DETROIT: REVENGE
Chapter 02
"Missing"
Hey, Connor." He called him softly. "Wake up, son." His eyes opened and he turned to meet Hank. "Are you alright?" Hank asked him.
"What time is it?" Connor straightened up.
"Time to dinner, actually" he laughed.
"I understand." Connor stood up and headed to the door. "I'll cook you something immediately."
"Hey, hey, hey!" He stopped. "Son… how you feeling?"
UPSET, CONFUSED, DISTANT, DINNER. "I, uh… I don't know Hank. I can't understand what's happening. I'm- I'm confused." Connor turned. "How's the investigation going? Did you find the suspect already?"
"Connor, I'll tell you about the case after dinner, but first I want us to talk about you."
NO NEED, INSIST, ME? "What do you want to know, Hank?"
"You heard me; I want to know how you feel."
TRUTH, LIE. "I'm… fine, Hank. I'm in a perfect state. I checked my systems a few hours ago and everything's functional.
"Yeah, yeah. You can't convince me with that programmed shit. I want you to-
"Hank… please. I want to show you that I'm functional. Allow me to make you dinner… please."
He didn't want to. Hank knew that Connor was not okay; after all, he was accused of murder, but he agreed. "You win."
Connor forced a smile. "Thank you, Hank. What would you like to eat?"
"You decide."
…
Connor took the dishes from the table to the sink and returned to Hank with a drink for him.
"I must remind you that I do not suggest you drink at this hour. Especially after dinner."
"And I remind you that I appreciate it, but," Hank took it and sipped, "I'm not interested in stopping such a tradition."
"I know you don't." Both laughed. Connor remained silent, but Hank knew what was going through his mind.
"Alright, I promised. The truth is that we haven't moved on as much as I thought." Connor stared at him. "It isn't Gavin's fault if that's what you think, but we need more evidence. I headed back to the crime scene. We walked over the house, but there wasn't anything new. So, after a little investigation, and some questions to the neighbors, I found that the family used to possess and android months ago. After it turned deviant it was gone and never seen again."
"You say that the murderer could be this same android."
"If you're right, which I guarantee, it's a good excuse."
"But you're not entirely convinced, right?"
"It would be very easy. Nobody heard or saw a thing, 'till they called us in the morning. Since they're free, most of the androids have lived apart from humans, why would one of them want to go back to his old home and kill his old owners? Especially if he knows that they are now ruled by laws, and murder is a crime. No; I think it was someone else. Whoever did this was totally aware that we were gonna look for him."
"He knows the procedure, could it be someone we'd met before?"
"Vengeance," Hank took another sip, "someone that might hate us, or hate you, maybe. That's why he left you to seem guilty. Tomorrow… tomorrow we'll talk again with the little girl. We'll show her some photos, let's hope she recognizes our mysterious man." Hank looked away. "Unfortunately, I can't prove yet that you're innocent."
ASK FOR PERMISSION, DEMAND FOR ANOTHER CHANCE, SAY NOTHING. "Hank, allow me to return. I can help you solve this case."
He sighed. "That's what I think, and guess what, Gavin too."
"He does?"
"When I brought you back Gavin went back to Jeffrey to ask for an android to help us solve this investigation, and if my ears still work, I heard your name."
Hank was trying to be optimistic, but not even him seemed sure about it. "Hank… you said we'd figure this together."
Hank straightened up. "And d'you think I lied?"
Software instability. YES, NO, I DON'T KNOW. "No. I know you meant it."
They remained silent. "Everything will be over soon, you'll see." Said Hank. "The game's about to begin, wanna watch it with me?"
YES, NO. "Sure, Hank. I'd love to."
…
…
…
"Connor! You coming or what?" asked Hank.
Connor looked up to him. "I'm right behind you, lieutenant."
Hank hesitated, then turned and walked through the door. Connor was just outside an abandoned house. He walked slowly, following Hank.
"What are we looking for, Connor?"
"An important clue to the investigation, lieutenant."
Connor closed the door behind him. Suddenly he got instructions… no, it was a message.
'Watch him die, Connor.' Then, Connor pulled up a hidden weapon and pointed Hank.
…
Connor opened his eyes, still hearing the shoot. SEE HOW'S HANK, was his priority. He stood up in a hurry, opened the door, and knocked Hank's door.
"Hank! Are you okay?" KNOCK, GET IN. Connor opened the door and looked for him; the bed was undone but he was not there. "Hank!" He headed to the bathroom. He knocked again and got no response. He got in and he wasn't there either. "Hank!" Then he got a message.
