The Big O Act 11: Daemonseed

Dorothy goes to a department store where she asks for a black tie for Roger. Roger walks down the streets of Paradigm where the populace is getting ready for an upcoming holiday, Heaven’s Day. Roger seems to be in a bad mood and when he meets up with Dorothy, he tells her that it’s due to emotions she wouldn’t understand. Dorothy pauses when they head to a crowded elevator and has to get off due to weighing too much. Roger apologizes. On the way out they pass a man playing a saxophone and Roger leaves him some money. At Roger’s mansion, Norman explains the Christmas-like Heaven’s Day to Dorothy, saying it is a day when you give a present to the one you love. Dorothy asks Roger if he’ll be giving anyone a present. Roger claims it is a waste of time. He claims that Heaven’s Day is based on the day that Paradigm was founded and as one who has forsaken Paradigm there’d be no point in celebrating it. Dorothy gets up and leaves. At his rundown apartment outside of the domes, the saxophone player, Oliver, brings a meal to his blind girlfriend, Laura. He mentions the rich man in a black suit (Roger) liking his music. He tells Laura he’ll be playing in the dome and that he hopes to be able to get her a present this year. Norman tells Roger that Dorothy’s ‘birthday’ is the same as Heaven’s Day. They talk about getting Dorothy a dress and Roger heads out to buy it. Oliver, who is at his job as a garbage man, admires an expensive dress via the window which ends up being the dress that Roger buys for Dorothy. Roger receives a message from Norman via his watch about a job offer from Alex Rosewater. Oliver picks up his pay and is disappointed to see it is not enough to buy Laura a present. On the way home that night he encounters a bizarre old man dressed up as Santa Claus. The old man asks him where he’ll be playing and leaves him a green jewel-like object which he claims is a good luck charm. The old man, laughing maniacally, claims that everyone is suffocating and that he’s leaving this world. He soon vanishes. Roger heads to see Alex Rosewater who provides him with a card that says that the world will be reborn on Heavens Day’s Eve. Roger asks if this is a better job for the Military Police. Alex convinces Roger to assist since all of Paradigm could be in danger. Roger asks on the way out if Alex is aware of any good tailors. The Military Police scour the city with metal detectors, unable to find anything. Dastun provides Roger with a photograph of the old man that Oliver encountered. Dastun says that the man is a mad scientist who claims 40 years ago the world was covered in nothing but trees. Dastun checks off parts of the city on a map as officers call in. Roger says they should search outside the domes which Dastun says was not part of his orders. Roger asks Dastun why Alex Rosewater is so worried about the threat. Dastun says another message was received which talked about the end of the world, claiming it was part of a “Book of Revelations.”

Roger leaves and picks up Dorothy. Dorothy claims she asked everyone but no one was aware of the old man. Dorothy points out Oliver, who has a copy of the same card that Alex Rosewater received in his saxophone case as he plays. Roger follows Oliver as he heads home to the apartment building that he lives in. Roger tells Dorothy to not let her guard down but she heads inside anyway and rings the doorbell. Roger and Dorothy go inside and have coffee with Oliver and Laura. Oliver mistakes Roger and Dorothy as being lovers. Roger asks Oliver where the music he plays came from. Oliver says it was found in his grandfather’s trash. He says all the homes around here have the card. Laura says the elderly often gather around a nearby partially destroyed church to sing. Roger goes to see the church. On the way out Oliver tries to sell Roger the jewel-like object the old man gave him but Roger declines, saying it’s the easy way out. Roger asks Dorothy if she thinks Oliver has any talent. Dorothy says no. The next day Dastun and Roger head down the street. Dastun wonders if the prophecy included in the cards was just a prank. Dorothy goes to visit Laura to ask her something. Laura offers Dorothy tea and Dorothy says she can’t taste it. Dorothy asks Laura why Oliver loves her so much. Laura says it is because she is easy to fool. She doesn’t mind him lying to her since all he wants to do is play his sax. Dorothy asks about some knitting Laura is doing, which she claims is Oliver’s present. Meanwhile, the jewel-like object Oliver is holding starts cracking as he is playing the saxophone in the domes. A number of tree roots start growing out of the jewel and start bursting into the ground. Oliver is trapped and lifted upwards as the tree roots grow larger. Dastun and Roger spot what is going on and Roger runs off to call Big O. Laura and Dorothy hear an alarm going off from the domes. Dorothy grabs Laura and runs towards the dome. Oliver grasps onto the tree roots and tries to grab his saxophone which is stuck, falling off as a result. Big O rises from the ground and catches him. Big O puts Oliver on the ground and heads towards the tree roots, which are now part of a giant Christmas-like tree. While tearing apart some of the tree roots Roger calls Norman, asking him to pick up Dorothy’s dress from the tailors. The tree roots burst through some of the nearby buildings and wrap around Big O, which blasts them off. The roots then burst through the ground and grab onto Big O. Norman flies right by on his motorcycle, picking up Dorothy’s dress and the tailor. Roger continues to attack the tree roots which simply grow back despite being attacked. The tree bursts through the top of the dome and attacks Roger, but suddenly stops. Dorothy says it was intended to only live for a certain period of time. Alex Rosewater is being escorted out by the Chief of the Military Police. Alex asks him if he knows the true meaning of Heaven’s Day and says that it was the day God’s son was born. Oliver realizes Laura arrived and apologizes for not being able to buy her a gift. She says being with him is gift enough. The crowd looks at the giant Christmas-like tree. Roger shows up with a gift and asks Oliver to play a special tune. Roger wishes Dorothy a happy birthday. Dorothy says her birthday is the same as the real Dorothy’s and it’s not even in this month. Roger realizes he’s been tricked by Norman. Dorothy gives Roger the gift she bought for him. Dorothy puts on her new dress and twirls around in it. Snow starts falling from the sky.