7:30pm- Detroit Police Department
Vera
Vera sat at Connor's desk, typing furiously into the terminal. She checked her notes to detail correctly what they had found at Rupert's apartment. She sighed heavily. He was still out there. Luckily, Connor had arrived in time to pull Hank back onto the roof from where he dangled. Vera had been just behind Connor. If she'd been faster…
Once Hank was safe, Vera had ran to where Rupert had fled. But she only got to the edge before Hank called after her.
"It's no use. He's gone. It's okay, we know what it looks like. We'll find it."
Connor expressed his regret that he wasn't fast enough, but Hank shook his head.
"You'd have caught it if it weren't for me. That's okay…" He'd muttered again, limping towards the fire escape. "Hey Connor…" Connor turned towards him smoothly, but Hank suddenly decided against it and waved it away. "Nothing."
Now, Vera rubbed her face with her hands and looked over the terminal. The office was quiet. Most people had gone home or were out on cases, except for a few who were finishing paperwork.
She finally finished typing when someone leant against the desk.
"So, have you replaced that plastic prick then?"
Vera looked up at Gavin, her lip curling into a sneer.
"Don't you have a case to get to?"
Gavin snorted. "Well, isn't Hank supposed to be taking on these cases? And you with him?"
Vera faced the terminal again. "Just be glad someone finally picked you for something, Gavin."
She saw Gavin scowl out of the corner of her eye, and she suppressed the urge to smile. Chris called him from the doorway and Gavin hopped off the desk, shaking his head as he joined him.
Vera turned off the terminal and glanced towards the door where Connor had just arrived. Gavin was in his face already, but Connor didn't seem fazed by him.
She gritted her teeth and grabbed her jacket. Wandering over, she plastered on a sweet smile.
"Is there a problem here?"
Gavin scowled at her again. "Stay out of this."
"Connor is a vital part of this police department, and this investigation. So if you don't take your greasy fingers from his jacket, I'll rip them off."
Chris blinked from the doorway and Gavin made to grab his gun. Vera was faster.
"I wouldn't do that. You know I'm much faster than you, Gavin. It would be a shame to have to clean you off the floor." She placed her gun back into the strap at her waist. Then she turned to Connor. "Hank isn't here. I haven't seen him since… earlier. Let's go and find him at home." She took Connor's arm and led him out.
"You'll probably find him at some bar!" Gavin called after them. And laughed harshly.
7:51pm- Hank's house
As they stepped from the taxi, the cold air hit them afresh. The rain was still thrashing down but they barely noticed. Hank's house felt too quiet.
Connor knocked on the door. Vera shivered suddenly.
"Lieutenant Anderson!" He called. Then rang the bell. "Anybody home?" He rang the bell again. For longer this time. Connor tilted his head in annoyance.
"I don't think anyone is home." Vera frowned. "But he must be here…"
"He wasn't at Jimmy's Bar, so it is a possibility."
Connor made his way over to the car and peered inside. Vera took out her lockpicking tools.
"There might be something wrong. I'm going to unlock the door. Check the windows, see if you can see anything," she instructed, kneeling down.
He made his way to the front window, placing his hand upon it as he looked inside. Then shook his head as he retreated. He disappeared around the side of the house.
Vera pressed her lips together in concentration as she lined the tools in the lock moving them slowly across the mechanisms. Then she heard Connor shout and glass breaking.
She abandoned the lock, placing the tools in her pocket as she ran to find Connor barrelling through the broken window. As she got to the window, her eyes flickered between Hank lying on the floor and his dog who sniffed at Connor.
"Agh! Easy… Sumo." Connor held up his hand, chuckling nervously. "I'm your friend, see? I know your name. I'm here to save your owner." The dog seemed cheered at that, flicking his tongue and taking an interest in his food bowl.
Vera raised her eyebrows with a smile. Once Connor stood, she moved back to break into a short run and gripped the windowpane. Pushing her legs through first, she landed in a crouch on the kitchen floor.
