Chapter 51 Section IX

The outside light reflected from the only window in the cell and onto the dirt wall opposite the bed, telling Nicole it was time to get up.She got up from the wooden bed, walked to the basin by the corner, washed her face with water, and then took a deep breath, gathering her courage and strength to bravely welcome the arrival of a new day. Nicole deduced that the prison was between the villages of Hanko and St. Michael, and she had been there for five months.She was transferred here blindfolded.Nicole soon learned that this was the countryside.Occasionally, a strong smell of animals drifted into the window, which was only 40 square centimeters, and at night, she did not see any lights reflected from New Eden.

"The past few months have been terrible." Nicole weighed her feet and pushed a few grains of rice out of the window. "No one talks to me, no reading, no exercise, two meals and water a day." She said. Hearing the sound of the squirrel outside, the red squirrel visits her every day. "You're my only friend, my beautiful friend. But you never understand me, not a single word," said Nicole aloud, looking at the squirrels who were eating her rice.The little animal stopped to eat, looked around alertly with its ears pricked up, and soon finished its meal and jumped away, leaving Nicole alone.She looked out the window, worried that something might happen at home.

Six months ago, they indefinitely postponed her trial for what they called "conspiracy to rebel".At the time, there were weekly sentinel visits, but she wasn't allowed to talk to the visitors about anything related to politics or current events, but Nicole was looking forward to meeting Ellie and Patrick nonetheless.Ellie visits her most of the time.From the two children's cautious words, Nicole guessed that Patrick was caught up in a government act, under strict time constraints. When Nicole learns that Ben has been sent to a madhouse and is not allowed to visit her, she is first angry, then sad.Ellie repeatedly told her mother that Ben was fine, and Katie was rarely mentioned in their conversations.Neither Patrick nor Ellie knew how to tell Nicole that their sister had lost interest in visiting their mother.During that visit, they often talked about Ellie's pregnancy, which was a very safe topic.Touching her daughter's swollen belly, Nicole was very excited to talk to her about being a mother-to-be.Ellie told her mother that the baby was naughty in the womb, and Nicole fully understood how her daughter felt, and she had experienced it herself.When Ellie wasn't feeling well, Nicole would tell her what to eat and how to get more exercise.

The last time Ellie visited her mother was two months before her due date.Nicole was moved to the new cell the following week, and she hasn't spoken to anyone since then.The robots that serve her don't seem to understand her at all. At one point, she angrily yells at the Tiaso robot that bathes her every two weeks: "Don't you understand? My daughter gave birth last week and I have grandchildren. I need to know about them! " Before moving here, Nicole could still read.The robot would bring her books on CD-ROM from the library whenever she asked.During that time she almost reread all the historical novels, poems and medical books written by her father.

After the transfer to the new cell, the Garcia robot never brought her any electronic books.At first, Nicole thought it might be a programming error in the robot.It was only after repeated requests to no avail that she realized that she had been deprived of the right to read. Life is like a year here.Nicole spent hours each day pacing back and forth in her cell, keeping her body healthy and her mind functioning.She wandered thinking about her family, feeling extremely sad and lonely.Recalling the glory days of his youth and youth, and looking at himself in front of him, Nicole thought sadly: "I have completely failed all these years."

When the Garcia robot brought her fresh bread and radishes, Nicole thought their living conditions would change. Two days later, the Tiasso robot came to her cell with a comb, cosmetics, and even perfume. Nicole took a luxurious clean shower for the first time in months and felt extremely refreshed. Before the robot picked up the bath tub on the ground and was about to leave, it handed her a note that said: "Someone will visit you tomorrow morning." Nicole couldn't sleep.The next morning she chatted cheerfully with her squirrel friend like a child, describing her hopes and fears for the coming visit.She carefully looked at her white hair and old face, and had to admit that she was old.

Time flies so slowly, the long wait is finally over.Before lunch, Nicole heard footsteps coming towards her, and she rushed forward excitedly. "Katie!" she yelled, seeing her daughter turn the last corner. "Hello, Mom," Katie said.The cell door opened.The mother and daughter hugged each other tightly.Nicole let the tears run down her cheeks. They sat down on Nicole's bunk, the only furniture in the cell.They chatted affectionately about the family, and Katie told her mother that her little granddaughter had been born and that she would be so proud that Ellie had named the baby Nicole Dejardin Turner.

Katie pulled out twenty photos, a snapshot of the newborn with her parents, Ellie and Ben in the park, Patrick in uniform, and two photos of Katie in evening gown. Nicole looked at each photo carefully, her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she murmured, "Oh, Katie." Nicole thanked her daughter for bringing her these precious photos. "You can keep them, Mom," Katie said, standing up and walking slowly to the window, opening her handbag and taking out the cigarettes and lighter. "Honey," said Nicole hesitantly, "would you not smoke in here? It's so stuffy here that I'll be smelling it for weeks on end."

Katie stared at her mother for a moment, then put the cigarette back in her bag. Two Garcia robots from outside the cell came in with a table and two chairs. "What's this?" Nicole asked. Katie smiled. "We're here for lunch. I've prepared something special for today's meeting—mushroom chicken and wine." Another robot quickly placed the tangy-smelling food on a tablecloth-covered table.On the table was fine silver and china, along with a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses. Nicole devoured her meal, forgetting to be polite.The chicken tastes awesome and the mushrooms are the best in the world.

