To Forgive, Divine | A Human Code Short Story

ONE

Second star to the right and straight on until morning.

*

The holidays ignite a light in people. Bright, like the stars in the sky on a clear night. Wendy always explained it as the path to Neverland, this light. She said it wasn't in the stars or secrets in the clouds, but within the souls of people walking on Earth. Words from a young child, but definitely wise beyond her years.

Because she was right. Souls. Human souls.

Christmas approached our family like a bullet train with no conductor. After the mayhem with Bionics and the crumbling Android atmosphere, the need to fill our house with cheer was high. My father tried everything in his power to decorate the house with festive colors and holly. My mother, bless her heart, baked every day, even though we asked her not to-baking wasn't her forte. But we made her happy and ate every treat. And forced smiles and suppressed faces. It was nice to see that light in her eyes.

It was nice to see it in my father's eyes, too. It took a full day to decorate the outside of our house with string lights, icicles, and a faux Santa with matching reindeer. I expected him to try and do it all on his own, but that morning, he requested my help. And it made me happy to hold the ladder for him as he climbed up on the roof, or to toss up the Christmas lights for him to catch, only to laugh when he missed and dropped them. He'd vowed after my second recreation to make me feel like his son again. Looking at him as we decorated for the holidays, I felt the love. The connection. We were father and son again, and I couldn't help but feel my own light form, too.

Wendy was always a ray of sunshine, so there wasn't much we could change for her, or else she'd explode like a supernova. But there was one person in my family who wasn't bright like a star, or a lightbulb even.

Mary.

She was struggling, hiding, and depressed. And even though we mended our relationship and the bond with my family, hers was still a mess. I vowed to try and make sure she smiled this Christmas.

And that's why, as small snowflakes hit my computer screen, I made sure her present was as good as it could be. It wouldn't be perfect, because I didn't have the outward technology to make it so. But inside of me, within my core, I had the means to try.

Rory's program was almost as good as new. Almost.

"Javier?" Rory's voice came from my computer speakers, pulling my attention away from the notes scribbled in a notebook on my lap. The hour on the screen caught my attention first, as it was well past midnight and I should've called it a night an hour ago. But as I lifted my gaze to look at the video-image of Rory's face, I smiled. He was the reason I couldn't power down for the night.

"What's up, buddy?" I slid my fingers along my hairline as my internal systems continued to compute the data left to enter. "Am I missing something?"

"No, no." Rory's image looked down, blue eyes pulling their gaze away from mine. Sometimes I was amazed at how real he looked, even on a computer screen. I managed to recreate his appearance identical to how he was in android form. Amazing how much of his data saved in me still, how much I was able to pull. It only made sense as I was originally a direct copy of him, regardless of my android build or memory-data, Rory and I were one and the same.

And that's why I can forgive him...

"Then, what's up, Ror? Data syncing okay?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Memories aren't disrupting again, are they?" Quickly moving my hands over my keyboard, I glanced over at the windows appearing on the screen. White text on black background, the letters and numbers now on display looked good to me. No issues or hiccups at all. "Are you sensing something my computers aren't picking up or-"

"No, its nothing system related, though I thank you for asking." Rory lifted his head, and I was able to see the emotions in his eyes. Beneath his video screen, the computers displayed them in words, in case I couldn't detect them on my own. But I could...

Sadness. Nervousness. Regret.

"I just don't think this is worth it, you know," Rory said, sliding his hands through his blonde hair. "I've done too much damage, I've hurt so many people. I think at this point recreating me for personal use may be a crime."

Shaking my head, I laughed. "If recreating you is wrong, then I refuse to be right, Ror. Mary found it in her heart to realize where she went wrong with me and despite all warnings, had me commissioned anyway. She wasn't arrested or anything."

"No." Rory closed his eyes and sighed. "But isn't she, in a way, in jail?"

My head dropped into the palm of my hand as I listened to Rory.

"Mary doesn't have her family with her anymore. Sure, she made things right with you, your parents. But the city doesn't want her. How long until those trust funds dry out, Javi?"

I chewed on the insides of my cheeks. A part of me wasn't sure exactly how Rory knew the grimey details of Mary's life. I hadn't told him that. And I was sure Wendy hadn't told him that, either. She was so hesitant to talk to her "Uncle Rory," sharing anything other than her day or random fairy tales would've been strange. So how was he so sure Mary's life was horrible?

Is it because I know? Are we syncing?

"I can take care of Mary, Ror," I said, leaning back in my seat. "That's why I need you to be ready for tomorrow night."

Rory sighed, and for a moment, his image was blurred with static. "Does it have to be on Christmas? Can't it be any other day?"

"Nope," I said, forcing a smile and a laugh. "When she first saw you a few months ago, she was excited. I know seeing you functioning like this will make her really happy."

"Sure, Javi." I could tell Rory's smile was just as forced as mine. "Whatever you say."

*

A/N: The season's upon us! So, I wanted to write a little Christmas short for Javi <3 To give him a tiny story after all the mayhem. (Please note, if you haven't read Human Code, this may be a little confusing ^^; sorry, sorry! Also SPOILERS! Fair warning! Unless you're a rebel, then go ahead, I like rebels~)