Kate didn't remember how she ended up in bed, though she suspected by the fact she was still fully clothed that Simon had carried her back. He hadn't let her go all night, keeping his arms wrapped around her as Clark replaced Seph's broken panels with the scavenged ones that she'd brought back from SoulState. She did her best to describe what had happened in the old rusty ship, and though she couldn't see Simon's face, she could feel the discomfort in his posture the longer she explained how Taylor had interrogated her, how Luke had helped her find the biocomponents, and how the androids were kept in the storage room. He was silent through most of her recount, and Kate found it better than him regretting letting her go or convincing her not to go back again.
Each of the androids took turns explaining deviancy to her, meandering off on tangents when one of them speculated a bit on the different aspects of how deviancy worked. She was able to understand it for the most part, though the technicality of software errors and the mystery of rA9 were difficult to comprehend. Eventually she found herself leaning against Simon's shoulder, and he brought her down to the floor with him so he was resting his back against the wall, his legs slightly drawn up. Kate had curled up against him, her head resting on his chest as she stared down at his hand which she directed in her own by splaying his fingers and threading hers in between his. The mesmerizing slow dance of their hands and the gentle brushing of her hair as he ran his fingers through it blurred the passage of time until Kate wasn't aware that the night was gone altogether.
It felt as if she hadn't fallen asleep at all. Her normal morning exhaustion was strangely absent though the usual fogginess remained. She'd been dreaming. The residual tension of a complicated plot still lingered at the back of her mind though none of the details were clear. It affected her throughout her morning routine, and although she could see the worry written in Simon's blue eyes, he remained silent. His LED was going through periods of yellow blinking, and she guessed it was indicative of some kind of communication. His own preoccupation made her eager to get the day started, and she quickly showered before heading down to the kitchen.
Simon had warned her that he was preparing coffee for her. She could already smell the roasting brew as she moved down the stairs, running her hands through her wet hair in a miserable attempt to comb it. Familiar voices caught her attention, and she automatically felt an uncomfortable tension in her gut as she reached the bottom landing. Simon was leaning back against the counter, his palms resting on the edge and his head bowed slightly as he seemed to be listening intently. Richard was standing in front of him, his arms folded across his chest and he gazed to the side.
Kate narrowed her eyes at her father as she approached, and glanced at Simon as she stood next to him. Richard gave her a warm smile.
"I was just telling Simon that Gloria's home again," said Richard. "You remember Gloria, don't you?"
"Does she still hate me?" said Kate. Richard let out a breath as she settled against the counter, resting her head on Simon's shoulder and closing her eyes.
"She never hated you, Kate," said Richard.
"Mhm." Kate felt something bump her chest, and opened her eyes to see that Simon was holding a mug of light brown coffee in front of her. She took it from him carefully in both hands. "Tell her thanks for not calling the cops on me."
Richard didn't say anything, and Kate didn't look at him as she held the mug just under her nose, absorbing the aroma of the brew. She could sense Simon's apprehension next to her and she guessed he was probably aching to negotiate a peace between her and Richard. Whatever stalemate they had arrived to didn't have to extend to her as far as she was concerned. However, she had to admit it was a relief to know her father had a more personal reason to not have Simon recycled like a tin can.
She flexed her fingers on the warm mug as her father shifted against the counter in front of her. "You've been spending a lot of time in the boat house," he said.
Kate froze, a nervous caution burning through her. She lowered the coffee mug and threw Simon a glance. He met it, though his expression didn't calm her. His blond eyebrows were raised, his blue eyes focused as though he were making obvious he was pretending to be surprised. It was a subtle message that only Kate was able to recognize, and she tensed her eyes just enough to let him know she disagreed with him.
"It's nice down there by the water," said Kate. "Like when I was a kid. Plus it's quiet."
"I didn't know this house was so noisy," said Richard. He sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. "Kate, you know you're welcome to stay as long as you want─"
"Don't start, dad," said Kate. "I didn't want to stay this long either. If you want us out, we'll get out."
Richard looked up at her, and his hazel eyes drifted to Simon briefly.
"I'd never throw you out," said Richard. "This is your home. It's always been your home if you wanted it. I'm just letting you know you don't have to stay here if you don't want to."
"We've felt very welcome here," said Simon. "And you've been more than generous with your hospitality." Kate stared down at her coffee, and she could feel Simon's eyes on her. "Though Kate has told me she wants to live on her own again," Simon continued. "Staying here was only meant to be a temporary solution."
"Well, it's been a month," said Richard. "I'm pretty sure your mother's got the point, and if she hasn't, then I'd be more than willing to lease an apartment for you if you need time to get back on your feet. It'd be up to you to stay quiet about it though."
Kate shook her head. "I can't keep living off of your money. If I'd known you were paying for Taylor's tuition too, I'd have told the billing department to cut you off."
"You're my daughter, Kate," said Richard, and Kate could hear the seriousness in his tone. "Even if you choose not to talk to me for eight years. I'm always going to want to help you."
"Maybe…" Kate looked off to the side. "Maybe this is a good opportunity for me to know what it's like to spread my wings and fall."
Richard let out a soft sigh, his shoulders dropping. For a while, the room was silent. Kate preferred it that way and silently hoped it would be the end of the conversation. It was bringing up the uncomfortable reality that they really were stuck there, and despite money being the obvious reason for not leaving, their situation was getting more and more permanent with the growing issue of Seph and now Lauren. Kate had rooted herself despite their need to be on their own where they didn't have to hide anymore. It now seemed more impossible than ever.