"Are you okay?" She asked, glancing at the broken glass on the floor.
He knelt next to Hank, examining him. "I'm fine," he muttered, distracted.
"What have you found?"
"I suspect he's in an ethylic coma. Probably thanks to this whiskey he was drinking…"
Vera's eyes landed on the gun. Before she could comment, Connor spoke.
"Lieutenant?" He tapped him lightly on the cheek, prompting Hank to groan slightly.
"Wake up, Lieutenant." Hank moved his head slightly. Vera crossed her arms over her chest. Then Connor raised his arm and slapped Hank hard around the face. "It's me, Connor!"
Vera's hand went to her mouth. "Connor, what the hell was that about?"
Connor ignored her, but Hank had raised his head. He began to lift the older man from the floor. Vera closed her mouth and rushed to help.
"I'm going to sober you up for your own safety."
Hank yelled as he was pulled upright. "Hey! Leave me alone, you fuckin' android!" Then his head whipped to Vera. "You come to kill me too?"
Vera's brow furrowed but Connor continued calmly.
"I have to warn you, this may be unpleasant."
"Get the fuck outta my house!"
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but we need you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation."
"Please, Lieutenant, this is for your own safety. Not just because we need you," Vera added.
"Hey! Get outta here!" They stumbled around the corner towards the bathroom and Sumo lifted his head. "Sumo! Attack!" Sumo barked but didn't stand. "Good dog."
Connor leant Hank against the wall so he could open the bathroom door. Vera kept a hold of Hank just in case he fell over.
Hank groaned. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick…" Vera cleared her throat at Connor to hurry up as he pulled Hank's arm around him again. "Leave me alone, you assholes. I'm not going anywhere." He grabbed onto the wall tightly and Vera began to struggle.
"Come on, Hank! Let go!"
Connor pulled him from the front and turned him around, so Hank was facing them.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hank slurred, sounding resigned. Connor pushed him so he was sitting in the bath. Hank shook his head. "I don't wanna bath, thank you."
"Sorry, Lieutenant," he pushed the drunk man back into the bath, "it's for your own good." Then he turned on the faucet.
Hank yelled at him to turn it off, flailing as the cold water hit him. Vera grimaced, moving passed Connor to switch it off. Hank blinked, then glared up at them in confusion.
"What the fuck are you two doing here?"
Connor raised his eyebrows. "A homicide was reported forty-three minutes ago. I couldn't find you at Jimmy's bar, or the station, so I came to see if you were at home."
Hank sighed, getting up to sit on the edge of the bath. "Jesus, I must be the only cop in the world who gets assaulted in his own house by his own android. Can't you just leave me alone?" He looked up at Connor pleadingly and Vera suddenly felt guilty.
"Sorry, Lieutenant…" she began.
"You seem to have personal issues. You should consult a professional who can help you," Connor interrupted, leaning down slightly.
Vera closed her eyes for a moment. "Connor, that's not—"
"Beat it! You hear me? Get the hell outta here!" Hank growled, standing quickly. He swayed and the two of them helped him sit slowly. Vera exchanged a glance with Connor as Hank stared at his feet.
"I understand," Connor said lightly, turning around. "It probably wasn't that interesting anyway… A man found dead in a sex club downtown." He shrugged, wandering slowly towards the door. "Guess they'll have to solve the case without us."
"You know, probably wouldn't do me any harm to get some air… There are some clothes in the bedroom there." Hank nodded towards the room opposite.
Vera caught the fleeting smile on Connor's face before he turned back to Hank.
"I'll go get them."
Vera smiled. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."
"What do you want to wear?" She heard Connor shout from the bedroom.
"Whatever," Hank replied.
Vera looked around the room. Sumo lay in front of the television that displayed the news. She knelt down to stroke him softly. On top of the stereo lay a record. Vera picked it up, raising her eyebrows at his Jazz collection.
