The city had been buried under almost three feet of snow overnight and well into the morning. As the blizzard came to its end just before nine o'clock that morning, the sunlight breaking through the thick, dark gray snow clouds created an oddly calm and welcoming atmosphere for those who survived the storm the night before. A crystalline layer of fresh ice made the cold snow all the more unbearable to touch while giving Detroit the illusion of being lost in a winter wonderland. Thanks to the hasty evacuation of a majority of the denizens from the city two nights before there were only a handful of trained people left who could do anything to clear the roads and make them safe enough to traverse.
Forcing himself to exit rest mode Connor opened his still tired eyes and was greeted by the dust covered surroundings of the abandoned store he had used as a temporary shelter. Sitting upright slowly the chilled deviant could feel his body trembling in an attempt to keep his Thirium from freezing in his body and he now appeared as cold as he felt.
"H-Hypothermia is s-setting in..."
The prolonged use of his thermal regulator functioning at a higher temperature had used nearly half of his Thirium throughout the night. Weak, freezing and in desperate need of a Thirium replenishment, Connor decided that he needed to get up and brave the icy city and risk going to New Jericho Tower.
"I h-have to go."
Speaking aloud to break the heavy silence in the air and to remind himself that he was free to think, feel and do as he saw fit, Connor rose to his feet and used the dusty walls to support himself upright. Using the walls as guidance Connor found his way back to the window he had used to enter the building from the rear and slid it open once more. Peering outside Connor saw the deep snow waiting for him and sighed at what he was about to endure.
"Damn. If I d-don't move quick e-enough I'll burn up the rest of m-my Thirium during my trek out t-to the tower."
Bracing himself against the cold by pulling the hood of his hoodie up and over his head and over his hat, Connor secured the hood in place and carefully climbed out the window to land on his feet in the knee-deep snow. The thick coldness made Connor shiver as he felt the icy flakes soak into his clothing and cling uncomfortably to his body.
Wading through the snow and out to the streets at the front of the building Connor began his long, laborious journey out to Belle Isle.
"H-Hopefully, Markus and S-Simon still h-have some Thirium t-to spare."
Unsure of what to expect as he made his way through the snow smothered city, Connor wrapped his arms around his chest and forced himself to keep walking forward until he reached his final destination. The crunch of the ice and snow under his boots seemed to be muffled by the snow piled up to his knees as he walked.
"I'd h-hate to waste their t-time for n-nothing."
Having spent the night in the precinct bunkroom Hank had no idea how much snow he had missed during the night until he awoke and peered outside the precinct through the large glass front doors. The snow was deep all over the city and even deeper in places where drifting had taken place during the peak of the wind's speed and strength. Finding himself trapped inside the precinct until the roads could be cleared and the sidewalks salted, Hank begrudgingly returned to the breakroom to make a pot of hot coffee and scrounge up some kind of breakfast from the leftovers and extra food contained within the community refrigerator.
Putting together a haphazard breakfast of overly sweetened coffee, semi-stale bagels and less than appealing fruit, Hank sat down at his desk and watched the news on the television with eager intrigue. The weather report looked promising but it'd take days, maybe weeks, until the snow would melt even slightly. It was still the first half of November and winter was just beginning.
"Hope no one's stranded out in the cold. I'd hate to be them or have to go save them."
Using his phone Hank chatted with Captain Fowler back at the hospital and was told that Gavin was still comatose but holding his own. Tina was exhausted to the brink of collapse, yet she wasn't losing her optimistic spirit. Chris was home with his family and trying to shovel out his driveway to head out to the precinct in the event of an emergency. Ben was finishing his report on the murder victim found in the condemned house at the city morgue and both officers Wilson and Person were on a very slow patrol. Meanwhile, the F.B.I. Director was schedule to arrive at the first sign of clear weather in the next few weeks.
Until Captain Fowler returned to the precinct Hank was in charge and would need to make the tough calls as the ranking officer.
"Fuck me. We're all scattered around and no one has any power to do a damn thing to keep this city from falling apart."
"Seems about right for wintertime." A new voice responded to Hank in a rather chill demeanor. Approaching Hank's desk with a trail of snow falling off of his shoulders and hair, the new voice spoke up again as he walked into the bullpen from the rear entrance. "At least it does from my experience."
"Uh, not to be rude..." Eyeing the mid-twenties looking young man standing before him, Hank tried to put a name to the unfamiliar face. "But who the hell are you?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm Dr. Joel Forest." Extending his hand toward Hank to take Joel tried to introduce himself professionally. "I'm the precinct's newly assigned full time technician."
Without accepting the handshake Hank gave Joel an odd look. "Technician? Like the new I.T. guy or something?"
"Well, I do know a thing or two about I.T.," Joel confirmed as he lowered his hand to his side to rest against a heavy satchel as it slung from his shoulder. "but I'm referring to acting as a doctor of sorts for androids."
"...Oh."
Joel had short but thick brunette hair, pale blue eyes, a slim build and a fair complexion. Looking as laidback as his voice sounded Joel didn't seem to mind the winter weather and casually glanced about the bullpen. "I'm not much of an authority figure, but I can still help if you need it."
"Yeah, sure." Biting into his stale bagel Hank grimaced and shook his head. He was too hungry to turn down the nearly inedible food. "So, how did ya' get here anywhere?"
"My truck is old but powerful. I also rigged a small heating element to my front bumper that can make it a little easier to drive through thick snow." Joel answered in such a casual manner that one might think modifying a vehicle in such a way was an everyday occurrence. "I managed to melt a trail from my house to the precinct after about... forty-five minutes or so."
Hank stared at Joel silently for a moment as he thoughtfully chewed on his bagel then finally spoke. "I have no idea if you're fucking with me or not."
"No, it's true. It's not exactly legal, I admit it, but it comes in handy during emergencies."
"Can't argue with that." Finishing his bagel Hank sipped at his coffee and nodded at the television screen mounted on the far wall. "Think you can do something about putting heating elements all around the city? We could use a good thaw, legalities be damned."
"Uh, no, I don't have the time or the parts to heat the entire city." Admitting defeat Joel looked up at the monitor for a moment and noted the forecast with a curious glance. The snow wasn't finished falling just yet. "I might be able to remotely redirect the autonomous snowplows and salt trucks into action even with the garages closed, though."
Lowering his coffee mug Hank raised an eyebrow at the remark. "...Seriously?"
"Yes."
"How in the hell would you know how to do that?"
