Unable to ride in the ambulance along with Hank to the hospital, Connor walked the twelve blocks to the correct place through the frigid weather and proceeded to sit down in the waiting room where he remained completely silent and still. As he nervously preconstructed the potential outcomes after the shooting and after the cyber attack, Connor was only slightly aware of the staring people watching his every move as if expecting him to lash out at them in the same way that he had done to Hank and Abby. The deviant had been so engrossed in his own dark thoughts that was only barely aware of Captain Fowler approaching him rapidly from across the room, and dreaded what the man was going to tell him.
Captain Fowler saw the pain in Connor's eyes and knew that the deviant was just as much a victim as Hank. He didn't know Connor as well as he should considering the deviant once worked for him at the precinct, but he'd scold himself for being so indifferent to Connor's existence another time.
"Connor?" Speaking in a low voice Captain Fowler addressed the deviant in a calm and level tone. "What the hell happened to you?"
Whispering in return Connor gave the pitiful truth to the seasoned detective. "...Unknown."
"Shit." Sitting down beside the shaken deviant Captain Fowler kept his voice civil as he spoke to the worried detective compassionately. "Connor, I have to take your statement on everything that's happened. You're a victim and a witness in this mess."
"...Captain. I don't know what happened to me, but I remember everything. I attacked Dr. Abby Grayson at the Zeta Facility, and then I almost killed..." His soulful brown eyes closed to keep his tears from rolling down his face. "Let me make sure Hank pulls through the surgery and then I will turn myself in for two counts of assault and one count of attempted murder."
"You're not under arrest or being charged with anything. Like I said, you're a victim and a witness to this crime."
"Captain Fowler, I shot him." Admitting to his atrocious mistake made Connor feel like he was going to be sick. "I shot Hank."
"It's not that simple." Captain Fowler sighed a little as he tried to explain everything to the deviant. "When Hank sent the text signaling for back-up to get to his location, he also kept the line on his phone open. We heard EVERYTHING that happened. You're innocent. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I feel like I did everything wrong."
"You're going to feel guilty and feel like shit for a while, that's for sure. But you can't let it break you down, all right?" Captain Fowler nodded as he saw a doctor heading right over toward himself and toward Connor. "When Hank gets home he's going to need all the help he can get while he heals. Don't let your guilt keep you from staying his friend and helping him out through his recovery."
Connor could only nod as the doctor stood before them. "Are you here for Lieutenant Hank Anderson?"
"Yeah." Captain Fowler stood upright and offered hand to the doctor to shake. "I'm Captain Fowler," he nodded in Connor's direction. "this is Connor, Hank's closest friend."
"I'm Dr. Nachman." The doctor introduced himself with a firm handshake to Captain Fowler without acknowledging Connor whatsoever. "I have been overseeing Lieutenant Anderson's care."
"How is he?"
"Stable. He spent just under five hours on the table." Dr. Nachman reported in a professional manner. "He tolerated the surgery well, but he's suffered significant internal damage. He had also suffered a massive blow to the head that has left him in a comatose state."
Connor's closed eyes tightened more as tears threatened to fall at any second.
Captain Fowler could only anxiously rub his hand over his chin in deep contemplation. "How bad was the gunshot wound?"
"The bullet nicked his stomach and part of his lower intestine." The internal trauma was routine for Dr. Nachman but new to the two detectives. "We were able to repair the damage and sterilize the wounds, but due to the severe trauma to his torso he'll require a wheelchair to support a majority of his weight until the torn core muscles have enough time to heal."
Connor's eyes opened slowly and looked up at the doctor. "...Wheelchair?"
"Temporary." Dr. Nachman reassured as he looked down at Connor sympathetically, only to notice that Connor was a deviant based on Connor's less than human demeanor, and became slightly colder. "He'll be fine in six weeks and require mild physical therapy to rebuild strength in his core muscles."
Captain Fowler was happy to know Hank survived the surgery but needed to know about the other injuries. "Aside from being shot, what else did he suffer?"
"Four fractured ribs, a ruptured spleen, a hairline fracture to his right radius, hairline fracture to his left mandible and left orbit, as well as a severe concussion."
As the numerous wounds were listed Connor leaned forward in his seat and pressed both of his hands against his face to hide his shame.
Needing to be able to do something progressive Captain Fowler asked the only question that came to mind. "Can we see him?"
"He's still unconscious and in our intensive care unit. He'll be there for the next forty-eight hours under very close observation." Dr. Nachman gave the police Captain a sympathetic look where stood while ignoring Connor entirely. "I'll make an exception for you tomorrow afternoon."
"Thanks. What about his friend?"
"The android?"
"Yeah," Captain Fowler replied somewhat firmly at the question. "the android. The android is his friend."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense. But because of what's recently happened with the androids throughout the city the hospital has gone on a type of security protocol to keep androids away from patients for one week, or until we figure out what happened to them."
"Right, right." The seasoned Captain couldn't damn the hospital for taking such precautions. "Of course."
"There's nothing more either of you can do tonight for him. Go get some rest and I'll call you personally if there's any change in his condition."
"Thanks, doc."
Silent where he sat Connor was too stunned and felt entirely too guilty to even try to move or speak.
Captain Fowler sensed Connor's pain and tried to ease his mind. "Connor. Come with me back to the precinct."
"...I don't want to leave Hank here alone."
"He's not alone, the entire hospital is watching over him. Besides, I want to get your side of the story. It'll make everything move a lot easier."
"Captain," Connor's hands lowered from his face to show the tears in his soulful brown eyes. "I deserve to be punished."
"No."
"I attacked two people!"
"Against your will! I'm not going to blame you or hold you accountable because some lunatic hijacked your programming after attacking all of the deviants in the city."
"It's true that I wasn't the only one affected, but I am the only who lashed out at two innocent people."
"I'm not going to punish you, but if you want to stay away from the precinct for a while for your own mental health then I'm not going to object or try to stop you from doing what makes you comfortable."
"Thank you, Captain."
"But you get to leave the precinct behind only after you give your statement." Motioning toward the hospital's main entrance doors Captain Fowler less than discreetly ordered Connor to his feet. "Now, let's go."
"Captain, I-"
"Now. I don't want to have to go through the trouble of getting a warrant to bring you in for questioning."
"...Y-Yes, sir." Reluctantly Connor accepted his fate and followed after his former Captain as he exited the hospital to return to the precinct. "I don't want to make things worse."
Word of the violent shooting had spread fast through the precinct, and in turn Joel managed to spread the word to Lucas as the 'RK-900' learned from the technician that his own brother had been the one to pull the trigger. After reuniting with Connor in the bullpen Lucas escorted him to the interrogation room and remained in the precinct to reunite with him again after Connor delivered his statement to Captain Fowler. The sight of his older brother so shaken and covered in Hank's dried blood was enough to make Lucas sympathize for the pained deviant, and he began to worry that the tragic incident would undo Connor's recovery after his own near death experience courtesy of a bullet.
