"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep, before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. " - Isaiah 53:7

"Father have mercy on your son, and always bring me home again, however far I run." - "Outside In" - Circle of Dust

"Captain, why do humans think about death so much?"

"What?" He eyed his second-in-command as he pondered the question.

"Death Sir," the AI stood in front of him, his grey arms respectfully clasped behind him. It was the first of what would be many conversations that Lars would have with him about life, the universe, and everything. "I've discovered that many humans think about it a lot."

"I suppose because most people don't want to die," he answered slowly.

"And those that do?"

"They are a rarity."

"I suppose I should fear it... but"

"What AIs aren't afraid of death?"

"Well certainly Captain, but we can be turned back on. When a human is offline, they never come back. I can understand why you wouldn't want to shut down."

"Honestly Lars, most people don't even think about it..."

"Why? I would imagine they'd want to get everything done before..."

"It's not a pleasant subject."

"Have you ever thought about it, Sir?"

He stared at his second for a moment, completely taken back by the question. "No, I have not."

"So you are not worried, Sir?"

"About what?"

"Anything that's after this?"

"There's isn't anything after this..." Again he stared at the AI, the absurdity of the conversation weighed on him. Surely no one from the previous centuries before had imagined this kind of reality. Nothing in his reading had imagined it. He laughed inwardly. Robots questioning their origins when they clearly knew their makers.

His eyes snapped open in the darkness. He'd fallen asleep sitting on the floor next to Ember. His arm was stiff but when he went to move it he found her small arm was wrapped around it tightly. He openly stared now that he could.

Her breath fell easily in and out, almost drowned out by Dag's snoring and the snoring from the two boys crammed into the prison with them.

His own words from the memory echoed in his mind. "There isn't anything after this." But the more he stared at her, the more he wasn't sure. He was a long way from the man he used to be. But he wasn't proud of that fact. He was deeply ashamed.

He turned to staring up at the wall simultaneously wrapping a hand around Ember's while she slept. Can I change? Do I still want to die?

He didn't know the answers to either of those questions now, and it deeply troubled him. He'd had a goal, it had been an easy escape into nothing...

What now?

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Ember's eyelids rose slowly, they felt as if they weighed a million pounds. She felt more than sluggish...

This is it... The organic side of her struggled to pull out of the darkness. But with eyes that no longer saw, it was only a reflex. Anguish washed over her, anguish that she had to push away. Slowly she came awake vaguely aware that she had fallen asleep on the floor. Everything that could feel hurt, and what didn't hurt felt numb.

"Ugh..." She groaned.

"Are you all right?" Red's voice whispered out of the darkness.

"Just tired..." She whispered. She listened for a moment without moving. His hand came down over hers and she realized with only a vague hazy horror that she had an arm wrapped around his. She started to pull away but her body only managed to tug weakly against his.

"Dag brought you some water."

"Did you sit there all night?"

"Yeah..." His answer sounded kind of sheepish. She imagined that he was running his hands through his hair, pulling the mohawk out of place. She'd noticed he did it when agitated.

"Oh..."

"Here," She felt his hands under her arms as he pulled her up, sharp stabbing pains erupted down her sides. She gasped as they hit. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ok?"

"I'm as OK as I can be... Can I have that water?"

She raised her hands, thankful that her arms still worked and he placed the cup into her hands. It felt like a small coffee mug, cool to the touch. The water was almost room temperature but in her state it felt like manna from heaven. He withdrew his arm and moved away. She listened to hear where he had gone but all she heard was the sound of his breathing.

"Are we alone?"

"Yes."

"Where is everyone?"

"Dag brought you food if you want it..."

"And the boys?"

"Starting a rumor..."

"So we're doing this?"

"I'll stop--"

"Don't." She turned in his direction. "I'm ready."

"Are you going to tell me who you really are?"

"No, Red."

"Why?" The question drifted to her from the darkness beyond her consciousness. She hated that everything was now shrouded in it. It was too much like her dream, with the exception that she could see everything in the dream. Now all she had was the visual memory of what she remembered this place looked like.

