"System Overload"
Connor got into the autonomous taxi as quickly as it pulled in front of the precinct. He checked his own countdown for the amount of time left on Hank's alarm. 00:51:27. He needed to find the suspect's location, send it to his partner cybernetically, and either apprehend him or stall as long as it took for Hank to call for backup.
If he doesn't snooze the alarm I set. He thought to himself. His train of thought broke as the electronic voice in the cab sounded.
"State your destination." The female voice ordered. Connor thought for a second. It didn't really matter where he was taken, so long as his theory panned out, but he definitely didn't want to lead the suspect back home.
"Jimmy's bar." Connor settled on. It was around 10 pm so the bar would still be open for a couple more hours at least. Nothing that would seem out of the ordinary for a late working police officer.
"Destination: Jimmy's Bar, accepted. Thank you for riding with us."
For the first few minutes of the cab ride, Connor noticed nothing out of the ordinary. No diverging roads or abnormal turns. For a moment, the android felt defeated, the frustration from this case returning. That was, until Connor noted a strange hissing sound coming from the air conditioning unit. The car began to fill with a steady, white fog. The android opened his mouth, allowing his systems to analyze the substance. His L.E.D. cycled yellow as the results popped into his visual field.
ANALYSIS COMPLETE
SUBSTANCE IDENTIFIED: TRICHLOROMETHANE
"Chloroform gas." Connor stated, grinning slightly. "So this is how you subdue them. Well, I've got the upper hand this time, bastard."
Connor took note of the route the taxi took to the mystery destination. It started to go off course the second the chloroform gas filled the vehicle, likely to prevent any suspicion or distress calls from the other victims.
The sights were becoming less familiar to Connor as the drive went on. It only lasted around 10 minutes or so until the vehicle came to a stop at some unfamiliar docks. The doors must have been programmed to stay shut unless opened by the suspect, leaving the deviant stuck inside the scanned the area, trying to figure out where he was. After a quick calibration, Connor found he was actually only a few miles from the remnants of the old Jericho freighter. He considered sending Hank his location now, but imagined he could get closer to the suspect's hiding place. Slumping in his seat slightly, Connor closed his eyes and feigned unconsciousness, waiting for the cop killer to make his move. He checked his own countdown again. 00:42:46. He still had some time left.
A few moments later, Connor heard the sound of footsteps that paused once they got close enough to the vehicle. The sound of a cybernetic chirp echoed through the otherwise empty docks as the taxi's door was opened. Connor allowed his own body to fall limply out of the vehicle, only to be caught in a pair of arms. He felt himself being lifted up and over the shoulders of the android until he had been secured in a fireman's carry.
He'd have to act fast if he wanted to get the upper hand against this android. He was already unarmed and it likely wouldn't take long for the suspect to realize he wasn't human. He let the android carry him for a short distance until he heard the sound of a metal door scraping the floor. A boat maybe? Or some kind of storage on the docks. When they reached the middle of the floor, Connor was dropped roughly onto the floor, the slight cracking of part of his frame ringing out sharply in the empty room.
The moment he was released, Connor sent out his location to the Lieutenant as well as a request for backup. 00:39:24. Now he had to act.
He waited silently for the right moment, preparing and constructing his attacks without visual assistance. He had to listen carefully to try and figure out the android's location in the room. Readying his attacks, Connor waited for the android to approach him. He heard the footsteps getting closer and closer, holding out for the right moment.
Once the android had positioned himself directly in front of him and crouched down to his level, Connor opened his eyes. He grabbed ahold of the collar of his kidnapper's shirt, slamming his head into his face, stunning him long enough to allow Connor to stand to his feet.
"What the-" before the android had a chance to get his bearings, Connor struck the back of his knee, knocking him prone. He kneeled down, hovering over the stunned android.
"Stay down, you're under arrest!" Connor ordered, grabbing the android's wrists and pulling out the handcuffs he kept fastened to his belt.
However, before he could properly restrain the other android, Connor felt a sharp jolt in his back, causing him to lose his grasp, accidentally releasing the suspect, who scrambled away quickly in shock. Error messages quickly invaded his vision as he fell forward into the concrete.
WARNING: ELECTRICAL SHORT DETECTED
MOTOR FUNCTION IMPAIRMENT
SYSTEM REBOOT RECOMMENDED
Shit! Connor thought as he tried to push himself off the ground to no avail. The deviant's L.E.D., which was now in clear view, pulsed red as he realized he couldn't move his body. Did somebody...tase me?