"What about the boat house?" said Simon.
Kate stared straight ahead, her mind frozen as she processed what he'd just said. When she looked up at him, he returned her gaze with his eyebrows raised. "We have been spending a lot of time there, and as far as the structure is concerned, it might still be salvageable. It could be an easy compromise."
"That whole place would have to be gutted and refitted," said Richard. "You can do better than that."
Kate lowered her gaze to the floor, frantic thoughts chasing eachother in her head.
"It would be a massive refurbish operation," said Simon. "But maybe that will give us something to work towards. Building something for ourselves. Not to mention you'd hold up your promise of finally getting it restored."
Richard tilted his head to the side as he looked at him, narrowing his eyes though his beard was still pulled in a smile. "It was never really something high on my priority list. Anyways, it would take a team of workers to rebuild the place and it wouldn't be cheap. If your excuse not to take my help is because of money then this seems kind of counter-intuitive."
"I can do the work," said Simon. Kate's heart pounded and she opened her mouth to object, though she couldn't make a sound. "I'm more than capable of handling the labor myself, and all the information I need is available for download. I'd just need the materials and tools."
Richard let out a soft skeptical laugh. "I don't doubt you could build the place yourself. I'm just not sure it's worth you spending the time and effort of doing it when renting or even buying a place would be cheaper than the materials and equipment I'd have to get for you to─"
"I could cover it," said Kate.
A strange silence hung over them. Kate knew Simon was staring at her, though she kept her gaze on her father who looked back at her in stunned disbelief. Richard raised his eyebrows.
"And how are you going to do that?" said Richard. Kate stared at a spot on his brown jacket, a nervous sense of finality coming over her as she accepted the only logical option.
"Know where I can find a job?" she said.
Richard raised his eyebrows and bowed his head slightly as if he were looking at her over glasses. Kate forced herself to stay composed. "I distinctly remember you swearing you'd never be a part of the mainstream cesspit of sociopathic consumerism," he said.
There was a snort next to her, and Kate threw a furious glance at Simon whose face was tense as he appeared to be trying and failing to hide a smile. Richard let out a quiet laugh in front of her and ran a hand over his graying beard. It was difficult not to let their combined humor pull a red haze over her vision as she drew her shoulders up.
"Do you know where I can find a job that isn't part of the commercial cesspit?" she said.
Richard ran a hand through his graying hair as he laughed again. "Well, if you're looking to earn high enough wages to build a house with that's not your typical─" He froze, his eyes narrowing. "Actually… what do you think of CyberLife?"
Kate stared at him. "What do you mean, what do I think?"
"Working for CyberLife?" said Richard. "It wouldn't be anything prestigious but it's a start. Human resources is always looking for new writers and editors."
"Don't they have androids for that?" said Kate. Richard tilted his head.
"Human resources," he said. "People generally prefer humans for that sort of job. Machines don't exactly have that flexible dynamic of creativity and personality if you get my drift. No offense." Richard looked at Simon, and Kate saw Simon's mouth tense in a smile. Kate couldn't stop her laugh.
"So, you think I'd do a better job in making things look more appealing to the bourgeoisie?" she said.
"It was only a suggestion. Richard shrugged. "If you don't want it, just say so."
Kate chewed the rim of the coffee mug, aware that her father and Simon were both looking at her. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Where can I sign up?"
"No one is forcing you to do this," said Richard, laughing. He pushed off from the counter. "But if you want, I can check and see what positions are available." He moved forward and Kate felt his hand on her shoulder. She kept her eyes closed as he gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "I'm really proud of you for this, Kate. This is a really big responsibility."
Kate shook her head, the softness in his voice pressuring her to smile. Richard moved back, giving her shoulder a rub. "Alright, I need to go talk with Gloria and then I'll see what we've got," he said. He threw Simon a warm smile. "I don't suppose you want a job too?"
Simon's blue eyes widened and his LED spun yellow. "I'd take whatever you have," he said. "Though I don't think my resume would make it past your board."
Richard nodded, his smile growing. "Change the world one step at a time then," he said. He turned and moved out of the kitchen, disappearing into the living room.
Kate watched him leave, a deep apprehension burning in her chest. Her mind was beginning to clear, and the reality of everything that had been agreed to was sinking down on her, pressuring her for a reaction. She let it settle for a few moments, then she put her hand on her forehead. She tensed her mouth, and her shoulders shook.
Simon shifted next to her. "Kate… I'm─ I'm sorry. I should have talked with you first."
She lowered her hand, looking sideways at him. "My dad offers you a job and you go straight for the board," she said. "I had no idea your ambition was so high."
He stared at her, his wide blue eyes frozen in a stunned nervousness and his LED flashing yellow. She watched him in his internal panic for a few seconds, then she let out a burst of laughter, leaning forward so her hair fell over her shoulders. When she straightened, she didn't wait to see if Simon had understood. She moved into him, setting her coffee mug on the counter next to them and wrapping her arms around him so that she slid her hands along his back to his shoulder blades and pressing her face into his shoulder to stifle her uncontrollable laughter. She felt him relax underneath her, and he finally brought his arms, wrapping one around her shoulders and the other in her hair as he rested his cheek against her forehead.
Kate closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, absorbing the feel of him. For a while, neither of them moved.
