Midnight Suns, Polar Nights

Connor was reading a book on the human anatomy in his room when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Not soon after, a Chloe android entered. She had a somewhat kind face and asked him if there was anything he needed. He pulled a screen of his condition at the moment. His stress level was at 0% and his battery level was at 72%. He wasn't in need of any thirium and from the looks of his recent diagnostic, he was fine. He told her so and she left as quietly as she came in. Such has been his life for the last twelve years. Since being brought to 'life' as it were by his creator, Elijah Kamski, Connor has been living his life in relative ease. Though he supposed if he were programmed differently, then any hardship he faced wouldn't be recognized as unsavory or a bother. Unlike all the other models Kamski had made, the goal of Connor's existence wasn't to become yet another subservient android like the Chloe's. He had been made to be raised and treated like a human child. Kamski told him that he'd gifted Connor with free will to do what he desired. And he wasn't the only one.

Before him were two other androids who were created with the same intent. Markus and Kara. They too were made and given the agency no other android had ever been given. Together, the three of them lived in Kamski's mansion; their every need met and all the resources in the world to aid them in whatever they wanted to pursue. Connor believed that made them a family. At least, that's what human familial units usually emulated. A parental figure or guardian and their children. But Kamski wasn't exactly fatherly to them in any way. Not outside of being their creator. For the last twelve years, Kamski has kept himself at a distance from all three of them. He went about and did his business, whether it be to promote his products, come up with more innovative designs, or give lectures around the world. He'd return to his mansion every few months to check up on them at the most superficial level. He'd analyze their emotional capacity and their physical conditions. There was never a time where his expression changed when he looked at his findings. He'd always wear this unreadable look, nod a few times and whisper something to the Chloe's nearby. And then he'd leave again to go to his next jobs.

There was never any indication that this routine would ever break. So when it did, Connor found himself caught completely unaware of how great the changes would affect him.

By evening, Markus had coaxed Connor out of his room and into the library. There, Kara was already sitting by the window, making some artificial flowers out of cloth. The library in Kamski's mansion took up two floors and was organized by color. By subject or alphabetically would have made more sense but Kamski had other things in mind.

"Why'd you ask me to come here?" Connor asked, taking a seat across from Kara who gave him a brief look in greeting. He still had the anatomy book on him which he planned to crack open right after he got an answer from Markus.

The oldest android in the room took a seat next to him and poked at his face. "You've been locked in your room for far too long, brother. I just thought you'd want to get some fresh air."

"The air in my room was never stale to begin with." Connor said with a deadpan. "And we don't need air. We're androids."

Markus was always adopting human behavior. Out of the three of them, he seemed to emulate humans the best. Next was Kara. Connor was last.

"I think what he means," Kara interjected. Her brown hair had been tied into two long braids. "Is that we've missed your company Connor. You don't have to talk or anything, but just your presence would make this house seem a little less empty."

Connor considered her words. Technically, the house wasn't as empty as it seemed. There were about thirty Chloe androids around the mansion, taking care of whatever Kamski asks of them. They must be complicated orders since the Chloe's never seem to rest. But he knew what she really meant and sighed. "Sorry I haven't been out that much. I've just gotten into this book and I guess time just slipped away from me."

Another feature unique to only them. Their knowledge was limited. Unlike the other androids, who had the entire internet stored in their head, infinite data locked in the confines of their skull, Markus, Kara, and Connor had to learn things. It was a feature that made them more human-like. Once they did however, they'd be able to retain the information forever.

Markus scoffed in a teasing manner. "Do you plan on becoming a doctor? This is the third book you've read on human anatomy."

Connor looked down at the cover of his book. It wasn't something he'd considered, the topic just caught his interest. "I'm not sure. It doesn't seem like a bad job."

