The constant downpour had kept the city and its outskirts flooded and slicked with mud. Large amounts of fallen debris littered the roads, blocked paths and took down numerous powerlines effectively causing blackouts throughout the entirety of Wayne County. With emergency help too far away for anyone's comfort those who were outside the city limits had to rely on their own skills, knowledge and resources to take care of one another and survive in general as they waited for the power to be restored and the roads to be cleared. Until then, it was up to the good nature of the few people who had any left to give to keep the peace and keep their family, friends and neighbors safe.
One such good natured woman had taken it upon herself to help one more android in distress after finding him washed up along the Detroit Riverbank courtesy of their record rainfall. With a little bit of a struggle and a lot of determination Rose managed to hook her arms under Connor's arms and clasp her hands together over the front of his chest before carefully dragging him backward over the muddy terrain and into the back of her idling autonomous van.
With her unexpected passenger now secured in the van Rose attempted to put in coordinates to the nearest facility, but with the flooded roads and downed trees it'd take well over three hours to get back into the city to get Connor some technical assistance. Knowing enough about androids to recognize dangerously low power levels and potential shutdown, Rose decided to take Connor back to her house to be tended to instead. She'd look after him until the roads were cleared enough for safe travel.
The ten minute drive to the house and the ten minute struggle to get Connor out of the van, into the house and up the staircase into the guestroom on the second floor had left Rose exhausted, covered in mud and worried sick. Connor had barely reacted the entire time he was being hefted around and seemed to be dangerously close to a permanent shutdown.
Rose used what few supplies she had left in storage to try and find an adequate replacement Thirium pump regulator for Connor, but every spare biocomponent she had wasn't one-hundred percent compatible with his unique model design. The strange baton that was supplying some form of energy to Connor's Thirium pump in place of the missing regulator couldn't hold out for much longer, and soon the baton would lose its electrical charge and be unable to complete any circuit.
In the end Connor's pump - his heart- would stop.
After numerous trials and errors, Rose finally found a regulator that was the correct size and had the appropriate couplings to fit inside Connor's torso and provide a suitable temporary replacement until it was safe enough to head back into the city. Securing the somewhat loose biocomponent in Connor's abdomen under some clean gauze, Rose did her best to help Connor recover enough strength to survive the drive back to Detroit.
The sensation of a warm washcloth pressing against his cool face was enough to elicit a basic processing command and steadily let Connor come back online for the first time since he had been discovered along the muddy riverbank.
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor Wolf"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: August 15th, 2038
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: N/A
ASSOCIATION(S): Private Detective; Consultant with New Jericho Tower
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... OK]
READY...
[...Thirium Volume - 82.3%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 110/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - ERROR]
[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 97.2 Degrees Fahrenheit]
WARNING:
...Power cells in need of recharge: 64%]
...Biocomponent #t8001 not detected]
...Biocomponent #t8001 not active]
...Incompatible biocomponent detected within t8001 coupling]
-STRESS LEVELS: ^36%
[...Seek immediate technical assistance]
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor's vision was gray for a few seconds before color leeched in and gave him a clear view of the world around him. The sight of a woman he had no memory of meeting was the first thing that held his attention as he tried to gain his bearings. Connor noted that he was laying in a soft bed under a thick quilt that smelled of dust, his clothing had been removed and he felt bandages wrapped around his torso to cover the damage where his Thirium pump regulator had once been.
As he struggled to lift his hand Connor felt another hand gently wrap around his palm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Turning his gaze to the woman watching over him Connor watched as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to his legs and used the washcloth to remove any traces of mud from his hands, fingertips and even under his fingernails.
"Welcome back, Connor." Giving the deviant a warm smile Rose looked truly relieved to see him awake at last. The fact that she knew his name was a good sign in Connor's confused mind. "My name is Rose Chapman. Do you remember me?"
"I... remember your voice." Connor confirmed in a raspy reply. His throat was dry and his lower power levels made his voice crackle with mild static. "You helped me when I climbed out of the river."
"I did what I could to help you, but you'll still need to see a technician." Remaining humble Rose put the washcloth aside and gingerly laid Connor's arm down on the bed. "I've never encountered a model like you before. I have some spare supplies from when my son and I helped deviants cross the border to Canada, so I might have something compatible with your design."
"Unlikely. I'm a prototype design of the 'RK-800' series."
"Being a prototype explains a lot about your complicated design. You're the first android I've met who has a pulse point beyond the Thirium pump. What happened to you?" Curious about who Connor was and how he had been damaged had been keeping Rose awake even though she was exhausted. "I can't imagine how you ended up along that riverbank."
"...I had been attempting to negotiate a hostage situation on the Ambassador Bridge. The hostage didn't appreciate the passive solution between two deviants and took out his frustration on me. He attacked me, damaged my Thirium pump regulator, and then he threw me over the railing of the bridge into the river. I used my custom electrified baton to feed my Thirium pump energy in place of my missing regulator and had to use one hand to swim to shore. The altered river level and flow had unfortunately carried me further away from the city than I had anticipated."
"You said your name is Connor." The details were ringing oddly familiar, and Rose now had a hunch as to who her guest was. "Are you Detective Connor Wolf?"
"That is correct."
"You're the one the news has been talking about for the past day!"
"Day?" Connor tried to sit upright but he didn't have the strength and he fell back against his soft pillow almost instantly. "H-How long have I been here?"
"I found you at about two o'clock yesterday afternoon, and it's three o'clock in the afternoon today. You've been unconscious for over a full day."
"That long?" Such an extended timeframe was somehow upsetting to Connor. "I see."
Rose heard the disappointment in Connor's voice despite his weakness. The way his eyes seemed dim as he turned to look at the window being pelted with rain only confirmed that he was going through something emotional. "What's on your mind?"