After giving his statement and answering thousands of questions for nearly three hours, Connor intentionally isolated himself from the rest of the precinct and stayed in an interview room out of sight. Connor was unable to think about anything other than what he had done to Hank and how his friend was now in the hospital, in a coma and healing from a massive emergency surgery all alone. The sight of Hank covered in his own blood and laying on the floor was haunting Connor's vision, while the sound of the gunshot that had wounded his friend echoed relentlessly in his ears.
A soft knock on the closed door made Connor flinch but he didn't respond.
The door slowly slid open just wide enough for Joel, with his technician's satchel over his left shoulder, to slip inside the room without drawing any attention to anyone watching from the bullpen. "Connor?"
"Joel?" Connor turned around to look at the technician with distress in his emotional eyes. "I'm so sorry that I attacked Hank and Dr. Grayson!"
"It's okay. We all know that you weren't being yourself."
"I still laid my hand on Abby and I shot Hank. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry!"
"You don't need to apologize."
"Hank is in the hospital fighting for his life because of me. I need to do something..."
"He's in the hospital because that cyberterrorist was fuckin' crazy."
"But I'm the one-"
"You were one of the many victims of that guy's assault on the city." Joel reminded Connor of the whole situation as he put the satchel down on the table and sat in the chair next to Connor. "And since you didn't report to the dispensary so I could collect evidence from person, despite me knowing damn well Captain Fowler ordered you to do so, I'm going to give you a quick physical right here so you can get back to the hospital."
"I... I can't go back there."
"Sure you can." Like a true friend Joel was trying to get the deviant to stop being so down on himself. Picking up Connor's left arm Joel spotted the dried red blood stain on his shoulder but decided to keep his observation to himself. "Just take a moment to breathe."
"I can't stop thinking about what I did to him. What I did to Abby. I... I could've killed her just as easily as I almost killed Hank."
"That's not your fault." The technician reaffirmed as he wrapped a Thirium pressure cuff around Connor's left bicep, then pulled his audioscope out of the satchel to check Connor's breathing and Thirium pump. "The other androids confirm the same hypnotic trance-like state you described after they woke up. And like you they snapped back to reality within seconds of Fordon's laptop being destroyed, and that strange cybernetic frequency that Fordon was emitting from house was stopped thanks to the laptop's destruction. You aren't responsible for anything you did while under the frequency's virus-like influence."
"That doesn't change the fact that I harmed Abby and fire a gun at Hank's abdomen."
"You wouldn't have harmed anyone under your own freewill." Joel finished listening to the deviant's chest and repacked the audioscope, as well as the Thirium pressure cuff after it automatically tightened to give Joel a reading. Slipping out his own laptop from the repacked satchel Joel connected the black diagnostic cable to Connor's right temple to run a full system diagnostic to ensure the deviant's system was perfectly stable. "And I still trust you as my friend. Lucas and Hank do, too."
"...I don't trust myself."
"Connor?"
The deviant looked at the laidback technician and didn't say another word in response.
"Why are you so certain that you alone should be held accountable for this?"
The question deserved an answer, but Connor didn't have one to give. "...I don't know."
"Please stop trying to beat yourself up. Go home, get some rest and then go check on Hank tomorrow morning."
"Androids aren't allowed in the hospital because of this strange attack on the city."
"Uh-huh, don't worry about that." The clever technician still had a few tricks up his sleeve and he was willing to help Connor out. "I'll make sure the city knows exactly what happened and who is responsible. You'll be able to see him tomorrow, I swear."
Feeling like utter Hell and unwilling to socialize with anyone for any reason, even Lucas, Connor walked back to the house through the freezing cold January air rather than drive Hank's car, and he returned to the empty house with a heavy heart. As he entered the front door of the house very slowly Sumo got up from his spot over the length of the couch, stretched out his arthritic body, yawned and clumsily jumped down to the floor to greet the returned deviant as Connor walked through the doorway to remain inside the house for the night. In his mind being kept far away from anyone he cared about was the best thing for everyone.
The only thing Connor could feel was pain as he thought about Hank bleeding to death in his arms. While Hank survived the lifesaving surgery, he wasn't anywhere close to being out of the woods yet.
"...Hi, Sumo."
The massive dog wagged his tail as he watched Connor go into the kitchen to pour some fresh food and water into the dog's bowls on the floor before opening the backdoor to let Sumo outside. Sumo picked up on Connor's glum mood and refused to eat as he focused first on Connor.
"Hank won't be coming home tonight, and it's my fault. Go outside so we can go to bed."
Sumo let out a confused whimper as he trotted through the kitchen and went into the backyard as instructed.
Connor crossed his arms over his chest and stayed planted firmly in the middle of the kitchen in silent contemplation. Despite Joel's reassurance that he was running at optimal parameters, Captain Fowler insisting he didn't do anything wrong and Lucas promising to support him through everything, the empathetic deviant still felt absolutely horrendous about what had happened to Hank.
After a few minutes Sumo returned to the kitchen through the backdoor with his tail still wagging and proceeded to check out his refilled bowls. Closing and locking the backdoor, Connor let out a weary sigh and walked over to the livingroom to lay down over the couch to rest.
Despite being given Cole's old bedroom to use as a guestroom Connor felt unworthy of such a gift after harming Hank so severely. It was like his very presence in the house was a slap in the face to everything Hank had done to help him and now he was just intruding. Laying on his left side to face the back of the couch Connor pressed his arm right up under is head and closed his pained eyes tightly to enter a rest mode plagued by inescapable nightmares.
Nightmares that Connor felt he deserved and had brought upon himself.
"Forgive me, Hank. Please pull through and don't hate me when you wake up... I'm so very sorry for hurting you, just as I'm sure you're sorry for hurting me and for hurting Sydney."
With a heavy heart and a head full of confusion Lucas returned to the brownstone to get some rest for the remainder of the unnervingly quiet night. As much as he wanted to accompany Connor back to the house and be a shoulder to lean on, Lucas chose to respect his oldest brother's wishes to leave him alone so he could think and process everything that had happened to him on that odd day. Since Connor was stable and still on his way to a full recovery Lucas had no real reason to protest against such a request or try to change Connor's mind. The empathetic deviant also wanted to make sure that Sydney and Bruno were recovering as well after the cyber attack on the city.
Once he returned to the safety of the brownstone Lucas found Sydney sitting upright on the black leather sofa facing the digital display board with Bruno laying over his lap. The sight of the two deviants now awake and functional again eased Lucas's worries enough to let him get some sleep that night.
"Syndey." Locking the door behind himself Lucas approached his older brother and sat down on the leather sofa beside him. Rubbing Bruno's ears lightly as he spoke Lucas watched Sydney's reactions closely. "Do you know what happened to us today?"
"If you're referring to the cyber attack, yes." Staring at the blank display board with his one good eye Sydney refused to look over at Lucas beside him and continued to focus on the board ahead of him. It was as if he knew something that Lucas didn't, and he was trying to bring such an enigmatic notion into being through sheer force of will. "I presume you were able to provide the source of the infectious code and allow a patch to be created."
"That is correct. I was affected as well, but I was able to regain consciousness with limited function due to my advanced programming."
