BEAUTIFUL DAYS
CHAPTER NINE
THE PAINFUL BALLAD OF SOPHIE FIGGIS.
"I found out the truth ten years ago. My father was a doctor, but
of course you know this already. He started having visions. Visions of
a life in which he did not recognize but knew to be true in some way.
He was awakened. But it all came about on a call my father had
at the 1800 building. The apartments that house the elderly.
There was a Native American man who was suffering from
what appeared to be pneumonia. My father told him
what he needed to do and what medicines to take but
the man refused. But he did make a promise to
my father. He told my dad, if he comes back to
see him the next day, he will see a perfectly healthy man
sitting where a sick man sat. Those were his words to my dad.
Well my father did not like that idea at all, but felt that the old man
was not that far gone that he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of one
more night. So the man will have something to prove to him , but for
my dad, it was like giving him one more night to suffer to make him
realize that he needed his help. Well the night passed and the next day
my father returned with the medicines. The old man was the picture of health.
This sent shock all through the being of the man who was my father. The
old man proceeded to tell my dad a story, a story of a man who had a family.
That family had been ripped apart by divorce. A man in so much emotional
pain. With a daughter he cared for. The mother whacked out on drugs and dying,
the father studying medicine and trying to raise a young child on his own.
All of these instances were images that my father had. Images of a life that
once was. Then his eyes were opened. I don't know what exactly that old
man did but my father saw things for what they were. He saw the truth. And
he told me of the truth. Then he began to tell others like us. Humans.
Eventually it got back to the Engineer, the one who killed us all, then replaced us.
As many as he could at least. And erected this city. And placed what little humans
left here along with the imposters. Mixing us up to where we would never know
that we were amongst artificial beings. My father learned of the truth though investigations and documents. Autopsies. Subtle clues. He saw this all. And with the help of a few other humans,
began to track down the flesh and blood beings left here on earth. So in the end, my father paid
the ultimate price to expose the truth. Now it's up to me to do what he had not had a chance to.
And I see i cannot do that alone. I need you, Detective Reed. You're my only hope."
"Well you got me!, I said."
Sitting in that office listening to Sophie's story, I decided to get up and survey the land. Meaning I poked my little eyeball into the peep hole on the office door. I cracked it slightly. Sparks is on his cell phone. I heard him say the words..."They're here!" Who the hell was he talking to? And why do I have the strange feeling I'm gonna have to shoot at people here in a bit? I go to the desk and I pick up the phone. I dial Sparks' cell number. He answers...
"Who were you just talking to?,"I asked.
"Oh just one of my many love slave freaks. They can't live without me.", He said.
At that point, I quickly hung up the phone and grabbed Sophie by the arm.
"We gotta get the hell outta here!, We aren't safe.",
I said.
I go over to the office window and try to open it. It's welded shut. I took the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall and slammed it through the glass. At that point Sparks and a few others out at the bar had heard this and headed for the office. I heard the keys jingling in his hands as he tried to unlock the office door. I put Sophie out first then made my way out as Sparks and a few other men came thru the door. I didn't stick around to count the number of goons with him, but either they were all androids or just scared humans who made a pact with the androids in exchange for their own stupid hides. We make our way out into the alley. Lotta those around here. Sophie and I make our way down the alleyway. Running as fast as our legs would take us.
At that moment, A car rolls up and cuts us off. Didn't get a look at the driver, but I got a real good look at the .9mm he was pointing. He fired shots and missed us. We head back down the alley were we are greeted by Sparks and his boys coming out of the office window. Our only chance for escape was the fire escape. I put Sophie up first and then I follow. We make our way up the fire escape and into the window it led to. We were in the 1800 building. We made our way down the hall and at the other end, the guys for the car. They pull out their guns, Sparks and his crew are hot on our asses coming in the window behind us.
A door flies open. Two hands pull us in. It was the son of the Native American father son team who I had saved earlier.
"Come on!", said the younger of the two.
We made our way out the fire escape. Down to the next floor. We enter the window and head down to their room at the end of the hall.
"Don't you think we need to be gettin' the hell outta the building?", I asked.
"No need!, said the younger Native American guy.
