Replicant: Chapter II

Defining a life of hardship is impossible to one who's only seen suffering from a secluded and obscured vantage point. From so far away, the tears of the dying young and pain of the downtrodden are difficult to correctly discern from behind diamond studded glasses. If you're lucky enough to be born into a comforting existence, or are even luckier and somehow reach the top, you become unaware of the corpses your stepping on daily. You live in a world where kindness is only reserved for those who are like you, those who think like you, and those who don't associate themselves with what they call 'undesirables'. You, and the community that surrounds you disassociate yourselves in an Eden of isolation. In those days, I hated that fact.

I was born in 2419 S.C, on the asteroid colony of Praxas 216 Kleopatra. It lay buried in a sea of albedo stone that orbited a far-off star and divided planets called Mars and Earth. The Earth, or Bluex (as some Belters called it) was the origin of all life in the star system. From there, humanity stepped out into the sea of stars and begin to colonize, spreading out to the ends of the galaxy. But, it's also where nightmares were born. Perhaps the greatest nightmare the Earth has ever conceived was the greed and corruption of the human heart.

The Federal Earth Alliance was the collective power that dominated the Earth as well as countless off-planet colonies. A massive conglomerate of greed, power abuse, and oppression. Those who had the privilege to be born or live on Earth were held in a higher esteem than those of us who had been born out past the moon. The further you were from the Earth, the less you weighed on the scales of existence. It wouldn't be entirely wrong to have called us ants. In the Belt, there was no middle class. Either you presided over one of the many fiefdoms, or you worked your entire life until you fell over and died.

I was born from two factory workers who were initially from 4 Vesta. Or so I was told. My original name- Fantine- was the name of the street I was found on. From an early age, I learned to work for what I ate and fend for myself. I grew up in a Hive, which is what everyone called the giant apartment towers that huddled together in downtown Praxas Cairo, the only city on 216 Kleopatra and a city of constant night. I shared a bed with seven other children, all of which worked at the same factory I did. Though we all had different shifts and most times we could only afford three to five hours of sleep before rotating out and heading to work. The air in a Belter slum is exactly what you'd imagine it to be. Thick, acidic, and smelly. You'd gag if you weren't wearing a mask and in the really dense areas, you couldn't see your own hand through the smog. But that was our world. As Belters, too unfortunate to ever see the world outside of work, it was existence itself. And the contempt I felt still grips my heart to this day.

Then, in 2429, he came. Many of us had heard of him. All the adults who constantly kept their ear to the radio would always talk about him. The Son of Alexander. The Chancellor of the New World. Rald Berowalt. When I was ten, his ship docked at Platform 7, which was the only landing bay in downtown Cairo. I remember Benny, the oldest man in block 76, going on and on about how the docking was a profound act of humility or something. To me and all the other kids though, we were just excited to see the thousands of lights of the ship pierce through the dense fog. Everyone took to the streets that day. I guess everyone got so caught up in what was happening, that we forgot we were supposed to be working. All the workers rushed to the road leading from Platform 7, to the main square in Uptown Cairo. I sneaked out of the factory with my friends and we found a nice view from a protruding fire escape.

Then I saw him for the first time. He walked through the trash-filled streets with a scowl on his face and not a sound was heard as he did so. He was a tall and broad man, very stern in his features. His combed back blond hair frizzled as he walked through the smog and became disheveled, falling down around his face like twisting gold vines. His long red cape trailed behind him, constantly being tossed around by the turbulent wind of the slums. Next to him was a man nearly his height with chestnut brown hair. The way he smiled and waved at everyone who gawked at him greatly contrasted with the supposed Hero of Borealis who looked so serious. Even from so far away I could make out the nature of their relationship. Call it the intuition of someone born with heightened senses. They walked side-by-side, as equals. It was then that I began to wonder what it felt like to have someone so close to you. The both of them looked inseparable as they marched down the street, a whole squad of people in suits following after in a silent parade. Seeing them pass, I felt sad and exhausted. Like part of me was tearing itself away from my body and trying to follow them. I felt my heart call out to him, and I like to think he heard it.

After his party had completely passed, everyone slowly broke from their stone standstill and shuffled off the streets and back into the factories. As I and my friends wandered through the alleys and back to work, we heard all the adults talking amongst themselves. They speculated the Chancellor's reason for coming to 216 Kleopatra, why he came to the Belt at all, and why he chose to land on Platform 7 of all places. Many of my friends had similar curiosities and they walked ahead of me trying to allay them. Meanwhile, I had my thoughts elsewhere. I wasn't concerned with 'why' he had come. Back then, I never cared much about what went on in the realm of politics. Like many, I was only concerned with eating and sleeping. But once he entered my life, I couldn't get my mind off him. I suddenly found myself wanting to know everything about him. I wanted to meet with him and exchange words, whatever they might have been.

