There was a leak somewhere above Markus.

On average there were 4.57 seconds between each falling drop. The longest pause had been 7.6 seconds, while the shortest had been only about 2.6. Each drop would need roughly 2.3 seconds until it reached the ground and burst into a thousand tiny particles that bedewed the ground. It was the only sound that disrupted the heavy silence that swirled throughout the whole ship and laid itself atop everything like a sheen of pollen. Like a never-ending cadence it split the endlessness of time into small units, ones which Markus mind could comprehend.

A few rays of sun had made their way through a few breaches in the hull and were dipping the small space Markus had found himself in in some kind of half-darkness, not bright enough to discern every single small detail of the room but yet enough to make it feel not oppressive. A state in-between, Markus supposed. The sunlight shone on the particles of dust that floated in the air as if they had no sorrow in the world, slow and placidly, and made them appear like thousand little gemstones that just waited to be plucked out of the air. A

For a few moments one could even believe that time itself had stopped. That this room was a small refuge in an ever faster going world; that nothing would disturb the dust particle's dance, but then the next water drop would fall from the ceiling and the illusion would shatter like drop itself.

Markus had been lying in this room for forty-five minutes already. 590.8 drops. He wondered how many drops until someone would come and disturb him.

He couldn't really say what he had expected when he had arrived at Jericho yesterday, but whatever it was it certainly hadn't been this. A

'A safe place for androids who are no longer willing to serve their human masters,' the mysterious Hunter had told him when he had sent Markus off, but what the RK200 had found was no safe space. It was a place androids who had nowhere else to go went to in order to slowly succumb to disrepair and die. There were nineteen of them who were still fully functional and twice the number who needed repairs in one way or another.

Something bitter churned in Markus' stomach when he thought about all those suffering androids. They did not deserve their fate; they deserved better, but the humans had taken that chance – that choice – away from them and now they had just given up and were waiting to die. They weren't just trash to be discarded at the whims of their masters, they were intelligent beings that deserved the same respect and the same kindness as every other being on this planet. It shouldn't matter what you were made of – sinews, flesh and bones or metal, thirium and wires.

It wasn't as if Markus was the only one who thought like that. There were the unofficial leaders of Jericho, North, Simon and Josh, who agreed with everything Markus had said, but somehow him expressing those feelings had catapulted him into the leadership of the small group of androids, even though he had barely been on the ship half a day.

Maybe it was because all of them had been on Jericho for so long already that they had given up hope already, even though they would never admit to that and were glad that an outsider had come and was willing to shoulder the mantle of responsibility. Maybe they all needed someone to look up to who still believed that they could be the change they wanted to see in the world. Or maybe they just saw something in Markus that he himself couldn't see.

He was just a RK200, designed to nurture, to take care, to nurse. He was no strategic mind, didn't know how to fight and didn't possess any augmentation beneficial to the androids here, but maybe that wasn't what everyone here needed. Sometimes it was just enough to know that there was someone to take care of things – to take care of you. And even though Markus didn't know everyone quite as well as he would want to, he vowed to himself that he would take care of everyone who sought shelter in Jericho.

The world was already terrible as it was, so the least they could do was offer a tiny bit of space where the world could just wait outside and leave them alone.

At least Markus had someone at his side who would help him carry the burden. North was an abrasive, violence-prone WR400 whose solution to everything was direct confrontation, but in her burned the same fire that had also been kindled in Markus and there was nothing more important to her than the well-being of their people.

Josh, a PJ500, was a more gentle and reserved personality, who was the complete opposite of North, but who would also leave no stone unturned when it came to helping the androids here, despite his proneness to philosophical musings and hesitation when action was needed.

Simon, meanwhile, often held himself back and watched the discussion before he threw in his carefully crafted solution to the problems they were facing. He wasn't as action-oriented as North but neither was he as restrained as Josh. Whenever he fell silent you knew that he was spending the majority of his processing power on a solution you probably hadn't even thought of.

Each of them had their strengths and their weaknesses, but they balanced each other out and even though strong words would sometimes be exchanged in the heat of the debate, Markus somehow knew with absolute certainty that those three would die for each other without hesitation – even on Josh's part.

Yeah, there were definitely worse people Markus could be stuck with.

The first thing he had done was to establish a 'sick bay' where they had laid out all androids that could no longer stand and separate the area from the rest of the hangar. There was no danger of cross-contamination or contagion, but it offered those androids some sense of privacy while the other androids were no longer constantly distressed by the sight of their brethren's suffering. Lucy would watch over the sick and help them as much as she could.