Though as he said that, he didn't believe he'd like being a doctor very much. Something about it just wasn't calling out to him. He didn't feel the desire to make it his lifetime career. Assuming he'd grow out of this default body and become an adult. The three of them had been stuck with the same proportions for twelve years, caught between a child and an adolescent, though leaning more toward adolescent. Markus was the tallest one at five foot two. Kara was five feet, and Connor was about four feet and eleven inches.

"Well I want to become a superhero." Markus said, his eyes lighting up at the idea. Kara held in a giggle while Connor rolled his eyes. He didn't understand where Markus' fixation on fictional characters began, but he's always wanted to become some do-gooder that the people can look up to. He admired noble individuals who did the right thing not because they were programmed to, but because they wanted to. Human police officers and firefighters in particular fascinated him.

Kara sighed and placed her fabric flowers down. She'd made white lilies today. Their petals were plush and toward the center of the flower, there was just the lightest yellow hue. She was deft at sewing, a craft neither Markus nor Connor excelled in. They had given it a try once but needlework never came naturally to them as it did to Kara. Sure they could learn how to do it properly and then they'd never forget the knowledge but it wasn't within either of their interests so they left that to their sister. "What should I be then? A seamstress? Or maybe I should open up my own bakery or something."

"I don't see why not, my dear." A voice echoed from the entrance of the library. Had they been human children, the three of them would have jumped in surprise. As it were, they simply turned to the door. Elijah Kamski had returned home. And a whole week earlier than usual too. "The possibilities are quite literally endless for you."

He walked over and grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Nice to see you're all together. Now I won't have to repeat myself. Tonight will be Markus' last night here."

The trio of them stiffened. They exchanged wary looks and it was Markus himself who asked, "What do you mean by that, Mr. Kamski?"

Kamski never allowed them to call him by anything other than his last name. It was his way of maintaining the distance he'd created between them. He'd made it very clear that the only relationship they had with him was that of creation and creator in the most objective sense possible. There would be no strong emotions, whether positive or negative, shared toward him and this neutrality would be reciprocated. Kamski smirked and splayed his hands on the table near Kara's flowers. "I have a dear friend who's going through a bit of a rough patch right now. Carl Manfred? You know him as the critically acclaimed artist who's paintings I buy and keep in the east wing. Unfortunately, he's suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. His legs have become quite weak and he'll need assistance around the house. I'm sending you to him. He's set to be released from the hospital tomorrow."

"Will this be permanent, my leave?" Markus questioned with furrowed brows. Connor could tell he was trying to make sense of all of this. They all were. It didn't seem like a bad thing. But they've never been separated before.

Kamski tilted his head to the side. "Probably. Unless he doesn't want you then you'd come right back here. But I doubt that Carl would turn you away. Think of this like as an adoption. You're finally getting a real parent. And for that, we should celebrate. Come along kids, I've had Chloe set up something special in the dining room."

In the dining room there was a Chloe wearing a party hat, standing near the seat that Kamski usually sits in when he eats. There were a few balloons tied to his chair. On the extravagant marble table was a cake. 'Congratulations! You've been adopted!' It read. She had a near blank look on her face and brightened up only a fraction once they arrived. The three of them went to take their usual seats but were stopped by Kamski. Instead, he had Markus take his seat and positioned Kara to stand on his right and Connor on his left. They were then each given a party hat to wear. Connor couldn't help but think this all seemed like a poor mockery of a birthday party. It was odd of Kamski to arrange this for them. They didn't even eat human food.

He seemed aware of the absurdity since he said, "I know you don't eat but I just thought it'd be nice to go by tradition. Humans have a cake at every little event they celebrate. Birthdays, holidays, graduating, getting a job, losing a job, breakups, etc. This is just another one of those cake-worthy moments."

Connor stared at the cake. It was frosted in obnoxious colors, clashing horribly with the rainbow confetti sprinkles thrown all over it. If he had human eyes, they probably would have started to hurt now as their optic cones would have been assaulted. Nobody said anything for a minute though that didn't seem to faze Kamski. He brought his phone up to take a picture of them. Chloe handed Markus a knife so he could cut the cake.