Incoming message. 8:35 a. m. From: Hank Anderson. -Go with Gavin-
Connor's stress level turned to high to moderate; he knew that Hank was okay, though he didn't know where he was. Sumo's presence helped him to relax. He might be on the DPD already. He just got an instruction, so he got out of the bathroom. He looked at Hank's bedroom. He left his bed undone. Connor got back to his room. He opened his closet and took another uniform. He was about to leave the room when he turned to see the door. The door was closed when I woke up. He wasn't used to doing that, except when he was out. He got to the living room and looked at a sandwich and a cup of coffee left on the kitchen table. I don't need to eat. Connor left the house after that.
…
It took him more time than it should get to the DPD because he had to look for a taxi. Once he got there, he took a deep breath and got in. Right after the reception, he met Gavin on his desk talking with some officers. He stopped as soon as he saw Connor.
"No. No, no, no. You're truly a deviant, aren't you? You cannot be here, not 'till all of this gets clear."
"Detective, I received a message from Hank, is he here?"
"I'm afraid that you lost him. He left like… half an hour now, he didn't tell you?"
"He… left before I reactivated, and he sent me a message a few minutes ago. He told me to talk to you."
Gavin crossed his arms. "I don't know what you're playing… but, yeah. He left a message for you. Look at his desk." He walked back to his desk. "But don't stay here too long!"
"Just a second."
Connor found his desk. He analyzed it but there was nothing out of place. He accessed his monitor and there was a note: it as an address, a few streets from there. He'll have to take a taxi or the bus. Connor was ready to leave when he saw someone coming out from Jeffrey's office. Software instability. Just walking to Gavin's desk there was another RK800 unit, another Connor.
He looked confused at him and walked towards him. The closer he got, he realized this android wasn't exactly like him: his clothes were different, he was bigger and taller than Connor, and he had grey eyes. This new android looked at Connor, and he felt… intimidated.
"Oh, no," said Gavin, realizing what was about to happen.
"Hello, detective." Said the android. Even his voice was the same. "My name is Connor, although I know that you're called that way too, so, to avoid any kind of confusion you may call me Nines."
"Nines… what model are you?"
"I'm an RK900 unit. I'm a prototype."
"Ow," said Gavin, "it's like having a déjà vu."
"What do you mean by prototype?"
"I'm the last and most advanced android model made by Cyberlife. Before its transformation post-revolution, so to speak."
"And… what's your function?"
"I have plenty of capabilities, but my prior mission is to solve crimes, just like you, with a few upgrades."
"What does it mean?"
"This big guy," said Gavin standing up, "was built after you. As his "curriculum" says, he's meant to be faster, stronger, and with the latest technologies."
"Are… are there more like you?" The android mimics my physical appearance.
"I'm afraid that there aren't," said Nines. "The RK900 model's production was stopped when Cyberlife was suspended. Although, I was already built when that happened; it was Markus who proceeded with my programming, and now I can work for the Detroit's Police Department. Right, detective?" He smiled at Connor, then looked at Gavin.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah, um, tin-can… I want you to meet my partner. Toaster number two. He'll be the android helping us with this case, and to prove your innocence."
Connor stepped back slowly. "It's a pleasure, Nines. I've got to look for Hank."
"Whatever." Said Gavin.
"The pleasure was mine, detective Anderson."
Software instability. Connor nodded reluctantly to Nines and left the place.
…
He got off the bus two streets before his destination. Connor was worried, as for not knowing anything else about Hank, as for RK900. He was just like Connor, but it wasn't him. He made the thought go away to focus on his mission: find Hank. Then he found a two-floor abandoned house and Hank's car on the sidewalk. He ran to the car but he wasn't there. Hank must be inside the house.
There were no bars, so he could get in without any trouble. He was about to open the door when he realized that he had been there before, in his last night's dream. "Hank!" He opened the door but he was not there. Connor was confused. He gave a few steps and found red and blue spots on the floor near the stairs. EXAMINE RED BLOOD, EXAMINE BLUE BLOOD. Connor leaned over the red spot, he rubbed it with his fingers and took it to his mouth… it was Hank Anderson's blood.
"Hank!" He stood up and called for him everywhere on the first floor. "Hank! Where are you!?" He took the stairs to look on the second floor. "Hank! Answer me!" There was nobody in the first room, neither on the second. He opened the third door and met with a device with a countdown. He scanned it and found it was a bomb. He closed the door and run to the window, then the house blew up and he flew out through the window.
…
…
..
Mission: Protect Hank…
…Interference…
…
A bunch of images appeared on his mind. Amanda walking towards him. Hank telling him to fuck off. Hank pointing a gun to him. He pointing Markus. He and Hank walking with Sumo. He was in the murdered family's bathroom, looking to his own reflection.
"A machine." He heard. "A machine." "My name is Connor."
"We'll figure out together." Said Hank.
"…Yeah… together." Said Connor.
…
Mission: Protect Han-k-.-…
…
MISSION FAI-L-… Prot-ect-…
…
…
…Hank…
…
…
…
"Hank!" yelled Connor reactivating. He met Nines looking at him and he tried to step back.