He and his father ducked down and covered their ears. Puzzled, I joined in on the coverage and demanded Sophie to do the same. Meanwhile, at that instant, upstairs in the room we were dragged into, the mob that was chasing us were still trying to plow their way into the locked door. Until one lucky guy finally kicked the door in, which in turn, pulled a line, which tightened up, which pulled a trigger, to a homemade bomb. Anyone within that area would be turned into instant crispy critter. Which is exactly what happened. The blast went off. Shook the building but only enough damage was done to destroy that room in particular and half of the room next to it which didn't matter seeing as to how that room had been abandoned for months. The room went up in flames with an explosion sending men flying every which way. I looked up and the old man was staring right at me. I looked back at him...
"You gave me a gift?", I asked.
"I gave you what was already there!" he replied.
"What you have is no different from what we all have. All of us
who are human. We must find the remaining humans.
To save their lives, is top priority now.", said
the young man.
"So how do we go about doing this?", I asked.
"I know!", said Sophie.
"The woman is right!", said the old man.
"She holds the key to the salvation of us all!"
"And how do you know this, old man?, I asked.
"Because I have the one thing you wanted to go back to
your house to obtain...
He reaches for my hand and takes me and only me into the next room. I look on the table in which he was pointing...
Son of a bitch...
Sophie's medical files from Marsha Jude's.
I had been thinking about these files since we left for the opera. How I never got to read them. Now I got nothin' but time on my hands right at this point. He told us we could stay there for the time being. But soon we would have to flee. Enough time for Sophie to get some rest. I let the father son team who learned names were, John and Able, or at least that's what they called themselves with John being the son, make all the arrangements on getting us outta the building and into a safer place. They drive us to a place on the outskirts of the city. An old house. This is no doubt where the younger one has been living. John shows Sophie and I into the bedroom at the other end of the house.
The two of you can share this room. My father and I have rooms
at the other end. Feel free to ask us for anything.
In the meantime, the two of you can get some rest., said John.
"A thousand thank you's!, I said to John as he
exited the room.
Sophie sat on the edge of the bed. I stood by the window looking out. I saw something in the distance. Apparently, whoever wanted to cover up the fact that there were artificial humans walking among us did a number on us alright...DESERTED LAND...no buildings, no trees, just a vast sea of nothing. Dirt! I saw this in the distance past a block of just walls and abandoned buildings. It was apparent that this house we were in was not meant for anyone to be in. At least no one who was to be kept in the dark.
"The Engineer did that!", Sophie said as if
she could tell exactly what I
was thinking.
"How can one man do so much damage?", I asked as i sat
next to her.
"A mad man! The work of a sick genius. A man who traveled the
world looking for information. But only for information
to destroy it.", she said.
"So he went looking for ways to wipe us out? But why? And why
are there survivors if he was so successful?", I asked.
"That's the point...He wasn't so successful. Had he been
as successful as he thought he would be, he would
indeed be the last man alive on earth. With maybe a
handful of women to procreate. Experimental purposes.", she said.
"Yea right! I'm sure that's all!", I said, sarcasticly.
"He won't stop until we are all gone now. He has found out
how to replace us and now there is no more use for us
flesh and blood humans anymore. He will not stop until
all flesh is gone, Jake. We are in terrible danger. And now,
it is open season on all that is human!", she said.
"I won't let that happen!", I said.
You just tell me what to do and I'll do it!, I said leaning into
her.
She looked me in the eyes. Here we go again!
This time there was no Sparks calling. No bullets flying. No deranged robots kickin' in doors. It was us and our feelings.
"I am safe with you. From the moment we laid eyes on each
other I knew it was you I was looking for. I am
forever in your debt. But more than that, I can't
help what I feel for you now. Someone
who put his life on the line for
a complete stranger. There's
a lot to be said about a
person like that.", she said.
"Yea, I am pretty fuckin' cool, ain't I?, I said.
We leaned in almost on cue, and laid a kiss on each other in the fashion of two people who haven't been kissed properly in a long time would do. Needless to say, I was right about that look she gave me right before that shoot out in the opera house.