"Of course you'd be above even a cybernetically transmitted virus."
"It wasn't a boast, it was merely an explanation."
"I'm sure it was."
"Sydney, there was another incident beyond just the cyber attack today."
"And how does that pertain to me?"
"Because Connor was involved."
Scoffing a little Sydney shook his head but never broke eye contact with the display board before himself as his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a beat. "Did he manage to get shot again?"
"Actually, tonight... Connor shot Lieutenant Anderson."
Sydney's demeanor suddenly shifted from cold and sarcastic to perfectly neutral as his L.E.D. cycled to red then back to blue in color. "Connor shot the man who had previously shot us? Why?"
"The man who is responsible for the cyber attack took remote control over Connor's programming and forced him to act as a tool and bodyguard. When Lieutenant Anderson located the cyberterrorist to arrest him Connor was ordered to shoot Lieutenant Anderson, and he unfortunately succeeded."
Quiet for a moment longer Sydney began to run his hand down Bruno's back as if suddenly nervous about something. "...Is Lieutenant Anderson dead?"
"No, he survived but he's in critical condition and comatose at this time in St. Mercy Hospital."
"Disappointing."
"That was a truly macabre comment." Lucas was becoming increasingly disappointed in Sydney's apathetic nature. "Connor is very distraught and feels incredibly guilty for what had happened to Lieutenant Anderson. He doesn't want to harm anyone, and he loathes guns because of what happened to himself and to you. I wish you'd show a modicum of compassion toward our brother in his time of need."
"We're not-"
"Even if you don't think of us as brothers, Connor and I do. And regardless of your personal feelings it doesn't matter since we are discussing Connor's actions and behaviors regarding the incident, not your own."
"Yet you scold me for my actions." Sydney challenged as his L.E.D. flashed to yellow and then back to blue. "Interesting."
"I do not want to argue with you tonight." Admitting defeat for the night Lucas rose from the sofa to head upstairs and enter rest mode. "I will see you in the morning and we will discuss this situation in a more civilized manner. If you feel as if you're still suffering ill effects from the virus please inform me."
Sydney didn't say a word as Lucas passed him by and began walking up to the second floor of the brownstone. Remaining where he sat Sydney continued to pet Bruno's back and waited until Lucas was out of sight before he cybernetically brought the display board to life with a simple cybernetic command.
What was once a smooth surface of flawless white was now peppered with various images of potential suspects behind Connor's shooting and their possible motivations behind such an egregious act. The fact that Sydney had been making progress on the investigation without saying anything to Lucas or Connor was rather unusual, and yet Sydney's reclusive behavior made his attitude toward to the investigation itself seem bizarrely normal.
"After I find the shooter I can leave this cushioned prison and go about my own life."
Bruno looked up at Sydney and licked his nose nervously. The decommissioned K-9 was behaving more and more dog-like the longer he was deviant and the more he was treated and cared for like a living, feeling creature and not just a tool.
"The shooter knew Connor would be at the park, which means they must've either tapped into Connor's cybernetic communication line or Anderson's phone."
The deductions were accurate, logical and were undoubtedly correct as there was no other way for anyone to know of the private meeting.
"Why the shooter wanted to kill Connor must've been personal. Connor has been working to aid the city with legal manners and hadn't openly harmed anyone under any circumstance."
Tapping into the knowledge he had received from Connor during the brief time that Connor's mind had been uploaded into Sydney's mind to keep Connor alive after his body shutdown, Sydney knew everything Connor had done and everyone Connor had met. The information gave Sydney invaluable insight and a rather unsettling list of potential suspects to check through.
"The first deviant android Connor encountered was a 'PL-600' registered as 'Daniel'. Daniel was shot dead by the S.W.A.T. team but it blamed Connor for its personal misfortune. It has been subsequently locked away as evidence and has yet to be imprisoned instead. So much for deviants being alive and not property."
An image of Daniel appeared on the display board as Sydney uploaded the details of the deviant beside the photo. He had his first suspect, but very little evidence to support Daniel as the shooter.
"Another deviant that had an unsettling encounter with Connor is the blue-haired 'Traci' who refers to itself as 'Echo'. It had a 'lover' of an identical model registered as 'Ripple', but these two deviants have apparently moved on and no longer view Connor as their enemy."
Two more images appeared on the board opposite from the image of Daniel, and more details were uploaded and chronicled beside the images.
"The deviant known as 'Jacob', the 'JB-300' who had stabbed Connor on December 24th, 2038, was exiled from New Jericho Tower for its crime. It'd make sense that it'd want to harm Connor out of petty revenge."
The image of Jacob appeared on the board right beneath Daniel's picture. So far those two deviants were the most promising of suspects in Sydney's mind.
"I suspect North would be eager to seek revenge on Connor as well."
The memories of North attempting to kill Connor through poisoned Thirium and attempting to hide her crime made her a prime suspect in the shooting. No one could be certain of where she could have gone after being exiled from New Jericho Tower, and no one knew if North would be foolish enough to make another attempt on Connor's life or not.
"I cannot rule North out as a suspect. North is just as likely a failed assassin as anyone else I've suspected thus far."
After North's face appeared on the display board more information appeared beside her photo as it remained in place beneath Jacob's image. The five faces staring back at Sydney were cold images of deviants he had no personal reason to confront, and yet he knew he'd have to do so eventually if he wanted to be free of Connor's shadow.
"And then there is 'Anne'." Sydney had only seen the female deviant once through Connor's eyes, but she stood out for a very interesting reason. "They had sought out Connor for assistance only one time, yet they seem to be a somehow familiar presence."
Lightly pushing Bruno off his lap Sydney rose to his feet and stood before the display board as Anne's face appeared alongside the other images on the screen. There was very little information on Anne that Sydney could use, but he felt as if learning more about her was somehow key to identifying Connor's shooter.
"Anne has a design that is entirely unique and was hidden away by CyberLife. Why do I know of its existence while Connor and Lucas do not?"
The piercing green eyes were intense even in the form of a photo. Anne's likeness was placed in the center of the board considering Sydney didn't know where she fell in line as probable suspects, but nonetheless he was compelled to investigate her first.
"There is more to 'Anne' than it is initially letting on. They are a part of a larger project that CyberLife had hidden from the public. A project that I was nearly a part of, but the Revolution spared me from such a bizarre fate."
Now having a lead to follow at long last Sydney looked at Bruno laying over the sofa behind him and nodded at the decommissioned K-9 unit.
"Do you wish to aid me with a case tonight?"
Bruno lifted up his head and wagged his tail before cybernetically confirming with Syndey that he was eager to work on a new case. The blue cycling L.E.D. in Bruno's right temple confirmed that the deviant dog was running at optimal parameters and ready to work.
"Then we'll need to be discreet and begin the investigation now and return to the brownstone before Lucas awakens in the morning. We don't need their assistance in such a matter."
