It was a cold morning when Alice left the amusement park with three of the Jerrys as her travel companions. The air was clear and crisp as if the night had cleansed away any heaviness that had hung over the place before. Every time Alice exhaled, a small cloud appeared in front of her mouth before it was carried away by the slight breezes that wafted between the run-down huts that made up the park.
She flexed her hands, extending her fingers and then balling them into a fist to keep the blood flowing and get some warmth into her fingertips. Alice did not know how, but somehow the Jerrys had scrounged up a new coat for her after her old one had been torn by Nick. It was slightly too big, but it kept her warm and that was the most important.
"How far is it until we reach Rose?" she asked out loud. She had been unwilling to leave Kara behind, even though she knew that it was irrational. The Jerrys had promised her that they would take good care of Kara and that they would make sure that nothing bad would happen to her. But still, Alice feared that once she left the park and came back, Kara would not be there anymore. She might be unmoving and lifeless, but as long as Alice could see her, she could make sure that Kara was still there.
Now, following the Jerrys as they trudged along a small beaten path, it already felt like Alice was missing a vital part of herself. She would find herself turning her head to ask Kara a question about what kind of trees they were surrounded by, why the sky was blue or if you could really survive by drinking snow, but Kara was not there. Just the three Jerrys.
"It is not far," the Jerrys replied in unison. Some other people might find it disconcerting to talk to a consciousness that was divided amongst dozens of bodies, but Alice found that many things were not as disconcerting as you thought them to be if you just stopped caring about it. "Maybe a journey of half a day."
"Half a day?" Alice repeated in dismay. "I don't know if I can make that." She looked around in distress. "I'm not used to walking that much." Besides, the snow was high, reaching until her ankle, and every step felt like she was stepping into slush that tried to suck her under. She could already feel herself growing exhausted and they had been walking for barely an hour.
"Don't worry, we'll carry you if we need to," the Jerrys assured her. "We're not like humans, we don't feel exhaustion." Alice felt grateful and the knowledge that she would make it to their destination no matter what put new energy into her steps.
"So, who is this Rose exactly?" Alice asked after a while. The stillness of her surroundings grated on her nerves and she longed for something to fill the silence. Besides, maybe she should know with whom she was about to meet. It was always better to come prepared than to be caught unawares.
"We don't know who she was before…" the Jerry in front of her started.
"…but she arrived one day with her son in tow and started to play with him in the old attractions," the second Jerry to her left continued.
"We watched her, hidden, waiting for her to leave," the third to her right spoke. "But then her son toppled over the edge of the rollercoaster and was about to fall down."
"He would not have survived."
"His neck would have snapped."
Just like Nick, Alice thought, the image of the contorted body of the android suddenly appearing in front of her mind.
"So, we caught him," the Jerrys continued. "Even before…even before we liked children. They're not supposed to be harmed, not when they're at our park. We saved him. We were so afraid that the Rose would not leave us be, but she just thanked us and left with her son." The Jerrys paused for a moment, looking around as if they were making sure that they were still on the right track and then continued. "But she came back. Not alone. This time it was with an android. A deviant. She asked if we would hide them until she could take them to the border, and we did. And ever since then she comes by every now and then and stows away her refugees until it is safe for them to continue with their journey across the border."
"So, she helps androids?" Alice asked.
The Jerries nodded. "She's a rare one. If anyone can help you, it will be the Rose." The thought that this woman would be able to help Alice get Kara back lifted Alice's spirit considerably and spurred her into walking another mile or two before she finally had to take the Jerrys up on their offer and have one of them carry her the rest of the way.
As Alice rested her head against one of the Jerrys' back, she thought that she had never felt safer than when she was with androids. She had no memory of her mother – just disconnected flashes of brown hair and brown eyes, happy laughter and warmth – and everything connected to Todd was drenched with fear and desperate aching for a saviour; a hero who would come and take her away from the broken-down ruins of her home. And a hero had come in form of Kara and now the Jerrys.
Androids had helped her more than anyone else in her life. There might be no body heat as she was pressed against the Jerrys' back, her hands looped around his neck, but to Alice it felt more substantial than anything else in her life. To her the blue circle spinning at another person's temple meant safety and security. If an android was feeling unwell or angry, you could immediately see and react to it. Even with Nick there had been the red circle that had warned Alice that something was wrong on that fateful night.
With Todd there had never been any kind of warning. Just sudden mood swings that were never predated by any kind of sign Alice could read. Over the years she had learned what was more likely to set him off – mentions of her mother, not enough beer, or a too cheery news broadcaster – but every of her actions had involved a gamble if Todd would get angry at her.
