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Chicago: Become Human
Chapter Eleven: The Collector
Connor's internal clock hit 7AM and his eyes snapped open. He immediately glanced to the side to find Samantha laying in bed next to him, awake, chin propped up on her palm.
"Good morning, sunshine," she said with satisfaction.
Connor sat straight up, glancing around. "It's morning. What happened to the night? Did I get turned off?"
"You fell asleep."
He paused, staring at her. "I... what?"
"You were in... recharge, I guess? You must have really overdid it yesterday. Too much all at once. I think your systems needed the rest. How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, I—" His systems finally caught up with him and Connor suddenly realized he had not done a single patrol of the parameter all night long. "Shit." He hissed as he scrambled out of bed and grabbed his clothes. "Why didn't you try to wake me? I'm supposed to be aware so I can protect you."
"I kept watch last night for both of us."
Connor paused from fastening his pants to give her a suspicious look. She was too fresh-faced to have been awake all night long. "I don't believe you."
"Well, I was mostly watching you, because you're adorable when you sleep."
Connor set his jaw, a bit perturbed that she was not taking this more seriously. He grabbed his sweater, frowned at it because it was not his usual 'work' attire, and put it on. He slipped on his shoes and, with one more annoyed glance at Samantha, marched out of the bedroom and went to work. She was still grinning after him, he was sure.
Outside, the sky was blue and clear and the world was already warming itself. Connor stalked up and down the property, more irritated in himself than Samantha. He had a very important job to do and he had allowed himself to become distracted. So very, very distracted. He had to focus. He couldn't forget about his responsibilities again. If he couldn't be Samantha's protector then what good was he?
He paused on the precipice of the backyard, gazing at the wooded area down the incline. Focus. Focus was key. And yet, as the breeze played with his hair and ignited his sensors, he was taken back to the night before. His body remembered her still. He felt phantom touches where her fingers had danced over him, where her mouth had bestowed sweet, gentle love upon his synthetic skin. He was glad the desperate burn that had consumed him last night seemed to be over. Possibly another recalibration as his system continued to compensate for his radical changes. But the yearning was still there. It was a sweet ache that was both satiated in her presence, but also grew to a swelling feeling in his chest when she was near.
Was this how humans in love felt? He didn't know. He only knew how he felt, and he knew that he loved her.
When he returned to the house he went directly to the tiny spare room that was designated his. It contained little more than a dresser and a futon that Connor had never used. Mostly, he made use of the closet and drawers to keep what few items—mostly clothes—Samantha had given to him over the past months. This was where he was finally able to change into a dress shirt and his favorite tie.
Once properly attired for work, he found Samantha at the kitchen sink, cleaning up after her breakfast. Again, his thoughts wandered back to the night before. It was too easy to visit. It wasn't just her touch, it was the fact that he felt loved. Though he had apparently over-taxed his systems, he was happy to do so because basking in Samantha's affections was like nothing else. He had no words to describe it. The fact that she even cared for him at all seemed like a miracle. That she loved him was more than a machine, a thing like him, could ever hope for.
As he watched her, the yearning returned. That ache to be loved all over again, to confirm that she loved him even though he was not human. Yet, he did not yield to it. He had to learn to find balance and not let it take over again. So he stood where he was, several feet behind her in the dining area, just watching her cleaning in the kitchen.
She was still in her pajamas, which was typical for her this time of morning. Also typical that she was wearing an over-sized sweater. She liked to be covered. The wide neck of this particular sweater had slouched off one shoulder. She scratched idly at the juncture between her neck and shoulder before going back to work.
Connor thought about touching her there, touching more of her skin. That sweater would keep her covered from the rest of the world, but he alone would be allowed to remove it and explore underneath.
And then, Connor realized that the night before had been extremely one-sided. Everything Samantha did: her touches, her kisses, were all for him. She had so easily reduced him to a blissful, over-heated puddle. And he had soaked it all up like a greedy sponge, giving nothing. He frowned, brows drawn as he watched her. Samantha, who had said she loved him and wanted nothing in return but for him to continue to be who he was. Who, when he begged for love, gave freely and unselfishly. Maybe that was the difference between human love and what could pass as love in an android. He could do better.
Determined, he approached her, moving to her side while she rinsed a heavy plate in the sink.
"Samantha."
"Hm?" she asked, not looking at him.
"Samantha." He spoke firmer. She turned off the water and looked at him, dripping plate still in her hands. "I would like to make love to you, but you will have to tell me how."
Her eyes widened, pupils dilating. The plate smashed to the floor.
.
Samantha could barely register anything as the plate slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.
Connor immediately responded to the broken pieces. "Let me clean it up, you could cut yourself."
She watched him stupidly, the counter the only thing holding her up, as he picked up the larger pieces and tossed them in the trash. He then grabbed the hand towel hanging from the stove to wipe up the rest of the mess. It was taking him a while. Maybe he would forget the conversation if she just moved on to something else. Slipping past the android, she tried to make her way around the island counter and out of the kitchen.
"Samantha."
She paused at the sound of her name. "Yeah huh?" It came out squeaky mess.
"I would like to continue our conversation." She heard him approach her, felt him stand in her space. But she couldn't bring herself to do more but glance sideways at his chest.
"That wasn't a conversation, Connor, that was you dropping a bomb on me."
"I don't understand. Did I say something incorrect? I was merely stating what was on my mind."
Samantha steeled herself and turned to fully face him. Looks like they were going to have this conversation after all. "What you were proposing took me by surprise. I wasn't prepared to hear you say such a thing. Can I ask why you decided to bring that up?"
He furrowed his brows in thought, which was always so cute on him. Everything about him was cute and Samantha knew she was in trouble.