"Oh, uh... Back in college I was drunk and dared to activate the campus street sweeper to mow over the empty beer cans and bottles left all over the street after a late-night drinking binge. It, uh..." Clearing his throat nervously Joel's laidback demeanor shifted away for a moment. "wasn't as funny as we hoped. But I still went through with the dare."
Staring at Joel again Hank was trying to get a read on the new technician and was coming up blank. "I still have no idea if you're fucking with me or not."
"I'm not. I could give you a copy of the campus incident report if you'd like."
"Maybe later." Motioning toward the opened desk and terminal across from his own desk Hank invited Joel to sit down. "Go ahead. If you can do anything to get the streets cleared enough for emergency crews to travel, then have at it! I'll look the other way."
"All right, no problem." Dropping his satchel on the floor beside the desk Joel took a seat and booted up the terminal. Noticing Hank's name placard on his desk Joel addressed Hank by his official title out of respect. "Is it just us at the precinct right now, Lieutenant?"
"Yeah, for now." Sitting back in his chair Hank looked at his phone again and noticed that all of his sent texts had been replied to except for one. He still had no word on Connor. "...Uh," slipping the phone into his pocket Hank tried to remain focused on his work. "Fowler will be back as soon as the roads are cleared enough, and I bet he'll find a way to put you to work."
"Not a problem." Typing away quickly on the terminal keyboard Joel was clearly a man on a mission and was eager to make a good first impression at the new precinct on his first official day. "I like a good challenge."
Having trudged almost seven miles from the abandoned bookstore and out to Belle Isle had left Connor running on actual fumes. With his Thirium volume dipping dangerously close to thirty percent - a critically low number, Connor tried to pace himself as he made his way down the snow-laden drive toward the newly created android sanctuary in the distance. The sight of the massive tower still filled Connor's mind and heart with dread as his dark memories tied to CyberLife continued to haunt his thoughts, memories and even his dreams. Had he not been so exhausted the night before Connor was certain he would've been pulled back into the freezing Zen Garden in his mind against his will to experience some sort of nightmare dreamstate.
Reaching the front doors of the tower Connor stepped through the sliding glass doors and fell to his knees with a heavy and notable 'thud' the moment the warm air hit him. Glancing about the lobby of the tower Connor saw many curious eyes watching him but no one bothered to approach him to try to help. Too tired to move or even speak, the snow covered deviant just remained in place where he knelt and hoped to warm up soon.
"Connor?"
Turning his focus toward the person who called his name Connor was relieved to see Markus approaching him with genuine concern etched on his face. "...M-Markus."
"What happened to you?" Kneeling down in front of Connor the deviant leader ran a scan over Connor's system and detected his low vital signs. "You're freezing." Shrugging off his beige coat Markus draped it around Connor's shoulders to try to help him feel warmer before even trying to get Connor up and on his feet. "I wish I could've convinced you to stay here last night. This could've been avoided..."
"N-Not your fault."
"Yes, it is." Pulling Connor's arm away from the trembling deviant's chest, Markus draped the heavy limb around his own shoulders and wrapped his free arm around Connor's waist. Pulling the cold-stricken deviant up to his feet Markus helped Connor to slowly walk toward the elevator to get some treatment for his hypothermia and low Thirium. "I'll ask for Simon to meet us up in the repair bay."
"Th-Thank you."
"How long were you out in the cold?"
"...Twenty-two m-minutes and f-fourteen seconds."
"That long?" Confirming the time frame Markus noted the current temperature outside and shook his head despondently. "It's below freezing out."
"I n-noticed."
Pressing the button inside the elevator Markus confirmed the correct floor for the repair bay and held Connor at his side. "You need to stay here and warm up for a while. You're too weak to go anywhere else."
"I d-don't want t-to get in the w-way."
"You WON'T be in the way." Watching the way Connor's dark eyes seemed to be glazing over made Markus nervous. "Just get some rest in the repair bay and let us help you. That's what friends do."
"...Friends." Remembering how he had pulled his gun on Markus the night of the Revolution made the notion of any form of friendship with Markus impossible to accept. Closing his eyes Connor began to slump down against Markus's shoulder as his system tried to enter emergency low power mode. "...Right."
"Connor?" Feeling his friend losing strength Markus shook his head and tightened his grip around Connor's waist. "Hold on, we're almost there."
Everything was a vague blur of motion as Connor was carried from the elevator and into the emergency repair bay to be limply laid down over an exam table. Too weak to resist when his arms were pulled out of his jacket and hoodie sleeves to get the snow soaked clothing off of him, Connor just tried to focus on his system. Opening his eyes when his beanie was removed fro his hair Connor saw Simon now hovering over him as the blond technician arrived to tend to his weakened condition.
As his white dress was pulled open Connor winced the moment the chilly air touched his already chilled artificial skin. Reaching toward his chest as the two leads connected to a Thirial activity monitor - a device very much like a human cardiac monitor, were placed on his chest, Connor tried to remove them as he didn't want anything to do with the way CyberLife used to run diagnostics on his system.
"Don't touch them." Simon warned as he pushed Connor's still gloved hands back and then pulled a thermal blanket up and over him to keep him warm. "Your system is at critical levels and needs to be monitored. Keep the leads in place."
Markus put his hand under Connor's shoulder to help him sit upright for a moment on the exam table. "You'll need to drink some Thirium."
"...I know."
"The bottle Simon got for you last night is right here." Handing the bottle over to Connor to drink Markus looked at the Thirial activity monitor and grimaced at how low Connor's core temperature had become. "You're hypothermic."
"I know th-that, too."
"Where did you stay last night?"
"Abandoned st-store." Accepting the bottle of Thirium with a shaking hand Connor opened the lid and tried to scan the contents but didn't have the power to complete said scan. He ironically need more Thirium before he'd be able to scan Thirium. "I w-was sheltered during the st-storm."
"That's good. I'm glad you weren't on the streets."
Simon pulled an instrument that looked like a typical stethoscope - a device designed to let a technician hear inside of an android's chest through their plastimetal frames, out of a cabinet and approached the exam table. "I need to listen to your chest." Showing Connor the 'audioscope' in his hands Simon knew that he needed to tell Connor everything that was happening to keep the mistrustful deviant content. "I suspect your exposure to the cold air might result in ventilation effusion."
Nodding in agreement Connor let Simon perform the exam and watched his own vital signs on the monitor. His pump rate was high at ninety-two beats per minute, his ventilation rate was almost non-existent, his Thirium pressure was low at eighty over seventy because of his dwindling Thirium volume and his core temperature was down to ninety-four degrees Fahrenheit compared to what should be ninety-eight point six to mirror human attributes.