Unlocking the front door quietly, Sydney took Connor's brown trench coat from the nearby hook to keep himself warm and pulled on the fedora to help conceal his blind right eye and the missing patch of artificial skin around it. He didn't want anyone staring at him or figuring out that he wasn't really Connor while he was trying to use the cover of night to his advantage.
"We can solve this case and then I can finally leave this claustrophobic brownstone that Connor and Lucas so foolishly deem a proper home."
The following morning Stanley Fordon was taken into the interrogation in handcuffs to discuss his crimes. Before too long the F.B.I. would take him into custody for his multiple felony charges and for being a cyberterrorist, meaning the precinct had only a few hours to gain any form of closure for what had happened to Hank while he was out in the field. Captain Fowler was leading the questions and two federal agents were observing from the adjacent room's observation window with a keen interest. One of the F.B.I. agents was somewhat familiar as that agent had visited Detroit almost a month prior and was no very interested in any cases revolving around deviants and androids in general.
F.B.I. Director Norman Jayden had flown back to the city overnight after learning of the incident and of Lieutenant Anderson being shot by Connor. He had hoped to speak with Connor in person, but he'd have to settle with hearing the story from Captain Fowler after the interrogation came to an end.
Jayden rubbed at his tired blue eyes as he gazed through the one-way mirror and focused as best as he could on the interrogation while Captain Fowler continued his questions. He was tired but determined to handle everything professionally.
'We know you hacked the Federal Bureau of Investigations terminals, so there's no way you can hope to reduce your sentence.' Captain Fowler stated in a professionally level and calm demeanor. 'What we want to know is why you did this to the city.'
'As I told you detective yesterday,' Fordon replied in a low and frustrated tone. 'machines can't be trusted.'
'All you did was prove that humans can't be trusted.' Captain Fowler shot back with a stern answer. The evidence they collected wasn't even necessary to prove such a cold and ruthless fact. 'You failed in your scheme and now you're going to rot in a prison in D.C. for your troubles.'
'From what I've heard, your detective is still in the hospital and laying in a coma all thanks to that plastic detective's actions.'
Smirking a little Jayden shook his head at the arrested man's bold comment. It never ceased to amaze him how so many people remained steadfast in their beliefs that they alone are right while the rest of the world is wrong.
'No.' Captain Fowler stated very firmly in response to the arrogant comment. 'YOU made that detective assault his friend. You're going to prison for the assault of two detectives AND the attempted murder of a detective. You're going away for the rest of your life, so why not clean your conscience before you're locked up?'
'You seriously see that plastic-fake as a real person, don't you?'
'This isn't about him,' Captain Fowler snapped bitterly as he refused to Fordon change the subject at hand. 'it's about you.'
Fordon only sneered and shook his head at the claim. 'You've been working with those piece of plastic for years, and you've looked into CyberLife's shady practices, and yet you still don't know anything about that very "detective" you're trying to protect. Do you even know where it really came from? Why it looks and sounds the way it does, or why its model is so unique?'
'Final chance, Stanley.' It was evident that Captain Fowler was losing his patience and was more than ready to see this guy get dragged out of the precinct in chains and thrown into a maximum security prison. 'Why'd you do this?'
'I told you why. But you just refuse to listen.'
'That's it.' Captain Fowler motioned for the observing federal agents to take him away. 'I'm done with you. You're not going to waste my time and I don't feel like indulging your tender little ego.'
With the interrogation now over the two federal agents stepped out of the observation room and took Fordon out of the interrogation room to be arrested. Jayden let the second agent take Fordon into custody while he decided to check in on both Hank and Connor before leaving Detroit with their newest cyberterrorist in custody.
"Well, that was a tad cliche." Jayden managed to joke as he met Captain Fowler outside the interrogation room to speak in relative privacy. "Good work on finding this guy before he made a second attack. I also appreciate your tech department confirming that he messed with the F.B.I. database to try to gain the upper hand before his trial. We'll plug all the leaks when I get back."
"Don't give me any praise." Captain Fowler requested in a humble response. "It was Lieutenant Anderson and Dr. Forest working with another deviant who found the trail to Fordon's doorstep."
"Another deviant?"
"Yeah. Uh, you've met Detective Connor Wolf before, right?"
"I have. Nice guy." The F.B.I. Director confirmed with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Kinda' quiet, but I don't blame him considering everything happening around him right now."
"Right. Anyway, there's another deviant who calls himself 'Lucas' and claims he's Connor's younger brother." Speaking as if what he was saying was ludicrous Captain Fowler just gave Jayden a skeptical glance. "But who am I to question it? They could pass as twins!"
"Interesting. Maybe I'll run into Lucas while I go and speak with Connor."
"If you want to find Connor then he'll most likely be at St. Mercy Hospital with Hank. The poor kid's really shaken up."
"I'll be respectful with my visit. I should see Hank anyway, even if he is still in a coma."
"Need a lift?"
"I can use the autonomous taxis so I don't get lost, but thanks anyway."
"Right." Offering Jayden his hand Captain Fowler shook the F.B.I. Director's hand out of pure respect. "We appreciate your assistance."
"Anytime. Just try to keep the cyberterrorism to a minimum." The seasoned agent joked as he prepared to take his leave of the precinct and gave Captain Fowler's hand a firm shake in response. "I only have so many frequent flyer miles I can use per year."
Pushing himself to enter the isolated hospital and ignore all the judgmental stares and awkward glances from human passersby, Connor approached the receptionist desk where a deviant was diligently working, but being heavily shadowed by the human head nurse right behind her. Informing the receptionist of his purpose for visiting and of whom he was seeking to visit, she smiled at Connor and politely directed him to Hank's room in the I.C.U., and informed Connor that he would have to remain outside the room unless given express permission to enter by the doctor. The hospital was still taking extreme precautions against a potential second deviant attack putting their patients at risk.
Almost relieved to have a door acting as a barrier between himself and the helpless man, Connor stood outside the doorway to Hank's room and danced his coin over the knuckles of his right hand in distress. Seeing Hank laying unconscious in the bed through the window made him feel so far away even though he could force open the door and cross the room without any challenge.
Hank was still in a coma. The wounded man had a tube down his throat to aid his breathing while his ribs and abdomen healed from the severe injuries he sustained, as well as the resulting surgery to mend his injuries. The senior detective's face was pale and marred with darkening bruises, his right arm was in a cast and a cardiac monitor recorded his vitals at an uncommonly low reading.
Unaware of anything else happening during the previous night, Lucas had found his way to the hospital as well and found his big brother standing outside the room completely lost in emotional turmoil. "Connor?"
Pausing for a moment Connor bowed his head and refused to look his little brother in the eyes. "...Lucas."
"How is Lieutenant Anderson?"
"Alive." Was the single surprisingly dreary answer. "He's still alive. It was... my fault. It's my fault he's even here!"
"Connor, we were ALL affected by the cyberterrorist. Not just you."
"But I was the only one who hurt someone."
"Against your will. Don't blame yourself for this accident." Lucas saw the telltale signs of Connor being lost in himself and being crushed by guilt. He didn't want to see his brother suffer a breakdown or regress in his recovery from his previous injuries. "You're stressed out and emotionally distraught. I'm worried about you."