Impressive…
She drifted into the kitchen, grimacing at the mess on the table and the floor. Vera grabbed a trash bag and began to put the empty cartons in. Connor joined her then, picking up a small photo frame that was face down on the table. His eyes narrowed slightly. She glanced over his shoulder.
The photo was of a young boy with brown hair and blue eyes. He was smiling peacefully.
"I wonder who that is…" Vera whispered so Hank couldn't hear.
"Cole Anderson. Born 2029. Deceased 2035."
Vera swallowed, her breath catching. He was six years old?
Connor placed the photo back and knelt down to pick up the gun. He felt the barrel, both sides.
"What were you doing with the gun?" Connor raised his voice to Hank in the other room.
"Russian Roulette," Hank replied, matter of fact. "Wanted to see how long I could last. Must've collapsed before I found out…"
Vera stared between the gun and the wall that separated them from Hank. Connor checked the cylinder.
"You were lucky," he said, snapping it back into the revolver, "the next shot would've killed you." He put it back next to the empty whiskey bottle. Vera suddenly felt sick.
Hank emerged from the bathroom dressed in a stripy shirt and jeans. He smiled tiredly. Sumo raised his head.
"Be a good dog, Sumo. I won't be long…"
Then they bundled back out into the cold. Connor drove at Vera's advice and Hank closed his eyes most of the way.
8:17pm- The Eden Club
The bright lights from the club vibrated over the entire block making it impossible to miss. The police car sat in the thin snow, the lights flickering against the buildings. They pulled up behind it. Silence filled the small space inside the car. Hank had shushed them a few times already.
"Ugh, it's like someone's playing with a drill inside my skull," Hank groaned.
Connor stared at him but said nothing. Vera leant forward.
"I'm sure it won't be long. The deviant has probably gone by now." She shared a glance with Connor in the rear-view mirror.
Hank sighed, staring at the club. He grimaced.
"You sure this is the place?"
"It was the address in the report," Connor replied.
"Let's just get this over with…" Vera said, stepping out of the car. Hank and Connor followed close behind.
A cop stood by the door. He nodded to them as they passed. Hank barked a short laugh as they crossed the police line.
"Sexiest androids in town… Now I know why you insisted on coming here."
Vera snorted. But then they came into the hallway. The entrance to the main lobby of the club. She frowned as she took in the androids lined up on either side, in large tubes. Male and female androids, in their underwear, on display inside tubes.
"This is barbaric," she hissed, "even for androids."
"They don't feel emotion. They're machines…" Connor began quietly.
"No. Hang on," she demanded, coming up alongside him. "I really thought you had stopped thinking like that. And no," she growled as Connor opened his mouth, "don't you dare say 'you don't think. You're a machine.' Because I may just hit you!"
"Alright! Alright! Would you two stop? My head's already pounding without you two whining…" Hank shook his head, wandering further into the club. They could hear the manager begging to keep his license as they passed through the doors. Ben was scowling at him but gave a sigh of relief when he faced Hank.
"Hey Hank!"
"Hey Ben, how's it goin'?"
Ben pointed towards the door on their right. "It's in that room there." He paused. "Oh, by the way, Gavin's in there too." He cleared his throat awkwardly.
Vera rolled her eyes and Hank huffed.
"Great. A dead body and an asshole. Just what I need…"
Vera gritted her teeth as they went slowly into the room.
The first thing she saw was the guy on the bed. The victim. To put that mildly… she thought. He had his eyes wide open, and his lower body was covered by the velvet quilt. The android was lying on the floor to the right, blue blood coming out of her nose.
Gavin had his arms crossed, he turned his body slightly. His partner knelt next to the android girl.
"Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet, accompanied by his girlfriend. The fuck are you three doing here?"
Vera scowled but Connor replied calmly. "We've been assigned all cases involving androids."
"Oh yeah? Well, you're wasting your time. It's just some guy who, uh, got a little more action than he could handle." He laughed forcefully.