"Last night," Connor said carefully. "You were very kind to me, very affectionate. I enjoyed it. But I have realized I did nothing for you in return."
"Ahhh," Samantha said knowingly. Her heart slowed down a bit as she chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "That isn't something you should worry about. I also had a really good time last night." She touched his arm to further her point. "It was my pleasure."
"But..." Connor pressed as she moved to continue down the hall.
"My pleasure entirely, Connor," she insisted before disappearing into her bedroom. She shut the door firmly behind her.
.
Connor did not push the issue all that day. There were most likely more pressing things on Samantha's mind, as it was the day before she would have to go back to the lab. She was always a little distant, a little irritable on the day before. Connor understood the stress, but wished she wouldn't pull away because of it.
On the morning of, Garrett came into the house with two other members of his crew. He eyed Connor pointedly as they retrieved Samantha and took her to the back. Garrett remained behind as the others escorted her through the door and it closed behind them. Garrett and Connor stared each other down. The android knew his LED was probably flickering yellow. He hated when Samantha had to go in there. Especially with his new-found emotions. Absolutely hated it.
But he also knew better, and he knew Garrett was suspicious of his ability to break through his protocols. That was why the human stayed behind, to gauge Connor's reaction to the schedule. He watched the android carefully, keeping a sharp eye on that LED. Connor forced his systems to stay cool.
"You good, Connor?" Garrett tested.
"No," he answered truthfully. "I don't like what you're doing. But I will stay here, on this side, as my protocols dictate."
"So the last time you stormed into the lab, that was a glitch, huh?" the man challenged.
"No, it was not a glitch. Protecting Samantha is my main objective. If going to the lab protected her, I could override a lower priority order."
"I see. And she is safe where she is right now."
Stubborn silence from the android.
"Connor."
"As you say, Sir. I will remain on this side of the door."
Garrett sighed. "I guess that answer's good enough." He approached the door to the lab and it slid open for him. Part way through the threshold, Garrett turned and looked at the android. "Another bit of information for your protocols, Connor. You step foot in this lab again, for any reason, I will put a fucking bullet between your eyes. You got me?"
Connor roiled on the inside, but outwardly, he stayed neutral. "Yes, Sir."
.
Samantha was eventually wheeled back into the house; tired, wounded. As usual, she just wanted to sleep for a while and gingerly climbed onto the bed, back to the door, and stayed there. Connor remained with Garrett until the human and his entourage had evacuated his side of the building. Only then did he return to the bedroom.
He crawled up the bed between Samantha and the wall, laying next to her, watching her. After a while, her tired eyes opened.
"You're not the closest to the door," she reminded in a papery voice.
"I can keep an eye on it. If I see anyone walk through that door for you, I'll kill them."
Her smile was weak. "You being fierce for me is very charming."
He reached for her, brushing the stray hair from her face, then running his hand up and down her arm. "What can I do for you?"
With weak hands, she grabbed his vest, pulling. "Hold me. Let me pretend for a little bit that I'm safe here. That everything's okay."
The sudden realization hit Connor far worse than a runaway car ever could. Samantha was right. She was not safe here. Because her abuse was orderly and on schedule, it had tricked him into compliance. But it was abuse. They hurt her, over and over. When she asked them to stop, to lessen the frequency, her punishment was more severe.
His arms went around her, pulling her in against his chest where she buried her face. Her hand clutched at his side. His smoothed over her back while he processed this new information. Samantha is not safe here. Samantha is not safe here.
And she was never going to order him to protect her from this.
.
When she was feeling better, Samantha said it was such a nice day, she wanted to go to the park and read. Connor told her no. The park was too open and public. She argued they had been to one park already and he had been okay with that. He argued back that she had stayed under the protection of the pavilion that night, making it harder for snipers.
She told him to get in the car.
He frowned the entire way to the park and only relaxed slightly when she let him pick the spot. As long as it was in the sun, she insisted. Knowing Connor, he'd probably make her sit in a cave. Only after he thoroughly inspected it first and then camped at the entrance, of course.
After walking around for a while, he finally picked a spot where he felt there was enough protection and he see who was coming and going. Then he proceeded to annoy the hell out of her as he paced around while she tried to read.
"Connor, please sit down," she asked politely.
"I cannot. I won't be able to see everything if I sit."
"Join me on the blanket."
"No."
"Now, Connor."
He sat in a huff, arms folded like a pouting child. With absolute adoration, she directed him to lay down, his head resting on her thigh. He was still irritated about it, fists now clenched at his sides, until she began to run her fingers through his hair. The stubborn, tense posture instantly left his body at her touch. Her finger traveled down his temple, behind his ear and beneath his jaw. He closed his eyes as it circled back up.
"There we go, nice and calm," she cooed. Her finger swirled over his LED which was cycling from yellow back to blue. "Now, you will lay like this quietly for the next half hour and let me read in peace."
"Twenty minutes."
"One half hour, Connor. Then you may get up and do whatever your twitchy programming wants to do."
He didn't say anything, but he cycled out a large, hot puff of air and then was silent. Samantha continued to run her fingers through his hair as she went back to her story. After a good few chapters, she put the book down and looked up at the sky, enjoying the sun on her face. She flexed, straightening her back, but careful not to jostle the android using her as a pillow.
"Samantha, I have been thinking about things," Connor suddenly announced, not moving from where he lay.
"What have you been thinking about?"
"The future. Most particularly, if the future will ever change for us. Will we always be in that house, in isolation? Will you always be expected to go to the lab until your last day? Will this ever stop being what it is right now?"
Samantha looked out at the park trails, the duck pond in the distance. "I don't know. I've honestly never given it much thought. This life is the only life I know."
"This has been your whole life? Even as a child, it was just you, that house and that lab?"
