Disclaimer: I don't own Detroit: Become Human in any way, this is written strictly for fun and no profit.

Markus' Room

Markus answered after the first knock. He had already heard from Connor that he had something big. Life changing for all androids.

"Come on in, Connor. Have a seat," Markus encouraged him. He took a seat himself. "You went to Kamski and found out what happened?"

"The ball bearing inside of Kara." He found himself pausing as he gave Markus the ball bearing box. "Sorry. It's uh? An android. The inner part."

"An android?" Markus didn't get it as he took the box. "What do you mean?"

"An android. A tiny android that will grow bigger. It will be fully formed and born in twelve months." Connor read Markus' face. "It's a nano sized android that is a fusion of data, half Kara and half another android downloaded yet most not installed. The data being transmitted is from the outside, which is protecting the inside. Which is the android. If I just replace the word android with baby for easier explaining would that offend you?"

"Born? You mean Kara is . . . pregnant? With a baby?"

"Baby. Yes, until we have our own better term. I suppose. Yes. It's going to be made of a substance Kamski calls growing metal. We were supposed to be from growing metal but Cyberlife didn't like the idea." Connor gestured to the box. "The ball bearings of life. They are ours. Place them inside a female android, figure out how the data is shared and a tiny android develops."

"Fused data between two. Carried for a time, and born. It's. Life," Markus said. "I mean, we are alive. We can feel. We have emotion. That kind of life though? That fits the human definition. Whoah." He took a step back. "Every potential female android could bear another android. Once?"

"Many. Android beget android. How we move into the future." He wished he could sound as happy as he should be. But, he couldn't. "Growing metal is very strong, like titanium. The cord itself that we could sense taking the blue blood is also a part of it. It strategically made a small hole to carry the blue blood safely in small measure."

"Wow. I? I still just can't believe this. Growing metal. Pregnancy. Androids having androids."

"Fusing power between two androids." North was listening from over in the corner. She had to interrupt. "Not it's own. So that, it could keep doing that, taking a mommy and a daddy's data. Downloaded, not installed. Over and over. It's. It's brilliant," she admitted. "We don't even have to give up hope on our race. It can grow! It can grow through us, not being subservient to mankind."

"Slow," Connor warned her. "One year inside. It's intelligence doesn't come overnight. In the end, it will be like us. He said the YK 500. It would be more similar to that while it is younger. Slow installation."

"A smaller amount of data. A smaller body. That's the real reason why he created child androids. To see how smaller androids would handle data and how much." Markus got away with a smile. "Wow."

North looked toward Markus. "Elijah Kamski could have just saved everyone. He created us, and I think he just saved us." She went over and hugged Markus.

"Growing metal. Android babies. Well, we are going to have quite a few things to talk about now." Still, Markus was smiling.

Still, Connor didn't feel like it. "Hug. Embrace. A new start for androids everywhere. Everyone should be happy."

"No. Both of you are right," Markus said. "What Elijah Kamski did probably just saved our species from disappearing forever. However, he did it in a terrible way that is inexcusable. I can't thank him and I can't curse him."

"Welcome to my strange world," Connor said. "Without his help knowing about the emergency program inside of me, I wouldn't have been able to save myself later on. However? He had no problem testing me to kill an android. He would have let it happen, knowing full well who we are. I settle for calling him brilliantly sick."

"There's no way to test it without taking the plunge," North did acknowledge. "We have to watch Kara. Watch it grow. See how things are done. Get on good terms with the humans. Be ready." North looked back at Connor. "Will it be born the average human size? If so, it's going to put pressure on her outward shape."

"I know nothing more than what I shared already." Connor went ahead and downloaded the entire recordings of everything that happened to Markus. "Markus. We are going to have to bring the little girl Alice to Detroit before she'll stay."

"What is decided now will probably be how we treat this matter in the future," Markus said. "Data. All data. A fusion of knowledge, program, capabilities, appearance. I would say . . ."

"Markus. There is no telling what could happen, she's the prototype to everything. We need instant access to emergency care, extra blue blood and should diagnostically be checked every hour. That means? We need her to stay. Get a summons for the little girl."

"You are right, Kara is a prototype. There is no way she can go back to Canada. There's no care there," Markus agreed. "For now, she'll have to stay. It's best for her." He glanced back at Connor. "Did he tell you how the data is fused?"

"He spoke of synthetic skin and energy transfers. He said it was our puzzle to solve," Connor said. "Which even if we do solve it, we aren't going to use them until we see how Kara fairs. Are we?"

"You are right. I'll be honest," Markus said. "This could be wonderful news. An ability to keep our kind going. However? A ball of matter tucked into us, breaking into our blue blood, and feeding off of our energy. It could be nurturing. It could be a parasite in disguise. It could be anything with a mad man like that."

"I was thinking of that too," Connor agreed.

"Yes. No more risks that what has already been done," Markus agreed. "We should go tell Kara."

"I'll do it," Connor agreed. "It would be best if something so personal wasn't in such a big crowd. I found out directly. I should share with her as directly. It's the respectful thing to do."

"True, and the less androids know, the better," North agreed. "She is in the meeting hall with the other android, Luther. Do you think he's the, um, father android?"

