00:08:02: That bought her the time

00:08:04: to transfer her mind back

00:08:05: into her android body.

00:08:07: "I should have known.

00:08:09: That cop is sacrificing himself."

00:08:11: He didn't want to die.

00:08:13: Siv betrayed him.

00:08:15: "Well, I could have told him that."

00:08:17: "She'll come.

00:08:19: She wants to kill you,

00:08:21: I'm sure of it.

00:08:23: You have to escape.

00:08:25: Right now."

00:08:27: Scherber stopped and looked at her.

00:08:29: "You really believe that,

00:08:31: what you are saying, don't you?"

00:08:33: "Bridget thinks she's one,

00:08:34: but I have another ace up my sleeve."

00:08:36: "What are you talking about?"

00:08:38: Scherber ignored the question.

00:08:40: "Talk to her.

00:08:42: Threaten her a little.

00:08:44: Let her think we're desperate

00:08:46: and shitting ourselves with fear."

00:08:48: "But the situation is very threatening, master.

00:08:50: Without the guards,

00:08:52: I can only protect you from her

00:08:54: to a limited extent.

00:08:56: I have very little ability

00:08:58: to manipulate the environment

00:09:00: of the complex."

00:09:02: "But you're saying

00:09:03: we're not entirely alone in the problem,

00:09:05: isn't it?"

00:09:07: The climb was arduous.

00:09:09: The staircase had not been renovated.

00:09:11: Few lights were working.

00:09:13: Rainwater dripped down from far above.

00:09:15: Siv had enough energy to fly up the stairs,

00:09:17: but the girls were exhausted.

00:09:19: After four flights,

00:09:21: Jenny needed a rest.

00:09:23: Sam the dog took the opportunity

00:09:25: to mark his territory.

00:09:27: "Is it much farther?"

00:09:29: asked Kim.

00:09:31: Suddenly, the light began to flicker.

00:09:32: "I wouldn't trust her if I were you."

00:09:34: It blared over the PA system.

00:09:36: "Who is that?"

00:09:38: Jenny asked.

00:09:40: "That's the voice from an assistance system.

00:09:42: She's just as evil as the guards.

00:09:44: Just don't listen to what she says."

00:09:46: "You should Kim and Jenny.

00:09:48: You can't trust that woman."

00:09:50: "Why would she say that?"

00:09:52: Jenny asked.

00:09:54: "Has she told you the truth

00:09:56: about your parents yet?"

00:09:58: "What about our parents?"

00:10:00: "Go ahead and ask her!"

00:10:01: "Not now," Siv said.

00:10:03: "Tell us what about our parents right now."

00:10:05: Siv sighed.

00:10:07: "I'm afraid they're dead.

00:10:09: I'm sorry."

00:10:11: "Dead dead did you kill them?"

00:10:13: Kim asked, taking a step away from Siv.

00:10:15: "What? No, of course not."

00:10:17: "Come back!

00:10:19: Only I can protect you!"

00:10:21: Jenny put a foot lower.

00:10:23: "Maybe that voice is right, Kim.

00:10:25: Maybe she is the bad guy here."

00:10:27: Siv stood in the girls' way.

00:10:29: "Honestly, I don't care what you want.

00:10:30: I promise to get you out of here.

00:10:32: I can knock you unconscious

00:10:34: and carry you up.

00:10:36: But honestly,

00:10:38: I'd rather you walk yourselves.

00:10:40: So get your damn asses in gear,

00:10:42: you hear me?"

00:10:44: The girls turned pale,

00:10:46: their eyes filled with tears.

00:10:48: "Come on, move!"

00:10:50: Siv yelled at them.

00:10:52: The girls continued to run upstairs.

00:10:54: Siv picked up the dog leash

00:10:56: Jenny had dropped and followed them.

00:10:58: Suddenly Siv said,

00:10:59: "Stop!"

00:11:01: Kim and Jenny, completely out of breath, paused.

00:11:03: This floor had been lavishly renovated.

00:11:05: It stood out like a fresh apple

00:11:07: in a basket of rotten fruit.

00:11:09: "Why are we stopping?"

00:11:11: Kim asked.

00:11:13: "Our paths part here.

00:11:15: I'll stay and you go up

00:11:17: and try to find someone to help you."

00:11:19: "Why?"

00:11:21: "I have to make sure nothing happens to you.

00:11:23: The only way I can do that

00:11:25: is to stop whoever kidnapped you."

00:11:27: "That's none of your business.

00:11:28: Go now and take the dog with you."

00:11:30: Siv handed the leash back to Jenny.

00:11:32: "What's up there?"

00:11:34: Kim asked.

00:11:36: "Freedom, I hope."

00:11:38: "Thank you," Jenny said.

00:11:40: "Thank you for freeing us."

00:11:42: "You're welcome."

00:11:44: "Are you really evil,"

00:11:46: like the woman said on the loudspeaker.

00:11:48: "It's not quite that simple.

