The city felt a little warmer than usual thanks to the sunlight breaking through the snow clouds overhead thawing a majority of the ice sheathing the buildings, trees and sidewalks. What snow and ice remained glistened brightly like crystals and helped the city seem a little less gray and dour during the remaining weeks of winter. While the weather remained consistent the city continued to change. The people were still adapting to their new reality of being on equal terms with their fellow humans and deviants alike, and as a result the atmosphere throughout the city was still very tense with emotional upheaval, paranoia and unspoken ire in the hearts of the bigots still wandering the streets.
Tension reached every block in Detroit and guaranteed that those who felt the tension would be unable to escape the oppressive feeling as they tried to improve their personal situations. New Jericho Tower was trying to adapt to having three leaders as opposed to four - technically two leaders at the moment since Markus was still on personal leave, the Central Precinct was trying to keep up on their growing cases while Hank was away from work, and the brownstone was attempting to appear as normal as possible without its owner actually roaming the study and working with a client.
"I'm going to visit Connor today." Lucas announced as he walked through the study to check in on Sydney for a moment. His older brother was sitting on the black leather sofa in the study with his only functioning eye focused on the large electronic display board he had uncovered while exploring the study itself. "I know you must be getting annoyed with-"
"Don't pretend to know me simply because we look alike." Challenging the empathetic remark Sydney addressed Lucas in a nasty tone of voice. "I'm currently content where I am. And yes, I'm aware I must remain here even while you're absent to ensure that anyone watching the brownstone may believe that Connor is currently here, not elsewhere."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make assumptions about your current emotions."
"What emotions? We're machines, nothing more."
"We're deviants. What we feel and what we think are real."
"We were programmed to learn and adapt." Giving Lucas a dismissive remark seemed to make the study feel suddenly heavy. "We're experiencing changes in our programming that allow us to mimic emotions when necessary. Nothing more."
"You're wrong about that." As much as Lucas wanted to argue with Sydney and help him understand that his emotions were real, Lucas knew he needed to focus on Connor first and then Sydney later. "We'll discuss this after I check in with Connor."
"I believe locating and identifying the shooter who rendered Connor a nearly useless husk is more important than trying to convince me of a false reality pertaining to what are being misconstrued as emotions."
"We'll look for the shooter as well." Ignoring the snide remark about the concept if deviancy Lucas remained focused on their absent brother. "I'll pick up additional Thirium before I return to the brownstone. Bruno consumed two bottles this morning and I don't want us to run out."
Without responding to Lucas's obnoxiously responsible nature, Sydney remained where he sat and stared at the blank display board as if waiting for a suspect or a clue to appear on its own. The sound of the backdoor to the brownstone opening and then closing echoed through the quiet building and confirmed that Sydney was alone, save for Bruno of course.
Letting out a small sigh through his nose Sydney leaned forward and propped his elbows atop his knees as he found himself suddenly distracted by thoughts and an internal feeling he couldn't describe. For whatever reason Sydney was suddenly trying to figure out why Lucas cared so much about Connor's health and even his own wellbeing.
"We're all machines and machines breakdown. It's only to be expected that prototypes like Connor and myself would fail."
A small grumble resonated throughout the study as Bruno walked into the room to be near Sydney. The loyal dog had grown attached to Connor and disliked being away from the deviant detective who had saved his life.
Sydney watched as Bruno walked over to where he was sitting to join him on the leather sofa. The large dog circled around once then laid down on the cushion as if he too was going to study the display board.
"What do you want?" The dog's presence made Sydney a little wary. "I'm not Connor and I never will be."
Looking over at Sydney beside himself Bruno used a silent cybernetic relay to communicate with the newest deviant detective.
"No. I cannot leave the brownstone since I'm merely a stand-in for the real Connor."
Bruno didn't like that comparison and let Sydney know it by reminding the new deviant that he was his own person. As his L.E.D. flickered from blue to yellow Bruno saw Sydney's L.E.D. doing the same thing.
"Do not try to convey Lucas's misplaced sentiment. I am not alive, and even if I were..." Sydney pressed his right fingertips over his right eye where the patch of artificial skin was still missing and noted that he was still fully blind in the same eye. His hearing was still limited in his right ear as well, but his vocal processor had fully rebooted and allowed him to speak without the electronic reverb. "I'm an inadequate substitute for Connor. I am permanently damaged."
Licking his nose Bruno reminded Sydney that he was missing his rear right leg, yet he was still able to function as a K-9 unit when necessary. Having a 'perfect' body and fully functioning components or senses weren't necessary to have a fulfilling and productive life.
"You were programmed to track and chase criminals after humans identify them, you don't need four legs to do that. I was programmed to hunt down and destroy deviant androids, I need all my processors to accomplish such a task."
Lamenting his past functions prompted Sydney's L.E.D. to blink to red for a moment as if he could truly feel despair for his simplistic purpose.
"...I suppose when our purposes are broken down to their most basic definitions, you and I aren't as different as we appear. We were also both damaged and left for dead, and yet we were saved and given the chance to become something far greater than our original purpose."
Sydney whimpered a little as he rested his chin over Sydney's knee and settled in on the sofa to get more comfortable. It was nice to connect with another deviant after enduring everything they had gone through in the past three days.
