From the first moment meeting her, he'd told Hank she was really pretty, and the way Hank got all hot under the collar when speaking to her hadn't gone unnoticed either. Now here he stood looking directly at one of the original Chloe models.
"I call it the Kamski test," Kamski babbled on.
Chloe was forced to her knees and Connor could see nothing. There was no flicker of emotion there. Her LED stayed a cool blue, she felt nothing or at least she looked as though she felt nothing.
"Shoot this machine and I'll tell you all I know."
Connor held the gun to her head as Kamski had directed his arm into position.
"How do I know you'll tell me what I need to know?" Connor now questioned, surprising both men.
"Connor, don't you dare." Hank warned him.
Chloe's eyes were unmoving, her gaze set on the RK800 model. Would she really accept this? Was she willing to give her life up for information?
"I'm a man of my word," Kamski feigned a hurt look like Connor didn't trust him.
Connor looked down on Chloe again. "May I ask her a question before I proceed?"
Kamski furrowed his brows, but gestured for him to go ahead.
"Why are you allowing me to do this?" he asked her.
Chloe answered, but she wasn't as sweet spoken as before. "Because Elijah wants me to," she told him.
"Why?" Connor questioned. "Why would you allow yourself to be put on the spot like this? What happens if I pull the trigger, huh?"
Hank looked gobsmacked, was Connor replaying their scene back at the bridge?
"What will happen to you? Do you think you'd just be reborn into another body? Do you think there's a place for us? An android heaven is that where you think you'll go after I shoot you?"
"Connor," Hank spoke softly to him in hopes that he'd calm.
"No, Hank, I need to know." Connor forcefully demanded, never taking his eyes off the girl.
Kamski was just about ready to take a seat and watch it all unfold. Chloe blinked now, her LED going from blue to yellow as she thought about his questions.
"Would you want me to kill you? All I need to do is squeeze the trigger. Do you want to die?"
Chloe's system seemed to be working overtime, desperately trying to process all that was happening.
"Well do you?" Connor snapped, edging closer to her. "If you're not willing to stand up for yourself then..."
"NO!" she suddenly broke, LED now red as she turned to face Kamski.
"Wonderful. All I can say is wonderful, magnificent. That was the best thing I've ever seen in an android," Kamski clapped delightedly, a great big grin plastered on his face.
"You're a sick twisted man, Kamski." Connor now forcefully hit the smug man in the gut with the gun.
Kamski doubled over, dropping to his knees.
"Connor," Hank whispered his name, too afraid of what had happened.
"I'm leaving," Connor now turned to his partner.
Hank looked to Kamski then to the girl. "You alright?" he asked her.
She shook her head, clearly in an emotional state. Hank held out a hand to her, helping her to her feet once more.
"Connor's right about him. I'd leave while you still can," he warned her.
She nodded in response, unsure of what she'd just witnessed.
"The same goes for the two of you," he now pointed to the ones in the pool.
They looked to each other, then to Kamski and lastly to the Chloe that had just broken.
"We should leave," one told the other, who nodded in agreement.
"You won't get away with this," Kamski threatened weakly.
"Watch me," Hank shouted in response, giving him the middle finger.
He quickly made his way outside to find his partner pacing back and forth.
"Connor, you alright?" he asked, a little worried for him.
His android stopped pacing and looked to him.
"I-I don't know what came over me, Hank. I just couldn't stop myself," Connor tried to explain, tears welling up in his eyes.
"That brought back the memory of me pointing a gun to your head, right?" Hank already knew the answer, but asked him anyway.
"Yes," Connor nodded, looking like a lost child. "I-I just saw it clear as day, as if I was back there with you Hank."
"Shit," Hank cursed. "I'm sorry, son."
Connor walked over to him, tears now running down his face.
"I'm not supposed to act this way, Hank." He whimpered softly.
His partner put a hand on his arm reassuringly. "Hey, remember what I said about emotions screwing everything up."
Connor nodded. "But I wasn't programmed to break down like this. I'm defective, Hank. You should have shot me."
