Chapter 6:  Remembrance (written by Michael Keens/Exodus)  

One of the advanced trains of Technatopia Central City sped its way across its 
tracks at a hazardous velocity.  
This was due to the driver of the train being an android, and one that had 
become the latest victim of a dangerous virus.  
Two of the Hunters sent to incapacitate Riley Dash were its leader Jack, and 
the newest recruit Pixel, who after only a few missions, was proving to be the 
team’s greatest asset.  
“Down!” Pixel screamed, practically tackling her superior as a barrage of 
fireballs flashed over their heads.  
“I’m gonna burn up the tracks!” Dash squealed wildly from a window at the 
front of the train, tossing aside the empty blasting gun having used it 
several times already.  
“Go! Go! Go!” urged Jack, holding onto Pixel as he pushed forward, the two had 
to tread carefully or they’d slip on the curved sides of the carriage tops, 
and at the speed the train was going, it’d be over for them.  
“It’s just typical that these androids always turn when they’re in the most 
dangerous professions.” Pixel stated as they did, “Maybe one day we’ll get to 
battle someone in a toy store.”  
Jack suddenly froze; an unusual look in his face, Pixel looked up at him, then 
ahead of them, and then threw him to the floor and dived once again.  
A tunnel leaving little space between its top and the train rushed over them, 
and would do so for about a half minute.  
“Jack, what just happened there?!” Pixel shouted.  
“Tell you later.” Jack said awkwardly, an embarrassed but troubled expression 
on his face.  
“Maximum velocity impossible, less weight necessary.” called Dash.  
“Jack! He’s going to disconnect the carriages!”  
“Everyone!” Jack called through a radio, rigged to override the intercom in 
the train, “Move to the front of the train! Now!”  
The first carriage was released as soon as the tunnel was cleared, it fell 
back but tilted to the side, luckily, the operation to safeguard the city as 
well as the passengers was running smoothly, with Laser driving a mobile 
transport and Cable on top, supported with several cables wrapped around the 
corners and reaching out with his coils to push gently against the carriage to 
balance it out until it slowed down.  
Since all other trains had been cancelled and moved off the main tracks, its 
transportation would be seen to by the rail staff.  
Another car came off, but the track curved a little which caused the carriage 
to come off completely, but before it could tumble down the hill into a local 
park, the transport neared the tracks and Cable used all his strength to wrap 
two strong cables around it and support it until Laser could lower them down 
to safe ground.  
“Now Pixel Now!” shouted Jack, both aware that their back-up was temporarily 
unavailable.  
Pixel had been charging her gun since the announcement to ditch the carriages 
and fired towards Dash, with the timing and distance in mind.  
It flew forward at a slight angle directed at the area the train would run 
through, timed correctly it ended up in front of the train which drove right 
into it, smashing the front window, Dash was hurt in the side but had just 
ejected another carriage, the train was rounding a large curve, this would 
mean it would certainly tumble off the tracks, but also that Pixel could see 
the interior from her position.  
She dived into a run and then threw herself down at the end of the second to 
last carriage.  
Jack had a questioning look but half-understood what Pixel was doing.  
She squeezed into the gap between carriages, hooked her arms around what 
support she could find, and activated her boot jets to gravitate the carriage 
back and stick them to her soles, it was a huge strain but she had to hold on 
for a few more seconds until the curve was past.  
This carriage was full of passengers that hadn’t yet gotten far enough to the 
front of the train, Pixel clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and blocked out 
the pain and focussed only on holding on, and finally she had to release her 
hold now or be pulled with the carriage and inevitably fall onto the tracks if 
not worse.  
The curve wasn’t quite past but Pixel couldn’t do anymore, the carriage 
wobbled a little, but luckily balanced out due to Pixel’s gradual slowdown of 
it.  
“Thank goodness.” smiled Pixel, climbing into the carriage she was at the side 
of.  
They hadn’t gone inside the train to start with for several reasons, the 
safety of the passengers for one, the fact that Dash probably could monitor 
the interiors of the carriages, and finally as Pixel would soon find, entry to 
the front carriage was difficult from the inside of the train.  
“Attention passengers, you will soon be departing in a fiery blaze wherever 
your carriages end up.” announced Dash.  
“Attention passengers prepare to be rescued and return to your lives, we 
apologise for the delay.” spoke Jack, diving into the driver compartment from 
the front window and tackling Dash.  
They rolled back but Dash nimbly freed himself, smashed a glass case and 
retrieved a small axe.  
Jack sidestepped a descending swipe; and the axe became wedged into the door, 
Jack lunged at Dash, slamming him into the front console, but quickly pulling 
away and crashing into a side wall to lessen the chances of hitting something 
that could endanger all on the train.  
The second crush wasn’t as well performed, and Dash squeezed out and scrambled 
over him, smashing a small glass dome on the far wall and hanging his fist 
over a red button.  
“Emergency stop.” he threatened, secretly reaching his other hand for the 
axe.  
“No! At this speed, it’ll be catastrophic for everyone! You included!”  
“Jack? State your position.” called Pixel via radio.  
“Top right corner of the front compartment.” Jack answered quickly but 
puzzled, Pixel didn’t usually operate in such a professional way.  
“Your brain-  Emergency St-”  
As soon as the axe was removed, Pixel struck from her end, and the door was 
blasted forward, crushing Dash and then bouncing to slam and become wedged 
between the floor and the broken window.  
Pixel entered but put a hand over her mouth in mild disbelief, as the events 
had somehow caused the axe to become embedded in Dash’s head.  
“I’m sorry Jack, I shouldn’t have-”  
“You saved a lot of people Pixel, that’s a priority we have to work by, even 
over bringing in these guys intact to research on...” sighed Jack, slowing the 
train down gradually.  

