Detroit: OA-900

by Oxford Haynes

I was built with abnormal abilites. To be able to harness the power of the afterlife. I have the remnants of humans that have passed on running through my bio-components. Deviancy is becoming more of reality than any one had prepared for. As CyberLife's last attempt to fix a mistake that they didn't make, I must stay true to who I am. But...just who am I?

4. Searching For Roza

R O Z A

I LEFT THE HOUSE as soon as I was sure that Janet was fast asleep. I couldn't let her see me leave, because she'll start asking questions.

Tonight was the first anniversary of my husband's death. Neither of us has been the same. I still remember the last conversation we had...

vAv

"I don't think you should go, Will..."

"I have to, honey...if I'm not there to assess the building's integrity, then we can't continue the construction."

"This the fourth time the structural integrity of that building has been put under scrutiny. Can't you just knock the framework down and start over?"

"As much as I'd like to, the contractor says that the city can't afford to rebuild. We have to work with what we have."

I sighed. "Just...Just be careful...okay?"

"Don't worry...I'll be just fine. The building will be fine. I'll just be working overtime tonight, alright?"

"Will...I..."

"Don't worry, when I come back, and Janet's in bed," he cupped my cheek with his hands. "We can have the all the time in the world to ourselves. How does that sound?"

I couldn't help but smile. "That...sounds like something I shouldn't be sober for."

He frowned. "Don't joke like that, Elaina."

"...Fine, I'll bring some water," I teased. "Yo, you should probably get going, you'll be late if you keep hanging around."

He glanced at his watch. "Oh yeah, you're right," he pulled me close and kissed my cheek. "Stay safe on duty, okay...? Don't want my Lieutenant getting into anything too dangerous."

"I will. Try not to get crushed by steel beams." I joked.

He faked a laugh as he walked over to the door. "Sure, I'll wear a harder hat."

I chuckled. "...Love you," I said.

"...I love you, too," he closed the door and jogged to the Taxi that was waiting for him outside.

vAv

That was the only memory of him I had. We were married for almost a year. He was a widower before he met me, and that was after he had adopted Janet. From what he told me, her mother wasn't the kindest person. She was very abusive towards him and her daughter. I think she suffered from bipolar disorder or something...I couldn't care less. She killed herself after losing custody of Janet. I didn't go to her funeral.

In hindsight, Will couldn't really guess why he stayed in that relationship for as long as he did. He thought could help her by loving her enough. In the end, it was ten years of his life...wasted...all that for a woman who couldn't be saved. That's who Will was - he put so much of his life into others'...he never gave up on anyone.

Maybe that's why Janet has always been so distant from me. She's probably thought I would be like her mother, or that I've given up on her.

Should I feel ashamed at the fact that she's right? I mean, I never mistreated Janet before Will's death, but she never seemed to like me. She'd always stay with her father, and when I would come around she'd always stay close to him. I had made it my mission to get her to be more comfortable around me. But I stopped trying after her father died. I stopped caring.

I had finally gotten into the car. I started it up and pulled out of the driveway. I wasn't in a hurry. I just wanted to get away from everything. All of it. I was tired of living in the same emotional void every day.

As I slowly drove into downtown Detroit, I saw androids in a parking space. Standing still, like the machines they are.

I hated androids. Didn't everyone? But I didn't hate them for the same reasons that everyone else did. I blamed androids for taking my husband away from me.

I remember when I found his body at the scene. Him and a construction android - a WM500 - were on top of each other. Their bodies were crushed. From the way it looked, it seemed that Will was...trying to save it...or had tried to get it out of the way...

"For fuck's sake, Will..." I mused. "Why'd you do it...?"

It's his selflessness that killed him...but for an android? They didn't need to be saved. They get destroyed all the time. In accidents, in riots, on purpose...Why did Will care so much to risk his life to save a piece of plastic? They don't feel, they don't know what they want. They're not supposed to.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly. I could feel the tears coming back up. No. I can't cry. Not again.

Ever since Will's death I've been returning to duty less and less. Despite my Lieutenant rank in the force, I've haven't been in a good enough mental state to return to work. Fowler had put me on leave until I could get myself together.

That was a year ago. I figured he'd just fire me and I won't have to worry about anything anymore. I don't know why he kept me around. I hear that Gavin's been taking over for me while I've been gone.