"A little respect, Gavin, if you don't mind," Vera said quietly.
"We'll have a look anyway…" Hank said pointedly.
Gavin scoffed, he gestured to Chris. "Come on, let's go." He waved his hand in front of his nose. "It's starting to stink of booze in here." He bumped against Connor as he passed.
Vera turned around quickly, hands bunching into fists. Hank grabbed her arm.
"Don't. He's not worth it." But he looked more tired than before. Sadder.
Vera reluctantly obeyed. Next time, however…
Chris nodded to them and bade them goodnight. He didn't seem fazed by Gavin's words. He was probably used to it. Then they were finally alone with the crime scene.
Vera looked at the table next to the bar. The man's coat and wallet lay there, next to an Eden Club menu. She grimaced.
"Woah! Hey! Hey! Argh, Connor, you're so disgusting. Think I'm gonna puke again…" Hank muttered. Vera turned to see Connor licking his fingers, laced with blue blood from the android's nose.
He moved to the man on the bed, tilting his head as he scanned.
"The victim didn't die of a heart attack. He was strangled," he said, coming away at last.
Vera examined the neck. Sure enough, there was severe bruising in the shape of fingers around the victim's throat.
"Yeah, I saw the bruising. Doesn't prove anything though. Could've been rough play…"
"But surely… Never mind…" Vera shook her head.
"We're missing something here…" Connor wondered aloud.
"We must be. Two bodies… How can she have been strangling him until he died if she was dying herself? Makes no sense."
"Think you can read the android's memory?" Hank turned to Connor. "Maybe you can find out what happened that way?"
"I can try…" Connor replied, face scrunched up in thought.
Hank picked up the victim's wallet and shook his head slowly.
"License says, Michael Graham. Got a credit card, cash and a picture of his wife and two daughters. Wouldn't want to be making that call…"
Vera looked over at the victim, bewildered. She took her eyes away. Instead focusing on Connor who knelt next to the android. He lifted her wrist, taking off his 'skin' to check where her pulse would be. If she were human.
"The only way to access its memory, is to reactivate it," Connor mused, unlocking a compartment in the android's stomach. Vera's brow furrowed as she watched.
"Think you can do it?" Hank asked. Vera began to feel as though Hank had a lot of faith in Connor now. She smiled to herself.
"It's badly damaged. If I can, it'll only be for a minute, maybe less…" They looked at the wires. There was the main one in the middle, disconnected, lit blue. Like their blood. Connor took the wires, one in each hand, and connected them quickly.
The android gasped to life, sat up and started moving backwards. Putting space between her and us.
She looks so frightened…
Vera's eyes flickered between the girl and the man. She wanted to comfort the girl but if they only had a minute to find information… She waited next to Hank as Connor knelt down closer to the Traci.
"Calm down, everything's alright. All we want is to know what happened."
Her breathing slowed, but she stayed against the wall. Her head moved to the bed then back to Connor.
"Is he… dead?"
"Tell me what happened."
"He started hitting me… again and again." Her breath caught. But no one dared interrupt. Then Connor spoke again.
"Did you kill him?"
"No! No, it wasn't me…"
Vera shared a confused glance with Hank. Time must've been running out because Connor raised his voice. His words quick.
"Were you alone in the room? Was there anyone else with you?"
She thought desperately. "He wanted to play with two girls. That's what he said, there was two of us."
"Where did the other android go? Did it say anything?" Connor was almost shouting in his panic. But the girl suddenly went still. Her LED went out. The room was tense as the three of them stared at her.
"Jeez…" Vera muttered, pushing her fingers through her black hair.
"There was another android…" Hank said in equal quiet. "This was over an hour ago, it's probably long gone."
Connor shook his head. "It couldn't go outside dressed like that unnoticed. It might still be here."
"That can't be easy. We don't even know what she looks like." Vera crossed her arms thoughtfully. Could deviants be seen differently in eagle vision?
Hank hummed for a moment. "Think you can find a deviant amongst all the other androids here?"