After checking the passengers for injuries or shock, Pixel and Jack were able 
to leave the cleanup to Laser and Cable, and return to base after their 
tiresome day.  
“Its Later Jack, what’s up with the glitch?” Pixel ordered.  
“Just something you said, it reminded me of someone.” Jack answered vaguely.  
“... You do realise I won’t stop bugging you until you tell me.” Pixel frowned 
with a persistent look.  
“The love of my life...” Jack stated...  

Around twenty five years ago, when the android world was just beginning to 
come about from the centre of the world built by people...  
Jack was a young officer of the Hunter group; currently their goal was 
peacekeeping, with rare cases of dealing with various terrorists or the rare 
malfunction and breakdown of androids with whatever means necessary.  
They worked closely with a large corporation which specialized in android 
development, mostly to understand the androids they sometimes had to detain 
and alternative ways of detaining them.  
Jack however was constantly drawn due to a certain someone, though at the 
time, there were certain laws preventing them from being together.  
“Iris...” Jack spoke happily as he strode into the centre.  
“Jack...” she replied in a light giggle, approaching him for a hug, “I didn’t 
expect to see you again so soon...”  
Iris was an android with beautiful blue hair and deep yellow eyes; she partly 
worked in the running of the centre and also served as a lab assistant to a 
very important figure.  
Like most androids at this time, her physical appearance now was the same as 
when she’d been created, she didn’t age physically and looked about 25.  
“What can I say; I just can’t stay away from you...” Jack grinned, embracing 
her touch.  
“I can’t do this...” she said.  
“What?” Jack stuttered.  
“I have to work, that’s all.  What did you think I was-”  
“You know what...  The laws, the prejudice...” Jack spoke seriously.  
“People are just afraid of what might come of the union between our kinds...  
I wish more than anything else that humans and androids will live together in 
peace someday.” Iris stated sadly.  
“Iris...  I promise to help make that wish come true...  Somehow, some 
way...”  
“Iris? I need you to-  Oh, greetings Jack.” spoke Cyrus, the head of several 
projects here and android in nature, “How may I help you?”  
Cyrus looked more android than human, with two rising black attachments at the 
side of his head with a thick silver moustache than hung from the sides down 
to his chin, he wore black, silver and green protective body, arm and leg 
parts and was middle-aged in appearance.  
“I just came to file a report on the latest malfunction and shutdown by our 
hand.” Jack said, though that wasn’t the only reason.  
“Another of the earliest androids I take it?” Cyrus assumed with a sad tone.  
“I’m afraid so.  I could tell by the design.” Jack replied in kind.  
“At this rate I may have to drop all other projects to research into this.  
The last thing I want is to lose all reason and turn into a madman...” Cyrus 
stated.  
Malfunctions of androids at this time were rare but predictable, the earliest 
models of the android race didn’t have certain protective features that the 
latest ones did, Cyrus was an old android built when several of the first 
androids were, and had devoted his life to aiding and improving upon the 
androids’ abilities in order to fit in better with the humans.  
Currently he was on the breakthrough of granting androids the ability to mate 
with others of their kind to produce children, as the only thing that came 
close currently was the building of androids for couples to effectively 
adopt.  
It was hardly the same as giving life to a child, nor raising it like normal 
humans, Cyrus’s work would also allow future androids to literally grow from 
youth to adult and so grow up more normally and develop their minds with time 
and experience.  