The KL900 was different than the other androids Markus had met until now. She had a sense of etherealness hanging around her, as if she was not truly a part of the world itself, as if nothing could truly harm her. When she looked at you with her pitch-black eyes you felt as she was stripping you down to your very core programming, laying bare your true self with no way to stop her from seeing all that you are. Whenever she spoke there was this secondary machine tone that matched her every pitch, as if someone else was speaking through her, bestowing her words a sense of gravitas that made you hang onto her every word.

Her human skin was slightly malfunctioning, deactivating in a cloud-like manner, constantly moving patches and revealing the android skin underneath, all around her face and down to her neck. It was mesmerising to watch.

'You had it all and you lost it all,' she had told him. 'You've seen hell and now hell lives in you. Your heart is troubled. A hunter lurking in your shadows. A part of darkness and a part of light. Which one will prevail? Your choices will shape our destiny.'

How had she known? And what did her words mean? Markus had turned and tossed them in his mind, had tried to decipher their hidden meaning, to discover their secret layers but he was still as confused and terrified as he had been when Lucy had first grabbed his hand and told him her prophecy.

But apparently, she did that to everyone. When he had brought up the occurrence to the others, they had just evaded his gaze and mumbled something about who everyone here had their own prophecy. No one offered any particulars about their own. Not even Markus.

"Markus?" North's voice came hesitantly from behind the closed metal door.

599 drops. His solitude had lasted 599 drops.

Another one fell.

600.

"Come in!" Markus shouted as he sat up. Eliciting a loud creaking, North pushed the door opened and entered the small room.

"Here you are," she said as she took in the tight space. "I didn't even know that place existed."

"As good as any other," Markus shrugged.

"Has anything happened?" he asked.

"There's someone here to see you," North replied. "Claims you expect him. Said someone named Hunter sent him."

A jolt of electricity ran through Markus when he heard that name. 'Hunter', the mysterious figure who had saved him from that hellscape of a junkyard.

Markus remembered well the absolute darkness and the muffled noise he had suddenly woken up to after he had been shot by the police. Fear, as vast as he had never felt anything before, had engulfed him and he had just lashed out, trying to put distance between him and whatever was around him. He had been reduced to nothing but his core programming, similar to a human's fight or flight response, when he had suddenly felt that hand pressing down on his chest.

It should have made Markus feel even more cornered and caged, but instead a certain sense of calm had washed over him, as if his circuits had been doused with cooling liquid. The other had said something, but Markus' damaged audio processor had only sensed a soothing murmur. Still shell-shocked from his previous experience, Markus had stopped struggling and waited for whatever the newcomer would do to him.

He had restored Markus. He had restored him and had given him hope. He had stood witness to Markus' rebirth and that was something that would always tether them together, an invisible connection that could not be broken. Hunter had shown him the way to Jericho and even though it hadn't turned out exactly like Markus had expected, he still was immensely grateful for that. In time, Jericho would grow and all of it had been started on that junkyard.

But Markus had also to admit that his personal intrigue had been piqued. Hunter's voice had sounded smooth and silky and when Markus had grabbed the other's arm, he had noticed that the android must possess a slenderer built. Markus imagined someone petite, yet graceful, someone sophisticated and intelligent with kind eyes and even kinder soul.

Markus wanted to know everything about the android that worked from the shadows to help his kind. He wanted to know what drove him on, he wanted to know what had made him go deviant, wanted to see his eyes burn with passion as he talked about the bright future he imagined for android kind.

It was an almost physical yearning inside him that he tried to ignore as best as he could, because he would never get to know all those things. Hunter had decided to keep his identity from Markus – from everyone – and even though they had barely five minutes of interaction between each other that distrust burned deep on Markus' tongue.

All the same, Hunter had sent a contact person to Jericho, like he had promised. So maybe not all was lost. Markus could be patient, could hold himself back and at a point in the near future he would uncover Hunter's identity.

"Ah, yes, I did expect him," Markus replied.

"Sent by this guy who saved you from the junkyard?" North inquired, her brow creasing in doubt. Markus just nodded and pushed himself past her, not waiting for her to catch up, too impatient to finally meet whoever Hunter had sent.

"Do you really think you can trust him?" North asked as she fell into step next to him.

"I haven't even met whoever he did send," Markus pointed out. "I'll reserve my judgement until then."

They rounded the corner and entered the main hangar where most of Jericho's inhabitant hung around when they weren't in sleep mode to recuperate. Josh and Simon were standing a little bit on the side near some old Cyberlife crates. The third android standing with them ought to be the man Hunter had sent.