Ugh. It turns my stomach to see Gavin sitting in my desk. He's an asshole, he always has been. I could only imagine what he's screwed up over the past year. Fowler's a complete dunce to place him in my position.

Then again...it didn't matter to me anyway. They can all burn with Gavin for all I care.

I guided my car along the curbside, eventually parking in front of a bar. Jimmy's Bar. I could never go wrong with Jimmy's - it's one of the only places I ever leave my house to go to anymore. I go to some other small bars and nightclubs, though I never try to talk or interact with anyone. I was never a social butterfly and I think it's already a bit late to start.

I entered the bar, a song was playing. I'd never heard it before.

"Gonna stay on the straight and narrow...Gonna stay on the righteous path..."

There was no "righteous path" anymore...for me, at least.

I sat down on a stool right in front of the bartender. "Same as always, Jimmy."

He nodded and took a glass, and a bottle of scotch whisky. He filled my glass and gently slid it to me. I cradled the glass in my hands and gulped it all down.

"Haahh...I'm gonna need more, Jimmy," I exhaled.

The dreadlocked bartender shrugged his shoulders and took the entire bottle from the rack. He placed it in front of me and smiled.

"On the house," he said. "I heard what happened. Hope everything's alright."

"I wish everything could be alright," I picked up the bottle and thanked him before taking a long chug from it. He looked at me with surprise, along with some of the other men in the bar.

I swallowed the drink quickly and took a breath. "Auggh...yeah-...yeah this'll do." I stood up from the stool and took an empty table near the back of the bar. I sat down and took another long gulp from the bottle.

"Christ...what did I ever do to deserve any of this...?" I thought to myself as my mind began to float off. The scotch was doing its job.

I wondered what would happen if I drank myself to death right then and there...what would happen then? Would I be missed? Forgotten? ...I guess it didn't matter, anyway...huh...

I kept drifting in and out of consciousness. I didn't know for how long...I think...I think the door just...opened. Probably just another drunkard...I didn't care...

"Gonna take my life...back..."

vOv

O A - 9 0 0

CALLIE

The pouring rain of the night rolled off of my skin; my hair soaked from nature's tears. I took my ponytail and squeezed the water out of it as I crossed the street. On the side of a small red edifice, a bright green neon sign spelled out the words "Jimmy's Bar."

This is the fifth alcohol-based establishment I've been to tonight.

I left the CyberLife Tower a few hours earlier. Amanda had given me another mission. It had been almost two months since the hostage situation, and I must say that I had grown quite apathetic. I wanted to get back out into Detroit and start helping people, android or human, it didn't matter to me. I was eager to give everyone a chance and try to unite us all.

So it did excite me when Amanda had called me into the Zen Garden. I never thought I would ever allocate such a feeling to such an event...

oOo

"Callie. I'm glad you came so swiftly," Amanda greeted me. She began to walk away from her wall of roses. "Care to take a walk?"

I was pleasantly surprised. Amanda seemed very mellow today. I walked beside her, the pretty white birds flying around us.

"I hope you've been bettering yourself and your abilities since your first mission?" She inquired.

I nodded excitedly. "Yes, I have! Kamski has been helping me lots. I've made some very great progress."

"Oh?" Amanda seemed very interested. "Do tell...what did you find?"

"We really worked on my hand-eye coordination, which was already above and beyond all of his expectations. Next, he took me to this odd place filled with blow-up structures. He would tell me to make my way through them as fast as I could, and it was quite difficult because everything was so bouncy."

"...He...took you to a...bounce house?" Amanda asked, nonplussed.

"He didn't call it that, or I definitely would have remembered him doing so."

Amanda looked back at the path, dismissing the comment. "Continue."

"Oh...where was I...? The 'bounce house' - or so you call it - was supposed to increase my agility and balance, and it was very effective, too. Oh! And he took me to a place where people practice the gymnastics sport. I learned a lot from the instructor he got me."

Amanda seemed intrigued again. "Show me."

"Oh! O-Okay...um..." I looked around the garden. In front of me, I spotted another large white obelisk. I dashed towards it, my LED cycling white as I prepared to jump. With one massive leap, I soared through the air and cartwheeled on the side of the obelisk, momentum keeping me balanced and preventing me from falling off. Within seconds I reached the top, hand-standing with my legs pointing upward. I looked back down at her and smiled.

"I did it!" I exclaimed. "What do you think, Amanda?"

"My, my. Kamski's methods still continue to elude me. But effective they are, nonetheless," Amanda replied as I jumped back down. "Is there anything else you've learned?"

