November 6th, 2038
AM 10:20:32
Shouts were muffled by the box's thick panes of glass. They rose and fell, almost in sync with the holographic map serving as a backdrop for the verbal knock-down-throw-out in Captain Fowler's office. Connor stood in the corner, watching Jeff and Hank go at it…
So did you and Chris. Yeah, you had work to do. But this was priceless.
The two of you didn't even try to hide it. You faced the office, ankles folded on your knees on either side of your desks. You drank more coffee while he had a homemade concoction that smelled like fresh grass and probably tasted like shit.
"NO FUCKIN' WAY!" Hank shouted, the rest of his rant fading.
You chuckled, looking at Chris out of the corner of your eye, "What do you think he's yelling about?"
"Not a clue," Chris took a hard gulp, "All I know is when Fowler starts waving his hands around like that, it usually means a shitstorm's coming."
"He's not so bad…" You yawned, "Fowler's kinda like a T-Rex…Stand still, don't look him in the eye, and he might not see you."
"Pfffft-" Chris painted his chin with his beverage, wiping it with the back of his hand as he tried to catch the rest with his mouth, "Jesus – Damn it," He cursed your last name, "You can't make a man laugh while he's sippin' on his drink!"
You put your elbow on your desk, cranking your neck over the divider, "The fuck is that?"
It was green, and foamy – with little bits of vegetables cut up in it.
"It's…a superfood smoothie…"
"…A what?"
"Look, don't judge me," He put his cup down, eyeing you defensively, "My wife's got us on this 'Clean Energy,' diet. This is supposed to wake me up in the morning, and I've got another flavor for lunch…I think. I hope."
"Uh, Chris…There's like, an endless supply of caffeine, right over there." You pointed at the lounge.
"Caffeine is off the table. Doesn't help with the anxiety."
"Anxiety?"
"Yeah…You know how it is…You see enough on the job, shit starts to catch up with you."
"You've got a family to take care of, Miller." Your brows pinched together, "If you feel like shits catching up with you…You just gotta run faster."
He crossed his arms, staring into the resting screen of his terminal. He looked back at you, and gave you a quick series of nods before rolling himself closer to his keyboard.
You did the same, entering your password.
[ACCESS DENIED]
[REROUTING...]
[PENDING SUSPENSION – UNDER REVIEW, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED?]
[YES] [NO]
Duh.
You clicked on the link, waiting for the screen to stop spinning.
[PD77 FORM - REVOCATION OF POLICE POWERS AND NOTIFICATION OF DUTY STATUS]
2.12 At the point of suspension, your card, pocket note book and any access cards / keys will be returned to the Detroit City Police Department. Other issued equipment must also be surrendered, for example, uniform and police equipment, including personal protective equipment, force-issued mobile phones and laptops (or other electronic devices).
2.13 You or a police friend may make representations against the initial decision to suspend (within 7 working days beginning with the first working day after being suspended) and at any time during the course of the suspension if you or they believe the circumstances have changed and the suspension is no longer appropriate.
2.14 The relevant leadership team will appoint an appropriate welfare officer who will maintain regular contact with you. You will be notified of the welfare services provided by the Detroit City Police Department.
2.15 You must be available for contact and therefore should reside at your usual place of residence. If you wish to leave that address for any period of time outside of granted annual leave, you must inform the Professional Standards Department and your appointed welfare contact.
2.16 You will not normally be allowed to visit police premises and may only do so by appointment, unless there are prevailing circumstances such as reporting a crime in progress. You will not be allowed to be unescorted within police premises.
2.17 It is acknowledged that during times of suspension, you may feel isolated from your colleagues. Nothing within this procedure is designed to place restrictions on friendships with colleagues and normal social contact should be maintained, unless this is contrary to bail conditions or specific directions.
2.18 Critical skills may be maintained whilst you are suspended, such as firearms accreditation/dog training if the objectives of the suspension are not compromised and the benefit to maintaining such skills is practicable.
