“Bring me Repo Man and 你 will get your cure.”
Well. Such an ultimatum for such a little thing. I switched off my holo-watch and entered the room before me. I sunk to the floor in despair. Who is this Repo Man? Why is he after me?
I wrapped my arms around my knees, and examined the room around me. It looked to be an old storage room, filled with junk. In the center sat a wooden chair and some type of person-looking object sitting in it. I didn’t know what to do. Bring Rotti this out-of-control Repo Man? 或者 leave and go home, and never receive my cure? The answer became clear; get my cure. I studied the little mannequin and suddenly had a snap decision. I pulled off my mom’s dress and picked the veiled hat up off the floor.
Standing in my slip, (I’d left my 衬衫 in the limo) I hastily dressed the dummy in my things. I placed it back on the chair and arranged the veil to completely disguise the front of it. Just before I had the chance to admire my handiwork, I heard heavy footsteps in the hall. Without a lot of time to think, I spied a shovel in a corner. I ran as quietly as I could to the corner. Just as I grasped it, he entered.
He came in almost cautiously, like he suspected someone was in the room. He wore a large black trench 涂层, 外套 with GeneCo’s logo on both sleeves 由 the shoulder. He wore a black helmet. He also carried what appeared to be a doctor’s medical bag. The Repo Man crossed the room to where my bait sat. Excellent! I thought. But how do I bring him to Rotti? I looked at the shovel in my hand. I decided I’d knock him out. I crept out of my corner, wielding my shovel over my shoulder. Just as he lifted the veil I swung.
I caught the assassin behind the head, the shovel slamming into his helmet. He stumbled twice and sunk to the floor. I held the shovel at the ready. He sat back and removed his helmet. I dropped the shovel. It clattered nosily to the floor as I stared at the man before me. I knew him. He was my….father. His harsh gaze met my fearful and shocked one. He stared me down; my breathing became labored.
“Didn’t I tell 你 not to go out, didn’t I?” His voice was cold, almost cruel.
“You did, 你 did,” I replied, not wanting to lie and upset him.
“Didn’t I say the world was cruel, didn’t I?” My dad began to pick himself up off the floor.
“You did, 你 did.” I started moving back. I didn’t know what was going to happen.
“Then tell me how this happened, what I did wrong, tell me why! Can’t we just go home, Shi, and forget this dreadful night?” he demanded. I scrambled over the floor, picking up his helmet. I held it in my hand and looked at it. I decided to ask him some of my own questions.
“Didn’t 你 say that 你 were different, didn’t you?” My voice shook with the accusation. But I had to know. I had a right to know.
“I am, I am.”
Angrily, I tried to get him to lie, to make it all go away. “Say 你 aren’t that person, say it!”
“I am, I am.”
That was it. I couldn’t take his lies anymore! “Then tell me how to act, Dad, what to say, Dad, tell me why! All you’ve ever told me, every word, is a LIE!”
I threw his 头盔 at his back while he collected his bag. I stormed away from him, planning on continuing to Rotti for my cure. Suddenly a hologram-projector kicked on. A scene flashed up of a person in a snowy area. As I studied the image, it became clear to me it was my godmother, Blind Mag, impaled on a fence, dead. I stared in horror at the scene then turned to my father. He stared horrorstruck, too, at the image.
“Didn’t 你 say that you’d protect me, didn’t you.”
He tore his gaze away from the gruesome scene. “I tried, I tried.”
“Is that how you’d help me, is it?” I nodded at the image.
Exasperated he cried, “I tried, I tried!”
Enraged, I bent over and picked up the medical bag. I dumped its contents to the floor. “Don’t help me anymore, Dad. 你 are dead, Dad, in my eyes! Someone has replaced you!” I pushed him and beat on his chest. I grasped my hair and cried, “Dad I hate you, go and die!” I turned away and strode toward the door. I heard him say to himself, “Didn’t I build a house, a home, didn’t I?” I didn’t care. The door opened 由 itself, Rotti’s promise echoing in the room. “Your cure is waiting!” I threw one last dark look over my shoulder and exited the room. I heard him one last time:
“Didn’t I raise her all alone, didn’t I?!”