The days went on and the group of different but close friends continued to 
meet and discuss their days, their ideals, and their concerns.  
Jack and Iris though attracted to each other kept their feelings at a 
distance, due to the laws of the world preventing human and android to become 
romantically involved, and for Cyrus’s sake.  
It was no secret that he adored Iris, to the point of complete admiration and 
love for her.  
Cyrus had had a tough life, he’d had more than his fair share of prejudice for 
what he was, and he’d been deliberately injured by humans because of his work 
and beliefs that androids deserved all the features that humans had despite 
already having enhanced senses and a longer lifespan, but despite what it may 
have looked like, Cyrus didn’t intend to replace humans with androids, only to 
help them relate better and live among them.  
Cyrus had paid for his beliefs, and had lost his wife to a violent mob; he 
hadn’t loved anyone since, until Iris came into his life.  

“I think we’ve finally done it, this will change the lives of virtually all 
androids in the years to come Iris.  And I couldn’t have done it without you 
by my side.  You’re my inspiration...” Cyrus cheered upon completion of his 
program.  
“... Thank you Sir.”  
“Don’t thank me Iris, just hear me out.  After all the time we’ve spent 
together, I feel I need to be honest with you, though you’ve probably figured 
things out.  I love you, more than anyone else, and I can’t imagine living out 
a happy life without you by my side.  I’ve been wondering for some time if 
you’d like to take on this enhancement immediately and consider having a child 
with me...”  
“I...  I...  I need time to think.” Iris stuttered, before running out of the 
room and through the huge central room of the centre.  

“It’s Cyrus...  He’s confessed his love for me...  I don’t know how to tell 
him Jack...  Because I’m completely in love with you!...” cried Iris in his 
arms.  
“You never said Iris...  I was starting to think you’d never allow yourself to 
admit that due to the prejudice in this world but I’m glad, more so than I’ve 
ever been.  I love you too and I’d willingly spend my life with you, no matter 
how much the world disagrees with our being together.” Jack replied with a 
look of bliss and joy.  
“It has to be secret though, I know you don’t care what anyone thinks but I 
can only think of the danger this puts us in.  They won’t change their minds, 
not until it can be proven that a reunion between our kinds ends well.” Iris 
said with deep concern.  
Jack nodded before added, “We’ll be the ones to prove them wrong...”  

Upon the enhancement being completed and distributed to all that came to the 
corporation for surgery, androids with partners immediately consummated their 
relationships and had children.  
Within a few years, android children were a big part of the world and pushed 
by many to interact with human children since the enhanced strength part of 
these androids wouldn’t become active until they reached a mature age to use 
this skill responsibly.  
Cyrus had not spoken about his proposal to Iris since her apparent rejection, 
but put it down to her fears of producing an incorrect child and wanting to 
see if the existence of android children truly worked.  
Jack hadn’t been around lately since current activities didn’t call for the 
corporation to advise or help the Hunters.  
It was a normal day and Cyrus was working on further projects, though the 
androids’ skills and abilities had come far enough for them to live like the 
humans did.  
Out of the blue after only speaking of work for some time, Iris spoke up to 
Cyrus, “Cyrus...  About your proposal.  I’m sorry about how I reacted but I’ve 
decided...  I’m ready... to receive your enhancement...”  
A smile formed between Cyrus’s large moustache, “Our enhancement Iris, 
Ours...”  

But after that things didn’t go as straightforward as Cyrus had thought, far 
from becoming closer to him and having the child he planned on having; Iris 
didn’t spend any time with him after gaining the gift to produce children, she 
spent time on other aspects of the corporation and so he barely even got to 
see her in work, and whenever not working she disappeared from the centre.  
Eventually he grew tired of this and decided to follow her on one of her 
outings one night.  

“Iris!...  Iris!...” called out Jack, she’d fled in tears and in fear after a 
human saw them together and freely voiced his disgust for her relationship and 
for her kind.  
Jack stopped his run through Central City, listened carefully in the area he 
was in, and soon headed towards the occasional sobbing sound.  

