Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 8

This is the first of the new chapters; being there 3 new ones (8, 9 and 10). I'm just glad that I re-watched Big O and finally got the motivation to at least work on this again!

I hope you all like the story so far; and please keep watching!

Click here to read the story!

‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 8, “The Renewal”:



"People have often wondered why I chose to be a negotiator…" William Prime begins as he sits in a large leather chair inside Roger Smith's home. R. Dorothy walks into the room and places a cup of tea on the table next to William; and with a nod, he proceeds to pick up the cup and sip it lightly.

Steam casually floats off of the surface of the tea as William drinks; allowing the sensuous aroma to fill his senses. He carefully sets the glass down, his hand and body still bandaged up from his encounter with Alan Gabriel.

"…Honestly, I sometimes wonder myself. I mean, I love the thrill of solving mysteries, finding clues; but…I've never really seen myself doing anything else. In my eyes, I was born for this job." William states.

"So I see…" Roger comments, deep in thought. R. Dorothy reenters the room and takes a seat at the piano. Her soft and delicate caressing of the keys allows a gentle melody to fill the room as a fireplace flickers quietly in the corner.

Roger suddenly stands and proceeds to walk over to the window. "For many years I wasn't sure I was meant to be a negotiator…" he begins as he stares out the window. William looks up at him with intrigue, and joins him at the window.

"Do you see that?" Roger asks him as he points out the window. William looks out at the cityscape; at the buildings twinkling against the pitch-black sky. He observes the cars rushing through the streets; the people walking along and going about their daily routines. With the window open; he listens to the soothing sounds of traffic in the distance; and the sweet smell of the night fills his lungs.

"Do you mean the city?" William asks as he sighs with relaxation. "Not just that; but the people of the city." Roger explains, "I often wondered too why I was a negotiator, why I chose to help those less fortunate than myself; to pilot a Megadues. But in the end; it all came back to the city. For a long time; I didn't know what drove me; what made me tick. As a matter of fact; I wasn't really sure who Roger Smith really was. But there was always one thing I could count on, and that was the city. Paradigm City…I felt I owed this city something; I felt that I needed to help not only the residents here; but the city itself. I think that's the real reason I became a negotiator."

The wind blows lazily into the room; gently meandering its way through Roger's graying hair. William turns back to face the room and watches R. Dorothy still playing the piano softly.

"Perhaps it is destiny then…" William quietly states as he turns back to Roger. "What?" Roger asks calmly. "That I came here; that I met you and that I got that device." William replies.

Roger nods and closes the window slowly. As Roger draws the curtains shut, William makes his way back to the chair and sits down carefully in order to prevent further aggravating his wounds.

"Destiny…" Roger begins, "…I'm not really sure what that is. Sometimes I feel that I can not escape fate; but other times I feel as though the future is what I chose it to be. All I know is that we only get one shot at it; and if we mess things up; then that's it. You don't get second chances in life; and that goes double for our lines of work."

"I agree completely." William replies as he rubs his bandaged gunshot wound lightly. "By the way, are you feeling any better? Have your wounds healed up yet?" Roger asks.

"To a degree. The doctors say I'll be able to go home within the week." William replies.

Suddenly, a sad expression crosses William's face as he traces the rim of the tea cup with his finger. "What's the matter?" Roger asks, concerned.

William sighs deeply, "Well, as you know, it's been a month since I here; but…" the sadness grows in William's voice as he speaks, "…but I'm not really sure I want to go back to Brasilli. I think about it almost every night now before I sleep; I think about my job back there; my apartment, my friends and my coworkers…and then I look around me here; and for some reason; I feel a great sense of peace. I feel as though I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that if I pass it up I'll regret it for the rest of my days."

Roger holds his chin quietly as William continues. "To be straight forward with you; I'm just not sure what to do. I've talked to my boss Rafael over the phone, and he's been extremely understanding and kind; allowing me to keep my job with him and extend my vacation. Granted, the last 3 weeks have been without pay, but that's besides the point."