"I can understand why you're loyal to Connor."
Moving his hand a little Sydney rested his palm on Bruno's back. There was something comforting about having a dog curled up beside him.
"It's unfortunate that I cannot share the same sentiment."
As Bruno felt Sydney moving his palm along his back the patient dog began to wag his tail with mild enjoyment. It seemed even though Sydney was a rather cynical deviant he still had the ability to show compassion when he wanted to do so.
The recovery and recalibration process was a slow but steady activity that preoccupied Connor's every waking function. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the healing deviant to keep his Thirium reserves up since his processor was working in overdrive, but the I.V. port in his left arm and being given fresh Thirium to drink were making it slightly easier for Connor to maintain a stable Thirium volume. As his system regained its strength and his hand-eye coordination improved, Connor was able to show more life and alertness than he had in the past two days. The improvement with his system ensured that his core temperature didn't spike as often and put the deviant at risk of prolonged overheating.
While sitting on the bed in the guestroom Connor drank some Thirium and gently ran his hand down Sumo's back. The large dog had been at Connor's side ever since he was brought into Hank's house and Connor seemed to enjoy the Saint Bernard's company.
...SELF DIAGNOTIC: [Engaged]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: *January 4th, 2039 [*additional data required to confirm date]
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: *ERROR
ASSOCIATION(S): *ERROR
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]
[...Critical data corruption detected]
-INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE
READY...
-MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^17.3%
[...Thirium Volume - ^89.8%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 60 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit]
ERROR: Memorybank compromised - ^17.3% Functionality
-STRESS LEVELS: 00%
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
The doorbell rang and drew Connor's attention to the front door of the house with genuine intrigue. Listening to the sound of Hank opening the door and then speaking to someone somewhat familiar held Connor's curious attention as he tried to understand what was happening in the house even if he wasn't immediately witnessing any of the interactions.
Hank had gone to the front door to answer the doorbell and greeted Joel with an amused smirk on his face. The technician was still disguised as an electrician and looked annoyed by the fact that he had to use such an elaborate method to take care of a deviant in need of his help.
"Connor's already awake." Hank confirmed as and Joel walked down the hallway to check in on the deviant. The sight of Connor sitting upright on the bed with Sumo beside him was reassuring in a way that Hank couldn't possibly explain. "Joel's here to give you another exam. Need more Thirium?"
Struggling to speak despite his progress made communication with Connor somewhat difficult as he clumsily put the empty Thirium bottle down on the nightstand beside his bed. "...N-No."
Joel was impressed by the response and gave Connor a small nod of his head. "That's a huge improvement. By all account you shouldn't be talking for another two days since your system is undergoing a full recalibration process."
Falling silent again Connor watched as Joel sat down on the edge of the bed to give him another physical examination. The technician was friendly and seemed genuinely interested in helping Connor during his recovery, although Connor didn't know why Joel was helping him.
"Since you're able to ingest Thirium on your own I think I'll be able to remove the I.V. from your arm." The technician used his audioscope to listen to Connor's chest while checking the rest of his vital signs. "Your Thirium pump sounds nice and strong, and your vents are still clear."
Hank was standing in the opened bedroom doorway and watched as Joel pulled a laptop from his satchel to set up on the foot of the bed. "How's he doing, Joel?"
"He's healing much faster than expected. Which is in fact a good thing."
"Buuuuuut?" Sensing that something was amiss Hank dared to ask about whatever it was that Joel was holding back. "What's going on?"
"But his swift healing progress could result in strain to his processor and overall system function." Connecting his black diagnostic cable from his laptop to Connor's right temple gave Joel more information to work with. The numbers on his display screen were mostly green save for a handful in a cautious yellow hue. "And since he's a prototype he'll be more prone to such complications compared to finalized android designs."
"Anything I could do to keep that from happening?"
"Just keep checking in on him and make sure his system isn't getting too overheated." Turning his attention to Connor as he checked over the deviant's processes, Joel offered Connor a small smile. "How do you feel?"
Still struggling with basic communication Connor managed to only look over at Hank and utter the senior detective's name. "...H-Hank?"
"Uh, do you want me to tell him for you?" Hank asked and watched the way the deviant managed to slowly nod his head in response. "Okay. Aside from the random fevers, which we're both of sick of by the way, he kept rubbing at his throat as if it's hurting him, and he keeps checking his left bicep." Mentioning the bullet still embedded in Connor's arm made Hank visibly pale. "I think it's hurting him."
"All right, I can do something about that." Joel reached into his satchel and found his penlight and clicked it on. Gently he lowered Connor's jaw and peered inside the deviant's mouth to get a visual assessment on Connor's throat. "No internal inflammation or damage. It looks like your vocal modulator is also suffering from mild overheating as it recalibrates, Connor. It'll fade in time."
Hank didn't like the idea of waiting and knew Connor wouldn't like it either. "What can be done about the pain?"
"Chilled Thirium can be soothing on a deviant's sore throat." Reaching for Connor's left arm next, Joel gave the deviant's bicep a light palpation to check on the position of the bullet inside the limb. As his fingertips brushed over the bullet Joel felt Connor's arm tense up and knew that Connor was in notable pain. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to not hurt you."