“A rooftop overlooking a toy store...  It’s the last place I’d expect to find 
you.” Jack said pleasantly.  
“I come here sometimes to think...  It’s kind of therapeutic really...” Iris 
said, briefly facing him.  
“But you were never a child like the new androids are; you’ve always been as 
you are now, who I love...  I never realised you had a childish side, I’ve 
always seen you as someone with the maturity of a mother...”  
Iris turned away from him completely before smiling, “It’s not that.  Just 
seeing those human children down there so happy, so innocent, so unlike their 
elders...  It eases my worries I guess.  I wonder if the android children to 
come will be truly accepted, if being more like the humans in having the 
ability to create life will bring us closer to them, or distance us further.”  
“No matter how they react, rest easy knowing I’ll always be by your side, 
supporting you.” Jack comforted.  
“I know you will Jack, because I love and trust you completely, more than I 
ever will anyone else...”  
From a dark corner, Cyrus’s eyes scowled before disappearing into the 
shadows.  

Another year passed since then, and the world continued to grow and develop 
thanks to androids but the mistreatment of them continued by humans’ hands... 
until they suddenly stood up for themselves and began to fight back, refusing 
to be treated so badly after all the work and the good they’d done only to be 
blamed for every one of the humans’ problems.  
Jack and the Hunters fought constantly during a near week of chaos and 
destruction, fending against the uprising and protecting the innocent of both 
races, but not resorting to killing those of either race no matter the varying 
roles they played in this.  
“Cyrus!” Jack radioed his old colleague, “Is Iris safe?”  
“She’s not here...  She left a short time ago...” Cyrus sighed, “You have to 
find her, I’m afraid I cannot even leave my lab for the risk of being mobbed.  
Do you have any idea where she would-”  
“Maybe...”  

Jack returned to the rooftop Iris had confessed her love for him on, there she 
stood, overlooking the burning shop she’d once admired, a stream of tears 
which had run down her face where clearly evident while she simply stared 
outwards.  
Currently a couple of children fled androids in the streets below, though they 
were soon stopped by Hunters.  
“This is all we can expect...  How could I have ever thought I could bring a 
child into this world, it would never be accepted.  It would be hunted down by 
someone or another...” she said with a tone that made it clear she’d given up 
all hope.  
“Iris!...  You have to get to safety! It’s too dangerous to be out here!” 
called Jack before realising she was standing at the very edge of the rooftop, 
he feared the worse.  
“What’s the point Jack?! My whole race is doomed never to fit in, never to 
live in peace with the humans!” she shouted.  
“I love you Iris! If I, a human, can love an android, there must be hope for 
our kinds simply living together!”  
“Look around Jack.  It’s all over.  Peace will never be an achievable thing 
for us now.” Iris said, now staring at the ground far below.  
“My superiors are onto that, they’re fighting to change things, to enforce a 
rule of equal opportunity upon the world.  The fighting will surely stop 
then.” Jack explained before added, “Please don’t give up, I love you so 
much...”  
“You mean...  Everything’s going to be alright?” Iris questioned.  
Jack slowly stepped forward and reached out his head, Iris took it and stepped 
away from the edge to be held in his arms.  
“Yes.” Jack repeated, “Everything is going-”  
“To end for you two.” interrupted Cyrus.  
“Cyrus, what are you-”  
“Don’t say a word you deceiver!” Cyrus cut off Jack with a voice full of 
rage.  
“Cyrus, what do you-”  
“Shut up Human! Don’t speak to me like I’m your friend.” Cyrus snapped.  
“You never once called me Human, that being what I was made a difference...” 
Jack questioned in thought while Cyrus turned to Iris and spoke in a slightly 
calmer tone, “You lied to me Iris.  You never loved me like I loved you!”  
“... We’re sorry.  We were afraid you would react like this.” Iris pleaded.  
“This is no time for such things Cyrus, the dangers! We have to get both of 
you to safety, we can discuss this later!” ordered Jack.  
“I’m in no real danger.” smiled Cyrus slyly.  
“No...” said Jack in disbelief, “You couldn’t have organised this...  Could 
you?!...”  
“People do crazy things when they’re in love, and more so when they’re 
heartbroken.  And that’s why I’ve decided to destroy you Jack.  We androids 
should stick together.  I was all for sharing the world with humans, even 
after the torment they put me through, the torment they put my late wife 
through before killing her.  Iris brought me back from the depths of despair 
and has been my sole purpose for helping androids live in this world without 
having to remove the humans.  But you dare take her away from me? Touch my 
Iris with your filthy hands after the mistreatment of androids by your race?! 
It’s an outrage!”  
Cyrus glared at Iris, before he reeled back from a new discovery, “No...  I 
knew you were committing this travesty, but I didn’t think you could to such 
an extreme...  You...  with my...”  
“... You know?” questioned Jack, surprised that Cyrus could detect the life 
within Iris.  
“You thought I wouldn’t after the years I devoted to the project?!...  You’ve 
perverted my life’s work!...  You Do deserve to be together...  In death...”  
“Cyrus!” shouted Jack, before the rooftop exploded and the two fell through, 
onto another rooftop but mostly sheltered by the one above, held up by thick 
support poles.  
“You stole her...” growled Cyrus, having dropped to their level by 
choice, “She was mine!”  
“She’s not your property!” shouted Jack, drawing his shotgun and firing upon 
Cyrus.  
He took the first shot to the side and another to the shoulder, Cyrus fell 
back and lost his balance, but before he fell, he let out a sadistic smile and 
pressed a trigger before falling back.  
A scream quickly faded as he dropped far below but explosions immediately 
ripped through the entire area and debris crashed down, Jack was initially 
thrown away from Iris but quickly ran towards her regardless of the danger.  
“Jack!” shouted Iris, trapped by twisted metal and heavy debris.  
Jack didn’t make it in time, the entire structure above came crashing down, 
surely crushing Iris beyond repair.  
“IRIS!!!” screamed Jack, he saw no escape for Iris but hadn’t the opportunity 
to check for certain as a delayed explosion occurred in front of him and 
blasted him off the roof.  
He grabbed a window ledge but couldn’t hold on and fell a couple of levels 
down until he crashed through a balcony, he slammed into other various 
attachments to the building before hitting the floor, though he survived he 
was a broken man in all sense of the word, and barely had the strength to 
stand.  
“Jack! Jack! We need you at Point Zero One Seventeen immediately, please 
respond!” called Jack’s leader.  
“Jack... here...” said Jack through shocked eyes, “I’ll... be there...”  
Before temporarily limping towards his target, Jack whispered, “A perfect 
world for humans and androids...  No matter how impossible it seems right 
now...  It’s what I’ll fight for Iris... for you...”  

