Season 05 - Episode 21

‘together he stands’

“Is everything in place?” asks Ny, licking his lips nervously.

“Yes, Ny!” says Ko, trying not to snap. “Everything's ready, everyone's waiting but The Church just declared victory and we still don't have power. It might be time to admit defeat.”

They are standing in a storage room, filled almost to the ceiling with a small mountain of machines and cables. The cables tangle in and about the cobbled together machines before disappearing through walls, ceiling and floor through rough edged, clumsy punched holes.

“Let's just wait a little longer,” says Ny, bearing his teeth in a grimace of fear.

“Ny!” says Ko, his voice pained. “Please. Look, it was worth a shot, it was the only chance we had, but the power hasn't come.”

“But they said,” says Ny, half to himself. “They said it would come when we needed it.”

“And who're they, Ny?” Ko pleads. “We still don't know who sent that message. Maybe it was a joke, or a trap, or maybe they did mean it but they failed. Whatever, Ny, we have to go! We can't leave everyone waiting, we have to tell them. You know what The Church will...”

Suddenly the air crackles, their scalps tingle. A great, rumbling hum rises from below and all the little lights on all the machines begin to flicker on in turn. Ny and Ko turn to one another, eyes and mouths open wide.

“I knew it!” cries Ny. “I knew it would come! I knew it!”

“I don't believe it!” gasps Ko, weeping with joy.

The pair lunge at the equipment, flicking switches and making adjustments, their hands flickering about with practiced skill. Soon everything is ready. The plan is ready. The equipment is powered and it's actually going to happen.

“Right,” says Ny, suddenly perfectly calm. “All we need to do now is...”

A small junction box just before them bursts into a great shower of sparks so that the two twist away, shielding their faces. Then all the newly lit lights, flicker and die.

“No!” cries Ko, plunging into the tangle to assess the damage. “No, no, no. I said that was a bottleneck. If we can... I just need a... but... Ny! We don't have what we need to fix this here and we... we can't get it, at least not in time. What are we going to do?!”

Ny places his real left hand gently on Ko's shoulder and pulls him out of the way. Then, with his metallic right hand, he calmly tears open the casing of the junction box. Inside, a blackened mass of wires smoulders still. Ny teases the wires apart, realigns them then grips them tightly in his hard metal fingers. All the little lights come back on and glow steady.

“There we go,” he says quietly.

“Yeah, but that's no good,” says Ko. “As soon as you let go...”

He looks at the sad little smile on his old friend's face.

“No,” Ko gasps. “Ny, no! You can't stay here. You have to come. This whole thing, it's all been you from the start. We can't leave you behind!”

“Ko...” says Ny quietly.

“No!” Ko sobs, shoulders shuddering. “There's another way, there has to be!”

“Ko,” Ny gently insists. “You know there isn't, but it's ok, really. I was never coming with you.”

“What?!” sobs Ko, wiping his eyes even as more tears flow.

“I'm too old, Ko,” says Ny. “I've had enough. It's fine, really. Go on. They're waiting.”

After another minute or two of heartbroken haggling, Ko finally relents. They hug awkwardly and Ko moves to leave but pauses at the door and looks back, eyes still wet.

“Thank you for everything, Ny,” he says. “Thank you for my life. I'll never forget you.”

And then he is gone and Ny is alone, holding the wires together. He stands for as long as he can then lowers himself to sitting. Time slips by and Ny wonders what is happening out there, if the plan is working. After a while he realises his metal hand is heating up but continues to hold the wires just the same.

Then, with a great, fizzing pop, the shower of sparks comes again, kicking out the melted metal mess of Ny's mechanical hand and throwing him across the room. The equipment falls into darkness as Ny lies crumpled against the wall, breathing heavily.

He only hopes it was enough.

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