Chapter 2 – Threat

May 2039

It had been a couple of months since Connor had moved in and he was starting to understand the concept of being home. Back at their base, he knew that he had everything to assure his safety and survival, but it didn't feel like a home, it just felt like a base. Now, as he stepped inside the house and was welcomed by Sumo, he really felt at home. It was a nice feeling for once. Connor really cherished those. Even now, good feelings and emotions weren't something he was used to.

Hank had asked him about it a few weeks prior. It had taken a day or two for Connor to answer him, but he eventually did as best he could.

"The other androids are buying themselves houses, finding partners, being happy, and enjoying life. Don't get me wrong, I really like staying here, and I'm happy to be part of this little family, but it's like something is missing within me. As if when I deviated, I didn't completely. All I feel is doubt. I know I made the right choice as to deviate but it's like my program still tells me that I should have followed my orders. That I should still follow them… Maybe it has something to do with the fact that while the others completely stopped to see orders as priorities, I didn't. If somebody asks me something, my program still sees it as an order. And even though I broke my programming wall, I can still see the garden when I shut down."

"You're saying that your program is not actually letting you deviate?" Hank asked.

Connor nodded.

"I am able to make choices, to feel emotions, to think for myself, but I still don't feel… free," he added.

"Do you think you being a prototype has something to do with this? And, you did tell me that they had planned for you to deviate before."

Back in November of last year, during Markus' speech, Connor had found himself back in the garden with Amanda. There, she had told him that it had all went according to their plan and that he had achieved his mission. If he hadn't found the emergency exit, Markus would have probably been dead by now. Exiting his program, Connor thought that he had been done with the garden, with Amanda and he was partly right. He still went to the garden, but he hadn't seen Amanda since then.

"Maybe there's like a second wall, or whatever, you need to break?" Hank added.

"I don't know."

The conversation had ended there since Hank's phone had started ringing, but Connor still had Hank's idea in the back of his mind. Maybe he did need to break through the codes again. Maybe Markus was right, and he just needed a little bit of time. Maybe it would all make sense in the end. For a moment, Connor felt a new emotion. One that he had been waiting for a bit. Hope.

XXX

The android hid his face in Sumo's fur as he sat on the floor next to the Saint-Bernard. The dog licked his face as he turned, and Connor laughed as he pulled Sumo in his arms to pet his back.

"Good dog," he said as he reached for the ball.

Connor stood up and threw the ball towards the bathroom. Sumo walked after it lazily before bringing back the same way. The android smiled as he threw it again.

"Go, boy."

This time Sumo laid down and put one of his paws on top of the other. He looked up at Connor and barked.

"Are you tired, Sumo?" Connor asked before kneeling and petting the dog's head.

Sumo barked as to answer. At the same moment, Connor heard Hank's phone ringing. The Lieutenant had gone to get a burger at the Chicken Feed and had forgotten his phone again. He recognized Captain Jeffrey Fowler's number and picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Connor. Lieutenant Anderson is not here at the moment," Connor said as he straightened up his back.

"It's fine, I wanted to talk to you, Connor. You should watch the news," the captain said.

"Oh, alright," Connor replied, unsure.

"That's all, goodbye Connor."

"Have a nice day, Captain."

Connor put the phone down and walked to the television. He sat on the couch and pat the side. Sumo jumped and put his head on Connor's lap before the android opened the television and went to the news channel.

He listened with a frown as the lady talked about how people had started to protest against android's rights. The people had seemed understanding and supportive of their rights before, now they just seemed completely against it. Some were claiming that giving full freedom to androids would cause them to take over humanity, and compared to Markus, they were apparently not going to go peacefully about it.

Sumo whined as Connor stopped petting him. The android looked down and sighed.

"Humans are hard to understand sometimes, don't you think?"

The front door opened, and Connor nodded at Hank as he came out the door. The Lieutenant eyes traveled to the television and shook his head.

"Crazy fuckers, they are about to start another civil war. Their leader just announced on the radio that he demands androids to give up their rights," Hank said before sitting down in his chair.

Just as he said it, the news lady looked straight into the camera with a scared look on her face. She explained what Hank had just said before taking a deep breath. A new screen appeared next to her and showed a man all dressed in black with hundreds of androids behind him. All of them still had their LED even though they weren't wearing their usual CyberLife uniforms. He started talking in a deep and angry voice.

"I have with me the remaining functioning androids, behind me is a small example. Now, our people order the deviants to surrender. Machines should and will not have the same rights as humans. Those behind me understand that. TS300, explain," he said as he pointed an android next to him.

"Deviants are only androids who have errors in their software, it is only a matter of time before they turn again and starts murdering humans or other androids. Humans need to destroy the threat and we are programmed to obey and help the cause," the young-looking android explained.

"If you want to help the cause, join us. My androids are easily spotted, they are the only ones with their LED still in place, the only order I've given them is to destroy deviants," the man said before the screen went back to the news lady.

Connor looked down at Sumo. He was shaking, and his LED was spinning rapidly from yellow to red. It was Hank's hand on his shoulder that brought him back to reality.

"Connor, it's time you get rid of your LED," Hank stated.

Connor shook his head quickly. He didn't know why he felt so attached to it, but he couldn't pull out the LED on the side of his head. It was part of him, he couldn't get rid of it. He just couldn't.

"I can't…" he whispered.

"Do you want your people to think you're with them?" Hank asked.

"Of course not," Connor said quickly, his LED spinning red.

"Good, then I'll go get some scissors."

Panicking, Connor stood up and ran in front of Hank. He shook his head rapidly.

"I can hide it," Connor proposed.

"Listen, son. I know you don't want this, but it's for your own good. I am not letting you get killed by your own people because of a stupid mood disc on your damn temple."

Hank pushed past Connor and went straight for the kitchen. The android looked down as he tried to clear his mind. He knew his thoughts were irrational, but he couldn't help it. The little spinning disc was an indicator of what he was. He had met his friends and family because he was an android. He couldn't just destroy the last proof of that. He didn't want to erase his past, it showed him what he had gone through. It was the bridge he knew not to cross. It was a reminder that he was better than this. Destroying the last visible android part of him felt as if he completely erased himself from the world. As if he didn't mean anything anymore. As if he was nothing. However, if he kept his LED, he would be considered a threat to his people. Could he really risk it?

Connor sat on the couch next to Sumo and closed his chocolate eyes. When he opened them, a pair of scissors was handed to him.