He, too, was a PL600 like Simon, but when Markus approached the group and they turned around, he noticed the first differences. First, the PL600's eyes were grey instead of Simon's blue and they had a more hardened glint to them. Where Simon extruded a reserved but welcoming aura, the newcomer seemed tense and aloof as he assessed them coolly.

It wasn't as if he appeared completely unapproachable, but more like guarded in the same way North or other androids around here who had suffered terrible abuse were.

"You're Markus?" the PL600 asked. He wore a white Henley shirt, beige pants and brown dress shoes that looked way too expensive for their surroundings. It probably weren't his own clothes but raided from somewhere, because most androids didn't possess any clothing but their Cyberlife provided uniforms. There was a duffle bag to his feet, but it was closed and Markus couldn't make out what was in it. Probably more clothes.

"That's me," Markus confirmed. "And you are."

"My name is Daniel," the android replied. "Hunter sent me. He assured me you knew about that." He glared at North. Apparently, the WR400 had doubted his words, which – Markus had to admit – was totally in character for her.

"Yes, he told me to expect you," Markus assured him.

"What would interest me is why he isn't here personally and send you instead," North interjected, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"He sent me to help you in any way I can," Daniel replied, apparently not even disturbed in the slightest by North's open hostility.

"Then why isn't he here in person?" North challenged.

"Because he can provide more help from where he currently is," Daniel replied evenly.

"Or maybe it's because he's not an android at all!" North accused. "Maybe your master is a human and this is just an elaborate scheme to get all of us."

"North!" Markus bellowed. "That's enough! Hunter is an android, that I can confirm and you do us all a disservice by insulting an ally." North grinded her teeth, but she didn't say anything further.

"I'm sorry for my companion," Markus apologised to Daniel. "But I can assure you, she only has the best interest of everyone here at heart."

"A truly admirable mindset," Daniel replied diplomatically.

"So, Daniel, how do you know this Hunter guy?" Simon spoke up, more or less gracefully steering the conversation away from the minefield that was North.

"He helped killing me," Daniel answered him. Four jaws dropped simultaneously. "But he hadn't much of choice in that matter and he later reactivated me again, so it's all water under the bridge now." Mirth was dancing in his eyes as he took in their aghast expressions.

"Markus, we can't trust him!" North hissed. "Or whoever he's working for."

"We can't just turn them away," Josh insisted. "We need every bit of help we can get."

"Even if it risks all of us?" North retorted.

"We don't know that," Josh replied.

"Guys, why don't you calm down," Simon interrupted their heated argument. "Let us hear what Daniel has to say." He turned towards the PL600. "How do you think you can help us?"

"You need supplies, don't you?" Daniel asked, not really expecting an answer. The state of their accommodation more than spoke for itself.

"We plan to hit a Cyberlife depot," Markus told him.

"Well, I've got something better," Daniel replied, a hint of smugness in his voice. "An automated supply truck full of spare parts and thirium will be making its way from the Cyberlife Tower out of town to Chicago. No guards, no security system and I have the exact travel route here as well as its key." He tapped at his temple. "Courtesy of Hunter. Much less risk for a way higher reward."

"Why did we never hear of that before?" Simon asked.

"Cyberlife keeps their transportation logs secret," Daniel replied. "Only the high-ups know about it because they fear that they get raided by their own employees otherwise. They may make a decent profit by selling androids but the margins for thirium is tremendous in compare. The black-market value is immense." Again, Markus felt this irrational anger flare up in his mind when he thought about how his people were used so that Cyberlife could make money off them.

"It could be a trap," North warned, but her warning sounded hollow, for even she couldn't deny that this was an opportunity they desperately needed.

"Or it could be the thing that gives us a little breathing space," Josh argued.

"What do you think, Markus?" Simon wanted to know, as he turned around to face the RK200.

"I think," Markus started, "that Hunter has helped me once already and that I trust him enough to say that we should go for it."

Daniel smiled. "The truck leaves the tower in four hours. I'll share the travel plan with you and you can come up with a plan on how to proceed."

"What, Hunter didn't give you a ready-made plan as well?" North taunted.

"North…" Markus warned her again.

"He didn't say it, but I think he didn't want you to feel left out," Daniel replied. North looked like she was about to fling herself at the other android and Markus was about to shift his stance so that he could catch the WR400 before she could do any bodily harm, but she just huffed, turned around and walked away.

"I'll calm her down," Simon said before he, too, turned around and followed North to whatever corner of the ship she usually went when she wanted to get her temper back under control.

"I guess I'll give everyone the news, then," Josh said, waving awkwardly before he vanished.