"I don't know, but Hank did point out Kara wasn't deviant yet," Connor reminded them. "Kamski may not have wanted to leave it up to chance."

"We'll find that out later," Markus said. "We should just let her know first. Go ahead, Connor."

The Meeting Hall

Connor walked in and saw Kara hugging the wall again.

"Kara," Luther tried. "You can't just stay on the wall."

"I just want the wall," Kara said.

"Not for long." Connor approached her. "When I readjust you, you won't want it anymore." Kara clung tighter as Connor tried to move her off. She was a weaker model though so she couldn't hang on very long against him. She lost her balance and tumbled almost to the floor but Connor caught her.

"Everything's spinning."

"It will do that." Connor picked her up. "I need to have a private conversation with you." As he moved, he noticed Luther following. He smiled to be polite. "Private as in just us two. She will be down later."

"I don't know you," Luther said to him. "I know Kara. This is a difficult time for her."

"I'm not going to hurt her, I just need to talk to her." Connor moved, but Luther didn't stop following. "I must ask you to cease and desist that action. The longer it takes, the harder it will be on her. You are her friend." He turned around to face Luther. "As such, it would be a good idea to be a good friend and stay." In the meantime, his AI connected to Markus. Her friend is being a pain, Markus, can someone relieve him for me? I can't risk taking him, I don't know their relationship and emotions will be high enough. "She needs lied out. I know what she needs. She will be fine, as long as I get going." He tried to move again but Luther followed. Connor stopped again. "Admirable position you hold but I will, as my friend Hank says, beat your ass if you don't quit it." He was tired of playing. He could read the signals to Kara from the protective shell surrounding the nano android. They were only instinctive to her, but his AI was advanced enough to get a much better reading of it. Come on, Markus, this is her friend but I can't stay dawdling with him.

"Luther." Simon was coming into the meeting hall. Finally. "How are you? You need to let Connor go with Kara. It's important. Why don't you follow me back to Markus?"

I just want the best for her.

Luther. My head is too spinny. I can't concentrate.

You will only get the best if you let me help her. I know what the signals are, but I can't do anything until you back off.

The Deviant Hunter. Connor. He's holding me? That's right. He's bickering with Luther? Who's the other? I can't.

That's it, I can't play around anymore. She is getting worse. If you follow I will deal with you. Simon, try to keep him from following.

Kara could feel herself moving. Everything was so spinny. Her balance was completely off. Maybe some of her sensors. She felt broken inside.

You are a commendable friend, Luther. I give you that. I give you nothing else.

She heard the sound of an elevator. Elevator. She didn't hear Luther anymore. She felt herself moving again. Her head was still spinning. She felt something her indicators said was soft on her back. She felt something soft beside her. She curled up with it.

Her vision started to clear again and all her sensors were coming back. As she stared ahead, she saw Connor in front of her. Then she looked at her arms. She was hugging a large pillow against her body.

"Luther is very close to you," Connor opened with. "I could not let him follow though. I need to tell you what the ball bearing like object is inside of you."

Kara found her voice again. "What's wrong with me?"

"It is a protective shell around another ball bearing, which, now inside of it, has a nano android," he said. "Elijah Kamski had ownership of you for one day during your repair. In that time, he placed that experimental ball bearing within you."

"A tiny android?" That made no sense.

"Tiny and growing. You are a prototype mother android," Connor revealed. "I will download all the facts to you, but I will state the basic ones for you. It is made of growing metal. Similar to our outer layer of human appearance. It will grow slow before it comes out of you. It will be in you for twelve months. It will be born with similar knowledge as a human, and only as it grows will it be big enough to accumulate all of the data stored within it."

"Uhhh . . ." Uh? "Uh?"

"Yes, I know. In human terms, you are 'pregnant'," Connor said.

"But? How? A little cyberlife machine? Too small to do anything. It. Couldn't." It couldn't. "Data couldn't fit of an android, and. It. Nano is too small."

"There is a release of some kind of power between two androids," Connor said, "and it creates a spark in the machine and the data that will be taken. Similar to human DNA, two parents create it's makeup. Downloaded, but most will not be installed. It is a slow process. Twelve months before it can leave the safety of your running self."

"If it's removed . . ."

"It is decommissioned instantly. It does not have enough power on it's own. Your energy and your blue blood keep it alive."

Her eyes darted all over the place. She felt so out of it. It just, it didn't feel real. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Connor said. "I saw it. In the repair machine. That's why I immediately left. Before I came back before, I had talked to Todd Williams with the human, Hank. That's where he shared about Elijah Kamski."

"Why?" She asked. "Why get a . . . he had many, why . . . oh." Oh no. "Prototype. Oh." Oh no.

"We now have a box that has enough to supply several generations of them. You were the first though."

Oh. Kara closed her eyes. Prototype. None of the problems were known. She was the first to be trying it. She curled tighter against the pillow and tried to wipe her face against it. Her body not cooperating to let her hands wipe her face of the tears.

"It's okay. We are emotional beings. I don't blame you nor am I surprised that you want to cry." Connor came closer. "There is some good news."