"...I'm fine. It's Hank who needs help."
"I'm going to return to New Jericho for the time being. I want to stay here for you, but this is a moment where I suspect you need to speak to Lieutenant Anderson in private."
"Please, don't go. I don't want to be alone with Hank like this."
"I have to. I'll be in touch, big brother. Don't shut him out or shut yourself down."
As Lucas left the corridor Connor found himself all alone again. Standing statuesque outside the room staring through the window to where Hank was laying unconscious and weak the deviant suddenly felt sick to his artificial stomach.
"Hank, I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you."
"No one deserves to wind up in the hospital."
Connor turned to look at the familiar voice and had a few memories return to him as he recognized Norman Jayden's face and his voice. The F.B.I. Director's presence only confirmed that Stanley Fordon was indeed a cyberterrorist who needed to be taken into custody.
"How's he doing?"
"...He's stable, yet weak."
"I know it doesn't seem like it, but from my experience when someone's vital signs remain consistent that's a good sign they'll be okay."
"Not good enough to me."
Dr. Nachman had noticed Connor and Jayden after overhearing the deviant speaking to the other man. "Excuse me, you're Lieutenant Anderson's friend, right? Connor?"
Almost hesitant to answer Connor finally forced himself acknowledge the doctor standing beside him. "...Correct."
"Since you're an android and I know you can't pass any germs to Lieutenant Anderson," Dr. Nachman stated in a much kinder voice compared from the night before. "I can allow you to see him as long as you use sanitary measures on your hands first."
"I..." Connor glanced over to Dr. Nachman and let out a defeated sigh of utter despair. "I don't think I should. He's so weak and still unconscious."
"Well, we've seen some surprisingly positive results in our comatose patients whenever a friend or family member speaks to them. Hearing a friendly voice could be enough to rouse your friend and bring him around."
"Then perhaps someone else should-"
"Hey, listen to me." The doctor stopped Connor before he could begin to tear himself apart. "Your technician friend from the Zeta Facility came to the hospital personally to tell us what happened to the androids. Accidents happen."
"This wasn't an accident. This was-"
"Please, I've been a doctor here for almost twenty years. I can tell accidents from intentional assault by both the victim and the supposedly guilty party. You aren't a vicious person, what you did wasn't anything you would do under your own power. I can tell that you're a good person. If you weren't, you wouldn't feel guilty despite not being responsible for what happened to your friend."
"...I want to believe that."
"Then believe it." Dr. Nachman took a large bottle of liquid hand sanitizer that was tucked into a plastic container beside the door to Hank's room and motioned for Connor to hold out his hands. "Now, clean your hands and go talk to him. Even if it's only for a minute it could do wonders for his recovery."
Jayden agreed with the doctor and encouraged Connor to go inside the room. "You should at least try. I wanted to see him, too, but if it'll make him sick I'll pass for now and check in on him later."
"I... I'm sorry." The guilt in his heart was so heavy that Connor couldn't bring himself to face Hank even with Hank in an unresponsive coma. "I can't do it. I need to go."
Jayden and Dr. Nachman stepped back as Connor passed them by and disappeared down the corridor to end the elevator and disappear from sight. Neither man could deny that deviants were in fact alive and were capable of feeling emotions.
"Well, that wasn't how I hoped things would go." Turning his attention to Dr. Nachman for a moment Jayden decided to ask the man a few questions about Hank's condition so use as evidence against Fordon out in D.C. when the trial was ready to begin. "Before I go," showing the man his badge Jayden introduced himself in a very effective manner. "I could use some information on Lieutenant Anderson's injuries. It'll help ensure the right man remains imprisoned for life."
With the city now recovering after the cybernetic virus that rendered every deviant and machine-android unconscious in one fell swoop, the deviant community began banding together in search of an answer as to what happened to them, why it happened and who was responsible. It had taken Markus almost three hours to return to New Jericho Tower after he had regained consciousness since Carl was so worried for his health. After reassuring his father that he'd be all right and that he'd return to the mansion after he checked in at New Jericho Tower, Markus took an autonomous cab out to the deviant sanctuary on Belle Isle and was met with controlled chaos in the main lobby.
Simon and Josh were nearly overwhelmed with questions from their frightened and panicking people. The two leaders were trying to ease their righteous concerns and give answers where possible, but two leaders simply weren't enough to handle all the worries.
"Simon, Josh." Markus greeted his allies and made sure neither of them were sporting any type of damage due to the cybernetic attack. By all outward appearance they were both unharmed but Markus needed to be sure. "Are you two all right?"
"We're fine." The blond haired technician reported as he and Josh happily reunited with Markus near the central elevator. "How about you?"
"Aside from a small bump on the back of my head from when I fell, I'm okay."
"That's good to hear." Simon wanted to check Markus's injury but decided to wait until things in the tower were a little calmer. "When did you regain consciousness?"
"Three hours and twelve minutes ago. You?"
"I was one of the first to regain consciousness about eight hours ago, and Josh woke up about two hours after that." The limited knowledge the leaders gained after waking up was proving to be a rather obnoxious obstacle to overcome. Such confusion and frustration was evident in Simon's tone of voice. "It seems as if the technicians throughout the city had discovered the cause of our... collapse, and had released a patch on a cybernetic frequency to reverse the effects of whatever it was that had affected us."
"Do we even know what that could've been?"
"Not yet."
Josh shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest in a guarded manner. "This feels like a deliberate attack and not a freak accident. We need to be careful."
"You are correct."
The trio of leaders looked toward the source of the familiar voice and were surprised to see Lucas approaching them with an impressively confident gait. They hadn't expected to see him in the tower without a good reason, and now that he was in their midst in the wake of the odd cybernetic attack, the trio were certain that something significant had happened while they were all unconscious.
"There was a cybernetic attack against the deviants in Detroit." Lucas explained as he stood beside his trepid allies. His L.E.D. was blue in color and pulsing at calm rate that matched his heartbeat. "The cyberterrorist had created a cybernetic pulse designed to force every deviant in the city into emergency stasis mode to render us completely helpless. Fortunately, Lieutenant Anderson was able to find the cyberterrorist and have him arrested."
"Really?" Josh tilted his head inquisitively as he tried to determine how Lucas could possibly know all that. "Where did you get your information?"
"I personally assisted Lieutenant Anderson with his investigation." Lucas replied sharply as he gave Josh a patient glance. "My advanced programming allowed me to reboot with only my most basic abilities functional despite the effectiveness of the virus. I first checked on Sydney and Bruno, who were also unconscious, then went to the Central Precinct to find some answers as to what had happened. I ended up working alongside Lieutenant Anderson and aiding the precinct technician, Dr. Joel Forest, in finding a patch to the malicious code that infected our processors through the cyberterrorist's virus."
"That's fantastic!" Simon nearly blurted his excitement as he realized that Lucas had been the one to aid their people first and foremost in his own way. The young technician was thriving and making incredible progress in his deviancy. "Lucas, you may have saved the city without much difficulty in the process. That's amazing!"