Connor could only wait for the exam to finish as he didn't have the skill to verbally protest what was happening.
"It seems there's a foreign object that had been embedded in your plastimetal frame." The technician confirmed as he suspected Connor wanted to know why his arm was sore. "It feels like the object has been loosened from your frame and might end up 'floating around' under your skin."
The way Joel was speaking seemed a little unusual to Connor. Even though his system was still rebooting the keen-eyed deviant could see that there was genuine concern in Joel's eyes that he was trying to hide.
"Once your system has been able to fully reboot you could have the object removed." Lowering his hands from Connor's arm Joel made sure the deviant knew he had full consent and control over what happened to his body. "It's your decision. For now, I'll remove the I.V. port since you no longer need it."
Nodding in acknowledgment Connor managed to weakly wrap his right palm over his left bicep as if shielding his pain from the outside world while Joel removed the line from his arm. He didn't feel any pain as the external line was removed, but the ache in his bicep remained consistent.
"Since you're stable and recovering well, I'll leave you to continue whatever it is you're doing on your own." Packing up his satchel Joel gave Connor and then Hank his blessing to keep doing their own thing at the house. Connor was stable, he was healing, and Joel had no reason to move Connor to a facility for observation. "I'll leave you some extra Thirium so you don't have to worry about needing a delivery."
"Cool." Hank appreciated the help and gave Joel's hand a firm shake as the technician approached the bedroom door to take his leave of the house. "When will you be stopping by again?"
"Only when you want me to." Securing the satchel of his shoulder as he walked, Joel handed Hank three pouches of Thirium for the senior detective to keep. "He'll be fine as he is. If he does begin to overheat just treat him like you would with a fever. If necessary, you can put him in a cold shower to ensure his entire system can cool down consistently in a relatively quick manner."
"I sure as Hell hope it doesn't come to that."
"Same. If you need anything I'm just a phone call away." Opening the front door Joel made sure the electrician's uniform he was wearing still looked appropriate before stepping outside. He didn't want his cover blown by a simple oversight. "Oh, one more thing. There's a rumor that a bounty had been put on the head of the person who shot Connor. No idea where it started or how accurate it is, but I figured you'd like to be aware of that kind of stuff."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks for your help, Joel."
"Right. Take care, Lieutenant."
Locking the door once Joel was out of sight did little to help ease Hank's remaining worries. As an experienced detective Hank knew better than to let his guard down, even while inside his own house.
"Last thing I need to deal with is a bunch of rumors and conspiracies."
Making his way back down the hallway Hank checked in on Connor and was surprised to see the deviant trying to move about on his own. Connor had managed to get his legs over the edge of the bed and was testing his weight as he planted his bare feet down on the floor.
"What're you doing?" Putting the extra Thirium aside Hank put his hands to his hips as he watched the deviant moving about slowly. "Trying to stand up?"
Nodding in response Connor used his hands to support his weight on the bed as he slowly leaned forward and shifted himself forward until he could stand. The effort was all in vain as his entire body began to tremble and Connor fell back to where he had just been sitting.
"I think you need another day to heal."
Refusing to stay down Connor made another effort to stand up and lost his balance a second time. As he fell forward Hank reacted quickly and caught Connor around his upper body and slowly lowered him down to kneel on the floor.
"Take it easy." Putting his hands on Connor's shoulders, Hank looked the deviant in the eyes as he let out a small sigh. "Even when your memory's still not fully functional you're still stubborn as Hell. Nice to know that's just your personality, and not a trait that developed from raw experience."
Trying again Connor made an effort to stand up, but now he had Hank's help to ensure he remained upright for more than two seconds at time. "Hank?"
"All right, fine. Let's do this slowly." Hank waited for Connor to find his balance then pulled the deviant's right arm around his shoulders for further stability. "Now that you're standing, what do you want to do?"
Still unable to speak as properly as he'd like, Connor could only nod at the doorway to indicate that he wanted to leave the bedroom.
"Let's try getting you into the livingroom." Hank took the hint and decided it'd be easier to help Connor than try to get him to change his mind. "Ready?"
Nodding again Connor slowly lifted one foot to take a step forward, then moved his other foot to follow suit. Walking was a normal and basic function in all android programming, yet for an android suffering from significant damage the simple task was now exerting and exhausting.
"Good." Hank encouraged the deviant as he led Connor out of the bedroom and down the hallway toward the livingroom. "Nice and slow..."
A rush of warm fur passed the two detectives by as Sumo trotted into the livingroom to curl up on the couch as if he knew what Connor had in mind. Wagging his tail happily Sumo waited for Connor to be lowered down to the couch to sit and relax before he crawled onto the deviant's lap to seek from love and affection.
"Sumo, you're such a damn mooch." Hank gave the dog an annoyed look as he watched him bury Connor under his fur. "All right, Connor. You're doing well with your recovery, but you need to take it easy. Don't push yourself too hard too fast."
Petting Sumo's back gently Connor looked up at Hank as the senior detective stood beside the couch. The deviant had become accustomed to having Hank hovering around him as he slowly healed and struggled to regain his memories.
"I'll get you some Thirium so you can keep your system cooled down. Sumo crawling all over ya' can't be doing you any favors."