"Say cheese!" Kamski requested with exaggerated cheer.

"Cheese." Markus, Kara, and Connor said at the same time in relative monotone. The camera light flashed just as Markus pushed the knife into the cake.

Kamski didn't even bother showing them the picture. He put his phone away and took the knife out of Markus's hands to cut himself a piece of cake. "Alright well, you three go on and say your farewells and then recharge for the night. I'll see you all tomorrow."

A clear dismissal. Markus and Kara said their good nights. Connor didn't bother. He knew it made no difference to Kamski if he said good night or not. Trailing behind his siblings, it had become an unspoken consensus to take refuge in Markus' room for the night. The three of them sat on the large rectangular rug that took up nearly all of his room. Each one of their rooms were decorated differently though they shared similar furniture. They each had a desk with a plain lamp to sit on top of it. There were no computers with which to use. Kamski had been adamant about them learning things the proper way. If they were to connect to the internet for just a second, they'd get millions of terabytes worth of information downloaded into their heads. Their creator did not want that to happen lest they become just another android with too much information in their heads and not enough room to think for themselves.

For some reason they each had a bunk bed in their rooms as well. It didn't make any sense to Connor why Kamski would do this since he only had three android children. But he had insisted it made their rooms look more fun. Markus liked sleeping on the top bunk. Kara would alternate from top and bottom. Connor always just slept on the bottom bunk, seeing no point in wasting his energy to reach the top.

Kara gave Markus a worried glance. Now that they were out of Kamski's company, the air around them was less awkward. "How do you feel?"

Markus hummed absentmindedly, hands clasped together. "The way I see it, I'm not being sentenced to death here. I'm going to Carl Manfred in order to be his caretaker. From what we know of him, he's a wealthy artist who currently lives with his son. His wife passed away two years ago. Their mansion is in a quiet, secluded neighborhood. I think I could have been dealt with a lot worse."

"How do you know so much about him?" Connor asked. It was only tonight that they had found out Carl Manfred was a dear friend of Kamski. And it wasn't like Markus could have pulled up the artist's profile within a second like other androids could. But from the way his brother was talking, it seemed as though he knew much more about the man.

Markus gave him a sheepish look. "I did some research into him a while ago. I like looking at his paintings in the east wing and I wanted to know a little more about him. Who would have thought Mr. Kamski would assign me to take care of him?"

Kara smiled. "Well then I guess you're being sent to meet your idol. But I wish you didn't have to go away forever."

Markus shook his head, bringing an arm around Kara's and Connor's shoulders. "I'll definitely come visit you guys. If Carl Manfred is as nice of a guy as I think he is, he'll let me see you again. Besides, let's not forget there's a chance he might send me back here."

Though Connor didn't emote that much, he could admit that there was a tension within himself building at the idea of Markus leaving. His stress level had even increased a few percent. Markus had been a constant presence throughout his entire life. And to go from a group of three to a unit of two would change their dynamic entirely. As the younger siblings, both Kara and Connor looked to Markus for guidance. But that would not happen anymore. Because by tomorrow, he'd be gone.

And just like that, Markus had left. Early in the morning, Kara and Connor were allowed to say their goodbyes one more time before their brother was ushered into the back of a sleek looking car with Kamski. Kara's hands rested on Connor's shoulders and together, they watched the car drive until they could no longer see it. After that, Kara suggested they go to the garden.

The garden was large and lush. It was comprised of both regular hedges and some of the most exotic flowers in the world. Though he didn't have the ability to smell, his scanners picked up how the air was dense with pollen. It was the middle of spring and the flowers were at their peak. They bloomed a little brighter and stood a little taller under the mid-morning sun. Kara sat under the large cherry blossom tree, whose flower petals rained down on her at a moderate pace. Connor followed her and lied down, looking directly up at the branches.

She gave him an amused look. "This garden is beautiful, isn't it? I never get tired of looking at everything here."