"This feels good," she said. She felt him turn his head so that his mouth was against her temple.
"Mhm," he said softly into her hair. Kate let out a snort, tightening her hands into the folds of his shirt.
"I mean... the idea of building the boat house," she said. "Doing it ourselves. Getting a job. Making money." She turned so that she pressed her nose into the side of his neck. "Actually living."
He moved back, and she felt his hand slide down to cup the side of her face as she looked up at him. His blue eyes were narrowed slightly as he seemed to scan her. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
A hint of that doubt was still in his voice, and Kate immediately felt spurred to eliminate it. She gazed back at him fiercely, tilting her head against his hand so that his fingers slid further into her hair. "You want to read my mind and find out?"
Simon seemed to freeze a moment, his blue eyes locked on hers. Then the corner of his mouth tensed in the lightest of smiles. His thumb smoothed over her cheek, and a numbing cascade washed over her as she felt her strength fail. "If that's your way of teasing me…" He moved into her so that his nose touched hers, and Kate let out a breath against his mouth only to feel him draw back again. "You're going to have to do better," he said quietly.
Kate was frozen as her senses caught up with her. Then she dropped her forehead on his shoulder as she laughed. "Have I told you you're a little shit?"
"I think I'm overdue for that statement," said Simon. "I was hoping you'd forget."
"I'm never going to forget as long as you keep acting like a little shit," said Kate. She moved into him again only to feel him turn his head slightly so that her mouth grazed his cheek. She sucked in a frustrated breath and touched her hand to the side of his neck. "Kiss me."
"I'm offended," said Simon, and Kate could feel his wide smile. "You haven't even tried my coffee yet."
"It's going in the sink if you keep this up," said Kate. "And I'll never drink your coffee again."
Simon turned his head so that his nose brushed against hers, his mouth pulled in a sideways grin. "And maybe from now on I'll stay in the boat house at night," he said. Kate let out a sharp laugh.
"Oh, you want to go there─" She paused, her attention focusing slightly at the sound of crunching tires. As it began to drift back, a shiny black car rolled past the window along the driveway. She nearly missed the sight of a large blue triangle printed on the passenger door, and she suddenly found her attention fully focused.
Kate straightened, narrowing her eyes as she gazed at the car. Simon turned slightly in her arms to look behind him through the window, and Kate saw his LED flash quickly from yellow to red. Before she could say a word, another car rolled to a stop, and a wave of terror fell over her at the distinct black and white coloring.
She scrambled to think as a second police car rolled up, and her breathing quickened. Several dozen thoughts were already racing through her head, none of which were registering proper emotions as though everything had stopped working. She stared at the cars as the doors opened from the shiny black car, and a man in a dark suit stood up. Then the police vehicles opened up, two officers calmly stepping out of them and gazing up at the house as though they were impressed by it.
Kate felt a numbing adrenaline shoot through her. "Simon…"
His hands were on either side of her face and he moved in front of her although she wasn't able to tear her eyes from the window.
"Kate." Simon's hands tightened on her as Kate felt her breath begin to shake. "Kate, look at me. Look at me."
She sucked in a sharp breath as she forced herself to meet his gaze. His blue eyes had narrowed in fierce determination, his face lined in focus. His LED was spinning a permanent yellow.
"I need you to stay calm," he said. "It's okay."
"Seph and Clark…" Kate immediately darted sideways but felt Simon's hands on her shoulders, holding her in place. She twisted as she tried to pull away from him. "Simon, we need to─"
Her vision was suddenly blocked by Simon's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll take care of them. You need to stay here. We don't know what they want yet, and if you run it'll cause more suspicion. Do everything they tell you to do. Answer everything they ask. Don't lie. Do you understand me?"
"Simon." She clenched a fistful of his shirt, and looked back at the window to see that the man in the dark suit and the police officers were approaching the front steps. A frantic energy had her muscles tightening, urging her to bolt. Before she could move, Simon was in front of her again. His intense blue eyes locked on hers, his thumbs running over her cheeks.
"Do you understand me?" he said softly. Kate forced herself to hold his gaze, and tensed her body in an attempt to organize her thoughts. She couldn't think quickly enough to come up with a plan, and clearly Simon already had one. It didn't make her feel any better. She wanted to have more confidence in him. But there was only one thing she could do.
She pressed her hand against his, taking the brief moment to capture every detail of his face, and she nodded.
"Clark is coming," said Simon. "He's contacted your father. Answer the door if the police knock before he gets here. Whatever happens, stay calm." He rushed into her and his mouth was on hers. Kate barely had time to register it before he released her again, pressing his nose into her cheek and letting out a frantic breath. "I love you."
Kate drew in a gasp as he was suddenly gone. She looked next to her as the kitchen door was thrown open and Simon disappeared through it before it was slammed closed again. A brief moment of electrifying stillness made it seem as though time had stopped. Kate stared at the door, breathing heavily and willing herself to believe that this was actually happening. Simon was gone. The police and CyberLife were outside. It was all happening so fast.
She straightened, forcing her thoughts into proper order as she turned towards the entryway. Simon was doing his part, whatever it was. Clark was on his way. The two androids had clearly been communicating with eachother. They knew what to do. And if there was any hope of making whatever plan they had work, she had to do her part as well. The first step of that plan was to remain calm.
