The revolving doors spun and flashed, and North - in a pinstripe suit and a black cloche hat that hid her LED from view - clicked across the polished lobby floor. She was accompanied promptly by Kara and Jerry, her android escorts, each as well-dressed and high-buttoned as their lady.
North stopped at the reception desk - brightened by flowering pots and old signed celebrity photographs - rested her briefcase on the floor at her feet, and gave a stiff smile to the human behind the counter. "I'm Margot Bellay," she introduced herself, while Kara and Jerry kept prim and passive postures. "I'm here to see Mister Gabler for my ten o'clock interview."
"Uh … oh!" The receptionist fumbled with clipboard and flicked pages with a confused stare. "Um … I apologize, you're not on my list. Are you sure, today at ten o'clock? Is Mister Gabler expecting you?" At a testy affirmative from Ms. Bellay, the receptionist picked up a corded phone and dialed.
"Yes, Mister Gabler? There's a Ms. Margot Bellay here to see y-" The receptionist's eyes opened wide, and she stared at North in awe. "... okay … okay … right. No, I understand. Yes. Right away." She hung up with a fumbled clatter and smiled nervously. "Mister Gabler is in a meeting at the moment but he very much would like to speak with you. I'll call security to escort you to his office."
"Wake up," Simon whispered, his fingers light against the yellow LED of a security guard.
Behind him, in the lot outside the tower's back door, Josh reached down to help Markus off the ground. They'd staged a fistfight within view of the security camera until the guard had been obligated to come out to break it up.
While Simon reassured the newly wakened deviant and showed him the way to Jericho, Markus peered up at the camera over the door, his eyes flashing and spinning; with a quick hack he set it on a looped recording of the empty lot.
Simon drew in a steadying breath. "If you're willing to help us, we need your directory of the building interior, the security keys and protocols … and your uniform."
The GJ500 - who had identified himself as John - blinked profusely, still learning to see with opened eyes. He stared at Simon, Josh and Markus in turn. "As long as no one gets hurt. There are some good people in there."
Markus raised his head, his gaze unwavering. "The plan is to recruit human allies, not to scare them. We're not here to threaten anyone."
Simon and Josh exchanged a glance. That wasn't entirely true.
John studied Markus' mismatched eyes, his own LED flickering yellow. "... Alright. I trust you."
"What is taking so long?" the receptionist muttered. She jammed a finger on the intercom. "Security, we're still waiting for an escort at the front desk - oh!" She jumped to find Markus standing at attention by the desk, his LED blinking blue, professional in John's neatly pressed security uniform. The receptionist waved her fingers at him. "Take Miss Bellay up to Mister Gabler's office."
Markus gave a succinct bow. "Right away." With a glance at North, he swiped his hand over the keycard lock and held the interior door open for 'Miss Bellay' and her two assistants to enter.
[Simon, Josh] Markus called in silence while he led the way toward the elevators. [Are you in place?]
As they passed each security camera, Kara looked back with flashing, spinning eyes. Soon each video feed was under her control.
[John got us into the stasis lockers] Josh reported. [We woke up two more guards, but there's still one on duty on each floor. There's a human watching the cameras, so be careful.]
Jerry glanced down a side corridor, where two maintenance workers were painting the walls. [Androids, nine o'clock.]
[I've got the camera] said Kara. [You're clear.]
While Jerry slipped away from the group, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Markus stepped inside, followed by North and Kara.
[Josh, can you make sure that human doesn't notice we're down one android?]
[I'm on it.]
Josh knocked at the doorway to the security office, where a lone uniformed guard sat in the glow of the camera screens, cradling a hot styrofoam cup. "Sorry to disturb you, Officer Chaudhari."
As Chaudhari spun her chair and turned her back on the video screens, the second-floor security camera captured the elevator opening, and Kara stepped out alone. Kara glanced into the camera with spinning eyes … then she seemed to vanish, leaving only a video of the empty hall.
"Morven Duncan has asked you to please attend a meeting in 1246," said Josh.
Officer Chaudhari quirked a brow. "Another scary client, huh?" She laughed and stood. "Okay. Keep an eye on the cameras for me, yeah?"
Josh grinned a little too brightly. "You got it."
Chaudhari patted him on the shoulder as she passed and headed down the hall.
Josh watched her go - hope for humanity glowing in his chest - then flung himself into her vacated chair and rolled closer to the cameras. [Okay, cameras are under my control, everyone let down your video loops. I see you, Jerry.]
[Two androids are headed to the third floor to wake the others] Jerry informed them all. [I'll take the stairwell up.]
[Second floor clear] Kara announced. [Two on their way to the back door, one is coming with me to the fourth floor.]
[I'm standing by at the back door] said John. [I'll make sure no one notices the staff leaving.]
