Orazio (Vol. 1) Orazio and the Isis hormone.

Bye Narmer

It is Mrs. Johnson's funeral. A large crowd has gathered to bid farewell to the founder and chief executive of The Company. There are personalities from the world of politics and technology, some of The Company's employees, and many others.

Before the funeral begins, various speeches are made. The Mayoress addresses the crowd.

"Today we bid farewell to one of Benson's most illustrious citizens. She has been taken from us far too soon, by a zealot who places more value on ideas than people."

Narmer watches and listens hidden in the crowd. He knows that the Mayoress is the real culprit behind Jane Johnson's death, but for the moment there is nothing he can do... For the moment.

In the front row is Mrs. Johnson's closest relative, her daughter Emma Johnson. After the service, she makes her way over to the grave, and says a few words in memory of her mother. When she is finished, she receives a standing ovation.

People come forward to offer their condolences. Emma is not sure how to feel. She is stunned and shocked by the unexpected event.

Her relationship with her mother was very complicated. Jane Johnson always seemed to Emma to be a cold and distant woman, more interested in her company than in her daughter. When Emma turned eighteen, she decided to leave Benson.

Now, suddenly, she has become the heiress of one of the most important corporations in the country. She is not interested in taking over her mother's position. She will probably sell the stock as soon as it stops going down.

Everything is so overwhelming. She feels like she has lost her mind.
"Emma, my dear," Narmer says, coming up to her. "Are you all right?"

Emma looks up and sees the familiar face of Narmer. "You!" she says with a mixture of anger and sadness. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Narmer says. "I... I am your father, after all."
"You are not my father. My father died." says Emma "You are a freak created by my mother. Further proof that she was crazy. Goodbye Narmer, don't ever come near me again."

Emma Johnson walks away.
Narmer, disappointed but resigned, walks away as well.

If he had a heart, it would be broken into a thousand pieces by now.

But this is not the case. He wishes he could spend time with Emma, but he understands how painful it is for her to see a high-tech android with her father's face, voice and consciousness.

Slowly, Narmer walks away from the funeral without looking back. In his memory Jane was the love of his life, but Narmer can feel no love, no fear, no desire.... Just nothingness.

As long as she lived, serving his creator and owner was the only purpose in his life. Now he has none. Emma, heir to all of Mrs. Johnson's possessions, has just made it clear to him that she doesn't even want to see him. He can't even console her.

His programming prevents him from self-destructing, which would perhaps be the most logical decision. What is he going to do now?

Suddenly an alarm goes off in his synthetic brain. News related to a person of interest. Orazia.

His brain with continuous access to Interlace runs the video. It is an aerial view of downtown Benson with several police and news service helicopters flying overhead.

"Downtown Benson is in chaos right now" says the newscaster's voice. "The infamous Orazia Rossi has staged an incredible and spectacular escape from the hospital where she was held. In a confrontation with the police, Rossi has destroyed a tank and several helicopters, as well as several police android units."

"It is currently unknown whether or not Rossi is dead or alive. Benson police have declared a state of high alert as they try to track down the terrorist or determine if she was killed in the brutal confrontation with law enforcement. We will continue to report."

Although he feels no joy, Narmer smiles. "So the girl has escaped." he thinks. "All right, this is getting interesting. There are some scores to settle."

Narmer turns invisible.