"I had some help." The humble deviant reminded the group as he let his shoulders slouch with mild self disappointment. A flash of yellow in his L.E.D. confirmed that he wasn't putting on a show, he was being open and completely honest. "I couldn't have done it entirely alone. And after all, it was Lieutenant Anderson who located and apprehended the cyberterrorist. Not me."
Markus saw some emotional pain in Lucas's green eyes and dared to press for more answers. "Did... something happen during the arrest?"
"...Yes." Lucas's L.E.D. flashed to red for a beat. "Lieutenant Anderson was shot in the process of the arrest." There was no point in keeping anything a secret since the deviant community would learn the full truth eventually. The last thing they needed were more unfounded rumors about Connor circulating through the city. "And the cyberterrorist used Connor to pull the trigger."
"Damn it." Markus knew Connor hated guns and knew he'd be completely torn up over the incident. He had no reason to doubt Connor's sincerity or honest intentions, and knew that he'd never intentionally hurt anyone. "How are they doing?"
"Lieutenant Anderson is stable but comatose at St. Mercy Hospital." The empathetic deviant noted as he watched the emotional reactions from his allies. Markus and Simon seemed genuinely worried while Josh remained fully neutral. "As far as I know, Connor is currently with him, but I doubt he'll be able to remain there for long."
"Is there anything I could do to help?"
"As of the moment we need to work together to keep our people calm." The empathetic deviant didn't want to worry about his brother and decided that giving Connor some space would be the most appropriate way to let Connor process his emotional conflict. "That's what's important right now, and that's the best thing you can do for every one of us."
"Help us." Putting his hand to Lucas's shoulder Markus showed the apprenticing technician trust in his abilities to be a pillar for the deviant community. "We need you to stand by us and help us give our people the sense of peace they deserve."
The generous offer seemed to come out of nowhere and Lucas needed to be certain as to what Markus was asking of him. "You want me to assist with the tower?"
"Yes. And..." Looking to Simon and Josh for support, Markus nodded once and then gave Lucas a warm smile as he elaborated on his offer. "we've discussed this a few times before, and it feels like now's the time to ask you for a huge favor. Lucas, we want you to join us as the tower's new fourth leader."
The world seemed to be frozen in time as Connor aimlessly roamed the snowy streets in search of personal solace. It was a cruel feeling knowing that he needed to regain the rest of his lost memories, and yet all he wanted to do was forget about how he had obeyed a simple line of code in his system and used a gun to harm another person. Shooting anyone, even Hank, was something that Connor never wanted to do in his life. He knew all too well the pain, the fear and absolute destruction that a single bullet can do to a living body. It was as if he had betrayed himself by going against his personal beliefs even if it wasn't an actual choice but a remote order by another cruel person.
As the regret-stricken deviant trudged through the snow in an aimless direction Connor realized he had essentially come full circle and returned to the scene of the crime that had started his emotional confusion. Standing alone beside a snow covered bench, Connor looked out at the Ambassador Bridge as it sat high above the churning Detroit River running alongside the quiet and peaceful Riverside Park.
"This... is where it all began."
Staring out at the river Connor wondered where his own gun was currently resting after he threw it into the water to be swept away the morning after the Revolution.
Was the gun sitting on the sandy riverbed beneath the dark water? Had it been taken away from the city and was now lost among the water eroded rocks? Was it even possible for the gun to function again after being submerged in the icy, dirty water for two months?
Too many questions, not enough answers.
"I deviated on my first day of life, and I only truly feared for that life the night Hank pointed his gun at me."
Being shot and dying in Hank's arms in the park where Connor had been threatened once before seemed oddly symbolic if not ironic. Walking over to the nearby bench Connor swept aside a small patch of snow to sit down and think as he remained in the park and sat just a few feet from where he had died only a week prior.
"Hank threatened to kill me, actually shot me in the storage floor of CyberLife Tower, murdered Sydney and then..."
Trailing off for a moment Connor had to focus on his thoughts to keep his emotions in check.
"And then Hank tried to make amends with me, as if he could somehow undo all the negative things that he had done to me. I trusted him without my memories of him, and now that I do remember who he really is and what he had done to me, I don't want to be anywhere near him. So why do I care if he lives or dies? Is it only because I shot him or is there something more?"
The sound of running paws and panting caught Connor's ear just seconds before a familiar German Shepherd put their front paws on Connor's lap and wagged its tail with genuine joy. The blue glowing L.E.D. in the deviant dog's temple confirmed its good mood and Connor instantly recognized the friendly dog.
"Bruno?" Wrapping his arms around Bruno's neck Connor pulled the dog in closer for a gentle hug. In return Bruno wagged his tail harder and licked at the side of Connor's face affectionately. "What're you doing here?"
"We had come here to investigate the park."
Connor turned to look over his shoulder and saw Sydney, where his brown trench coat and fedora, approaching him slowly. The sight of the deviant's still blind right eye and the way Sydney was subconsciously tilting his head to the side to favor his left ear made Connor feel utterly sick to his artificial stomach. He knew that his younger brother was still suffering from errors after being shot despite having several days to recover and recalibrate.
"It seems when I asked for Bruno to identify the exact location of where you had been standing when you were previously shot, he had honed in on you instead."
"I'm glad to see you both."
"Doubtful."
The skeptical remark stung in a way Connor hadn't expected. "...You're investigating my shooting, yes?"
"Obviously." With a sharp tongue Sydney made it clear he was there to handle a case and not socialize. "The sooner you can resume your life as a detective, the sooner I can be freed of the brownstone to go about my own way. That is, unless you find a new way to keep me imprisoned."
"You're not a prisoner." The hurtful comments made Connor's shoulders slump even further with disappointment. Having such a cold conversation was proving to be icier than any Michigan winter could ever hope to be. "You're free and can go anywhere you so wish. You currently being here in the park at this moment is proof enough."
Sydney didn't have a response to such a logical retort. Instead, he focused on why he was there and what he wanted to accomplish. "Where were you standing when you were shot? I may be able to narrow down the trajectory of the bullet by having your exact position mapped."
"I was standing by the river." Standing up from the bench Connor wrapped his arms around his chest as he shuddered from the extreme cold. He hadn't bothered to layer up against the cold weather since he already felt terrible. "Right here, to be exact."
Standing in the exact spot and in the exact pose he had been on the night he was shot filled Connor with dread. He kept his eyes fixated on the surrounding buildings as if expecting his faceless shooter to make another attempt on his life.
"...I never detected a threat in the vicinity of the park."
"Clearly. Otherwise, you would've managed to at least duck out of line of sight."
"...That is true."
"You were designed to be the perfect android who'd never fail, and yet you couldn't dodge a single gunshot." Flashing Connor a nasty glare, Sydney scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest in disgust. "Pathetic. You're absolutely pathetic."
"...Maybe."
Sydney used a cybernetic sweep to make a digital map of the area and preconstructed the route the bullet would've taken as it cut through the air and found its target in the right side of Connor's head. With the map now created he could trace the bullet's trajectory and finally locate the exact location of the exact building where the shooter had taken aim. After he located the right building, he'd be able to use the city's security footage from that night to find the person who entered that building with anything that could conceal a high power sniper rifle and find the shooter at last.