"No, I'm not a normal human, Connor. I'm like you. I was built. I was built into what you see right now. I had no childhood, just a whole heap of information shoved into my brain and I was suddenly alive, a fully-functioning adult with very limited world experience. Also like you."
His eyes opened. He lay in her shadow and looked up at her face, her silhouette haloed by the sun. "We are the same?"
"In some aspects, yes."
He smiled slightly. "I like that."
"I'm glad you do."
"Samantha?"
"Hm?"
"If you could change your life, what would you choose for your future?"
She thought about it a moment. "Definitely move out of there and never see any of those people again."
"I agree with that."
"I'd love to get my own house. It would be okay if it was small or old, as long as it was mine. Somewhere other than out in those woods. Maybe not even in Chicago. Further away. And a job. I think I would like to have a job, make my own money, pay my own bills."
"The worth of the Hall Foundation is in the multiple billions. I'm sure you wouldn't have to work if you didn't want to."
"It's not my money, Connor, it's his. And I don't know if I want it."
"If it's money he's made from you, it should be yours."
Samantha looked unsure.
"In this future, would I be there?" Connor then asked.
She smiled down at him again. "Of course. Always."
"What about a family, children? That is what humans want, isn't it? I heard Angela talk of this back at the party. It would just be a family of you and me. I can't give you children."
With gentleness, she lifted his head off her and set it in the blanket. Then she stretched out next to him, propped up on one elbow, their feet pointed in opposite directions.
"I can't give them to you either," she told him. "They made me sterile—though not on purpose. Everything down in the baby factory is either broken or missing."
Connor ruminated for a moment. "This is a very sad thing, isn't it?"
"It can be. Though it was a blessing in disguise for me. If everything worked, they'd be constantly scraping my eggs in the lab, too. I still remember the first time they looked. They were so mad that there was nothing. It's still a satisfying memory."
Connor watched the sky and then turned his head slightly in her direction. "Then just you and me, in our own small house somewhere outside of Chicago. We will be our own family. Maybe... with a dog? I like dogs."
She played with that unruly lock of hair that was always out of place. "Sounds good to me."
"Then... you should let me make love you to."
She promptly dropped her face onto the blanket. "Oh, Connor."
He sat up, leaning on one hand and looking down at her. "I do not feel this is an unreasonable thing. I love you. You love me. This is what humans do when they are in love. But you looked almost afraid the first time I mentioned it. I don't understand. Are you afraid of me?"
Samantha kept her face in the blanket, thinking. Then she sat up on her knees and looked him in the face. "Connor, I think you should let me touch your power core, right now."
His LED immediately jumped to yellow, flickering a bit of red. "But-"
"Show it to me. There should be no reason why I can't touch it. Maybe fiddle with it at little."
"But I—I..."
She smiled at him, raising her hands to show she had no such intent. "Did you feel that jump of fear? Even though you're not afraid of me. Even though you know I would never hurt you, that you know I love you. That was still a very large request with no warning given."
There was that cute look of consternation he always gave when he was figuring something out. "I understand. I might say yes to your request, but I think I would need some time. Is that what you are saying to me?"
"Yes. That is a very smart conclusion."
He looked up at her, brows softening. "What if I just touched you? In the same way you touched me that night?"
Her heart rate immediately took off once again at the request.
"Excuse me," an unfamiliar male voice interrupted.
The owner of the voice was standing close. Far too close.
"Connor," Samantha warned, reaching for him. There was no way her android wasn't going to flip out with a stranger getting the drop on him like that.
She managed to get her arms around his neck, but all that did was take her up with him when Connor jumped to his feet, a protective hold on her waist. She knew he was going to go for his gun and she immediately slapped his arm.
"Hi!" Samantha said brightly to the man. "Sorry, you startled him. He's a little protective and jumpy. And I'm sure you're a completely harmless stranger who just got the jump on us because we weren't paying attention, right?"
The man was shorter than Samantha, a little portly. Sandy hair and appeared to be in his early thirties. He had rather beautiful ice blue eyes as he glanced between the two of them. "I actually called to you from down the hill, but you didn't seem to hear me."
Connor gave Samantha a wide-eyed and irritated look for distracting him from his duties and allowing it so even this casual civilian could sneak up on them. Samantha tried to look properly chastised.
"I'm sorry," she then said, looking back at the other human. "Can we help you with something?"
"Oh yes. I wanted to ask you about your android. It's an RK800, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah," Samantha said, surprised. "I think you're the first person I've ever met who knew his model. Or had even heard of it."
"I wouldn't expect many people would. Sorry, my name is R-"
"Rick Hamstead, born January 4th, 2006. Age 32," Connor recited, his voice sounding more robotic than normal. "No felonies, no priors: a clean record. Three parking tickets issued between 2025 and 2026, all paid. No moving violations."
The man now identified as Rick smirked at Connor. "Yup, that's a police bot."
"How did you know?" Samantha asked.
"I'm an android collector. We like to keep our ear to the ground and get the inside information on all the little projects Cyberlife works on. Though I only heard about the RK800 myself about two months ago. From what I understood, there was only one—a prototype—and it belonged exclusively to the Detroit Police Department."
"He was one of them and he was damaged on the job. That's how he came to us. We adopted him." She gave Connor an affectionate look.
"Really," Rick said, a bit dubious. "Cyberlife just let you buy one of their damaged prototypes? They usually don't do that. They're very particular about models that haven't been released to the commercial market yet."
"Uh, well, I'm not sure how we came to get him exactly. I wasn't the one who did the transaction. All I know is that we had to jump through a lot of hoops and meet a few contract stipulations first. And we paid out a butt-load of cash."
