Androids and Their Sheep: A Blade Runner 2049 Epilogue

Androids and Their Sheep: Part 2

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[A Silent Visit – 2022 – Deckard]

He knew he should stay away. Far away from the old life. Far away from Rachael, the baby, Sapper and Freysa. Away from Los Angeles...Far, far away. He knew Rachael was dead, knew he would never see her again. He had made peace with this possibility long before he was forced to leave the only family he knew. That didn't mean he didn't miss her, miss their child, assuming it survived, missed the thought of a "normal" life. The least he could do was bring a tiny flower to her grave.

[A Silent Visitor – 2022 – Sapper]

By the time Sapper made his way outside, the specter of the visitor was gone. He knew it was Deckard, that bastard. Sapper could sense him. Why would he risk ruining everything? The child was already gone. Sent to some orphanage outside of Los Angeles. Sapper couldn't know where and didn't want to know. That way he wouldn't be as much of a danger to her life. Did Deckard even know the child survived? He certainly couldn't have known it was a girl. Either way, this was their plan. That bastard. Sapper went outside and found the tiny yellow flower. The same as the ones before, smelling faintly of honey. He couldn't bear to get rid of it. It's the little things that err to the side of truly human, Sapper thought. It was the least he could do for the lovers ripped apart by the miracle birth. He could afford Deckard this much, for now.

[Within Cells Interlinked – 2049 – Joe]

He was cold. He remembered that much. Cold and stiff. He was dying, he thought, so what else is new. Joe awoke surrounded by people. Replicant heaven? Or hell... He tensed the muscles in his body. Did he still have a body? Everything hurt. He tried to sit up but the effort and pain were exhausting. He didn't like this version of the afterlife. Joe lapsed back into unconsciousness. Would he dream of Joi again? Thanks For Playing and Better Luck Next Time.

"Hey", a vaguely familiar female voice said.

"Hey, wake up K. There's no time to lose." said the vaguely un-stranger.

Joe opened his eyes again. The world stopped spinning. He tensed his muscles and found the pain and stiffness had gone away. There was still a coldness in his ribs and spine. Joe remembered vividly the cold of the blade as Luv jammed it between his ribs. Did she intend to miss vital organs and arteries? Had she kissed him?

"Hey!" she said as she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "K. I need you to focus. Are you with me?"

Joe sat up with a certain amount of stiffness and discomfort that he felt didn't belong in the afterlife. He looked up into this un-stranger's eyes. Joi stood in front of him, snapping her fingers in front of his face. Joe almost passed back out from the impossibility of it all. Joe vividly remembered Luv crushing the emanator. The last vessel of his love and with it gone, Joi as he knew her was gone too. She couldn't be in front of him. Maybe the afterlife wasn't so bad after all. But why was she calling him K? After he had told her the story of Stelline and the memories, the miracle Replicant/human birth and the story of Deckard and Rachael, Joi had given him a real name. Joe fit as good as any other. He liked it.

"K, goddamn it, focus will you please?"

Her accent that he loved so much had faded. Had her memory been wiped?

"Freysa, are we sure he isn't totally gone? I can't get any recognition out of him. He's been out for days. Deckard said he found him almost frozen stiff on the stairs of that laboratory. Wallace's bitch must have scrambled his brain," the Joi-that-could-not-have-been-Joi said. Joi never talked that way. Did she say 'Freysa'?

"Give him time, dear," Freysa said with compassion. "Our dear prodigal here has lost a great deal lately. Love, blood, consciousness. There's a cost to everything." She absent-mindedly scratched the socket where her right eye used to be.

Joe shook his head to focus. Freysa. That sounded familiar. Then his clarity came rushing back. Not Joi in front of him, he realized, as his heart felt the emptiness of desire anew. Not Joi. The pink-haired prostitute that turned out to be a Replicant.

"K. You're safe. You're back with us. We thought we lost you there. I was worried. Deckard brought you in, you were almost frozen to death. Do you remember?" Mariette asked.

"I remember. And my name is Joe." Joe said. "Where is Deckard? Where's Stelline? Wallace is going to be after us! Why are we just sitting here?!?"

"Relax, Joe," Freysa said. "Deckard is here and he's fine. Ana is at her lab. Wallace...we have not heard news from Wallace Corporation for some time now but we would be fools not to think he knows everything that has happened. By now he has probably expected that Luv is dead and realized that Deckard is missing. He can only assume that you are responsible. Joe, your superior is also dead, stabbed to death in her office. We believe Wallace is responsible for Lieutenant Joshi's death."

Joe knew from the beginning that his actions and this great miracle could lead to those around him getting hurt, more likely possibly killed. The loss of Joi stung as fresh as it did the moment Luv crushed her existence out. The news of Madam Joshi's death felt similar but to a lesser degree. He had no great love for her other than the obedience bred...not bred, designed into him... by Wallace Corporation. Still, he thought, any loss of life was a shame.

Joe looked into Mariette's eyes and couldn't help but think of the night he and Joi shared together because of this woman. The pain of his loss still so raw.

"So", Joe inquired, "what now?"

"Now," Freysa began, "we must take down Niander Wallace and Wallace Corporation once and for all. We think you are the key to that plan, Joe."

Feeling as if he had nothing left in his life to live for with Joi gone and, having just been quite literally on death's doorsteps, this seemed as good a plan to Joe as any. "Ok. Where do we start?"

Mariette put a hand on Joe's knee. She too remembered the night they spent together. "First..."

[All of Us, Angels – 2049 – Luv]

As she lay under the water, K's hand a vice grip around her neck, her life, fading out around her, Luv felt unending jealousy and anger. Why couldn't she be the miracle Replicant to bear a child for Mr. Wallace? Why some Nexus 6 slut model, ancient hardware? It wasn't fair, she thought. She was the best of them all. Mr. Wallace told her so and she believed him. She was his special angel above all others. Destined to rule with Mr. Wallace side by side over all else. As her vision clouded over for the last time, Luv's final thought was to Mr. Wallace and to Rachael. Why couldn't it be her to bear him a miracle? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Wh..............................y.........................................................?............