Me? Publish the two fics in the span of one week? Scandalous.
In all seriousness, though, the Purple Prose tag has never been more important. (AKA, This is more symbolic than literal.) This is also the Prequel Sequel to 2:2:1.
The afternoon sun burnt the cement of Detroit, agitating and antagonizing all of its inhabitants, flesh and mechanical. The brisk wind tore and clawed at anyone unfortunate enough to be outside during the day. Most humans avoided being out on a day like this, the contrast between hot and cold too odd and uncomfortable. However, other creatures had no such luck avoiding the commotion outside. A lone Papilionidae tried to fly solemnly away from the five-story office building that was New Jericho, its wings littered with tiny tears. The poor creature was blown violently - like it was being shaken by the hands of an ignorant child - along with a sharp gust of wind. Its small body tumbled through the air, helpless and weak. It didn't have enough strength to recover, its weightless body falling to the ground. It tried to pick itself up, but the insect didn't stand a chance. A careless foot crushes its soul, ripping its very body apart with its movements.
Markus and North danced and danced, ignorant of the massacre beneath their feet. There was no music playing save for the sound of their own thirium pumps, beating in tandem. North was smiling widely, her body language carefree and light. The bright sunlight reflected off of her exposed skin, highlighting her beauty for all to see. She was completely different from the human-hating fighter that would punch first and ask questions later. Markus was beaming at her as they danced, his eyes lit with amusement and pure affection. He pulled his lover closer to him, dipping her slowly. The two locked eyes as they held the position, the raw emotions playing out on their faces like an actor on a stage. Markus failed to notice the unusual slickness of the ground beneath him as he pulled her back up, automatically writing it off as melted snow. He failed to notice Josh's blank stare at himself and North as the couple laughed with joy. And he certainly failed to notice the sad smile and defeated eyes watching them from the roof as they came together in a tender embrace.
Before long, sunset once again graced the Earth with its calming rays. Richard waited outside of New Jericho, collecting his thoughts. His lip twitched as he took steady (yet unnecessary) breathes, trying to calm himself. His Thirium Pump was pumping at an accelerated rate. A rate that made his head spin, if he was being honest. He resisted the urge to pull out a coin and fiddle with it. (He wasn't Connor, after all).
A series of android murders had taken the DPD by storm, overwhelming everyone including detectives not assigned to homicide. As of now, the only things that they knew about the suspect was that one, they were most likely an android given the definitive lack of fingerprints and DNA and two, the crime scenes had been brutal: a single gunshot to the head with the bullet passing right through the memory storage device, obliterating any chance of uploading their memories to a new body. Android limbs were scattered methodically across the crime scene (detached post-mortem), seemingly in tribute to a God. (Whether that God was the mythical rA9 remained to be seen). Evaporated thirium had decorated the crime scenes an unsettling shade of blue. It was… very grotesque, even for the humans assigned to the case. It had hit a dead end for the department, so Richard thought that it would be best to ask if anyone at New Jericho knew anything.
Caught up in his own musings, Richard almost didn't notice the insect on the ground in front of him. Or, what was left of it at least. He scanned the remains of the creature, paying attention to the design on the wings.
Papilio troilus. Family: Papilionidae. Common Name: Spicebush Butterfly. Found mostly in tropical regions, this type of butterfly is said to exist on every continent except Antarctica.
He raised an eyebrow as he knelt down and scooped the remains of the Papilio troilus in his hand, cradling it protectively. He watched the lifeless body, torn to shreds, sway in the wind mechanically. Unnaturally. The scene… was incredibly sad. An uneasy feeling bloomed in his biocomponents. Something was wrong. (Someone was in danger-!) His head whipped up, the LED on his head flashing red. His stress level rose automatically to 75%.
Nonsense. As Richard's optical units scanned the area, there was no one around him save for the flora and the very faint creaks of the old building. Yet the feeling didn't disappear. It remained there, seated in the bottom of what would be his solar plexus. (Someone is in danger get help-) Richard hated this feeling (intuition, his mind supplied): it put him on edge, making his eyes involuntarily scan the area several times over. He initiated a self-test.
Scanning… Scanning…. Test Complete.
Elevated Thirium Pump Rate
Normal Body Temperature Elevated (37.78°C)
Excessive movement of optical units
Excessive Thirium pooling in abdominal cavity
Please contact Cyberlife to resolve the issue(s).
Contact?
[Y/N]
[N]
He forced himself to stand up, his posture rigid and tense. He transferred the insect into his right hand and covered the Papilionidae with his left hand as he stalked into the building where Simon was waiting. Richard took in his appearance: his hair was disheveled, giving him an appearance similar to a human with bedhead. His eyes were sunken in - something he had never witnessed on an android before since androids didn't need sleep. Normally strong, the PL600's body language was weak; his shoulders sagged, his hands twitched involuntarily, and his back was arched. The RK900 suppressed a shudder and forced himself to remain calm and not react irrationally. (Something was wrong-) The feeling in his gut only intensified at the passing thought.
Richard steeled himself. Simon had told him not to worry: the RK900 needed to work on trusting others like his predecessor had told him to. He took a deep breath (completely arbitrary) and spoke.
"Simon. I was told by my predecessor that you had information for me."
Simon nodded, his face unmoving. He swiftly held out an exposed hand. Richard said nothing, deactivating the skin on his own and clasped their hands together. Usually, when two androids interfaced, some of their current emotions would inevitably be transferred along as well. But the RK900 received no such emotions. (Very eerie). All he received was bits and pieces of gossips and rumors perpetuated by the androids in New Jericho. Before he could question it and find answers, Simon was already gone, like he wasn't even there to begin with.
The decision to use Papilio Troilus will become important when you read the third and final installment in the series. Speaking of said installment, it will be out... well, not soon. I'm projecting it to be around 5000 words but I won't be surprised if it surpasses that number.
Edit 26/09/18: I am almost through the entire first draft. It's sitting at about 4100 words. I still have three sections to write before I start editing.
Second Part in the Fly Hence, Thy Butterfly series
Part 1: 2:2:1
Part 3 (Finale): ?