Rk1k Hope Chapter Seventeen:
Chapter Seventeen:
After Markus and Connor fell asleep after the bath, Connor woke up a few hours later. It was almost four in the morning. Connor tried to go back asleep, he even clung to Markus a little tighter, who laid next to him, on his back, and his arm around him. But then, no matter what he did, he couldn't go back to sleep. He sighed. Then, moving slowly and softly, keeping his eye on Markus, making sure that he didn't wake up Markus he got up and left the room.
After checking on Anthony, he went downstairs into the studio. He remembered he left his video camera in the studio. He set up the video camera.
March 2039:
The entire group went out to the Cyberlife warehouse. Everyone had piled into two moving trucks. One of them Simon was driving and inside, Trina, Traci, and Amber, as well as Samuel, and Luther, Kara's partner in the escape, and now her boyfriend. The other one, was being driven by Markus, with Connor in the passenger side, and with Josh and North in the back. North and Markus had been bickering back and forth before everyone loaded up into the truck. Eva was in there as well as Kara. Connor watched Markus as he drove the truck. He could feel Markus' stress levels go up. He wanted to ease the android leader. For some reason ever since that moment in the studio, Connor had felt drawn to Markus. He wanted to do whatever he can to help. Instead of prying on what was upsetting Markus, which was obvious that it was what he and North were bickering about before they got into the truck, he decided to take Markus's mind off of it.
"So, where did you learn how to drive? I have never seen an android drive before," Connor asked. North sneered at him. Markus looked at him.
"Well, it was something I learned ever since I was out of my own," Markus answered.
"You taught you?" Connor asked. Markus smiled and gave him a sideways glance.
"I taught myself," Markus answered. "I downloaded driving manuals, as well I practiced in the abandoned parking lot near New Jericho." Connor nodded. Maybe he would be able to learn a new skill.
"So, what kind of music do you like listening to? Do you have hobbies?" Markus asked. Connor looked at him.
"I don't think I have any hobbies, mostly, I help Hank out with his cases, walk Sumo all the time, and helped Hank around the house, as far as music is concerned, I had always been exposed to Knights of the Black Death, and New Orleans Style Jazz music," Connor answered.
"I like Jazz, haven't heard that in a while," Josh said.
"Knights of the Black Death huh? Well, I think I found something I actually like about you Connor," North said.
"Who or what is Sumo?" Kara asked.
"Sumo is Hank's dog, but I feel like he also became my dog too," Connor answered.
"You live with Hank too? I am kinda relieved, I thought that me and Luther were the only androids that lived with humans," Kara replied.
"Rumor has it Kara that your human, Rose, wants to become an advocate for androids," Josh said.
"She wants too, her and her son Adam," Kara said.
"That's good, we need all the help we need, no matter how we get it, or who we get it from," Markus said.
"There is a rumor within the police station," Connor said. Markus made a sideways glance.
"There are talking about having a special unit just for Android police officers and human police officers working together," Connor explained. Connor looked at Markus.
"I mean, it is just a rumor, but then again, I have a good feeling about it," Connor said.
"Another way for the police to keep an eye on us, plus not to mention one day, they could find a way when we are not looking, to destroy us," North said.
"North," Josh snapped.
"How can Kara and Connor here fully trust those humans like that, we can never fully trust humans, they enslave us as well as we make one little protest for our freedom, they shot at us, killed our brethren, and now we are to just fully trust them?" North went on.
"North, please, there are some good humans, not all of them want to enslave us like that again," Josh said."Plus, they know we are a peaceful nation, and we are also a proud nation," Josh went on.
"Rose isn't like that, she had shown kindness to me, to Alice, to Luther, and to other androids who were escaping to Canada, she even risked her life as well as her own freedom to do it," Kara explained.
"Hank is changing too," Connor said. "As a matter of fact, he was the one that wants to get a unit going so androids and humans can work together to protect Detroit," Connor said.
