Chapter 14
It was Saturday and things were getting busy. With work catching up on him, Connor was able to make do with what he had. Working as a detective again proved to be an easy challenge that he succeeded. A few small cases were revolving around homicides during the week, but the new detective duo managed to capture the perpetrators in no time. Most of the officers in the bullpen, including Hank and Captain Fowler, were surprised to see Gavin working up to Connor's pace, even speaking to him like they were old friends. However, their partnership grew as they were working together past the DPD.
Connor and Gavin both agreed to set a trap for the RK900 so they can finally implement the virus properly. After explaining to the young human detective that they could transport Jake to Kamski's mansion for permanent deactivation, Connor decided that it was the best plan since no one would suspect Elijah to be a part of their small circle. However, Gavin had refused to work with the man that resembled him. When the deviant detective asked him about it, he was flipped off.
It was another day at the precinct, but today was the day their plan started. Sitting at their desks, as usual, pretending to work so they didn't arouse suspicion, they occasionally glanced at Jake and Hank's desks in front of them.
Gavin discreetly wrote on a piece of paper before sliding it over to Connor, who quickly read the message and nodded in confirmation. They were ready. The young detective crumbled up a ball of paper and threw it at Hank, who grumbled a curse under his breath before turning to glare at Gavin.
"Hey, old geezer, I heard Chris got a witness for one of the murders around the killing spree. Fowler told us to check it out," Gavin mentioned as he got up to go to one of the interrogation rooms.
"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me. It better not be another red herring," Hank sighed heavily before following the detective. Once they were both out of sight, Connor stood up and circled to Jake's desk, who was cybernetically linked to a terminal.
"Jake, since no more clues are revolving around the killings, I'd like to offer you to spar with me down in the gym," the deviant suggested in an even tone. A few officers glanced their way but didn't suspect a thing. Despite androids not needing to exercise as their designs had made them already physically fit, Connor had been using the gym for a few days so when the time came, it wouldn't look out of the ordinary.
Jake, oblivious to the trap but wanting to keep up his act, grinned ecstatically at the android. "Of course, big bro! I've been needing to get a little training in, and have been feeling a little rusty lately."
Connor characteristically glared at the nickname before wandering off to the lower-level gym with the manipulative android following. As predicted, no officers were using the equipment. Both androids went to each side of the room to hang their jackets and ties in their respective lockers before walking on top of the cushioned mats on the floor.
"I am surprised, Connor. I didn't expect you to speak to me," Jake spoke with a tight glare, his friendly rouse gone.
"I wanted to ask you personally why you changed the suspect's criminal record," Connor demanded as they got into a neutral position. "I couldn't do that with so many prying eyes and ears, wouldn't you agree?"
"I'll have to agree with you there, but I don't know what you mean," the RK900 feigned innocence before running forward and swinging his fist, which Connor blocked. "I can't believe you would take me as a person without morals."
"You are no person, you are just a machine!" He exclaimed as he kicked his leg out to swoop the android under, but it was quickly avoided. "You have no emotions, incapable of feeling or thinking about anything."
A punch landed on the RK800's jaw. "Do you recognize your own words, Connor? You sound just like how you were before." Another hit, but this time to the stomach. "Yet before you deviated, at least you stood a chance, but now look at you. Weak." Thirium sputtered out of Connor's chest. "Pathetic." More blue blood soaked the black training mats. "Obsolete." Synthetic skin broke to reveal shiny plastimetal underneath. "I don't understand why you would try to compete with me, why you try to stop me, why you try to help others when… you can't even help yourself."
Connor was held up into the air, grasped in a tight hold by Jake, all bloody and bruised. The RK800 cracked open his tired eyes to see blue emotionless daggers staring back at him.
"What a pity. You thought you could beat me and I wasn't even using my programs to their full potential," Jake scoffed mockingly. "You couldn't even land an attack on me."
"I-I… wasn't trying to," Connor croaked before his hand snapped up and tapped his fingers three times against Jake's L.E.D. The RK900 let him go as his arm fell limply to his side before Jake collapsed into an emergency stasis mode. Connor took a few large deep breaths as he activated his self-healing program to the highest setting before kneeling over the android's body. "Thank RA9 for Liliana. I owe her."