Before I knew it several days had passed since I saw him in the street. And it had also been several days since food. Because everyone in the prefecture suddenly abandoned their workstations, rations were cut as consequence and more hours were levied on the older workers. I remember the night as being entirely restless. Hunger kept me awake and it pushed me from my bed. It wasn't the first time either. Before then, there had been plenty of times when we stole from each other in order to survive. We were part of an organism that cannibalized itself daily. I kept a small pocket knife with me at all times and with it, I stole into the night looking for a victim.

There was never a time where traffic would die down. Everyone who was out was either commuting, shopping, or doing exactly what I was doing. I sat on the front steps of the Hive, waiting for someone suitable to pass by. Particularly, I waited for an elderly or someone who was younger. Someone who I could actually stand a chance against. Eventually, I saw someone who fit the bill. A child standing in the middle of the street, constantly being jostled by the sea of people. They clung to a small lunch bag slung over their shoulder as they tried to reach the other side of the street and make for an alley. I immediately went after them. It took a lot for me to take each step. Even though I accepted the possibility that I was likely going to end up harming them, it was difficult to stomach. No one likes to be stolen from. Especially when someone takes the literal food from your mouth. But the pain in my stomach was louder than my apprehensions.

When I entered the alley, it immediately became hard to see. Through the dense fog, not even the alley lights showed through and I was soon stumbling through a haze of gray. My eyes started to burn and I had to shut them, causing me to stumble and fall. Dizzy from the smog, I attempted to pull myself to my feet and stumble into a small clearing where four Hives. There was no sign of the kid I was following, which lent itself to reason that I lost my chance. Frustrated by the hunger, I began to cry and eat the skin from my fingertips. It was then that I heard a low grown from a shadowed corner of the alleyway.

There in the dark corner, covered in sweat, clenching a large bottle and staring at me with piercing blue eyes, was Rald Berowalt. He stood pressed up against the gray concrete wall, trying to support himself. As a kid, I never lent much to the concept of fate or destiny. I had never even heard those words before, let alone the abstract ideas they encapsulated. But looking at him through my blurry vision, an inkling of the idea took root in me. Neither of us said anything for a long while. Not even when I moved slightly closer to him. Seeing more of him, and so close, I could properly discern his features more aptly. And because I was so close, I could feel the torrent of emotion that spewed out from his body which seemed to barely hold itself together. It was like standing in front of a roaring fireplace.

"What... are you doing here?" I asked. My own voice frightened me; it didn't sound like mine. Never had I sounded so excited.

"Mein verdammter Kopf bringt mich um...." was his only reply. Which sounded like a harsh bark of foreigness.

"Sir?"

"Oh, English. Of course, you speak English."

"Why're you back here? You should be with Lord Aman, shouldn't you?"

"...Would you believe me if I told you I was lost?"

As he said this, he attempted to push himself off of the wall, only to lose his footing and fall to his knees. He then slowly sat down and leaned back against the wall. I rushed over to him, stopping myself at the last second before I got too close. Rald started to cough and jerked over.

"...And you people live like this," he muttered. His eyes found me again and he gave me a very quick once over before turning away again. "I am Rald Berowalt, Chancellor of Borealis. Pleasure to meet you. Do you have something that'd keep me from breathing in this God damn poison?"

I scrambled to pull off my own mask and knelt down beside him. Covering my mouth with the crook of my arm, I offered him the tiny mask and he quickly donned it. Then he took a very loud and very deep breath, chuckling on his exhale.

"I'm Fantine. How did you get lost down here?" I asked.

"That's the question, isn't it? I was looking around the place to better get a feel for Belter life. Then I found a bar. You live in awful conditions and have terribly tasting whiskey."

I didn't quite understand why anyone would willingly subject themselves to the underbelly of Cairo, but at the time I didn't care. I was too focused on the swirling heat that surrounded the man. So much so, that I didn't notice the intense growl and pain in my stomach.

"Hungry?" he asked.

When I snapped back to reality, I saw him suddenly standing over me, still propped up against the wall. He kept pulling down the mask to take a long swig of the bottle of whiskey.