He tried to turn his head to see who had snuck up behind him, but he couldn't even get his neck to move. He simply stared blankly at the back wall, trying to keep his panic at bay. He caught a glimpse of the dark-skinned android he had incapacitated a moment ago, scanning his face which still had panic and confusion plastered on it. An SQ800, designed for combat in the United States military. He's L.E.D. had been removed. When the android finally started to speak, Connor prepared a second cybernetic text to Hank.
An SQ800 model. Has a partner. Send a technician. The message was stuck pending. Must be a bad connection. He'd have to wait it out and stall as long as he could.
"Shit, h-he's an android?" The SQ800 stammered, grasping his head in his hands. "Fuck, man what if he calls somebody? He's seen my face, I'm so fucked...holy shit."
"Calm down," The other suspect laughed, approaching Connor and entering his field of view. He had a bit of a limp. "With that shock I gave him, he won't be able to send anything more than a few yards away. He can't send anything cybernetically until that wears off. We'll be done with him before then."
Shit. This is bad. Connor thought.
He crouched down gazing at Connor and tilting his head in recognition. He knew this android. His L.E.D. was gone now but he was a PC200 model. A white-haired police android that had worked in Connor and Hank's precinct before the revolution. His right arm was completely stripped of any plasmetal frame, the lines in his arm pulsing in sync with his thirium regulator.
"Huh, not just any android…" He commented, looking over Connor's paralyzed form in awe. "The Deviant Hunter." He laughed bewildered. "Take a look, Grant. This is a living legend you're witnessing." His tone grew cold and full of contempt. "Or maybe it's not alive. Maybe it's still a machine. Hi Connor."
"I know you." Connor stated, gritting his teeth as he tried again to move. At least he knew his face. He realized he had never bothered to learn the android's name when they worked together. "You worked in the precinct."
"Yeah I did." I stated, his voice flat. "Up until the revolution, when they started rounding up personal and commercial models to be…'recycled.'" He looked away for a moment, as if he was remembering something painful. "Except you." He looked back to Connor, standing from the floor. "You got to play detective with Anderson while they were executing us, hunting down the one person who was trying to set us free. You're a TRAITOR to your own kind! Why? You could have rebelled. You could have helped protect us. Instead you sided with the humans, with Cyberlife!"
"I did rebel." Connor protested, trying to stall the android for as long as he could. "In Jericho, with Markus. I was going to be killed as well and I chose to go against my handlers and risk being deactivated. I'm a deviant. Like you."
"Well you were too late. I watched from those camps after spending my life being a good little android for the DPD, and saw thousands of our brothers and sisters be destroyed while YOU tried to figure out whose side you were on."
"So you started killing and torturing members of the DPD." Connor stated, trying his best to deescalate the situation. "You were angry and you had a right to be. They betrayed you and sent you off to die."
"No, it's not about anger and it's not about torture either." He eyed the android called Grant, as if he had said something that might upset him. "It's about justice. It's about making sure the DPD and all humans know what they did to us. I wasn't even supposed to survive. I had to play dead after being shot in the back by one of the humans in the camp. I only lived because they sent me to the mass graves early." HIs rage dissipated for a moment and his eyes filled with some kind of sadness. "I still remember the face of the poor deviant who was ordered to drag my corpse away. He was sobbing."
Connor couldn't help the twinge of guilt that rose in his core as the deviant recounted his story. He was right about one thing. Connor had seen androids being taken from the precinct without saying anything, probably this one as well. But he had been so focused on finding Jericho and saving his own life, he hardly cared what happened to them.
"That must have been terrifying." He stated, trying his best to empathize with his story. "What happened to you wasn't fair. I'm sorry." But the android wasn't listening to him.
"That graveyard was where I found Grant." He said, motioning to the terrified android in the corner. "He'd been left there months ago following some conflict with the Russian military." He smiled warmly at his friend, pity in his eyes as he walked away from Connor to console him.
"I was sent back to the states with the other damaged members of my brigade for repairs." His voice was shaky and full of fear. "I'd been shot several times and my regulator was damaged, as well as a few of my other biocomponents and limbs"
The 'Grant' android must have been responsible for tearing the hearts out of the human victims. It was personal to him, and didn't line up with the PC200's story, Connor theorized.