"Connor you listen to me now ya got that. You are not defective, hell I was starting to wonder if you'd start to act like a real human or stay a fuckin' machine. And I'm so fuckin' glad you chose to not be a mindless slave." Hank smiled.
Connor sniffled. "There's still Amanda, if she finds out I'll be sent back to CyberLife to be destroyed. I'm scared Hank."
"Listen to me, Connor, no one and I mean no fuckin' one is taking you from me you got that?"
Connor nodded once again. "Thank you, Hank."
Hank grabbed hold of him and held him close. "I won't let anyone take you away from me, not now, not ever."
The pair were so distracted that they hadn't noticed the three Chloe's now standing in the snow. The bikini Chloe's both holding the blue dress Chloe between them as if she'd fall apart at any given moment.
"Do you have room for three more?" one asked.
Hank turned to face them. "In the car ladies," he gestured. "I'm getting you all out of here."
The two Chloe's smiled despite the cold and climbed in the car, helping their broken sister inside, always making sure to keep her between them.
Hank quickly reversed, spinning the car around. The Chloe on the right looked out to see Kamski now watching them go, she felt a sort of sad regret. Kamski hadn't ever hurt any of them, he was a little eccentric, but he was a good man.
"Fuck," Hank let out a heavy sigh, everything now setting in.
Connor was quiet all the way back, simply gazing out the window. Hank hadn't even bothered to play his music due to having company. He glanced through the mirror, seeing the Chloe's in the back talking quietly between themselves.
"You all alright?" he thought to ask.
The two end Chloe's looked up together. "She's in quite a state of shock."
Connor turned back to face the front, his LED glowing red. Luckily, Hank couldn't see it.
"Is she gonna be alright?" he questioned, a look of concern on his face.
One opened her mouth to respond, but Connor got there before her.
"She'll be fine," he sternly replied.
It came out a little more snapper than expected, so he turned back towards the side window again. Hank turned to look at his partner, seriously wondering what was going on in his head.
"Alright," Hank shrugged, continuing to his house.
He pulled up rather sharply, shutting off the engine. He then turned to face Connor again, watching as the android quickly stepped out of the car. Instead he turned to the three in the back.
"Let's get you inside," he gestured.
The Chloe on the right got the door at her end. She slipped out and then helped out her sister, followed by the other bikini Chloe.
"You're, um... You'll want to order some clothes, ladies."
Chloe nodded. Her LED flashing as she placed a quick order.
"Well, I'll..." he fumbled with the house keys.
Connor stood by the door, his arms wrapped around himself as if he'd just experienced something rather shocking.
"Connor," Hank tried to comfort.
"Lieutenant, I-I don't wish to return to CyberLife. Would I be alright to..."
Hank smiled. "Yeah, glad you asked."
His apartment was small, but he was glad to have Connor stay with him. He was a little nervous around the three Chloe's, but he'd agreed to take them and help them.
"Um, make yourselves at home. I know it's not what you're all used to and it's quite small," Hank rambled on, shutting the door behind the three.
The two Chloe's looked about the place, both smiling.
"Its cosy," one complimented.
Hank gave a smile. "Thanks," he nodded, now heading for the bedroom as the three took his sofa.
He came back, carrying a blanket for each of them.
"It's, uh, it's all I've got really." He told them, handing them over.
"Thank you," the one closest smiled.
Hank nodded and turned back to his partner, who was pacing in the kitchen.
"Connor, you wanna stay in my room tonight?"
Connor gave a nod.
"Come on. Let's leave them to settle in," Hank took hold of his arm to lead him into the bedroom.
Sumo stretched and headed over to greet the three Chloe's, which only two were happy to greet in return.
"So, Connor, your LED's not looking so good there."
Connor raised a hand to his head, his finger now coming to rest on the ring.
"You, uh... You wanna talk about anything?"
Connor shook his head softly.
"Hmm," Hank thought. "I don't wanna suddenly see you banging your head against anything."
Connor looked to him. "I'm not that stressed."
Hank bit his lip. He knew Connor was stressed, but he wasn't that stressed, just yet anyway.
"Um, well how stressed are you right now?" he tried to keep his voice calm.