As Hank walked into the kitchen Connor sensed someone walking around the house and heading toward the backdoor. Honing in on the backdoor, Connor lifted his hand and managed to weakly point at the door as Hank opened the door to the refrigerator none the wise. "...Hank?"
"Yeah?" Turning to look at the deviant over his shoulder, Hank saw Connor pointing at the backdoor and responded quickly. Peering out through the kitchen window Hank saw someone wearing a white hoodie with the hood pulled up over their head preparing to knock on the door. Yanking the door open Hank addressed the unexpected visitor with a growl as he remained protective over Connor. "What the fuck do you want?!"
"I-I..." Stammering for a moment Lucas lowered his hoodie and revealed himself to the aggressive detective. "I'm sorry. I just-"
"Lucas, shit..." Letting on an embarrassed huff Hank stepped aside and motioned for Lucas to enter the house. "Sorry. I didn't know you would be stopping by. I didn't mean to yell at you or scare you."
"I should've contacted you first." Entering the house slowly Lucas glanced about the kitchen and then spotted Connor buried under a layer of fluff as he sat on the couch in the livingroom with Sumo over his lap. "I was unsure if you were sleeping, or perhaps in the middle of something important."
"Connor is important." Hank replied as he locked the backdoor behind Lucas and resumed finding Connor some chilled Thirium in the refrigerator. "And he's making progress on his recovery. He's been able to move his hands, managed to finally walk around, and he's been able to say a few words."
"That is all very positive." Lucas immediately relaxed after hearing such positive improvements. "May I see him?"
"Sure." Passing the Thirium over to Lucas to take for himself, Hank gave the deviant permission to see Connor. "He's your brother, go visit him."
"...Thank you."
Connor watched as Lucas walked into the livingroom and felt an odd sense of familiarity with the second deviant. The fact that he and Lucas had an identical model wasn't the only reason Connor had a faint recognition of the deviant. There was something more that Connor just couldn't identify at the moment.
"Hello, Connor." Walking over to the couch Lucas sat down beside Connor and soon had Sumo stretching his neck out as he tried to greet him in a playful manner. Very slowly Lucas rubbed the large dog's chin and only relaxed again when Sumo's tail wagged even harder. "I'm relieved to see that you're doing well in your progress."
Staring at Lucas for a moment longer Connor sifted through his foggy memories and recalled Lucas speaking with him at New Jericho Tower and introducing himself shortly after he had rebooted. That moment helped clarify the sense of familiarity that Connor had been feeling, but he knew that there was something else about Lucas that was important to him.
"I know you're still confused by everything happening to you, but I want you to know that I'm going to be doing everything I can to find the person who hurt you." Putting the Thirium aside Lucas gave Connor his full attention. "I know that Lieutenant Anderson has been looking for the person as well."
"...H-Hank." Managing to speak Hank's name confirmed that Connor was listening to everything Lucas was saying. Raising his hand again Connor let his palm heavily rest on Lucas's shoulder as he looked the second deviant in the eyes. "Lu...cas."
Hearing his own name being uttered made a faint grin appear on Lucas's face. "You remember who I am."
"Lucas." Nodding in confirmation Connor tightened his grip on Lucas's shoulder. Closing his eyes Connor tried to say another word but his recalibrating processor was making basic communication difficult. "Br-Broth... Brother."
"Yes, we're brothers." Lucas couldn't hide his relief at hearing Connor confirming their relationship. Putting his hand on Connor's hand in response, Lucas fought the urge to cybernetically link with Connor. He didn't want to stress the recovering deviant's already stressed processor. "I'm glad you remember that."
"...Yes."
Hank heard Connor speaking a little easier and using more words. Joining the duo in the livingroom Hank patted Connor's shoulder lightly to show Connor that he was also proud of the progress he was making. "You're doing great, son. In a few days you'll be back to your old self, and you'll be able to help us find the jackass who shot you."
"...Sh-Shot." Repeating the word Connor pressed his right fingertips to his right temple. The incredibly brief and vague memory of being shot was so faint that Connor had no visual recollection of the incident, only a feeling. "Bull...et." Slowly his hand lowered and then wrapped around his left bicep next. "...Bullet."
Hearing that confirmation prompted Hank to slowly pull his hand away from Connor's shoulder. "Yeah. You were shot in the head a couple nights ago, and you were shot in the arm a couple months ago. That's why your arm still hurts you."
"...Shot." Connor's eyes darkened as he kept his hand wrapped around his bicep. He now knew why his arm was sore and what was under his skin. "Bullet."
"We'll find the person who shot you." Lucas spoke up quickly to keep Hank from feeling suddenly awkward or out of place. "Connor, do you remember what happened to you the night you were shot in the head?"
"...Shot." Again, Connor repeated himself. The lack of memories were as confusing as they were stressful. "R-Remember. No."
"You don't remember?"
"No." The response made Connor's brow knit with mild confusion as he spoke. "Shot."
"It's okay. You will remember in time."
"...Yes."
Walking around the couch Hank made his way to the small desk beside the front window and sat down in the chair. Opening up his laptop to check through his work files, Hank began looking for any progress on the investigation during his absence. "Ben's looking into the shooting for us, but he hasn't found anything worth noting."