"You guys have a death wish, you can't trust the humans, I have seen what happened the second we started fighting for our rights, they were going to kill us, destroy our bodies and we would be a forgotten dream, they already destroyed many of our kind already, some androids are getting killed in the street, as well we have to look behind our shoulders all the time, trusting humans would be a fatally mistake," North said.
"North, that's enough," Markus snapped. Everyone went silent.
"Sorry," Markus said through a connection he made with Connor.
Then, they finally arrived at the warehouse. Both trucks pulled up in the back. Both groups climbed out of the trucks.
"It was a good thing that we brought these trucks, we may be able to haul enough blue blood and the components," Simon said with a hopeful look in his eye.
"Yeah," Markus agreed. Simon looked at Connor.
"You sure about this place?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Connor answered.
"Hey, Markus, can I see you in a minute?" North asked as she walked up to the group. Markus looked at her. He sighed. Connor and Simon both noticed Markus' stress levels spike. Then, he turned to her and walked towards her direction.
"They're breaking up," Simon said in a whisper. Connor looked at him.
"I thought they loved each other," he said. Simon looked at him.
"They did, they fell in love during the Revolution, they were the it couples as far as androids were concerned, but…something started happening," Simon explained. Connor remembered the time in the church attic. He remembered the bonding he and Markus shared, the painting, everything. Simon looked at him.
"I want to say thank you," Simon said. Connor looked at him.
"For what?" Connor asked.
"I was told by Josh and Markus that you had me brought back to life, that you had my body sent to Jericho and they also said you stood by Markus, North and Josh while my parts were being replaced and I was reactivated," Simon answered. Connor sighed. Memories of that day on the roof at the Stratford Tower came back. Her remembered interfacing with Simon and seeing the name JERICHO, before Simon shot himself and collapsed on the ground. He remembered feeling what Simon felt as he died. It was the first traumatic experience Connor had.
"Simon I am so sorry for what happened, I didn't mean…I mean…I was working for Cyberlife and the cops…" Connor began to say. He sighed. No matter what excuse he could come up with, it wasn't good enough. Simon, just like Daniel, was another android that died because of him. Simon shook his head.
"It's fine, Connor, you haven't deviated, broken through your programming, but it is the thought that count, it was what happened afterwards, you saving me and bringing me back to life, having me reactivated again, that is what counts now," Simon explained. Connor smiled.
"So, who was Daniel?" Simon asked.
Just then North stormed through the crowd. She looked at Connor.
"Well, come on super Android Hunter, let's go," she sneered at him. Connor looked at her with piercing eyes.
"She hates me," Connor complained.
"Don't feel bad, she used to hate me too," Simon said. Just then, Kara and Luther walked up to them. Connor saw Kara in the eyes.
"They just broke up," she said. Connor sighed. Just then Markus walked up. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Markus?" Connor asked.
"Let's go," Markus answered sharply. Both Simon and Connor looked at each other.
Luther and Connor volunteered to break the main lock to the building. Everyone else gathered around them. Connor managed to hack the security cameras just in case. Luther with a hand torch, fired it up and melted the main lock. After a few minutes, the lock broke and fell into the ground.
"Hell yeah, finally!" Traci cried out. Everyone else shushed her. They entered the building.
"Jeez, look at this place," Josh said.
"I scanned the layout of the building, the store the biocomponents and the blue blood in the back," Connor explained.
"Got it, we will split in teams," Markus said, "Connor and Simon will go with me, Josh, Luther, and Kara are a team, Traci, Amber, North will team up, and Ava, Wendy and Samuel will team up." Everyone looked at each other. They all agreed.
As Connor walked around with Markus and Simon, he gasped and stopped in his tracks. Markus and Simon stopped and looked at him.
"Connor?" Simon asked.
"What's wrong?" Markus asked.
"Oh my God," Connor said as he looked at his right. There, right in front of him, was an android. It wasn't activated. It looked just like Connor, but taller, more broad shouldered, and was wearing a white Cyberlife issued jacket. Its eyes were a bright baby blue. RK900 was written on his right breast jacket.
"So, it was true," Connor said in horror.
