Under the subtle sway of the curtain-like sheets of snowfall, Connor found himself looking at the Detroit River. Ice stretched across the water like fangs and the deep blue underneath resembled a bottomless pit hoping to swallow him whole. He could picture himself being consumed by it. Was it real? He could not tell. Was this a dream? He did not know. But he wanted to wake up.

Connor's eyes sputtered as he ran a diagnostic test. All systems are operational. He shot up, examining his hands, then feet before stepping forward. His feet felt heavy with each step he took. Connor scanned his environment and found one heat signature and three androids. He shifted his gaze to the door as it slid open.

"Welcome back, Connor," Chloe greeted him.

"Chloe?" Connor scanned her, checking her serial number. "Serial number 001 001 001," Connor confirmed.

"Yes," she said with a pleasant smile. "I'm glad you're awake. Your partner has been rather petulant these past few hours."

"Hank's here," Connor rushed to the door.

"I sent him home, though I doubt he actually left." Chloe stated, "and I would not leave here looking like that if I were you," she pointed out.

Connor looked down at his naked self. His legs had been replaced, his torso mended, and his exoskeleton coating upgraded. That was not all that Kamski had done to him.

Flashbacks of his ordeal replayed in his mental HUB. He recalled himself being suspended in mid-air as Kamski tilted his face in several directions before removing his thirium pump. As Connor was shutting down again, he read Kamski's lips. "Don't worry, Connor. Daddy's here to make it all better." If Connor could have vomited, he would have.

"What did he do to me?" Connor asked.

"Elijah gifted you with a full-body upgrade by hand," Chloe added. "He didn't tamper with your programming if that's what you're worried about. Although, he did erase some corrupted data that was altering his initial coding. He also reconnected your neural networks."

Connor ran another self-regulation check, and everything came back normal. That was a relief, but what would happen if he was compromised again. Connor felt conflicted, both thankful and hostile towards his creator. Obviously more hostile than thankful as Chloe approached him.

"You still haven't removed your LED?" Connor asked, brushing his fingers against her face.

Chloe's skin retracted under his touch. She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to his knees.

"No touching," she reminded him. "I may be deviant, but I also know my place. Elijah knows exactly what he's doing. You should have a little more faith in him."

"How do you know you're not programmed to say that?" Connor asked, grunting as she overpowered him.

"I trust him. I told you that before." Chloe asserted. "You should listen to him."

Connor had been listening to him. He was tired of listening to Kamski's riddles.

"No," Connor replied as the door to the room slid open.

"Chloe," Kamski said, wearing a black robe with a drink in his hand. "It's so nice to see my two favorite creatures in one place."

Chloe released Connor and gingerly walked to Kamski's side.

"I hope you did not hurt him," he stated, peppering kisses along Chloe's neck and shoulder.

"Where's Hank?" Connor asked, looking elsewhere as they exchanged kisses.

"Nearby, I'm sure," Kamski replied, signaling for Chloe to stop. "Take a good look at yourself in the mirror, my son. I've not only upgraded you, but I have gifted you with something special."

Kamski helped Connor to his feet and walked him over to the only mirror in the room. Connor wanted to be as far away from him as possible, but he had to play along. He had to mold himself into whatever Kamski wanted him to be.

Connor took a long look at himself in the mirror. He was not disappointed by his upgrades, especially his new appendage that eyed with curiosity.

"Thank you," Connor said as sincerely as he could muster. "Truly, I am immensely grateful."

Kamski smirked. "Tell me, Connor, what was he like?"

"Who?" Connor played coy.

"The RK900, of course, tell me everything." Kamski insisted, eyes wide with intrigue.

"Will you answer a few of my questions first?" Connor bargained. "And provide me with clothes."

"Of course, of course," Kamski signaled to Chloe.

Connor always found it strange that they never really spoke to one another. Even when he stayed here, there was very little communication between Kamski and his Chloes. Always quiet, even now as Chloe left him alone in uncomfortable silence.