"I can hear a small amount of crackling in your left vent." Simon confirmed as he pressed his hand along Connor's upper chest and shoulder where one of the two bullets was still embedded in his frame. The way Connor winced and tried to lean away from Simon's hand confirmed that the wound was still sore. "I wish you'd allow me to remove the bullets."
"No." Pushing Simon's hands back Connor let out a chilled sigh as he laid back over the exam table to rest again. "...The b-bullets aren't causing a-any immediate harm."
"That doesn't mean you're not in pain." Looking over at Markus as the deviant leader stood beside the exam table, Simon gave him a simple nod as he brought up something rather unsettling. "Connor, yesterday while exploring the tower we went down to sublevel forty-nine. We... found something."
"Sixty." Closing his eyes Connor confirmed he knew of Sixty's body being left behind after he had been shot. "Connor n-number sixty."
Simon could see that Connor was in distress but needed to keep asking him questions. "Do you know what happened to him?"
"Yes." Turning away from Simon hovering over him Connor refused to talk about it. "M-Misunderstanding."
Markus recognized that Connor was still struggling with his deviancy and new emotions. The last thing Connor needed was something or someone to stress him out while trying to recover from being exposed to the cold for so long. "We found him on the the sublevel and brought him up to the repair ward to try to reactivate him. It seems the damage was too extensive and he cannot be brought back online."
"...I know."
"What would you-"
"Just let him b-be." Not wanting to worry about the machine-doppelganger that nearly killed him and stopped the Revolution, Connor laid back and tried to get some rest. "...I'll t-take care of him l-later."
"Okay." Markus wisely accepted the simple request and showed Connor some positive interaction. "We'll respect that."
"Thank y-you."
"We noticed that he was shot in the upper left chest and shoulder area just as you were. How did-"
"I d-don't want to talk a-about it."
Seeing Connor's stress levels slowly beginning to climb on the nearby monitor Markus knew it was time to back off. "All right. Take it easy and get some rest. Drink your Thirium when you're ready." Motioning toward the doorway Markus signaled to Simon that they needed to leave as he placed the bottle of Thirium down on the small rolling table beside the exam table in Connor's reach. "We'll let you alone so you can get some sleep. Stay as long as you feel comfortable to do so."
"...Thank you."
The two deviant leaders left the repair ward and gave Connor some privacy as he recovered from his hypothermia and low Thirium volume with a sense of sorrow hanging over his head. Laying perfectly still Connor waited until the two helpful deviants had passed through the door of the repair bay before making a move for the bottle of Thirium. The feeling of being entirely helpless and defenseless was something Connor greatly disliked. In return he began to wonder what other aspects of deviancy he was bound to dislike as he continued to live his new life.
Turning his head to face the bottle of Thirium sitting on the small table beside the exam table Connor reached out and took it to hold again. Even with his hand still trembling Connor was able to open the lid and push himself upright on his elbows to drink the crucial elixir. Slowly Connor downed the blue blood and felt his reserves steadily rising to a more stable number.
Finishing off the Thirium Connor put the now empty bottle aside and ran a self diagnostic. As his diagnostic checked his system he was greeted with an odd error and then a warning as his vital signs began to take on a more erratic reading on the Thirial activity monitor beside him.
Checking over his diagnostic readout Connor's eyes widened as they fell onto the empty bottle sitting on the table beside the exam with a sense of dread.
"Shit..."
Removing the two wireless leads from his chest Connor swung his legs over the side of the table and let the thermal blanket fall away from himself. Taking two shaking steps away from the bed as he tried to get to a opened sink on the far side of the private room, Connor began to cough as his emergency expulsion program began to activate against his will.
Stumbling toward the sink Connor leaned over it and began to cough and then throw-up the blue blood he had just consumed. Red warnings appeared in his vision as Klaxons sounded off inside his head confirming his critical condition.
WARNING:
...Foreign contaminant detected - Emergency Expulsion Protocol: Engaged
...Thirium Pump Rate: ^104 B.P.M.
...Ventilation Rate: *ERROR
...Thirium Pressure: *ERROR
...Core Temperature: ^96.4 Degrees Fahrenheit
...Thirium Volume: 62%
...Power Level - Low: 67%
...Rest Mode Activation: 00:00:57
...Postpone Rest Mode: [Y/N?]
...[N]
*ERROR
WARNING:
...Unable to postpone rest mode - Rest Mode Activation: 00:00:52
Struggling to keep rest mode at bay while expelling the contaminated Thirium from his system Connor continued to try to reject rest mode and watched his Thirium volume tick down lower and lower at a frightening rate. Shaking, beginning to overheat and too weak to call out for help, Connor continued to lose his precious blue blood at a critical rate until his body couldn't take the strain any longer.
Collapsing to his side on to the floor Connor laid in a steadily blossoming puddle of his own Thirium as it streamed from the corner of his mouth and collected on the floor beneath his head. Every red warning began to fade to gray as the Klaxons inside his head quieted into a dull roar then into unending silence as his eyes fell shut and the world disappeared around him.
Worried for Connor's health and emotional state Markus had a quiet meeting with Simon as they walked to the ground floor office that would act as a conference room for the four leaders to discuss future plans with the tower and their people. The two deviants knew that Connor was in a poor state of health and was being stubborn for reasons they couldn't understand. No one knew of Connor's close encounters with Hank, with Sixty or with Amanda when she tried to trap him inside his Mind Palace's frozen over Zen Garden. As far as they knew Connor was just struggling to adapt to his emotions as a deviant and needed a little patience and guidance from his friends.
Trying to think of a way to reach out and connect with their new ally Markus and Simon considered bringing Josh in on the situation since Josh had elected to create a therapy group for deviants struggling with their newfound freedom. Perhaps Connor could benefit from being able to connect with other deviants who could empathize with his own struggles.
"I wish he'd talk to us and tell us why he feels the need to isolate himself." Markus admitted as he and Simon sat in the conference room to speak in private for a moment. "We've all survived Hell and we're all stronger now than ever before. Having friends and allies helped us to find that strength."
"He used to work alongside the police." Simon reminded Markus with a dour tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe they were mistreating him behind closed doors. It'd explain why he won't ask for help or admit that he's hurt."
"That might also explain his bullet wounds..." The dark thought was as logical as it was upsetting. "All shootings must be reported to the police and with deviants now being seen as equal to humans the shooting would have to be reported. Connor would have to confirm that he had been attacked and shot by cops while working alongside them. That may not end so well for him."