"I haven't eaten in a few days."

"...Is that right? Well Fantine, if we sit tight for a bit my bodyguard will eventually find us. Why don't you come with me and we'll sort that appetite away?" he slurred slightly. He moved to down another portion of whiskey, only to find the bottle empty.

From where I stood, it was hard to believe that this was the same man who came to town looking so serious and fierce. That this was the same man some people proudly called "Fuhrer". His hair was a mess, he was covered in sweat, and he looked like he just came from some sort of fight. He may have even been robbed. Regardless though, I couldn't turn down the chance to prolong my meeting with him. There was something I sensed in him. A chaotic storm of negativity and wonder. I wanted to uncover and identify whatever it was. Without thinking too hard, I nodded, still keeping my mouth buried in my arm. Rald then offered a smile, one that was hard to read and decipher the meaning behind. But I found myself trusting him.

His hand extended towards mine for a handshake and I stared at it for a bit longer than I should have. Then I placed my tiny hand in his and I felt something leap from him to me. A bombardment of raw emotion peeled away at my heart, completely drowning me in waves upon waves of complexity. Images of the Earth, something I hadn't even seen until then flashed in my minds I. I began to see people I never even met, places I never been to. Coupled with these images were feelings I couldn't comprehend. It was like something took hold of me and tried to devour me whole. It's intensity made my eyes go wide and it wasn't until Rald let go of my hand that it all finally receded back into him.

My entire body shook and it became a great effort to stay standing. When I looked up at Rald, he was staring at his own hand with the same wide eyes. Then his shock fell into a grave seriousness as he looked back down at me. He didn't say anything regarding what had just happened and instead placed his hand in his pocket.

"Rald! God dammit, I've been all over this block looking for your ass."

The both of us turned to see a man enter the alley. It was the man with the dark brown hair.

"The hell are we gonna do if you end up dead out here?" he chided.

Rald only threw up a hand in surrender and offered an apologetic smile.

"Yes, yes, I know. I won't wander off again. Sorry, Set."

The man called Set came to a stop in front of us, hands on his hips and looking as mad as possible. He then softened when he saw me and I remember being unsettled by the way his stern features melted into a boyish kindness.

"Well, who's this? You make a friend?" he asked, squatting down to my level.

"Something like that. Fantine here found me."

"Fantine, huh...?" Set repeated. He then flashed me a smile and stood up. "Setanta Macintosh. Call me Set."

"...Okay." I muttered quietly.

Setanta then turned back to Rald and moved to fix his collar, which had been ruffled. Rald only closed his eyes and turned his chin up.

"Gotta get you lookin' sharp. What if someone snaps a picture of you looking like some bum?"

Rald grumbled at that.

"Set, get us a cab. We'll be treating Fantine to dinner."

Setanta raised his eyebrows and placed his hands on his hips again.

"First off, it's 2 PM. Second, what's got you so charitable? I can't even get you to buy me a damn beer."

"She's a Newtype," Rald said casually.

Setanta suddenly looked more reserved and nodded. The two of them seemed to have some sort of private conversation before Set turned and began leading us back into the street. As he walked ahead of us, I stole various glances at the man called Rald. He stared dead ahead with a focus that couldn't be broken. He remained captivated in his own contemplative state, which only drew out my own inquisitive nature.

Newtypes, as I heard from rumor, were people who were able to read minds and understand someone just by looking at them. People called them demons and monsters, some even called them the next stage in human evolution. But to many of us on 216 Kleopatra, they were just a rumor. Something discussed in order to fill the gaps of boredom. For him to say I was one of those people was more than jarring. It's like someone saying you have superpowers. At first I was skeptical. There was no way someone as insignificant as me could have that sort of power. But then I thought back to the moment we shook hands. That overwhelming sensation I felt. I stared down at my hand as we walked, still feeling the after-effects of the event. It made me want more of it. I wanted to understand.

Set hailed us a cab and we all crowded in. It was the first time I had ever been in one. On 216 Kleopatra, to ride in a cab you needed a voucher. Something that many of the workers didn't have. And it was rare to see a cab downtown, to begin with. Rald spent the ride staring out the window while Setanta told me about things like shapes and what they meant when put together. But through his lecture, my eyes kept gravitating towards Rald. There was a melancholy that settled in on his side of the cab and it was so thick I could almost see it. The way he stared out at the dense crowd of people that looked like tall slender shadows in the fog invited an air of sadness. Though I was huddled up next to him, he felt so far away. Almost as if he had disconnected himself from the reality of others.