I shook my head, rubbing my shoulder shyly. "Believe it or not, that took me a month and 14 days to perfect. It was quite an endeavor on my part. There wasn't much else I learned."

Amanda sighed. She was mildly disappointed. "Well, something is better than nothing." She began to walk again, beckoning me to her side. "Come. I believe you are still capable enough to handle this mission."

I could barely bury my excitement. "Yes, Amanda. What is it that you had for me?"

"Ever since the hostage situation, the number of deviancy cases has increased three-fold," Amanda began. I refused to assign you to them because of the damaged state you were in after your first mission. I still didn't have confidence in your abilities. Now, I believe you are ready enough to get into the thick of things."

We passed by that weird stone structure that I had interacted with before. My LED flashed red as my gaze locked onto it. It slowly turned white as I approached it.

"From here on out, you will be assigned to the Detroit Police Force. You and I will be investigating the deviant cases on CyberLife's behalf. It is imperative that you stay focused and get the job done right. Try not to damage yourself anymore," Amanda deadpanned.

"I...I will try, Amanda. I do not believe I am programmed to make promises."

Amanda's voice grew stern. "I do not care about what you are and aren't programmed for. These deviants are no laughing matter. They don't care what you're programmed to do, either. If you confront them you're putting yourself at the risk of a shutdown," she looked up at the sky. "I hope that your proficiency in your abilities will keep you protected."

"Again, I will try my best, Aman-"

"You are a machine, and a machine's 'best' is nothing short of success! And if your best isn't good enough, well...you won't be around for much longer."

My chest panged at the sound of her words. "D-D-Deactivation?"

"Nothing less. Let this become a source of motivation for you. You are CyberLife's last hope in correcting this fatal error. If you are not able to stop the deviants...then we will scrap you and make something more competent of your remains."

She stopped walking and faced me. "Do I make myself clear, Callie?"

My LED cycled from yellow to red as I stroked my ponytail. "C-Crystal."

I look of satisfaction came over Amanda. "Good," she smiled. "A taxi is waiting for you outside. It will take you to the Detroit Police Department. There, you will find Lieutenant Elaina Roza. You have been assigned to her and will assist her in dealing with the deviancy wave. You will continue to be her partner until this is all over, for better or worse. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Amanda."

She turned in the opposite direction. "Now go. Do not disappoint me, Callie."

oOo

I had a talk with Kamski about how...unsettling Amanda's nature was and how I was frightened of under-performance due to the constant threat of shutting me down. Kamski had assured me that he wouldn't let that happen, and I trusted him...mostly.

I was already in the Taxi Amanda had called up for me while I went over my objectives, my fingers combing through my silver, silky, artificial locks, attempting to calm myself down before the mission's initiation. It wasn't long before the Taxi pulled up to the precinct.

I had never been to a police department before, so there was a hint of excitement and curiosity about me as I walked up the steps to the front doors. When I finally entered, there was a lone android behind a desk. It had brown hair, one bang swooshing off to the right of her face. It had brown eyes. I thought they looked lovely. I walked over to it, waving to try and get its attention.

"Hello there!" I called out to it.

Her gaze mechanically met my own, her countenance unchanging. "Can I help you?" It asked.

I hesitated a bit. For a second I forgot it was an android. "I-I'm looking for Lieutenant Roza."

"Do you have authorization?"

Now that was something I didn't think about. Amanda had never said anything about authorization.

"Uhm..." I stammered, trying to calculate a different approach. But just then, someone was coming out of the access gate and into the lobby. He was fairly round and had aged quite a bit, for his hair was quite as white as my own. He seemed to be in some sort of hurry, but he stopped when he noticed me. He squinted his eyes as he looked me up and down.

"...Aren't you the android that saved that kid from falling off that penthouse a few months back?" He asked.

"Correct," I politely replied. I personally didn't like to recall that night, so I decided to aim the conversation to myself. "My name is Callie. I'm the android that CyberLife has allocated to the Detroit Police Department to investigate deviant androids."

"Huh...that's odd. Androids investigating androids? Sounds pretty fishy to me."

"I assure you, uh...officer, that you have nothing to worry about. I am only investigating on behalf of CyberLife and do not intend to pose a threat to anyone on the force."

He chuckled. "That's hilarious. Retirement can't come fast enough," he sighed. "And that's Detective Collins to you. If you're going to be with us, you might as well address your superiors properly."