Because if you didn't hate me before, you'll really hate me now.

Because I don't want you to know who my father is...

Because if you go away before I die...

She pushed the dark thoughts away. "Maybe you should eat that..." She could smell the gruel from here. If anything it was making her nauseated.

"To be honest, I don't really have an appetite today." A large growl came from his stomach and both of them froze.

Ember laugh. "I think your stomach disagrees with you Red." She felt tired, too tired for this banter. She put her head back down on the floor. "I think I'll sleep before I die if you're OK with that."

"I'm not..."

"But you wanted to kill yourself..."

"What makes you think that?" She sat up quickly, too quickly and her head exploded with pain. She gasped out loud.

He was at her side in a flash, and she could hear his breathing near her ear. It was disconcerting how much better her sense of hearing had gotten now that she couldn't see. "Sorry," he said, his voice remorseful. "That's a hell of a subject change."

"You said you were getting out of here one way or another. That's kind of a final statement."

"Yeah well, the other option is to die trying..."

"That's what I'm doing, you can't copy me."

She could hear him inhale.

"You are crazy,  you know that?"

"Yeah."

He shuffled away from her but didn't go anywhere. Ember rested her head against the wall. It felt cool under her skin.

I guess you are getting what you want Father, either way. She was going to die without her augments charged up. She thought about the last time she'd seen him. He'd ranted about Orion's Reach and how she needed to join them. Given their slaughter of some of her friends she'd reacted with horror at the very thought of it. At least I'm about to find out how bad it really can be...

She heard footsteps in the distance and Red put a tense hand on her arm.

"Red," Dag's voice floated to her. "They know."

Fear coursed through her. Too late now.

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Starting a riot in a prison is the easiest thing in the world. Everyone is ready for some action, anything to break up the monotony.

Surviving a riot in a prison where the guards don't care if you live or die? Now that is something else entirely. Especially when someone has it out for you. 

T walked slowly along the outside of the yard. He turned back to Red who watched him and nodded encouragingly. The plan was to spread a rumor. Not just any rumor...the upper-class augs were being removed. "Forgiven" was the specific word Red had used. Only the upper-class augs were being given this option. Oh... and there was a Vesper in the facility. T had no idea what a Vesper was, only that he was supposed to mention it in front of a few people.

"So," He said loudly to his friend a dirty, sandy-haired boy named who went by Alt. The boy's mechanical eyes were more obvious than Ember's. He resembled a mechanical chameleon but he could for the most part "see." He lifted an eyebrow even as a low whir whir came from his eyes as they zoomed in on T's face. "There's a Vesper here in the prison."

"What's that?'

Here T paused. He needed to remember everything Red and Dag had told him, down to the last detail. His mind was quick and he hurriedly spoke the words Dag made him memorize.

"It's a human that combines with a ship to make the..." He paused for effect. "...the ultimate ship."

Alt was less than impressed. "The ultimate ship? That doesn't sound scary."

His words had the desired effect though. Those listening nearby turned toward the conversation. This was the scariest part for him. He'd been instructed to be near Karik when they had this conversation

But 'Vesper' found it's mark. Most of the adults knew the term.

T found himself being lifted roughly off his feet into the air. He squealed for a moment before coming face to face with the bruised visage of Karik. Karik maintained a tight grip on the boy's shirt while staring him down. 

"Who is it?" Instantly T knew Karik had taken the bait. He felt the man's hot breath on his face and was afraid.

"Em--, Ember, that girl that Red is protecting," he stammered. He watched as Karik's mouth broke into a wide grin.

Karik dropped T roughly. Alt grabbed his arm and pulled T to his feet. Karik strode away and T stole a glance over at Red who was watching from a shadowed corner with clenched fists. He visibly relaxed and nodded at T. T nodded in return and moved away with Alt in his wake.

It had been a risk and T had gladly stepped up once it had been explained to him. Red wasn't happy about his part in it but he relaxed now. The hard part was finished.

"What now?" Alt whispered noting the looks.