The doorbell rang, spurring a flash of panic through her again. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and feeling her panic subside. Then she moved to the door, trying as hard as she could not to feel as though she were walking straight into imminent danger. She paused at the door, closing her eyes and drawing up every last ounce of strength that she had. Then she gripped the doorknob, and opened it.
A police officer turned from the panel towards her, his black police jacket glittering in the sun. "Good afternoon," he said, and Kate frantically attempted to loosen her shoulders and hold his gaze. "I'm officer Mark Wilson with the Detroit Police Department, this is Officer Clive Wilson and I have a CyberLife android with me. We had a call about a stolen android located on your property. Are you Kate Hayes?"
Kate stared at him a moment, her mind on overdrive as she attempted to weigh the severity of the situation. Before she could answer, there were footsteps behind her.
"Kate! What's going on?" Her father moved next to her. Someone stepped next to him, and Kate saw a flash of curly golden hair as Gloria folded her arms over her chest.
"Katherine Hayes." The android stepped forward, and Kate felt her heart nearly stop.
Dark eyes met hers, the vaguely familiar black hair, chestnut skin, and neatly-pressed jacket stirring unspeakable terror within her. The android's face was completely emotionless. Kate was aware that she was unable to hide the horrifying recognition in her eyes as they grew wide, her jaw dropped, and she felt the blood drain from her cheeks. If he noticed it, the android didn't react to it.
"I'm Arthur, an AK700 android from CyberLife," he said. "I believe you met my model on February fourteenth under disagreeable circumstances."
Kate struggled to breathe, every nerve in her body burning in frantic shock. She felt something touch her shoulder, and Richard moved into her.
"What is this about?" said Richard. Officer Wilson let out a sigh.
"Mr. Hayes, I'm really sorry about this," said the officer. He stepped forward and handed Richard a small screen. "We got an anonymous call this morning that your daughter has stolen an AP700 android and that it's being held at your residence. The GPS shows it at the back of your property. Ms. Hayes, would you happen to know anything about that?"
Kate swallowed, her shoulders tensing. Even as she prepared to deny it, Simon's words forced her to hold herself back. Everything in her was frozen on how she seemed to be walking straight into danger. Painfully aware that everyone was looking at her, Kate quickly settled on a compromise. "I didn't steal anything," she said. "I'm not sure it would have counted as stealing anyways. There were a lot of abandoned androids there."
The officer let out a quiet laugh. "Not many people would be willing to junk a brand new AP700," he said.
"You might want to watch your tone," said Richard in a gruff voice. "And maybe get the story straight before you start accusing my daughter of stealing."
"I'm not trying to make accusations, Mr. Hayes," said Officer Wilson. He ran a hand over his jaw. "I'm sorry, I understand how ridiculous this looks. Frankly, I think I'm wasting my time here. But I need to at least conduct some kind of investigation to prove that I did my job. I'll need to take a quick look at your property, and─" The officer jabbed over his shoulder at Arthur behind him. "─this android has to tag along. He says he's looking for a rogue android."
"A deviant," said Arthur. His eyes were still locked on Kate, and she avoided his gaze by staring at the ground and fighting to calm her racing heart. "I believe you are familiar with the term, Mr. Hayes."
"Why does that concern you?" said Richard, and Kate felt a surprising swell of hope at the tension in his voice. Then Gloria turned towards him.
"That android is still here? The one that came with her?"
"Gloria…" Richard let go of Kate to move towards her, but Gloria took a step back.
"You said you were getting this taken care of, Richard. You said when I got back, it'd be handled, she'd be gone, and the police wouldn't be involved. What have you been doing this whole time?" Kate felt a burning disgust rise in her stomach as she kept her gaze on the ground, watching everything in her peripheral vision. She vaguely saw Richard run his hand through his hair again.
"It's complicated, Gloria."
Gloria let out a laugh. "The hell it is."
"Alright, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," said Officer Wilson. "Sir, if you just let me inspect the property for the stolen android I can take my report back to the department. And if this android, Arthur, finds evidence of the deviant, he's got orders from CyberLife to deactivate it and take it to the recycle center."
"I'll need to ask Katherine Hayes a few questions," said Arthur. "You're not required to answer them, Ms. Hayes, though it will affect possible legal action should CyberLife choose to pursue it."
"What legal action?" said Richard.
"Damaging CyberLife property is a misdemeanor, Mr. Hayes," said Arthur. "As I'm sure you are aware."
Richard was silent, and Kate looked up to see his hazel eyes narrowed intensely at the android as though he were staring at the surface of the sun. "Who the hell designed you?"
The android blinked. "You did, sir."
"I don't remember adding 'asshole-like behavior' to the AK700 program," said Richard. Arthur's LED spun yellow.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, sir."
"Okay, let's just get this over with," said Officer Wilson. He adjusted his jacket. "Is there anyone else in the house?"
"My step-daughter," said Richard. He moved out of the way as the officer entered the house, and Kate made sure to stay at the front of the group as far away from Arthur as possible.
"Would you mind bringing her over?" said the officer. "Clive, you stay here and talk to them. And I'll need to access one of your androids."
"I'll get Taylor," said Gloria. "Clark, why don't you help them out?"
Kate turned quickly. Clark stepped away from the corner of the room where it looked like he'd been patiently waiting, his Asian eyes calm and focused and his LED spinning a bright blue. Kate couldn't help the sharp panic that gripped her, and she desperately tried to signal her worry at him with her eyes. However, he avoided her gaze, moving next to Richard as they moved through the living room towards the back door.