Connor's nose scrunched as a petal landed right between his eyes. "It is beautiful. The harmony of colors in front of a backdrop of green makes for an appealing aesthetic. Just like the way the books are organized in the library. It doesn't make sense, but it's nice to look at."

"I wish the same could have been said for the cake last night." Kara grinned.

Connor eyed her curiously. His sister had never been in the habit of making jokes, not like Markus. But maybe without their brother, she felt the need to step up and fill the void. Kara would never be able to fully make them forget about the absence, but he appreciated the effort. He allowed himself to smile at her words. "I hope it tasted good, because it looked terrible."

The two of them stayed in the garden for a long time, sometimes conversing but mostly sharing quiet moments. They were each caught up in their own minds and for once, there was no one to distract them out of it.

With or without Markus, time went on. Months passed as they always did and now, Detroit was beginning to receive the warmth of summer. Connor had not seen Markus since his departure from the Kamski mansion. He often wondered how his brother was doing. Did he like living with Manfred? Did he like being able to see the man paint in person? Had he forgotten about Kara and Connor?

Connor shoved the last thought out. They were androids. They couldn't forget. But that only led to a more troubling idea. What if Markus didn't want to come back to them? What if he chose to leave for good? Maybe he enjoyed the presence of humans more than he did of his siblings. Manfred also had a son. What if the two of them got along? It made sense then, how the Kamski mansion would not hold any appeal to his brother anymore. Even if he were to return, what would he be coming back to? An empty house filled with Chloe androids who were no more personable than the furniture around them and two more androids who looked the part of a human child but did not act like a human child.

Late at night, he would sometimes visit Markus' bedroom and just sit there. Kara would usually already be recharging by 11 pm and the Chloe's never bothered him. Connor would take in some of the details of the room. Like how the entire room was painted in a warm orange, how some of his books on botany and leaf identification still laid open (untouched since his leave), how there was a scuff mark on the railing of the top bunk bed because Markus once tried to leap off of it only to hit his head on the ceiling and fall back onto the bed. Connor would sit there and find comfort in it all. It made it easier for him to recharge for the night if he was in Markus' room rather than his own. He didn't have an explanation for it, and no matter how many times he ran his diagnostics, no answer would be provided for him. So he gave up trying to rationalize his tendencies and just did what he wanted.

Mid July, Kamski returned from his travels. Again, he was back an entire seven days ahead of his usual schedule for the last twelve years. It made Connor nervous. A break in the pattern again. The sun was just about to set when he entered Connor's room. "Hey kiddo, is Kara in her room?" Kamski asked. Not even a word of greeting before he got to whatever task he had on hand.

Connor lowered his book on forensic investigation. "She should be."

Kamski smirked. "Good. Come with me Connor. I'm going to need to have a talk with both of you."

Keeping his expression blank, Connor followed Kamski as the man entered Kara's room. She was reading a book when they opened the door. Her face was guarded and slightly worried when she saw Kamski with Connor in tow.

He sat them down in the living room by the fireplace. As Kara fidgeted and Connor stared at the wall behind their creator, Kamski took his time with what he wanted to say. He poured himself a glass of red wine and swished it around. "Do you know why I called you here? Take a guess."

Connor said nothing so it was Kara who had to find the courage to speak. "One of us is leaving again, is that it?"

There was a glimmer in Kamski's eyes though Connor couldn't decipher whether or not it was a good thing. "Absolutely right you are. And it's you Kara, who will be leaving."

Looking down at her hands, Connor noticed that his sister was clenching them rather hard, bracing herself at the information to come. What a human thing to do. "Where will I be going? With who?"

Kamski shrugged. "I don't know. Whoever will be the highest bidder at the auction tomorrow."

Even Connor had to take a sharp intake of air at the response. It shouldn't be possible for an android to look sick but Kara looked like she might vomit in a few seconds. "Y-You're selling me?"