Over at the jailhouse, an attorney makes his way in past the guards. He's going to see his client. He is being escorted by Officer Brown...
"Your client is a real fucking machine!", said Officer Brown
with no clue on the irony of that statement.
"The injuries he sustained, or we thought he sustained,
should have been fatal. enough to keep him
in there for a few days and not
the few hours he spent there.", said Officer Brown.
"Well I don't think we were formally introduced,
Officer Brown, I'm Jeff Hopkins, and of
course you already know I am an
attorney.", Jeff said.
"With that in mind, there's nothing I haven't seen already,
Officer. Trust me. Tons of strange shit!, said Jeff.
They approach the visiting room. You know the kind with the huge plexiglass wall and the phones that you have to use to talk to the prisoners on the other side? Well, Jeff sits down and looks into the face of his client...a man called Patch!
How the hell did this happen?" said Jeff.
"The answer to that is simple, boss! You're movin" too slow!, said Patch.
"You son of a BITCH!" I sent you and your goddamned monkey
friends to do ONE FUCKING LITTLE JOB and all i get is
a crock of BULLSHIT each time you fuck up!, said Jeff who
quickly we learn is the ENGINEER...!
BUT...
Before you get excited...He is the Engineer...but NOT the Engineer!
Let me explain...
The Engineer controls these artificial humans or "IMPOSTERS" as Sophie so kindly referred to them. He is the main man in charge of their creation and functions and all, thus giving him the ability to hack into any of them and SPEAK SPEAK THROUGH THEM. Which is of course he's doing now courtesy of our good friend, JEFF HOPKINS, ATTOURNEY AT LAW!
O.K. now that that's cleared up...back to our story...or ARGUMENT , I should say!
I got a good mind to let you all fucking ROT in
this place! Shut you all down and leave you
all offline!, said Jeff...I mean...The
Engineer...or...whatever!
"You know how to do it! You know what we
need just as well as I do but you are
too afraid to do it!, " said Patch.
"No!", said Jeff.
"Turn it off!", said Patch.
"Turn it off and this will all run a whole lot smoother!
You know it like I do! Turn off the pain and
that bitch, as well as that meddling
Dick are good as dead!, said Patch.
"I'm not turning off the pain!", said Jeff.
The "pain" they argue endlessly about, is the pain option in Patch's programming. If the pain was shut off, Patch would feel no pain as humans do. You see each of these androids are programmed to think as we think, do as we do, and feel as we feel. But...these options can be taken away. Thus if he turns off the function that allows Patch to feel pain as a human, Patch would feel no pain at all, making him an unstoppable force.
"So you just gonna let this guy punk you
out time after time then?" asked Patch
with full on attitude.
"No! But I am going to tell you what I am
gonna do!", said Jeff.
"I am going to take you all offline if you fuck up
next time!", Jeff said.
"So now the deal is this...
I want that detective! And I want
him ALIVE!, Jeff said.
"What are you fuckin' HIGH?
He's ITCHIN' to
blow our asses away!", said Patch.
Don't FUCKING question me!, Jeff screamed.
"I'm getting you out of here and you will do
what the FUCK I tell you to! Understand?,
yelled Jeff.
"O.K. We'll find him!, said Patch.
"You damned sure better!, said Jeff.
Two hours. She and I make a hell of a team in the sack as well. That's fuckin' beautiful. As she lays in bed sleepin' it off...I'm at the table with her file. I'm looking in this file and I'm seeing the truth...things are starting to make sense...
1. The first stages.
According to these files, Sophie was a school teacher at a local elementary school when she went home early one day complaining of a migraine that would not go away. She checked herself into a hospital, the same one her father worked at. She then disappeared in the night.
Estimated time of departure, between 2 and 3 A.M. She phoned her father around 3:15 complaining of having visions. A dark haired woman who kept saying the words..."I'm leaving!"
And a figure who resembled her father begging the woman to stay. When the woman walks out of the door...the dream ends. A dream that had started the night before the hospital visit.