"Please, detective. Don't move. I'm still reassembling you."
"What?" Connor tried to stand up, but he felt pain; at least, it should be pain. He didn't know where he was, but he was moving. It was the back of a van. He ran a diagnostic.
"There's no need to that, I'm almost done. You'll be in excellent condition." Nines pressed his leg and Connor jumped. "There you go. Please, drink this." Nines gave him a bottle with blue blood to drink it.
Connor sat up, then saw that his clothes were torn, burned and dirty, and he had lost part of his pants and his shoe, in the leg Nines had just reassembled. His jacket was gone. Connor looked at Nines, he still made him uncomfortable. DRIVER, DESTINATION, RK900, CONNOR. "Where are we going?"
"We head to your house, detective. Make sure to stay there this time."
DRIVER, RK900, CONNOR. "Who's driving?"
"Detective Reed, of course."
"What happened?"
"I'm afraid that I'm not authorized to talk to you about it yet."
"He's right!" said Gavin. "Now shut up you two! We're almost there."
…
Gavin stopped the van. Nines got out first. "Are you able to walk, detective?"
Connor pulled his legs out. He stood up and staggered, but he made it.
"Listen here, toaster," said Gavin. "You're going to stay home, it's an order! And to make sure you don't do some shit like that one, Nines is staying with you. D'you understand?" Connor nodded. "Good." Gavin looked at Nines and both nodded. Then he closed the door and Gavin left.
Both androids walked to the door, but Connor stopped upon it. Something was not right.
"Detective Anderson?"
Connor ignored him and opened the door. Sumo greeted him joyfully, then he looked back at Nines, who was in front of the door with his hands on his back.
"What are you doing here?" His presence made him uncomfortable.
"I've got strict orders in keeping you inside your home." Nines looked around. "You have a nice house detective."
"Thank you… it's Hank's, uh… lieutenant Anderson's house."
"I see. I suggest you take some rest, detective Anderson."
Software instability. "Don't call me that."
"But that's your last name, isn't it? And you're a detective. You were officially announced as a detective just two and a half months ago, and that's when Hank Anderson adopted you, and doing so gave you his last name. Did I get it wrong?"
"No. Everything's correct… my name is Connor."
"And my name is Nines. I'll tell you something, detective: I'll call you by your name if you call me by mine."
"Okay… Nines."
"Okay… Connor."
He was still uncomfortable around him. Connor looked again at his uniform and his leg. "Can you tell me what happened, Nines?"
He took a deep breath. "A device detonated inside an abandoned house 33 minutes ago, exactly. It was a seismic wave emitter, modified to create an igneous reaction after the countdown. You were too close to the explosion radio, you flew through a wall five meters away… Consider yourself lucky, Connor, any other living, human or android, wouldn't have survived."
"And Hank? What about Hank?!"
"I'm sorry, Connor, but I'm not authorized to talk to about the case yet. I suggest you to relax, take some rest, change your clothes and wait for instructions. If you'd like, I'll put myself in standby mode, so not to bother you."
Nines closed his eyes and remained still. Connor was still confused, but there was nothing else he could do now. Change your clothes. Connor turned on the TV. He was so used to listening to Hank, that the complete silence was now odd to him. He got back to his room and straight to his closet, he wanted to wear a uniform, although there's no need in that as he wasn't able to get back to the DPD. WEAR UNIFORM, WEAR NORMAL CLOTHES. Connor chose the uniform.
He had six RK800 Cyberlife's uniform. He made sure to have enough once he started living with Hank, this way, he learned to use one per week, so Hank could wash both of them clothes. Connor got rid of the dirty uniform and wore the clean one, he left the clothespin back to the closet when he noticed there were three missing uniforms. The first one was ruined, and he took the second one, but, where was the third one? One uniform is missing. Could be in the dirty clothes. Connor stopped at the room's door, and he remembered that he never used to close it. Someone must've kept it closed.
Connor returned to the living room and glanced at Nines, who was still standing in front of the door eyes-closed. He walked to the bathroom and looked for his uniform on the laundry basket, taking the clothes one by one, but it wasn't there. Find the uniform. Connor went to Hank's room and looked for it in his closet with no success. It wasn't either on the floor. Then Connor noticed that Hank's bed was undone, and that's not what he was used to do. Hank was in a hurry.
He stepped into the living room and scanned his environment. He got to the kitchen and looked again at the breakfast left on the table. Connor thought that Hank made it for him, but what if it was Hank's food? But if he was so hurried then he couldn't've prepared that, and why he didn't eat it? He approached his fingers over the coffee and tasted it. It wasn't tasty at all. Hank didn't prepare that coffee.