The artificial skin on his fingers retracted to show the white underneath as he connected to the back of Jake's neck. Once the panel opened, it revealed USB and microchip ports. The RK800 dug into his pocket and pulled out the USB drive Kamski gave him before sticking it into the unconscious android. A small glowing bar lit up from under the connected port. Once it turned from red to blue, Connor unplugged the drive and hid it away in his pocket.
"You should wake up in approximately two minutes and 15 seconds. Fortunately for me, you won't even notice the virus inflicting inside of you courtesy of a hidden program. You can thank Elijah for that one," Connor spoke aloud with a small nod as he snatched his Cyberlife jacket from the locker, readjusted his tie, cleaned his face from any visible blood before leaving the RK900 there. Suddenly two familiar words flashed blue across his vision:
MISSION SUCCESSFUL.
After a full day of working nonstop, Connor made it back home to head straight to find Thirium. His self-healing program worked as successfully, as usual, covering any minor damages his body was inflicted. All that was left is some blue blood and some rest. Knowing that Jake was staying at work late, Connor gracelessly dropped on the couch in exhaustion after drinking a proper amount of Thirium and closed his eyes to get much-needed rest.
"CONNOR!" The door suddenly busted open as three familiar teenagers rushed inside with obvious excitement. The deviant quietly whined as he lifted himself to properly see the ecstatic few.
"Tonight is the night we shine, baby!" Rex whooped as he rushed off to get their equipment. "We're going to be famous! Chicks are gonna dig me now."
"I gotta go pick out something to wear, and Connor please change into something different!" Audrey exclaimed before running off to her room and slamming the door shut.
"Come on, Connor! Don't fall asleep now, we have a show in approximately 2 hours," Anthony yelled at the drowsy deviant as he made a beeline to the kitchen. "Oh! I'm bringing snacks and refreshments for the road and before showtime. We need to have energy."
Connor's eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake. He saw another blurry figure walk up and smack him, snapping him out of his exhaustion in an instant. "Hank?" He squinted his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm your manager, remember? Now get your ass up and get ready, we need to get moving!" Hank dragged the deviant from the couch and shoved him to his room. The human scanned the bedroom, noting which side was Connor's before looking through his wardrobe. "Christ, you need some style, son. And why so tired? You looked fine earlier."
"I had a sparring session and I wanted to test my limits. My programs had been exceeded which drained my power supply," Connor lazily explained. "Forgot about the show tonight."
"You can get as much sleep in the car, but it's only like half an hour away," the man commented until he found some decent clothing the deviant could wear. He tossed the clothes into the android's face before walking out of the room. "Come on, hurry up people! Time's wastin'!"
It didn't take long for the five to get ready and load their things into Hank's rental van. After Connor practically passed out in the front seat the moment he buckled up, the senior detective decided it was the right time to explain his plan.
"Alright so I'm thinking you guys go all out with the first show, you know? You want to make a statement, showing people what genre you're going for," he began.
"Like rock!"
"Or heavy metal."
"And pop!"
"Yeah. Whatever Cybernetics means to you, that's what you play," Hank nodded in agreement. "Okay, so Anthony is drums, Audrey you're playing the piano, and Rex you're rocking the bass. All of you might have different instruments but you all have great talent. Connor is going to need help being the lead vocalist and guitarist, so you'll also be provided with microphones for backup singing. Got that?"
"If Mr. Roboto will be awake during it," Rex rolled his eyes. He flicked his finger against the deviant's head but got no response. "The dude's out cold. How are we going to wake him up and keep him from falling over?"
"Ah, that is where my expertise comes in," Anthony smirked before pulling out a small device, that looked like a marker but with a metal tip, from his pocket and brandishing it to his friends. "Behold, my newest invention: the 'Working Automated Kilowatt Electrode Upgraded Power Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation' or as I like to call it the W.A.K.E.U.P. laser."
The teens stared in confusion while Hank glanced at the rearview mirror to see.
"This gadget can boost up electrical power and shoot it out to restore the energy of any battery-powered object," Anthony continued as he pressed the button on the side. At once it began humming and a blue strip of light charged to the side. "In theory, it should power up a few androids to 100% capacity by a simple shot."
"So it's like an ultra-powered taser?" Audrey raised an eyebrow, making the genius sigh.