Even as it came out of her mouth, it felt weird to talk about Connor as if he were just a purchase by a company. Would this hurt his feelings? Though it was the truth and Connor was always adamant that facts were just facts.
He didn't seem to mind as he said almost proudly. "I'm very expensive."
"Ha, ha, I'm expensive, too," Samantha teased back. "You're not special."
"He's actually very special," Rick insisted. "I heard Cyberlife put a whole new type of interactive programming in the RK800 so it can adapt to a very wide variety of environments and scenarios. Far more extensive than any household model, or even models used by the police. Not only a walking, talking police data base, but also a portable crime lab and forensics analyst."
"This is all true," Connor confirmed. He seemed to be preening at the praise. Samantha found it quite amusing.
"I didn't think I'd actually see one in real life until the wide release," Rick continued. "Which would probably not be until another year of development."
"That might still be the case," Connor confirmed. "When I was damaged, I was taken out of the developmental process. I am no longer part of the project."
"So you said you're an android collector?" Samantha then asked. "What does that mean?"
"It means I collect androids," Rick responded rather blithely. "I also do custom modifications. Here, I have a card." He fished in his wallet and gave Samantha a business card that stated "Hamstead Customs" as well as a phone number and e-mail address.
"So you own several different androids," Samantha confirmed. "All in the same house with you?"
"I have twenty-eight various types and models that are officially part of my collection. Plus a few custom jobs that I kept because I liked them. And they have their own place." He paused. "Do you want to see them? The building is just two blocks from here. I came out to have lunch and do some android watching, but I was headed back there anyway."
Samantha instantly lit up. She looked at Connor whose expression was the exact opposite. Talking to a stranger with no priors in public was one thing. Going back to a private location with said stranger was not a smart idea. He shook his head at her and mouthed the word 'no.'
"Oh, come on. What do you think is going to happen?" she egged.
"It is technically a place of business," Rick insisted. "Sandwiched right between several other businesses. I'm not taking you to some shady warehouse in a sketchy part of town."
Samantha gave Connor another pleading look and the android caved. He always caved to her. Rick gave them the address and Connor confirmed with the GPS he was not supposed to access that the destination was indeed only two blocks away and was in a business area. An area with low crime statistics to boot. He agreed without further protest.
They went back to Samantha's car and drove to the given address to meet Rick there. It was a three-story brick building with a balcony on the middle floor. Unlike the other businesses that surrounded it, the building in question, while it did have a sign stating "Hamstead Customs" did not seem like a place that was open to random customers during normal business hours. Considering what he did, this was probably a 'by appointment' kind of place.
Still, Samantha was fine with it. Connor only insisted on going in first to look at it and she allowed him that. The immediate area was set up like a small shop with a counter and various android parts. There was a large display case in the corner with a very worn android shell. Female in form, brownish in color with rust spots and clearly not in working order.
Rick noticed when it caught Samantha's attention.
"That is the RT300. The only one of its kind. Built by hand by the man himself, Elijah Kamski. There was only one of every RT unit until Kamski made the RT600, his first 'Chloe' android. The first of his creations to ever pass the Turing Test. He then, of course, went on to improve on his design by making ST200, the Chloe models we all know and love."
Samantha just smiled a little. She knew nothing of a Chloe android.
"I bought this off a guy who claimed he fished it right out of Kamski's own dumpster. I don't know if that's true, but I cleaned her up as best I could and let her stay out here so people could admire her."
"You can't fix her?"
"There's nothing in there to fix. It's really only a shell. Kamski didn't want anyone copying his work. He made sure any parts he planned to copyright would be absolutely unsalvagable when he threw them out."
Samantha studied the shell more closely. So human-like in profile only. "Is this what androids look like under their synthetic skin?"
"Not so much these days. Their shells are very pristine and white for the commercial models. This was back when Kamski was still perfecting his craft. Come on to the back. I'll show you what else I have."
Rick led the way behind the counter, through a door and into a large workshop, bigger than the front area. This was a macabre horror scene of android parts strewn all around in various stages of completion. Most haunting were the rows of heads waiting silently, so life-like on the shelves.
"This is where I do my custom builds. Mostly people want me to tinker with the faces and give them a unique look." Rick motioned to the large collection of heads. "It's mostly rich people who don't want their android to look like every other android on the block. And as soon as they get theirs done, then I'll have all the neighbors coming to me for a custom look as well."
Samantha inspected each face design in fascination, trying to picture how they would look with their synthetic skin activated. One such face triggered a memory and she turned back to Rick. "I saw you at Macy's Place the first time we went there. It was a few months ago. You were with a female android."
Rick looked to the ceiling in thought. "Can you be more specific?"
"Uh, petite model. Short black hair in a cute bob?"
"Ah. I think that would be... oh, what did the owner say her name was? Yuka. Yes. She was both a custom build with a custom program. Very high-end. If I'm doing a custom program job, I like to take them out for a field test before I send them to the customer. I want to catch any bugs before they get to the client."
"Oh, I have a friend who knows about android programming as well."
Rick gave a look that said 'oh, that's quaint' and turned to the stairs. "Up here is my collection. Come see them."
He led the way upstairs, not waiting for them. Samantha started after, until she noticed Connor lagging behind. She turned to see him hesitating at the bottom step. He gave another glace to the workshop, an indiscernible look on his face.
"You okay?" she called to him.
He turned and, with no response, followed her up the stairs.
Above, the whole area was one big room and all the walls were lined with display cases. Rick flicked on a light and all the cases were lit up, the contents on full display as if it were a museum. Only, the displays were all bodies. They looked human. Some were deactivated. But several were active, moving around in cases that were barely large enough to house the androids.