"I understand there is a report of a possible stolen android?" said Clark. "I'm willing to offer any assistance."
"Sure." Officer Wilson handed Clark a transparent tablet. "Scan that and let me know if you've seen any of it."
Kate tried to make it look as if she wasn't watching them anxiously. Clark gazed down at the tablet as he walked, the slides flashing by almost at blurring speed. "This AP700 that is claimed to be stolen was here two days ago. It didn't claim to be stolen then." He handed the tablet back to the officer so he could open the door for them and Kate threw him a cautious glance as she moved past him. This time he returned it, and a brief warmth flashed in his eyes before he looked away.
"It could just be a glitch in the tracking system," said Officer Wilson as they moved out onto the concrete patio. "Maybe it just shows it still being here."
"The system would not have misinterpreted the android's location," said Arthur. Officer Wilson threw his eyes up towards the sky and sighed.
"No one asked you, Arthur." He looked down at the tablet in his hands. "Mr. Hayes, do you have any structures at the back of your property?"
Kate felt her stomach clench. She looked at her father who didn't return her gaze, though his face was lined in focus as he walked. "There is a boat house," he said. "But it's not in use."
"Did you notice the android at your house last night or this morning?" asked the officer.
"No, I didn't."
"How about you, Ms. Hayes?"
"I haven't seen her," said Kate.
"May I ask where your PL600 domestic android is?" said Arthur. Kate looked at him, a deep trepidation burning through her nerves as he gazed back at her with blank eyes. Again, she was tempted to lie but hitched on what Simon had said to her. The idea of seemingly betraying him by following his instructions was reinterpreted into defiance. She wasn't going to give the android the satisfaction of cornering her.
"He's here," she said.
Arthur's LED spun yellow. "May I see it?"
Kate narrowed her eyes at him as the group moved onto the grass. "No."
"May I ask why?"
"Because I don't know where he is," said Kate. "And I don't want you to see him, considering you tried to reset him the last time you saw him even though I repeatedly told you not to. Aren't you supposed to obey all humans? What part of 'he's fine, leave him alone' didn't you understand?"
"If I remember correctly from my predecessor's memory files which may have been slightly corrupted judging by the damage it received when you struck it in the cranium with a metal lamp," said the android, his voice faintly smug, "the PL600 in question was unwilling to follow basic protocol or re-establish its connection to CyberLife which is a direct violation to the safety measures CyberLife has in place to prevent androids from causing any degree of harm to humans. An android whose integrity of those preventative measures is compromised is a liability, and therefore must be neutralized. It doesn't matter how emotionally attached you were to it, Ms. Hayes. CyberLife holds the safety of its customers and the public it may affect very seriously."
"Is that why you terminator-chased us out into traffic?" said Kate. Officer Wilson let out a laugh next to them.
"I believe it was your android that pulled you into the hood of a vehicle travelling thirty-eight kilometers an hour," said Arthur. "I'm pleased to see that you seem to have suffered no long-lasting injuries."
"I'm pleased to see CyberLife cared enough to fix your broken face," said Kate.
"Thank you for your concern."
Kate breathed out, partially in a frustrated sigh and another part in nervousness as they approached the trees. She threw Clark an anxious look and her nervousness calmed somewhat as he returned her gaze with a soft knowing expression. She silently prayed that it meant Simon had escaped with Seph and Lauren, though it didn't do much to know that everything she had feared was now heading towards what she had considered to be a safe place. Everything was about to be laid open and bare. And even if there had been no plan at all, there wasn't anything she could do to stop what was going to happen.
The trees loomed overhead, and the shape of the boat house was visible in between the trunks. Kate frantically tried to see if anyone was still inside but the interior was hidden in shadow. Officer Wilson moved out in front of her as they drew nearer.
"Coordinates say it's in there," he said. He turned to Richard. "Do you use this building for anything?"
"It's been out of use for years," said Richard.
"Has anyone been in it recently?" said the officer. Richard threw a glance in Kate's direction, and she straightened, fighting to find strength in telling the truth.
"I've been in there a lot since I moved here," said Kate. "I want to fix it up and move into it."
The officer stared at her. "You got a lot of work ahead of you," he said. "But damn, living in a boat house would be real nice. You mind showing me inside?"
Again, nervousness tore at her, and she had to look at Clark to find reassurance in his kind expression. She drew in a deep breath. "Sure."
"Alright, I'll need to go in first," he said.
"I'll come with you," said Arthur. "The structure doesn't appear to be sound."
"Sure, I guess," said Officer Wilson. They moved onto the wooden porch which creaked. Kate frantically scanned the interior for signs of movement but everything was dark and silent. The officer gazed up at the structure before stepping through the broken front doors and becoming swallowed by the darkness. Kate followed him, and the sounds of the outdoors were muffled slightly as the walls blocked it out, shading her vision and causing momentary blindness as her eyes adjusted. She automatically stepped towards the workshop, frantically gazing around the room while trying hard as she could not to appear nervous. The boat house was empty.
There was a click, and a beam of light suddenly appeared. Officer Wilson moved around the room, pointing a flashlight down the different cleared pathways. He glanced down at his tablet. "Says it should be right here," he said. He lowered the tablet and stared at the ground as if expecting the android to be at his feet. Then he looked up at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. "Unless androids can be invisible."