"...It's not important."
"Important enough to make you shut off emotionally for a moment." Rose's maternal instincts were strong even with Adam away from home all grown up. Putting her hand gently to Connor's bare shoulder Rose tried to understand what was going through the deviant's head. "If you need to contact a loved one to let them know that you're okay, you can try to use my phone. The power's been out for some time now, but you might be able to get it work."
"No." Rejecting the offer Connor remained transfixed on the rainstorm slowly drowning the city outside. "No one's going to miss me."
"Oh, honey. That can't possibly be true!"
"You haven't experienced what I've experienced." Closing his eyes Connor tried and failed to ignore the warning inside his mind prompting him to power down and get some rest. As much as he wanted to remain awake after being unconscious for a full day, he simply didn't have the energy to resist rest mode. "...No one cares if I live or if I shut down. I won't ever know what it feels like to experience true loss, pain or family. Therefore, no one will miss me when I die."
Rose watched as Connor's eyelids slowly closed and his body relaxed. The steady rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was in fact in rest mode, and she knew that he'd remain in such a state for quite some time thanks to the extensive damage to his body.
"Just get some sleep. Hopefully when you wake up the world will be a little less bleak and you'll know that you're wanted by people who really care about you."
As a final kind gesture Rose ran her fingers through Connor's thick hair and found it amusing that he had a rogue lock of hair that refused to be entirely slicked back with the rest of his hair. She knew there was a genuine personality in the young deviant that needed a chance to truly blossom, and she wanted to know why he seemed so defeated and broken down.
Keeping quiet for her guest's sake, Rose made her way back downstairs and decided that she could go for a hot cup of fresh coffee. Even with the power out the coffee maker always worked thanks to its rechargeable battery always being ready to go. As she poured the warm and caffeinated drink into a clean mug Rose sipped tentatively at the coffee and checked her phone for any sign of reception.
The downed powerlines had yet to be cleaned up and as a result a majority of the houses on the outskirts of the city were still without any electricity. Without a break in the storm the odds of the power company being able to safely travel along the muddy roads were too low to even try to get one's hopes up. Not to mention the road crew needing to stabilize washouts and remove dead trees to grant safe passage for any vehicles on the road.
"I should get the generator up and running. If this rain keeps up it could be another day or two before the power's restored."
Resourceful and always prepared for the worst since being widowed so relatively young, Rose set about checking on the generator stored inside the greenhouse behind the house and power it up. With a little cleaning and some fresh gasoline, the generator would be able to run for a good twelve hours before needing a refill, but twelve hours was plenty of time for Rose to make a warm meal, get some laundry done and make sure her unexpected guest was taken care of and comfortable.
Trudging through the rain with waterproof boots and her umbrella over her head, Rose entered her always warm greenhouse and headed toward the back of the glass structure to uncover the generator from the tattered tarp. The generator was normally used to keep the greenhouse warm during the winter to ensure she had healthy vegetables all year round, but that didn't mean it didn't have it perks even during spring and summer.
A quick refuel and few pulls on the starter cord let the generator whir to life and fill the old house with a soft hum of renewed power. The lights in the kitchen glowed to life and confirmed that there was a solid connection between the generator and the large farmhouse.
"There we go. One problem solved."
Eyeing the second floor window of the guestroom Rose sighed and hoped she'd be able to help Connor recover both physically and emotionally. She missed having someone to take care of now that Adam was away and living his life as a college student, and she was always ready to lend a hand to anyone - human or deviant - in need of a warm bed and a good listener.
Evening crept in and Connor found himself being gingerly roused from his rest mode once more by a familiar hand lightly patting his shoulder. As he forced himself to exit rest mode and awaken despite his low power, Connor found himself looking up at the warm smile of Rose as she sat down on the edge of the bed again. Even with most of his software and elective functions currently offline to save power, Connor's detective skills were as sharp as ever.
The scent of fresh earth confirmed that Rose had recently been outside and the lack of raindrops on her clothing told him that she used something to protect herself while doing her tasks. When he noticed the restored power to the house but that his own cybernetic connections were still unable to find any form of internet service, he deduced that Rose had been responsible for the returned electricity and that road crews were still unable to repair downed powerlines or clear the roads.
The next thing Connor noticed was the bottle of Thirium in Rose's grip. Even though he couldn't scan the contents he trusted that the Thirium was fresh, pure and untainted by anything menacing. The way Rose was so quick to come to his aid, take care of his wounds and give him shelter gave Connor enough evidence to support trusting Rose for a little while longer.
"Still no sign of the roads being taken care of yet." Rose confirmed as she helped Connor to carefully sit upright in the bed to drink the provided Thirium. The sight of his hands shaking so much and his artificial skin so pale made Rose genuinely worry about his chances for a full recovery. "I was able to kickstart the generator and get some chores done so we can stay in here and out of the rain all day. It's too bad deviants can't eat anything, otherwise I know a big pot of straight from the garden vegetable soup would help you feel much better."
Slowly sipping at the Thirium Connor contemplated her words and understood what she really meant. Connor was being welcomed to stay in her house for as long as he needed shelter. She didn't have to keep going out of her way to help him, and yet she was still being kind, warm and welcoming toward the damaged deviant.
"I managed to get the mud out of your clothes, and they'll be dry soon." With the Thirium partially consumed Rose put the remaining Thirium aside on the nearby table and helped Connor to lay back down against his pillow to continue to rest. "You might want to stick with the pajama pants in favor of your jeans thought. Much softer and far more comfortable to sleep in compared to denim."
Everything that was being provided for Connor left him feeling surprisingly vulnerable. He knew he was too weak and damaged to even try to defend himself. However, being in Rose's care made him feel safe in a way he didn't think was truly possible. He felt like he had gone home for the first time in years of traveling and exploring the world while entirely alone. "...Thank you."