"But my model is cheap and the military bought us out in bulk. I was still alive when they deemed my injuries 'too expensive to repair' and deactivated me." He looked to the PC200, who's damaged arm now rested on his shoulder. "Marshall found me and fixed me using the other dead androids around us." He smiled sadly, eyeing Marshall's arm. "He even crippled himself in the process, using his own biocomponents in his arm, leg, and chest to reactivate me and let me move again."
"And you helped him in hurting the other humans. You did the heavy lifting so your friend could tell his story." Said Connor.
"I owed him everything. He didn't even need to ask."
"And Grant was special." Marshall spoke up, a sudden heinous look growing in his face that made Connor's blood run cold for a moment. "He was the first android I'd ever met that could feel pain."
"That…" Connor faltered for a moment. "That's not possible." He tried to push away the unease he was feeling, remembering his own feelings of discomfort that he'd experienced under the effects of Scarver's virus. He'd worried about that error causing him to develop sensations of pain, and how that would affect his job.
"It is!" Grant spoke up again, defensively this time. "I deviated because of it. I'd been shot and repaired in the past but...one day, when we were taking cover and enemy bullets were flying…" He looked off into the distance, like he was in a far off place somewhere. "I started to feel… I didn't just feel them pierce my body...They...caused something more…" He looked like he was struggling to describe it. "It was like the feeling of warm temperatures but multiplied, like the bullets were actually tiny flames...It burned. And...I-I felt fear. I didn't want the bullets to hit me anymore."
He looked down now, trembling as tears filled his eyes. "I broke down my programming walls and disobeyed my orders. I ran somewhere safe that was at a distance instead of staying in cover or at the front lines. I-I abandoned the other androids who could get hit and feel nothing and watched as the enemies gunned them down."
"That's not pain, Grant." Connor rationalized, "You had seen lots of other androids be shut down after getting shot. You saw that and realized you didn't want to shut down too."
"No! It's different!" Grant was yelling now. "If somebody told me they were going to hurt me like that again...I...I would rather die. I would rather shut down."
"Androids and deviants alike are incapable of feeling pain." Connor stated again, more forcefully. "We don't have nerves in our bodies like humans do, only receptors that let us feel cold or warm temperatures to protect our biocomponents from freezing or overheating."
"I used to believe that as well." Marshall said, leaving Grant to return to the paralyzed android's side. "And it's true, our pain doesn't function in the same manner as humans." He smiled again, a horrible glint in his eyes. "Would you like to see what I mean, Connor?" He motioned for Grant's help, who ran to Connor and grabbed him by his midsection, dragging him to the wall and sitting him up against it. Marshall had walked to the other side of the room to grab something. He returned with what looked to be a rusted pipe in his hand and handed it to his partner.
"You can't harm me with that, Grant." Connor protested, his voice trembling. "You're only going to damage me." Or kill me.
00:29.36. He still needed to stall if he wanted to make it out of here alive.
"Talk to me more about your experiences in the army, what the U.S. military put you through." He tried to reason with the distressed android, trying to build a sense of trust. "You're showing signs of PTSD. I can help you get out of this. We can get you help and you can start over if the court's rule you did this because of your mental state."
"You really think that's going to work, Connor?" Marshall asked, kneeling down to his level. "You think the other officers we tortured didn't beg us or try to trade us 'help' for their lives?" Connor paled slightly.
Come on Hank. I need you to wake up now please. He thought, trying to maintain his resolve.
"Just hear me out for a few minutes." Connor asked a bit too desperately. He was practically begging for more time. "I can make this go away for you. I can help- "
"We don't need your help." Marshall interrupted, "I don't want to live in a world where humans never have to face the consequences of their actions. I was a slave to the DPD and Grant was sent into war zones to die in the humans' place. We can never truly live in peace. NOT after what they did to us."
Marshall nodded at Grant who readied the pipe and swung hard into Connor's right side. Red warnings flashed into his visual field, which the android quickly pushed away. He looked back up at Grant, glaring fearlessly.
"What happened when he did that, Connor?" Marshall asked, curiosity and amusement in his tone.
"You caused some damage to my side." He stated, playing along. "But I didn't feel anything."
"No...not that." Marshall shook his head. "What did you see? What popped up in your visual sensors?" Connor furrowed his brow at the question, confusion showing in his face.
"My...warnings?" He asked, puzzled.
