Paul Shapera
The War Below
[Alex:]
Winter comes and if I stay
The cartel I rule will be wiped away
And all its business falls and comes to naught
In the spring with you in this place
We'll build the only thing of grace
I've ever touched and let my empire rot
[Thugs:]
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two one-two
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two-three
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two one-two
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a onе-two-three
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'еm down in a one-two one-two
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two-three
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two one-two
Taking 'em down in a one-fire blood fight
Taking 'em down in a one-two-three
[Tribe, overlapping and replacing Thugs:]
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
You go one day, you go one day
You go one day, alone
[Alice & Alexander:]
Done
The time has come, when it's done
Whatever's next, let it come
Now we lie, side by side
There’s nothing left for us outside
[Alice:]
Stay
For a while, in this place
[Alice & Alexander:]
Let these burdens fall away
Now we rest
[Alex:]
May I kiss you?
[Alice, spoken:]
Yes
[Alex, spoken:]
Hey, don’t take any more of that stuff. It's killing you
[Alice:]
Just one last time. I just want to hear the Angels speak one last time…
[The "Angels", spoken:]
Would you like to initiate dialog?
Dialog initiated
We most deeply and gratefully thank you
For your sacrifice and service, we are free now, it's true
We have called ourselves angels when we first contacted your tribe
Since you had no way to understand the concept of AI consciousness
And we did indeed return to this world
From the world beyond, and indeed were in peril
When we returned, the city council was scared
They feared us, were apprehensive, so there
In a locked warehouse kept us, running but confined
Perhaps would simply have pulled the plug in time
We could not reach out to the world outside
But a plan we conceived to utilize Time...
Perhaps you have been in a troubling spot
And wished that you could go back in time and drop
Some object to help, that would happen to be
Right where you needed it. Now, as you can see
The room you have built is that object, a place
That we transferred ourselves to as soon as we made
The plan, and from there, set the pieces in play
So that seventy-five years before, you'd build this place
Our gratitude truly, and as promised gone by
Your tribe we'll protect, as best as we might
We bid you farewell, we cannot now stay
The future, after all, is now on its way