"I think you might be on to something with that."
"And it might explain why Connor won't talk about the other android he's referred to as 'Sixty'." Sensing he was on the right track Markus kept the theory at the forefront of his mind. "Maybe they were shot by the same person but Connor survived while Sixty didn't. Survivor's guilt is pretty devastating."
"If we could just extract Sixty's memories we could know the truth about what happened to him and how he shut down."
"Keep trying to access his files. Even if he can't be reactivated he might still live on through his extracted memories."
"You're right, I'll work on it whenever I can." Trying to find a solution to Connor's problem Simon sighed and decided it was time to check on Connor again. "I'm sure if we're just patient with Connor then he'll open up to us. We should try talking to him again."
"We can only hope he'll be so cooperative."
The door to the office slid open in a rushed 'hiss' as North appeared with her cinnamon brown eyes wide with fear. "You need to get up to the repair bay right now! Something's happened to Connor!"
"Wh-What?!" Markus and Simon practically ran out of the office while North joined them in the corridor. "What're you talking about?"
"I was walking by the repair bay and when Josh found Connor unconscious on the floor!" Entering the elevator together North explained everything to her allies as they made the swift ascent up to the repair bay. "He's suffering from some horrible error and I didn't want to risk a possible contamination of whatever is happening to him through cybernetic communication."
"Where's Josh right now?"
"With Connor." She confirmed with an anxious voice. "He's trying to help him as we speak."
Struggling to hold Connor down on the floor as the deviant began to seize violently Josh found himself internally battling his emotions as the horrific sight pushed him to his own limits. Unsure of what to do to stop the violent convulsions or pull Connor out of his severely glitching state, Josh just knelt on the floor beside the stricken deviant and held him down as much as he could without hurting him in the process. The abundance of thrown-up Thirium all around Connor's body gave the kindhearted deviant an idea of what he had walked in on when he had gone into the repair bay, but it didn't give him enough information to find a solution and help Connor finally begin to heal.
The door to the repair bay 'hissed' open as Markus, Simon and North all rushed into the room to help with the situation. Markus and Simon worked with Josh to awkwardly lift Connor's flailing body up from the floor to lay him back over the exam table, and North proceeded to struggle to reattach the leads from the Thirial activity monitor to Connor's chest.
"Simon?" Doing his best to hold Connor down by pressing his hands against Connor's shoulders Markus looked over at the blond technician as Simon attached a long, black diagnostic cable to the seizing deviant's L.E.D. glowing and blinking in an angry red. "What's wrong with him?" While hefting Connor up from the floor Markus noted that the deviant had drastically shifted from hypothermic to hyperthermic in a matter of minutes. The display on the monitor showed that Connor's core temperature up to one-hundred and three degrees even. "He's burning up."
"Figuring that out right now..." Securing leather restraints over Connor's ankles, then thighs, Simon waited for the diagnostic to run while next securing the final restraints over Connor's abdomen and chest. "Whatever this is we need to be careful. This hit him very fast!"
"What can we-" Before he could finish the question Connor's body became eerily still as the Thirial activity monitor showed an erratic pump beat. "Now what?"
Simon noted the sudden shift in Connor's vitals and proceeded to pull the two electronic paddles from the the sides of the monitor and placed them down on Connor's chest. The first paddle rested over the center of Connor's chest and the second to the apex of his pump on the left side of his chest. "Damn, he's entered a type of arrhythmia from having dangerously low Thirium. His pump can't make a full cycle and is beginning to spasm. If I try to shock his pump back into a proper rhythm now it'll just cause further stress to Connor's already stressed system."
"What can we do to help him?"
"He needs his Thirium replaced before we... can..." As if just realizing that Connor was covered in his own blue blood Simon noted that the Thirium that Connor had recently consumed had been thrown-up all over the sink as if it had made him violently ill. "Hold on."
"Simon?" Aware that something unsavory was happening Markus watched as the technician picked up the emptied Thirium bottle and carried it over to the countertop at the far side of the room and placed a few stray drops of the Thirium onto the slide of a microscope then slid it under the lens. Peering down at the Thirium sample Simon swore again and turned to point at the lost Thirium in the sink. "Shit! The Thirium he's consumed has been contaminated with sodium chloride! The raw salt crystals are eating through his artificial stomach and corroding the surrounding metal couplings."
"Shit!" The alarming discovery put everyone in the room on edge. Trying to maintain some form of control Markus asked what their next step would have to be in order to help Connor. "How do we save him?"
"By moving very quickly." Returning to the exam table where Connor was now unnervingly still Simon returned the paddles to the monitor and prepared to perform emergency repairs on the ill deviant. "I'm going to need a second set of hands to repair his stomach, clean up his abdomen and replenish his Thirium. With any luck he'll be able to tolerate the repairs without his system slipping into shock and causing a permanent intracranial processor lock-out."
Fighting to keep awake as his body begged for him to lay down and sleep Hank sat at his desk and listened to Captain Fowler droning on and on about the usual protocol of handling the city during emergency weather situations. Having been on the force for the better part of twenty-plus years, Hank was bored to tears and already knew what to do. Securing the streets, prioritizing emergency calls and distributing the available patrol cars to keen parts of the city, was something he had already handled far too many times to count. For the seasoned Lieutenant it was just another winter in Detroit, for the rest of the precinct it was still a learning experience.
With his attention elsewhere Hank noted that everyone who made it to the bullpen was also thoroughly exhausted. Tina had been spending the night watching over Gavin at the hospital and had the heavy bags under her eyes to prove it. Chris looked like he had been taking power naps instead of sleeping properly and was using coffee to keep himself alert. Ben was as casual as Hank and had been able to get some rest when he came back to the precinct by crashing in the bunkroom. Captain Fowler was sporting slumped shoulders and reeked of coffee, but he wasn't slowing down one bit.
"Thankfully the roads are cleared enough for emergency vehicles to travel around, so that'll make things less complicated." The seasoned Captain sounded far more confident than any man should in that moment. With his hands on his hips Captain Fowler addressed his small team without any sign of worry or distress in his voice or body language. "We'll remain here, recuperate and take shifts to get some rest in the bunkroom. No one is to go out on the streets with less than four hours of sleep. No exceptions."
Hank leaned back in his chair and sighed through his nose. "What's going on with the city limits and the border across the bridge?"