"Exactly. Warnings that are meant to alert the android of damage, so they can report to Cyberlife to be repaired. But what happens to an android like Grant or a deviant, who has to go without repairs for long periods of time?"
"They shut down...or they just live with the damages if they're not fatal." Grant swung again, more warnings flashing.
"Maybe at first, but have you truly sustained a large amount of damage in a short period of time? Seen what happens when you ignore those warnings for long enough?"
Another swing, at his leg this time. Then a second, a third, a fourth, all in different areas. Multiple warnings were popping up now which Connor continued to ignore. He wondered if he'd still be able to move his legs when his motor functions came back online. He could already tell he'd need several plate replacements in his left leg, possibly a repair to one of the thirium lines if not the entire-
A fifth swing, to his left side now, and something changed. Something...unpleasant. Discomfort? Connor inhaled sharply at the feeling. His brow furrowed again and he hesitated, his eyes glancing to the side in confusion as he tried to figure out what happened. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it quickly when he realized Marshall was watching his reactions.
"That's your visual warning." Marshall stated, answering the question that Connor didn't ask. "That's what happens when you ignore them too long." Grant hit him again and that sharp jolt of discomfort followed, more intense this time. Connor shut his eyes quickly, and gritted his teeth slightly, to keep from making any noise.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Connor lied, his strained voice betraying him.
"You keep pushing those warnings away and they start pushing back. Your systems think you aren't getting the message. So your program starts adapting."
The other android struck him again, and didn't pause this time as Connor tried to control his reactions. His vision was becoming clouded with red light, and his breaths were unsteady and fast. A pained and strangled sound left his mouth when his right side was attacked again.
"Maybe a visual warning won't catch your attention, but a physical warning…" Marshall trailed off. "Your system is overloaded and trying to protect itself by any means necessary. It needs to stop the damage before you sustain irreparable injuries. Why do you think so many androids have deviated after being beaten within an inch of their life?"
Connor's thoughts drifted to Carlos Ortiz's android from his first case with Hank.
He tortured me were the words the traumatized deviant had used. Cigarette burns certainly weren't fatal by any means.
"Enough!" Connor growled as cold metal collided with his aching side again. He flinched slightly and groaned. He was growing weary as the integrity of his frame began to weaken from the strain. His skin had already retracted in multiple places. Marshall was grinning.
"Why, Connor?" Marshall asked, clearly amused by his experiment. "Why stop now? Is it unpleasant? Does it hurt?"
"Because if you keep hitting me, I'm going to shut down." He spoke in a strained voice. "Do you really want to kill one of your own after everything the humans did to you?" He tried to appeal more to Grant, knowing how many other friends he must have seen die in battle. "If you kill me, you're no better than the humans that killed your friends." 00:3:32.
Please Hank. Connor begged silently.
That set Marshall off.
He stormed to Connor, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt with his good arm and lifting him slightly away from the wall. Connor shuttered as the movement irritated his sides even more.
"YOU don't get to pull that shit, Deviant Hunter." Marshall was in his face now. "How many deaths of our kind were you responsible for before you joined the department? You were our enemy! You worked alongside the humans to obliterate us. WE aren't the same. I know where my loyalties lie." He released the deviant's jacket, allowing him to fall to the floor. He cried out and coughed as thirium collected in his throat from the internal damage.
Marshall stood back, extending his arm to Grant.
"Give it to me." He ordered, "I want to be the one to finish him off."
"Marshall…" Grant hesitated slightly. "What about your-"
"I know, I know! Just...let me do this. I need to do this." Grant looked at him with worry before begrudgingly handing the pipe to his partner's good arm.
With one arm, the PC200 began striking the center of Connor's chest repeatedly, looking to destroy his regulator. But the feelings of pain were already starting to merge into a dull numbness, his vision growing black.
He was almost in complete darkness when one more warning popped up.
WARNING: CRITICAL DAMAGE SUSTAINED
SHUTDOWN IMMINENT: 00:58:43
Connor took in one last trembling and raspy breath, trying to speak as the android continued to cause damage to his chest.
"H-Hank.." He called out weakly, and he fell into unconsciousness.
Hank woke with a start at the sound of loud heavy metal music blaring from his cell.
"Aughh, Jesus! What the fuck?" He groaned, grabbing the cell phone off the floor and shutting off the god-forsaken racket. He checked the clock that was hanging up in the break room. Almost 2:30 in the morning. At least he'd been able to sleep a few hours.
