The Heiress in Distress

Hannah looked with disbelief at the monitor, after the news of the latest happening in Angkara. That was it, she failed to protect the city. She never suspected Julian, of all people, who would bring about the destruction of her city, the city she was sworn to protect. She found it hard to forgive herself for not be able to detect it, she was so busy building this and that, thinking that those would be the only means the people would progress.

Was there a way for her to contact Julian? To tell him to stop whatever he was doing? But if there was, could she really stop him? Or the connection would compromise their position, and he would try to find her here and continue his mission to take away her womb.

But she needed to do something. Her legacy, her connection with Adam, Gamada, and the long line of Angkara, she could not just sit silent and wait for something else to happen or not happen. But she didn't know what to do.

Should she try BE? The batch here must be heavenly since she was smack dab in the middle of the people who plant and make the thing.

She shook the thought away and chose to get out from her quarter towards the command center near the room where Adam's unconscious body was put. There were always people there. Talking with people may calm her nerves, and help her to refocus on what was important for her to focus on right now. The quarter was not so far away, it only required her to follow the corridor from her quarter to the left, and made several turns every other ten steps or so.

When the door to the command center hissed open, she was almost disappointed that there was only Hagar there, with her back towards the door, working with one of the computers. On her left, the wall was a large glass to look at the medical facility, where Adam was lying, so they could monitor him all the time. Although, judging that the room now only contained two outsiders being free to access the computers, she started to think otherwise.

"Where is everybody?" Hannah asked.

Hagar looked a bit startled, then looked back, "oh! It's you..." she said, then turned back to her work, "... I don't know, they probably in one of the cafeterias having their lunches."

"It's almost three. They still have their lunches?" Hannah asked while moving towards a chair, then sit on it.

"I don't know," Hagar said.

She tried to rotate the chair she was sitting on. It rotated. She asked, "did you see the news?"

"Yes," Hagar said, "it was terrible."

"Yes, it was...," she tried to find another topic, "what are you doing?" Hannah asked.

"Checking on the thumb drive Y-0 gave to me before it died. Well... before its own body was destroyed. I'm under the impression that androids' memory lives on collectively among themselves, so it never really dies in the traditional sense of the word?" she put that last statement in a way that sounded like a question, but never needed an answer. It was to emphasize her uncertainty.

"Is it confidential?"

"It was, but now I don't know anymore. Those who passed the information died, and the one who needed the info is in a coma," she gestured her head to the room beside them, Hannah looked through the glass and see Adam, still in his usual position. Hagar continued, "I don't think it's confidential anymore is what I'm saying."

"Hmm," Hannah was interested, "so what is it said?"

"Well, history of Amalgamada, Callisto, their connection with Callisto Industries, production of BE and the androids..."

"Production of androids?" Hannah interrupted, "Callisto never created the technology, it was Magnima."

"Magnima, which is still also a continuation of Callisto Industries after their liquidation," Hagar said, "yeah. I was surprised also, " she clicked several times, and after scrolled several times on the computer she quoted some article from her computer,"' Their most infamous endeavor was the Android Initiative, which sparked controversy. Particularly from religious bodies, who considered it as sacrilege. An act of becoming like the Goddesses. Callisto faced several challenges throughout the 350s, both from religious organizations and eco-terrorist groups. While the former's objections were impalpable and easily dismissable, the latter proved to become very alarming. The groups often stole from their factories, sabotaging their source of power, and the most sinister, outright bombing their facilities, killing thousands of their employees and scientists, and leaving the areas of the attack dangerously radiated....'" then she scrolled a bit and then, "'... By the tail end of the 3rd century, around the 390s, Magnima - yet another sub-company of Magnateck - succeeded in creating the androids. A feat that was just a dream of the late Callisto. Fortunately for them, there was no strong serious opposition this time, because the landscape of financial stability was at its peak. The first time in the four centuries after the Great Devastation,'" she concluded.

"That is a lot of information," Hannah was overwhelmed, "how can I... we... never know about this?"

"Beats me," Hagar sighed, "but there is another thing that I think might interest you, have you ever heard of the Order of Palami?"

That was a strange string of words for her, she said no.

"Huh... that's weird. It says here that the Order of Palami was the protector of Angkara, to protect what Ogrario, their ancestor, created. Their temple is located in the Angkara, and the last line of the Order named themselves the Domaney..."

"What?" Hannah said, "I'm a descendant of Ogrario?"

"You don't know that? Were the plates being exhibited in DomArt were a part of your family collection?"

"Collection, yes. But not possession..."

"Well, now you know..." Hagar said.

"That means..." Hannah spoke to herself, "it was my ancestor who built the Zeitorrery..."

"You know about that?" Hagar asked.

"The Zeitorrery? Yes. Pater showed me," she then wondered, "how do YOU know about that?"

"Aisha told me. She said that we could run away from this place through there. You wanna come along?" Hagar asked.

"I'm sorry what?" she was confused, "you wanna run away from here?"

"Yes."

"Why? Don't you care about Adam?"

"I think I do, but it's better for me if I don't" Hagar's words were cold, "think about it, Miss Domaney. You would never save Angkara by hole up in this place and waiting for something to happen. Please consider it."

She couldn't answer immediately. On one hand she wanted to run away, go to Muraka, seeking asylum there, but on the other hand, the longer she stayed, the more involved she was with what was the life here got in store for her, and involving her.

A sirene was blaring. The red lights started to pulsated. "Incoming intruder.... incoming intruder..." the computerized voice boomed throughout the command center.

"Well," Hannah said to Hagar, "something is happening..."