"The border is closed to anyone who isn't a citizen entering Canada from Detroit or returning to America and lives in Detroit. No tourists are allowed to travel for leisure. The city limits are still closed and we have drones keeping track over the area to keep any potential domestic terrorist activity to a minimum by outsiders looking to start a war."
"All right, cool."
"The airport, the bus depots and the train depots are all on lockdown as well. It's not like they'd be running very well without their android crew anyway..."
"Good thing the snowplows and salt trucks can still be activated." Noting the way that Joel, who was hiding out in the breakroom, ducked a little Hank knew that the new technician was still worried about making a good impression with Captain Fowler. "Makes things a Hell of a lot easier for us."
"True, but that doesn't mean we can let our guards down yet." Nodding at Hank to acknowledge his Lieutenant sitting at his desk Captain Fowler continued with his little pep-talk. "We'll go about our usual patrols once everyone is properly rested. Tomorrow we'll begin a new routine and we'll make sure the deviants holed-up in the abandoned CyberLife Tower know we don't see them as a threat."
"Wait, the deviants took over CyberLife?" Hank sounded as surprised as everyone else about that little detail. "How does-"
"CyberLife abandoned the tower and the deviants just went out there for shelter. It wasn't anything hostile."
"How many deviants are our there?"
"I don't know. A couple thousand for sure."
Nodding a little Hank wondered if Connor was one of the deviants who was hiding out in the tower and safe off the streets. He still had no idea where Connor had gone and couldn't shake the feeling that the deviant was in danger.
"At any rate," continuing with his meeting Captain Fowler updated his officers on the situation at hand. "we're going to go about our business as usual. We'll take calls based on priority, keep the peace and try to cover as much ground as possible. We're working on a skeleton crew and until Reed is back on his feet," mentioning Gavin resulted in a mixed reaction from the bullpen. The abrasive detective wasn't well liked - mostly tolerated, but no one wanted to see him dead by any means. "we're going to need to pull some serious overtime. We can handle it, I've seen you people work miracles before. Dismissed."
Seeking a moment of rest the officers dispersed from the bullpen at a steady pace while Captain Fowler returned to his private office. The only person who didn't move a muscle was Hank as he stayed seated behind his desk lost in thought. While the other officers were thinking about the city, the snow, the deviants and Gavin's condition, Hank was focused on the one deviant he had injured and nearly killed just two nights before.
"You better be okay, kid."
Muttering to himself Hank checked his phone in hope of seeing a reply from Connor at last but the phone was still blank. It looked like his message hadn't even been read by Connor, which was a red flag in Hank's mind. The senior detective was convinced more than ever that his bad feeling was right. He just knew something was wrong with Connor.
"Fuck me. I'll try to find him on my own patrol just to make sure he's all right."
Turning in his chair Hank looked at the snowy weather report on the large television screen and winced at the deep snow still trying to bury the city. The week long forecast indicated a nasty cold front settling over the entirety of the Southern half of the state and Hank knew the foul weather was just beginning.
"No one should be out in this fucked up city alone. Especially someone as innocent as him."
It took nearly two hours for Simon and Markus to repair the extensive damage to Connor's artificial stomach and to get the ill deviant stabilized. The concentrated salt had reacted negatively with the Thirium and caused a rapidly occurring corrosive effect inside of Connor's artificial stomach, through the metal coupling securing the vital biocomponent in place and was starting to eat away at the surrounding metal couplings to Thirium lines and wires within Connor's chest and abdomen. If his emergency expulsion program hadn't activated when it had then Connor would've suffered permanent damage that could've led to a potentially permanent shutdown.
With his biocomponents, Thirium lines and electrical lines all repaired, Connor's system stabilized rather easily. A flexible, transparent plastic tube had been inserted down Connor's throat through his nose and was feeding Thirium directly into his recently mended artificial stomach. A second line had been inserted into the bend of his left arm through an opened panel, and was feeding additional Thirium into his system.
Breathing slowly as Simon applied another ice pack to Connor's forehead and abdomen to replace the packs that had thawed out, Connor was completely unaware of what had happened to him. By all account it looked as if Connor had been beaten nearly to death due to the severity of the poisoning and amount of blue blood he had lost.
"He's stable." Markus whispered as he wiped off his hands while he and Josh stood in the far corner of the repair bay to watch Simon taking care of Connor from the distance. The leather restraints had been removed and Connor was resting well. "I just don't understand how this could happen. How did that Thirium become laced with sodium chloride? Only a handful of people beyond technicians know that salt can harm us internally, and I can't imagine a deviant sabotaging Thirium against one of their own is somewhere inside the tower."
"I wish I knew." Josh was still shaken by his experience of finding Connor seizing on the floor and hated the idea of a possible saboteur or traitor in the tower. "I came in here to speak with Simon and see how Connor was doing, and that's when I found him on the floor by the sink. North heard me shout for help when she walked by the door to the repair bay."
"This never should've happened." Determined to make the tower a safe place for all deviants to rely on, Markus knew he had to find the person who tainted the Thirium and make sure they were punished accordingly. "We need to find out how that Thirium was laced, why it was done and who did it."
Simon had finished checking Connor's vital signs but was still worried about the possibility of ventilation effusion making Connor dangerously ill. Despite Connor's earlier protests Simon had taken the opportunity to remove the bullet in Connor's upper left chest and shoulder area, but left the second bullet in the wounded deviant's bicep untouched. Watching the way Connor took in deep, almost labored breaths as his system cooled down and his system recalibrated the additional Thirium running through his lines made the blond technician worry.
Walking back over to the exam table Markus looked down at Connor and grimaced at the red color of Connor's L.E.D. pulsing steadily in his right temple. "How's he doing, Simon?"
"He's holding his own." Confirming that Connor was in fact stable Simon draped his audioscope around his neck and gave Markus a slightly relieved look. "As long as he rests and keeps warm he'll avoid ventilation effusion."
"That's good." Checking over the Thirial activity monitor Markus saw that Connor's core temperature had dipped down to ninety-nine point two degrees and was still dropping. "Did he suffer any damage from prolonged overheating?"
"Fortunately, no. He was very lucky."
"I doubt being poisoned after coming here to seek help really counts as 'lucky'."
Seemingly disturbed by the voices speaking around him Connor awoke at last and found himself laying over the exam table with tubes entering his body and the wireless two leads still pressed against his bare chest. As he made a move to sit upright Connor felt Simon's hand on his shoulder trying to keep him still and he instinctively shrugged off the unwanted physical contact from the technician.