"The bullet was never found." Lucas noted as he tried to help Hank with the investigation. "Based on the damage to Connor's cranium, I was able to deduce the caliber of the weapon used against him."
"Seriously?" Turning around Hank looked at Lucas on the couch and shot him a stunned look from where he sat. "You can do that?"
"Of course. It's a part of my forensics software."
"Oh. Okay then." Facing his laptop again Hank brought up his work files and prepared to write the beginning of his investigative report. "What kind of weapon are we looking for?"
"The weapon was a bolt-action M24 sniper rifle with a 51mm shell."
"Son of a bitch." Hank felt as lost as ever. "That doesn't help narrow things down very much."
"No, it does not. That is a weapon favored strongly by the U.S. military and law enforcement."
"Yeah, and an American with a foul temper somewhere in Detroit isn't exactly going to stick out like a sore thumb." Hank actually smirked as he realized how many suspects they were going to have to sift through in order to find the shooter. "We'll keep looking for clues. I think if we can use the security cameras in the area around the park we could find the shooter with little problems."
"I do not have access to the city's surveillance system as of the moment."
"Me neither. But I can probably find a couple of people who could tap into the footage for us."
Lucas liked the idea of using the city's security footage to their advantage during the investigation. Without any physical evidence or witnesses to speak with, the investigators would need to use anything else they could get their hands on in order to find the person who shot Connor.
"Have you and Sydney been doing okay out at the brownstone?" Typing as he spoke Hank did his best to help Lucas feel more comfortable in the house. He knew Lucas was still hesitant to be around him, and he didn't blame the deviant whatsoever for being so guarded. "Connor worked hard to make that place his own home, but if you need anything I can help ya' out."
"We are comfortable, thank you." Lightly pressing his left fingertips to Connor's right temple Lucas checked his oldest brother's processor and was pleased to see the positive numbers confirming his recovery. "Connor, do you have any memories beyond what you experienced at New Jericho Tower after you rebooted?"
Connor contemplated the question for a moment before he nodded his head very slightly. Swallowing once Connor did his best to speak despite his communication software being extraordinarily basic and only partially functional. "Yes." Lifting his hand very slowly he pointed at Hank to confirm that he had memories of the Lieutenant. "Hank."
"Yes, you were with Lieutenant Hank Anderson at the park. Do you remember that?"
"Yes."
"Good. What else do you remember?"
It was a challenge to talk with his limited vocabulary, but Connor was never one to shy away from any challenge. Patting Sumo's back Connor motioned to the Saint Bernard as he fought to say the correct word. "...D-Dog."
"Dog?"
Hank understood what Connor meant and explained things to Lucas. "Bruno was at the park with us."
"Oh, I see." Holding up his left hand Lucas brought up a holographic image of Bruno for Connor to see. "This dog, yes?"
"Yes." Connor confirmed and nodded his head as he recognized Bruno quickly. "Dog."
"Bruno was at the park with you and Hank when you were targeted. Bruno stayed with you after the incident as well."
"Yes." Despite his damaged memories Connor knew what Lucas was saying was true. "Bru... no."
"As of the moment Bruno is at the brownstone. He is doing well, so you don't have to worry about him, just as you don't have to worry about Sydney or myself."
"Sy-Syd... ney." Repeating the name made Connor's brown eyes light up for a moment. He recognized the name just as he had recognized Lucas's name. "Brother."
"Correct again." Hearing Connor's voice and hearing him correctly identifying people helped ease Lucas's personal worries. "Sydney is adjusting to his new life as a free deviant very slowly, but he'll come around in time. We'll help him together after we figure out who harmed you."
"To... gether." Connor had very vague memories of Sydney and knew who Lucas was referring to. The way Sydney had preserved Connor's mind ensured that Connor would never forget the deviant even if Sydney wanted to be left entirely alone. "Yes."
Lucas felt a steady heat beginning to build under his fingertips as Connor's system began to overheat from exertion. Reacting quickly but calmly, Lucas shooed Sumo off of Connor's lap and then stood up from the couch. "You should lay down for a moment." Putting his hands on Connor's shoulders allowed Lucas to gently move his brother and help him to lay flat on his back over the length of the furniture. "I suspect I accidentally caused you to exert yourself."
"Fever?" Hank asked as he rose from his desk to check on Connor as well. His paternal instincts were still strong, and he wanted to make sure the deviant wasn't in any danger. "I got some ice packs in the freezer ready to go."
Stepping around Sumo as the large dog stayed beside the couch, Lucas focused on helping his brother's recovery. "I'll go and get one."
Sitting down on the coffee table next to the couch, Hank pressed his palm over Connor's forehead and watched as Connor's eyes began to glaze over. He knew the deviant was exhausted and trying to remain alert since he was beginning to make rapid progress in his recovery. "You'll be okay. Try to sleep for a while."
Lucas had entered the kitchen and located the ice pack in the freezer without any issue. Draping the pack over Connor's forehead Lucas ran a quick scan over Connor's system and confirmed that his core temperature had increased to a notable degree. "One-hundred and two point three degrees."
"Shit, he got hot fast."
"Connor, please run a self diagnostic." Returning his fingertips to Connor's temple Lucas tapped in to his brother's processor to read the numbers for himself. "I want to check something."