"Yes and no. A taser is equipped with probes and wires that shoot a target and fire electricity through the barbs which disrupt the neuromuscular system. This is more like a stun gun for androids, except instead of stunning them it charges one of their numerous power sources," the future technician explained. He then turned a dial, which switched off the long blue bar so only a quarter of it was lighting up. "I'm going to turn this down to the lowest setting in case something happens."
"What would happen if Connor was zapped with full power?" Hank asked as he glanced at the teens before returning to his attention on the road.
"As I said before, at full power this thing could charge a few androids at once. If one android were to absorb all this power at once, theoretically, their systems would try to understand why the sudden boost and will try to expel it. So everything the android touches would be electrically shocked or burned depending on the material. If the android's systems cannot expel the extra energy then it'll continue to overwork until being burnt out which will force the said android into a permanent shutdown."
"And you're sure this works?" Audrey questioned skeptically.
"Eh, I did test it on similar batteries that hold as much voltage as Connor does, but I never did try it on any android," Anthony admitted with a small shrug. "But I am 97% sure that this is going to work!"
"And the other three percent?" Rex narrowed his eyes.
"There's only one way to find out. Hank? What do you say?" The man sighed through his nose as he turned to look at his long-time best friend. After a few debating seconds, he nodded for him to continue.
"I trust ya, kid."
"Okay." Anthony held up the laser behind Connor's neck. He pressed a button and a quick shot of electricity coursed through the deviant. At once, Connor snapped awake and he shot up to a straight position. Anthony grinned in pride and awe as he turned off his gadget and stuffed it into his pocket. "It worked!"
"How are you feeling, Connor? Feelin' energized?" Hank raised an eyebrow as he scanned the deviant for any visible worries. The android paused, tapping his fingers a little.
"... Yes. My systems state a sudden increase of power, it has boosted my systems to full power and I am in no need of recharge anytime soon," Connor nodded a little. He then looked at the man next to him in confusion. "What happened?"
"Anthony gave you a little shock to wake ya up," he summarized. Right as he laid a hand on the android's shoulder, he yelped and flinched to feel a shock. "Holy shit, you shocked me."
"That may be a side effect. That should wear off in a few minutes," the future technician sheepishly chuckled when the man deadpanned in his direction.
"Alright, here we are," Hank declared as he parked the van in front of a cafe. It was about the size of a diner and seemed to be crowded with people who must be attending the open mic night. They paused for a moment as they watched more cars pull in and people, both human and android, enter the cafe.
"That's a lot of people," Rex gulped quietly. "Is it too late to back out?"
"Yup!" Audrey nodded in determination before grasping Rex's arm and tugging him out of the car. "Let's get our stuff before the show starts."
"We have an hour left!" The older boy complained. The other three slowly got out of the car and removed their instruments from the inside before entering the cafe. As predicted, the area was filled with people waiting to hear the talents. A few people were already up on stage preparing for the first guest while the rest sat down or set up their equipment for later use. The group moved to set up their equipment backstage while Hank went to speak to the host. While he did, the band discussed what they wanted to do.
"Alright, which songs screams 'Cybernetics'?" Audrey questioned aloud as she placed a finger on her chin.
"We could do a rock classic," Rex offered. "A bunch of the audience is like Gen Z and Alpha. There are some catchy songs from then. I bet some singers here are going to pick songs from nowadays like The Way Wanders or Kendy Ninja."
"But what are we going to play?"
"Hey, how about Party Rock Anthem? That's a good one, I think people back then like to party a lot," the older teen chuckled.
"No, that has too much dancing. We're here to perform not cause a rave," she shook her head. Audrey then turned to the quiet two, who had been looking over the equipment in case they forgot anything or something wasn't working. "Hey, you two, what do you think?"
"We'll just play a few of our songs we've been working on," Anthony answered with a shrug as he readjusted his glasses. "I mean, how else can we impress the people if we copy from someone else's work? Connor knows all the songs and we know a good few. I say why not?"
"But which songs?" She insisted.
"The ones we know best – 'More than Identity' and 'Once Again'," Connor decided as he cleaned his dark red guitar. The teens looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Now let's get ready. We have a show to perform and a crowd to please."