"Try to take it easy." Pulling his hand back Simon motioned to the tube still snaking down Connor's throat and the second tube inserted into his arm. "Don't pull on the lines."
Swallowing once Connor felt the tube down his throat and was determined to rid himself of the uncomfortable sensation. Using both hands Connor pulled on the tube and pulled it up from his stomach, his throat and out of his right nostril with a disgusted groan. "...St-Stop." Coughing a little Connor cleared his throat and wiped his hand over his upper lip and under his nose to remove the small trickle of Thirium dripping from his nostril. "...D-Don't do that a-again."
"I'm sorry, but your Thirium was critically low." Apologizing sincerely Simon explained why he had used such invasive methods on Connor while the deviant was unconscious. "We had to get your volume back up."
Focusing on the second line in his arm Connor carefully disconnected the external line to the line inside his arm and then closed up the panel. "...I know." Noting a change in his shoulder and chest Connor looked at Simon and gave him an accusing glance as he stifled an uncomfortable cough. "...You removed the bullet."
"It was in close proximity to-"
"I asked you to leave the bullets alone." Sounding almost offended by the way Simon had gone against his wishes Connor felt as if he really couldn't trust anyone. Even a supposed friend couldn't respect his simple request. "...You should've left it alone."
"I'm... I'm sorry." The mistrustful reaction made Simon outwardly wince. "I just wanted to help you."
"Connor," speaking up in a voice full of shame and remorse Markus addressed the afflicted deviant with genuine concern. "I'm so sorry. This never should've have happened to you or anyone else. This is a deplorable act of betrayal, and I will find the person responsible for the atrocity."
Looking up at Markus standing beside him Connor shook his head somberly as the artificial skin regenerated over his arm. "...It's not your fault."
"It is my fault. I promised you that you'd be safe here."
"...You're not the one who poisoned the Thirium." Bearing no ill-will against Markus for any reason Connor slipped on his white dress shirt to cover his arms and let the front remain opened as he sat on the table. Resisting the urge to cough Connor cleared his throat and stabilized his voice. "...It's my fault. I never should've come here."
"What're you talking about?" The way Connor was taking the blame for what had happened to himself just caused more confusion. "Someone tried to kill you by poisoning the Thirium designate for you and you alone. In what way is that your fault?"
"I knew my presence would upset the other deviants." Accepting responsibility for the failed assassination attempt against his own person, Connor decided it'd be best to leave the tower and go find a new place to hide out from the world. "It makes sense that someone would take an opportunity to try to kill me."
"This is NOT your fault!" Truly upset that Connor felt somehow responsible for what had happened Markus refused to let him blame himself. "You don't deserve to be treated this way or made to feel as if you're not welcome here! You're one of us."
Peeling the leads off of his chest Connor swung his legs over the edge of the exam table and stood upright. Shaking where he stood Connor struggled to maintain balance as his system continued to recalibrate. "I'm sorry, Markus." Rebuttoning his shirt with clumsy fingers Connor reclaimed his hoodie, his leather jacket, his beanie, his gloves and his work boots that had all been removed when he had initially arrived at the tower for assistance. "But I'll never be welcome here. I don't belong here."
"Connor..."
Now dressed and ready to brace himself against the cold again Connor gave Markus an apologetic look. "I just don't belong anywhere." Walking away from the three deviants who had helped save his life Connor wandered down the corridor and toward the elevator. With the beanie pulled down far enough to conceal his red tinted L.E.D., Connor looked and sounded surprisingly human. "Thank you for helping me. It's more than what I deserved."
Slipping his gloved hands into his jacket pockets Connor walked slowly down the corridor and toward the elevator to leave the tower again. Sensing the prying eyes watching his every move Connor didn't react and kept his head low as to not draw any further unwanted attention toward himself. As he entered the empty elevator Connor peered through the doors before they slipped shut and noticed that North was watching him as well as she stood on the other side of the landing circling around the perimeter of the tower. She looked disappointed to say the least.
"I can't seem to do anything right by anyone."
Driving about the freshly plowed streets in the Oldsmobile Hank patrolled the city by himself while listening to his radio to distract his thoughts from the dreary sight all around him. It seemed that no matter how loudly he played his music or how many hours he spent away from the precinct Hank couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened in the past three days regarding the precinct, the city and Connor. Having been partnered up with the android against his will had initially pissed Hank off, but now he couldn't help but worry about the now rogue deviant who was seemingly lost and wandering the icy streets with nowhere to go and no one to rely on.
The snow had been plowed off the streets and a layer of salt had melted the ice, but by all account the streets were still too slick for any civilians to drive about safely. Autonomous taxis were still permitted for use but were very limited due to the lack of android mechanics and technicians keeping said vehicles properly charged and repaired throughout the day.
"This shit reminds me of a horror movie. Really fuckin' creepy."
The deserted streets, the heaviness in the air and the building dark clouds overhead were symbolic if not cliche.
"I can't blame the deviants for huddling up in the tower far away from humans. Hell, maybe I can convince them to let me join 'em since I hate people, too."
Turning along the intersection Hank slowed the car down as he passed by the still closed Chicken Feed food stand and lamented at the idea of not being able to bite into one of the greasiest burgers in the entire city. Some warm food on a cold day always made Hank feel better.
"Damn. Everyone is either hiding or took off in the middle of the night."
Passing by the numerous closed up stores and businesses Hank began to wonder what the hell he was doing patrolling an area where the only living creatures skulking about were pigeons and stray cats. The animals were the least of Hank's worries since humans were the ones who were always breaking or stealing things for their own personal gain.
"If I had been a little smarter I could've taken off with Sumo and not looked back after Fowler suspended my ass. Hell, if I had just left when I had the chance then I wouldn't have bumped into Connor at the tower and ruined his mission."
Pausing for a moment Hank replayed the past events in his mind and sighed at himself. The sight of Connor cradling his wounded arm and reacting to being shot in utter agony and shock was still vivid in his mind.
"Shit. If I had just left then that evil-Connor wouldn't have taken me hostage and I wouldn't have had to shoot... No, I didn't have to shoot at all."
The guilt of hurting Connor and hearing the pain in the rogue deviant's words was like being stabbed with a hot knife right in his gut.
"I should've been able to recognize Connor the moment I saw him. Some fuckin' detective I am."
Determined to make amends with his former and now missing partner Hank decided to patrol the area near Belle Isle in hope of finding Connor or a deviant who could at least point him in Connor's direction. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot Hank was willing to take after the incident on the night of the Revolution.