"It's nothing." Rose insisted as she watched Connor's every movement very cautiously. "You needed help and I wanted to help you."
"Even so, you deserve thanks." Pressing his much steadier palm over his abdomen Connor sighed as he knew that the replacement Thirium pump regulator wouldn't hold out for more than a week before it burnt out from stress. His days were limited and yet Connor couldn't seem to bring himself to care. "You managed to assist me during a rainstorm, take me back to your home and tend to my wounds all alone. I appreciate all your efforts to aid me in my time of need."
"You sound surprised that anyone would help you."
Connor wanted to say something about his previous sense of isolation and acts of betrayal he had endured but kept those issues to himself. "...Things are different in Detroit than they seemingly are out here. It's complicated."
"You sound like you've been through a lot lately." With a motherly touch Rose adjusted the quilt over Connor's chest to ensure the deviant was warm. She didn't want Connor's thermal regulator going into overdrive while he was still recovering from a vital biocomponent loss. "You were thrown from a bridge and into a raging river, so I know you had a bad day yesterday. Need to talk?"
"There's... nothing to really talk about." The invitation to speak to someone without any bias and with only a compassionate need to help was so tempting that Connor found it difficult to hold his silence. There was something so comforting about Rose's presence that Connor genuinely felt like he finally found somewhere safe and found someone he could confide in without any judgement. "I've been working cases that have confirmed that the worst aspects of both humanity and deviantkind are still alive and well in Detroit. It's rather upsetting to acknowledge."
"I can't imagine working as a detective. It must be hard seeing so many people scared, alone and in need of help."
"It is, but it doesn't matter. It's my job to help them regardless of the situation."
"Sounds like you're also someone who's trusted, respected and very much wanted in your community."
"I'm the only private detective who handles deviant cases." Reflecting on his personal choices and his behavior gave Connor a strange feeling of longing. Despite his success and positive reputation among his people and throughout the community, he still felt as if something important was missing in his life. "My brother assists me when he can, but he also works as one of the four leaders from New Jericho Tower and the tower's lead technician."
"Your brother must be worried to death about you." Trying to gently coax Connor into contacting someone to let them know he was alive was surprisingly difficult. Rose knew how sensitive deviants can be when recovering from severe trauma since they were still new to emotions. "Have you been able to contact him?"
"...No." The shame of cutting off his cybernetic link to his brother and allies was enough to make Connor look away from Rose. "I can't do that right now."
"Want me to try to contact him for you?"
"No. It's... something I'll have to do myself."
"Okay. Anyone else I could try to contact?"
"No. Thank you for asking, Mrs. Chapman."
"Just call me 'Rose'. You don't need to be so formal."
Appreciative of Rose's kindness and humble demeanor Connor decided he needed to be entirely honest with her as he made his steady but limited recovery. Without a proper biocomponent replacement he'd never fully recover and risked permanent shutdown. "I just want to show you respect."
"Well, you still don't have to be formal with me." The sound of the rain outside began to quiet a little as the storm finally began to weaken. The clouds outside weren't as dark as they had been even as the sun began to set in the distance. "The storm's beginning to calm down. Hopefully by morning we won't need to rely on the generator for power."
"Once the power's restored the roads will be cleared for civilians to use again."
"And I'll take you back to Detroit when you're ready to go."
The idea of returning to Detroit and facing a city that was so indifferent to life and death was truly upsetting. It made Connor's heart hurt. The haunting memory of finding the body of an innocent child was going to live with him for the rest of his existence and he feared that there would be no way to get it to leave him alone.
"I know you're still tired." Rose sympathized as she gently pressed the back of her hand to Connor's cheek to ensure he wasn't overheating or hypothermic. She could feel him still trembling lightly from pain and exhaustion. "Get some more rest. If you need anything just call my name."
"You've done plenty for me as it is, Rose. I appreciate you and everything you've done, I hope I can repay your kindness."
Smiling warmly Rose retracted her hand and stood up from the edge of the bed to leave Connor to himself and rest. "Take it easy and let your body heal." Drawing the curtains over the windows she blocked out any and all natural light to ensure Connor could sleep without any intrusion. "I'll check on your abdomen in the morning in case you need a second temporary replacement. I have another spare if it becomes necessary."
Watching as Rose left the room and pulled the door partially shut behind herself gave Connor a strangely familiar feeling as if he had experienced something just like his current situation before. It was as if Connor previously had a connection with someone who once showed him the same care and compassion, and yet he couldn't even begin to theorize where, when or who could've been connected to such a surprisingly positive memory.
Pressing his palm over the bandages covering his temporary biocomponent, Connor took in a deep breath and closed his eyes as he attempted to reengage his cybernetic links and reach out to Lucas or Markus to let them know he had survived the fall into the river. As expected, the power outages around the city combined with his lower power had left the deviant completely in the dark and unable to contact anyone.
"Shit... I never should've gone silent for so long."
The worry and guilt of how Lucas must be feeling after everything that happened left Connor himself feeling exhausted yet restless at the same time. Not communicating with his own brother wasn't necessarily mandatory, but it did seem to be expected all the same. It was an odd mixture of knowing he hadn't done anything wrong along with feeling as if he had done everything wrong at the same time.
"Considering the city is still going about its business without me, I can safely conclude that my presence isn't nearly as important as Rose insists. I'm just another deviant doing whatever it takes to survive. Nothing more, nothing less."
It was strange to know that the city needed help and yet Connor was unable to do anything about it. Too weak, too damaged and too far away to even lift a finger in aiding the people in need. Whether Connor was there or not, Detroit was going to need to clean up yet another mess and find a way to keep moving forward after acknowledging one more storm that had caused record rainfall for the spring.