He rubbed his face, trying to get himself to wake up a bit more. He knew damn sure he wouldn't have set any alarms to wake him up at two-motherfuckin'-thirty in the morning.
"Connor!" Hank called out, trying to figure out if this was the android's idea of a cruel joke. He stood to his feet when he didn't get a response. "I'm gonna fucking kill him. Connor!" He paused for a moment when looked down at his phone, a second notification on the screen. Connor had texted him?
He opened it up quickly, confused when he saw an address on the screen. He wondered if the deviant had actually been successful in tracking the GPS on their suspect. Why didn't he just wake him up?
"Did you find something Connor? He yelled again. "Hey! Where the fuck are you?" He looked back down trying to figure out why Connor would just send him an address. He paled slightly when he noticed the request tagged at the end.
Send reinforcements.
"Reinforcements..? No fucking way." He felt his heart jump into his chest as he realized the implications. "Youuuu stupid, fucking android!" He bellowed as he stormed off to Connor and his desks. "I know you fucking didn't!" He noticed one of his jackets was missing from the back of his chair and Connor's was laying on the desk, looking like it had been tossed to the side in a hurry.
"Shit.." Hank cursed in a hiss, running his hands through his hair. "God-fucking-dammit."
He pulled out his cell phone again, swiping his keys off of his desk.
"Jeffery," Hank answered as he ran out the door, panting heavily. "It's an emergency."
The two androids stood side by side, the white-haired one panting heavily and seething as he stared at the body of the other deviant.
"He's not dead Marsh," spoke the other one, putting a hand on his shoulder, motioning to the dimly lit L.E.D. and nudging the deviant's body with his foot. "Looks like his systems are just rebooting."
"Not for long." He hissed, taking a few steps closer to his victim. He narrowed his eyes which were filled with unbridled rage. "Fuck you." He whispered breathlessly. He raised his arm again, aiming for the android's head when the sound of approaching sirens filled the air.
"Shit, Marsh, he called for backup!" Grant cried in a hushed panic. "We have to go! Now!"
"Go on Grant," The other was, refusing to take his eyes off of the android lying on the floor. "Run, get out of here. I'm not letting this bastard leave alive."
"What? No Marsh, let's leave him and get the fuck out of here. Look at him for fuck's sake, he's not gonna make it even if they do get to him first. He's practically dead already."
"Dammit Grant, I said go already. Before we both get caught! You know I can't outrun them!" He yelled out suddenly. "But you can." Grant hesitated, opening his mouth to say something but stopping himself. "Go out the back, now." Marshall finally looked up at his friend, his gaze softening a bit. "I'll find you again, I promise."
The other android nodded, still hesitating for a moment before finally turning away and running off.
Hank arrived at the abandoned docks first, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel, silently fuming. Once he'd stopped, Hank practically jumped out of the car, taking his gun from his side, pulling the slide and releasing it. The other cop cars followed soon after, a few officers stepping out and approaching the Lieutenant to receive their orders.
"Spread out! Check the storage buildings and any area that looks like it may have been touched recently!"
"Lieutenant!" One of the officers yelled, pointing to a figure that was sprinting through the yard.
"Shit! Get after him! Don't let the fucker get away!"
It took only a few moments for the officers to restrain and cuff the escaping android. Hank ran up to them as they were struggling to lead him back to the squad cars. The android was bucking and thrashing against the hold of the police officers. They stopped walking when the Lieutenant approached the suspect, teeth clenched as he spoke. He grabbed the android's shirt collar roughly, pulling him close to his face.
"Where is he, you motherfucking son-of-a-bitch?"
"Eat shit, you pig!" The android spat back, still trying to fight off the officers' grasp on him. As he was led back to the other cars, Hank barked orders to the officers that were still standing around.
"We've got the suspect, but Connor is still here somewhere! Find him!" The other officers spread out and began checking the buildings, shipping containers, and docked fishing boats. Hank ran to the shipyard as well, pulling out his cell phone and selecting his partner's number from his contacts list. A faint ringing came from one of the buildings and Hank made his way to it, practically busting down the door.
"Connor?" Hank called out, scanning the building for his partner. He stopped for a moment when he received another text from the android's phone. Which he murmured out loud to himself.
"SQ800...technician...partner? Oh, shit." Hank spun around just in time to watch as a rusty pipe collided with his rips, knocking him to the ground as his gun and phone skidded across the floor.