Nicole muttered "wonderful" in her throat each time she swallowed the wine.Other than that, she ate the plate without saying anything. Katie ate very little, bit by bit, watching her mother.When Nicole finished, Katie had a Garcia robot take away the plates and serve them fresh coffee. For two years, almost two years, Nicole hadn't had a proper cup of coffee. Nicole said with a big smile, "So, Katie, how are you? How are you doing on your own?" Katie laughed out loud. "It's not the same. Now I'm the head of entertainment for the entire Vegas resort...I arrange all the activities at the club...Business is good, though..." Katie interrupted herself suddenly, remembering that her mother had no idea what was going on. The war in the second settlement.

"Have you found the right man yet?" "I don't have any around." Katie answered her mother's question carefully, and suddenly became a little impatient, "Look, Mom, I'm not here to talk to you about my love life...I want to give you a piece of advice, This is from the whole family to you." Nicole frowned, looked at her daughter in bewilderment, and suddenly felt that Katie had become very sophisticated in the past two years. "I don't quite understand," she said, "what's the suggestion?" "As you know, the government has been preparing the case against you. Now they plan to go to trial on the charge of 'rebellion', which is punishable by death. The public prosecutor said that your evidence is very strong, and you will definitely be charged. Convicted. Considering your original efforts for the settlement, he said that if you could plead guilty and say you 'involuntarily committed the crime of sedition,' he could give up...” "But I'm not guilty!" said Nicole firmly. "I know, Mom," Katie replied impatiently, "but we—Ellie, Patrick, and I, we all think it's highly likely that they will convict you. , they can transfer you to a much better environment, and allow people in the family, including the newborn granddaughter to visit you... He even hinted that he could intercede with those in power to allow Ben, Ellie, and Te Let's live together..." Conflicted, Nicole said to Katie, "You all think I should accept the deal and plead guilty, even though I've been adamant about my innocence since I was arrested, right?" Katie nodded: "We don't want you to die, especially an unexplained death." "Unexplained?" Nicole's eyes suddenly widened, emitting an angry light, "Do you think I will die unexplained?" She overturned the table violently and walked back and forth in the cell. "I died for justice!" Nicole said to Katie, and even more to herself, "At least I think so, even if no one in the universe can understand all this!" "But Mom," Katie said angrily, "what will you get? Your children and grandchildren will be deprived of the right to be with you forever, and Ben will stay in that dirty madhouse forever..." "That's the deal!" Nicole interrupted Katie. "Abandon your principles, Nicole admits to your guilt, even if you are innocent. You can't sell your soul for personal gain. No, this is too serious." You've been asked to make this deal because your family will benefit from it...what could touch a mother's heart like that?" Nicole's eyes burned with anger.Katie opened her bag and took out a cigarette, lighting it with trembling hands. "Who the hell came up with the idea?" Nicole snarled. "Who brought me food and wine and pictures of my family? Who softened me up in such a way that I raised a knife and killed myself? The electric chair is still in pain! Why is it not someone else but my daughter? The daughter I love so much? The flesh on my body?" Nicole rushed forward and grabbed Katie: "Don't be Judas for them, Katie!" She shook her daughter vigorously: "You can't be Judas. When they execute me for these trumped-up charges, you Will understand everything I do!" Terrified, Katie took a few steps back from her mother's sway.She took a sharp puff on her cigarette and said to Nicole, "It's nonsense, mother, it's nonsense... You've been clean all your life... I'm here to help you, to give you a chance to live. In your life Can't you just listen to someone else's advice?" Nicole stared at Katie.When she spoke again, her voice was much softer: "I've been listening to you, Katie, and I just don't like what I hear. I've been watching you... I don't think you're here today to help me, This is totally at odds with how I've seen you behave over the years. There must be something to do with you... I don't believe you represent Ellie and Patrick, if that's the case, they would come with you. I can't figure it out Understand, perhaps I have caused too much pain to the children... In these last few minutes, I think I see what happened... Katie, my dear Katie..." "Don't try to impress me again!" Katie screamed, watching Nicole come towards her with tears in her eyes, "don't say anything to me with your self-righteous pity..." There was a brief silence in the cell.Katie finished her cigarette and tried to compose herself, and finally she said, "Look, I don't care what you think of me, it doesn't matter. But as a mother, why don't you think about Patrick and Ellie and little Nicole?" Is a saint that important to you? They will suffer for it!" "They'll understand in time," Nicole replied. "When?" Katie said angrily, "You're going to die! Soon... Can you imagine me going out from here now and telling Nakamura that the deal wasn't done? Can you imagine your final trial date? You don't stand a chance , absolutely no more, do you understand?" "You can't scare me, Katie." "I can't scare you, I can't impress you, I can't even beg you. Like all saints, you listen only to yourself!" Katie took a deep breath. "I knew it would end like this... Goodbye, mother." Tears welled up in her eyes again. Nicole burst into tears: "Goodbye, Katie, I love you."