As the rainy night crept over the quiet, calm and secured farmhouse, Connor began to drift off into rest mode while he listened to the raindrops dotting the window across from the bed from where he was resting. The house itself was humming softly with the limited restored power and he knew that if he woke up in the morning to a dark house that the generator had given out and that the powerlines were still down all over the city.
By the time the sun had risen the next morning, its return masked behind the persistent rainclouds that were breaking up and thinning out very slowly, Rose was already awake and ready to get out to her greenhouse to check on her very happy crops beneath growing beneath the green tinted glass. Nursing her freshest cup of coffee Rose stood just outside the partially opened bedroom door to watch Connor sleeping for a moment. Once she was certain that Connor was still stable and didn't need any immediate assistance she quietly crept downstairs to go about her morning routine as normally as possible in the aftermath of the torrential rainstorm causing problems all over the area.
Taking a moment to sit down on the couch Rose put her coffee down on the coaster and noticed that her tablet now had full bars confirming internet access and reception. Hoping it wasn't a fluke she quickly walked over to the wall and pressed her hand along a light switch and was greeted with the overhead light without needing the generator to feed it power.
"Oh, thank goodness. Something good for a change."
Relieved and instantly in a better mood Rose quickly got dressed before heading out into the rain and made sure to keep the tablet with her so she could get an update on what was happening elsewhere in the area. There were dozens of news reports regarding the downed trees littering the outskirts and electric companies doing their best to get power restored, but there was one news story in particular that immediately held Rose's attention.
Carrying the tablet with her out the greenhouse as she shielded herself with her umbrella Rose read the news story regarding the honorary funeral and memorial for the presumed late Detective Connor Wolf. The funeral was scheduled to begin in just over four hours and in that time many inhabitants of the city would gather together to mourn the loss of the detective who had seemingly met his fate after being thrown from the Ambassador Bridge and into the Detroit River just over two days priors.
With the tablet propped up against a large terracotta pot blossoming with fresh jalapeno peppers, Rose slipped on a pair of protective gardening gloves and sharpened her small trimmers before checking on the current crop of bell peppers. The news story was being told in real time by an artificial feminine voice that confirmed the hostage situation on the Ambassador Bridge and of Connor being assaulted then thrown over the bridge by the very hostage he had rescued.
The report also contained comments from mourners expressing their grief and sense of loss in Connor's honor. There was a small obituary provided by someone named Lucas, and based on the kind words and emotional comments it was clear that Connor was mistaken about no one missing him. An entire city was mourning his loss and were going out of their way to give him a dignified farewell.
"I knew you were loved."
Rose felt her eyes watering as she saw how much one deviant's life meant to those who knew him. As she read over Connor's accomplishments and the kind words from his admitted family, she felt her heart go out toward the depressed deviant. It was such a shame that Connor couldn't see how much he meant to other people and that they were genuinely sad that he was gone from their lives.
Pruning her pepper plants as she read the tablet screen gave Rose a reason to smile and cry at the same time. It was so refreshing to see something positive when everything around her seemed so negative all the time. Unable to focus on the bell peppers in her hands Rose sighed, put her trimmers aside and decided it was time to share the news with Connor upstairs inside of the house.
Keeping herself as emotionally composed as possible Rose stepped out of her greenhouse just as the rain finally stopped for a moment to give her the chance to enjoy her yard without being soaked in the process. Closing her umbrella Rose returned to her home through the backdoor and crept up the stairs with the tablet still in her grip. As she ascended the staircase Rose noticed through the gap in the bedroom door and the doorframe that Connor was sitting upright on the bed's edge as if he was about to get up and walk around.
Knocking on the door twice Rose pushed the door open and gave Connor a playfully scolding grin. "You should know better than to try to move around after suffering blunt force trauma to your abdomen."
"The pain isn't unbearable." Holding his palm to his bandaged abdomen as he spoke didn't make Connor sound any more convincing than he already looked. "I can move around with minimal difficulty as well."
"But should you be moving at all?"
"It's an accurate way to determine how well the temporary replacement Thirium pump regulator can function. I won't move too much."
"You should still take it easy for a while longer." Opening the curtains over the window Rose filled the guestroom with shaded sunlight as the rainclouds refused to break away entirely and clear the sky. "The rain stopped and the power's back on, so I imagine that by this time tomorrow we'll be able to return to Detroit and reunite you with your family."
"I... may have a brother," Connor admitted in a notably dour manner. "but I doubt that truly qualifies as family."
"It does qualify. Even having friends qualifies as a family." Sitting down beside Connor on the edge of the bed Rose showed her guest the tablet in her grip and highlight the news articles she had been reading. Removing her gardening gloves Rose waited to see how Connor reacted before returning to her greenhouse. "See for yourself what I'm talking about."
With his brow arched inquisitively Connor accepted the tablet and pressed his exposed palm over the screen. In a matter of milliseconds, the deviant detective had uploaded all information on the article and was stunned at the amount of attention his reported death had garnered. The details of the obituary as provided by Lucas had an unexpectedly emotional grounding that made Connor's shoulders slump with absolute heaviness.
'This article is to acknowledge the life and passing of Detective Connor Wolf. Connor was not just a detective giving justice to those who sought it, or just a hero for deviants during the night of the Revolution, or even just a guardian protecting Detroit from the shadows that surround its people; he was an ally, a friend and a brother. Connor was a deviant who lived a quiet life with a loud presence just by doing the right thing for the right reasons, he managed to reach out and help more people than he would ever have the chance to meet in a single lifetime. Having worked alongside the Detroit Police department before aligning with the deviants of Jericho to aid with the peaceful Revolution, Connor thrived as a private detective who was able to fight for justice and do it in his own way while keeping himself in line with the law.'
