By Charles Drake.

Dream 10, Angel Dust

What remains.

"The world... is so quiet," Aya whispered as she gazed upon the ruins of Dis. She now wore a heavy desert coat and a long scarf that lay piled around her face, covering her mouth completely. Only her two glittering green eyes shown above the reddish material.

She walked slowly through the gates, her eyes fixing on a figure at the far end. Leaning against her Hardsuit lay Nikira, her eyes closed, hand flopped in her lap. The black obsidian pendant that she had treasured all her life hung limply from her neck. A puddle of metallic red blood had seeped from the wound in her side, diffusing through the cloth that had been used to stanch the wound.

Aya stooped next to Nikira, running a tender hand across her cheek. Tilting her head slightly, Aya brushed a few strands of blonde hair from Nikira's face. The android's features had not been altered by death or time... her face remained utterly timeless, perfectly preserved.

"Aishiteru," Aya whispered. Before she stood, Aya unclasped Nikira's necklace. She took a moment to study the pendant, to run her fingers across its polished surface. Then, slowly, Aya put the necklace around her own neck and fastened the clasp.

Stepping away from the body, Aya continued into Dis. Here the destruction was even more pronounced, ash and scorched earth everywhere. A few blacken lumps also remained, the bodies of those Demons that had been left behind. Aya ignored them, proceeding directly to the elevator shaft. The lift itself was damaged beyond repair, but Aya did not need it. Pushing open the access panel, she began to climb down the emergency ladder.

Emerging in the labs, Aya continued in silence. A manual override opened the mecha storage door. Aya walked up the next flight of stairs, entering the control booth.

There, in a chair next to the main console, lay a small box. Aya walked over to the chair and, without looking at the contents, picked up the box and placed it in her coat pocket. Then, her task accomplished, Aya began the long journey back to town...

***

"Damned incompetence!" Yachavich growled, pacing around the ruined lab, "The chip has to be here somewhere! According to the forensics data, this is where she was shot. That's her blood on the console! The data recorder stopped in here! That means, the chip has to be in here someplace!"

"We've searched the area seven times, sir," Yachavich's secretary, a rather buxom young woman, stated apologetically. "There is no sign of any chip."

"Don't you understand?" Yachavich bellowed, spinning to face the unfortunate red head, "That chip contains everything she knew! All the ancient secrets! With that, I could build new Gen Three Androids instead of merely breeding out pieces of her DNA! Its value is more than can be calculated! And you people can't find it!"

"Sir," the red head ventured, "you never explained why you can't just study her body. I mean, isn't it a user's guide to her form?"

"It was..." Yachavich said softly, his anger bubbling under for the moment, "But that fucking loon Odanov managed to destroy most of her inner workings with that nano-poison of his. Everything that made her work... is gone."

Yachavich turned, leaning against the console. "Have her body buried. There's no reason to keep it any longer..."

"Yes Sir," the secretary murmured, scampering from the room. Yachavich placed both hands against the console, resting the entirety of his weight there. Head bent, eyes closed, he stood.

"I lost it all," he whispered, "it's all gone. What in hell was I thinking teaming up the Death Angels again? I read her file... I was courting a fucking disaster! God, I'm such a fool...!"

***

Beniko was a young agent attached to Marver Yachavich. She'd never minded the whole clone thing... being from twentieth century earth, this entire new world was one big adventure. But, being a trained bodyguard was not her life's ambition. Sure, she got to see lots of exotic places, but what Beniko really wanted to do was sing.

That was the reason she'd been particularly excited to hear about this mission. After all, it wasn't every day you got to meet the clone of a half-forgotten Diva! Meeting agent Alita Ido had been Beniko's dream... only to be shattered with the information that the Idol that she so idolized had met an untimely and messy death in the gut of a giant blob monster. What a let down!

While Mr. Yachavich checked out something or other at the burned out city, Beniko was assigned to help patrol the town. It seemed that the whole blob monster thing had caused a stir... or at least that's what she gathered from the tid-bits of conversation she managed to eavesdrop on. Well, a girl had to get the local gossip some how, didn't she?

"Take a seat, young lady," an elderly man suggested, pointing to a free deck chair on his large porch, "Jupiter's 'bout'a rise. Ya don't wanna miss that!"

"Oh, I've never seen planet-rise before!" Beniko bubbled, rushing to take the seat. She flashed the old man a quick glance, classifying him as a harmlessly dirty old man. He might try to catch a look at her legs, if the opportunity arose, but nothing more. Satisfied, Beniko sat back to watch the massive planet crest the horizon.

At the horizon, which was transcribed by a dune nearly two miles away, stood a solitary figure. As Beniko watched, the figure turned and began to sing. The words carried through the thin atmosphere... somehow... touching upon Beniko's ear, a pair of unreal fingers caressing her body. Beniko stood transfixed for a time, unable to turn away from the figure.

They are alone in the oppressing dark, but
Luminous power is granting their hope.
They are walking without a path and
Destination, looking for a way to the heaving.

In a moment they will see beyond the woods
They see Behind the wood
A beam of light.
Two hearts are warmed by the generous day
Free clouds are flying.......

Glory.......

As the figure's words faded, Jupiter's radiance broke over the horizon. The figure disappeared one more into the dunes, a glitter from something black around her neck the token of her final parting. For a short time, Beniko continued to stare at the place where the figure had been standing. A gust of sulfur mussed her short-cropped black hair. The winds howled in the gutters and rafters of the metallic city. Whispers of the soul haunted the mind, leaving shivers in the spine. All was peaceful. All was still. Deathly still.

"Who...?" Beniko managed.

"The singer?" the elderly man asked, as if Beniko could be referring to someone else, "Why that there's Aya, the 'Kodoku no Angel.' Twas her that saved our city, it twas."

"The... Angel of Loneliness?" Beniko ventured, hoping her Japanese was up to snuff.

"Yup," the old man stated, spitting over the railing of his porch, "Come back this evening to hear her sing 'Twilight.' A real treat that one. It's much longer than 'Glory.'"

"Thanks, Beniko murmured, standing, "I'll do that."

***

I fear... that which I do not understand.

I sought answers... but found only questions.

I am the rose that blooms in the desert.

The drops of blood stain my pedals.

I do not believe in God... for I am she who fell from heaven.

I fell into Hell, and yet... my wings have not faded.

What becomes of the fallen Angel when man has slain God?

I wait for a reason... marking the days with my song.

Alone.

Fin.