So yes, as she buried her face deeper into the Jerrys' neck, Alice thought that androids should be treated better by humans because they had always treated her better than humans, too. Then, overcome by the exhaustion caused by the emotional turmoil of the last day and the long walk, Alice dozed off, lulled into sleep by the gentle motion of the Jerrys' steps.
Alice woke from her slumber when the soothing rocking motions suddenly stopped.
"We're here," the Jerrys informed her as the one who had carried her, slowly and carefully put her back on the snow-covered ground.
Alice looked around to orientate herself. They were standing in front of a homely looking two-storey house behind which she could barely make out the form of a greenhouse. In the background were several windmills which swooshing sounds of their moving blades were a constant low background noise. On a green sign orange letters read 'Rose's Farm – Natural Honey, Oranges and Pumpkins'. Alice wondered how Rose made the honey; after all she had learned in school that there were no free-living bees anymore.
Before she could further ponder that question, a woman rounded the corner of the house. She was covered in many layers of clothing – it was cold after all – but Alice could see that even without that clothing Rose (she assumed that the woman was Rose) was a big woman.
"How may I help…" Rose started but when she saw who she was talking to her eyes widened in surprise.
"Get inside," she commanded. "We can't risk anyone seeing you. Or a police drone picking you up." She opened the door that let inside the house. "And who's that little girl? Get her inside, it's freezing out here. She looks like she could use some hot chocolate and a blanket. What were you thinking?" She fussed, but the Jerrys followed her inside the house without objections.
Inside, the house was so unlike anything Alice had known so far. It was warm, cosy with careful thought put into every corner. Despite the age of much of the furniture it was well-cared for, unlike Todd's house where Alice had spent much of her life or even worse the run-down ruin Ralph had lived in. So, this was how a home was supposed to feel like.
"What's your name, dearie?" Rose asked her in a gentle voice.
"Alice," she answered. Her voice wobbled a little bit.
"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Rose offered. With a shy nod, Alice agreed to her offer. She did not want to admit that she never had had hot chocolate in her life. She did not want the pity.
"What brings you here?" Rose asked as she rummaged through her kitchen, the question obviously directed at the Jerrys. "I thought you didn't want to leave that park of yours." It was said without judgement. Just a statement of a fact, like the colour of the sky or the heat of a fire.
"We brought you Alice," the Jerrys replied. Rose raised her eyebrow, indicating that she was not quite satisfied with that particular answer.
"Don't be mad at them," Alice pleaded. She did not like it when adults got angry. "I asked them to. They said you could help me get Kara back."
"And who is Kara?" Rose asked while she stirred in the pot that she had set up on the stove, pouring milk and brown cacao powder into it. "Is she an android?"
Alice nodded. "Yes, she is. She got broken when she tried to protect me, and the Jerrys said that you can get me the parts I need to repair her." Rose looked at her with something undecipherable in her gaze, as if she was trying to figure out if there was more to Alice's story.
"What's her model?" she asked after a moment of silence. "And do you know what parts she needs?"
"We have every information you need here," the Jerrys said and tapped their temples simultaneously. "We can transfer it to your phone." Rose nodded and a split-second afterwards the ping of her phone indicated that she had received the data.
Before she went to pick up her phone, though, she poured the content of the pot into a cup and put it in front of Alice. "Here you go."
Carefully, Alice took a small sip, afraid that she might burn herself if she was too hasty. Rose, though, seemed to have experience with making hot chocolate, for the concoction running down Alice's throat was comfortably warm and heated her up from the inside. She felt less fatigued and slightly less dour as the warmth spread through her body.
No wonder everyone liked hot chocolate if it made them feel like this. From now on it was Alice's new favourite drink in the world. She had to make Kara taste it when she was up and about again!
"You're lucky that your Kara is a common model, despite being no longer produced," Rose commented as she flicked through the data the Jerrys had sent her. "I know a few places where I can take a look and might get these."
"That's great!" Alice whooped. "When can we go."
"Oh no, you won't be going anywhere," Rose exclaimed. "The places I'll be going are none I'd take a child to, so you'll be staying put here while I see if I can get you these parts." Alice wanted to protest, but the years living with Todd had taught her when to pick her battles and when to concede. Seeing Rose's resolute stare, she knew that there was no way she could change the other woman's opinion.
"You'll help us just like that?" she asked instead. Alice would not say that she was distrustful, because the Jerrys trusted Rose and Alice trusted the Jerrys, but she was also aware of the fact that Rose barely knew them.
Rose's gaze softened. "I've known the Jerrys for a while. Whenever I needed a place to hide an android, they would help even though they didn't need to. They might not ask for themselves, but they're clearly asking for you, so I'll help." Her gazed flickered to the cup in Alice's hand. "You better drink up before it gets cold. I'm gonna get Adam. He's my son and he's gonna watch you while I'm gone." She walked out of the kitchen area and up the steps to the second floor; only the muted sounds of her footsteps could be heard.