00:11:50: You'll understand when you're older.

00:11:52: Nothing in life is black or white."

00:11:54: "There's no right life in the wrong one."

00:11:56: "Your father was a wise man.

00:11:57: The quote is from Theodore W. Adorno.

00:12:00: I heard him speak once in Frankfurt."

00:12:02: "Our father?"

00:12:04: "No, Adorno.

00:12:06: That was in 1958."

00:12:08: "1958?

00:12:10: You don't look that old."

00:12:12: "I've had a long beauty sleep.

00:12:14: Presumably Mr. Adorno

00:12:16: and I would disagree on the point of basic morality,

00:12:18: but he probably couldn't imagine my circumstances."

00:12:21: Siv sighed.

00:12:23: "Go now."

00:12:25: Kim nodded and kept walking.

00:12:26: Jenny waved shyly at Siv,

00:12:28: then pulled on the dog's leash.

00:12:30: "Come on, dog."

00:12:32: Siv watched her for a moment.

00:12:34: Then she turned to the door in the renovated hallway.

00:12:36: Probably Paul Scherber was waiting for her behind that door.

00:12:40: And Bridget, of course.

00:12:42: But she hadn't survived all these endless years to fail now.

00:12:46: Siv entered the corridor.

00:12:49: It had been renovated recently,

00:12:51: as had the whole floor.

00:12:54: It was filled of freshly painted walls and carpet glue.

00:12:56: The hallway could be in any office building.

00:12:58: Siv thought she could smell the faint aroma of boiled coffee.

00:13:02: Despite her tension,

00:13:04: it was a nice feeling to be able to actually perceive something again

00:13:07: after more than a decade.

00:13:09: She had missed her body.

00:13:11: Maybe that was why she reacted so intensely

00:13:13: to all sensory input.

00:13:15: The carpet felt soft and comfortable under her feet.

00:13:18: Then that feeling changed.

00:13:20: The carpet was wet.

00:13:23: Her feet now made a sucking sound with every step,

00:13:25: as if she was stepping on wet moss.

00:13:27: She heard water running somewhere.

00:13:29: Someone had flooded these offices.

00:13:32: Her wet feet felt cold.

00:13:34: But Siv enjoyed that too.

00:13:36: Slowly she took off her coat.

00:13:38: She was preparing for a fight

00:13:40: and didn't want to feel constricted.

00:13:42: Before she dropped the coat on the wet carpet,

00:13:44: she took out the silver box and the guard's gun.

00:13:47: The silver box she tucked into the side of her slip

00:13:50: for lack of a pocket.

00:13:52: She loaded the gun and took the safety off.

00:13:54: She probably only had one good shot.

00:13:57: She crept slowly down the hall.

00:13:59: Schreiber's office seemed to be at the end of it.

00:14:02: She checked every door she passed.

00:14:04: But all the rooms were empty.

00:14:06: Most of them were offices with desks and couches

00:14:09: for employees who were comfortable working with their implants.

00:14:12: There was one room

00:14:14: that contained human-sized holographic memory banks.

00:14:17: Presumably the data collected by the brain scanner in the lab

00:14:21: was stored there.

00:14:22: Everything looked deserted and abandoned.

00:14:25: There was no sign of Bridget either.

00:14:27: Siv suspected that this change in tactics

00:14:30: was because the girls were no longer with her.

00:14:32: Bridget knew there was nothing she could say

00:14:35: that would dissuade Siv from her goal.

00:14:37: She would kill Schreiber.

00:14:39: She stopped at the open door of Schreiber's office.

00:14:41: She risked a quick look inside.

00:14:43: "Come in," Schreiber said.

00:14:46: He had taken off his jacket.

00:14:48: He was standing in front of his desk

00:14:50: holding a cable with bare wires coming out of the end.

00:14:52: He had rolled up his pant legs

00:14:54: and was standing with his feet in the water.

00:14:56: The rushing sound was coming from the adjacent bathroom.

00:14:59: Apparently he had clogged a sink there,

00:15:01: causing the flooding.

00:15:03: Siv pointed the gun at Schreiber's head.

00:15:05: "I wouldn't do that," Schreiber said in a calm voice.

00:15:08: "Any last words?"

00:15:10: "If you ask so nicely.

00:15:12: How about, I told you this was a bad idea.

00:15:15: If I were you, I would have killed you."

00:15:19: "If I were you, I'd throw the gun away.

00:15:20: Then we can talk."

00:15:22: Siv put her finger to the trigger.

00:15:24: Schreiber licked his lips.

00:15:26: "If I drop the cable, we'll both get fried."

00:15:29: Siv looked at the cable in Schreiber's hand.

00:15:31: It was a power cable.

00:15:33: Siv assessed her options.

00:15:35: Her body could tolerate higher voltages than a human's.

00:15:38: But she couldn't estimate whether she would survive

00:15:41: such an electric shock.