"I nearly have one of every model that was released commercially between 2022 and 2028," Rick said proudly. "Most of which are now discontinued and hard to find. Plus a few special designs and some very rare prototypes. They're up on the third floor."
Samantha didn't hear him. All she saw were the androids stuck in their tiny cases. People imprisoned and on display to an indifferent captor. Unlike the workshop down stairs that was merely a tableau of a horror stage, this was truly chilling. She stopped in front of a case with an active male android. He wasn't just a blank robot. He looked at her, acknowledged her presence, and pressed his fingertips to the glass. Samantha did the same, trying to offer him physical touch between the fiberglass barrier.
"Don't you let them out?" she asked.
Rick gave her an odd look. "Let them out to do what?"
"To bend, stretch. Let them lift their arms or sit down."
He laughed at her. "They're machines. They don't need to do those things. They switch themselves off if they have nothing to do and will switch on randomly. They're fine. I keep them in their cases where they'll stay nice and preserved. Even twenty years from now, each one of these will be worth a small fortune."
Twenty years stuck in these cases. It broke Samantha's heart.
"But..," she floundered. "You're not letting them live."
Rick's brows raised at her. "Ah, you're one of those people. You like to think androids are like pets or people. They don't need sunlight or physical activity or even air. They're like any other appliance. When you're not using them, you can leave them where they are. It's not going to hurt them at all. To treat these things like people is just... wacky."
"I'm going to go now," Samantha announced in a flat voice.
It was only when she turned around that she noticed Connor hadn't gone more than one step onto the second floor at all. God, why did she make him come here to this nightmare android prison?
"Wait," Rick insisted, stepping in front of Samantha to block her way. "I wanted to ask you something before you leave. I want to buy your RK. Will you sell it to me?"
Now it was Samantha's turn to give him a look. "What? No. He's not for sale."
"I'll give you thirty thousand for him. Up front. Wired to you and paid in full today. Right here, right on the spot."
"No, never." Samantha tried to get by him, but he continued to stand in her way.
"Fifty thousand," Rick insisted. "You don't understand. I have to have this RK unit. The RK's are Kamski's personal line of custom models. I need it for my collection."
He paused when he heard the click of a gun behind him. Turning, he went pale to see Connor a few feet behind, gun pointed at his face. "Move over there," the android insisted. "Away from her. Now."
Rick stumbled back, nearly tripping over himself.
"Oh Connor, no guns," Samantha sighed, though internally, she felt this guy deserved a little fear in his life.
Connor tucked the weapon away at her command and then neatly picked Samantha up in his arms. She squeaked at the surprising treatment and then gave another startled squeal as Connor walked them out onto the balcony. Samantha clenched and clutched him tighter as he jumped over the railing and landed effortlessly on the ground below. She couldn't even find the sense to scream before it was over. She still hugged Connor's neck in a crushing grip for several moments until she recovered.
"Holy shit!" Rick called from above. "That was awesome!"
Both glared at him before returning to the car.
"Wait!" Rick called. "At least let me take a picture of him to show my buddies! They'll be so jealous I saw one."
The car couldn't peel out fast enough as they left him and his shop of horrors behind. Samantha's grip on the wheel was white long after.
"Connor, I... I am so sorry I made you go there. I didn't know. I should have listened to you. You were right."
"Maybe keep that in mind the next time I tell you not to do something," the android huffed in irritation. "Do you think I like telling you no? I'm trying to keep you safe."
"I know, I know. I am really so very sorry. I never would have made you go to such a place if I understood what it was. It horrified me. I can only imagine how it made you feel."
There was a span of silence, then Connor said, "You should make this up to me."
Samantha raised her brows. That was a new one. "Make it up to you how?"
"You should agree to my request from our earlier conversation."
Samantha nearly snorted. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack, as the humans say."
"Oh my god, are you—do you actually—are you seriously—Connor, you're acting like such a guy."
"I am not a guy," he protested. "I'm an android."
Samantha huffed and shook her head a few times, not giving a solid response. Then she sobered and said quietly. "Those poor androids. I felt for them. My heart hurts when I think about it."
"He wasn't wrong," Connor said frankly. "Being in those cases does not hurt them physically. But they were made to interact with people. Without stimulation or learning, their programs stagnate or may even begin to decompose after a while."
"And there's nothing we can do to help them, is there?" Samantha asked sadly.
"Legally, no. It would most likely lead to you getting arrested and me being put into police impound."
The conversation dropped after that and they were quiet the rest of the way home. The car pulled into the concrete garage of the facility, the garage door automatically sliding shut behind them. When the car turned off, Connor unclicked his seat belt, grabbing the door handle. Samantha suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging his head.
"Not you," she whispered to him, holding him tight. So many different horrible fates awaited androids. She could hardly stand it. "Nothing like that will ever happen to you. I won't let it."
Connor, stiff at first, relaxed in her arms. "Thank you."
He let her hold him as long as she wanted.
.
That night, after dinner and everything else was done, Samantha finished her shower, intent on getting ready for the night. She stepped out of the bathroom and found Connor sitting on the corner of her bed, waiting for her.
"Oh, come on," she protested, holding her towel tight around her. "You are absolutely relentless when you have an idea in your head."
"It's part of my protocols. It's how I catch the bad guys," he said, unapologetic.
She sighed and turned to her closet. Connor had removed his vest and tie, the top two buttons of his white, pressed collar undone. He looked good enough to eat. He was looking at her like he thought the same thing. Samantha needed a moment to calm herself before trying to face him again. She slipped on a large t-shirt and then a pair of panties before fully dropping the towel from her body. When she turned around, he was right there in her space. His hands dropped to her hips comfortably, as if they always belonged there.
"Kiss me," he murmured, the sound going straight to her knees and turning them into jelly. "Not like before. A full kiss."