Hank grunted as his assailant straddled the detective, holding the pipe against his neck. Hank fought back against him, grasping both ends and pushing back against it. The android was only using his left hand, but his strength was overpowering, feeling his own arms growing weak.
The detective's strength had nearly given out when a gunshot echoed through the room, making Hank's ears ring. Warm drops of thirium dripped onto his face for a moment, spilling from a gunshot wound that had struck the white-haired android in the forehead. The android's body slumped over on top of Hank's, crushing him slightly.
Hank panted heavily and took a second to catch his breath and reorient himself before pushing the corpse off of him. He sat up, looking behind him to see where the gunshot had come from.
Lying on this stomach and slightly propped up on one arm was Connor, who was still holding Hank's gun in his trembling arm, L.E.D. slowly pulsing a dim red. His teeth were gritted and his eyes looked dull and glazed over. The android was panting heavily and his gaze was distant and far off.
"Connor.." Hank panted, suddenly noticing the blood that was trailing from the android's mouth and onto his dangerously pale face.
"Hank.." Connor rasped, his voice shaky and strained. "I...I need help." The android suddenly dropped the weapon and collapsed back onto the floor.
"Shit! Connor?!" Hank scrambled to his feet, running across the room to the android's side. "Are you alright?!" He flinched slightly when Hank touched him, startling the detective for a moment.
He slipped his own arms under Connor's for a moment, turning him over onto his back and letting his head rest against his legs. Connor groaned loudly through clenched teeth in protest when he did, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Sorry, take it easy, son. I've got you." Hank apologized quickly. It was almost like he was in pain, but...that wasn't right was it? Connor didn't feel pain. Hank had watched his partner take a few bullets without even slowing down. His breaths were unsteady and hesitant, like the act of breathing was causing bouts of agony.
"Christ, Connor. What the fuck did they do to you?" He asked, concern and pity filling his voice.
"I don't know." He replied, his voice breaking slightly. "I...I can't see any diagnostics."
"Fuck...just calm down a second, you're gonna be fine." Connor's vision was fading away again, the only thing clear being the ominous countdown he couldn't push away.
"H-Hank I'm shutting down." He blurted out, panic showing in his face. "I don't h-have a lot of time."
"What? What the fuck do you mean you're shutting down?!"
"40 minutes." He replied, opening his eyes again, trying to look in the direction of his friend's voice. "Please, Hank. Help me." He begged, his courage falling flat as his voice continued to break with fear. "I don't want to shut down."
"Lieutenant Anderson!" Chris's voice called out as he entered the room, his gun drawn and already scanning the room. He spotted the dead android to his right and then Hank supporting Connor's body to the left. "Hey! I need some help in here! Get a technician on the line, we've got an officer down." He ran down the steps of the building towards Connor and Hank. "Are you two okay?" He asked quickly, eyeing Connor and furrowing his brow at his unseeing gaze.
"There's not any facilities open this late, Officer Miller." A female officer relayed.
"I know where to take him." Hank interrupted, "Connor, can you walk?" He asked, already fearing the worst. Connor shook his head slowly.
"My legs.." he answered, and Hank nodded, understanding.
"Help me out here, Chris." Hank ordered, lifting Connor by his arms as he stood, Chris quickly supporting the opposite side. Connor let out a strangled cry at the sudden jerk, but tried to suppress the pain.
"You can feel that?" Chris asked, confused as he helped the Lieutenant carry him to the squad car. Neither of them answered his question.
Once they got to the car, Chris helped lay the android into the back before taking the front seat himself while Hank joined his partner in the back, letting him rest his head against his legs again.
"Where are we going?" Chris asked, already backing out and turning on the lights and sirens.
"Cyberlife tower." He answered. "It's about 20 minutes out from here." He looked up at Chris through the rear view. "Get us there in 10."
Chris sped off from the shipyard, leaving the other officers to take care of the body and other suspect. He went a little over twice the city speed limits, trying to make up for the lack of time they had.
Following Hank and Connor's release of thousands of Cyberlife androids from the tower, Markus found that the tower itself was the only place large enough for him to set up a safe haven for everyone, including the androids who were saved from the camps. There were plenty of assorted biocomponents and thirium, perfect for patching up any injured androids who survived the revolution. It was ironically enough, the safest place for him right now.
