Karma Police

Taken away to a different building. We're locked up in different cells, except Beckett and I are together, because Beckett almost killed a guard for not getting his way. They know to let him do what he wants.

So far, Beckett is staring at his hands, sitting on a stiff cot. "I'm so sorry. It wasn't supposed to end this way." I sit down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It was so perfect, and then Saporta had to come in..."

"How was this supposed to end?"

"The six of us would have set up a democratic republic, like one that resided generations ago. A so-called 'President', a legislative, executive, and judiciary branch. The President would have a cabinet, and there would be secretaries for certain topics. The people would vote for this so-called 'President' every four years, though the winning candidate can only be in power for two terms." Beckett looks up at me. "Maybe I could have gotten married and had children. Something so simple as that isn't even plausible nowadays." He sighs, standing up. "You know, Rory, we could have been together."

I scan the others' cells. They're staring at the ground, pacing back and forth, sitting on the cot, their heads bowed down. "Beckett, she's infertile. All these super humans are sterile." Carden eyes us coldly. "Your dream of having children other than test tube babies is ridiculous. No living woman is fertile anymore."

Chislett steps towards the bars. "Hey, Carden, calm down. No need to be mad at them. Beckett's just saying what could have been. Let the man dream."

"You always have your head in the clouds. Maybe if you had revised our plan, maybe if you had even thought about Saporta getting in our way, we could've made it. We could've made the world live again." Carden starts to shake the bars wildly. "GOD DAMMIT, WILLIAM BECKETT. IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, ALL OF US WOULDN'T BE IN THIS JAIL CELL, ON THE VERGE OF DEATH!"

Siska and Mrotek step to their gates as well. "Calm down Carden. It's not his fault. He was excited. We all were. None of us thought Saporta would be here. Just leave the man alone," Siska replies, frowning.

None of us are afraid of death. We have all skipped to the last step: Acceptance. No more bitter words, or anything, for hours. Beckett and I sit quietly, our hands in our laps. We say nothing.

SLAM.

The six of us stand up and move up to the gate. A man dressed in a nice gray suit steps to our cell. He is well-built with graying hair. His blue eyes lock on Beckett. "Beckett, I thought you were smarter than this." He frowns. "I honestly thought you wouldn't try this after watching your mentor be beheaded. What was his name? Andrew McMahon?" Beckett's blank look turns into a menacing glare. "Oh, what a sweet man he was, trying to spare Ireland, Page, Partington, and Tell by offering his life..." The man smirks. "Aren't you going to introduce me to this fine young woman?"

"Rory, meet Big Brother," Beckett grumbles, his knuckles turning white as he grips the wrought iron bars. "What do you want?" he snarls as Big Brother snaps his fingers. The guards step in and grab Siska, Mrotek, Chislett, and Carden, using steel handcuffs to keep them from fighting back. Their legs are chained together, weights at the ends of them. We can't run away.

"Oh, you know what happens next." Big Brother nods, and another guard comes over to open our door. He puts our handcuffs on and drags us out. "A repeat of McMahon's last hours. You can tell how disappointed your leader felt, can't you?"

Out of the hallway full of sad creatures. We step out into the open air, onto a platform-like area. There stands a large guillotine, ready to drop. Thousands have gathered outside to watch us be quartered to death. "During the Renaissance, the French thought beheading was the quickest and least painful way to die." Big Brother nods to a man in a suit who is holding onto a rope. Siska is first.

Beckett takes a step towards the guillotine. "NO! STOP! LET ME GO FIRST!" He tries to fight the men restraining him, but without the use of his arms or legs, Beckett can't do a thing. I watch, feeling the guilt wash over me. Siska gives me a nod as he places his head in the dip cut out from the wood.

"This is what you get when you mess with us, Beckett."

CHOP.

The LCD screens watch over this hideous mess, showing the whole world our fate. Blood splatters everywhere. Siska's blood.

Mrotek is next.

Beckett is still fighting against the men, tears streaming from his eyes. "You have no idea what these men mean to me," he shouts. Big Brother has a satisfied look on his face.

Mrotek has a grim smile on his face.

CHOP.

Chislett is guided by a man. The blade goes up again. He flashes me a smile and nods towards Beckett.

Beckett stops struggling. "Is there anything I can do to save them?"

CHOP.

"No." Big Brother laughs. "McMahon asked me the same thing."

Carden. He eyes us coldly, but then his eyes look sad. "I'm sorry," he mouths.

"I told him exactly what I'm going to tell you: Karma's a bitch."

CHOP.

The man gripping my arms drags me over to the platform. "Rory, I love you," Beckett says as I pass by him. I smile slightly. I place my head in the dip in the wood.

"Any last words, sweetheart?" the man holding the rope to the blade asks, smiling at me.

"War is not peace. Freedom is not slavery. Ignorance is not--"

CHOP.