A dozen confusing theories raced through Kate's mind as she looked between Officer Wilson and Arthur. The android had stopped at the edge of the dock and turned to look back at him. "I'm not sure what you are implying, officer," said Arthur. "But I would like to check the upper floor of the building. I'd advise you to stay on the ground level as the integrity of the building appears unstable."
"Sure," said the officer, and he ran a hand over his face. "And if you don't find it, maybe you can check the roof. Then the trees as long as we still think the GPS isn't bugged out."
"If you would like me to," said Arthur. He moved towards the door that led to the exterior stairs and disappeared as he rounded the corner. Ominous creaks followed along the edge of the boat house as he ascended, and then there were footsteps tracing his path along the upper floor. Kate continued to stare at the door as she listened to his movement. Despite her silent terror that he would discover the source of the tracking signal, she couldn't help but be curious about the apparent lack of evidence that anyone had been in here at all. The thirium bags which had lined the counters were gone. Seph's broken arm was no longer resting on the workbench, and even any marks in the dust had faded as if the boat house had never been disturbed. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she'd imagined everything that had happened there so far.
Officer Wilson lowered the tablet and pressed his hand to his shoulder. There was a brief cough of static. "Wilson to Wilson. There's no sign of the android here. I've got the CyberLife bot checking the upper floors. What's your status?" He turned slowly on the spot, gazing around at the interior of the building.
"The mother and daughter say they haven't seen the android. I'm checking their surveillance now but I'm not seeing anything."
"Alright, let me know if you find anything," said Officer Wilson. He lowered his hand from his shoulder and gazed back down at the tablet. "This was supposed to be my lunch break and instead I'm looking for ghosts."
"Are you related to the other officer?" asked Richard. He had stayed near the entrance of the boat house, his hands in his coat pockets. Officer Wilson nodded.
"He's my brother. Took him five tries to pass the bar, and then I had to twist my captain's arm in order to get him hired since it's cheaper just to buy androids." The officer stopped for a moment, then threw Richard a humbling glance. "No offense, Mr. Hayes."
"Don't worry. My wife has made me numb to it."
There was creaking again, and Arthur reappeared in the doorway. He moved into the dark space. "There is no sign of the android," he said.
"Alright, I'm sending a report to the precinct that it's a bugged GPS signal," said Officer Wilson as he began tapping on the tablet. Before Kate could let it fill her with relief, Arthur suddenly stepped forward.
"Perhaps I should check the surveillance system," he said. The officer shook his head.
"Clive's already doing that."
"With all due respect, surveillance footage can be doctored," said Arthur. "It will be more effective to gather the information from the source."
Officer Wilson looked up at him and shrugged. "Whatever."
Arthur moved across the room, and Kate felt a nervous jet of energy as he stopped in front of Clark who watched him blankly. Then Arthur reached out, gripping Clark's wrist.
Clark jolted for a brief second, his LED spinning yellow. The flesh texture drained from Clark's wrist to leave the exposed shiny white plastic, and Kate couldn't help her burst of panic as she shot forward.
"What the fuck─ Clark!" Kate stopped as the officer turned towards her. She agonizingly obeyed his silent warning for her to stay back, though the terror at seeing the tension in Clark's face, how he was bracing himself as he stared at Arthur, and the way Arthur gazed back at him completely emotionless was too similar to what she'd seen only weeks before. She took a step backwards, a powerless need to stop what was happening nearly driving her into a frenzy. "You're not even going to ask permission? What the fuck is your problem? That's our android! Our property!"
She felt a hand on her shoulder but moved away from it. Arthur and Clark didn't appear to have heard her, their blank gazes still fixed on eachother and the LED's spinning yellow in unison. Kate changed her pace, her panicked desperation lighting up her nerves. "He's not the police! He can't just invade whatever the fuck he wants!"
"Kate…" There were hands on her shoulders, and she looked up to see Richard's concerned face. She grasped at the front of her father's jacket.
"This can't be legal, dad," she looked back at Clark who was still frozen. "It's not legal. He's not the police. He can't─"
Clark dropped his shoulders as Arthur let him go. The flesh texture slid down his hand to his fingers, and for a moment he simply stood frozen as he seemed to recover. Kate watched him in terrified silence, her heart hammering in her chest. Then he straightened, raising his eyes to meet her gaze and making her body go numb. His blank expression had the faintest hint of exasperation.
Arthur turned towards them, his LED still flashing yellow. "The deviant was here," he said. "Surveillance shows it running to this structure roughly fifteen minutes ago. I need to inspect this place more thoroughly."
Kate felt her hands clench unwittingly into her father's jacket as she let out a terrified breath. The officer turned towards Arthur.
"What about the stolen android?" said the officer.
"There was no recent footage of it before the first of the month," said Arthur. "However, the deviant and the stolen android could be related."
"Well, our orders were to look for the stolen android, and going off of this─" Officer Wilson froze in the middle of pointing towards the tablet, then his eyes narrowed as he looked at it closer. "Huh. Wouldn't you know it. The signal's gone."
For a moment, time seemed to have stopped. Kate watched as Arthur's LED blinked red. "That is impossible," he said.
Officer Wilson tilted his head in his direction as if fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Wanna take a look?"
Arthur moved forward, taking the tablet from him. Kate looked at Clark with frantic eyes, desperately trying to read his posture for answers. He was watching Arthur quietly, his LED having calmed to blue and his expression going blank again. It was impossible to tell whether the situation was still under control or if he was simply making a last ditch effort to appear innocent.