"He better be okay after I stupidly shot him. I don't want to find him dead in the streets."
Glancing at his phone Hank saw the same blank response on the screen and tossed the phone aside onto the vacant seat beside him. Until Connor responded to the text Hank would have no idea where the deviant had gone or what kind of condition he was in at the moment.
"Fuck!"
The darkening clouds overhead confirmed more snow for the night and it made Hank feel incredibly uneasy. Any serious chill in the air can kill a human, but how that extreme cold would affect a deviant had yet to be seen. Exactly how 'human' deviant androids would behave in response to their environment was still unknown.
"The kid isn't making this any easier for me to handle... Not that I deserve any damn breaks."
Wandering about the city Connor continued his newly self appointed mission to find shelter and stock up on more Thirium for the future. Not wanting to be followed or potentially be seen by people who'd recognize him as the same deviant who had snuck into the abandoned CyberLife store or snuck into the back window of the abandoned bookstore, Connor kept his movements quiet and discreet. Avoiding the police was key in Connor's mind as he didn't want to be turned over to any CyberLife representatives who might still be in the city, and he didn't want to encounter any bigoted cops who'd try to take him down before any of the new laws pertaining to deviant rights were fully enacted.
With his gloved hands in his pockets and his head hung low Connor aimlessly walked about the city and explored areas he had never ventured through as a previously assigned mission when he was still a machine. Detroit was rather large and there were many different locations that were either still anti-android or simply abandoned by humans who couldn't be bothered to maintain the very structures that they had built.
Roaming the outskirts of the city Connor found himself out far away from where any homes or businesses operated, and was now at massive junkyard that was readily filled in by drifting snow and ice. That particular junkyard was the infamous android junkyard - the deviant pauper's grave, where Markus had reactivated himself after being shot by the police and left for dead.
"This is where Markus escaped from his own personal Hell."
The story of how Markus had rebuilt his damaged body and climbed out of the muddy pit of dead deviants was well known throughout the deviant community. How many more deviants were left behind - too damaged to be saved and how many were thrown into the pit when Agent Perkins set up the recycling camps throughout the city to exterminate the deviants during the peaceful Revolution, had yet to be counted.
"How many d-deviants were thrown down there without a single chance to live a life of their own?"
Carefully exploring the perimeter of the snowed-in pit Connor sent out a cybernetic beacon to check for any sign of living deviants, but his signal was met with silence. There were no living deviants trapped under the snow, ice and mud. In a way it was reassuring to know that there weren't any deviants suffering, frightened and alone in the crudely created grave.
"These deviants deserve to be properly laid to rest, not left h-here as a heartless reminder of what humans had done to us."
Kneeling down for a moment Connor scooped up a handful of the heavy, wet snow from the surface of the pit and let it fall away from his hand to gently drift back into the pit like a crystalline powder.
"I'm s-sorry, I wish I could've done s-something help you."
As the cold air seeped into his ventilation biocomponents Connor's voice began to shake again as the urge to cough up the cold air began to steal the lone deviant's words and creep into his voice in general.
"I was j-just a heartless m-machine following orders for far too l-long."
Bowing his head again Connor held his hand out over the snow covering the expansive grave and removed the glove as he retracted his artificial skin from his palm. Sending out another cybernetic beacon Connor checked for survivors one last time before he returned his focus to finding shelter and Thirium for the night. The idea of leaving behind even one deviant just barely clinging to life was enough to keep Connor kneeling beside the snowed-in pit despite his own system warning him of the cold starting to drop his core temperature yet again.
As Connor lowered his bare hand back to his side a very faint and very pitiful signal responded to his beacon. Stunned by the response Connor sent out the cybernetic beacon for a third time and received the same weak signal in response.
"Shit... Someone's still alive d-down there!"
Getting to his feet Connor honed in on the response signal and performed a scan over the snowy pit to locate their exact location. Rushing around the edge of the pit Connor neared the very weak signal and could detect that the lone survivor was exactly four point three feet down inside the pit. It wouldn't be easy but Connor was determined to find the survivor and bring them out of the pit to safety.
"H-Hold on! I'll f-find you!"
Calling out to the buried deviant Connor carefully found the edge of the pit and stepped down onto the icy, snowy surface. The snow was packed in enough and the ice was thick enough to support his weight without the deviant falling all the way through the snow and down to the bottom of the pit itself.
Distributing his weight in a such a way he could balance and dig through the snow, Connor reached his hands down into the thick, white snow and began scooping it up and throwing it aside as he began his search. Sensing the distress signal just below where he was standing Connor knew he was in the right place and that he could finally begin making amends to his people by saving an innocent life that no one else cared about.
"I'm v-very near where y-you are! Can y-you reach up and t-try to grab my h-hand?"
There was no response from the buried deviant, although their signal was getting stronger. Connor was so very close that he knew it was a matter of seconds before he found the victim.
"C-Can you tell m-me your name? My n-name is Connor."
As his fingertips reached down to the correct depth to locate the victim Connor felt something unusually soft and froze for only a moment. Detecting hair and the cybernetic signal being emitted by the buried victim, Connor continued to dig and then used his palms to sweep away the rest of the snow to try to uncover the rest of the victim's body.
"I'm r-right here. I'm g-going... to..."
Brushing aside the snow Connor was greeted by a deviant he was not expecting to see. Instead of a humanoid android who had deviated and then been thrown away, Connor found a decommissioned member of the city's K-9 unit.
The android German Shepherd was laying on its left side and sporting only three functional legs. Its dark brown and black fur was covered with ice crystals, its pointed ears were down, its tail was tucked under itself and it was barely moving. Blue sparks and Thirium dripped from the damaged right rear leg that had been horribly mangled at some point in its existence.
"...Oh. You're n-got what- who, I was expecting."
Unburying the android dog entirely Connor patted its side and was rewarded with the dog opening its dark brown eyes and looking over at Connor now hovering over it.
"You're d-damaged."
Mindful of the sparking leg Connor decided it'd be best to remove the malfunctioning limb entirely. By removing the broken and useless leg the bleeding would stop and the exposed wires would no longer spark.
"I must d-do this, please d-do not bite me."
Moving his palm to cup the dog's head, Connor tapped into the dog's L.E.D. and deactivated its external sensors to ensure it wouldn't react negatively to him removing the useless limb. Next Connor deactivated the small clasps holding the dog's artificial pelt over the dog's plastimetal frame and exposed the damaged leg entirely up to the hip joint.
"This w-will not h-hurt. You n-heed to trust m-me."