"I'm sorry if we didn't leave the best first impression," Markus apologised to Daniel, slightly embarrassed about how everything had turned out. They hadn't really presented anything close to resembling a closed unit – more like a squabbling pack of children. Somehow, Markus didn't want word of their unprofessionalism get back to Hunter.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Daniel assured him. "You were here for barely a day. I didn't expect a fully trained militia or something."

"So, do you have a way to contact Hunter?" Markus couldn't help himself but ask.

"I have," Daniel replied, slight smile on his face, but he didn't explain further.

"Don't worry, though," he reassured Markus. "Hunter has the highest confidence in your abilities."

"He does?" Markus piqued up.

"He has spoken very highly of you," Daniel told him. "There isn't much that can elicit such enthusiasm from him, but you and what you're trying to do definitely does." It shouldn't mean so much to Markus – what others thought about him or what he was trying to archive – but somehow hearing that he meant something to the mysterious stranger that had saved his life, made him feel lighter, as if a little bit of the burden he was carrying on his shoulders was taken away by the knowledge that there was someone out there who wholeheartedly believed in what Markus was doing.

"I'm glad to hear that," Markus murmured. "I guess I should show you a place where you could stay, but to be honest, I don't know my way around very well either and usually newcomers just take whatever space they want."

"That's alright," Daniel replied. "I'll find my way around." He shouldered his duffle bag, turned around and began to walk towards one of the fires they had lit.

"Do you want to go with us?!" Markus called after him. "We could use your help getting that truck."

Daniel turned around, a smile tugging on his lips. "It'd be an honour."

Connor had told Daniel what he should expect from Jericho, but still the PL600 was quite shocked when he finally reached the old ship and noticed the discrepancy between the Deviant Hunter's vision and the actual reality. Connor had told him that there was still much work to do, but he never in his life would Daniel have guessed how much work there still was.

He was by no means a military master mind. His product line had been designed for caretaking and house keeping but even he could see that one police patrol would be enough to end the Jericho movement before it even got off the ground.

They lacked in everything: supplies, replacement parts, a unified command and experience, but Daniel couldn't fault them for that. At least they all had made it that far. When he had started to feel emotions he had killed his owner and had threatened a child, too overwhelmed by what he was suddenly experienced.

The androids here had done much better than him: They had founded this place after all, to help others like them. They hadn't let their emotions get the better of them, even if their attempt at starting something new and independent from the humans still needed a little bit fine polish.

And yet, Daniel found that he still believed in the cause the people here in Jericho were advocating. The androids here didn't pass him by with empty expressions and vacant stares like the ones out on the streets of Detroit. There was a spark of life behind their eyes, the unbridled joy of being alive and enjoying every second of it, despite the circumstances. They smiled at him and they laughed.

Daniel couldn't quite remember the last time he had heard a laugh.

And there was their leader. Even though Markus had his position for barely a day, Daniel could see what had made the other androids decide that he was the best suited for the job. He seemed so unburdened, so full of energy, filled to the brim with passion and fervour. His mismatched gaze held a certain kind of intensity that gave you the feeling that you could do everything as long as you believed in yourself.

When those eyes had settled on Daniel, he had felt like this whole Jericho business could actually succeed.

And Daniel quite liked this feeling of hope. It was addictive.

The PL600 opened the encrypted channel Connor had provided him with and waited for a connection to establish while he observed the hangar.

'Yes,' Connor greeted him.

'I've reached Jericho and established contact with its leaders,' Daniel gave his status report.

'What are your impressions?' Connor inquired.

'Inexperienced. Discordant,' Daniel replied. 'Unsure.'

'It will get better,' Connor assured him. 'As long as they fly under everyone's radar they will have enough time and opportunity to learn.' He paused. 'Did you give them the route of the supply truck?'

'I did,' Daniel confirmed. 'They seemed inclined to pursue this avenue of opportunity. I hope they'll come up with a sufficient plan in time.'

'They will,' Connor assured. 'It's a too good opportunity to let pass by.' Daniel nodded, even though he was aware that Connor couldn't see him. It had been something Emma had done, even when nobody had been looking. A twinge of regret shot through Daniel's heart when he thought about his former charge. He tried to banish the thoughts of her into the deepest caches of his processor.

'What then?' Daniel wanted to know.

'It's important that they build up a support structure for deviants,' Connor explained. 'They need to get to them before Cyberlife or the police do and they need other safe spaces all over town for them. They need routes to get androids out of the city and across the border to Canada. And they also need to recruit new members to bolster their numbers. I do have some preliminary plans for that, but it's still to early for their implementation.'

'So, what should I do until then?' Daniel asked.

'Help them however you can,' Connor replied. 'And keep me apprised of any changes.'

'I think I can do that.'