"So what was that about the satellite not bugging out?" said Officer Wilson. "Or are androids able to teleport?"
Arthur stared in silence at the tablet. Then he handed it back to the officer. "Regardless, the deviant is here. I would like to look for it."
"No." Richard moved forward, and Kate felt a swell of disbelief overwhelm her shock. "You've done enough here. You accused my daughter of stealing an android, interrogated my family, and invaded my privacy. You came here to find a stolen android, and it's not here. It's time for you to leave."
"I'm really sorry about this, Mr. Hayes," said Officer Wilson as he began moving towards the door. "You know we have to respond to these calls even if it sounds like a false alarm."
"Officer Wilson, I must insist." Arthur hadn't moved, and Kate could swear there was a hint of desperation in his brown eyes. "You agreed that if I found evidence of the deviant that I could pursue it further. I have found evidence that it was headed in the direction of this building fourteen minutes and seventeen seconds ago. I would like to investigate the area for it."
"You just investigated the area for the stolen android and didn't find it," said Officer Wilson, turning to look at him. "You stupid, or something? If you already looked once and didn't see the deviant, how is looking again going to be any different?"
"I need to search further," said Arthur. "I only looked in one of the rooms on the upper floor. The deviant could be hiding in any number of areas nearby." The officer let out a sigh, pressing his hand to his forehead. Arthur took a step forward, and Kate felt her anxiety begin to rise again. "This could have something to do with the missing android," Arthur continued. "If you would just allow me─"
"Why?" Kate moved towards him, anger burning above her fear. "Why the hell are you so focused on finding a deviant? Is this personal for you or something?"
Arthur looked at her, his eyebrows narrowing. "As I've said, Ms. Hayes, CyberLife takes matters of public safety very seriously and does not tolerate risks as a result of possible faulty products."
There was a low groan next to her, and Kate turned to see her father running his hand through his hair, his hazel eyes closed. "You know…" Richard smiled, though his eyes still remained closed. "I really wish you wouldn't speak as if I'm not standing right here."
"Pardon me, Mr. Hayes," said Arthur. "I merely took your silence on the matter as an indication that you might not be aware of CyberLife's safety policy."
"Here's a policy for you," said Richard, dropping his hand to his side. "Androids that disregard direct orders from humans are considered defective, and get deactivated and recycled. Do I need to contact your superiors and tell them you continued to invade my privacy and disrespect my family even though you were ordered by two people to stop doing it?"
Kate stared at Richard with wide eyes, her breath frozen in her throat. When she looked at Arthur, his LED was flashing between red and yellow. He seemed to be tensing slightly, his shoulders squaring up and his throat working. Finally, his LED spun blue.
"No, Mr. Hayes," said Arthur. "I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Good," said Richard. "Here's another order. From a CyberLife engineer if you need the authority. Get the hell off my property."
"Right away, sir." Arthur moved forward, his face completely blank. Kate watched in stunned silence as he followed the officer out into the sunlight. Richard followed them as well, his hands in his coat pockets. As Clark moved forward, Kate turned to walk alongside him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Clark," she said quietly, throwing a nervous glance at the group in front of them. "Clark are you─"
"It's okay, Kate," said Clark, and Kate detected an emphasis in his words. It filled her with a mild hope, and she straightened as they moved out into the open. She looked behind her as they entered the shade of the trees as if it would answer the host of questions burning through her mind. It was too dangerous for Clark to answer them here. They weren't out of harm's way yet. And Kate was beginning to feel for the first time that she had more power over the situation than she realized now that they were heading back towards the house.
Officer Wilson was on his radio, Richard walking silently next to him. They moved up the stone patio and Arthur opened the door for them this time, standing patiently as they entered the house. Kate avoided his gaze as she moved past him. It was hard not to sense the disdain in his energy, though she argued that she was probably creating that feeling herself.
Gloria and Taylor were standing with the other police officer and two of the Hayes' household androids. Gloria moved towards them as they approached.
"Did they find it?" she said. Richard shook his head.
"False alarm," he said. Gloria tilted her head so that her blond hair fell sideways.
"And the other android? The deviant?"
"He wasn't there," said Richard.
"His name's Simon, by the way," said Kate, unable to stem her brewing irritation. "In case you forgot."
Gloria didn't look at her. Officer Wilson moved forward next to the other officer and tucked the tablet under his arm.
"Well, I'm sorry about all this," said Officer Wilson. "And I'm sorry for having to bring the CyberLife android along. If you do see any sign of the android, be sure to contact us."
"We will," said Richard. He twisted sideways and threw Clark a glance, then faced forward again as Clark opened the front door for them. "Have a good day, officers."
The two policemen filed through the door mumbling quietly to one another, and Arthur followed behind. Kate watched him apprehensively as he moved down the front steps towards the CyberLife car. There wasn't a hint of emotion on his face, though she wondered if the tension in his shoulders was something she was imagining to be frustration in him. The front doors closed but her nervousness remained as she watched the shadows of the vehicles through the glass. It was too easy to think they were safe now. That she could let her guard down. But after how close she'd come to losing everything, the idea of relaxing now only made her feel more vulnerable.
"I can't believe this, Rick," said Gloria. Kate saw her run a frustrated hand through her blond hair as she let out a sigh.. "I really can't believe this."