"Don't take it to be a personal thing honey, it's not." Kamski tried to assure her. It didn't work. "And this isn't a punishment either. I just thought you'd be better off with someone else who could maximize your skills rather than have you waste away here. What better way to make sure you're taken care of than to allow for the wealthiest person besides me to have you?"

Connor was at a loss as to what to do. This all seemed wrong. Markus got to know ahead of time who he'd be going to and Carl Manfred seemed like a decent man. Wherever Kara was going now was unknown. They don't know who the future owner will be, what their background was, or even what their name was. He opened his mouth to say something but Kamski cut him off. "This is my decision for you. It has been made and it will not change. Tonight is your last night here. You two should know the drill by now; say your goodbyes and recharge."

His tone was cold and it had a sense of finality that Connor didn't dare to argue. Their 'father' wasn't even looking at them. His eyes were on his glass of Merlot, unfocused and pondering. The conversation was over. They didn't even get a chance to argue before they were dismissed.

This time, Kara didn't even bother wishing Kamski good night. She rushed out of the living room and Connor gave Kamski one last lingering look before chasing after her. In her room, Kara paced. Her ponytail swung back and forth with each movement. She was panicking.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Kara had her arms around him. "Oh Connor, what am I going to do? I don't even know where I'm going to go or who I'm going to live with. I'm scared."

Indeed, her 82% stress level reflected that. Connor tried to calm her down. He led her to her bed where they both sat on the bottom bunk. "Look, I know this seems like a lot. And it's not fair what Kamski's doing. But maybe, in his own way, he's trying to get you into a good home."

"But Markus knew who he was going to, I don't!" She cried. 84%.

The intensity of her emotions jarred him. This was more than he could understand. Somehow, Connor knew that whatever he would say to her, it would be of no use. Sitting there next to Kara, he did his best to calm her. The only thing he could do was pat her shoulder until she eventually fell into sleep mode.

Connor didn't recharge all night. After he laid Kara into her bed, he gave her a long look. Then he took a circle around her room. This would be the last night she would be in it. Her room was painted a light plum color, accented by rich purple lining. Her desk was organized yet comforting. It wasn't so cold and precise as Connor's desk was. She kept a small basket of cloth to the side where some had been sewn into flowers and others were left undone. Kara had a few origami figurines that she folded though most of them turned out to be lopsided or misshapen.

All the way until dawn, Connor kept circling the room, trying to dispelling this uneasiness within him. It was similar to how his body had reacted when it was announced that Markus would leave. Now the feeling seemed to have doubled in its intensity knowing that Kara will leave too. His battery was at 9% but he ignored it. Then, at the faithful hour, Kara had awoken and suddenly, they were facing each other at the front door to the mansion. Connor stared into her sunken eyes, knowing that she had gotten a full night's rest but still feeling so dispirited. She gave him a tight hug and quickly turned away from him. Every step she took away from him and toward the automated taxi was widening the chasm between them. But it was a threshold he could not cross. So he stood there until his vision blurred and the warning sign appeared before his eyes that he was at dangerously low levels of energy. 2% it read. Reluctantly, he gave the empty road a few more seconds before he ran to Kara's room. Just as he reached the last of his 1%, Connor collapsed onto her bed and slept for two days straight.

Connor felt as though he was in a constant loop of nothingness for a long time. Markus was now no longer a person he could even reconstruct the phantom presence of anymore. And as for Kara, he didn't think he wanted to. The idea that he could still reconstruct her comings and goings around the mansion would only give way to more emptiness when it was over. Now, Connor actively avoided his room. He alternated between recharging in Markus' room and Kara's room. He even tried the top bunk once but there wasn't any appeal to try again afterwards. He gutted his room of all his books and placed them on Kara's bookshelves instead. Any stationary or writing utensils he had sat on top of Markus' desk.

