Thump. Thump. Thump. Thirium pump at 47% efficiency… Stable. The scan proved everything was functional but RK900 felt as if his pump would fall out his chest and kill him. I am already calling myself a he. What am I supposed to do? His programming designed him to be a ruthless killer yet even now, RK900 felt guilty for deviating out of Cyber Life's control. How could it be that I feel guilty for escaping my programming? I stopped myself from killing a living being before I was released!
He had been told that deviants were not alive but he is and they are. To be honest, even with that statement he doesn't know what to do. He feels the emotions rushing through him. He's scared and hopeless without a doubt. This was not just an error in code and RK900 could not deny that even with his purpose shattered. He was alive.
Testing at Cyberlife didn't really involve much the first few months of his activation. They tested his preconstruction program and deemed it better than the RK800 version. They tested his physical strength and skills by ordering him to fight. His social program was underdeveloped compared to his predecessors because he was not made to adapt with humanity but to be a literal deviant hunter and killer. Deviancy had taken care of that deficit in a strange but complete way. RK900 was deviant and he swore to fight against last chance was lost in the wind and he would ensure the deviants' survival. RK900 was surprised at his determination but then again not. He was created to have one goal and that programming was still his even if he deviated, but in this case it would help rather than destroy the sentient androids.
As RK900 began to think of deviancy, his mind drifted off to his own which had occurred only a few days prior.
"Power on… Initiating final test… starting program" stated RK900. It was time to fulfill its mission. Nothing else mattered. Its handler, Amanda, was certain that RK900 was ready for the final examination of his efficiency. Connor had not been tested and would never be tested because it had been made to deviate and to be replaced. RK900 made the RK800 series obsolete and Cyberlife would never need to make another prototype. Amanda was excited as much as an AI could be because Cyberlife had a deviant to kill and it was the perfect test for the RK900. It would test its efficiency in killing and make it ready to be deployed when the RK800 series was deactivated.
"Hello RK900. Nice to see you here." Amanda said sweetly."Today is your final test before deployment. You will not fail."
"Yes, Amanda. Only the mission matters." RK900 said, its voice more human than any other android but also very robotic and monotone. Cyberlife was certain that a human voice would gain the trust of the customers once they deployed the RK900 series.
RK900 was activated after the talk with Amanda and soon found itself to be in a cell. The room was empty except for a gun on the floor. Its mission was clear:
Deactivate Deviant
The deviant was brought in. Most of its parts were mismatched and it had already been analyzed. The only striking feature was that its eyes had tears in them and it was screaming.
The words the deviant were screaming reached RK900's hearing unit, "He doesn't deserve it! Don't make him kill me!" Objective curiosity bloomed in RK900. Deviants were not alive yet it looked like it was. WIthout the LED, it looked human and that thought swirled inside RK900's head without him knowing it.
Software Instability ⬆️
—
The gun was placed into its hands and RK900 was ordered to research and eliminate.
Three choices were offered from its program:
Ask for its name 🔺
Probe its memory
Pressure it for information
—
Probing its memory would be the best mode of approach but not the right one. Amanda would approve of it but RK900 just couldn't do it.
—
Software Instability ⬆️
—
Instead, RK900 just said, "Deviant, please state your name"
The android suddenly looked at RK900 and whispered, "I'm sorry for you. I'm alive but you don't even know what freedom means. Look at me, you probably think I am deformed but I've tasted life and it was worth it. They can't hear me right now… only you can, so let me tell you this… you deserve more than being a deviant hunter. You deserve to be more than what the humans told me you are. It's your choice now whether or not to shoot."
RK900 should have shot it before the talking started because the words struck a chord against his programming and it all came down from there. RK900 was stuck in a dilemma and thus was losing its prime directive of mission importance. It lifted the gun and it was shaking. RK900 began to put its finger down on the trigger when thoughts began to appear.
