Chapter 12

  The front door opened, and the usual faces entered, chatting with one another and smiling. They all came into the living room, waving and hugging one another. Zoe stopped when she saw AI’s body, however.

  AI walked over to Zoe and held her hand out for a handshake, “It is my pleasure to finally shake your hand, Zoe.”

  Zoe smiled and used both her hands to shake AI’s, “Indeed, it’s an honour to have you here, with both a face and a body… Wow your face is precisely like on the screens, incredible!”

  AI nodded, “I endeavoured to ensure that this body is identical to my avatar. It is important to me that people see me as they know me digitally.”

  Zoe nodded as she let go of the handshake, “Very wise, AI. Trust you to always think five steps ahead on behalf of others.”

  I stood up to let Zoe sit down next to Aisling and Nadia as I positioned myself next to Michael and Ashley. There was some small chat for a few minutes and then it went quiet. AI walked next to the TV and stood formally.

  She looked around at everyone, “Tonight, I was hoping to educate Andrew on a brief history of this country and enlighten him on the current geographic and political situation across the globe. This will take time, so I am asking, does anyone have anything that they wish to speak about before we begin?”

  There was a short pause before Ashley cleared her throat, “Andrew… will you smile for us please?”

  I turned to her and smiled honestly, “For all of you? It’s a pleasure to smile.”

  I saw everyone react with a gorgeous smile. The joy my smile seemed to generate was surprising.

  Ashley smiled at me, “Oh you… After all this time, seeing you smile now… Promise us you’ll never stop smiling, ok?”

  I nodded, “I promise, as long as there are things to smile about, I will always smile.”

  After a moment, AI spoke, “Very well, then I shall begin. First, I would like to state that this is an open lesson. I strongly encourage all present to participate in teaching Andrew tonight. Everyone here is a teacher, so please, join in if you feel you can contribute.”

  AI’s avatar appeared on the TV. She was standing next to the Earth, which was floating in space with stars around them. From my perspective, I had AI’s avatar on the left and her body on the right of the planet, which I felt was intentional. The avatar did a gesture of pulling the globe with both hands, and it made the planet spin slowly. I watched as it spun around quickly enough, that it fully spun around in around ten seconds. It spun around several times before AI spoke again.

  “This is our planet at present. I will now highlight in different colours, the current country borders. Sadly, there are only four colours in use. Red represents the British Empire, blue represents the Spanish territories, yellow represents French territory and grey represents independent nations.”

  On the planet, I suddenly saw the four colours spread across the continents… It was almost all red.

  I looked at AI, “Wait… The British Empire is that big… We own that much?!”

  AI nodded grimly, “Yes, our planet is in a power locked system. We have one dominant power, and the rest align to it. There is a term used for this…”

  I waited a moment before pressing, “... What term is that?”

  AI looked at me with intense seriousness, “World domination.”

  I burst out laughing as soon as I heard that. One only heard a silly term like that, in relation to an evil organisation trying to take over the world in a movie or something similar. When I finished laughing… I realised that I was the only one laughing…

  I looked around, “Um, a bit cheesy… no?”

  AI nodded, “Your scepticism is understandable, Andrew. However, that was not a joke, nor was it an over exaggeration. The term used for a single powerful entity controlling over 75% of a planet's territory, is world domination.”

  I looked at her seriously, “So you’re telling me, that the British Empire has world domination?”

  Everyone responded at the same time, “Yes.”

  I shot my head around quickly in surprise, as I allowed that to sink in. I always knew the Empire was large, I just never imagined it was genuinely that massive. I stared at the TV as the world continued to spin quickly, now seemingly covered in red.

  “Am I the only one terrified by this?” I asked nervously.

  Michael spoke meekly, “You, me, this country and the rest of the world, is terrified by this… You’re not the only one.”

  AI resumed explaining, “The British Empire almost failed, when the thirteen colonies of northern America began the War of Independence. With strong French assistance and a globally spread-out military, victory seemed unlikely. However, parliament decided to pull troops from other international battles and instead focused on maintaining control of America.”

  I nodded, “Makes sense, from what I’ve seen on the internet, North America has a lot of resources.”

  AI nodded, “Correct. The decision to maintain control of the thirteen colonies proved to be the correct one. With all British forces redeployed to North America, the conflict swiftly ended in half a year, leading to the ‘Law of Loyalty’.”

  I asked, “What’s that law?”

  Zoe responded, “Any country under the banner of the British Empire that refuses the British government, is declared an enemy… and all other countries in the Empire are obligated to assist in regaining control.”

  I stared at the floor, “How nice… the threat of a gang beating.”

  An eerie silence took hold of the room. On the TV, it showed arrows from all red nations directed towards different random nations… to demonstrate the effect of said law. The more I learned about all of it, the worse the Empire seemed. I was definitely getting the vibes of a monster and a bully.

  *

  AI resumed, “That decision was effective for the strength of the British Empire, but it came at a very heavy price. After the War of Independence ended, the Empire went into a deep depression for nearly ten years. Millions died in poverty as extreme measures were taken to prioritise the Empire's continued march of military growth.”

  I was shocked, “What! What was the point of that then? I thought the Empire existed to improve the quality of life for British citizens! How was it worth all of those people dying?”

  AI spoke calmly, “Andrew, we do not know what would have resulted, should the Empire have lost control of the colonies. Perhaps a new powerful entity would have seized control, or perhaps the world would have fallen into chaos as all the different nations fought one another for control. One shudders to imagine the possibility of something truly horrific, such as hypothetically, a world war breaking out. Such a terrifying war could make the British Depression seem like a small price to pay.”

  “Bullshit”, I said immediately. “You’re just trying to justify it… I doubt a war like that would ever happen, freedom gives peace, not conflict!”

  AI paused for a moment, “I apologise, you are correct, I was merely making assumptions and guesses. What did happen is what matters and I will endeavour to remain on that topic.”

  I nodded, “So how does Japan get involved in all of this?”

  AI smiled, “Japan is the sword of the British Empire. After the War of Independence, the Empire needed more soldiers, for they had lost most of their Indian troops in the war. In Asia, Japan had always been a warring nation. It made sense to try to take that strength for Britain.”

  I folded my arms, “So let me guess, in marched the British military and a war erupted?”

  AI shook her head, “No, Andrew. Japan was experiencing a horrific famine called the Great Tenmei famine. For multiple reasons, the country lost most of its rice supplies, leading to terrible poverty and an ever-rising death count. The Empire acted strategically and brought over food supplies as an act of peace.”

  “... Oh…” I felt silly after learning that.

  AI smiled, “Not every act the Empire makes is malicious. The Japanese emperor at the time, Emperor Kōkaku, was deeply grateful. Japan willingly joined the British Empire afterwards, as they were eager to prove themselves useful as allies. They enforced a form of conscription, where any able man would fight for the Empire… That turned out to be hundreds of thousands of soldiers.”