Eventually we exited downtown, breaking the dense fog as we moved onto the main bridge that took us to the rich part of the town. The bridge stretched over a deep crater that went so deep you couldn't see the bottom. It was a pit of darkness that would swallow anything that came too close. But above it, it was completely different. It was a view I had only seen a handful of times. On days when the fog wouldn't be so bad and you could see all of space from on top of the Hive. An endless sea of stars that went on forever. Though it was vast and dark, light still filled the void with a sort of hopefulness. I felt my heart reach out to the stars many times, but with every attempt, I was able to grasp nothing.

Once we entered uptown Cairo, Rald turned his attention back to Setanta and I and smiled.

"Where would you like to eat, Fantine?" he asked.

I then remembered how hungry I was and bashfully replied with a meek 'anywhere'.

Rald then nodded and directed the cab driver in a language I didn't understand. When I looked out the window, I noticed how very few people there were. The streets weren't crowded and everything was so bright. The people who moved along the sidewalks were dressed in nice clothes and had comically large smiles on their faces. A completely different world from where I was from. Rald's mood immediately soured. Setanta took note of this and directed my attention elsewhere until we arrived at a place called MacDaniel's. Rald helped me out of the car and pointed me inside. Thinking he'd immediately follow me, I went on ahead. Only to hear Set and Rald argue before Rald barked something and the driver sped away with Set still inside. When he turned to see me staring, he only smiled and moved inside.

The inside of MacDaniel's was so bright it was hard to see; Rald had pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He told me to order whatever I wanted, and I didn't hold back. I wasn't about to be courteous to a man who probably had more money than I could even dream of. When we sat down, we got a lot of stares from a lot of people. Not only because of the way I ate several hamburgers, but also because the interstellarly famous man I was sitting with was wearing shades inside a building.

After I finished, I caught Rald staring from behind his glasses. It's amazing how much more imposing someone can be when you can't see their eyes. I felt myself shrink a little bit under his scrutiny. Seeing this, he lowered his shades and leaned forward. His eyes were fiery.

"You saw something when you shook my hand, didn't you Fantine?" he ask. His voice was suddenly very serious.

"I... think I did."

"And what was that like?"

"......Scary?"

Rald nodded and set his shades down on the table. He then went on to explain just what exactly happened.

"In this world, there are people who've been born with a certain awareness. These people, Newtypes, are becoming more and more common as we as a species branch out into space."

"I've heard of Newtypes before. They say that they're able to read minds and control people who go out into space."

He chuckled at that as he shook his head.

"If only; that'd make things a whole lot easier. While it's true that some exceptionally powerful Newtypes have a certain sense of people's inner thoughts, they aren't superhuman. They can only get so far. As a species- as a species constantly evolving- we've overcome many obstacles on the evolutionary track. Space is one of them. However, there's one hurdle we can't seem to bound over."

"...And that is?" I asked.

"Gravity."

"Gravity, Mr. Berowalt?"

"I'm not talking about what keeps your feet on the ground. I'm talking about the force that keeps people like you stuck in the dirt your entire life. The force that drives people to fight empty wars and extort people. A force that compounds on our shoulders until we crack under the stress. This is humanity's greatest challenge. To overcome that gravity and experience weightlessness. Newtypes, the people who are able to genuinely connect with one another, are the first step to that end goal. But first, everyone needs to put the Earth behind them."

"And, you think I'm a Newtype? Because of what happened in the alley?"

"I'm absolutely positive. I know such deep connection is only possible through Newtypes. When we touched hands, I instantly knew who you were. And I saw that you are like me."

My fists clenched at that. When the bridge between us was linked, I saw nothing but a twisted anger and hate that threatened to swallow everything. The idea that I was similar to that frightened me beyond all belief. But even still, I didn't deny its possibility.

"You hate your life, don't you Fantine?" he asked. My eyes snapped to his and I saw the fire behind him that burned like two dual stars.

"I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed it. But I don't think anyone really enjoys living. People live because they just happen to wake up in the morning. In the Hive, all the adults tell us that it's better to be alive than to die. But then you notice how being alive is just a routine. You wake up, work, use the money you got from work to buy food, eat, and then you sleep. And then you wake up to start over again. There's no enjoyment in that. The adults who tell us to stay alive only say so because they don't want to be the ones to throw out our bodies. People say that life on Bleux is a lot 'better' than here, but I just can't wrap my head around that. Maybe people on Bleux just work less."