"That's the spirit, Mr. Roboto!" Rex exclaimed. A few performances played right after. Most of them were good, which made the group a little nervous considering they only practiced a few times. But by the time the fourth act was over, Hank walked up to them, looking as confident as ever.
"Alright, there's a whole crowd of people out there and are looking for a good time. It's time to show what the Cybernetics can do," Hank encouraged. "And I'm proud of you guys coming out of your comfort zones to do this. It shows how strong you are. People are going to love you, you hear me?"
"Next up on our list is a group performance!" The announcer was introduced on stage. "Give it up for Cybernetics!"
"Give it all you got!" Hank exclaimed to them before the group of four walked up on stage to face the clapping audience. Connor moved to the front microphone while Rex was a step behind to his left with Audrey and Anthony were on the right. The android tried to avoid eye contact with the crowd as they all became silent and waited for the show to start. He ignored his rising stress levels to glance at his band members. When everyone nodded, Connor instantly strummed his guitar.
Hank stood back and watched in pride, grinning from ear to ear as his friends played their hearts out. He's never heard of the song before so he assumed that they wrote it themselves, which made him even happier. The song was a mix of rock and electric pop, a great combination of both genres and interests the group preferred. Just as halfway through the next song, a woman walked up to him.
"Excuse me, sir? What affiliations do you have with this band?" The woman exclaimed over the music. The man scanned her for a second.
"Oh, I'm their manager," Hank nodded with the same loud voice.
"My name is Rebecca Donatella," she held out her hand, which he awkwardly shook. "I am a talent scout looking for new stars. I couldn't help but notice that those four are exactly what I'm looking for – not too young, not too old, good-looking and diverse, and talent-driven. I see a bright future for the Cybernetics filled with fame, money, and happiness."
"Uh, this is the first time they ever performed," Hank furrowed his eyebrows. "Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but it seems a little far-fetched."
"First time?" Rebecca repeated in surprise. "Wow. They sound like professionals. Listen, this might be their first performance but I can make their music spread like a wildfire. Fans can download their music and scream them on stage. I know it sounds a little good to be true, but you believe that they hold a lot of talent, don't you?"
"I do, but I still think that they need a little time to decide."
"Of course! Here, take my card. Contact me when you have made your decision." After that, she disappeared into the crowd. Suddenly, the audience abruptly applauded the band, who waved hesitantly before getting off stage. Hank followed right after them.
"That was great, guys!" Rex cheered as he high-fived his bandmates. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "God, my hands are shaking. That was freaking awesome."
"Heck yeah, it was!" Audrey giggled as she drank some water and finally put her hair up in a ponytail. "They loved us!"
"Did you hear us? We were amazing!" Anthony grinned ecstatically as he bounced in his place. "I've never felt so alive. I'm glad we didn't give this up forever, we were missing out!"
"Hank, how did you enjoy our performance?" Connor smiled kindly as the man walked up to them. Hank responded by scooping the android in a one-arm hug and furrowing his hair, much to Connor's displeasure. He always hates it when people mess with his hair.
"Did I enjoy it? It was fucking awesome! You got some talent, kid. All of you do," Hank grinned proudly as the teens shared the same expression. He then pulled out the contact card from earlier and showed it to the band. "And guess what? You got some attention alright. This lady comes up to me and says that she's looking for you guys to be a musical sensation. I said we have to think about it but it's all up to you guys."
Audrey then dramatically gasped when she looked at the card, followed by Rex and then Anthony. "OMG! The Rebecca Donatella recognized us and wants to be famous?!"
"You know her?" He tilted his head.
"Know her? Who doesn't?" Rex widened his eyes in disbelief. "Rebecca is not only a talent scout but also a music promoter. She's worked with so many artists like Crimes of Justice and Knights of the Black Death, I even heard she worked with Lady Gaga for a short time too."
"She's the real deal. If Rebecca wants us to be the next hit, not only will we become famous and rich but people from all over the world will hear our music," Anthony continued. "I can't even believe she would come to a regular open mic night and call out her next hit just by two songs. Either we're lucky or just that good."
"Well she did say that you look like professionals," Hank smirked. "How about we pack up and head out to celebrate, then we can talk about what to decide after we get home. Sounds fair?"
"Definitely."
TBC...