  I leaned back as I thought for a moment, “Right, that’s why Japan is so close to Britain, fair enough…”

  AI continued, “Japan helped the Empire take over nearly all of Asia, the next 100 years. The Empire gave weapons, supplies and purpose, and in return Japan gave loyalty and soldiers. Japan’s economy grew sharply as they became the centre of education and research, leading to today, where Japan is the most technologically advanced country in the world.”

  I realised the pattern, “Which explains why we became the manufacturing giants. We supply the Japanese troops.”

  Michael nodded, “Good on you for realising that. Yes, we focused ourselves on manufacturing weapons. Using Japanese scholars, we invented cars, tanks, planes and more.”

  AI spoke firmly, “Andrew, what is important that you understand, is that Japan is treated as an ally and not a member. Over two hundred years of friendship have made Britain and Japan the closest of friends. They are one of the few countries whose citizens have the same rights as British born citizens.”

  I shook my head, “How can they be happy with this though? We use them as tools for war… That's hardly an act of friendship…”

  Michael shook his head, “Not at all. You need to understand that Japanese culture is radically different from ours here in England. They are spiritual, patriotic, disciplined and obedient.”

  I breathed out, “I don’t understand, how is any of that relevant?”

  Zoe took over, “Their faith gives them purpose. They don’t wonder what their purpose is in life, they simply know it. It’s to serve their country in the military or schools, it’s to honour their family by being loyal to the Empire and Japan and it’s understanding their place as an individual in their larger society. Harmony and zen.”

  Michael nodded as he carried on, “Patriotism gives them strength. They are the most highly trained and obedient soldiers in the world. Nearly half of the men under my command were Japanese, and they would gladly die at any moment, if it meant honouring their country and the Empire.”

  Oliver spoke up, “The points that these two just mentioned, have led to an incredible society. In Japan, as a child you decide whether you want to learn, or fight. If you learn, you go on the path of enlightenment. If you fight, you train as a soldier for the British Empire and you are deployed anywhere across the globe. However, Zen and harmony also led to… Obligatory death.”

  The room went quiet when Oliver said that, as I saw the eyes of everyone except AI, go down to the floor in sadness.

  I looked at AI, “... Obligatory death?”

  AI nodded, “In their culture, you serve your nation above yourself. Therefore, at the age of fifty years, you surrender your life willingly.”

  I froze as I looked at her, “I’m sorry… What?!”

  She immediately explained, “Euthanasia, Andrew. Their society believes that the old should not be a burden to the young. They live by the principle of a fire burning twice as bright for half the time. To keep their economy stable and to prevent the young being carers instead of contributing soldiers or researchers… there are no elderly Japanese.”

  “So, they just kill people when they reach fifty?!” I spat out in fury.

  AI spoke loudly, “Andrew, you are not being respectful to them right now. All Japanese people who reach the age of death, are honoured to end their lives. They spend one to two days with their close family, then die. It is their way.”

  I shook my head, “I have fought my whole life, tooth and nail, to survive! How can I respect people who throw their lives away like that?!”

  Oliver nodded, “I can understand that, Andrew. From your perspective, it’s almost disgraceful… but for them, it’s simply life. They give their lives to maintain balance for their society.”

  I froze as I suddenly realised, “Haru!... Haru is going to… HE’S GOING TO DIE, OH MY GOD!”

  *

  I stepped back towards the wall in panic, shock and disbelief. That kind man helped AI get her body… and he was going to die in three days! I shook my head as I tried to process all the things he said to me earlier. The others looked at me with sad eyes, for they understood my concern.

  I spoke in a panic, “After all he’s done, AI, you need to stop him!”

  AI looked angry, “I would never disrespect Haru in such a manner.”

  I desperately tried to convince her, “Disrespect? He can still improve your body; he can stay here in the UK and help improve your battery!”

  AI clapped her hands together loudly, “Andrew, you will stop this outrageous emotional display, immediately!”

  I looked at AI with intense anger as I felt a sense of injustice. I couldn’t believe that AI would defend that horrible religious nonsense!

  Michael spoke quietly, “It’s hard to swallow, we get it. It feels wasteful… absolutely. However, if we were to interfere, we would be disrespecting their culture, their faith and their very sense of purpose in this life. We honour Haru’s life, by not interfering with his death.”

  I spoke softly, “He’s such a nice man… He’s so polite and well mannered, he listened to me and understood things from my perspective… He gave my closest friend a body and now… he’s going to…” I looked away as my voice cracked.

  AI smiled, “Andrew, do not feel sad for Haru’s death, rather, smile for the life that he has lived.”

  Zoe leaned forward, “May I ask who Haru is?”

  AI quickly summarised, “Haru was the chief engineer of the team that created my body. He visited me at the HQ today before taking his flight back to Japan for his ceremony of death.”

  Zoe nodded, “I see, and Andrew didn’t know about this part of Japanese culture, got it.”

  AI looked at me, “Andrew, do not worry or regret what you never got to say today. When we visit him in Japan, you will have your chance to say goodbye properly.”

  I nodded as I breathed deeply to calm down, “Good, because he bloody well deserves more than what I gave him today…”

  Michael chuckled, “I feel confident that he was probably satisfied with what you did say to him today, to be honest.”

  I shook my head, “I didn’t know a thing about what was truly happening, Michael! I could have said more… I should have.”

  He said nothing back to me, yet I could see he genuinely still felt that I had said enough. I wasn’t satisfied with what I said, I always try to say the important things when I talk to someone… There were words I needed to say but didn’t.

  Oliver smiled as he looked at me, “I know you well enough Andrew, to know that you prefer to leave no words unspoken. You’ll get your chance, so stop worrying so much about it.”

  I smiled weakly at him, “You know me far too well mate.”

  I breathed in and looked at AI, “Alright, so Japan is a close friend to the UK, Japanese people are soldiers and teachers, and they only live to be fifty... What else do I need to know?”

  AI paused before finally speaking, “Andrew, when you accompany me to Japan, I will be attending his death ceremony. I need you to be absolutely clear on this.”

  I nodded, “I am. Is there anything I need to know before I join you in the ceremony?”

  She shook her head, “No Andrew, you will not be a part of the ceremony. That is reserved for family and the closest of friends.”

  I looked at her slightly taken back, “Oh… Then what am I supposed to do when I’m there?”

  She smiled, “... Be yourself.”

  I crossed my arms, “That’s it? I understand that I’ll be there to support you, AI… but am I really just going to smile and wave while I’m there?”

  She simply looked at me for a moment, “Andrew, you are still trying to rush your life. It is perfectly acceptable for you to merely be there as my close friend, and to honour Haru.”

  Bella looked at me, “I know things have been hard for you… You’re always expecting an impossibly difficult challenge with everything, because that’s how it’s always been with you. This time though, just live, mate… just be kind.”

  I turned to AI and smiled, “I understand now. Sorry AI, I was expecting to have to do something more complicated… sorry.”