Pixel shed a tear, Jack having told her this story in his own words, “You 
never said anything...  I’m sorry for your loss...  I don’t suppose you ever 
found love elsewhere?...”  
“Iris was the only one I truly loved, I checked the area much later but it had 
completely caved in and collapsed on itself.  Ever since, I’ve been fighting 
to create the world she dreamed of, of what many of the Hunters dream of.  But 
I guess I sometimes forget that as these seemingly infinite problems keep 
coming between that dream, that ‘glitch’ earlier, was me realising that once 
again.”  
“But your child...  To lose that as well as your Iris.”  
“It was meant to be a complete secret, but Cyrus instantly knew she was 
pregnant.  By law we should never have even tried.  It would have been a cruel 
life for it anyway; it took several years even after the androids were given 
equal opportunities for any kind of balance to come about.”  
“That’s true.  I’m just an android raised by my late android parents, and I’ve 
had my share of prejudice, a child of both human and android would have had it 
far more rough at the time.  If it means anything Jack, I think of you as a 
father figure, and you’d have made a great dad.” Pixel comforted.  
“Iris used to say the same thing, I never thought we’d have children until the 
world accepted our union, but I guess she had more faith in me and our kind.”  
“Jack, regardless of anything I ever said, I’d like to fight for the world she 
dreamed of too.  You’ve given me so much Jack; the least I can do is help to 
create this perfect world...” offered a moved Pixel, “I’ll report to Chime, 
you should take the rest of the day off.”  
“I wouldn’t have said so when I first met you Pixel, but now you remind me a 
little of Iris.”  
“Then I’ll make sure never to let you down Jack.  Not just to pay you back 
though...  A world where our kinds don’t war and squabble sounds beautiful...  
It’s a utopia I’d love to live long enough to see through.”  
And on those words, Pixel left to file the report, while Jack slowly left the 
base with a light smile on his face, and returned to his former lover’s 
favourite spot.  

Though rebuilt completely differently, it would always be Jack’s place to go 
in order to feel close to Iris.  
He’d sometimes forgotten about the dream throughout the constant battles, but 
having shared the past with his student and ally Pixel and been given support 
in making Iris’s dream a reality, the future looked bright... for both their 
races.  

End  

Chapter 5:  Cohesion
Chapter 7:  Heated Battles
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