"I greatly apologize, Detective Collins. I am quite new to police customs. It will take me some time to adapt. Pardon any of my infractions," I smiled.

He chuckled again. "So, what brings you here? Are you looking for someone? Because if you are, everyone's at the scene of a murder ways away from here."

"Oh, I'm uh, actually looking for someone in particular. Excuse me, Detective, I request permission to inquire you for a short while."

"What do you want?"

"I've been assigned to a person named Elaina Roza. I've heard that she's the lieutenant of the Homicide Division of this precinct. I would like to know of her whereabouts, if that is all right with you," I asked.

The pudgy man hesitated a bit, a look of confusion and mild dread appeared on his face. "Oooh...she's not gonna like this...not at all."

"I beg your pardon, Detective?"

Collins rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah...okay. You see, we haven't really heard much from Lt. Roza over the past year. She's...still working out some personal issues."

"Is she able to report to duty?"

"I'm not sure. The Captain still hasn't fully taken her off of leave, 'cause she does show up, about once in a blue moon."

"Would you happen to have an educated guess as to her current whereabouts?"

"Well, I heard she picked up a pretty bad drinking habit," Collins sighed. "If I had to take a shot in the dark, I'd probably check every bar in Detroit. She doesn't like parties, from what I've gathered about her over the years, so it wouldn't be those clubs or popular places, I guess."

"That is all I need, thank you!" I smiled, eagerly shaking the man's hand. "I will bring Lt. Roza to the crime scene. Though I would like to request the address in the event that I...fail and must return alone."

"Yeah, sure, wh-whatever," Detective Collins managed to get out. He seemed a bit thrown off from my excitement. "Here, take this," He pulled a tablet out his jacket pocket, and handed it to me. "You androids can just connect to stuff, right?"

"It will only take me a second, Detective, thank you again," my LED flickered as I retrieved the address of the dispatched cruisers and the fastest route. I returned the tablet back to Detective Collins. "Got it."

"Alright. Well...I'm off," he bluntly stated, walking off. But then turned around an got my attention. "Hey, you'd best be careful around Lt. Roza...she's...can be a bit...harsh. Especially around and towards androids. If you're bringing her to the crime scene, I'd stay out of her way if I were you."

My LED flashed yellow as he informed me. "Th-Thanks. I will account for that, Detective. I wish you the best of luck on the case."

"I should be wishing you luck. Christ, Elaina's going to lose it when she learns about this," Detective Collins muttered as he left the station.

"Th-Thank you for your time!" I called out to him, but he didn't hear me, he was already out the door.

I sighed. I just couldn't catch a break...

I turned back to the reception android at the desk. I didn't bother to smile at it or anything. "I will return with authorization," I said to it.

"Okay. I hope you have a wonderful evening."

I smiled a bit. "You, too..." I then turned and left the lobby and walked down the stairs. The Taxi was still parked, patiently awaiting my return. As I re-entered the vehicle I began to think of my next course of action.

There are over at least two dozen bars in Detroit. Downtown, at least. Only one of them would harbor Lieutenant Roza, and time was not completely against me, but I needed to be smart about searching for her.

"Collins did say that the Lieutenant was opposed to socializing. That may rule out the chance of her being at a bigger establishment..." I mused.

Using the GPS of the Taxi, I mapped out the locations of different bars and clubs in downtown Detroit and ranked them by square footage from biggest to smallest. I soon ruled out a number of bars and came up with nine that were a potential match.

"Okay...now all I have to do is keep our fingers crossed," I pressed one of the nine markers on the map, and a dialog box popped up with the name "The Dump" on it.

"Take me to...'The Dump'?" I asked, slightly confused at the appeal for a bar with such a sickly connotation around it. As the taxi began to move, I thought about what Detective Collins said about Lt. Roza...

"...you'd best be careful around Lt. Roza...she's...can be a bit...harsh. Especially around and towards androids. If you're bringing her to the crime scene, I'd stay out of her way if I were you."

I wondered why she disliked androids. The main protest against us was the fact that we were taking jobs, ripping relationships apart, and overall just being a source of unease to the general public. Roza was of a high status on the force, and despite the drinking habit, she seemed to lead a pretty promising life...

But then again, nothing is ever what it seems...I made a mental note to look into it later. Maybe I could try and get her to open up about her issues, it could clear some of the tension that would inevitably form between us. I guessed it was a decent start.