Rald didn't reply and just sat in silence. That was the first time I had ever been vocal about my thoughts with anyone. I was afraid that I may have said something that upset him and I looked away. But then something told me that if anyone could understand how I felt, it was him. If no one else in the universe could parse my feelings, Rald could. When I looked back at him, his face didn't change. In that gap of silence between us, I began to feel his anger swell up within him. Before, I had no clue who it was directed at. But then, as the chaos of the universe swirled within his vast eyes, I understood.

"Mr. Berowalt," I asked. "Do you really hate the Earth that much?"

The corners of his mouth dropped downward and for a moment, I could see two slender arms wrap around his shoulders. I thought I was suddenly seeing ghosts. Rald didn't seem to notice though and the moment he opened his mouth, the arms evaporated, being swallowed by the dark aura that was springing up around him.

"Yes," he said simply.

I didn't know how to reply to that. I myself didn't hate the Earth. I still don't even know if I hated it, or the members of the FAE that kept an unfair system in power. But I did understand his hate and at that moment, I wanted to sooth it. Under all the hate was a small fragment of pain. A pain that once prodded, opened the way to a bottomless pit within him. One that if left unchecked, would grow to devour him from within. That alone was enough to frighten me more than I had ever been. I had to tear my gaze away from him.

"Fantine. I returned to the Earth sphere because I wanted to see it in its entirety. Something I had never done before. I was born on Earth. And once I left it, I was thrown into a very similar situation you're in now. You and I are alike. We've both been cheated by the people in power. I plan to do something about that. By eliminating the problem at the source."

"And that's why you came back? To get rid of the problem?"

"This visit is only a stopping point on the road to the future. There's a message I have to spread. One that will urge the people to wake up and see the FAE for what it truly is. A parasite on the human existence. People can never get anywhere without human kindness. Without it, we would have gone extinct long ago. Every once in awhile, someone is required to perform even the smallest kindness, which adds to a sort of karma. I'd like to add to that karma."

He suddenly stood up and brushed off his suit. He was so tall that I nearly fell out of my seat trying to look up at him. Slowly, he reached out his hand towards me.

"I'd like to make use of you, Fantine. You're too good to stay here. Come with me."

He smiled, but it was different from all the others. It was dangerous and ambitious. Passionate and wicked. It was a smile that drew me in but also made me want to run. But, if I had run anywhere, I would have found him again. I couldn't deny the attraction I had to him. There was a gravity that pulled me in, whether it be my own curiosity or yearning to see what else he had to offer. I wanted to understand him, but I also wanted him to understand who I was as well. For the very first time in my miserably hard life, I wanted to be apart of something. I wanted to be in his vision. As he looked down at me, I felt weightless.

Gravity, perhaps the very thing he had told me about, lost its effect on me. There was an excitement bubbling over within and once again I felt my heart claw its way out of my chest. The universe was opening up in front of me and despite my fear, I couldn't look away. I wanted that feeling to last forever. I wanted to be something more than a dirty orphan. I wanted to be valued. All of this, these maddening thoughts erupted from my heart in an instant. The howl of my heart was almost deafening. And so, I reached out and took his hand, accepting the eternity he'd show me.

That week, I left 216 Kleopatra. I had no real friends to say goodbye to or any family. When I took his hand, I suddenly felt my connection to that asteroid shatter and I became lofty. He took me onto his ship, introducing me to interesting new people. All who saw a value in something I had only just come in contact with. From there we sailed around the Earthsphere, stopping at places so beautiful I could never dream of. All through the Belt, out past the planets called Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Through a near infinity of space. But not once, did we go to Earth. And now that I think back on it, I'm glad. I would have hated to see Rald stomach returning to the place he hated most. Afterwards, we finally made the journey to my new home. An ice world called Borealis.

It was there that he trained me. He trained me how to pilot a Frame, how to speak his language, and how to connect with others. I met so many people, all who were like me and had incredible viewpoints and ambitions. I idolized them all. But in the center of this sea of unique and beautiful people, he stood with his back to everyone and looking someplace far off ahead. I needed to push past everyone and be someone who could stand beside him. In no time, Rald's smile became something only allowed to me. I didn't want him to look at anyone but me. When it came time for my cyber enhancement, it was like a dream come true. Finally, I'd be able to be of direct use to him. And with the enhancement of my abilities, I would be able to understand him more than anyone could possibly hope to.

I want to be the one to quiet his sobbing heart.