2.19 The period of suspension will be for as short a period as possible and where possible priority should be given to ongoing investigations.
2.20 You shall be notified when the decision is taken to lift the restrictions to your duties.
I confirm that this document has been drafted to comply with the principles of the Human Rights Act and Equal Opportunity legislation as per force guidance-
This had to be a fucking joke.
…
"Hank, you are seriously starting to piss me off! You are a police Lieutenant, you are supposed to do what I say, and shut your goddamn mouth!" Fowler screamed.
No one noticed you'd walked in…Except Connor. The corners of his mouth teetered on a frown, trying to smile at you. His eyes were sad, even as he stood there with his hands clasped in front of him.
"You know what my goddamn mouth has to say to you, huh?" Hank hovered over the desk.
"Ok, ok…I'll pretend like I didn't hear that, so I don't have to add any more pages to your disciplinary folder, 'cause it already looks like a fuckin' novel! This conversation is over!"
Hank put his hands on his hips, looking to the side. He let out a hot breath before pleading to Fowler, "Jeffery, Jesus Christ! Why are you doin' this to me?" He pointed a thumb behind him, "You know how much I hate these fuckin' things...Why you doin' this to me?"
Connor's jaw tensed for a moment, returning to his emotionless state in a matter of milliseconds.
"Listen. I've had just enough of your bitching. Either you do your job, or you hand in your badge."
Speaking of which…
You knocked on the glass.
Hank spun around, and Fowler peeked around him.
"We're in the middle of something." Hank growled.
"No, we're not."
"Captain Fowler please don't take me off the case-" You said it so fast it could've been one word and they wouldn't have known better, "Please don't suspend me again..."
"You shouldn't even be here. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, because you do. You know what kind of liability you are to this police department, right now?"
Your neck snaked back, and your eyes dropped to the floor.
"You risked your life for an android."
"I would've done the same thing if that was Chris behind me..."
"That's the PROBLEM!" He slammed his hands down, "You see that, over there, in the corner? That, is a machine. Built of parts and plastic that can be manufactured by the dozens." He pointed at Chris, outside the glass office, "Him? Out there? He's a father. A husband. And there will never be another human being exactly. Like. Him. There will never be another human being like you."
Your teeth ground together. Your arms shook.
"These deviants…They shot me in the arm. Stomach. They killed, my partner." You planted your knuckles on his desk, staring him down, "I know the value of human life. And I'd say I'm more invested in cracking this case than anyone else."
You thought you got to him. Thought you saw a crack in his iron resolve.
"Your vest may have allowed you to walk away with nothing but a nasty bruise and a few sore muscles," Prowler insisted, "But there's no CAT scan in the world that can fix your mental state eight hours after someone tried to take your life. Go home," He said your last name.
Your arms started shaking. Your breathing shuddered, eyes becoming wet.
"Don't be like that, Jeff…" Hank defended you, patting your shoulder, "Kid's been shot twice in the last three months and came to work less than twelve hours later."
You shrugged him off, your gaze never leaving the Captain.
"WHAT do I have to do to be scary again, hm?" He shouted, rising from his chair, "You spending too much time with Anderson?"
Hank swore under his breath as his hands squeaked against the glass, the door slamming behind him.
"Can you…" You really hated crying, especially when you were trying so hard not to, "Can you give me authorization to work from home?"
"No. You're going to go home, and you're going to relax before you get gun crazy or worse." He pointed to a DCPD plaque on the wall, "Your sworn duty is to protect and serve. You've got one part down…Now it's time you learned the other!"
Fowler picked up a mug, one just like yours, with the same damn coffee. He took a sip, "Now if both of you are done, I've got work to do."
You looked over your shoulder, forgetting Connor was still in the corner.
"I'm very pleased to have joined the team. I can assure you I'll do my very best-"
"Close the door on your way out." Fowler interrupted him.
The disappointed look that streaked across his features only hurt you more.
"Have a nice day, Captain…" He dismissed himself.
