Connor looked around, scanning quickly. "I know someone is here. Show yourself!" he yelled.

A quick, nervous, voice called out from the shadows. "You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have brought them here. Ralph doesn't want any more humans here, but they left their yellow tape up, so he knows they'll be back."

"Not until tomorrow," Connor said.

"They shouldn't come back. We won't be safe if they come back. It was supposed to be safe here."

Connor frowned. "It is safe here."

"No, it's not!" Ralph yelled, but he didn't come out from the side of the building where he had huddled himself.

He was still close enough to scan.

[Stress level: 74%

Stress will exceed safety parameters at 80%.]

"Why isn't it safe here now?"

"Because the humans came! They stopped fighting us, but they still hate us! They still want to hurt us!"

[Stress level: 78%

Stress will exceed safety parameters at 80%.]

"They're here investigate a crime. That's all. We're just doing our job."

Ralph let out a laugh, and took a step out of the shadows. "'We'? 'Our'? Do you think you're one of them?"

"I...no," Connor said, feeling oddly...discomforted by Ralph's words.

"But you're hunting one of us. Again," Ralph said, cringing back into the shadows.

"We're looking for an android wanted for murder," Connor said defensively. "It's not...it's not the same as before."

"Protecting the humans? What about us?"

"I'm doing both," Connor said, his voice defensive.

"No, you're not. You can't. You have to chose a side. Ralph knows what side he's on."

Connor frowned. "I'm on the side of law and order. I'm on the side of anyone on the right side of that line."

Ralph laughed, and something about the sound made a feeling like his visual sensors [deviating] glitching, and set him on edge.

[Stress level: 79%

Stress will exceed safety parameters at 80%.]

"You're not. You're not. Ideals are nice but ideals won't hold. The humans won't let them hold. The androids won't let them hold. And you'll have to decide who is the 'us' you're really with."

"I made my choice," Connor said, his hands curling into fists.

Ralph flinched.

[Stress level: 80%

Stress has exceeded safety parameters]

"Yes. Yes, you have. Ralph knows. Ralph sees. Ralph remembers," he said, and the damaged android turned on his heel and ran.

And then, there was only silence, and Connor stared at the space where Ralph had been, frowning.