Hey everyone! It's been a while. Here's a little ditty I whipped up after being inspired by drownedintea on tumblr, and too much Detroit: Become Human. An amazing person, I recommend checking them out! Link to the comic below!
drownedintea (dot.) tumblr (dot.) com (slash/) post (slash/) 176243323835 (slash/) dont-drink-and-draw
WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS AND SUICIDE. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ.
Time:
23:09:16
Date:
DEC 13TH. 2049
It was cold. Warnings from the delicate temperature sensors in his fingers and the tips of his ears flickered briefly at the edges of Connor's vision. He dismissed them with a sigh, rubbing his palms together to fight the chill as he walked.
It was quiet. A peaceful night in the normally noisy city of Detroit. Here, there were no bustling crowds, no cars humming along roads. Just a simple breeze caressing the empty tree branches, making the flurries of snow dance in the darkness. Snow crunched under Connor's shoes, paths seldom walked were hidden under a pristine blanket of pure white. He kept his eyes lowered, watching his feet as he walked.
He glanced back, observing the single trail of shoe prints. US size nine, well-worn, with heavy wear on the heel. The faint, hexagonal sole an indicator that the owner was not human.
They would be gone soon. Weather warnings had been all over the news, warning Detroit natives, both human and machine, to stay indoors, out of the impending snowstorm.
Connor had been all over the news too. Reporters had been hounding him and the DPD for weeks, asking for comment after statement after interview. He had refused them all, pushing everyone away and burying himself in cases. A few officers had made passing comments, concern being brushed away sharply, but with little venom. He had even heard Gavin, muttering over a lukewarm coffee to Tina in a low tone in the break room earlier that evening.
"Fucking tin can, buried in his cases. I swear he's worse than Hank."
^ Software Instability
He had no need to breathe. But Connor remembered how the statement stilled his false breath, how his eyes burned as he stormed off, how his LED flickered an angry and hurt red. A thousand memories flashed behind his optics, Tina gave Gavin a sharp kick in the shin as she nodded in the android's direction. Gavin glanced over, expression one of surprise.
[ ○ ] Respond
[ × ] Ignore
[ □ ] Leave
Ignoring the surprised shouts emanating from behind him, and Captain Fowler's fiery demand for an explanation, Connor walked. And he walked. And he walked.
He stopped. Even in the cold, his simulated breath made small wisps dance up towards the sky, moon wrapped in a duvet of clouds. The snow was starting to fall harder now, heavy flakes catching more on his jacket as he knelt. The cold sprinted up his legs to his calves, making him gasp. Hands clasped his arms, fingertips digging into the fabric like it was the only thing keeping him together.
[ ○ ] Greet
[ × ] Stay Quiet
"Good evening, Lieutenant." Connor spoke quietly, eyes focused on the ground. Even in such poor weather, nature still held fast, the barest slips of life hunkered down by his joints. The synthetic skin on Connors fingers had begun to recede with the cold, worn, white plastic starting to tremble. He couldn't look at his friend.
[ ○ ] Talk
[ × ] Leave
"I finally completed that case today. You remember? The red ice dealer that kept slipping through our fingers?" Connor chuckled mirthlessly. "Turns out he was getting help from the inside. Captain Fowler was furious. I believe his… colourful language would have impressed even you."
He paused, half expecting an indignant grumble from his partner. Connor sighed, shoulders slumping.
^ Software Instability
"It's not the same, Lieutenant." His voice wavered. Another false breath. A wave growing, gathering strength.
"I put all my time, all my effort, into the precinct. But its not the same. It's like- Like nothing has any meaning anymore! I file reports and complete cases, but I don't-"
Connor was shouting now, grip like steel and eyes squeezed shut as he cried.
"I don't feel anything anymore! It's a numbness worse than before my deviation! Why!"
The wave crashed against the shore, LED dimming a mournful yellow. Weakly, he leant forward, his forehead meeting cold granite. It made his head hurt.
"Why can't I care anymore?" He whispered, eyes flicking over the etchings.
HANK ANDERSON
SEPT. 1985 - DEC. 2048
GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
Resting above the stone, a single rose, standing out inky black against the covered stone. The petals had already begun to wilt in the freezing temperatures, leaves curling in on themselves as if to warm up.
There was also a photo, dog-eared and dirtied, but Connor could still make out himself, smiling and looking over to Hank, pulling a rather disgusted face as a blurry Sumo slobbered over his master. It made his thirium pump twist painfully, and brought on a longing feeling for times gone by.
His hands were completely numb now, the feeling creeping across his body like vines. He should leave. Go back to the empty house just to repeat the same routine of working until he couldn't bare being at the precinct, just to return when the hollowness of silence became too much. A life he had been living for just over a year.
[ ○ ] Leave
[ × ] Stay
A few minutes longer wouldn't hurt. Nobody would be out looking for him at this hour anyway. With the snow falling heavily, there was a 98% chance that everyone would be curled up in their residences, sipping their preferred beveridge with their partner.
^ Software Instability
Connor smiled sadly. That was a long time ago. He could still remember Sumo's shaggy coat warming his and Hank's toes, the hound giving a disgruntled huff each time his wiggled his toes to make sure the sensors were still functioning.
Sumo hadn't done that in a long time. A small mercy that his last nap was his longest, and no promise of treats or walks would ever bring him to stir.
Hank, understandably, was devastated, and it was the first time Connor recalled seeing the Lieutenant cry, fat tears rolling through his beard as they mourned their companion.
Fingertips brushed his cheek, gathering the wetness there and smearing it along his jacket sleeve. Connor took a shaky breath.
[🔓] [ × ] Stay Forever
His LED flickered, spinning red, a cautious yellow. It settled. A determined blue.
Connor tugged his jacket off his shoulders, folding it neatly and placing it beside Hank. Taking a deep, false breath, he pushed his tie aside and undone three buttons down his shirt. The dull blue of Biocomponent #8451 cast an eerie glow over the two of them as his skin retracted across his chest. His hand hovered over his chest for a moment, then settled.
[🔓] [ × ] Stay Forever
Connor choked as his fingers dug into Biocomponent #8451, twisting violently and giving a hard pull. The glow intensified, and Connor looked down with an almost morbid fascination as he turned the #8451 over in his palms. Warnings and alarms flared across his rapidly blurring vision. He dismissed them all.
Shaky hands placed the component on Hank's grave, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Connor smiled, a genuine, contented smile.
His eyes slipped closed as his head slumped onto his chest, and he felt a swell of emotions surge through him, cresting into a wave of peace.
"I'm sorry, Hank.. I'll see you soon. . ."