VI. ...Then I Defy You, Stars

i. 0:00

The corpse, assembled.



ii. 0:05

She stands alone,
like some mutilated clone
of who I loved
and for whose death
my hands were then
incriminated.

As the mate leaves us together,
I am terrified; I never
thought I'd see her face again,
especially with patchwork skin.



iii. 0:28

And then she speaks
and every memory of we
drowns out the systematic
resurrections of the factory.

I can hear it in her voice;
this mechanization was not choice.
She would be sobbing
if her operating systems
weren't employed.



iv. 0:50

Quick, here's our moment!
A revolution of atonement.
Hold your breath and let me lead;
deny it all, and let us leave.



v. 1:14

I've been amalgamated, dear.

With heated needles

that pierce and sear.

Can you accept me

for what I am,

A mass of muscle

joined to gearing plans?

Can you deceive your eyes

on my behalf,

or is this unholy reunion

a breath of chaff?



vi. 1:40

Can your vision gloss over

my kaleidoscope flesh?

Can you love what I am

when I'm praying for death?



vii. 1:57

I tried, dear, to modify.

The mate informed me that you'd survived

a false conviction and a biased trial.

My new skin polished, my altered smile.

I've tried to recapture what you knew,

restructured marrow and rejoined sinew.

I cannot believe you are not ashamed

of this painted skin stretched over my frame.



viii. 2:30

And though I called to the night

'Where art thou?'

I cannot go with you, seeing you now.

You have unspoiled life in your shell

take this chance to escape from this hell.



ix. 2:52

But my love, we all are creations,
hoping to improve
our mortal station.

I'd die a million deaths and more to keep you.
Now let us flee
before the corpses see you.


Your only choices

are flee or follow.

Will you stay with me

within this hollow?


You have to know that I must forestall
this army leaden, poised to war with all.

I cannot abandon all of mankind
but my love, I'll come back for you, in time.



x. 3:45

She let him go,
in that opportune moment.

He made his escape
amidst hearts rebroken.

He traveled back
to the city distant

to warn of looming war
and corpses pistoned.



END OF ACT I.