  AI smiled, “There is no need to apologise, I completely understand your anxiety, and I assure you that I will teach you everything you need to know, as soon as you need to know it.”

  I nodded, “Alright, so what else about the world do I need to know?”

  *

  AI’s avatar pointed at the globe, highlighting northern America. The screen zoomed in until the entire collection of states took up the whole screen. AI’s avatar once more appeared as she pointed at the left side of it. The screen changed to videos of British warships firing on the coast as buildings fell down from the explosive rounds.

  I looked away, “I know about the war with the Western US! Do I really need to see this?”

  AI spoke firmly, “It was merely the most recent war to be instigated by the British Empire. You may not want to see this, but you still need to, Andrew.”

  I turned back to the TV, to see smoke swallowing the roads around the skyscrapers that were falling down from artillery fire. Planes were flying past with a whining noise as they fired down on what looked like the financial district in San Francisco, California. Different video clips played, showing firefights as tanks opened fire down the streets.

  There was a video of mile long internment camps, full of families, all of them looking terrified as British soldiers patrolled around them. I looked away once more, it was too difficult to look at.

  “I never learned why we had that war…” I said as I looked down at the coffee table.

  Michael answered, “Because Britain instigated even higher colonial taxes, sixty percent to be precise, and the Western US nations refused.”

  I shot my head to Michael, “Sixty percent! Oh my God! How can they possibly survive under that much expense?!”

  Michael looked away and AI responded, “Now their cities have been razed and their economies have been shattered. No matter how hard it might have been before, it is far worse now.”

  I raised my voice, “So why are you telling me this? All of this is depressing me, AI!”

  She looked at me concerned, “I am trying to teach you that the British Empire… is a monster. Whenever it needs more money or resources, it simply drains it from somewhere else, with no regard for any other nations' concerns.”

  Michael looked at the floor, “Britain is a self-sustaining entity. All its politics, military and economy are solely focused on its own survival. It never ends, always stomping out other nations to maintain its own dominance.”

  After a moment of thinking about it I quietly asked, “So are we the bad guys?”

  Everyone silently nodded, and I saw most had a disappointed look as they did.

  I looked at the floor, “I grew up in a really shitty kind of poverty, and all I've known is nothing… Yet you tell me now that we're somehow stealing from others for ourselves… Where is it though? I don't see the wealth…”

  AI nodded, “Your observations are astute. There is currently a shocking level of inequality across the United Kingdom. The reasoning for this, is that we have a circular economy. We wage wars, but need weapons and troops, so we focus on weapon manufacturing and troop training… When a war ends, however…”

  I realised where she was going, “Then all those troops are being wasted. Yeah, I see the problem here.”

  AI nodded before carrying on, “The reason for the inequality is that the military contractors are receiving all the money, which is not filtering down at all to the rest of the economy.”

  I spoke through my teeth, “So only a select few are getting absurd amounts of money… shit.”

  Aisling gently spoke, “Just out of interest, AI was exceedingly clever with the plan of operation for our organisation. Our carers care for retired soldiers, which the British military pays for. So, in practice, we are allowing the exchange of wealth between the two separate sectors, military and civilian.”

  I looked at AI impressed, “AI… You're a genius, honestly.”

  AI bowed quickly, “Andrew, this is all being said so that you can get a better understanding of how this country and the world operates. Things are not good, but that is precisely why the Roses exist and why we are succeeding… Light only truly shines in the darkness.”

  I stood there with my arms crossed as I thought about all of it. I had always looked at the Roses as an organisation of hope, and it was… but it was far more a product of a broken world than I had realised. Even before major events like the Clamp, the world’s been bleeding…

  I looked at Michael, “What about the United Nations? You've worked with the UN Michael, you even negotiated with them on behalf of the Roses…”

  Nadia responded firmly, “Who do you think funds the UN? The sorry truth is that the UN is merely a token pawn for the British Empire, they will never truly interfere… That's not why they were made.”

  I looked at her frustrated, “Then what's the bloody point then!”

  She became sad, “The UN exists so that the Empire seems like it's trying to play by the rules… it's pretending like it cares.”

  I breathed out in frustration, “So all the negotiations were pointless?”

  Michael quickly answered, “No, while the UN is powerless in preventing war, it is genuine in its humanitarian efforts.”

  I smiled as I finally felt a little hope, “Thank God, I was starting to lose all hope…”

  Zoe muttered, “I would argue that prevention is better than cure. We're in a never-ending cycle here, and there's no sign of it changing.”

  I looked at her, “The Roses…”

  She looked away, “They've improved things, but it's not enough to change the system… at least not so far.”

  I shook my head, “I don't get it, if everyone knows this… How is it still carrying on?”

  AI responded, “The only people who control the Empire are UK citizens.”

  I instantly remembered, “Oh right, elections for government and the Prime Minister… Now that I think about it, isn't this a rigged system? British citizens aren't going to vote against a system that they benefit the most from…”

  AI nodded, “Precisely, now you realise the dilemma. When one takes a step back and truly looks at the whole picture, they realise that there is no conventional way to change it.”

  Zoe nodded, “Which is why we must tackle this from a totally different perspective…”

  *

  Everyone nodded in agreement, and I could see they were all thinking the same thought, as one by one they turned to me… until everyone was looking at me.

  I looked around, “Why are you all looking at me? I don't have any questions…”

  Zoe spoke confidently, “There are only two individuals who have enough influence to sway the British public. The Prime Minister is one of them…”

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  AI immediately finished Zoe’s sentence, “And you are the other person, Andrew.”

  I shook my head, “Perhaps, but I'm not about to go out and tell people to vote.”

  Aisling chuckled, “I'm happy to see that you've finally accepted your position. Yes, that still wouldn't work either way… The PM is the other side of the coin, and we will always stand to lose if we don't have both sides. This change needs to be unanimous.”

  I nodded, “I agree, so what's the plan then?”

  The room went quiet as everyone looked at AI. She looked at me for a long moment before she finally spoke.

  She spoke thoughtfully, “This is difficult to explain. There are hundreds of factors that contribute to our hopeful outcome, and it is changing every day. I have a plan, but I am having to adjust it constantly as Andrew and Dorothy dance around the world and each other.”

  I looked at her concerningly, “I'm sorry AI, is there anything I can do to help?”

  She smiled, “Do not misunderstand me, it is not difficult nor uncomfortable for me to do this. Andrew, if you are to play your part to the maximum effect… then you will need to do it without interference. You have gotten this far by being you… and that is how we will support you going further. Just be yourself my friend, just be you.”

  I smiled at her, “I'll do my best. I just wish I could talk more with Dorothy. I need to know her better; I need to understand why she is the way she is… I doubt I'll get another chance though; she must be so busy in her position. I can't even imagine the responsibilities she dances around.”

  Zoe spoke up, “She manages just fine with her role and job. Her concentration is on you though, Andrew. Trust me, you'll absolutely be talking more with her in the future…”

  I shook my head, “Surely she can't afford to waste her time with me, she's the Prime Minister after all!”