Samantha surprised herself by not even thinking. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed up with her toes. Their lips met in a full, open-mouthed kiss.
She immediately pulled away, an arm over her mouth in disgust. "Oh my god, you taste..." She turned her head away, looking a little green. How did she not notice that the first time? They, the inexperienced virgins that they were, had both kept their mouths closed.
"It's bad?" Connor worried. He felt like his pump just dropped. Was he really that objectionable to humans?
"It's like old, stale... I don't even know what. When was the last time you cleaned your mouth? Please tell me you at least cleaned after you tasted my blood."
"My mouth has a self-sterilizing system. The chemicals kill all germs after each use."
Samantha fought back a gag as she glanced away.
"You find me disgusting," Connor said, his voice neutral, but his face clearly hurt.
"I don't find you disgusting, just that taste. Come on." She took him by the wrist and led him to the bathroom where she pulled mouthwash from the cabinet. "Put this in your mouth and swish it around. Do this for at least a minute. Maybe two. And then don't put any other chemicals in your mouth."
Connor looked at the bottle before pouring some into his mouth. He did as he was ordered while Samantha toweled her hair and then took a blow dryer to it. His sensors picked up the components of the substance in his mouth: eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, among others. His access to Detroit's forensic database told him the brand up to the exact flavor.
After his two minutes were up, he looked to Samantha who pointed to the sink. He spit it out.
"Now rinse with water," she called over the dryer. "Twice. No cleaning chemicals."
He did as he was told while Samantha turned off the dryer. The two faced each other again. Samantha put her hands on his shoulders as she reached up, tentatively sniffing him. "That's definitely better breath than before."
She brushed her lips against his, carefully tasting. Connor was hesitant to open his mouth to her at first, but she coaxed him into it as she kissed him a second time. The third time, they were fully tasting each other. Her lips lit up his sensors. Her fingers digging into his shoulders gave him a pleasant tingle. Even as he was kissing her, he wanted to kiss her again.
"Much better," she confirmed, pulling away with a breathy smile. "Never a problem we can't solve together. Though I think we need to invest in a toothbrush for you."
His response was to sweep her up against him, one arm around her waist, the other hand cradling her head as he kissed her again; deeply, thoroughly. Kissing was the greatest, Connor thought. It was his first favorite thing. Samantha made a soft, sweet noise against his kisses and he nearly crashed. He has never heard such a sound before: longing, desperate, something else he couldn't quite understand. He didn't know humans could make such a sound. His processor didn't know what to do with this information.
He paused mid-kiss, his systems processing, his LED flickering.
Samantha blinked at him as the make-out session suddenly stopped. "You okay?"
"I'm... thinking," was the confused response.
"Is your computer frozen?" Samantha asked playfully. "Are you out of RAM? Did I just kiss the living heck out of your motherboard?"
"I don't think you understand how androids work, Samantha."
She just laughed. A free, happy, beautiful sound. Connor liked that sound quite a bit. But it only added to the information he was trying to process. The sounds she made caused him to react emotionally. Not words, not information, just sounds. Maybe he would need to create a sound library to keep all her different nuances in order.
"As long as I didn't break you," she joked.
Connor's expression was all amusement. "I'm quite sure you can't break me. I'm very sturdy."
She cupped his neck, still smiling. "Let's test that." Samantha suddenly jumped on him, her legs trying to catch his waist. He immediately responded by catching her thighs and lifting her even higher so she was a good head above him. An impressed sound escaped her as she cupped his face in her hands.
"Hm, yes, quite sturdy it seems." She punctuated her statement with a few kisses to his face.
"I have never seen you like this," Connor informed her while he enjoyed her affections. "You've never been this silly, this happy."
She looked down at him with adoration, her fingernails scratching pleasantly light at the hairline above his ears. "You make me happy," she whispered.
He reached up to kiss her and she met him half way, their mouths reuniting with a soundless sigh from both parties. When he had thoroughly kissed her lips all over, Connor moved down to her jaw and neck, as she had done for him. Samantha instantly squeaked and flinched when his mouth found a particular spot.
He pulled back in surprise.
"I'm sensitive there, I guess," she said, a little uncertain herself.
"This requires further exploration," Connor informed her with intrigue.
"It does?" Samantha wondered as he gently set her down on the bed and sat next to her.
"All your responses are very intriguing. I am logging them all."
"Ha! What does that even mean?" she laughed.
He tried to kiss her neck again and she held him back by the shoulders. "I just said I'm sensitive there!"
"I know." He practically purred. "I need to gauge the sensitivity. This is very important research."
Despite what he said, he let Samantha decide when she would allow it. He waited for her to stop pushing against him before moving in to nuzzle her neck. Only a tiny, brief sound escaped her as he made contact. Her hands were still on his shoulders, squeezing tight as his nose ran over the side of her neck, followed by his mouth. When she began to get used to the feeling and relax, he kissed her chin and then moved to the other side of her neck.
"Ah, you're killing me," she whined in a trembling voice.
"I'm just doing what you did to me," he replied calmly.
"If this is what I did to you, it was cruel torture."
"No, it was wonderful," he murmured. Connor pulled back and kissed her mouth again, slowly, thoughtfully. His fingers slid back into her hair and tipped her head to the optimum angle as he tasted her again and again. He only let her go when he felt her trying to suck in enough air to breathe.
When he released her, her entire face was flushed and panting for oxygen. Connor was fascinated with the blush that went all the way down past the collar of her t-shirt. He hooked a finger into the neck line and pulled it down a little further.
"What are you looking for?" Samantha asked with amusement.
"This rose tint on your skin, is that because of me? How far down does it go? May I see?"