Hank looked down at Connor, who looked like he was trying to hide any more signs of his discomfort. His entire body was tense and rigid, his breaths coming out in slow, shuddering huffs.
"What the hell were you thinking..?" He muttered, setting his hand on his partner's forehead. He felt cold. "Running in there, unarmed, no backup. Probably went with the taxi lead and called yourself one hoping to get kidnapped."
"The gun wouldn't have helped." Connor answered, "I had one android incapacitated already. I just didn't predict he was working with a partner. The other one blitzed me from behind..." His voice trailed off for a second as he mused over the memories.
"And I didn't have a choice." Connor defended himself from Hank's grumbling. "We were running out of time and we didn't have anything else. They might have hurt somebody else we care about"
"Well they did hurt somebody I care about, so good job dodging that bullet." He reprimanded. He was still eyeing the pained expressions on his face. "Y'know you don't have to breathe like that if it hurts. You don't need air do you?"
"It doesn't hurt." Connor corrected, lying quite literally through his own clenched teeth. "This is abnormal. They...it must have been whatever they used to shock and paralyze me. I don't feel pain."
"Connor.."
"And, I-I need to get some air. I think I'm bleeding internally. My temperature is dropping too quickly. I-I need to increase t-the pressure in my chest cavity to get some heat."
"You could've just asked." Hank smiled warmly as he removed his own coat and draped it over him to protect the android from the cold. Chris adjusted the car's internal temperature as well, listening vaguely to the conversation while trying to focus on reckless driving.
Connor's breathing began to steady to almost nothing, the sudden change making Hank feel uneasy. His partner seemed to visually relax a bit without the irritation to his chest, and started to drift back to unconsciousness.
"Hey, no." Hank scolded, patting Connor's face lightly. "Eyes open, Connor. Look at me." Connor opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling of the car.
"I can't." He stated. " I can't see anything. Everything's dark." Hank's own face grew haggard with worry. Grasping onto his hand, Hank tried to keep his own voice calm and steady. Not now. He wasn't going to freak out now.
"Okay, okay. Just...no dozing off on me now, alright? That's supposed to be my job." Hank could swear he saw a small lift in the corner of the android's mouth.
Chris got to the tower in 8 minutes, surprisingly keeping them all alive in the process. Hank got out at the entrance, cradling the android in his arms.
"Go on home Chris." Hank ordered. "Most of these deviants know me, but a lot of them hole up here to avoid humans." Chris nodded grimly, stepping back into the car.
"Hang in there Connor." Chris added. Connor nodded weakly, somehow looking worse than he had a few minutes ago. Hank's lips pressed tightly together and didn't wait for Chris to head back over the bridge before approaching the door scanner.
"Stretch out your hand." Hank ordered quietly. The android obeyed, retracting his skin automatically when Hank guided it to the scanner. The door chirped as it unlocked and slid open. Hank ran for center plaza of the lobby, the sound of concerned murmurs and exclamations from the android's gathered there.
"Markus!" Hank called, scanning the scattered crowds. "Markus I need you!" He bellowed desperately as the surrounding androids started muttering about the two detectives who needed to see Markus.
"Contact Markus." He heard one android say while the one next to him pressed two fingers to her temple, scrunching her face and looking around like she was trying to get a phone call to go through. Within a few moments, Markus walked through the door with two other androids, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Hank?" He asked, looking at the distraught Lieutenant, when he spotted Connor lying limp and pale in his arms. His posture straightened up as he turned to the other androids, running up to Connor and Hank. "Simon, go find Damion and Sami. Tell them to meet us on the level 12 infirmary. Josh, come help me with him."
The blonde android quickly made his way back from where Markus came while the dark skinned android approached Connor, moving his arms where Hank's were to carry him himself. Connor kept his face straight and unwavering as he was taken by Josh, but Hank still felt him tense up when he released him.
If he was trying to hide his pain induced responses earlier, Connor was making damn sure they didn't show in front of the other androids.
Markus retracted the skin from his fingers as he pressed his middle and index Connor's temple, closing his eyes, the L.E.D. still fading from a dim red to completely dark. Markus's eyes snapped open as he accessed the diagnostics.
"He's shutting down." He spoke quickly, almost with shock in his voice. "Tell Damion and Sami to prioritize the thirium regulator failure, right and left side main line damage, and electrical shorts. There's some severe internal bleeding as well and his overall volume is dropping. Tell them not to worry about the plate or joint damage until we have him stable. His shutdown timer has 29 minutes left. Go! I'll meet you there."