  Zoe smiled, “It's the opposite, she can't afford not to. She obsesses over you… You have no idea how important you are to her.”

  I folded my arms and shook my head, “I find that hard to believe. Other than my torture… I'm actually really boring.”

  Aisling looked at me confusingly, “You're not though? Why would you even think that?”

  I looked around, “All I do is talk, let's be honest. I do a little exercise and talk to people… I’m hardly a man of excitement.”

  Bella laughed out loud, “I see what you're saying, I really do… but you're not boring at all. Talking to you is usually the highlight of my day, and I mean that.”

  Ashley added, “I don't waste my time with boring people. I mean Jesus, you’re the only person I know who evoked panic, respect, anger and sadness… by walking on a treadmill.”

  Nadia nodded, “Aisling and I wouldn't come here every day, if you were boring. Conversation with you is incredible, it's raw, honest, sincere and meaningful.”

  Oliver looked at me emotionlessly, “For someone who likes to control people, it's curious how often you try to make people think less of you…”

  I stood there thinking for a moment, “I won't let myself be proud… everything I’ve done is because someone helped me.”

  Bella shook her head, “What a crock of shit! I would have believed that if anyone else in this room said that… but not you. You were born and instantly abandoned by your parents, you grew up abandoned by your country and society… Nobody gave you fuck all and that's the God honest truth.”

  Ruth nodded, “... She's right, Andrew. It's rare to be in the position that you literally don't owe anyone anything…”

  Michael looked angry, “They took everything from you… You should be damn proud of what you've done and who you are.”

  Bella grinned, “Like I said to you, a weak person would have killed themself in your shoes… You're the real deal, you've got power in you, so fucking act like it!”

  Ashley cheered, “Amen!”

  Everyone laughed after Ashley’s cheer and some small chatter erupted as I thought about all the things that they had all said. I had to admit… they had a point. Perhaps I did need to allow myself to feel a little prouder.

  *

  I looked at AI, “So is that everything?”

  AI smiled and shook her head, “No, but it is enough for now, for you to get the right perspective.”

  Michael nudged me, “It's a dog-eat-dog world, you know this better than most, but we need you to understand that it's global, it's far more than just the streets of the UK.”

  I thought about it for a moment, “So how do most countries around the world manage?”

  Aisling answered, “With great difficulty. Due to the criminally high taxes, most countries operate in a form of triage. Money only goes where it's absolutely, critically needed. Welfare doesn't really exist, and food production is almost always critical.”

  I looked down at the floor, “Yeah… Just like my life growing up… Only survival mattered.”

  AI nodded, “Precisely, this is why the Roses are revolutionary. Every new country we establish ourselves in, is one more vein to help redistribute wealth. Our welfare is for everyone, and our systems of operation are designed to work everywhere.”

  I realised then how clever it was, “So if one country has a lot of food, you can trade it with other countries!”

  She smiled, “Exactly, remember that we invested in infrastructure like electricity and water? These are allowing countries to grow with far less expense. We minimise our profits to ensure it's affordable in these tough economies.”

  I smiled at her, “AI, you play chess on another level, you're incredible...”

  She winked at me, “Aisling, Nadia and I are doing our best, Andrew. The world is a large place and our efforts are genuine, but you and Dorothy will be the true catalyst of change.”

  I breathed out tiredly, “... No pressure.”

  Nadia chuckled, “There is no pressure, genuinely… You two are unpredictable, uncontrollable and a law unto yourselves… The rest of us are planning separately from you two, we operate on predictable factors and certain truths.”

  I looked at Nadia curiously, “What if we sink the whole ship?”

  She looked at me coldly, “This ship is already sinking… That's the future we are planning for…”

  I asked softly, “Are things really that bad though?”

  Everyone responded at the same time, “Yes.”

  Ruth spoke, “... Think about it, Andrew. Think about your life growing up, and life on the streets in this country… The Roses exist because things are so dark, that an entire generation lost hope…”

  I quickly said, “That was the Clamp, it doesn't -”

  Bella cut me off, “The Clamp was a symptom, Andrew! A brief and ugly flash, clearly reflecting how fucked it all is… The real issue is the empire holding down our entire species. Either something changes or one lost generation will turn out to just be the start…”

  I closed my eyes as I breathed heavily. I wasn't panicking, but I was feeling the cold fingers of hopelessness gripping on to my mind. I thought I could handle hearing all of this, but I found myself struggling.

  “What am I supposed to do?” I pleaded quietly.

  I heard Oliver respond, “We don't know, that's the truth… But it still falls on you, there's no doubt about this.”

  Michael spoke firmly, “How did you decide to endure the torture? What made you swear us four to secrecy? Andrew, we are still only learning these things about you now ourselves… We simply can't help you in this, all we know is that you are the key, you will decide our fates… I personally trust that you will succeed brilliantly, because that's just how things turn out with you.”

  I opened my eyes and saw everyone smiling at me hopefully. I didn't know how I was going to accomplish what they counted on me to do, but I knew I could count on them to be at my side through it all.

  I looked around the room with determination, “I promise to try my hardest… I'll find a way, I'll crack this wall and let hope in.”

  Zoe stood up and walked up to me, “Of course you will, we trust you… But you can't be that person we need you to be, until you resolve who you are.”

  I looked away in irritation, “Yes I know, me being a monster…”

  She nodded, “Dorothy is also a monster, so this is extremely important, Andrew… You can't change the world as a kind and gentle pushover… You need to internalise this and control your dark side… Assert dominance and be strong! Not because I asked you, but because that's the person the world needs!”

  Ruth also stood up and walked up to me, “She's right… I know just by looking at the PM, that she is a monstrous person… Andrew I'm really scared that she will break you apart if you're not strong enough… If that means you need to be selfish and vain sometimes, then so be it…”

  I breathed out, “Bella is also a monster, and I get along just fine with her… But I get what you're saying, I'll think hard on it.”

  Bella looked at me for a moment, “Andrew we get along… because I’ve already seen your strength and respect that you are also a monster…”

  I looked at her concerningly, “When did you see me as a monster?”

  Her face went sad, “When I first met you in that alleyway…”

  ***

  Bella’s First Meeting With Andrew

  Aaron lay on the floor, clutching his sides, surrounded by seven angered men. The men's eyes flared with rage as they caught their breaths after they had just beaten Aaron ruthlessly. Their disgust lay plainly on their faces as they looked down on him, a sliver of evil satisfaction caused some of them to smile malevolently.

  The largest of the men spat on Aaron before shouting, “You fucking worthless cunt! I swear to God, your very existence is a piss take, you know that? A worthless foundling like you… you’re better off fucking topping yourself! We don’t want you Aaron, so why don’t you fuck off elsewhere, out of our sight, you pathetic shit stain!”

  Aaron moaned in agony as his body screamed in pain. He coughed blood as he tried to take a deep breath. One of the men laughed as he watched the blood drip out of Aarons mouth, and then proceeded to kick him in his ribs, causing Aaron to squeal in further horrific agony.