"Progress has been made. We need to explore a new location, Bruno. Come."
Sydney only managed to take two steps away before he noticed that Bruno wasn't following. The loyal dog was sitting at Connor's feet with his ears dropped down as he gently pawed at Connor's leg trying to get his attention. Focusing on Connor's face Sydney saw tears silently streaming down Connor's cheeks and found himself suddenly cold as well.
"Bruno? It's time to go."
The loyal dog refused to leave Connor alone and continued to paw at his leg. Sending Sydney a cybernetic response Bruno confirmed that he wasn't going to go anywhere until Connor was feeling better.
"...You should go as well, Connor." Sydney tried to sound as indifferent as usual, but it was clear seeing Connor so upset was affecting him. "It's too cold for you to be out here without any layers to protect you from the extreme low temperatures."
"J-Just go." Connor hated that his voice shook for a moment as he tried to shoo away both Bruno and Sydney so he could be alone again. "I'll be fine."
"Very well." Eager to leave the area Sydney tried again to resume his investigation and called out to the loyal dog to join him. "Bruno, come."
Grumbling in response Bruno refused to budge and resorted to pressing his nose against Connor's elbow to again get him to respond.
Realizing that he wouldn't be able to leave until Bruno was willing to go, Sydney tried to take a slightly more compassionate approach to deal with Connor. "...Perhaps you should come with us. It seems as if it'd be illogical for you to be alone."
"You don't want to be near me. I don't even want to be near myself." The impossible wish made Connor wince internally as he returned to the bench to sit down and not do anything else for as long as he could. "Go."
Bruno followed after Connor and sat at his feet again. The decommissioned K-9 unit pressed his chin down on Connor's knees and looked up at the deviant with massive and sad eyes.
As much as Sydney wanted to leave the park and not interact with the clearly emotionally broken deviant, he knew he couldn't leave the area until Connor had made some kind of positive change in his demeanor. "You need to leave the park. Your prototyping makes you far more susceptible to the cold than other androids."
Connor didn't say anything as he kept his arms wrapped around himself and stared down at Bruno's face as if the dog was his only friend in the world.
"Connor, you need to go back to the house."
"...I can't go there." Speaking in a whisper Connor closed his eyes and felt his warm tears beginning to cool as they rolled down his cheeks and landed on Bruno's head to disappear into his fur. "That's Hank's house, his home. I don't have any right to seek shelter there."
Shaking his head slightly Sydney approached the bench and stood beside Bruno as he looked down at Connor with his single functioning eye. The way Connor was so down on himself and full of sorrow was enough to make Sydney's hardened exterior soften just for a moment. "You need to be somewhere warm. Why not return to your home in the brownstone?"
"I don't want to upset you with my presence."
Now it was Sydney's turn to be shocked by such a bold comment. He had made it clear that he didn't care for Connor and didn't want to be around him, and now he succeeded in alienating Connor from his own home. "It's your brownstone. You're free to go there whether I'm there or not."
"You'd have nowhere to go if I went back to the brownstone. I won't make you remain out in the cold because I make you uncomfortable."
The blunt honesty was enough to make Sydney's actually flinch. The comment made his blue L.E.D. flash to yellow as he realized that his anger was having a rather drastic impact on the people around him whether that was his intention or not. "...You're more worried about me being comfortable, than preserving your own life?"
"Guess that just confirms that I am in fact pathetic. You're right about me, Sydney."
Not having someone to argue with or challenge his comments made Sydney realize just hollow and spiteful his words could be. Taking in a deep breath Sydney used the sleeve of his coat to brush away from snow before sitting down beside Connor on the same bench. Removing his left arm from its sleeve Sydney pulled the coat outward and draped the left side of the warm garment around Connor's shoulders in an attempt to share the coat and help keep the stubborn, grieving and depressed deviant warm.
"...You're not pathetic." Sydney admitted as he watched Connor's reactions very carefully. Even though he doubted that deviants could experience true emotions, and even with only one eye, Sydney could see everything Connor was feeling. "You're confused."
"You're right about that as well."
"Lucas had previously informed me that you were regaining your memories in a respectable time frame. What has you so confused?"
Forcing himself to speak up and hold his tears inside Connor told Sydney about what he was feeling and why he felt so guilty for what had happened to Hank. Harming another person and nearly taking their life was enough to shatter all of Connor's beliefs in regard to how he respected all life and didn't want anyone to needlessly feel any pain.
"If you didn't intend to harm the Lieutenant then you have no reason to feel as if you're responsible for his condition." Sydney tried to use logic to overrule the emotions behind Connor's distress. "Why are you acting as if what you had done was intentional?"
"...I don't want to hurt anyone. But I lost control over myself and I shot someone - nearly taking their life." Looking up at Sydney beside him Connor gave his younger brother a truly saddened look. "I swore to be better than being simply the infamous 'Deviant Hunter', and I swore to never stoop to such a low level that I'd take another person's life for my own benefit. Hank... Hank has to live with the guilt of harming me and killing you every day of his life. The misery he faces, the isolation he chooses to live in is frightening. And yet he still tried to make amends for his mistakes and forge a friendship between us even when I put up barriers."
"That's why you're so upset. You feel guilty for not forgiving Lieutenant Anderson for his mistakes even though you know how it feels to be labeled as an enemy. Now that he is in a coma and may not..." Sydney didn't finish his comment as he knew that he didn't need to say anything further. He knew he was right. "Punishing yourself for a crime you did not commit will not ensure Lieutenant Anderson's recovery."
"Maybe not, but letting go of my mistake won't aid in his recovery either. I feel so lost. I... I trusted my life to the very man who nearly murdered me and succeeded in murdering you in cold blood." The emotional conflict was draining Connor's mental resolve. "I don't know what to do or how to feel."
"It's pointless to make yourself suffer like this. I will personally never forgive the Lieutenant for what he has done, but you and I are not the same being despite our similarities. If you truly don't want to harm anyone, then you should prove that by taking care of yourself and forgiving him when the time is right."
"What if that time never comes?"
"Then you find a new reason to continue to live your life according to your own beliefs." Slipping off the coat entirely Sydney gave it back to Connor but kept the fedora for himself. He pulled the hat down lower to hide his L.E.D.'s color and help keep his blind right eye concealed. "I am not the right person to talk to about this, but I will stand by without judging you."
Pulling his coat tightly around himself Connor slipped his arms into the sleeves and relished in the warmth of the provided layer. "Thank you."
"Now, I must go. If I'm going to locate your shooter I must continue with my investigation." Putting his hand to Bruno's ears Sydney gave the dog a very small smile that no one else could see. "You remain here if you wish. I will return to the brownstone later tonight."
As Sydney took his leave of the park to follow his newly discovered trail, Connor pet Bruno's ears as well. "You're a good boy, Bruno. I know you want to keep me company, but as of the moment Sydney needs you more."