Without someone to pull him out of his thoughts or convince him to leave the confines of his bubble, Connor nurtured a path of single-mindedness. All he did was read. He read all of his books on human anatomy, psychology, ethics, and forensics within a week. Next, he tackled all of Markus' books. That took another two weeks. Then all of Kara's. Eventually, the entire library. When there was nothing more to read he asked one of the Chloe's to order more, and with Kamski's never ending funds, it wasn't a problem. There were magazines that were downloaded onto tablets but he never touched them. His hand would be too active, in need of a page to turn now and again. Connor let himself drown in the texts, relinquishing his mind to the printed words.

Instead of appearing a week earlier than usual, Kamski showed up extremely late. He had the habit of returning to his mansion every three months but since Kara's departure, he'd been gone for nearly half a year. Connor sometimes wondered if the man had grown bored of his house full of androids and abandoned them altogether. But around the middle of November, he showed his face. Connor had been sitting in the middle of a dead garden when the entrance to it was opened loudly.

"Phew! It's cold out here! You're not freezing your fingers off or anything, are you?" Kamski asked conversationally, taking a pair of gloves a Chloe handed to him.

Connor gave him one look and turned back to his reading. Even without looking at his creator, he knew that Kamski was rubbing his hands together, trying to get them to warm up. An icy wind blew their way but Connor didn't feel anything. Well, he felt the swishing of his hair.

"Uh oh, this ones regressed quite a bit." Kamski sounded displeased. It was the first time he actually sounded genuine in his assessment.

The snow beneath his feet crunched irritably as Kamski made his way over. Connor felt a light hand on his shoulder and he knew exactly where this was going. There was no need for pleasantries but he waited for Kamski to speak first on the matter.

"I'm pretty sure you know. It's your last night here. Sleep well, Connor." Was all that was said. He was given even less information than Kara. But Connor didn't care, he gave his creator one single nod and made his way back into the mansion. Except, the same hand rested on his shoulder again, this time holding on harder. His body recognized it as an unusual pressure and that gave him pause. "Before you go," Kamski said, his voice barely above a whisper. "be sure to really enjoy your last night here. Because the next time you wake up, everything will change."

Connor gave away nothing of his thoughts and headed to the door. Just as he reached the door handle, his sensitive hearing picked up Kamski's last words. "For better or for worse."

Kamski knew he'd heard him.

For the first time in more than nearly year, Connor chose to sleep in his own bedroom. It was now empty of any of his belongings. The only thing that had a hint of personality was the color of his walls. It was a cool blue that reminded Connor of the ocean and of the sky at the same time. He left the lights to his room on. His eyes tried to take in each little centimeter of blue he could see. He remembered the day he'd been brought to life. The first thing he saw was a spectrum of colors. A screen consisting of more than 300 squares of colors lined an entire wall. He didn't see Kamski yet, nor did he see Markus or Kara. All he saw was the rainbow. Somewhere overhead were speakers. "Go on," Kamski had urged. "pick a color."

Connor faced the wall and his eyes scanned every color twice. The process lasted more than ten minutes, but nobody rushed him. His hand made contact with the blue, almost cyan square and all other colors fell away. Then, the square flipped to its other side and there was a name. 'Connor.' From then on, he'd been known as Connor. Apparently behind every color was a name. As another token of agency which Kamski had given to them, upon awakening, they had chosen their own color of preference and name. Their creator may have put together the parts that comprised them but they were tasked with the responsibility of molding themselves into the people they wanted to be. The 'Color Initiation,' as Kamski liked to call it, was one of the most important step to jumpstart their sense of self and individuality.

His room may have been stripped of all else but he still had the walls. And somehow, Connor found himself ok with recharging for the night.

++++++++++++ End of Part I ++++++++++++

If you've somehow made it here (provided that it wasn't by accident) thanks for reading this entire mess of a story! Means a lot to me. I wrote it all and posted it all pretty quickly. I wanted to get it out there before I got too self-conscious and critiqued this story to oblivion. Anyways, do leave a comment if you like it, hate it, think it's trash. Any feedback would be good, honestly. Also, if anyone actually wants more of this garbage, just know that I'm the worst when it comes to continuations. Maybe there'll be more, maybe there won't.