That just made her face flush even hotter. "I don't know if you need to see any of that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
He sat back a little. "Why not?"
Samantha glanced away, embarrassed. "Connor, I... our bodies aren't the same."
"I know."
"It just makes me really self-conscious."
Connor's gaze dropped from her as well. "So if I were human, you would be more comfortable?"
Samantha thought about it. "No, probably not, actually. It would be the same discomfort. Humans can be weird about nudity, about showing everything. It feels very vulnerable and scary."
"But I'm here to protect you."
"That's not really what I meant."
"What if I took my clothes off, too? Would you be more comfortable then?"
"I do like you with your clothes off," Samantha admitted. "Could we maybe... with the lights off?"
"That does not bother me at all. I can see in the dark quite well."
Samantha dropped her forehead on his shoulder, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Oh, Connor. You are something else."
"I'm not sure what that means."
She rested the bridge of her nose against his neck for a moment before her fingers floated up and began playing with the buttons on his shirt, slowly releasing one at a time.
"Does this mean a trade?" Connor asked.
She sucked in a breath. "Okay. I'll brave it out for you."
"Samantha." Connor pulled back, putting his hands on her shoulders to urge her to look him in the face. "You're safe with me. I love every part of you, even if it's different. I treasure every part of you."
She just stared at him, an expression on her face he had never seen before. Before his gaze, her eyes watered and a tear escaped.
Connor quickly caught it with his thumb. "Why are you sad?" he whispered, his chest aching.
She sucked in a breath, trying to stop it. "I don't know. I'm not. I just... I never thought I'd hear anyone say—people don't..."
"People don't treasure you," Connor finished.
She closed her eyes. Two more tears escaped. She hid her face from him with one hand. This was the second time Connor had seen her cry. Both times had been soundless, her pain and heartache silent. He had felt the tremors of her body the first time. This time, only her eyes dared speak her truth.
"It doesn't matter," she said as she quickly wiped her eyes. "All the other people don't matter. What I said was true, having you is enough. You make me happy. I just..." She paused to let out another breath to keep her emotions under control. "I never thought you could want this: want to touch and kiss and experience." She touched his collar, fiddling with it. "I prepared myself for just loving you quietly the moment I knew I felt that way about you. Now that it's different, I'm still trying to prepare myself for..." She looked back up at him, gesturing vaguely.
Connor took a thoughtful moment to process this. "You would have found it acceptable to love an object that couldn't love you back."
She smiled gently at him. "Maybe you couldn't return what I felt at the time, but your actions were enough. You took care of me, protected me. That made me feel cared for. I was content with that."
"Content," he repeated.
Connor liked to do that, Samantha noticed. He would pick a word from her statement, mull it around and taste it with his own tongue. She liked that. She liked to watch him think carefully about the things she told him.
"I'm not sure, is being content the same as being happy?" he then asked.
"It can be. There's lots ways to be happy. None of them are necessarily bad or less of a happy than others."
Connor worked that around a bit more. Content seemed like a quiet sort of happy. All things Samantha did were in a quiet way. She suffered and hurt and cried in silence. She bonded with him soundlessly with touch and affection, and all those little moments in between without dialog where they were merely next to each other, sharing space. And she loved quietly, falling for him without a word, content with a one-sided love as long as he was with her.
As much as he tried to find that to be acceptable, he could not. Samantha deserved to scream and rage; to laugh and love loudly so people would notice that she was there and she was a part of humanity like the rest of them. But even as he thought this, his logic dropped off, falling into the abyss without conclusion. What did an android know of living out loud?
All he could be was the answer to her silence.
"I want to make you happy in all the ways there are," he murmured, his mouth moving in close to hers. They nearly brushed. "Tell me how to make you feel good. I'll do anything you ask."
His sensors picked up the changes in her body: the increased heart rate, the hitch in her breath, the warming of her skin. "I think you're going to be the one to make my mainframe fritz out," she said in a breathy voice.
Connor smiled into her mouth. "You really don't know how androids work."
He kissed her and she responded instantly, cupping his head to keep his mouth close to hers. Eagerly following her lead, he pressed in, his arms around her to keep her close as well. Her fingers slid down his neck, lighting up his sensors in such a lovely way. They continued down to attend to the rest of his buttons and Connor released her to help, shrugging off the shirt and tossing it to the floor.
He next went after her part of the 'trade'. The T-shirt was quickly tugged up and over her head, turned inside out in his haste. It too went to the floor. Gentle but firm, Connor pushed her back on the bed before she tried to cover herself with her arms. He pressed his face to her neck, his chest to hers. And, as he hoped, her arms went around him instead.
Samantha's fingers raked lightly down his back, tripping a whole new set of sensors she had never touched before. Every sensor. He hungered to have her eventually touch every one he had. He'd keep track until she had touched them all and then he would endeavor to have her do it all again. But tonight, it was her sensors he wished to be acquainted with. Even more than his urge to be touched, there was a desire to learn her form. And learn all the things that humans did when their sensors were touched in all the different places.
Connor doggedly tackled her neck again, his mouth starting at the spot right below her ear. Samantha instantly gave a sharp squeak. He wanted to hear it. He kept her pinned down with his body. Her hands became occupied with his, their fingers intertwined, as he pressed them to the bed. Like she had before, he used his teeth lightly to stimulate the skin. A keening whine escaped her—he could feel it as it rose through her throat—and it threatened to freeze his systems again. Something about it, something about the raw need in the sound tripped him up. He couldn't compute what that need was or how to answer it. Instead, he bypassed the urge to analyze it so his processor would stop freezing.