2. Sophie's breakdown.
Returning to work after 2 days medical leave, Sophie returns to her teaching job. She's playing with the kids at recess on the playground. She drops to the ground screaming. She says that there are visions of frantic activity. People running. Pandemonium. She goes on to say in the vision she feels someone grab her from behind and runs away with her. She says she feels as if she was around 7 or 8 years old during this vision. The same age as the kids in her class. Before her father can make it up to the school...her husband admits her into Marsha Jude's.
HUSBAND?
3. The Evaluation
After running a series of tests on her the doctors officially come to the conclusion that Sophie Figgis is an official nutjob. I'm reading one evaluation:
PATIENT# 567-0
SOPHIA ARLENE FIGGIS
TIME: 3:45 P.M.
DATE: JANUARY 16, 2006
Dr. in charge of evaluation...
Dr. CLIFFORD COOPER III
Dr. Cooper:
So Sophie tell me what you saw in last night's dream?
Sophia:
Destruction. Pain.
Dr. Cooper:
The destruction of who? Or what? Who's pain?
Sophia:
Yours, mine, EVERYONE'S
Dr. Cooper:
Tell me why we hurt so much, Sophie?
After about 20 seconds of silence...
Sophia:
ENGINEER!
The patient proceeded to hop on top of my lap and bite my nose almost completely off my face before the nurses came in to put her under. The patient then began to scream that she must get out of Marsha Jude's. Screaming, "They are here!" and they knew she was here as well.
End of evaluation.
Dr. Clifford Cooper III.
4. The escape.
After two months into her admittance into Marsha Jude's, Dr. Figgis, Sophie's father, had been fighting the entire time to get her out...but to no avail. They even went as far as to drop visitation of all kinds after her third week there. The Dr. demanded that he be her new evaluating doctor. He was denied four times. She has been through 8 different ones so far. All of whom she violently attacks during evaluations. Dr. Figgis argued that he was the only one she would feel comfortable with talking to. He was finally given permission to evaluate Sophie on a regular basis. Sophie was calmed down. And after two more months of evaluation, Dr. Figgis had given Sophie a clean bill of health, which was immediately shut down by the residents of Marsha Jude's and his superiors. Two weeks after her release was denied, Sophie disappeared. Nurses on duty that day: Two.
Jane Clarkson
and Olivia Samson.
There was a one hour period where it says in this statement where Olivia went missing for about an hour. Around the time Sophie escaped. She was not fired but investigated. Turns out that she had no dealings with Sophie's escape. But the document I will read next...is the shocker!
5.The Conspiracy
This document is unofficial because it is handwritten on yellow notebook paper by parties who do not identify themselves. The paper states that during one of Sophie's evaluations, Dr. Figgis
admitted to having visions lately as well. Two of which PERFECTLY fit the description of visions that Sophie had told the other doctors that had evaluated her. These visions intensified in Dr. Figgis after his treatment of an old Native American man for pneumonia. Two days prior, a young Native American male had come to visit Sophie at Marsha Jude's but never made it back to see her, but instead, spoke for about 20 minutes with Olivia Samson. Upon his departure, workers noticed two passengers in his car, one described as an older Native American male, the other, strongly resembled who workers said to be, "A man who looked a lot like Dr. Figgis."One of these workers confirmed that the third party was indeed Dr. Figgis. A week later Sophie disappeared and had been gone ever since.
After reading all this, it made hella sense to me now. Sophie had the visions first. Her father was only trying to protect her. Especially when he started having them as well. And he had treated Able for pneumonia. And if they had been as generous to the Doc like they had been to us, they told him the truth and opened his eyes to something, as well as Sophie. They had shown them the truth. And they were all on a quest to save human kind. Which eventually led them to me.
The 1800 building. The door that once housed an elderly man we know as Able. The sounds included the clicking of semi automatic weapons. The result...a front door quickly reduced to swiss cheese. The gunmen...Patch and his crew. They go through the place to discover that it is empty.
"Shit! They got away from us AGAIN!", screamed Cotton.
"Not so fast!", said Patch.
The garbage can that sat beside the desk. Full of burned documents. One sole piece, half burned and housing three addresses on it. One of which, happened to be the exact location of the hideout.
"I spy with my little eye..!", said Patch.
"WE GOT EM!"
END CHAPTER NINE