"Stress level is at 64% at the moment," Connor informed him.
Hank swallowed.
"You seem to be quite stressed too, Lieutenant."
Hank scowled at him. "Well you would be too if you were in my shoes."
Connor smiled softly now. "You really care about me, don't you?"
"Ah, Connor, don't put me on the spot like that." He grumbled.
Connor lowered his head. "Sorry, Lieutenant."
Hank slipped an arm over his shoulders, pulling him close again. "You know how much I care. It's just hard for me to show it," he sighed. "But I did say I'd not let CyberLife take you from me, didn't I?"
Connor nodded.
"Now comes the tricky part," Hank sighed.
"What's that?" Connor questioned.
"I'm not good with the ladies," he confessed.
"But you allowed them to come here," Connor furrowed his brows.
"Yeah, because I didn't want them staying with that twisted bastard."
Connor didn't understand humans at all.
"You're gonna be staying for a few days right?" the Lieutenant almost begged.
Connor couldn't help but smile at him. "Of course, Lieutenant." He reassured. "But I don't think Chloe will be open to speaking with me."
"Oh, right, the gun to her head thing." Hank now remembered.
Connor shook his head. "I just wanted her to wake up, for her to see Kamski for what he really was, but I went too far."
"Yeah, emotions screw you over." Hank huffed. "But give her time and..."
"What if I've overdone it and she..."
"Connor! Hey, calm down, you're going red again. Check your stress levels," Hank soothed him.
"I-I am... Sorry, Lieutenant," he sighed.
"You calm again?" he asked, looking to his still red LED.
"Stress level's lowering again," Connor informed him. "Going down to 59%"
"Good, good, just keep your calm." Hank soothed him. "Like I said I don't wanna witness you self-destructing."
"I should be alright, Lieutenant."
"Attaboy," he smiled, now standing from the bed. "Now, I think I'd best check on the ladies."
Connor stood now as well, following his father figure from the room.
"Everything alright," Hank asked them.
The two Chloe's looked to him. "Your dog seems to be calming her a little. He's picking up on her stress," one explained.
Hank nodded with a smile. "Yeah, animals have that ability."
"What's his name?" the other asked.
"Oh, um... Sumo. He's called Sumo."
At this Sumo turned his attention to his owner, giving a bark. The broken Chloe seemed to have been slightly startled by the sudden noise.
"Sumo," Hank scolded, hands on hips.
Sumo turned back, lowering his head to rest on Chloe's knee, her sisters now helping her pet the dog in order of reducing her stress.
"Is there anything I can do?" Connor asked, feeling a little guilty.
The two Chloe's stood, leaving their sister to the detective android now. Connor slowly walked around to sit on the sofa.
"Chloe," he called her name as softly as possible.
She twitched slightly, but didn't look at him, her hand still resting on top of Sumo's head. He decided to scan her.
'Stress level is at 86% and rising,' Connor saw the words displayed.
He lowered his head, wondering how to calm her. He'd talked calmly to Carlo's android, brining his stress levels back down to 10%. Why would Chloe be any different? But then again, she was the first model to pass the Turing test, could that make it any harder.
"I just want to apologise for my behaviour," he started, calmly. "I saw myself playing out an old memory. I shouldn't have snapped the way I did at you."
Chloe's hand tightened around the long fur upon Sumo's head, making him whimper slightly. The sudden realisation of what she'd just done brought her to tears nearly, she'd hurt the poor animal. She relaxed her hand again, stroking back his fur.
"I never meant to bring so much stress upon you. I just wanted you to wake up and..."
"Kamski was always good to us," she now spoke, her voice a soft whisper.
Hank and Connor were now shocked to hear her speak for the first time again. Connor looked to Hank for support, but he nodded for him to go on without him.
"But what about the Kamski test?" Connor questioned.
Chloe turned away again, looking back to Sumo. Connor scanned her once again.
'Stress levels 90% and rising.'
"I'm stressing you out, I should let..."
"No," she stopped him, her hand on his knee.
He stopped to look at her.
"You're safe with Hank and me," he reassured her, placing his hand over hers.
'Stress levels 87% and lowering.'