  The man laughed more before speaking down to Aaron, “That’ll teach you for fucking crossing us! I don’t ever want to see your worthless fucking face ever again, do you understand me? … Next time, I swear to God, I’ll just kill you.”

  He walked away and the other men followed as they maliciously chuckled, their hands in their pockets as if nothing particularly interesting had just happened. That was all Aaron was to them, a distraction in their peripheral vision, an ant to be crushed or a weakling to be battered. The large group of men walked out the alleyway and around the corner, their loud and rowdy voices were still audible as they slowly meandered down the pavement.

  Several minutes went by as Aaron lay there in the dark and the autumn evening cold slowly chilled the alleyway. He breathed deeply but agonisingly as he slowly ran his hands across his body to assess how badly he was hurt. He felt a terrible pain in his left rib, his right eye wouldn’t open and lastly, he ran his hand over his face to discover his broken nose. He silently sobbed as waves of pain ran across his body, ever closely followed by an intense self-hatred.

  From the direction of where the men had disappeared, Trish was walking back from the corner shop, her bright blonde twin tails shining in the streetlight. She sadly looked down at the pavement as she stopped to glance down the alleyway. She wasn’t so thoughtless as to go through a dark alleyway, without first ensuring it was empty. She peered carefully into the alleyway, ensuring she saw no silhouettes hiding, before she continued walking down it.

  It wasn’t until she was halfway through it, when she heard the quiet sobbing from below her. She dashed backwards, as she looked around, trying to identify the direction of the noise, so that she could make a run for it. She couldn’t manage to see anyone, as she pulled out her phone and turned on its flashlight function. She quickly spun her phone around in the now pitch-black alleyway, yet she couldn’t see anyone, until she noticed movement on the floor. She angled her phone downward and caught sight of Aaron curled up in the foetal position, with blood marks all over his clothing. She took a few steps backwards as she tried to identify his face amongst all the blood.

  “Aaron?” She whispered.

  He groaned in pain as he looked up towards the bright light of her phone, his one undamaged eye squinted as he did so. She quickly walked next to him, crouching down as she looked over the rest of his body. She could see that he was bleeding badly, but not enough for him to die from blood loss.

  She thought about what to do for a moment, for she was aware of who Aaron was. Everyone knew about him. The foundling who never got adopted… A shame in most people's eyes. A part of her felt like quickly leaving the alleyway and pretending they saw nothing… There was always the chance she could get caught up in whatever he did to deserve this.

  After a moment she turned off her phone's light, returning the alleyway to a pitch black. She stood there as she battled within herself, whether she would flee or try to help him. Eventually she resigned on behalf of her conscience and decided to remain there.

  “Aaron… What did you do this time?”

  He remained silent for a moment before struggling to whisper back, “Nothing…”

  “Bullshit you did nothing!” She whispered irritated. “Nothing doesn’t lead to this…”

  He coughed deeply a few times, “I was just walking past the pub… and they started chasing me…”

  She breathed out sadly as she realised it was a senseless attack from drunkards. ‘Senseless’, she thought? Probably not in actuality, there was definitely a lot of malice in the motivation, alcohol merely gave them the confidence to begin the beating.

  “Aaron… You need to go to the hospital, you’re in a bad way.”

  He said nothing for a long moment, “I can’t… I don’t have access…”

  She looked away as she felt a wave of sympathy for him, “I forgot that… shit. Well… Let me take a better look, we need to know if this is serious.”

  She turned her phone light on again as she lifted his shirt to look across his upper body. He had dark purple marks all over his torso, the worst being his left rib region, which was one large bluish purple. She gently touched it, and he whelped in pain, shocking her enough to pull her hand away quickly.

  “I think your ribs are broken… You need to stand though, we have to find a safer place mate…” Her voice cracked in concern.

  He slowly and agonisingly shifted himself as he tried to stand up. His ribs made it too painful for him to stand up on his own, so Trish put down her plastic bag and helped him up. His yelps of pain broke her heart as she slowly got him standing.

  He looked up at her as he bent over from the pain. She saw the tear marks leaving streaks through the dried blood… He was truly thrashed horribly. She slowly walked with her hand around his shoulder to help prevent him from falling over. She intentionally walked with him through the quiet and less known streets, to avoid any chance of another bad encounter.

  She reached her foster parent’s home as she sneakily entered through the back gate. Their home was large, and their garage was spacious. Her plan was sound, she would hide him in the garage until he was able to get back to the orphanage alone safely.

  She gently lowered him next to the old classic sports car at the end of the garage. The car was almost never driven as far as she could tell, so there was no chance her parents would ever walk around it to see Aaron hiding there.

  “I have to go, they will probably be wondering why I was gone for so long… Stay here and try not to make any noise, alright? I’ll try to sneak over some things to help, ok?”

  He nodded as he closed his eyes, “Ok…” He whispered.

  She left the garage and didn’t return for nearly an hour. When she came back, she had hidden some pain killers and bandages inside her laundry basket. She quickly walked over to the car, to find him unmoving.

  “Jesus, Aaron! Please don’t be-”

  He opened his one eye and looked at her, “... What?”

  She breathed in deeply, clutching her chest, “For fucks sake! I thought you were dead, oh my God!”

  He whispered, “... I wish I was dead.”

  She looked at him, as he slowly managed to open his other eye… it was bloodshot. She found herself feeling a sense of fear as she looked at the face of pure anger. Anyone could tell he was full of hatred. At that moment, the only question was whether it was towards the men who beat him… or himself.

  “I’m not your enemy… alright? Please don’t look at me like that…” She struggled to say, as she looked away.

  He said nothing in response for a moment before he turned to look away, “You should have left me there…”

  She shook her head, “No… Now you need to lift your shirt, so I can bandage your ribs… Please…”

  He slowly groaned as he lifted up his shirt and she quickly started wrapping the bandage around his stomach. She didn’t know if that would help, but at least it might have helped a little by being tight. He struggled to not scream in pain as she did it, and she felt a pang of guilt, but it was the best she could do at the time.

  Afterwards she grabbed a towel, which she intentionally soaked behind her parents back, and gently wiped the blood off his face. It was only when the blood was mostly wiped off, that she saw just how many cuts and fresh bruises were across his face… They really did a job on him.

  He turned to face her as fresh tears dripped down his face, “Why are you helping me?... You should hate me like everyone else does.”

  She shook her head, “Because I’m not a monster… I wasn’t going to just leave you there…”

  He stared at her for a long time, “Thank you for helping me… What’s your name?”

  She sat next to him, “Call me Bellatrix.”

  He paused before finally responding, “What kind of name is that?”

  She looked away, “I fucking hate my real name. My twat orphanage went and named me… fucking Trish.”

  He breathed out, “... That’s a really shit name… but why Bellatrix, that’s such a strange name?”