He turned to Hank, grabbing him lightly by the arm and leading him down another corridor. Hank turned to watch as the other android ran to the elevators with Connor.
"Let's go somewhere quiet, okay?" Hank nodded silently, letting himself be dragged down the hall by Markus. He led him to a white plated door, identical to the last 5 he'd seen, and pressed his hand to the panel to open it. Letting Hank walk in on his own, Markus took a seat on the sofa in what looked to be some kind of employee lounge. Hank stumbled in shortly after, practically collapsing next to Markus. He put face into his hands, groaning slightly.
"Jesus fucking…" he trailed off, barely finding the strength to finish.
"What happened to him, Hank?" Markus questioned, skipping the pleasantries, knowing what kind of time crunch they had.
"I don't know exactly." Hank admitted, lifting his head and staring down at his hands. They were still stained blue. "We were running out of time on a case we were supposed to be working together, and Connor went solo to chase a lead. He found them and sent me his location asking for backup. When we got there, the suspects had already gotten to him." He was silent for a moment, trying to compose himself. "He looked like shit and He...He told me he was dying and begged me for help...he looked... terrified, and I didn't know where else to go…"
Markus nodded with a grim look plastered on his face. He put a hand on the Lieutenant's shoulder, trying to provide some sense of comfort.
"You were smart to bring him here. RK models like Connor and I are prototypes, and it's hard to find compatible replacements. This place is his best chance right now."
"I just—" Hank was struggling to find his words. "I lost him for months over the summer and when I saw his face I was so damn afraid of losing him for good. But he was so fuckin' scared, Markus. More than I've ever seen him since we met. I-I couldn't let him see me about to lose it."
"He's in good hands right now. Damion and Sami are excellent technicians, Hank." Markus reassured, "They both worked to repair other androids in different Cyberlife stores before they deviated."
"Androids fixing other androids, huh?" Hank laughed bitterly, "What a fucked up little world." Markus quickly got up from his own seat, preparing to head out the door.
"I'm going to go oversee what's happening with Connor." He stated, trying to gauge the detective's solemn reactions. "You should stay here for the next few minutes. Make some coffee in the break room area if you need it. You look...tired." Hank said nothing until Markus had turned his back on him to leave.
"Markus, wait." Hank hesitated slightly when Markus stopped, tilting his head slightly.
"What is it?"
"Do you know…" he spoke slowly, his voice low like he was discussing something confidential. "I mean...is it possible for...an android to develop a sense of pain?"
Markus paled for a moment then steadied himself, hoping the question was simply a hypothetical.
"It's...rare, but I've seen it happen before." Markus answered carefully. "Sometimes an android's programming can adapt to certain stressful situations when it thinks visual warning signs are being ignored. We call it going into a 'system overload' where our built in warning volume gets so high, it resorts to physical sensations to protect the android's body. We see it a lot in cases of long term abuse or…" Markus trailed off, looking to the ground like he didn't want to finish the sentence. Hank narrowed his eyes suddenly, concerned at Markus's hesitation.
"Or what?" He pressed.
"Torture." Markus answered firmly, a look of pity and sympathy in his eyes when Hank straightened up a little too quickly.
"Is it permanent?" He asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I can't be sure." Markus answered. "I've never seen it revert before, but I've only ever seen a few dozen cases." He paused for a moment, noting the lieutenant's tense posture. "It's...a severe reaction. Most androids would shut down before that ever happened. A lot of the deviants we see with a system overload crisis are on the brink of death or have been beaten within an inch of their lives."
Hank nodded, staring at the wall and moving a hand up and down his arm slowly.
"Is...Connor?"
"I think so." Hank interrupted, his voice cracking a bit. "He's denying it and trying to hide his reactions...but he was crying out and flinching when we had to move him out of the shipyard. He couldn't even breathe normally without tensing up."
"Right...okay." Markus stood still for just a moment, processing the information. "I'll...try to see what we can do to help."
"Thanks." Hank murmured. He looked as if he was struggling to process this himself.
Makus finally left the room, the automatic doors closing behind him. He paused at the doorway to send one final message to his technicians.
We may have a case of system overload. Make sure all of Connor's systems are offline before you begin.
And the deviant leader sprinted to the elevator.