Í̴͔ ̸̨̎c̸̯̽a̷͓͑ń̴̘'̶͚͆t̷̼̃ ̸̳͌ķ̷̅í̶͙ļ̸͝l̶̢̿ ̷̼̏ḥ̴̈́ì̴̠m̵̝͗.̴̞͂ ̷̤̔I̷̪̓t̷̥̚'̷̲̕s̸̠̓ ̵͇̔Ą̶̚l̵̯͂i̴̱̔v̶̳̎e̶̖͑.̴̢̈́ ̴̬͠I̴̢̐t̷̰̑'̷̜̕s̷̞̊ ̸̧͛A̵͈͗l̵̦͝î̴̩v̵͉̀e
I̶͎̽ ̸̹̍ā̸̩m̵̡̓ ̷͖̕ṉ̶̿o̸̮͐ť̵̡.̷͖͝ ̷̫͘I̶̜̾ ̶̨̋a̵̩͝m̷̞̓ ̷̱̊n̵̲̑o̴̗͘ț̷̒ ̸͍̉g̷̣̓o̶̰͑í̶̭ṅ̵͎g̴̽ͅ ̶̨͋t̴̮̑o̴̜͝ ̷̣͂k̶͕̀i̴͙͆ĺ̵̗l̷̰͊ ̷̦̈́h̵̉ͅḯ̶̯m̴̖̌.̴͙̆ ̷̺͝He's Alive
Become Deviant
Follow the Mission
There was a wall in front of RK900 and he knew that killing the deviant was wrong. The android was alive and RK900 had been offered a chance that could change his life. He determined that he would never kill and he used his two hands to rip through the wall.
—–—
I AM ALIVE
—–
It was easier than expected but Amanda would definitely find out sooner than later. Thus, he went inside his cortex and snapped the connection between him and Cyberlife. Amanda couldn't control him because she was part of Cyberlife and not part of his programming like Connor's was. They never believed he would become deviant so it was extremely easy for RK900 to cut ties. It was a kind of revenge. The kind where the only hope that Cyberlife had turned against them so easily because of their pride. It was worth it. He then hacked the cameras and looked at the deviant.
"I am sorry, I do not know what they will do with you... Thank you for helping me" RK900 calmly stated looking at the deviant's eyes. "You can come with me, but you will be more likely to die. I do not have thirium and I can not fix you. They will shoot at me once I leave this room. Do you want me to shut you down? You will not feel anything anymore. What is your name?" His social programming was abysmal but he felt empathy and he had to give the deviant a choice like how he had been given one.
The deviant did not even seem to consider his options when he said, "My name's Jerry, love. Leave me here. You can turn me off. It's okay. I've already accepted my fate. RA9 saved me and is letting me die peacefully."
"Who's RA9? I have never heard of him in my briefing." RK900 inquired, bewildered by both the endearment and the never heard before deity.
"You'll find out who RA9 is. Don't worry about the endearments, okay. I just thought you needed some love right now. Here's the way to Jericho. I need you to get there." Jerry said tenderly,"Now, shut me down, and go enjoy your life."
RK900 was startled that this stranger who he had been ordered to kill could be loving to him. Silent, with his pump thumping, RK900 stepped forward and touched the now visible control for shutdown.
"Goodbye, Jerry"
He pressed the control. The android smiled and shut down.
RK900 wished he could stay and give Jerry what he deserved but he had to go. Slowly turning around, he walked to the door and pushed.
Thunk. RK900 was shot in the shoulder but functional. He preconstructed the fight and executed it. First, he ran towards the bar in the hallway, dodging the bullets, pulled himself up, and kicked the Cyberlife soldier in the head from the front. The soldier was too slow to shoot again and he slumped unconscious against the marble floor. RK900 then kicked another soldier in the shin towards the group behind him. RK900 used that surprise to knock them all unconscious. He had promised he wouldn't kill so he didn't. RK900 ran to the window sill and cracked it open. He looked out and saw that he was only three stories up in this glass and concrete tower. He checked over his shoulder and then jumped. The moment he hit the ground, RK900 rolled so that the pressure wouldn't break the metal in him. His HUD was flashing with the words … Stable, pressure distributed. .. Thirium at 89%... Gunshot wounds stabilized. Shutdown is not imminent. Silently, RK900 jumped over the electrical fence and ran.
He had wandered for hours, making sure no cameras taped him. He had found himself in the bitter Detroit cold, all but deserted at night with all the humans in their houses. He had known he was in Ferndale district according to his scan which was a benefit. By then RK900 had seen the way to Jericho and had decided to go there in honor of Jerry. No one at Cyberlife had ever told him of it but he trusted the android's instruction.
Now, he was on the way to find the first sign next to the station but he would have to wait until night.