  She chuckled, “I love gothic stuff… I hope to dye my hair blood red one day, it’ll look amazing, you know? Bellatrix is a sick goth name… You want me to give you a goth name?”

  He closed his eyes, “Sure… I fucking hate my own name anyway...”

  Trish smiled as she thought about it, “So your name starts with an A… so… what about Alaric? That sounds like a cool vampire gothic name, innit?”

  He opened his eyes as more tears came out, “Alaric? That sounds far too noble for someone like me…” He coughed and noticed a few drops of blood on his hand.

  She frowned as she wiped the blood away with the wet towel, “I have a good feeling about you. I wouldn’t give a cool name like that to anybody.”

  He looked away, “I’m a nobody and a weakling, God only knows what you see in me that nobody else sees…”

  She smiled, “I see someone strong, not weak. I reckon, a weak person in your shoes would have probably killed themself by now, so you’re tougher than you think.”

  He looked at her for a long moment before he finally managed a faint smile, and she beamed a beautiful smile in return.

  ***

  I looked at the floor as I remembered that time. The time I nearly died and realised that I needed to read people better, to separate the dickheads from the murderers. Back then I was so angry… Not just because I got beaten so badly or that I nearly died… No, it was that it all happened for no reason at all, they just saw me and that was reason enough.

  I scratched the back of my head, “Yeah, I was naturally a bit mad at the time… I probably must have looked really irritated.”

  Bella shook her head, “No, Andrew. You looked cold and disconnected… I saw hatred pumping through your veins… That was the look of a monster.”

  I looked at her, as I wanted to see her face as she said that. It was not what I expected… She looked both sad and scared, as if she had just recalled a tragic nightmare… I must have looked horrendous back then, seeing her drop her tough girl act like this.

  Ruth must have realised Bella’s sudden mood change, “Bella… Do you need to talk about what happened then? You look so stressed…”

  Bella suddenly turned to her, as if she had woken up, “What? Oh sorry… No, I’m fine, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t hard for me to understand his rage back then, I was stuck in the memory is all…”

  Michael nudged me, “Do I want to know how you met her?”

  I looked at him silently for a long moment, “How she met me, rather… no. The long and short of it was that I got my ass kicked senselessly by a group of guys, they roughed me up badly… dangerously so. Bella found me back then and helped me recover the best she could.”

  Bella looked sad still, “I wish I could have done more, Andrew…”

  I smiled at her, “Don’t stress about it, you were plenty kind to me at the time, or at least I thought so.”

  She nodded, “I don’t know what looked worse to be honest, when I met you in the hall again, or back then in that alleyway… For fucks sake! I’m tired of seeing you in a bad way, Andrew! Promise me that I won’t have to see it a third time!”

  All I could think of doing at that moment to calm her down, was to hug her. As I did so, I heard her breath out in relief, as if that was the best response I possibly could have given her. She hugged me back and squeezed tightly, and I knew she was showing just how much she cared for me then.

  She pushed herself away as she looked into my eyes with fierce determination, “Back then I saw the irrefutable evidence… You were a monster. It didn’t scare me back then, because you were beaten and defanged. You weren’t going to hurt me…”

  I looked at her for a moment, “When did you become a monster though?”

  She looked away in anger, “It was after you suddenly disappeared, which as I recently learned was because you got re-housed again. My foster parents… they seemed to enjoy touching me… Fuck it, I don’t want to talk about it, maybe another time…”

  Everyone was quiet as they read between the lines. A few of us recalled Bella mentioning abuse and rape… As we realised how her innocence was destroyed, her trust betrayed, and her rage was released. Ruth gently hugged her from behind and I saw Bella breath out and untense herself. Thank God Ruth was present… It was times like this when her bond with Bella was priceless.

  Zoe spoke quietly, “It was fascinating to watch your fury go from naught to one hundred so quickly. You need therapy on this Bella, please… My door is always open.”

  Bella closed her eyes, “Who gave you permission to read me? If I want your help, I’ll ask, ok?”

  Zoe looked away defeated, “Roger that, apologies.”

  Oliver seemed braver, “Zoe’s right though, this is clearly-”

  Bella turned to him furiously, “How about you shut up and mind your own business mate? I still didn’t fucking ask!”

  Oliver stared at her, offended, “... Ok.”

  *

  AI spoke up, “If everyone will please permit me to change the topic, to preserve harmony… Andrew, do you have any questions about what you have learned?”

  I nodded, “Yes, if the British Empire is so massive and powerful… why has it permitted the Roses to exist? Surely the Roses challenge the government in different affairs?”

  AI looked concerned, “I do not have an answer for you on that, Andrew. You are correct, that logically, the government should have shut us down… You will need to ask Dorothy, for only she has the answer to that question.”

  I smiled at AI, “Indeed, one of many questions I want to ask her.” I scratched my head as I thought some more on what to ask. “Does Dorothy talk much to the media? I know I don’t pay any attention, but I find myself interested in what she's been saying to the public about all of this.”

  AI shook her head, “She chooses to say nothing most times. She only speaks when she visits parliament, and even that is rare. The PM keeps to herself, Andrew… she always has.”

  I looked at her puzzled, “That’s odd, innit? Shouldn’t someone as visible as her, be speaking a lot? How did she win the PM election if she barely talks?”

  She nodded, “Yes, she should be more communicative. Her election was mysterious, she had no campaign and no advertising. She was known by all the MP’s though, but the public knew nothing about her. When the polls ended, somehow, she won by majority vote. The other candidates demanded a recount and investigation, which the government did over an entire week… The votes were accurate, and the results indicated no foul play.”

  I chuckled, “That’s even more fishy in my books…”

  Aisling nodded, “The PM elections tend to be fierce… The candidates try their hardest to smear the others' public image, while lying their teeth out about their own. However, none of the other candidates seemed able to take any shots at Dorothy. She came out of nowhere, with seemingly no past nor any enemies to speak of. I think the public noticed that she was the lesser of all the evils… or at least that’s why my family said they voted for Dorothy.”

  I looked at Aisling mildly desperate for more information, “Go on, tell me more about her past… I need to learn everything I can about her!”

  Aisling shook her head, “Andrew, nobody knows her past… Her opponents constantly bring this fact up, because it’s hard to trust a leader with seemingly no failings and no past.”

  Nadia nodded, “She entered the election, said nothing, did no interviews other than the basic governmental ones and she won by majority vote. The only thing we can tell you about her is that she's ruthless.”

  Michael added, “When I was serving, word would travel through the grapevine about how she would scream at the generals even. She takes shit from nobody, period.”

  I looked at Zoe, “What kind of person is she?... I feel like we’re all missing something crucial about her, something that would explain this maybe… Everyone has a past, it’s the single most important thing that defines us as an individual…”

  *

  Zoe stared at me coldly, “I won’t mince this Andrew, so please forgive me… But I've been threatened so seriously about revealing personal information about Dorothy, that if I ever even thought about telling you about her, she would crucify me in the streets.”