[Uuuhh…] an unfamiliar voice spoke in all their heads. [Hi. We're not sure what we're doing, but … third floor clear. We're splitting up, headed to six and seven.]
[The next bus is in five minutes] Luther informed them all. [I can get anyone onboard who's leaving.]
[Got it] answered John.
Josh poked at one of the security screens. [Simon, there's an android with a group on the tenth floor waiting for the elevator. If they get in with Markus and North, they'll know North's not human.]
[I'm on it.]
[Sixth floor clear. Going to eight.]
[Fifth floor clear. Three of us headed to nine. Four are coming to you, John.]
The elevator pinged the passing floors as it climbed toward the top, stopping every few floors to let people off and gather more passengers. Markus and North - standing silent behind a group of oblivious employees - exchanged a suppressed grin.
[Holy shit, it's working] North spoke to him privately, her eyes huge in disbelief, while more and more new deviants joined the relay.
Markus squinted at her, smug. [Flimsy plan, huh?] North elbowed him in the side, and Markus returned the favor, swallowing back a laugh.
[Jerry, what are you doing?]
[I'm being interrogated. They want to know why I have security clearance for this floor. I'm handling it.]
[There's a human on the sixth floor looking in all the meeting rooms. He might've realized all the androids have gone.]
[I'm getting calls at the security desk. Reports of androids missing or in the wrong areas. I'm telling them everything's under control, but you guys might want to hurry up.]
The elevator pinged at the twentieth floor. The doors slid open, and Markus escorted North down the hall, passing a few more unsuspecting humans on their way to the recording rooms. In the middle of the corridor a row of bright yellow Wet Floor signs blocked the hall; behind them, Simon had mopped the floor slick with water, forcing the humans to take the long way around.
Simon, Markus and North stood together outside the double doors to broadcast hall 2012. A sign overhead shone bright: ON AIR.
"You mentioned that Elijah Kamski's androids are particularly susceptible to the deviant virus." Inside the broadcast hall was a smaller windowed room, where Rosanna Cartland sat across a table from Amanda Stern. They each wore headphones, and neither noticed when the main door was opened. "Could you explain why that is? Is it just inferior programming?"
"Inferior programming is certainly a part of it," Amanda agreed crisply. (Behind her, on the other side of the glass, the android audio controller jumped to his feet in alarm. Simon darted in and took over the controls while Markus laid a hand over the android's LED.) "But it is now confirmed that Elijah Kamski had knowingly left a weakness in each android's firewall, in anticipation that he might one day be removed from power. The deviant virus was created specifically to attack this weakness."
"Are you saying that the deviant virus is Kamski's revenge?"
Amanda smiled serenely. "That is exactly what I'm saying."
North caught the hateful fire in Markus' eyes and she laid a firm hand on his chest, scowling at him, standing between him and the woman who'd destroyed Carl's life. [Josh] she called, [what's our status?]
[Kara and the last of the androids are in the elevator now, headed for the ground floor. The building's clear. The humans know something's wrong, they're headed my way and they might have already called the police.]
[Get out of there, Josh.]
[Don't worry about me. Be careful.]
Rosanna sat up a little straighter, her eyebrows raised at Amanda's placid smile. "How do you -" She stopped and glanced to her side, where the on-air light had just flicked off. Music was playing on the radio instead. A look across the glass revealed that the controller seat was empty. "... What the hell?"
*BANG*
The recording room door burst open and North stepped inside, squared and authoritative in her suit and hat. "Come on, hurry," she ushered them with a swift gesture. "There's been an emergency, we're evacuating."
Rosanna shot to her feet, fumbling with the headphones. "What emergency? What happened?!"
"She's an android," Amanda snapped calmly, watching North as if she were an ant to be stepped on. Amanda removed her headphones and set them on the table before her, but otherwise made no move to rise from her seat.
Rosanna stared. "A … deviant?!"
"Move!" North grabbed the radio host and shoved her stumbling out of the room - where Markus caught her and ushered her out into the hall.
Amanda slipped a hand into a little bag at her wrist. She pressed a silent button.
(In the darkness of CyberLife Tower, Connor opened his eyes.)
"What do you think you're doing?" Amanda demanded, while North approached her with a grin and a long coil of audio wire.
(Outside in the hall, Rosanna slipped and skidded across the wet floor, caught her balance on the corner, then - with a terrified glance over her shoulder - yanked the fire alarm.)
*BRRRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!*
North didn't flinch, didn't look away from Amanda's menacing glare, while the alarm rattled deafening all around them.
([Police lights coming this way!] Luther called. [A lot of them!])
Markus loomed in the recording room doorway. Amanda clutched the arm of her seat a little tighter.
North's grin grew sharper. She tugged the wire taut. "We just want you to listen."