"I guess it is time to say Good-bye now," the Jerrys said to her.
"You won't be staying?" Alice asked, slightly scared. She did not want to be left in another new surroundings, get used to new people again.
The Jerrys shook their heads. "You'll be better off here. We don't know how to take care of a human child. The park is no place for a little girl, especially during the winter."
"You could stay," Alice suggested timidly.
"This is no place for us," the Jerries replied. "We don't belong here. Besides, it would only lead to unwanted scrutiny for Rose. She can't afford that." One of the Jerrys stepped forward and laid his hand atop her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We'll take care of Kara and make sure that she's well cared for until you and Rose return with the replacement parts."
Before Alice could reply anything, scuffling steps could be heard from the steps and then a young man appeared, followed by Rose.
"Alice, this is Adam," she introduced the boy. "He's going to look after you."
"Heyah," Adam greeted her with a lazy wave. Alice waved back. "I hope you like old Disney classics, because Moana and Frozen is literally all we have in this house." Alice just nodded. She did not really know that many movies, so she would take whatever she could get her hands on.
"I'm gonna make us some lunch," Rose declared. "I'm hungry from all the work and you must be hungry from the long hike. It's quite the distance from the park to here." As if it wanted to agree for her, Alice's stomach began to rumble. Apparently, the old cookies the Jerrys had scrounged up for her this morning from some derelict vending machine had not been enough.
Maybe, Alice thought, it was not that bad of an idea to stay with Rose.
Nothing in the street before them indicated that only a few days before a crime had been committed on this exact spot. In front and behind them the two busy main streets that were connected by this backstreet were abuzz with people and android alike while in the street itself it felt as if you had entered a cocoon of silence. Barely wide enough to fit a small sidewalk and a lane broad enough for one vehicle, it was not as if it was run-down or peppered with trash – it just seemed to have been forgotten by the rest of the city.
In Connor's opinion it made for a perfect spot for kidnapping. Which had obviously been the reason why it had been chosen as such by Chloe's kidnappers. Hank and he were just standing in the middle of the street, observing and taking in everything. Connor doubted that they would find much – after all, the crime had happened a few days ago and even his advanced senses would not be able to find any traces after all this time – but you could never be sure.
"You think she was a target of choice or opportunity?" Hank threw the question into the air as he chewed on the gum he had thrown into his mouth before they had exited his car.
"Opportunity, I think," Connor replied after a moment. "Nothing in the video Kamski showed us indicated that Chloe was chosen specially for her ties to Kamski."
"Yeah, but the video wasn't that long either," Hank pointed out. "I doubt they'd given her the whole 'we abducted you because you're Kamski's personal toy' spiel before they got her secured."
"Kamski already pointed out that if she had been chosen because of him he would have gotten a ransom demand by now, which he hasn't," Connor retorted. "I think it'd be best to assume for now that this abduction has nothing to do with Kamski."
"Yeah, as much as it probably pains him, but this got nothing to do with him," Hank agreed. "'Children of Eden'. Some religious nutjobs, you guess? Also, that H in 'His will' was definitely a capital H."
"I came to the same conclusion," Connor said. "Unfortunately, I have found nothing on this group, neither in any police database nor in Cyberlife's own."
Hank did not even miss a beat at the fact that Cyberlife had its own crime database. Jaded millennial as he was, he probably had deduced as much already. Connor, though, was quite miffed that not even with Amanda's help he had found anything on these Children of Eden. It was as if they did not even exist at all, which should be quite impossible in these digitalised times.
"I know you're barely a month old, so I'm gonna give you some wisdom of my own," Hank spoke. "Today religious fanatics come in two distinct flavours: Either they want us to be brains in jars in a few years, totally depended on technology or they want us to go back to candles and beating each other to death with a stick. If you got one of the latter, you're in for rough luck, because they don't leave much of a trace behind." He took a few steps into the street and looked up.
"I also doubt you had any luck with voice recognition?" he commented offhandedly.
"A few thousand matches with an accuracy of less than 63 percent," Connor answered. "Which makes it practically worthless."
Hank hummed in agreement. "Seems like we're doing this the old way then."
"And how would that work, Lieutenant?" Connor wanted to know. "I'm equipped with all seventy-three investigation guidelines currently in use in the US as well as all that have been used in the past." The old Connor – the machine, the android sent by Cyberlife – would have said that. Connor as he was now would just roll his eyes, just as Hank was currently doing.
"There are some things that just can't be programmed," Hank started to lecture him. "Experience and human intuition are just a few of them."
"And what does your human intuition tell you we should do in this moment?" Connor retorted.