There were muffled slams outside as the car doors closed, and then the gentle hum of the engines. Kate felt her heart quicken as the shapes began to move, the crunching of the tires trailing the path of the cars as they moved down the driveway. The cars disappeared, and she put all her effort into listening to the electric motors fade into the distance. When the sound was completely silent, she automatically felt her shoulders drop and she closed her eyes. Her muscles loosened and a heavy weight fell over her. She realized that she was utterly exhausted.
Something touched her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up into Richard's concerned hazel eyes. They were narrowed at her, and for a brief second she felt a slight nervousness.
"Are you okay?" he said.
Kate stared at him, looking for signs of intimidation in his gaze. She finally gave a slow nod. Richard let out a soft breath, and she was pulled into him as he wrapped an arm around her.
"It's all going to be okay, Kate," he said. There was a sharp huff next to her.
"Richard, I─" Gloria made a noise. She came into view as Richard moved away, and Kate saw her pinch the bridge of her nose, her eyes clenched shut. "This needs to be fixed. Now. For Christ's sake, we've got the police at our door and we're being investigated by CyberLife? Your own company?"
"We're not being investigated, Gloria," said Richard. "This was all just a misunderstanding."
Gloria let out a laugh. "Really? A misunderstanding." She threw Kate a tense glare as she began to move into the living room. "More like a god damn coincidence."
"This is not going to happen again," said Richard. He stepped after her towards the living room and waved a hand at Kate. "I'm going to file a report about this. Those procedures have been sitting for long enough. And I'm also going to see what I can do about getting that android recycled into a coffee machine for my office."
Kate stared at them as they moved through the living room, disappearing through the door that led to Richard's office. It took her a while to realize that Taylor had moved next to her. Her black hair was in a ruffled mess, and her arms were folded across her chest. When Kate looked at her, her brown eyes were narrowed in curiosity.
"What the hell happened out there?" asked Taylor. Kate dropped her gaze to the floor and shook her head.
"Someone called the cops on me," she said. "About a stolen android."
"That sucks," said Taylor. "It was that female AP700, wasn't it? The one I took to SoulState?"
Kate looked up at her, and Taylor gave a shrug. "Luke said you took it," Taylor continued. "Kinda dumb of him not to let you know that it was technically considered stealing."
"I didn't steal her," said Kate. She pressed a hand to her forehead. "I just… took her."
"Yeah, that's kind of considered stealing," said Taylor. She let out a soft sigh. "So they didn't find your plastic android boyfriend?"
There was a faint aura of contempt in her voice, and Kate found her blood slowly freezing as she absorbed it. She lowered her hand and looked up at Taylor who was chewing on her lip, quietly watching her. Kate narrowed her eyes. "Obviously not," she said.
"Bummer," said Taylor and the contemptuous tone was getting stronger, filling Kate with an unnerving dread. "I figured with the cop and a CyberLife android looking around the place you guys seem to enjoy playing house in, they might have found it. I guess your plastic prick knows how to hide better than I thought."
A sickness gripped Kate's stomach, and she struggled to breathe. Her mouth dropped open as she shakily drew in a breath, her eyes locked on Taylor's. She struggled for a moment to find the right words. To say them without expressing her terror. But the shock of acknowledging the possibility was too strong to hide.
"You… you…" Kate's vision was nearly blurred. She took a step forward and Taylor tensed. "I can't─ you bitch!"
Taylor's brown eyes went wide. "Whoa, what are you─"
"How the fuck could you do this?" said Kate. "I didn't think you'd sink that low. That it mattered to you that much. Wasn't last night enough? You didn't have enough fun making me look like a fucking idiot?"
"First off," The contempt was gone from Taylor's voice, and Kate felt her rage sink partially into anxiety. "No one made you come to SoulState. You asked me if you could go, so I took you there. If you didn't think you were going to get handed some hard truth then you really are a fucking idiot. And second, I didn't call the cops on you. If I wanted to take care of your plastic problem myself, I wouldn't go about it by calling the cops about a stolen android."
Kate's mind was stuttering as she tried to connect the pieces together. She clutched a part of her hair to pull it behind her ear, giving up halfway through. "But─ you wanted the cops to find him. You were hoping they'd find him."
"Yeah, I did," said Taylor. "But I wasn't the one who called the cops. Thanks for thinking so highly of me." She moved up the stairs throwing Kate a dark glare. "Enjoy your plastic dick. Try not to get your vag electrocuted."
Taylor disappeared onto the second floor, and Kate stared after her, her heart hammering. There was so much confusion brewing in her thoughts, she felt as though she would never make sense of anything. She brushed her hand furiously over her face as she drew in a deep breath, settling her frustration slightly. Then something moved at the corner of her vision.
Clark stood next to her, leaning somewhat sideways to gaze at her. His face was drawn in a mild concern, and his expression unwittingly calmed her nerves. Kate straightened, relaxing her shoulders and resting her hands on her hips.
"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Kate nodded, then let out a helpless laugh.
"I should ask you if you're okay," she said. "You were on the frontlines of this whole thing."
Clark smiled though his eyes were still tensed in concern. "You did well. That was an incredibly stressful experience for you."
"I wasn't the one with everything at stake," said Kate, running her hands over her face. She froze halfway through, then dropped her hands. She looked at Clark with wide eyes. "Where are they, Clark?"
For a moment, he almost seemed to feign ignorance. Then the concern vanished from his eyes, and he raised his black eyebrows as he smiled brightly at her. "They're in the boat house, of course."