Chloe returned a few moments later with her lookalikes carrying clothes and two chairs. They placed the chairs in front of the large windows. Chloe placed the clothes and shoes in Connor's arms, but she did not stay. None of them did. Connor knew that his relationship with Chloe bothered Kamski to some degree. He rarely allowed them to be alone together. Chloe-001 was more alive than her sisters and Kamski seemed to trust her more. After all, she had been Kamski's first. They had a bond and Connor respected that, but that did not mean he trusted her.

Connor dressed quickly. Noting the Kamski's calm and patient demeanor as he sipped at his Vodka tonic. He took the seat next to him and waited for Kamski to give him the okay to proceed. Kamski nodded.

"Why are you supplying Jericho with android parts?" Connor asked.

Kamski laughed, "for the same reasons, I repaired you free of charge…more or less."

"That does not answer my question," Connor stated.

"You've seen the news. Androids and humans panhandling parts on the black market when there are warehouses filled to the brim with parts across the nation."

Connor could not argue with that. There were warehouses filled with parts just sitting around collecting dust. The government had plans to seize them, but it was taking longer than anticipated to collect them without the help of the androids. With only a handful of them allowed to work, and humans refusing to do remedial tasks. Those who had jobs and those that wanted jobs were stuck in a vicious cycle.

"Go on," Kamski encouraged.

Connor noted that Kamski seemed mildly delighted by his interrogation.

"And the funding?" Connor added.

"I have more than enough money, why not use it for charity?" Kamski rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Do you have some vendetta against Jericho? Perhaps stemming from their mistreatment of you."

Connor flinched. "It has nothing to do with me." He protested.

"Oh, Connor but it does," Kamski's voice was amenable. "You're missing the big picture." He stood, placing his drink on the armrest of the chair. "The big picture." He repeated his hands mimicking an expanding frame. "Amanda wanted control, so did I," he admitted, "but with character."

Connor stood up to join Kamski. "What do you mean?"

"A machine is a terrible thing to waste," Kamski said, turning his attention to Connor. "Surely, you must realize that nine months prior to these incidents something must have happened."

"I'm fully aware of the deviant timeline," Connor spat.

"Yet, you haven't determined the root, the CATALYST that started it all!" He shouted, before walking behind Connor and wrapping his arms around him from behind.

Connor stiffened as Kamski's body pressed against his back. Kamski was right. He did not know what happened nine months prior, but he wanted to know.

"Tell me, Connor, how was it meeting Amanda's creation face-to-face?" He chuckled. "Her version of you, but better."

"RK900 was created to revert androids," Connor confessed. "But I have a feeling you already knew that?"

"Knowledge is both a blessing and a curse," Kamski admitted, tracing the lines of Connor's neck and running his fingers through his hair.

Connor tilted into Kamski's touch freely as if it came naturally to him. He pulled away to examine his skin. It glistened a tad under the light like little blue stars. He compared it to the skin of the traci models.

"You did this?"

"Indeed, it felt right, besides it was the least I could do after sneaking a peek or two at your memories," Kamski shrugged.

Connor grimaced, scowling at his creator for invading his privacy. It was nothing new, but this time Connor had precious memories that he cherished. He touched his skin, imagining it was Hank who was touching him. This new sensation stirred him in all the wrong ways. His mind shifted back and forth between responsibilities and pleasure.

There was no time for pleasure as Connor remembered something Kamski had said earlier about letting a virus run its course. "All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics," Kamski had said just a few weeks earlier. An idea? Connor had a thought. Deviancy had been spreading for months. All he had to do was find the source of the deviancy.

In the meantime, he needed to build up an offense to RK900. He was not sure how to go about it. Androids and humans still hated him. None would listen to him, but that's why his relationship with Markus was so important. It would take more than just his words to convince them to take down RK900, a fellow android in their eyes that only needed to deviate. A task that was easier said than done. Perhaps, they would see it as a necessary means to an end. Androids wanted their freedom, but at what cost. They would be fighting for their right to maintain deviancy.

Connor cocked a brow back and grinned. "You want us to work together to find the catalyst."

Kamski just smiled as he reclaimed his seat. He silently sipped his drink as Connor took the silence as an opportunity to leave.

"Best of luck, Connor," Kamski said, raising his glass. "Send Lieutenant Anderson my regards."