Connor gave a wry smile. "Deviants aren't easily detected."
"Ah shit… Must be another way." Hank turned towards the door then back again. "An eyewitness? Someone who saw them leave the room?"
"Will there be any? I mean there are mostly androids out there…" Vera rubbed her neck.
"I'm gonna ask the manager a few questions. Let me know if either of you think of anything."
Connor wandered off towards a Traci, so Vera listened to the manager answer Hank's questions while she scanned the room with eagle vision.
The androids were neutral. Nothing different about any of them in here…
Vera listened again to what the manager was saying.
"Yeah, can't complain… Good thing about androids is they're up for anything you want, you won't get any diseases and, uh, they won't tell anyone…"
Vera's eyes narrowed. "Don't sound too proud of yourself." The manager's smile was wiped from his face.
"Huh, yeah… the more I learn about people, the more I love my dog," Hank chuckled humourlessly, shaking his head.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant, can you come here for a second?" Connor interrupted, pointing his thumb towards the Traci.
"You find something?"
"Maybe…" They wandered towards the tube where the short-haired android waited. "Can one of you rent this Traci?"
"No. Sorry. Don't have an account, I only carry cash," Vera said, shaking her head firmly. Hank glared at her. She shrugged. "What? I'm an assassin, remember?!"
"For fuck's sake, Connor, we've got better things to do!" Hank responded, suddenly remembering what he'd been asked to do.
"Please Lieutenant," Connor pleaded. "Just trust me."
Hank rolled his eyes but tapped on the pad on the machine. The machine bleeped its instructions and asked for thirty dollars.
Bloody hell…
"This is not gonna look good on my expense account." Hank sighed, placing his hand upon the pad.
The tube opened and the android stepped out. She smiled, beckoning Hank along. Vera pressed her lips together supressing a laugh at Hank's expression.
"What now?" He demanded, looking between the girl and Connor. But he didn't respond. Only took the girl's arm and stared into space for a few moments.
"Holy shit, Connor. What the hell are you doing?"
Connor blinked suddenly. "It saw something." He whipped round to the room they'd just left.
"Saw? They can see things? Remember them?" Vera asked hurriedly.
"What are you talking about? Saw what?" Hank tried to steady Connor as the latter was looking around the room quickly.
"The deviant leave the room," Connor clarified. "A blue-haired Traci. Club policy is to wipe the androids' memory every two hours. We only have a couple of minutes to find another witness."
"Then let's get moving!" Vera exclaimed, almost too loudly.
"Hey, what am I supposed to do with this one?" Hank called after them as the younger two scattered.
"Tell her you changed your mind!" Connor shouted back.
Hank looked startled and awkward at that as he gently tried to reject her. She didn't seem to understand.
"What are you going to do? You can't check the memory of all of these androids."
"We have to try," Vera retorted.
"I know which direction it went. I just need to find another android that witnessed it…" Connor said, connecting to an android opposite the first. "No, it went back into the club…"
"How many minutes do we have?"
"Three." Connor turned back and connected to a male android opposite the red room. "It went through there. Into the red room."
"How are you going to find a blue-haired Traci out of all these androids?" Hank sighed, following Connor closely.
"I can do this!" Connor turned, left then right. His eyes narrowed as he walked over to a Traci with long, silver hair. "It saw the blue-haired Traci go into the blue room!"
"Then go for it!"
"Honestly, how many coloured rooms do they have? Why can't they have fun names?" Vera muttered under her breath and they hurried into the blue room.
The next android saw the Traci hide in a room near the entrance of the blue room. But the room was empty when they entered.
"We only have a minute left," Connor said, his eyes darting around. Then they fixed on a janitor mopping the floor. Connor connected with him. "I know where it went! Follow me!" He barrelled towards the staff door.