With quick and accurate motions Connor managed to painlessly pop the broken leg from the joint and make sure the joint itself was capped properly. Tossing the leg aside Connor returned the artificial pelt over the dog's frame and removed the excess portion of the pelt that could no longer cover the now missing limb.
"I'll c-carry you out of the p-pit."
Promising to help the weakened android dog, Connor slipped his arms under the large shepherd and hefted it up from the snow and carefully walked out of the pit and knelt on the cold ground again. Laying the dog down to lay on its chest and belly, Connor reactivated the dog's sensors and watched as the red tinted L.E.D. shifted to yellow as the dog's system stabilized. Running his hand down the dog's back Connor removed the lingering ice crystals from the deviant's fur and was rewarded with a slowly wagging tail as the dog's drooped ears perked up.
"You'll b-be okay. H-Humans are more r-receptive to animals in n-need than other p-people."
Standing up from where he had been kneeling Connor brushed the snow from his knees and began a slow walk away from the massive pit of death and misery.
As he turned his back to the rescued android dog Connor felt the same cybernetic signal as before reach out to him as a single word of communication was passed over to him in a mechanical manner. '...Master?'
Pausing mid step Connor turned around and looked at the dog who was now watching his every move carefully. Despite the cold, its low power and its low Thirium, the dog managed to stand up and balance on its three legs and lock eyes with Connor.
'Master?'
"N-No... I'm not y-your master." Hating that term in general Connor shook his head and declined having any authority over the dog as he returned the glove to his bare hand. Speaking to the dog verbally and cybernetically felt more personal. "Y-You're free."
Tilting its head to the side the dog's yellow L.E.D. flickered twice before settling on another term. 'I am K-9 unit zero-two-seven.'
"Even s-so, you're free. G-Go and l-live for y-yourself."
The dog was quiet for a moment as it sought another potential term for Connor. '...Owner?'
"No." Repeating himself Connor wrapped his arms around his chest as the cold air was beginning to affect his ventilation biocomponents even further. The sun was beginning to set and Connor would need to hurry to find shelter and Thirium before the second snowstorm hit. "I'm n-not your owner, e-either."
Confused by the lack of response from Connor the dog took a shaking step toward Connor and tilted its head to the other side. '...Partner?'
"Partner?" A cybernetic scan confirmed that the dog had been an active member of the K-9 unit and was wounded in the line of duty four nights prior. The dog's human police officer partnered with it had been killed the same night Daniel took Emma Phillips hostage, and in turn the dog had been assigned to track down 'red ice' dealers without an official new partner. "Y-You were partnered with O-Officer Antony Deckart."
Recognizing the name the dog wagged its tail as if expecting to be reunited with its partner.
"...Officer Deckart w-was killed in the l-line of duty on August 15th, 2038. I'm s-sorry."
The dog's tail stopped wagging and it let out a small whine. '...Register new partner?'
"I... I'm n-no longer a p-police detective. I... I d-don't need a p-partner."
Lost and without a purpose the dog was going to be completely helpless without a drastic change to its programming. Sitting down the dog stared at Connor as if seeking a new assignment of its own. 'Register new owner?'
"I'm n-not going to b-be your owner."
Trying a new tactic the dog tilted its head again and searched its databank for another appropriate term. 'Register new trainer?'
"T-Trainer?" Hearing the term was almost amusing. Connor had zero experience with training anyone, let alone a police dog. "I'm n-not a trainer."
One more attempt from the dog managed to hold Connor's attention for a while longer. 'Register new assignment?'
"Assignment?" Contemplating the request Connor decided he could help the dog with that simple concept. "A-All right. K-9 unit zero-two-seven; register your new assignment."
The dog sat at attention with its ears pointed straight up and eyes locked with Connor's eyes.
"...Be free."
Registering the new assignment the dog tilted its head again as it refused to break eye contact with Connor. '...I am free.'
"Y-Yes. Now, you c-can go wh-wherever you w-want."
Standing up again the dog approached Connor and pressed its nose into Connor's knee gently. Wagging its tail with weak energy the dog decided where it wanted to go. 'K-9 zero-two-seven will go with Connor.'
"Me? You c-can go anywhere in th-the city. Why w-with me?"
'Connor helped K-9 zero-two-seven. K-9 zero-two-seven wants to protect Connor.'
"I d-don't need your pr-protection, thank y-you."
'Connor is exhibiting erratic vital signs.' Sniffing at Connor's leg the highly advanced K-9 unit was able to detect that Connor wasn't in ideal health and shouldn't be out in the cold weather. The dog was also able to detect that Connor had been previously shot. '9mm bullet is embedded in Connor's left bicep.'
"T-True. But I am-" Coughing violently Connor lost his voice and struggled to catch his breath. "...I am fine."
Cycling through its emergency database and registered procedures, the dog made its first decision as a free deviant. 'K-9 zero-two-seven will lead Connor to a facility.'
"N-No. I... I don't..." Insisting on staying away from facilities and other deviants in general, Connor declined the suggestion. "...N-No facilities."
Insisting on helping Connor thanks to its core sense of loyalty, the dog refused to leave Connor's side. 'Connor needs Thirium. K-9 zero-two-seven will locate Thirium.' Sniffing the air the dog was able to catch the right scent and knew where to look. 'Thirium-310 detected.'
Realizing that he could benefit from the dog's help Connor reconsidered his decision and gave the dog a more amicable response. "...Y-You need Thirium, too." Being around an android dog was better than being entirely alone or with people he couldn't trust. "I w-will share Thirium w-with you if y-you track it down. We will th-then find shelter."
'K-9 zero-two-seven will locate Thirium.' Circling around once at Connor's feet the dog sat down and wagged its tail again as it found a renewed energy and wanted to go back to work after being rescued from shutdown. It seemed work was all the dog ever knew. 'Register new mission?'
"Y-Yes. Locate Th-Thirium." Nodding a little Connor confirmed the the dog was track down some Thirium. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement that was ideal considering the tense circumstances. "Also... Register a n-new name."
As its L.E.D. blinked in yellow for a beat the dog accepted the orders and gave Connor its full attention. '...Waiting for new name registration.'
Thinking for a moment Connor thought of the ideal name for the dog and had it register its new identity and hopefully learn to think of itself as something more than just being a decommissioned police dog. Everyone deserved a name and not just a number. "Bruno."
Wagging his tail again Bruno's yellow L.E.D. flashed to blue as he accepted his new name and sat loyally at Connor's feet. 'I am Bruno.'
-next chapter-