Well. Such an ultimatum for such a little thing. I switched off my holo-watch and entered the room before me. I sunk to the floor in despair. Who is this Repo Man? Why is he after me?
I wrapped my arms around my knees, and examined the room around me. It looked to be an old storage room, filled with junk. In the center sat a wooden chair and some type of person-looking object sitting in it. I didn’t know what to do. Bring Rotti this out-of-control Repo Man? 或者 leave and go home, and never receive my cure? The answer became clear; get my cure. I studied the little mannequin and suddenly had a snap decision. I pulled off my mom’s dress and picked the veiled hat up off the floor.
Standing in my slip, (I’d left my 衬衫 in the limo) I hastily dressed the dummy in my things. I placed it back on the chair and arranged the veil to completely disguise the front of it. Just before I had the chance to admire my handiwork, I heard heavy footsteps in the hall. Without a lot of time to think, I spied a shovel in a corner. I ran as quietly as I could to the corner. Just as I grasped it, he entered.
He came in almost cautiously, like he suspected someone was in the room. He wore a large black trench 涂层, 外套 with GeneCo’s logo on both sleeves 由 the shoulder. He wore a black helmet. He also carried what appeared to be a doctor’s medical bag. The Repo Man crossed the room to where my bait sat. Excellent! I thought. But how do I bring him to Rotti? I looked at the shovel in my hand. I decided I’d knock him out. I crept out of my corner, wielding my shovel over my shoulder. Just as he lifted the veil I swung.
I caught the assassin behind the head, the shovel slamming into his helmet. He stumbled twice and sunk to the floor. I held the shovel at the ready. He sat back and removed his helmet. I dropped the shovel. It clattered nosily to the floor as I stared at the man before me. I knew him. He was my….father. His harsh gaze met my fearful and shocked one. He stared me down; my breathing became labored.
“Didn’t I tell 你 not to go out, didn’t I?” His voice was cold, almost cruel.
“You did, 你 did,” I replied, not wanting to lie and upset him.
“Didn’t I say the world was cruel, didn’t I?” My dad began to pick himself up off the floor.
“You did, 你 did.” I started moving back. I didn’t know what was going to happen.
“Then tell me how this happened, what I did wrong, tell me why! Can’t we just go home, Shi, and forget this dreadful night?” he demanded. I scrambled over the floor, picking up his helmet. I held it in my hand and looked at it. I decided to ask him some of my own questions.
“Didn’t 你 say that 你 were different, didn’t you?” My voice shook with the accusation. But I had to know. I had a right to know.
“I am, I am.”
Angrily, I tried to get him to lie, to make it all go away. “Say 你 aren’t that person, say it!”
“I am, I am.”
That was it. I couldn’t take his lies anymore! “Then tell me how to act, Dad, what to say, Dad, tell me why! All you’ve ever told me, every word, is a LIE!”
I threw his 头盔 at his back while he collected his bag. I stormed away from him, planning on continuing to Rotti for my cure. Suddenly a hologram-projector kicked on. A scene flashed up of a person in a snowy area. As I studied the image, it became clear to me it was my godmother, Blind Mag, impaled on a fence, dead. I stared in horror at the scene then turned to my father. He stared horrorstruck, too, at the image.
“Didn’t 你 say that you’d protect me, didn’t you.”
He tore his gaze away from the gruesome scene. “I tried, I tried.”
“Is that how you’d help me, is it?” I nodded at the image.
Exasperated he cried, “I tried, I tried!”
Enraged, I bent over and picked up the medical bag. I dumped its contents to the floor. “Don’t help me anymore, Dad. 你 are dead, Dad, in my eyes! Someone has replaced you!” I pushed him and beat on his chest. I grasped my hair and cried, “Dad I hate you, go and die!” I turned away and strode toward the door. I heard him say to himself, “Didn’t I build a house, a home, didn’t I?” I didn’t care. The door opened 由 itself, Rotti’s promise echoing in the room. “Your cure is waiting!” I threw one last dark look over my shoulder and exited the room. I heard him one last time:
“Didn’t I raise her all alone, didn’t I?!”