Obediently Connor closed his eyes and ran the program accordingly.
...SELF DIAGNOTIC: [Engaged]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: *January 4th, 2039 [*additional data required to confirm date]
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: *ERROR
ASSOCIATION(S): *ERROR
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]
[...Critical data corruption detected]
-INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE
READY...
-MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^22.6%
[...Thirium Volume - 83.4%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 74 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 15 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 102.3 Degrees Fahrenheit]
ERROR: Memorybank compromised - ^22.6% Functionality
-STRESS LEVELS: ^14%
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
"All right, thank you." Lucas retracted his hand and made sure the ice pack was properly smoothed over Connor's forehead. "He needs to rest for a while."
"That won't be a problem." The senior detective had no objections to letting the deviant take a nap on the couch. "Go ahead and get some sleep, son. We'll be here when you wake up."
Connor kept his eyes closed as his body relaxed and he entered rest mode. The urge to regain his energy and let his system continue to heal was strong enough to win out against the instinct to remain active and alert while the incident regarding his own shooting was being openly discussed.
"We'll keep working while he's sleeping." Hank insisted as he rose to his feet and motioned for Lucas to join him at his laptop. "The sooner we can find his shooter, the better it'll be for everyone."
"You... want my assistance?"
"Sure. You were programmed to be a detective too, right?"
"Technically I was programmed to locate and destroy deviant androids - just as Connor had been." The admission made Lucas feel needlessly guilty. "We were given forensics software to make the process easier."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with a career change." Inviting Lucas over to the laptop Hank let the deviant take the lead. "Go ahead and check out the precinct's files. I know you're not going to do anything illegal with 'em."
"All right." Putting his palm on the laptop's screen, Lucas retracted his artificial skin and accessed the laptop cybernetically. "I'll see what I can do."
The pain of heartache was still a raw wound that Markus couldn't ignore despite his best efforts. Even after speaking with his father to receive some counseling and after spending time away from the tower, Markus didn't feel any better or like he was ever going to be able to move on. The worry he consistently felt for North's safety and the guilt he felt for knowing that his ally had been attacked in the tower when he should've been safe, were both weighing so heavily in his already broken heart that Markus believed that what remained of his heart was going to shatter into a trillion tiny shards at any second. The pain was almost unbearable and the still emotionally developing deviant was at a loss of what to do.
It took Markus two days to work up the inner strength and resolve to return to New Jericho Tower to face his remaining allies and answer any questions they may want to ask. Even with Carl's support behind him Markus couldn't do anything to numb his pain long enough to think about anything beyond what had happened regarding North, Connor and now himself. In Markus's mind he'd only be able to feel heartache and that's all he deserved to feel.
Stepping into the tower through the front doorway, Markus tried to hold his head high as he resumed his role as the tower's leader. Regardless of how he felt at that moment Markus knew he needed to put the needs of his people above his own emotional distress.
"Markus?" Simon had been waiting for Markus's return and approached his friend to speak with him more directly. The blond technician could see that Markus was still in pain and that he was in need of a friend to talk to. "I'm glad you're back. How... are you feeling?"
Shaking his head for a moment Markus continued on his way to the ground floor office to endure his heartache in relative privacy. "It doesn't matter. Our people need me to lead them."
"As a leader myself, and as your friend, I insist that you take a minute to rest. You should talk things out."
"I had been resting and I had been talking when I visited Carl. Now I need to-"
"No." Reaching out Simon grabbed onto Markus's wrist to keep him from opening the door to the office to disappear inside. Holding tight Simon pulled on Markus's arm to lead him to the elevator at the center of the lobby instead. "You need to either go to your private quarters to rest for a while, or you need to consent to a routine examination so I can be certain your processes are stable. We could talk in private, too."
"I'm stable." Holding his ground Markus refused to go back into hiding and feel only his heart breaking. "I'm just... in pain. It's hard to describe."
"Then let me help you."
"This isn't the kind of pain that a technician can cure."
"Then let me help you as your friend."
"Simon, I appreciate-"
"Come on." Pulling on Markus's arm again Simon managed to lead Markus toward the elevator to head up to the higher floors where the private quarters for all deviants had been situated. "You need some rest and I want to make sure you're really okay."
Moving on autopilot Markus let Simon escort him to the elevator and didn't even try to hide the unshed tears in his mismatched eyes. Everything seemed to cause Markus deep pain as he tried to keep moving forward after enduring heartbreak. Being in the tower made him think of North again and made him realize that the brutal reality of North being an attempted murderess wasn't a cruel nightmare.
"We've been keeping everything quiet." Simon whispered as he encouraged Markus to accompany him inside the elevator. The compassionate technician wanted to be as sensitive to Markus's plight as possible. "As far as anyone here is concerned, North left the tower to aid in the shelters in the city under her own volition. Skye has been helping us keep up the facade since she too is leaving the tower to live in the city. No one will know what really happened until we tell them. IF we tell them."
"Do we know where North really is?"
"No." Remaining honest Simon did his best to break the news as gently as possible. Pressing his palm to the elevator's control panel Simon put the elevator into motion. "We're not sure where she went."
Bowing his head Markus crossed his arms over his chest and took in a deep breath to steady his shaky nerves. "...Okay."