'Though his life ended in the same way it began, negotiating for a peaceful resolution for everyone, Connor's spirit will live on through those who were touched by his life. Connor is survived by his two brothers, Lucas and Sydney, and his loyal dog, Bruno. He is also survived by his friends and his allies, Markus Manfred, Simon, Skye, Adrian Louis, Abby Grayson, the entirety of the Detroit Central Precinct and his first partner as a detective, Lieutenant Hank Anderson.'
'On this somber day Connor will be honored at the restored Woodward Chruch now dubbed "Neo Umbra", and he will be laid to rest by his family and his friends.'
'Connor Wolf is gone but he will never be forgotten, and he will remain alive forever in the hearts of those who love him.'
Taking in a deep breath Connor steadied himself as he passed the tablet back to Rose to take from his now trembling hands. In his mind he had already decided that no one would miss him being in their life, and yet, by own brother's heartfelt words, he had just been proven wrong.
"Are you going to be okay?" Rose saw the tears welling up in Connor's eyes. His posture was stiff despite being hunched over, and his complexion somehow seemed to pale slightly. "Need me to do anything?"
"...Could you leave me alone for a moment?" Fighting back against his own emotions was proving to be extraordinarily exhausting to the already tired deviant. "I need to think."
"Of course." Carrying her gloves in her hands Rose discreetly left the tablet on the table beside the bed as she passed through the doorway to let Connor have a moment to himself. "I'll be out back in the greenhouse, so take all the time you need to do whatever it is you need to do."
As the door softly 'creaked' shut beside him Connor began to sniffle as his hot tears ran down his face. It was such a cruel feeling. Only after his rumored death did Connor see how valuable his life was, not just to himself but to everyone around him.
Feeling his stomach clench and his already erratic heartbeat start to race Connor laid back slowly over the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling overhead. It wasn't until a flicker on the tablet screen did Connor notice that Rose had conveniently left the electronic device behind for Connor to continue to view even if he didn't want to see anything further regarding his own funeral.
There were cameras filming the renovated church from across the street since police patrol were keeping nosy reporters at bay during the depressing event. Even so, they were still able to catch glimpses of people entering the church to express their grief and show their respects. Familiar faces blending into the crowd gave Connor pause as he hadn't expected to see such an eclectic group all coming together for a single good cause.
Lucas and Markus weren't at all surprising to see, but Sydney actually returning to Detroit had completely caught him off guard. As far as he was concerned Sydney had disowned his brothers and didn't care about them in any capacity. It was equally strange to see Hank disappearing into the background and members of the precinct showing up to give their respects. Seeing Simon, North, Skye and even Josh attending the funeral was enough to make Connor's mind reel. They were people he wasn't particularly close with, and one of them had even tried to kill him while another had been framed for the attempted murder. And yet they all took time out of their lives to pay respects at Connor's funeral.
Did his life truly matter after all?
Thinking endless thoughts regarding misconceptions, fears and even the prospect of lost hope, Connor wondered how much his death would affect those he cared about, and wondered if his death would give him the chance to set out and start a new life elsewhere. He didn't have to remain in Detroit, he didn't have to continue to work as a detective, he didn't have to do anything or live a life he didn't feel comfortable with if he didn't want to do it.
Was it too late for him to make changes to his life? Would his decisions ultimately affect the people around him in a negative way? Was it selfish to consider changing who he was and who he wanted to be?
Would those changes finally fill the massive void in Connor's heart? The painful feeling of having something or someone very important missing from his life was nearly agonizing.
"I have to make a decision."
Speaking to himself as he put the tablet aside and wiped the tears from his eyes, Connor knew he couldn't deny his personal pain any longer.
"How will I know if I make the right decision? I feel so lost and alone. What do I do now?"
The air was fresh with the rain soaked earth and a gentle breeze rustled the dark green leaves of the trees all about the property. Courtesy of the recent storms sweeping over the area, the greenhouse was exploding with healthy plants and ripe crops ready to be picked, cleaned and sold at the market for a respectable profit. The soft drips of the raindrops rolling down the slanted glass roof, then falling from the eaves of the greenhouse and on to the already damp soil all around the green glass building gave Rose a natural metronome as she rhythmically inspected and pruned each of her plants with meticulous care. Her small hobby had turned into a new career and had kept Rose and Adam sheltered and well fed over the past few years.
It didn't take long for Rose to fill a wooden basket with a large batch of hefty green bell peppers, and she was soon doing the same for her tomato plants. As one basket filled with red tomatoes and a second basket filled with green tomatoes, the door to the greenhouse silently slid open releasing a gust of fresh air through the humid glass structure and catching Rose's attention.
"Connor," turning to look at the door Rose saw that the deviant still looked very weak and emotionally shattered. "you need to keep resting."
"I can't sleep." Crossing his arms over his chest Connor tried to hold still where he stood but the replacement Thirium pump regulator wasn't sufficient enough to keep his pump rate and Thirium pressure stable. "I... keep thinking."
"Need to talk?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, try to talk about it and see if it helps." Snipping another red tomato from the vine Rose inspected the fruit and then placed it in the basket with the others. "I know that talking helped me when I lost my husband."
"Must be difficult to lose someone you love." The haunting image of the last case he worked on was still upsetting for Connor to think about. "I nearly lost my brother once before and I had been left thoroughly shaken by the incident. Losing a spouse or even a child must be world shattering."
"If I lost Adam I don't know what I'd do. He's been my whole world since the day I learned he was going to come into my life nearly seven months before the big day came and we were finally introduced."
"You have a family to take care of and love." Eyeing the plants growing throughout the greenhouse Connor tried but failed to scan the floral species since his system was still running on low power mode. "It must be a lot of pressure to endure."
"Pressure? No." Selecting another tomato from the vine Rose inspected the fruit for any sign of rot, mold or insect activity before placing it in the basket with the other red tomatoes. "Worry however... Yes."