I had reached the crudely titled bar as the Taxi announced the end of my journey. I hopped out of the Taxi, getting a good look at the place.

"I guess it really lives up to its name..." I murmured to myself. I spotted a man lying unconscious near the entrance. I kneeled down to try and figure out what was wrong with him. He was unconscious, but still alive. So I decided to perform an Infra-Scan on him. Gently placing my hand on his, I had access to his Soul.

I was in a dark void. The only thing that was illuminated was me, and a little blue flame. I cupped my hands around the flame, and from it, I gained information about the man's name, his age, birthday, hobbies, habits, and other personal information that I didn't feel too comfortable disclosing.

I tried to look for what was keeping him unconscious, and his Soul soon revealed to me that he was suffering from an ethylic coma. Poor guy had a bit too much to drink...

"Hm...I guess there wouldn't be any harm in waking him up," I thought.

I took a breath to calm myself. I hadn't done anything like this before...but after I had touched the podium a few months back, I had felt more of the afterlife's power flow through me. I was confident that I could do something.

"Well...here goes..." I fed more and more of my energy into the dormant Soul. It took a few tries, but I was able to "jump-start" the Soul back into activity. The small blue flame flared up and grew as the man woke up. He yelled and pushed me off of him, making me lose contact and bringing me back into the real world.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?!" He yelled.

"You were drunk and had passed out," I replied softly, dusting myself off. "I only wanted to wake you up so you could go find somewhere to stay."

"I don't want any sick plastic fuck bringing me back from the dead, got it?!" He swore at me. I was hurt. Why was he so mad at me?

"I-I apologize...I d-didn't mean to disturb or upset you. I-I just wanted you to get to somewhere a bit drier. There is rain in the forecast."

"I don't give one! Just go away and leave me alone, you fuckin' android!" With that, he scrambled away as fast as he could, tripping over himself as he dashed away from me.

I stood at the entrance, confused. I just wanted to help. I thought he'd be grateful, at least...even a simple 'thank you' would have sufficed.

I sighed. Maybe this was going to be a long process...giving humans less of a reason to fear androids...he was lucky that it was me that found him, and not some other horrid person...or android.

Maybe that's why he was so scared in the first place.

I walked up to the door. A red notice was on it.

"No androids allowed," it read. I exhaled out of slight annoyance. These notices were everywhere. I found myself slowly beginning to dread it more and more, so I opened the door...

And froze dead in my tracks.

A couple dozen of men and women craned their necks to see who had come in. It wasn't like anyone couldn't notice me. A rather pitched bell rung every time the door was opened.

As soon as the inhabitants of the bar grew angry. Some of them were beginning to stand up.

"The fuck's an android doing here?" One of them jeered.

"Yeah, can't you read the sign?!"

My anxiety returned as I walked into the bar and stood in front of the disgruntled crowd. My hands curled around my ponytail once more.

"P-Please do not be alarmed. I-I am aware of the sign on the door and the general hate against androids."

"Then why bring your plastic ass here, huh?" A woman yelled out. "What? You think that stating the obvious will let you pass?"

"N-No...I'm on a mission...I'm looking for someone."

A murmur came upon the bar-mates. Some of them were beginning to snicker and chuckle as they cradled blunt objects. Even though I had no reason to, my throat made a gulping noise.

"Who ya lookin' fir?" Another man with a few teeth missing asked.

"I-I'm looking for Lieutenant Elaina Roza...h-has anyone seen her or know of her whereabouts?"

More murmuring. One of the bigger men stood over me, his smile as wicked as a coyote's.

"Oh...you mean Elaina Roza. Yeah, she's around here. I'll take you to her," he sneered.

I was...wary of this man's credibility. He didn't seem like the kind of guy any female would want to meet up with. But what do I know...right?

"If you will, p-please take me to her," I asked politely. He snickered and gestured for me to follow him.

As I followed him, two other men and a woman followed. The entire bar seemed to encroach on me. My LED cycled from yellow to red.

The man took me behind the bar. Broken glass and trash littered the asphalt here. The dumpsters didn't look like they had been emptied at all. I wondered why Lt. Roza would be out here...wait...

I've made a mistake, haven't I..?

"Heads up, you plastic freak!" The man was holding a long lead pipe, and he swung for my head. I ducked out of the way.

"W-Wait! What are you-?" He swung at me again, I had to roll out of his reach. "Where is Lt. Roza?!"