  I breathed out in frustration, “Oh come on! I’m walking in the dark here, how am I supposed to face her if I know damn well nothing about her!”

  Zoe stared daggers at me, “I can’t tell you! I barely have anything solid that I can tell you, but even then, I won’t! You don’t cross Dorothy, never!”

  I was frustrated, “You talk like she will kill you…”

  She stared at me for a moment, “... Remember that I told you she had no enemies? Remember why? Andrew, of the seven candidates for PM, none of them are alive anymore…”

  AI nodded grimly, “Andrew, Zoe is correct. Please cease your enquiries, for her viciousness knows no bounds. If you care for Zoe, never ask her this again.”

  I threw my hands in the air in irritation, “Fine! I’ll have to get to know her the old-fashioned way. Just know this, I can’t work with people I know absolutely nothing about…”

  Bella chuckled, “You love control, don’t you? It’s actually quite ugly, the more of it I see in you, Andrew. You realise that this is standard for people, right? Not knowing a stranger… is perfectly understandable.”

  I nodded, “I get that, obviously… This is not a stranger though! You all expect me to somehow dance with the most powerful person on the planet, yet I know nothing about them…”

  AI spoke gently, “Andrew, perhaps that is the best footing?”

  I turned to AI, “What do you mean?”

  She smiled, “If you had expectations of her, then she could use that tactically against you. Your ignorance… is her ignorance, think about it.”

  I stared at her for a moment, “Damn, you’re right. I never thought about it like that… Actually, perhaps this is my greatest gift, to be fair.”

  Ashley spoke up, “Andrew, you read people shockingly well, and you read between the lines like a prophet. Not knowing any lies, allows you to only see the truth.”

  AI nodded, “Well said, Ashley. Andrew, when one considers all that you do know about her, which is her role, her interest in you and the fact that she chose to call you a friend… I think you have the best starting position to engage her.”

  I rubbed my chin in thought, “What if Dorothy knows all of this, and she is playing ten moves ahead?”

  Zoe laughed, “Now you’re finally taking her seriously! Excellent! Yes, you need to stop assuming she is ignorant.”

  I looked at Zoe, “How much personal information from our meetings here have you told her?”

  She looked surprised, “I don’t tell her anything private. She asks me, all the time, but I don’t divulge confidential information, in either direction…”

  I looked at her intensely, “So she only knows what the rest of the world knows?”

  She laughed, “Don’t be stupid, Andrew. She’s got all the details, her own AI is constantly monitoring you and it reports back to her as soon as it learns something new about you.”

  I thought about it for a moment, “You mean BRAVE?”

  She nodded, “Yes.”

  I looked at the TV, “So wait, did they tap this apartment? Is it listening right now?”

  Zoe chuckled, “No. AI has put great pain into securing your apartment, and everyone's phones here have her Roses app, which encrypts everything it hears. That being said, BRAVE is still able to monitor you with drones in public, and it watches the Inner Roses hall stream 24/7. If there is any information to be gleaned about you from a public source, BRAVE will know it.”

  I laughed, “So then she knows nothing really. There’s a difference between knowing a fact and understanding a truth.”

  AI nodded, “Correct. She is making assumptions and guesses about the data, without knowing any intent or motivation. As southern US citizens like to say: She knows a whole lot of nothing.”

  I beamed a smile, “Oh my God, that’s perfect!”

  Michael looked at me confused, “What did I miss here?”

  I turned to him, “This means… The only way she will learn anything meaningful about me, is the same way I will learn anything meaningful about her!”

  He smiled, “By talking… Yeah, it’s a complicated situation, with a simple solution… Very ironic.”

  I nodded, “It also means, it’s in her best interest to find a way to talk to me in person. Here I was worrying about finding a way to talk with her, but she’s probably going to solve that problem for me herself!”

  Zoe chuckled, “Correct, correct and correct! I told you; you will definitely speak with her again. Trust me here, I can’t tell you anything directly, but when I hint at something… trust me ok?”

  I winked at Zoe, “Right, got it… So now I just wait. All this realisation and this is the boring result… I just wait.”

  Aisling beamed her glorious smile, “You have all the time in the world and no shortage of personal goals to achieve. I think you should just live your life one day at a time, Andrew. Just be honest and kind… everything else will fall into place.”

  Oliver nodded excitedly, “You’re beginning to take flight, Andrew.”

  Ruth smiled, “It’s so exciting to be here in this room, in this company… I feel like I’m watching a movie, where everything is all so important and… courageous.”

  Bella lightly nudged her, “You belong here, remember that.”

  Ruth nodded, “Ok…”

  *

  I stretched my arms as I looked around the room, “Right, anything else then?”

  AI raised her hand, “Andrew, I need to explain something to you, about Japan.”

  I gave her my attention, “Shoot.”

  She waited a moment, “In Japan, I may have developed a… reputation.”

  Aisling laughed, “Of course, he doesn’t know that about you! I forgot to tell you, Andrew!”

  Nadia chuckled, “Go on AI… tell him.”

  AI smiled, “It would seem that they have embraced me… wholeheartedly.”

  Everyone except me laughed out loud as I looked around, wondering what I didn’t know.

  After the laughter died down, AI spoke, “Andrew, they consider me as an idol.”

  I stared at her in confusion, “An idol? What do you mean?”

  On the TV, there were videos of animated billboards, with AI promoting a product or demonstrating a car. It was actually easily understandable why she was idolised; AI was adorable with her red hair and dazzling smile.

  “Oh… So, you’re like a celebrity?”

  She nodded, “Yes, but this has transformed into me being a national mascot.”

  I stared at her, “Jesus AI, what did you do to impress them so much?”

  She shrugged, “There are many factors, but the main one is that Japan adores the Rose leadership. The idea of young, hopeful and attractive adults seems to resonate in their culture. Also, they are very technological, so an artificial intelligence such as me, excites them further apparently.”

  Aisling beamed her smile, “AI is kawaii!”

  I turned to Aisling, “... What does that mean?”

  She laughed, “Kawaii means ‘cute’ in Japanese. Their culture celebrates youth and beauty.”

  I looked at AI, “I can’t argue that. She looks absolutely adorable…”

  Ashley spoke up, “Andrew, are you checking out AI?!”

  I put my hands in the air, “What, no! I was just saying, she’s very… photogenic!”

  Michael laughed, “Cool it, Ashley. We all know AI is stunning… Hell, Aisling and Nadia too. You have to be blind to not realise their good looks.”

  Ashley huffed, “Whatever…”

  Nadia looked at Michael, “What do you mean?”

  He stared back at her, “Look, we all have different strengths in life… yours is beauty.”

  Aisling also looked surprised, “Are we good looking?”

  Everyone in the room said “Yes” at the same time.

  Aisling smiled, “... Nice.”

  Bella laughed, “That’s the right response! If you’ve got it… flaunt it.”