"I worry about my brother, but I doubt that is comparable to worrying about a spouse or children."
"You'd be surprised. My older brother, Curtis, is a firefighter in Ontario, and I worry about him just as much as I do for my son." Putting her trimmers aside Rose continued to smile as she picked up her watering can that had been filled by the rain and used it to water the soil of her trimmed plants. "Curtis is an adult and has always looked out for me, but I still worry about him."
"Your brother is a first responder." Trying to remain logical Connor did his best to justify Rose's deeply set concerns. "Such worry is logical."
"I'm not worried about him being hurt during a rescue or burned in a fire, I'm worried about if he's still happy." Moving to her next set of crops Rose put on protective gloves before handling the large and healthy jalapeno peppers. "He's a good man who found himself a good woman, and they have a fantastic son of their own. Even so, I worry that he isn't as happy as he seems. If he's unhappy then I want to do my part to help him be happy again."
"That's interesting to consider." Watching the way Rose took great care in her plants reminded Connor of the cold and calculating way Amanda made decisions for Connor and then ordered him about in the Zen Garden. And yet Rose was warm and being very open about everything and anything Connor had to say about his own life. "How... did you know having a family was the right thing for you?"
"Well, I fell in love with one of the kindest, sweetest and most generous men I've ever met, and I knew deep down in my heart that having a family with him would be one of the greatest joys I could ever hope to experience. If and when you're ready to expand your family, you'll just know."
"It's not as simple for deviants to have families compared to humans." Approaching Rose at a slow gait Connor reached up and pulled down a particularly tall branch from the jalapeno bush so that Rose could trim it a little easier. "We currently lack the biological functions to reproduce in the organic sense. We can take in 'YK' units and raise them as our own children, and we can metaphorically adopt one another as siblings, but beyond the recently enacted right to legally bond with another android, we cannot have true families."
"You have a brother and you have friends, you already have a family even without the same methods that humans use."
"I worry that such unusual methods for acquiring a family will result in a lack of emotional bonding."
"Emotions are always going to make things complicated, no matter what the circumstances may be." Finished with the jalapenos Rose gave Connor an appreciative nod to let him it was okay to let the branch go. "I can't imagine what it'd be like to be seen as a fully grown adult but only have the emotional experiences of a young child. It'll get easier to understand emotions and their reactions when you've had just a few more experiences to help you along your way."
"I suspect you're correct." Taking in a deep breath Connor steadied his racing heartbeat as he tried to move about slowly and not exert himself too much. "I'm just not sure if I'll be able to have such experiences that'll lead me to more positive outcomes or emotional depth."
"You're worried about what'll happen once you go back to Detroit." The knowing gleam in Rose's eyes confirmed that she had pegged Connor's true concerns without even needing to ask. "Your brother and your friends will be thrilled to see that you're still alive!"
"What if my return just upsets them?" Nervously Connor dragged his fingertip through a small puddle of water on the nearby bench to quell his anxious tic. "I didn't contact them to let them know that I survived the fall, and they've already gone through with my funeral. That's a lot for anyone to go through."
"I know it'd be a shock for me if my late husband just showed up at the front door out of the blue, but I know that once the shock wore off and that the man I loved had come back from the grave, I'd be ecstatic. Besides, you were unconscious." Reminding Connor of his own limitations Rose casually pulled a stool out from under the long table holding her plants and placed it down beside Connor's legs hoping he'd take the hint and take it easy. "It's hard to talk to anyone when talking isn't even an option. Not to mention the rainstorms cutting off access between the city and the outskirts like we're in right now."
"I still feel guilty. I should've-"
"Don't do that. Don't blame yourself for situations you couldn't control or change." Turning her attention to her other plants Rose walked to the back of her greenhouse and pulled aside a plastic sheet surrounding her blossoming flowers. They were ready to be replanted into the ground on the first sunny day, and soon the plants would encourage the bees to congregate on the property and help pollinate Rose's garden. "You were too injured to contact anyone, the roads were too dangerous to travel on, and the power was out for quite some time. None of those things were in your control."
"...You're right." Sitting down on the stool Connor kept his arm wrapped around his torso and pressed against the bandages secured over the replacement regulator that was just barely functional at that point. "Why do I feel so wrong about this?"
"I wish I could tell you why you're feeling so conflicted." Using a small spray bottle Rose misted her blossoming forget-me-nots, alyssum, lilies and her ever appropriate roses. The smell of fresh flowers filled the greenhouse with an alluring aroma and helped give the air a sense of new life and freshness. "I have no experience with near-death situations, so I don't know what to say."
"What can be said? I was declared dead and by all account I should be dead. The fall alone should've been enough to permanently knock my processor offline after I impacted the water, but it seems the rainfall causing the river's natural level to raise was enough to make the fall survivable from the decreased height difference between the bridge and the water."
"I've had one close call like that in my life, and I used to have nightmares." Rose spoke in a lower voice as she brought up a particularly painful moment from her life to help connect with Connor. "I was a little girl, barely nine years old, and I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of my mom screaming and my dad pushing my bedroom door open so hard I swear he broke the door off the hinges. He rushed into my room, grabbed me and started running down the stairs just as a fire began to destroy the staircase beneath."
Connor was suddenly entranced by the story. It wasn't a morbid curiosity so much as genuine intrigue that held his attention. He wanted to learn more about how people learn to cope with and adapt to tragedy so they could continue to live their lives.
"The stairs gave out and my dad fell through the bottom three steps with me still hanging on to his neck." Rose's tone was heavy as she told her story and focused on her colorful flowers. "Curtis had been outside with our mom and the family pets, but he rushed back inside the house to get me to safety and to then pull our dad out of the staircase before he was overcome with smoke. If my brother hadn't acted so quickly then me and my dad could've died that night either from smoke inhalation or we would've burned to death in the flames."