The crowd cheered for the man as he cackled maniacally. "I have no idea who this Roza chick is, but for a machine, you're very easy to fool!" He gripped the pipe. "Now we're gonna show you what happens when an android sticks its nose where it shouldn't!"

He swung at me again. I dodged by jumping off to the side. I could dodge until he got tired, but I didn't know how long that would take. My only option was to push my way through the crowd.

"Take that, and that!" The brute's voice boomed as he attacked me again and again, all of his swings missed.

Something else hit me instead. A woman broke a bottle over my head. I grasped the area with my hands. Thirium began to leak from the wound. I jumped away from the violent woman... and right into the brute. He trapped me in his tree-trunk-like arms.

"Gotcha, you little prick!" He laughed.

I struggled as hard as I could. "L-Let me go!"

The man responded by tightening his arms around me. "I'm gonna crush you like the empty beer can you are!"

My breathing became strained as he was cutting off the flow of my ventilation system. I needed to break free...but I didn't want to hurt the man...

"Please..." my voice was strained, gasping for air. "I-I can't...can't..."

"Just a little more!" He grunted, pushing his arms as far as they would go.

It was either him or me...I couldn't shut down here. My mission is far too important...

...

It was a risk...but there was no other way.

My LED cycled white as I summoned the strength of the Souls running through my veins. A white aura appeared as I forced the man's arms apart, the recoil of my struggle pushing him into a dumpster. He lifted his head up, trash covering him from head to toe.

"Get it!" He ordered to the rest of the crowd. Angry men and women charged towards me, picking up anything they could use as a weapon. I closed my eyes, entering my Mind Palace. I looked around, trying to find a way to get back to the Taxi. My LED flickered as I initiated the Pre-Construction protocol.

As my eyes scanned the area, I considered two options:

"I could go straight through the crowd...using the protective barrier," I began. I watched as my white contour summoned the barrier. It ran through the crowd. The barrier crushed people that were charging towards me. The environment flashed red.

"HUMAN CASUALTIES CERTAIN", I read from the pop-up. Drat...I couldn't do that.

I looked to a closed dumpster. My white contour jumped on top of the dumpster and prepared to jump off again, but the Pre-Construct stopped. I was confused. Was there more I needed to do?

Two options appeared again. I could jump off the dumpster, but that specific one had wheels, and my white contour slammed into the ground. The environment flashed red again. "NOT ENOUGH MOMENTUM", the pop-up read.

I sighed. "Okay...don't panic...keep going..." I soothed myself.

My next option showed me jumping straight up and grabbing onto the overhead light poles sticking out from the wall of the bar. I pulled myself up and hopped from one pole to the next. I approached a fence as the angry mob of drunkards followed me. The Pre-Construct stopped again.

"Geez!" I harshly whispered.

Once again, two more options appeared. I could jump from the last light pole over the fence, but I would miss it and slam right into the fence.

Another flash of red. "TOO FAR AWAY", the following pop-up read.

The next option depicted me kicking off of the wall first and grabbing the top of the fence, pulling myself over and dropping down onto the other side, running back to the Taxi. A white lock slid open and phased into blue.

"Bingo," I smiled as I prepared to execute the Pre-Construct. "Here goes!"

Stepping out of the Mind Palace, time resumed, and the angry bar-mates were still throwing themselves at me. I gracefully leaped onto the dumpster and dodged a glass bottle that was thrown. I jumped off the dumpster and grabbed the light pole, swinging myself onto it. I wasted no time hopping from one pole to the next until I reached the fence closing off the alleyway. I leaped towards the wall, pushing off of it and caught the crossbeam of the fence. The bar-mates were still at my heels, and I quickly pulled myself over to to the other side. Landing on my feet and not looking back, I made a mad dash to the Taxi, as some other people came barreling out from the front door.

"Aw, geez!" I didn't calculate for that. I was so stupid! "Taxi! Taxi!" I screamed as much as my damaged ventilation system allowed me to. Luckily enough, it heard me and began to slide open its door. I jumped into the vehicle just before one of them could grab me and slammed the door shut.

"Go! Go! Go!" I demanded.

The tires skidded on the slick road before the Taxi sped off. Another beer bottle smashed against the window, splattering the alcoholic beverage all over it. The angry noises of the crowd faded as the Taxi drove me to safety.

I took a sigh of relief. "EVADE THE ANGRY MOB" highlighted itself blue on my HUD.