Connor looked on the kitchen for something out of normal, but everything seemed to be in perfect shape. Who made him coffee? There was something still missing. Connor returned with Nines.
"RK900," he waited. "RK… Nines."
He opened the eyes. "Yes, detective?"
"I need to ask you something about Hank."
"I'm sorry detective, but I'm not-"
"I know you can't talk to me about the case! I'm not asking about that, it's about Hank Anderson… I just need to know one thing."
"…Alright, Connor. Just one thing."
HANK AT THE DPD, NINES AND GAVIN, THE BOMB. Connor knew that his priority was 'Protect Hank.' "What was Hank doing so early on the Police Department? I got a message from him, at 8:35 a. m. Hank wasn't supposed to be out of home at that hour, what can you tell me about that?"
Nines stared at him for a few seconds, analyzing what he could tell Connor. "I agree. Lieutenant Anderson uses to arrive at least two hours later, as I've been told. It was unusual meeting him so early in the morning."
"Did you notice anything else? His talking, his clothing. Was somebody with him?"
"I can't tell, I was busy… But I can figure out."
"How?"
"I'll contact the ST300 that is still working on the DPD, I'll ask her if she noticed something. Please wait, it won't take that long."
Nines closed his eyes again, and Connor walked back to the kitchen. The sandwich seems perfect. Not just that, the sandwich was made with extreme care and attention. Someone else prepared the sandwich… and it wasn't Hank.
"I'm done." Said Nines. "The receptionist says that she saw Hank arrive in his car, but he wasn't driving. He entered the DPD and looked behind him twice. He then left the place, he hopped on the passenger seat and he left. She can't tell who was with him, but she thought it might've been you, detective."
Unlocked path. Connor stood in the hallway and started recreating the scene. Hank got up in a hurry and got to the kitchen, the breakfast was ready, but he didn't touch it. Hank should've left almost immediately and someone left with him. If he didn't wake Connor it was because… he thought he was with him.
Connor was tense. An impostor? He turned to see another path. The impostor came out from his bedroom with his missing uniform and closed his door. "Hank was deceived."
"Detective," said Nines, "I need to talk to you." He walked to the kitchen and sat on a chair. "Please, take a seat."
Connor was surprised for the sudden order, but he obeyed. Nines got close to him.
"Listen, I'm about to tell you about the case. I'm asking you for your entire attention, as we don't have much time left."
"What-"
"Please, don't ask any questions until I'm finished." Connor stayed silent. "Yesterday, a family was attacked too early in the morning. Two adults died, and it is probably that the murderer was an android, because of the precision of the wounds and the missing human fingerprints. A child survived, and she assures that she saw the aggressor. She was interrogated today at 8:30 a. m. and she was shown several deviant photos that were looked by the police. She denied all of them, so we showed her some other deviant photos, and I'm afraid that she pointed you as the aggressor."
The impostor killed her parents.
"Besides, there's a security camera from a building that saw lieutenant Anderson, and you, arriving into the abandoned address and 8:33 a. m.
"No."
"At 8:40, you were seen leaving the building without the lieutenant. Then, you arrived at the Police Department at 8:45 and left.
"No."
"The same camera saw you return to the building at 9:06 a. m. and a few minutes later the house blew up with you inside. There's no view of the lieutenant leaving the place." Nines got closer. "You know what I'm about to say next, right?" Connor didn't answer. Software instability. "The lieutenant is missing… and you're the main suspect, Connor."
Connor felt rage, confusion, pain, and fear… fear… what a horrible feeling. "What will happen now?"
"A special team has orders to come here and arrest you for murder. They may arrive in 8 minutes." His systems were unstable, he didn't know what to do. "Although," said Nines. "Technically, I didn't tell you this, detective." Connor looked at him surprised. "As far as we know, I stayed at the door, blocking your main exit." He stood up and returned to the door. "Hurry up, Connor."
Connor stood up. Escape. He ran to his bedroom, opened his closet and took a white shirt, blue pants and a grey jacket with a hoodie, and changed his clothes. He took some money from Hank's room "Forgive me, Hank. I'll give it back to you, I promise." He said. He got inside the bathroom and made his hair wet. It had grown a lot in the last weeks, and Hank never noticed, but now he ruffled his hair. He zipped up the jacket and put on the hoodie. He returned one last time in the living room and met Sumo lying in his place. Connor kneeled with him sadly.
"Please, take care of yourself… and forgive me… I have to leave you." Anyone else could say that it was useless to talk with a dog, but he replied with a sad howl. "I promise that we'll come back, both of us."
Connor hugged him tightly and Sumo licked his face. Then Connor stood up and looked at Nines one last time. He headed to Hank's room, opened the window and jumped outside. He closed it, and not knowing where to go, he ran. He took a street, but he knew that the police would intercept him that way, so he took the opposite way.
…