William laughs a little, but the sadness is still very evident in his voice, "…I'm rambling, I know; but I guess I've just never really been faced with this perplexing of a problem before. As a negotiator I'm supposed to be prepared for anything; be ready for any and all situations and be able to think and react quickly and accurately without hesitation. But this…this, this is really a situation I don't know what to do in."

"Well, this is your decision William," Roger begins, "I can not tell you what to do. You have to decide that for yourself."

"I know," William nods, "But I guess I just never really considered moving before. I've always lived in Brasilli; and I've only been out of the city a few times; mostly on business related matters. And out of all those times; not once have I felt the attraction to a city that I have here."

"The answer to all lies in Paradigm." Roger suddenly mutters. R. Dorothy suddenly strikes a sour note on the piano and stops playing.

"What did you say?" William asks, now sitting on the edge of his seat. "Do you think that's what it meant? Do you think the device was telling you to move here?" Roger asks, perplexed.

"But how can that be? The device only said that phrase to me in my dreams; not once did I see it reality. And besides that; how could that device have the cognitive ability to predict or affect the future?" William asks.

Roger rubs his chin a little and extends his hand out in a suggestive manner. "Well, your professor friend did tell you that it had the ability to transverse time; perhaps it can go forward and backwards."

William raises an eyebrow in question but says nothing. "And Dorothy here is an android. She has the cognitive ability to understand, feel, think and comprehend…why can't that device?" Roger queries.

William reaches into his pocket and pulls out the infamous device. "You know, this device here has caused me nothing but trouble. At work, at home, on vacation…this thing has been a curse. Honestly, I'd hate to think that this thing had cognitive thoughts and could understand me or my surroundings."

William laughs nervously and Roger merely grimaces. "Fate…as far as I'm concerned, no one can really be sure what the future has in store for them. But I also believe that man is not meant to understand everything; and that some things are meant to remain mysteries. Perhaps this is one of those instances; perhaps you're just supposed to live your life day to day and not question it." Roger ponders.

"Who knows…" William sighs. He looks down at the device in his hand with a look of sheer confusion and wonder. "…I've got some serious thinking to do. I'm going for a walk. I'll be back shortly." William states as he rises from his seat.

Placing the device back in his pocket; he straightens out his suit and heads towards the door. He turns for a brief moment to look back at Roger, almost expecting him to say something. But Roger sits silently; as R. Dorothy stands beside him motionlessly. With a slight nod, William opens the door and proceeds to walk out of the room.

William walks out the front doors as a sudden gust of wind slams the doors closed behind him. "A bit chilly…but it'll be alright." William comments to himself as he buttons up his black suit and proceeds to walk down the street.

Bright signs from store fronts illuminate William's path as he walks; giving him pause. He looks at the stores lining the street and watches as customers go in and out at a slow and steady pace.

"These people have Roger Smith…do they really need me?" William asks himself as he walks along.

People from all walks of life pass him on the sidewalk as cars drive by both on the street and in the air. "If I did stay; I'd have to find a new line of work…I would never take Roger's job. He holds a special place in this city…I'm just a foreigner; a stranger in a strange land; so to speak. Times like this I wonder why I am here…"

Suddenly his mind goes back to the old man he met at the hospital about a month ago. "Many have wondered what is the meaning of life; why are we here and why do we exist. Honestly, I don't believe that anyone will ever know the answer to those questions; no matter how much faith they have or how hard they search. Some things just aren't meant to be known…" The words of the old man echo in William's mind as if he had just heard them only yesterday.

"What is it that compels me?" William asks himself as he takes a seat on a bench in a park. An older model android walks by him and lightly tips his hat; which is made of shiny gray metal like his body. William nods lightly in kindness; but nothing more.

"For that matter, what is it that compels us as a species? Humans have progressed so far over the years, and yet it seems that we haven't progressed that far. We still have desires, lusts, feelings, dreams, ambitions…but what fuels those feelings?" William asks himself.

William looks in the direction the android was walking in; but doesn't see him anymore. "An android…nothing more than a conglomerate of metal parts, wires, system networks and cables…and yet; it can be instilled with the same things that humans have and want…"

William's voice trails off as he loses himself in thought. With a loud sigh, William rubs the front of his head and sighs. "…Perhaps we just aren't meant to know…"