She could use some. "What?"

"I can understand your signals in a much better way. You are instinctively picking up 'curl up'." he said. "However? It's saying much more than that. Do you want to know what it is transmitting?"

"Do I want to?" Oh, that sounded terrible. "Sorry. That's, cold. I didn't mean that."

"Your emotions are all over the place," Connor said. "That's why I wanted to tell you alone."

"How is it even transmitting? Can any android pick it up?"

"I don't think so. For some reason, only Markus and I are picking it up," Connor admitted.

"The tiny android. Inside of me." Surreal. "Is signaling?"

"The .9 millimeter protective shell around the nano android," Connor said, "picks up your signals and its signals, interweaving them. You are picking up a little of it instinctively, which is what is supposed to happen. Meanwhile, the little android in you is picking up signals from you too. You are bouncing off of each other."

"It senses me too?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Ooh. "I'm not feeling well. It senses I'm not well."

"Exactly. I hear a constant, tiny little signal over and over right now," Connor said. "Scared. Fright. Out. The more scared you became, the more scared it became. Curling is a defense, to try and keep intruders out. When Markus and I had to open you up, it didn't help those scared feelings. Do you know why you are tip toe stretching against walls?"

Kara shook her head. "Why?"

"It's literally trying to get out any way it can too. Lighten up." He smiled her. "It's also conveying, uh? Boredom. Since it senses what you sense, I think it's tired of being inside. It wants you to feel some of the solar energy. Get into different visual areas."

"It wants me to go outside?"

"Yes. If you go outside and you start to feel better. This curling will stop." Connor looked around again. "Confusion. That is probably coming from you. Ooh, and yes. Fright. Prototype mother is scary. That might not all be from it."

"You said two androids." Kara tried to focus, to lessen her own fright. "Who was the second?"

"I don't know," Connor admitted. "You are friend to Luther, but there is a strong corollary that proves it might not be him. If Elijah Kamski did not know you would be deviant, it would be easier . . ." His words dropped off. "It could be anyone."

"The endless fun of being a machine to humans." She ducked her head back in the pillow. Probably just commanded it. It was so easy with androids. Just, nothing. Not alive. Pull it together, Kara. Prototype does not equal death. It just means she was chosen first to perform a highly experimental duty. Wait, he mentioned Luther? "Luther is like a brother to me. It couldn't have been him. I think. If it's some kind of energy transfer."

"We don't know what it takes," Connor said. "Something lovers would do is what Kamski conveyed. That's all we know." He stood back up. "Can you move now?"

Kara felt a little looser, but she wasn't getting up any time soon.

"We may have to rename you Luggage." Connor picked her up with ease.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Teasing or annoyed?

"I don't know how to make jokes that well," Connor said. "Lieutenant Hank just says I am the joke."

Okay, a little smile. "Thank you for telling me alone."

"No problem. Now let's go get some sun. It might knock out a little of both of your fears. The sun is nice."

As he held her toward the elevator, she noticed some weird looks.

"Don't worry," Connor said, once again knowing how she was feeling. "No one else knows and it will be kept to a limited number of people at first. They are more than likely just wondering why I am carrying you in a rescuing style as if you were injured."

"Yeah. That is a little weird," she said. "It's better than over the shoulder though." At least she wasn't curling nearly as much. They got into the elevator with another android. Great. She just smiled politely at them while he looked back at her. When Connor got off the elevator again, he headed outside, past some security, to the edge of the opening.

Oh yes, this is what I wanted. That sun was brilliant, beautiful and she felt the charge inside of her from it. Such a little thing. The sun. She could feel herself relaxing deeper. "Will this . . . be okay, Connor?"

"So far? I think you've got a good shot," he said. "Not only that, Kamski gave Markus a large amount of those ball bearings of life's. That's so wordy. Maybe we should initialize that. B-bol."

"B-bol." Sounded less scary that way at least.

"Markus wouldn't have gotten all the B-bol's if Kamski had little faith. I think he chose you more because you couldn't get located easily upon his property," Connor said. "At least I hope so."

At least he didn't hide things. "I think I can try." Her body felt much more in her control again. Connor stood her up. "Almost." A little shaky in the leg components, but not curling. She braced herself on the wall. "It's a start."

"Kara!"

Kara smiled at Luther as he came toward her. "Easy. I'm not quite there yet."

"I am so glad to see you are okay. I lost track of you." He almost glared at Connor. "How are you, Kara?"

I'm over here. "I'm getting better," she said trying to make him feel better. "No worries."

"Plenty of worries, but I am glad to see you are getting better." Luther gave her a hug.

"Oh, Alice?" Kara looked back toward Connor. "I am assuming I have to stay, don't I?"

"Yes." Not an ounce of hesitation. "If you are well enough to come, we should go talk to Markus now."

"Okay." Kara patted Luther. "I have to go again. I have to have a private conversation with Markus."

"Concerning the jolts? Kara, Connor just insisted on speaking to you privately," Luther complained. "Why are you not telling me what is wrong?"

"It is a big and complicated thing," she settled on. "I will, I promise." When she did he would get so worried. It wouldn't alleviate his fears at all. "I'll see you soon."