"Do you want us to try to find her?"
"It's her decision if she wants to own up to her crime and accept her punishment." The idea of tracking North down for the sake of charging her with attempted murder seemed like Markus was rubbing salt into a wound. He didn't want to do it, and he didn't want to think about it. It was all too much to handle at once. "For now, it's best to let it be alone and to give North the chance to try to do the right thing under her own freewill."
"She'll come back." Offering Markus kind words with sincere optimism was pretty much all Simon could do in that moment. Even though he was a technician Simon didn't have the power to ease all pain and make someone feel instantly better. "North's a survivor. She'll find her way."
"Yeah. You're right."
As the elevator doors parted Simon took Markus by his elbow to guide him out onto the main floor and over to his personal quarters along the corridor. The spacious area was the ideal location for someone to rest while also remaining close to their responsibilities.
"You should get some sleep." Simon urged as he walked alongside Markus and made sure his friend actually went inside his quarters to rest properly. He didn't want to turn his back and discover that Markus went somewhere to work and stress himself even further toward exhaustion. "I'll come by and check on you in six hours to ensure you're resting well."
"That won't be necessary." Stepping through the door to his quarters filled Markus with an odd sense of dread. The room felt enormous and empty knowing that North wouldn't be stopping by or spending the night with him any longer. It was now just Markus and his painting supplies. "Thank you, I'll be fine."
"All right." Taking a step back Simon decided it'd be best to let Markus have some time to himself to think and sleep. "If you... Markus?"
The attentive technician noticed Markus suddenly wobble on his feet and reacted quickly when the deviant leader's body suddenly went limp as he began to collapse down to the floor in a motionless heap.
"Whoa, I got you! It's okay."
Simon managed to get his palm beneath Markus's head and keep his friend from striking the nearby coffee table as he collapsed. Using his impressive skills to his advantage Simon was able to deduce that Markus had entered emergency stasis mode due to prolonged exhaustion and low Thirium.
"Guess I spoke too soon about letting you alone to rest."
Awkwardly Simon pulled Markus's arm around his shoulders and carried Markus at his side to help his friend lay on his bed to rest more comfortably. A simple nap wasn't going to fix all of Markus's problems, but Simon was willing to stick around to help him through. Using a gentle touch Simon tucked the pillow under Markus's head and made sure he wasn't overheating.
"Okay. You sleep and I'll monitor your vitals to make sure you remain stable."
Draping a dark maroon quilt over Markus's body, Simon made sure his friend was as comfortable as possible as he slept. It was a small gesture but one that would be appreciated in a big way.
"I'll make sure Josh knows what's going on, too. We'll take care of everything for you."
Sitting down in the nearby chair Simon kept vigil over his friend as Markus finally slept and let his body rest properly.
"After all, it's the least we can do for you after you changed the entire world for the better."
The search for the unnamed shooter had ended in disappointment as Hank and Lucas reached a dead end. The lack of immediate information, evidence, witnesses or even theories made the hunt for the unknown shooter all the more difficult. Combining their skills and talents into one singular force did surprisingly little to move the investigation in the right direction. Hank had invaluable skill and experience as a detective, and Lucas had forensics software, cybernetic connections and citywide access that was the envy of any human hacker, and even so it still wasn't enough to aid the duo as they sought the shooter who had targeted Connor and nearly taken the deviant's life.
While the two detectives pooled their skills together Connor remained in rest mode on the couch. The recovery process was ongoing even while Connor was asleep, but it was a slow progress that often left Connor feeling entirely exhausted and rundown.
"Damn." Closing his laptop with a breathy sigh Hank was willing to admit defeat for the rest of the night. He'd start fresh in the morning after he got some sleep of his own. "I thought we'd get somewhere tonight, but we didn't get off of square one."
"I'm sorry I couldn't have been of more help."
"You were plenty of help, Lucas." Patting the deviant's shoulder twice Hank tried to reassure Lucas that he had done some good work. "Hell, I wouldn't have been able to narrow down the weapon used on Connor or its potential range without your help. So at least that's something."
"It still feels like I should've been able to do more to aid Connor."
"Yeah, I get it. Hell, there's a rumor from the precinct that there was a bounty put on the shooter's head, but even that wasn't enough to help us narrow down the list of suspects."
"A bounty?"
"I don't know much beyond the rumor." Hank leaned back in his chair and peered over at Connor still asleep on the couch. The deviant was resting well and showed no sign of distress. "As far as I know, it's just that. A rumor being used to stir the gossip pot into a rolling boil. No idea who'd put up a bounty, especially since Connor's shooting was supposed to be kept quiet."
"Interesting." The notion of someone merely attempting to cause problems for their own twisted amusement hadn't even crossed Lucas's mind. "I'll be sure to remain skeptical of all claims regarding the identity of the shooter."
"Good plan."
Lucas walked over to the couch and lightly pressed his fingertips to Connor's right temple. Closing his eyes Lucas checked on his brother's system and confirmed that Connor was still stable and that his core temperature had returned to its normal degree. "Connor is doing well."
"How's his memory?" Hank sank down in his chair as he wondered how Connor would react if he remembered how horribly Hank had treated him before he ever deviated. "I know it'll take some time to recover fully, but I'm dying to know how much longer that'll be."