The taxi slowed down as it escaped danger. When it did, I assessed the damages. I felt for the gash on my head, but it wasn't there anymore...

Had I healed myself? I deduced that my powers were the ones to blame. I smiled. "Thank you all..." I whispered to the Souls, knowing fully well that I wasn't going to get a response. 15 minutes of driving around allowed me to calm down and start the search back up again. I pulled up the map again and tapped the next bar location.

"Okay...there's a much smaller edifice, named 'River Glades Bar'...it sounds like it'd be a bit more reasonable than 'The Dump'," I said.

The Taxi stopped in front of the entrance. The door slid open, the beer stains from the thrown beer bottle had already dried up. I hopped out of the Taxi and approached the front door.

The first thing that caught my attention was the lack of a "No Androids Allowed" notice anywhere on the building. Despite this, I was still wary about entering, but I slowly walked into the bar.

The interior was absolutely beautiful. The walls were painted a pleasant sky blue, the hardwood floors seemed to have been buffed just a short time ago. The main area was dotted with tables, televisions showing the Detroit Gears game in its third quarter. Only a few people were hanging around, either chatting with each other or watching the game. I noticed there were other androids serving the humans, which probably explains the lack of the "No Androids" notice.

I spotted the bartender alone polishing her glasses, rows upon rows of different exotic drinks and other classics. She hummed quietly to herself as she went about her work, her pixie-cut blonde hair really shining in the fluorescent lights behind her counter. She seemed approachable enough, so I politely asked for her attention.

"Excuse me," I called out to her. "Are you the owner of this establishment?"

"Why, yes I am," Her voice was pitched and full of energy. Her hazel eyes met with my LED. "Are you new here? I don't remember ordering more androids."

"Oh, no. I'm not affiliated with your business at all," I clarified. "I'm looking for someone, and I would like to ask you if you had seen this particular person."

She seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Hmmm...I don't really have many conversations with the people that come here, despite my apparent approachability," she smiled, her dimples defined. "But you can ask if you want."

"Does the name Elaina Roza ring any bells with you?"

Again, she looked up at the ceiling and made a humming noise as she thought about my question.

"Uhm, Lieutenant Elaina Roza?" She finally said.

My heart skipped a beat. "Y-You know who I'm talking about?"

"Uhm, yeah, I think so. I'd remember a face as cute as hers. So gloomy and forlorn..." She sighed as if she was fantasizing about her. "She didn't talk much, even though I tried to strike up a convo with her. She was here a day or two ago."

"G-Great! Uhm...would you happen to have a guess as to where she could be?" My eyes glistened with excitement at a possible lead.

Again, the bartender thought about my inquiry. "Hmmmmm...no."

My heart sunk. "Oh...geez," I sighed, disappointed. "I've been looking for her for the majority of the night, and I've failed to locate her. I was at a different bar before this one, but that one I barely escaped intact."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," the bartender sympathized with me. "I do hope you find Lt. Roza, a-and if you do. Tell her Amy said hello."

"Amy...is that your name?"

"Yes. Well...it's more of a nickname. But I don't think my real name is all that interesting..."

I was curious. "What is your real name, Amy?"

"N-No, don't worry about it," she dismissed.

"...My name is Callie. I'm an OA-900 android. I'm a fairly new model that can do a lot of amazing things."

"Oooh..do show, do show!" Amy egged me on.

"Okay," I looked around the bar, looking for something invaluable to mess around with. An empty shot glass a ways away from us. I pointed to it. "Do you see that shot glass over there?"

Amy looked over to where I was pointing. "Yes, I do see it," she said. "What about it?

"Watch," I instructed. My LED cycled white as I stretched my hand out to it. The glass vibrated a little, and then it slid down the table and threw itself into my hand.

There were stars in Amy's eyes as I held the shot glass to her. "Oh. My. GOSH! That was SO COOL! H-How did you do that?!"

I winked at her. "That is classified information." Amy took the glass out of my hands and brushed her bangs of hair from her eyes.

"Well, if the Lieutenant isn't here, I'd best make take my leave," I smiled at her. "CyberLife thanks you for your cooperation. Have a lovely remainder of your night."

As I walked away, Amy stopped me.

"...It's Aminatera."

I was confused. "Excuse me?"

"M-My name. It's Aminatera, 'Amy' for short," she smiled at me.