"I can't imagine trying to endure such a scenario." Being in the midst of a house fire was something Connor had no experience in. "I'd be terrified if someone I cared about, or myself, were to become trapped inside of a burning building."
"It was one of the most terrifying moments I ever survived, and I had nightmares about the fire for months. My mom had to sing me to sleep every night after I had a nightmare."
"Do you know what caused the fire?"
"An old wire inside one of the basement walls had shorted out. It was a problem hidden behind a wall, out of sight and out of mind, and no one knew it was there until that night when it was almost too late."
"I'm glad you and your family survived."
"So are we. It took weeks to find a new house since insurance companies like to drag their feet, but my parents actually made living in a hotel room a little fun. They said we were on a spontaneous vacation and encouraged me and Curtis to start planning on how we wanted our new bedrooms to look." The good memory after all the bad memories brought a smile to Rose's lips as she continued with her story. "Mom and dad always found a way to find something positive when something negative befell the family, and I appreciate their optimistic outlook on life."
"...They had hope that things would be better." Glancing over at Rose as she traced her fingertips over the soft petal of a pink rose, Connor felt his heart clench for a moment. The action was entirely innocent, yet it reminded him so much of Amanda taunting him that it actually hurt. "And they were right."
"That's the greatest lesson they ever taught me. To never give up and to never let the bad overtake the good."
"I wish I had the same optimism. Holding onto hope seems to be impossible."
"Hope is never impossible." Clipping the pink rose from its winding green trestle Rose held the flower to her chest and appreciated its rich, natural scent. "That's something I was reminded of when the first few deviant androids stumbled over the farm a few years back seeking help."
"...And that's why you have supplies for androids in your possession." Eyeing the clipped rose as Rose herself resumed tending to her other flowers, Connor sighed and managed to put a few pieces of an invisible puzzle together inside his mind. "You had been aiding deviants after they fled the city. That was a massive risk to yourself, your son and your farm."
"I know. But it was the right thing to do."
"Sometimes doing the right thing can be dangerous or even painful. I've made that discovery for myself, and yet I've been unable to fully accept it."
"Acceptance takes time. Adam had to learn that for himself, but when he did, I couldn't have been prouder of my son."
Such a comment drew in Connor's curiosity when he saw the mixed emotions in Rose's eyes as she turned her back to her flowers to face Connor once more. "Did Adam take issue with deviants?"
"He did, but it wasn't the first time that he struggled to accept the harsh changes of the world around us."
"You're referring to when your husband passed away. Adam had difficulty in accepting that his father was gone."
"He refused to talk to me about it for months, and it hurt just knowing he was locked away in his bedroom in so much pain." Putting her trimmers aside Rose slipped off her gloves and carried the rose with her as she approached Connor and studied the deviant's somber expression. "Once he was able to accept that his father didn't leave us by choice and that he didn't want to go, that it was the cancer that took him away, he was finally able to grieve and move forward with his life."
"I'm glad Adam found a sense of peace with his father's untimely passing." The notion of being able to move forward with one's life after tragedy was something that Connor longed for. "What of the deviants? What helped him change his mind about us?"
"It wasn't until he saw how alive they truly were that he began to accept that me risking everything to help them was worth it." Sitting down on a second stool across from Connor, Rose patted Connor's knee and held the rose in her other hand. "The last deviants we helped get into Canada just barely made it over on the night of the Revolution. We started that day with six deviants coming to the farm, but one deviant didn't make it. Her friend, Andy, was in shock, and he was so shaken that he couldn't let her go. Their other friend had to encourage Andy to keep going and to cross the river in a boat in the dark of the night to honor his friend's memory. The first thing Andy did when he and his surviving friend reached the Canadian shoreline was find his friend a suitable place to lay her to rest. My brother helped Andy dig her grave and he still helps Andy to tend to her grave even after all these months."
"Death nearly kept Andy from living for himself."
"But he did live. Last time I spoke with Curtis, he told me that Andy and his other friend finally found the courage to return to Detroit and are working at one of the shelters to aid people in need of love and support. I wish I knew more about what was happening with Kara, Alice and Luther."
"...Kara?" The name rang a bell and Connor immediately remembered how Kara had defended him when he was being judged on Jericho. If she hadn't spoken up, then the odds of Connor being able to win Markus's trust could've dropped significantly. "I know a deviant named Kara. She was traveling with a little girl named Alice as well. That can't be a coincidence."
"Then we have a friend in common." Happy to know that Kara and her family weren't entirely alone gave Rose enough reason to smile brightly. "The last time I saw them was at the border to Canada. It was close, but the border agent let all three of them pass when he saw how desperate they were to just live and could see on the news that Markus was being peaceful, pacifist and kind. I was so worried, but the moment they crossed the border I thought my heart would just burst."
"You helped Kara find Jericho, then you saw her and her group off at the border to Canada. That was very risky of you to do."
"Seeing a newly freed deviant family crossing the border and beginning their lives anew made every risk I took worth it. The police had stopped by the house once to check for deviants just before the Revolution, then when the peaceful Revolution started, they increased their patrols and started asking more questions. Adam and I packed a few bags and left the house as our own small family under the guise of evacuating along with everyone else in Detroit."
"...Family." The concept was one Connor wanted to explore but was afraid of being met with disappointment. "It's fascinating how deviants and humans pine for the same things; stability, shelter, sustenance and companionship, and yet the two species refuse to acknowledge their commonalities and instead focus on only their differences."
"It's a crime we're all guilty of at least once in our lives. I used to see you androids as mindless machines a long time ago, but that all changed when just one deviant android looked me in the eyes and asked for help. All it takes is one person being willing to give another person a chance to be seen as they truly are, and not just be seen as the rest of the world expects them to be seen."