"It tells me that I'm fucking hungry," Hank replied. "So, we're gonna go to that fancy restaurant Chloe was getting food for Kamski, order something which we'll bill on the department and ask around a little bit."
"Captain Fowler won't be pleased by that," Connor felt obliged to remind Hank.
"Jeffrey can kiss my ass," was Hank's answer to that. "He should be happy that we don't sue the department for that workplace hazard that they call coffee." His tone turned more serious. "Besides, there's this unspoken agreement: As long as we don't overdo it, he looks the other way when we detectives bill the department something that might not be completely work-related."
"Like eating out at a five-star French restaurant?" Connor retorted as he followed Hank who was making his way to the main street behind them where the restaurant was situated. "I've just looked up their website and their cheapest offering is a cup of coffee for eighteen dollars. They do have very favourable reviews, though, averaging at 4.8 stars out of five. One Mathilde Standen calls their Crème Brûlée 'a treat to die for'."
"They offer no refills," he added.
"Fuckin' Europeans," Hank muttered.
"Actually, the owners…"
"Shut it, robocop," Hank cut him off. "Just leave me my stereotypes. They're the only thing I have left." They made the rest of the way in silence until they reached the restaurant.
"Do you have a reservation?" they were asked immediately after entering by the maître who eyed them with well-disguised scepticism: Connor, who obviously was an android which meant he did not need to eat, and Hank who quite frankly did not look as if he could afford anything that was offered here.
"That's my reservation," Hank grumbled and pulled out his police badge, shoving it underneath the maître's nose. "I'll have the waiter who worked here the evening three days ago and your Crème Brûlée. I was told it's to die for."
"Please, have a seat while I'll see what I can do for you," the maître replied, revealing his professionalism by taking the new development as if it was just another everyday occurrence. Seeing as this was a very upscale place, he was probably used to a lot of eccentricities, Connor assumed.
They were led to a table at the edge of the dining space which was practically empty right now as it was barely noon and most restaurant goers would only start to arrive in a few hours. Classical music came from the speakers, just enough so that you would not be able to hear anything from your neighbouring table, thus creating the illusion of privacy.
"I'll be right back," the maître told them and then he was already striding back into the area reserved for staff only. Meanwhile, Connor and Hanks at down at the table.
"Noticed anything?" Hank asked.
"There is no video surveillance," Connor replied. "This establishment craters to the upper crust of society who value their privacy. We probably won't be getting any guest lists without warrant either." Hank just harrumphed in agreement. Before they could continue their conversation, the maître came back with another man in tow.
"This is Mr André Macron, the member of our staff who was on duty during the time frame you're interested in," he spoke. Turning to Hank he asked: "Would you like your Crème Brûlée now or to go?"
Hank looked surprised, as if he had not really expected his order to be considered. "Make it to-go. I doubt we'll be here long enough for me to enjoy it in your fine establishment." The maître nodded and went back into the kitchen, leaving Connor and Hank alone with a nervous looking waiter.
"How may I help you?" Macron disrupted the uncomfortable silence between them.
"We're here because we have some question about a customer of yours," Hank started.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss any of our guests," Macron immediately replied as if it was a well-rehearsed spiel.
"Relax, we're not asking for anything we don't already know," Hank said. "We know that three days ago Mr Kamski sent one of his android companions called Chloe to you to pick up a custom delivery of his."
"Yes, he did," the waiter confirmed. "Mr Kamski is a valued guest of ours, so we sometimes prepare meals for him that he has then picked up by someone."
"After the last time, the android Chloe which he sent here, was kidnapped by someone not far from here," Connor picked up where Hank had left off.
"Another?" Macron blurted out. His eyes immediately widened when he noticed his mistake.
"Whatcha mean?" Hank wanted to know. Macron's lips were pressed into a thin line, refusing to let anything past them.
Hank sighed. "Listen, we can do this the easy or the hard way. You either tell us what you know or I'm gonna go back to my precinct, get myself the get-go from my boss to take you to the precinct for an official questioning and come back here when you're packed full and take you with me with all the bells and whistles while all the rich and mighty stuck ups that come here watch. I bet your boss would love that." By now, Macron was frantically looking back and forth between the two of them as if he was expecting help from Connor.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone," Macron finally relented.
"We'll handle whatever information you'll give us with uttermost discretion," Connor replied which was as noncommittal as you could get. Macron, though, did not seem to notice.
"There's this patron – this female patron – who comes by ever so often…"
"With whom you're having an affair," Hank deduced.
Macron just nodded. "I don't know when it was…I think maybe a week or two ago…that she told me that her personal household android had gotten stolen. She was pretty angry because she spent ages until it did everything how she wanted things to get done and now she would have to teach a new android all over again."
"What is her name?" Connor carefully asked.
"Erica Clayton," Macron replied. "The CEO of Cyberlife."