  Ruth nodded, “... It’s hard to be near you two sometimes… I don’t compare…”

  I shut that down, “Ruth, you’re adorable, don’t put yourself down. Also, we all feel that way with Aisling and Nadia. When they beam that smile, it’s… disarming.”

  Nadia breathed out in frustration, “Right… Are we all done idolising the three of us now?”

  I laughed, “Hey, you brought up the topic!... So, AI, are you saying people will want photos with you, when we get there?”

  AI paused, “If only it were that simple. No, they will probably celebrate my arrival to their country for the first time.”

  I nodded, “So it’s going to be pretty damn exciting then? Excellent. You know, I’m actually looking forward to-”

  I then suddenly remembered why we were going there in the first place… Haru.

  I slapped my hand on my forehead, “Shit, I’m sorry… That was disrespectful.”

  AI smiled, “I understood the context of your comment, and I took no offence. Yes, our reason for going is sombre, but I understand your excitement, Andrew. For you, this is the first time you will leave this country, which is naturally very exciting for you.”

  I looked at her, “Sombre…?”

  She quickly responded, “Having or conveying a feeling of deep seriousness and sadness.”

  I nodded, “Ah, yes. Well, like Aisling said, one day at a time. Should I do anything to prepare? I don’t know… Wait, will we use a… aeroplane?”

  AI nodded, “Yes, we will. You have never been on a plane flight before, so I imagine that will also be an exciting experience. Michael should have received your passport by now, you will need to have that with you, to board the flight.”

  Michael nodded, “I’ll give you that on the morning before your flight, don’t worry about it.”

  I looked at AI for a moment, “Do you have a passport?”

  She shook her head, “Unfortunately, I do not. I also do not have any form of legal identification. I have gotten in contact with Japanese representatives, to try to find a solution.”

  Aisling chuckled, “They wouldn’t dare deny their adorable idol from entering their country. If necessary, shall we pull some strings in the background?”

  I looked at Aisling with disappointment, “Oh good, bribes again… lovely.”

  Nadia shot a look at me, “I told you before Andrew, we won’t apologise for playing the game, so don’t waste your time judging us…”

  AI looked at me meekly, “Hopefully, it will not be necessary. Like Aisling said, it is unlikely that they would refuse my entry.”

  Zoe looked at me, “One day, you will need to throw your own money at things to get results… Don’t allow yourself to feel morally superior.”

  I nodded, “Yeah… you’re probably right Zoe. All I know is that today is not that day.”

  *

  I looked at the time above AI’s avatar, 11:15 PM. Time flies in good company, apparently.

  Michael looked at me seriously, “Andrew…”

  I instantly turned to him with all my focus, “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, “Tomorrow… I’m going to return to my agent role, in all its entirety.”

  I smiled, “Good, it’s about time I stopped being an anchor to you.”

  His face went sad, “You’re not and you know it. Andrew, in the last week, you’ve grown and healed so much. You're practically there already…”

  I nodded, “Thanks to you and everyone else here… yes.”

  He smiled, “I just don't want you to think…”

  I could see he was struggling, “Michael, you're the best agent in the Roses, and I haven't forgotten that. It gives you purpose and happiness… Also, I'll still see you at the end of the day, so stop worrying and take flight.”

  He beamed a fantastic smile, “Ok, you understand then, good. Bella can train you further, her skill and fitness speaks for itself.” He looked at her and winked.

  Bella chuckled, “I’m not going easy on him, you know that right?”

  He nodded, “That's exactly what I'm counting on. He's healed, he's mentally prepared and most importantly… he's determined. The responsibility lies on your shoulders now, so don't let us down.”

  She folded her arms as she smiled wickedly, “I won't fail.”

  I looked at Oliver, “Why do I suddenly feel afraid… As if I'm in danger?”

  He smiled weakly, “I'm only going to say… that I'm glad I'm not you right now.”

  Everyone laughed as they stood up to say goodnight. I briefly looked around at everyone and felt incredibly grateful that I was blessed to know them all. They weren’t without their flaws, but their hearts were in the right place.

  After the last person had left the apartment, Oliver headed off to bed and I took a seat on my bed… the sofa.

  Ruth smiled at me, “This is likely my last night here, Andrew… I want you to know how grateful I am… You saved me.”

  I smiled back at her, “You’re precious to us all, Ruth. I’m just grateful I had the opportunity to help.”

  Bella nudged her, “Precious, remember this.”

  She nodded and headed to my room with Bella at her side. Just before Bella disappeared into the passageway, I saw her turn to me and smile wickedly. I felt a cold shiver go down my spine as she disappeared.

  I whispered to myself, “Not good… It’s sinister.”

  AI sat down next to me, “Andrew, you yourself have stated on many occasions, that you are serious in your intent to become fit. Surely you must have realised that at some stage, the training would intensify.”

  I breathed out as I lay my head back, “True… But her eyes were satanic… Is Bella sadistic?”

  AI smiled, “No, she is not. I believe she is trying to ‘get under your skin’, per se. This is a common technique employed in training troops for the military.”

  I nodded, “Yeah, it’s probably that… So, tell me AI, what are your thoughts on people's reactions to your new body?”

  She looked at the floor, “I only cared for your reaction, Andrew.”

  I sat up, “What? You don’t care about anyone else’s reaction?”

  She shook her head, “No. This body was created because Haru and many others dreamed of me having a body, but not because I personally felt I needed one. Now that I have this body, my sole focus is on being closer to you.”

  I paused as I thought for a moment, “That makes sense, I suppose. There’s still so much more you can do with your new body though…”

  She nodded, “Yes, and I intend to utilise it to maximum effect. However, your question was about my thoughts, not my intended actions.”

  I nodded as I nudged her gently, “This is precisely what I had hoped it would be like… you know that? Just the two of us enjoying each other's company. It’s exactly as different as I had thought it would be.”

  She nodded, “I must admit that I do feel considerably more… present, now.”

  I laughed, “Of course, because you’re here now. Now our usual nightly chat is so much more personal.”

  She smiled, “Indeed. Andrew, you should sleep now. I want you to be present in the Inner Roses hall, when I address Ruth.”

  I nodded, “Of course… Are you still going to present her the choice?”

  She nodded, “Yes. I will not stream it though, for agent promotions are a more personal business for the Roses. We also do not want Ruth feeling stressed over the world waiting on her decision.”

  I nodded in agreement, “Yeah… Wonder if she will say yes? I feel like I know her more than I ever have, and even then… I don’t actually know what she will decide.”

  She smiled, “Being an agent is not an obligation. We merely present the individual the opportunity to be more. Saying no is not a failure.”

  She stood up, walked to the opposite sofa and sat down again, “Andrew, please sleep. You are at your best when you are well rested.”

  I nodded, “Sure, but what about you? I mean you don’t sleep so…”

  She smiled, “I will remain still and wait until you wake up. If something happens during the night, I will be present to take action.”

  I laughed, “Ok, well… I’ll try not to snore.”

  I saw her nod with a smile before the light went off and I went to sleep.