00:15:43: "I think you're bluffing, Schreiber.

00:15:45: You don't want to die."

00:15:48: "And I think you don't want to die either.

00:15:49: After all, you just repossessed your pretty body."

00:15:52: Siv bought feverishly.

00:15:54: There were other ways of killing Schreiber.

00:15:56: She didn't need a gun.

00:15:58: Then again, she didn't trust Schreiber.

00:16:00: "Screw that.

00:16:02: I'll take my chances," she said and pulled the trigger.

00:16:06: The bang in the office was deafening.

00:16:09: The shot hit Schreiber right between the eyes.

00:16:12: But instead of a bullet hole,

00:16:14: a grin appeared on Schreiber's face.

00:16:17: The bullet had gone right through him.

00:16:18: It slammed into one of the displays on the back wall of the office,

00:16:22: creating a spider web of shattered glass in the clear blue sky.

00:16:26: Schreiber's appearance flickered.

00:16:28: The cable in his hand dissolved.

00:16:30: As if by magic, Schreiber stood before Siv fully clothed again.

00:16:34: He had his hands in his pockets

00:16:36: and was rocking back and forth on his shoes.

00:16:39: Although they were standing in water,

00:16:41: the expensive leather did not get wet.

00:16:43: "The boy," Siv whispered.

00:16:46: "That's right," said the assistant.

00:16:48: He looked at the ceiling.

00:16:50: "Bridget, dear.

00:16:52: Would you be so kind?" he asked.

00:16:54: "I'd be happy to," Bridget said from the invisibly installed speakers.

00:16:59: Suddenly, Siv felt incredible pain

00:17:02: as Bridget ran strong current through the water.

00:17:04: Wincing, she fell to the floor.

00:17:06: "That's enough!" the boy exclaimed.

00:17:09: Bridget appeared beside him.

00:17:11: She eyed the still twitching Siv.

00:17:14: "I think you'll be all right here," she said to the boy.

00:17:17: "Sure thing," he replied.

00:17:19: He went over to Siv.

00:17:21: The twitching had stopped.

00:17:23: Her now lifeless body smoked.

00:17:25: The electrocution had charred the female android's hair.

00:17:28: Her blue eyes were clouded by the heat.

00:17:31: "Yep," confirmed the boy.

00:17:33: "She's clearly had enough."

00:17:35: "The master doesn't want the silver box to be affected.

00:17:38: I'll send a service robot over to collect it

00:17:41: and take the body away."

00:17:43: "You can make sure the water is turned off

00:17:45: and everything here is drained again."

00:17:47: "You got it," the boy said,

00:17:49: tapping his finger against an invisible brim of his hat.

00:17:52: "What about the girls?"

00:17:54: "They're being taken care of by our master right now,"

00:17:57: Bridget replied.

00:17:59: Hanting, him and Jenny reached the exit of the stairwell

00:18:04: along with the dog.

00:18:06: They rushed out and found themselves in a parking garage.

00:18:09: Various electric cars and drone limbs were hanging from the ceiling.

00:18:12: "Can you fly one of them?"

00:18:13: Jenny asked.

00:18:15: "I'm sure there's an emergency program.

00:18:17: Anyway, we can use one of these things to call for help."

00:18:20: Suddenly, the dog began to bark loudly.

00:18:23: Then, he yowled and rubbed his paws over his head and ears.

00:18:26: "What's wrong with him?"

00:18:28: Him asked.

00:18:30: "I don't know. I think something is hurting him."

00:18:32: Barking loudly, the dog tore loose and ran back to the stairwell.

00:18:36: "Stop it!"

00:18:38: Jenny shouted.

00:18:41: "Come back here!"

00:18:42: She turned to Kim.

00:18:44: She just stood there.

00:18:46: She was pale.

00:18:48: Urine was running down her leg.

00:18:50: Jenny turned around.

00:18:52: In front of them stood a man in a suit.

00:18:54: It was Paul Scherber.

00:18:56: "Hello, hello, hello," he said.

00:18:58: Kim froze in place.

00:19:00: Jenny grabbed her sister by the arm and wanted to run.

00:19:03: But Kim did not move.

00:19:05: "Come on, Kim, we have to go,"

00:19:08: Jenny screeched.

00:19:10: But Kim did not move.

00:19:11: Suddenly, Jenny stopped screaming.

00:19:16: It was as if something alien was grasping her spine

00:19:19: and attaching strings to it.

00:19:21: Then she felt herself start to move without doing anything.

00:19:24: Kim did the same.

00:19:26: "That's a good girl," Scherber said.

00:19:29: "I could take you out, too,

00:19:31: but then I'd have to drag you all the way to the elevator.

00:19:33: I'd break my back."

00:19:35: They walked to the elevator with quiet steps and wide eyes.

00:19:39: Both girls cried silent tears.

00:19:41: They knew there was no hope.

00:19:43: [Music]

00:19:57: [BLANK_AUDIO]