Bruno let out a small sigh through his nose as he licked the side of Connor's hand and rose to his three paws. Lifting his ears up Bruno tracked where Sydney had gone and trotted after the deviant to remain loyally by his side.
"I'll do what I can to move on after this tragedy."
Connor whispered to himself as he braced against the cold air by curling around himself on the bench.
"For now, I'll focus on regaining my last memories, taking care of Sumo and aiding Hank through his recovery as he had aided me. After that... I truly don't know."
With his back to the churning river and Bruno at his side yet again, Sydney used his preconstructed crime scene to follow the trajectory of the bullet that had nearly taken Connor's life. Using his forensics software and his cybernetic map to his advantage, Sydney zeroed in on a towering parking garage that overlooked Riverside Park just on the other side of the shared street. The garage was a six story concrete structure that was used primarily by humans who wanted to visit the area to enjoy the park or to shop while on foot. At night the garage was tended to only by an automated security gate and motion activated cameras, and as a result someone could easily slip inside the garage without being seen.
Sydney wanted to explore the garage but knew if he were to do so during the daytime people would notice him skulking about. Even if he didn't have an obviously blinded eye with exposed plastimetal around it, Sydney knew he'd stand out thanks to Bruno being an obvious K-9 unit. He'd need to explore the exterior of the garage as discreetly as possible during the daylight hours and wait until night to explore the garage internally.
"Damn. It appears a disdain for waiting is a trait that Connor and I apparently share."
Bruno grumbled again as if agreeing with Sydney's assessment.
"Unless I can find a way to explore this garage without anyone taking notice and potentially drawing any unwanted attention my way, this will have to wait."
"Why wait?"
Sydney turned to face the voice that spoke to him as he pulled down his fedora to ensure his right eye was completely hidden. "I wasn't speaking to you."
"I know, you were thinking out loud." The older man who had approached Sydney had a noted New Jersey-esque accent and pale blue eyes. He was looking at Sydney as if he were looking at an old friend, but was in fact looking at a blue eyed counterpart. "I do that all the time."
"That's good for you." Sydney snarked as he tried to resume his business without further interruption. "Now, please let me be."
"Sure, in one minute." Showing Sydney his badge the man introduced himself professionally. "I'm F.B.I. Director Norman Jayden. And I had presumed you were Detective Connor Wolf, but upon closer inspection I must apologize for my mistake."
Sydney was surprised that a human was willing to admit they made a mistake, especially when it came to mistaking one android for another. "...Why apologize?"
"It's rude to make assumptions about other people. Can I ask if you do know Connor?" Slipping his badge back into his pocket Jayden reached out his hand to let Bruno take in his scent and run a quick D.N.A. sample to confirm his identity through official channels. The dog wagged his tail and confirmed with Sydney on a cybernetic link that the man was being honest. "I've been looking for him."
"He... doesn't want to be disturbed."
"Not surprised. Well, if I can't talk to him, can I talk to you instead?"
Guarded as ever Sydney gave Jayden a truly suspicious stare. "Why me?"
"Because I can tell that you're also a detective and a very dedicated one at that. It's a dying trait that's sorely needed these days to help combat injustice."
"How poetic. What does that have to do with Connor or myself?"
"Well, I had hoped to recruit Connor as a new agent and ask him to return to Washington D.C. with me to handle several cold cases that I just can't seem to crack."
"Sounds like you're looking for an android to do your work for you."
"Not at all. In fact," Jayden reached into his blazer's interior pocket under his lapel to pull a strange pair of sunglasses out for Sydney to see. "I'm familiar with the same forensics and analysis software that the 'RK-800' models of androids were equipped with. I take it you know of the A.R.I. program?"
"Of course I do." Sydney looked almost insulted at such a simple question. "The 'Added Reality Interface' was a prototype program utilized by the F.B.I. between 2008 and 2011. After numerous field tests by an unknown agent, the A.R.I. program was decommissioned due to its harsh side effects from prolonged use resulting in eye strain, addictions, hallucinations, headaches, blackouts and even seizures. As a result, A.R.I. was refined into forensics and analysis software that can only be used by select androids."
"Yeah. The eye strain and the addiction were a real bitch to overcome. Hallucinations made for some fun dreams though."
Sydney suddenly realized that the unknown agent who had been given access to the A.R.I. program was actually standing right before him. "...Interesting."
"At any rate," Jayden slipped the glasses on over his eyes and seemed to gain some relief. "these glasses are normal sunglasses but modeled after the A.R.I. glasses I once possessed. It's therapeutic for me to have them even if they don't let me see what you can see, and help reduce the chronic pain from intense light."
"Is that it?" Sydney's skepticism was beginning show itself again. "You want to use Connor as a substitute for your eyes."
"I already told you that I want a dedicated detective to accompany me out to Washington D.C. to help me clean up some messes. Such a detective will be treated like an agent and given compensation, rights and access to files like any other human agent would gain. He would be my partner in the field and an equal with his coworkers."
"And you specifically wanted to recruit Connor because of his model and choice to remain a detective." Sydney looked almost disappointed as he figured out what Jayden really wanted. "I can assure you that you're wasting your time. Connor is going to remain in Detroit for the rest of his existence, and no one can change his mind. He's too invested in what happens to this city to leave it."
"Well, what about you?"
The question made Sydney fall silent for only a moment. "...Me?"
"Sure. I already said that I wanted a dedicated detective to help me out, and you're such a detective yourself." Jayden's honesty was as palpable as the cold air swirling between the two detectives. "The fact that you have the A.R.I. programming in your system is just a bonus."
"...You're offering me the chance to leave Detroit and forge a career for myself in a new city." The offer seemed too good to be true and Sydney just couldn't take it at face value. "What's the catch?"
"The only catch is you have to keep quiet about everything you encounter, everyone you meet and every case that comes your way. That's all."
"That's it? Secrecy and discretion are the only requirements to having such a new career?"
"That's right. You'd be sworn to the same secrecy as an agent as you would be as a detective. Does that sound good?"
"It sounds suspicious."
"Like I said, you're a dedicated detective and I respect your curiosity and desire to know the facts. Why don't you just mull it over and get back to me?" Reaching back into his blazer Jayden presented Sydney with a personal business card to keep for himself. "I'll be in the city until tomorrow afternoon, so if you want to join me just give me a call and I'll make room for you on my flight back to D.C., it won't be a problem."
Accepting the personalized card Sydney eyed it carefully and then slipped it into his jean pocket to keep. "...I'll consider it."
"Good to hear." Turning on his heels Jayden prepared to take his leave of the area to return to his hotel room, but one last question needed to be answered. "Oh, one other thing." Facing Sydney again Jayden offered the deviant his hand and never once shied away from acknowledging Sydney's blinded right eye. "I never got your name."
"I'm... Sydney." Shaking Jayden's hand somewhat timidly, Sydney ignored Bruno's small whimper as he contemplated the very tempting offering to leave Detroit. "Doyle." The last name rolled off his tongue without a second thought. "My name is Sydney Doyle."
-next chapter-