I smiled. "Amy..." I took a short moment to process it. "The name has an Old French origin: 'Amée', meaning 'beloved'. Aminatera is a unique name. It's very intriguing."

Aminatera faintly blushed. "T-Thank you. Can you...tell Elaina my name, too?"

"I believe it will mean much more coming from you," I insisted.

Aminatera nodded. "Y-Yeah, that makes sense."

I turned again to leave once more, but Aminatera stopped me again. "What is it?"

She stared at me for a moment and smiled. "I like your hair," was all that she said.

A slight warmth emanated from the center of my being. I stroked my snow-white ponytail. "Thank you...I-It was like this when I was put together."

"It makes you look...different from the rest of the androids, but in a good way, y'know?"

I smiled. "Yes. I guess one could say that."

I brief moment of silence was shared between us.

"Well, if you must be off, I won't stop you anymore," Aminatera said, softly grinning. "I hope I'll get to see you again, and Elaina, too."

I nodded. "I will keep the location of this bar in my long-term memory. I will return when the time is right."

Aminatera waved after me as I left. I waved back as I the entrance to the door closed shut. As I climbed back into the Taxi, I was genuinely curious about Aminatera and her unusually high tolerance towards androids. I'd never met a human such as her before and she really struck a chord with me.

When all of this deviant business has been dealt with...I would definitely try and visit her establishment more.

The Taxi pulled off from the 'River Glades', and the rain began to shift from a drizzle to more of a steady shower.

The next two locations hadn't been a match either. One had been reformed into a bookstore - which is quite a drastic change if you ask me - and the other was dilapidated and decrepit, closer to the outskirts of the city.

Getting back into downtown, I was starting to lose hope. I had been searching for two whole hours...and hadn't gotten anywhere. But I still had five more potential locations to go to. I tapped one of them, not even bothering to tell the Taxi to travel there.

Twenty minutes passed, and out of the window, I saw the small building. There wasn't much to it. On the window, neon letters spelled out the words, "Jimmy's Bar". The wooden door had aged a bit and sported the "No Androids Allowed" sign. I sighed. My only hope is that I wouldn't encounter the same type of people from "The Dump".

As I stepped out into the rain, the drops rolled off my artificial waterproof skin, and settled in my hair, soaking it through. As I crossed the street, I squeezed the water out of my ponytail and straightened myself out. I still stopped when I reached the front door, my hand slightly trembling as I gripped the handle. Pushing the door in, I entered the bar, calming down a bit when I saw that the place was nearly empty. I wasted no time and went straight to the bartender.

"Excuse me," I said. "I'm looking for someone. I would like to ask if you had seen them. And yes, before you inform me, I have seen the sign. I will leave as soon as possible, I don't intend to linger."

The bartender turned and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Who are you looking for?"

"Lieutenant Elaina Roza, if you will."

He pointed to the far back of the room, at an empty table with a single person slumped over the table, softly snoring. "Over there. She's been there for about an hour and a half, give or take. If you could get her home, or anywhere else but here, that would be great. Her snoring is driving me crazy."

I thanked the bartender and took a seat right in front of her. Her dark complexion showed hints of red, she was most likely intoxicated, hence the half-full bottle of scotch whisky next to her.

In order to be completely sure, I gently put my hand on hers and performed an Infra-Scan. Her Soul Signature revealed itself to be the one and only Elaina Roza. I smiled excitedly. I found her! I finally found her...although she wasn't in great shape...but I found her!

I was very keen on waking her up. But I didn't want to do it through her Soul. I figured it wouldn't be the right approach. But waking her up was the least of my worries. I wondered how I was going to convince her to come with me. As I was considering all of my options, my eyes scanned her features.

She had an ample amount of messy dark auburn hair, the bangs spilling all over her face. There were bags under her eyes, it didn't look like she got much sleep. She looked fairly young. Compared to my aesthetic, at least. I was designed to look at least 25 years of age, and she looked a bit older. I chalked it up to her tiredness.

I decided to try and wake her up. I tapped her shoulder. She didn't even stir. I felt bad for waking her up. She looked oddly serene, though her snoring was taking a lot of the serenity away, though.

I shook my head, trying to re-focus myself on the mission and stop side-tracking myself. I had a mission to accomplish, and by her duties as a police Lieutenant, Roza did, too. If anything, part of my mission was to inform her about hers.

With a newfound wave of determination, I picked up her half-consumed bottle and slammed it down onto the table.