"Come on," T said moving away from the center. They needed to find Dag and stick with him



###############

Karik was not the most intelligent person in the prison but he was one of the bigger men and his loud booming voice carried weight if you didn't want to be pulverized by his massive fists.

He moved towards the center of the prison yard looking around, his bruised face seeking out Red.

He made eye contact and Red's eye's narrowed. Karik threw on a menacing grin in an attempt to let Red know he was onto his little secret. 

Red for his part attempted to have his own eyes widen in what he hoped looked like fear. It wasn't completely an act. While he wanted nothing more than to destroy that man staring him down, he couldn't take on the entire prison if they chose to become a mob. He wasn't afraid of what they would do to him. He welcomed the idea. He was terrified at what Ember would go through. 

Karik's grin grew wider. He whispered something to the men with him, they began pointing towards Red.

The next step in the plan was the part Red hated the most.

Tell them what I am. Ember's voice pierced his thoughts. A few days ago it wouldn't have been a problem. But Ember had made sacrifices for them. She was still making sacrifices for them. She was going to be sacrificed for them.

He didn't like it, it tasted bitter no matter how he thought of it.

He'd spent a sleepless night at her side after she'd finally drifted off just trying to take her in. The part of him that had seized on the fact that she was from Neo-Tokyo had long fallen silent. He'd stolen a blanket and pillow from an empty cell and laid on the floor listening to her breathing even out and then sat up to look at her, even brushing her hair out of her face. He'd worried she would stop breathing in the middle of the night. He found himself wanting to look into those blue eyes again... He pushed away that thought. The odds were against them, and she was Neo-Tokyan, a small voice from the back of his mind vehemently reminded him.

It doesn't matter anymore, he argued. And then Dag's sage advice cut in. We're all disposable trash down here.

She had wanted him to offer her up on a silver platter. They'd argued about it. Dag had argued against her. But the thing was, she was right. They would open the doors for her. Especially if the prisoners rioted.

He had the idea that there was more to her story than just being a Vesper. Her refusal to give her real name spoke volumes. The fact that she even got onto Helion alive was indicative that someone did her a favor.

Or was punishing her.

Whichever the case, she was giving them an opportunity, and damn did he feel guilty about it.

 

He walked back to his cell quickly. Each step bringing him closer to the part of the plan that he was going to hate the most. Already he could hear the whispers around him. He heard her name a few times mixed with "elite" and "Neo-Tokyo." Indications that it was working and there was no turning back now. All he had to do was bring Ember out and serve her up to them.

An idea once imparted had a way of rushing onward to its inevitable conclusion. Especially if cooler heads did not prevail. They would tear her apart.

Helion 7 was severely lacking in cooler heads.

He reached his cell door, no one had followed him. Dag was still inside waiting with Ember. T and Alt were with him.

She sat up in the middle of his cot, her hands gripping the sides turning her knuckles were white.

"Em—" He started. It's not too late to turn back.

"I'm ready." She stood in what would have been a perfect moment of bravado except that she hit the top bunk on her way up and threw herself off balance. Her arms flew out one landed on Red as he moved forward to catch her and she grasped him like a lifeline landing with her face pressed against his chest. 

"You sure you want to do this?" Once again her sightless eyes focused on his mouth when he spoke.

"No turning back now." She stood straight up next to him, one hand resting lightly on his forearm. "Let's do this." She was trembling. He didn't know if it was fear or simply feeling weak. Red knew she wasn't going to make the entire walk out there.

Dag spoke up from the other side of the room where he'd been watching silently. "We'll both be ready to get you out of there." Ember swung her face in Dag's direction, nodding.

Red scooped her up in his arms gently and she clung to him, arms wrapped around his neck. He hated every second of how wrong this felt. Time slowed down and it felt like an eternity as he walked her back up the hall to the main courtyard where the main entrance was located. 

He could hear the buzz of chatter and felt Ember's grip on his neck tightened as they moved closer to the main courtyard. The wind shifted towards them giving them a blast of cold air. Great, even the weather is cooperating with us today.

"I wish we'd met under different circumstances," he whispered. "For the record, I fucking hate this plan."