That was when Samantha's entire body arched under him. Connor wasn't expecting it, but he liked it very much. His hands remained tangled up with hers, feeling her fingers twitching as he continued his work. He kissed to the hollow of her throat, nuzzling the so-soft skin there that pulsed with her heartbeat. He released one of her hands which instantly threaded itself through his hair. His fingers trailed between her breasts, watching with fascination as she did indeed blush in the places he touched her.
"Connor..."
His head shot up to the whimpering of his name. Were he human, it would have given him goosebumps. That. That was his new favorite thing. How could he get her to say his name like that again? Her body had so many different things from his. He didn't know what to do with it. Hand splayed along her sternum he said, "I'm here. Tell me what you need."
Eyes shut, she just shook her head with another soft whimper. Maybe she didn't know. Maybe they were too different for him to please her correctly and she didn't know how to compensate for it. There had to be a way. As Samantha had said before, there would never be a problem they couldn't solve together. But maybe tonight would not be the night they would find an answer to all things. She was feverish, shivering a little. Maybe, just as she had done for him, it was time to end the exploration for the night and let her cool down.
He moved up and kissed her lips softly, then her forehead. "Perhaps it's time to rest for tonight. I think I have thoroughly overheated you."
Her eyes opened. "Will you still stay with me?"
"Always," he murmured back, and she smiled in response.
He sat back, looking her over. She didn't try to hide from him, though her gaze wandered shyly to the side. His eyes traveled down to her panties, a peach floral pattern with lavender trim. He wore underwear, too. He was dressed in them when sent out by Cyberlife. Connor saw no point in the clothes humans wore under their clothes. Clothing was chosen for aesthetic purposes. What was the point of hidden clothing? Though these on her were... "Cute," he decided as he ran his finger over the soft cotton material.
Samantha blocked his hand from her. "Going down there would not be restful."
"No?" he wondered, unsure. For the first time, he considered maybe that the under clothing on humans actually covered something. He had vague medical knowledge concerning blood-loss, bone structure, and how to discern human vitals and if a subject was still alive. Also some very basic first aid. Nothing too extensive. In fact, he was almost sure he had more knowledge working for the DPD than he did now. Had Cyberlife removed some of his data to make room for other programs? Either way, he never knew much about human intimacy and he had no idea to what Samantha was referring.
"Let's just go to bed," she decided. She slid out from under him and moved to get under the covers. Connor stood, removing his pants so he was as dressed as she was. He liked the time before when their bare legs brushed. He was keen to do it again.
When he lifted the blanket to join her, her arms stretched out, welcoming him in. That felt good. Not just the act of touching, but the act of being welcomed. He melted into her arms, allowing himself to be pulled in until he was settled on top of her. This was a new position in bed, resting above her. But she was immediately responsive, her hands running over his back, her toes touching his calves. She took her turn to place a single kiss on his neck and he basked happily in all of it.
She shifted a little beneath him and he asked, "Are you comfortable? I'm not too heavy, am I?"
"You are kind of heavy," she admitted. "But stay like this for a few minutes more. I like it."
"I like it, too," he agreed. He shifted around, trying to find a more agreeable way to be close, but keeping the brunt of his weight from crushing her. He adjusted his hips against hers and one of Samantha's legs reflexively hooked around him, her heel digging into his thigh. He paused and glanced back, though he couldn't see anything with the blankets covering them. What was that?
When he asked her, Samantha looked mortified. The leg fell away, which wasn't necessarily what he wanted.
"Sorry, I don't know why I did that," she said, looking away in embarrassment. Her arms fell from him, too, and he didn't understand why.
Determined to solve this mystery, he moved his hips again, the same way as before. Her hands instantly clamped on his forearms, fingers digging in.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she panted. He did it again and a small sound escaped her.
"You like it when I do this," Connor accused with satisfaction. He dug in a little firmer. The part of their bodies where they were both covered rubbed against each other.
"Connor... I—Ah!" She closed her eyes, arching against him.
Connor was like a shark with the scent of blood and he pounced on it. "Tell me how you need it. Tell me what to do."
"Just keep... keep—ah!" There were no further instructions than that, but Connor was getting the idea. He didn't understand it all, but he understood that finally there was an answer to those needy sounds she made. These new sounds were the result of the response. Both her legs now came up to wrap around him. Her arms as well, one hand raking down his back, the other tangled in his hair as he buried his face in her neck.
He closed his eyes to focus on her response. What was this? Her whole body was reacting, trembling. All with just a little motion of his hips. It was strange, but he also liked it. He liked her surrounding him, touching him all over. He liked her voice in his ear. Even more when she nipped at his lobe. Her soft whimpers hitched higher and higher in pitch and then her entire body went stiff. She clung to him tight. And then it was over.
Whatever had happened, everything then stopped. Samantha let him go, her head flopping back to the pillow as her breath slowed. When Connor raised his head to look at her, she covered her face with her hands, embarrassed all over again. He was aware of a wetness that came from her body, from the place she was covered, and some of it had absorbed into his own clothes. He decided not to mention this, or ask any further questions that night. He minded none of the things that happened and asking about them always shut Samantha down. He wanted her to stay open and relaxed with him. There would be time to gain further information later.
Brushing hair from her forehead, he kissed her there and reached out to turn off the light. Then he pulled her in, rolling over so she was on top. In the dark, Samantha pressed her face against his neck and gave a deep, comfortable sigh. It was comfortable to Connor as well, having so much of her skin against his. She was so soft and smooth. He ran his fingers up and down the full trail of her spine and Samantha let out another sigh to indicate she approved of that action as well.
As he felt the human seep bonelessly into him, falling blissfully into slumber, Connor finally understood the meaning of content.
Author's Notes: As always, thank you for reading and sticking with this story. This chapter just barely walks the line for mature content, but for sure the next chapter will change the rating of this story to mature. Just FYI.