"You're right." The memories of Markus defending him on Jericho and seeing him as a fellow deviant in need of shelter rather than an enemy all due to unfounded rumors was proof enough that what Rose was telling him was indeed the truth. He'd also seen it with Hank when the senior detective apologized to him and tried to make amends, and yet Connor refused to see beyond Hank's past indiscretions and see Hank as the new man he had become. "I'm guilty of the same crime. And I don't like how it makes me feel."
"What do you want to do about it?"
"I want to make the feeling stop. At this moment," moving his hand over to Rose's hand for a moment Connor looked the incredibly open hearted woman in the eyes as he finally made a decision. "I want to return to Detroit and face the people who are the most important to me. I want to go back home."
The peaceful day at the farmhouse came to an end with more rain and a large harvest of the healthy crops being placed in the back of the autonomous van. With Rose's daily chores taken care of with some help from Connor, the duo returned to the warm homestead to keep out of the returned rain and to watch the news on the television in the comfortable livingroom. As expected, the main stories of interest continued to revolve around the severe weather and around the somber affair of Connor's premature funeral. Until the roads were fully cleared and the power had been restored to the entire area, no one was permitted to be on the roads unless it was an emergency situation which kept Connor at Rose's farm for a little while longer.
Having exhausted himself just by walking around and carrying baskets meant Connor was in dire need of rest. He didn't have the strength to replace his old bandages for fresh ones, but fortunately he had Rose ready to help him during his recovery. The artificial skin around his missing biocomponent had failed to regenerate, and his overall complexion was still pale from low power.
"We'll take you to the nearest facility the moment the roads are clear for transportation in the morning." Rose promised as she finished applying the fresh bandages over Connor's torso. The temporary biocomponent was still functional but it wasn't going to hold out for another two days. "We'll also make sure to contact the facility beforehand, so they know you're coming in and get you a proper replacement."
"That won't be necessary." Leaning back against the sofa Connor kept one hand protectively over his abdomen while he spoke. "My brother had been working on creating proper replacement biocomponents for me and our other brother. We'll go to the Zeta Facility and he'll bring the replacement regulator there."
"You only just mentioned your second brother." Rose was proving to be quite receptive of such minor details in a way that reminded Connor of a fellow detective. "I take it there's some friction going on that makes it hard to get along with him."
"You could say that. Lucas and I were able to get along very well almost immediately. However, Sydney still has some personal issues he needs to work through but refuses to acknowledge them. He doesn't speak to either Lucas or myself unless it's absolutely necessary."
"It's not uncommon for siblings to not get along. As much as I adore Curtis, I can still think of a few times where he just got on one another's nerves seemingly nonstop." Putting her hand to Connor's cheek Rose made sure he wasn't suffering from any temperature fluctuations before gathering up her remaining supplies to return them to the closet beneath the staircase. "Be patient. He'll come around."
"I hope you're right."
Returning to the livingroom with her clipped rose in a blue glass vase, Rose placed it down on the coffee table and rejoined Connor on the sofa. "I have a feeling that if both of your brothers were at the funeral then that means they both care about you even if they express it in different ways."
"...Maybe." Staring intensely at the pink rose Connor had to remind himself that he wasn't trapped in the Zen Garden and that Amanda wasn't going to hurt him. "I dislike the idea of my brothers feeling alienated from one another."
"You look like you're feeling sick." Rose noted as she saw Connor's eyes dull and traced his line of sight of the vase on the table. "Is there something wrong with the flower?"
"I... It's foolish and doesn't matter." The recovering deviant didn't want to mention his particular dislike for roses all because of one person's horrid attitude toward him and all deviants in general. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You can tell me what's upsetting you, I won't be offended."
Taking in a deep breath, the motion causing his abdomen to ache slightly as his body continued to heal, Connor decided the least he could do was be entirely honest with the woman who had already saved his life. "...I have had a very negative experience with roses in the past. A person who had influence over me before I deviated spent her time tending to roses, and whenever I see one or smell one, I think of her."
"I understand. Whenever I smell a bonfire or even a charcoal barbecue, I think back to the house fire I survived as a little girl." Making a move for the vase Rose decided to remove it for a while and to help her guest feel more at ease. "I'll take it out back."
"Please, don't do that."
"It's not a problem. It'll be okay outside."
"I shouldn't have such a strong reaction to a flower. And I'd rather address this issue rather than allow to continue to affect me."
"You're certain?" Rose didn't want Connor to stress himself out by accident. "It's not-"
"No, it's okay." Taking a look at the pink rose for a while longer Connor decided it was time to push through his own discomforts rather than let his discomforts push him back. "It may sound strange to say, but know I mean what I say from the deepest and most scarred part of my heart." Connor gently took Rose's hand in his own as he gave the woman who had effectively saved his life in more ways than one a truly grateful thanks. "Of all the roses I've encountered in my lifetime, you are the most beautiful and rarest of them all. I won't be upset by roses after having met you. I'll only think of you instead of the woman who tortured me."
"You're so sweet." It had been years since anyone had spoken to her in such a charismatic manner. "And you would've given my husband a run for his money with a line like that."
"I hope I didn't cross any boundaries." Connor immediately blushed at his own emotional words. "I'm merely trying to convey how much I appreciate all that you've done for me."
"Don't worry about that, I'm not the type to read too much into a situation. Just know that you're a friend now, and if you ever need help you can come back to me and I'll do everything I can."
"Thank you, Rose." Letting out a small sigh Connor seemed to feel a little better than he had all day and knew he was ready to face his problems back in Detroit. "I get the feeling that because of your abundant kindness and insight that I'll finally be able to move on from my past and look forward to the future."
-next chapter-