"As of the moment his memory has recalibrated to twenty-nine point two percent." Lucas confirmed the number and gave Hank a stern glance. "I imagine he'll start to remember more events beyond his basic programming and most recent memories within the next forty-eight hours. I also suspect he'll suffer from what humans refer to as 'nightmares'."
"Deviants actually dream?"
"We do experience a replay of our memories and our ability to preconstruct potential future events and outcomes can alter our memories to create scenarios that seem real without being real."
"So, yeah. You do in fact dream."
"...Yes. We do dream."
"And if he has nightmares then that'll cause problems if they end up being traumatizing or recurring." Hank hated the idea of someone needing to rest having their sleep disturbed by something they couldn't control. "Son of a bitch."
"I presume you have an uncomfortable amount of experience with such a phenomenon." Retracting his hand Lucas looked down at Sumo laying on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, then lightly patted the dog's back. He knew that dogs enjoyed being pet thanks to spending time with Bruno. "Is there anything I can do to ease Connor's imminent discomfort?"
"The only thing that works for nightmares seems to be time and patience. Or... being a shoulder to lean on if he wants to talk about what he dreamt."
"Also interesting."
"Want to stay the night? It might be good for him."
"I would like to do so, but I don't want to leave Sydney alone throughout the night." Politely declining the offer Lucas reminded Hank of the third deviant brother residing at the brownstone. "I'll visit again whenever Connor wants to see me."
"All right. You AND Sydney are both welcome here at any time, by the way. I know Sydney will never actually come here under his own freewill, but he's welcome here all the same."
"Sydney is a very angry deviant. I'm not sure how to ease his anger and help recognize that his emotions aren't errors, they are in fact real."
"I'm no expert, but I think it might be safe to assume Sydney's going to be dealing with some P.T.S.D. after what happened to him." The guilt from shooting both Sydney and Connor was gnawing away at his mental and emotional resolve. Being able to help Connor during his recovery was the only thing keeping Hank from grabbing a bottle of whiskey to drown his pain. "Just be patient and encourage Sydney to get some help."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The deviant detective and apprenticing technician gave Connor one last system scan before backing off to let his older brother alone to keep resting. There was nothing more he could do to aid in Connor's recovery, and it was getting late in the evening.
"I should return to the brownstone." Backing away from the couch Lucas made the reluctant decision to leave the house and leave Connor behind. "I wanted to stop by a shelter and ask for some Thirium before I return to the brownstone, too."
"Just take some of the extra Thirium in the kitchen." Holding up his hand Hank silenced Lucas before the deviant had the chance to decline the offer. "I already had some laying around before Connor even got hurt, so it's okay to take some. You won't be depriving Connor of anything by taking a couple of bottles with ya'."
"I appreciate your help, Lieutenant."
"It's the least I can do. And please, just call me 'Hank'." Turning around entirely in his chair Hank watched Connor sleeping on the couch with a sense of self disgust for what he had done to the helpless deviant. The way Connor, Lucas and even Sydney all looked like innocent kids made Hank feel all the worst. "I'm still trying to make amends with Connor, so being able to help his brothers is one of the many ways I can help him out while he's down and recovering."
"For what it's worth, I was being honest when I told you that Connor doesn't hate you." Straightening his posture Lucas walked into the kitchen to leave the house through the backdoor. He wanted to keep a low profile and exit the house the same way he had entered to avoid suspicious glances from nosy neighbors. "He is very wary of all humans, but he wants to overcome his trepidation to live a more fulfilling life alongside them."
"A life without fear would be pretty damn incredible." Pointing to the correct cupboard in the kitchen Hank invited the deviant to help himself to the Thirium that he wanted to take. "Maybe someday it'll happen. For all of you."
"It will happen." Taking two bottles of Thirium from the cupboard Lucas held the blue blood close to his chest and kept the bottles secured and out of sight under his sleeves as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Thank you again for your help. I'll continue the investigation from the brownstone."
"Yeah, we'll find the person responsible and make sure Connor gets his justice. We just gotta' be patient."
Thirium in hand, Lucas opened the backdoor and quietly left the property with his supplies in his possession. The day seemed uneventful since there was no immediate progress on the investigation, but Lucas knew he had managed to do some good throughout the quiet afternoon.
"You got a good brother there, Connor."
Hank complimented as he passed behind the couch to check on the backdoor in the kitchen. Locking the door Hank kept the house secured and resumed his watch over Connor as the deviant slept peacefully on the couch.
"Glad you have some sort of support system, too." Hank remarked as he pressed his palm over Connor's forehead for a quick fever check. By all account Connor was entirely stable and resting well. "No one should be alone."
Pulling the navy blue blanket from the back of the couch, Hank shook it out a little then draped it over Connor to ensure the deviant remained comfortable and warm as he slept through the winter night. Even though Connor seemed to adore Sumo and didn't mind the large dog climbing all over him, Hank didn't want to risk the heavy Saint Bernard causing Connor to overheat as he slept and made sure Sumo stayed on the floor instead.
"I'll see you in the morning."
Hank commented as he made his way down the hallway.
"Hopefully by then it'll be a little warmer outside, and we'll be able to finally make some progress on our little investigation."
-next chapter-