"Me too," she whispered back. Both of them didn't feel the need to raise their voices.

They stepped into the main courtyard and silence fell everywhere.

Well that worked. Red moved forward acting as if he'd intended to go towards the bleachers where they'd been spending the last few days. The crowd parted ways until he got to Karik.

The man's face was still bruised, but his expression was gleeful, and inwardly Red hesitated. It was going according to plan so far. Karik was stupid enough to carry this off but that didn't mean that Red wanted him anywhere near Ember. She was going to get hurt, it couldn't be avoided.

I don't want to do this. A huge weight pressed in on Red, his boots felt heavy, Ember suddenly weighed more than she did. He could barely move another step forward. Protect her, the dark thing inside of him insisted. I can't. He answered back. He wanted to tear this place apart with his bare hands.

"Go." She whispered urging him forward, noting his pause. She glanced up at him as he looked down at her. She couldn't see his face, but if she could, she would have noticed his eyes were wide with fear and worry.

Real fear this time.

It was no longer an act on his part.

Karik chose that moment to act. He stepped forward eyes locked on Red's. The urge to wipe that stupid smirk off of his face overwhelmed Red, he fought back against the gnawing fear and the rage that was building up. 

"What is she?" Karik yelled loudly. The crowd surged behind him.

"No one," Red got out, his voice wavered. His arms tightened around the suddenly precious bundle in his arms. They had agreed to go this far. 

"She's a vesper," Karik yelled. "Do you know what that means?" He violently reached forward and grabbed Ember yanking her from Red's arms. She tumbled to the ground lacking the energy to stand. Red forced himself to stand there helplessly and watch. They had agreed ahead of time that he would do that too. Karik's eyes found Red's again. Red understood that Karik was making him pay for his interference earlier. He smiled as if he'd won a major victory.

Red clenched his fists. He was going to kill Karik, he promised himself. He should have done it already. When he first noticed the man in the prison. Karik dragged his prize behind him. She coughed at the dust she left in her wake but other than that, she didn't make a sound.

"Neo-Tokyan!" A voice yelled from the mob.

"Kill the Vesper!"

"---put us in here!"

Karik yanked her to her feet and when she wouldn't stand he held her up. His big hands wrapped around her throat as he held her up.

Her face twisted in pain but she managed not to make a sound. Her eyes were darting back and forth.

Red nearly came undone at that. There were a lot of bodies between him and her, a lot of bodies he suddenly had no problem going through to get to her.

"Give her a taste of what we got!"

"She is getting it," Red yelled. "She's in here with us!"

This actually gave the crowd pause. Red wondered if he'd gone too far or if there was some sort of humanity left in this group.

Karik, however, took up the chant again not about to let his moment slip away. "Kill the Vesper!"

They dragged Ember to outdoor tables still chanting. Red glanced towards the doors. They still hadn't opened but the guards on the top were moving around the outside. Some watching, others running. The anthill had been kicked at the top.

"Come on, come on," Red whispered to himself as he looked around and caught Dag's eye. Dag was standing on the opposite side of the yard closer to the doors. T-man and Alt were with him. They needed those doors to open before the mob tore Ember apart.

He glanced over at the table. Karik had tossed his prize upon it and was whipping the crowd into a frenzy enjoying his own five minutes of fame. "What do we do with elites?" He yelled.

"Kill them, kill them!" The chants started.

Red stared at Ember, her shirt was ripped in the back and he could see the connections along her spine where she interfaced with her ship. Karik suddenly hopped up onto the table and kicked her in the stomach. That got a cheer from the crowd. Ember coughed up blood.

"Come on..." Red pleaded. If there is such a thing as a god out here now would be a good time to show up.

Another kick and Red was moving forward. A nameless face from the crowd grabbed his arm. "Don't be a fool Red! You'll be up on that table next!"

Red shrugged him off. "I like to see that pompous son of a bitch try to stick his pathetic augmented dick—" The creaking of the mechanical doors opening cut him off. He stopped and glanced back.

The mob went silent.

Holy shit, Red stood stunned. This actually worked?!