"Fucking-A. This is crazy!" Hank cried, running after him. Vera snorted in response. "Wait!" Connor stopped at the warehouse door as Hank and Vera caught up. Hank drew his gun. "I'll take it from here…"
Hank slowly opened the door and went down the ramp. "Shit! We're too late!"
"We can't be too late. It must be here somewhere!" Vera scowled as she scanned the room. Paint on the wall drew her attention and as she neared it, she realised it was another RA9 reference. "RA9! It's here again!" Connor squinted at it over her shoulder.
"There must've been more deviants here than we thought," he said fearfully. He moved away, shaking his head.
"This is insane!" Hank scoffed at the rain outside. "They get used until they're broken and then they get tossed out…"
"Lieutenant, I found thirium traces. It must be nearby."
"Jesus…"
Connor followed the blood (or at least Vera assumed that's what he was doing) to a bigger group of androids. He squinted. Then a body flew at him, sending him sprawling.
Hank drew his gun, waving it at the brunette android.
"Don't move!" Then the blue-haired Traci barrelled into him.
Vera grabbed her from behind only to be head-butted by the girl. Hank swiped at her, but the android was ready. They wrestled as Vera blinked the stars away.
The brunette held a screwdriver to Connor's head as he struggled to hold her away. They stood. Connor threw shelves over into her path. The girl was quick however.
Vera grabbed a tray from the desk, holding it like a throwing disc.
"Connor! Duck!"
He rolled and she threw it, hitting the brunette in the head. She fell and Vera heard the clacking of stilettos to her right. Arching to her left, the blue-haired Traci missed but then she decided to help up the other girl.
Connor dived for the blue-haired android only to be intercepted by the brunette. They tumbled outside onto the wet concrete. The other girl fled after them. Vera threw one of her knives, but it only grazed her arm as the android skidded down to pick up the brunette. Connor still lay stunned on the floor. The girls held hands as they ran towards the gate.
Hank stumbled after them, still waving his gun. Connor stood, aiming to tackle them. But they flattened him almost instantly against the wall. He blocked their punches before they pulled him to the ground.
Hank intervened but they pushed him over with ease. His gun flew across the snow. To Connor's feet.
The brunette lifted a trash can over Connor's head. Vera tackled her to the ground, holding her tightly. But the blue-haired Traci was quick. She kicked at Vera and the assassin let go involuntarily to avoid it.
They began to climb the gate together. Connor started to get back to his feet.
"Quick! They're getting away!" Hank cried as Connor pulled down the blue-haired deviant and tried to take her back. The brunette pulled him around and he hit out at her. She ducked, grabbing a metal bar from the ground. She swung at him. He ducked and pushed her against the wall. She cried out in frustration. Both the androids smashed him against the wall and dragged him to the ground. He tripped over the blue-haired Traci and tried to keep her down. The brunette distracted him with a punch to the head and the other escaped.
Connor crawled towards Hank's gun and pointed it at the brunette who was darting towards him. He suddenly stopped and lowered the gun. She kicked him in the face and the gun fled again. But now he just watched them. Startled and dazed.
Vera pushed herself up now, staring at the two deviants who took each other's hand.
"When that man broke the other Traci, I knew I was next." She explained quietly, just above a whisper. "I was so scared. I begged him to stop but he wouldn't. So I put my hands around his neck… and I squeezed. Until he stopped moving. I didn't mean to kill him." Her voice rose slightly. "I just wanted to get back to the one I loved. To have her hold me in her arms again. To make me forget about the humans, their sweat and their dirty words…" She was crying now but the brunette squeezed her hand.
"Come on. Let's go." They wasted no more time climbing the fence and running away on the other side. Forever.
Connor stared at Hank. Unsure. But Hank looked unsure himself. Vera joined them, not taking her eyes from the space where the deviants had been moments ago.
"True love…" she whispered solemnly.
"It's probably better this way." Hank nodded. "We should go."
They sat in the car for a while. Dumbstruck. Connor closed his eyes to make a report, but he seemed the most troubled.
Then finally, he drove them back to Hank's place.