You stood to leave, Connor behind you.
Fowler barked your last name, "Your badge."
Your handle was on the door. You were so close. You turned around, finding Connor watching you with a sympathetic look. You didn't want him to see you crying, either.
Fowler didn't even pay any mind, his attention still trained on his terminal. You unclipped your badge, tossing it on his desk with a flick of your wrist. It landed with a heavy thud, sliding along the glossy wood.
"Your gun."
Still, he didn't look at you.
You tried to sigh, but your stomach stopped you. Your eyes flickered, popping the bullet from the chamber and letting it hit the floor. You ejected the clip. You tossed the gun, too.
"You're lucky you're one of the best cops we have…"
You had your back to him. You focused on Connor, who was patiently holding the door open for you with a smile on his face…
And it made you cry harder.
…
Your locker clicked, your hand almost denting the thin sheet of aluminum. You pulled a cream thermal over a tank top, slipping your thumbs through the holes stitched in to the ends of the sleeves.
You pushed the button of your jeans through the hole, cautiously taking a seat on the bench. It hurt to bend over, pushing your feet through a pair of snow boots.
A reflection shifted next to you.
You slowly raised your neck to meet it, finding the face of someone much different than before the interrogation. Tired, sure. Stressed, definitely. But something inside you had changed.
You lifted your shirt, and the thin barrier underneath it. You twisted to see the bruise that painted a target in vibrant blues, purples, and reds.
You'd been lucky to walk away with a minor injury. You'd been lucky the DCPD invested money in quality assurance. It was 2038, after all. You and your officer peers weren't a group of ragtag militia soldiers with recycled equipment.
You were professionals. Experts. Programmed to protect, and serve.
You shook your head, leaving the locker room and making your way through the hallways that were choking with ever-increasing traffic.
When you rounded the corner, Chris was still slurping on liquified plant, watching a scene play out only a few feet away from your desk.
"I've been assigned to this mission, Lieutenant." Connor had his hand anchored firmly in front of Hank, hovering over his shoulder, "I didn't come here to wait until you feel like working."
Hank's pad dropped on his desk, the rounded corners bouncing. He exhaled, grabbing Connor by the collar of his shirt, slamming him against the wall.
"Listen, asshole, if it was up to me, I'd throw the lot of you in a dumpster and set a match to it…"
Chris held up a hand, halting your pursuit, and walked out from behind his desk.
"Let me take this one…" He whispered.
"…So, stop pissing me off…or things are gonna get nasty." Hank finished.
Connor didn't look scared. He didn't even look mad, or sad, anymore. He just had the look of a man who'd accepted that this as his life, now. Defeated.
"Lieutenant…uh…sorry to disturb you." Chris was professional, as always, "I have some information on the AX400 that attacked the guy last night…It's been seen in the Ravendale district."
Hank let out a final, angry grunt; shoving himself away from Connor. He swiped the corners of his mouth with his fingers, turning to Chris, "…I'm on it..."
Connor fixed his suit, watching Hank as he passed you.
"You coming?" Chris cocked his chin at you.
"Not this time…I'm sure you got the e-mail, by now…"
"Yeah, I did." He slipped his arms through his jacket, "I didn't ask you if you were coming with me. I asked you if you were coming."
You pulled your coat on, looping your scarf around your neck.
"No, of course not."
He gave you a wink, "I'll try to talk some sense into Fowler, later."
"Don't bother," You looked at the notifications spiraling out of control on Chris's terminal, "He can't afford to tag me out for long."
Case after case, incident numbers pushed themselves through like instant messages.
"It's been seen in the Ravendale district."
You visited the area often. Apparently, so did Todd's missing AX400 android.
"Listen and obey…"
With or without permission, you were going to find out why.
"Protect and serve…"
Connor wasn't the only one behaving like a deviant, these days.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the update! :D
***PD77 Form quoted from Cheshire Constabulary, "Suspension from Duty and Restriction of Duty," Procedure Reference Number: 2010.24***
