Taylor Swift – Shake It Off

"Rumors started yesterday that child star and social media influencer Taylor Kolbeck is relocating to her hometown of Detroit to be a special consultant on a police investigation into the recent spike of android deviancy." Taylor snorted as she watched the newscaster deliver the headline. Rumors that were spread by Alex, no doubt. "The star confirmed the rumors this morning via Twitter.

"Taylor has been in the top five most followed accounts across all social media for several years now and has held the number two spot on Instagram for almost five, topped only by Instagram's own account. She has also been a very outspoken voice for the android rights movement, using all of her social media accounts to press the issue since the first reports of deviants hit the internet."

Taylor sighed, clicking out of the news story and pulling her earbuds out of her ears. She wasn't in the mood to hear the news team discuss her motivations this early in the morning. She knew that Alex would be on the phone to tell her exactly what everyone was saying about her later. She had insisted he stay home in California to be with his daughter instead of following her to Detroit. His kid was an infant, and he could harass her just as well remotely.

You can't get these years back, you know. Kids grow up fast. Even still, he'd been reluctant to let her go alone. His love for his family eventually won out, however. Taylor glanced out of the window, watching the buildings of Detroit blur by as she made her way to the DPD precinct. Her driver slash escort hadn't said a word past "ma'am" to her since he picked her up this morning, but she was enjoying the silence as she processed being back in the city she had grown up in.

Before she knew it, the door was opened for her and she stepped out onto the sidewalk, sliding her sunglasses on her face to block out the sun. As she had expected, there was a handful of reporters waiting to receive her. They all started asking questions at once, shoving their recording devices toward her to catch any snippet she had to offer. There were a couple of police officers holding them back, looking none too happy about it.

"Taylor! Is it true you're working for CyberLife now?"

"Taylor, what do you have to say to the people who say you're switching sides against the androids?"

"Taylor!"

Taylor smiled at the crowd and waved at the handful of fans that had shown up on the off chance that they might catch her arrival, but she let the driver escort her to the door without saying anything in response to the flood of shouted questions. Alex had already warned her that people were speculating, and she was fine with it. The less anyone suspected why she was really here, the better.

Ditching her driver at the door, she made her way across the lobby while pulling the sunglasses from her face. There was an android receptionist behind the counter who smiled as she approached.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" Taylor glanced at the android's LED before meeting her eyes across the counter.

"I'm here to meet Captain Fowler. I have an appointment." Glancing down at her watch, she continued apologetically, "I'm kind of early, though. I can wait."

"Please present your I.D. so that I may register you." The android responded, glossing over her concern with absolutely no acknowledgement. Taylor frowned as she dug out her driver's license and slid it over. The android picked it up and turned it over in her hand, LED flashing yellow as she scanned her in.

"Thank you. Captain Fowler will receive you immediately. Please proceed through the security checkpoint to your left and someone will escort you to his office." She blinked as the android returned her I.D. and smiled. "Have a nice day."

"Thanks." Taylor put the license away and stepped toward the metal detectors feeling a bit unsettled. She should be used to seeing androids everywhere by now, but the difference between the working androids and deviants was too stark. Another android passed her a bin to put her belongings into, this one male. She emptied her pockets, looking into his face, but the android didn't even make eye contact.

"I am here to see the Captain." Taylor turned back around when she heard the voice behind her at the counter. She was standing at the end of the belt waiting for the android to finish X-Raying her belongings and hadn't heard the receptionist greet another person.

Android, she mentally amended, her gaze immediately falling on the glowing ring of blue on his temple. It flickered to yellow in time with the receptionist as he logged himself in, communicating his credentials without speaking. He was tall, wearing a suit and CyberLife jacket bearing his model and serial number on the front. It was not one she was familiar with.

"Confirmed. The Captain will see you immediately. Please proceed through the android entrance to your left. Have a nice day."

"Miss Kolbeck, your belongings?" Taylor turned back to the android across from her, who had finally met her eyes. He was holding the bin with her things out in the space between them. She collected them, looking a bit sheepish even though he remained unphased.

"Miss Kolbeck?" She turned again at the sound of her name, only to find the android she had just been observing standing next to her. Quite closely. She took a tiny step back and blinked up at him, locking gazes with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. "My name is Connor, I'm the android sent by Cyberlife."

"Hi Connor. I'm Taylor." She stuck her hand out to shake his, "Though you seem to already know that."

Connor looked down at her hand, his brow knitted, LED flickering yellow for a moment. Of course, androids don't shake hands, she reminded herself. Just as she was about to drop her offered hand, however, he reached out and grabbed it. He shook her hand briskly while she tried to hide her surprise. He was warm to the touch and his hand felt remarkably like a human hand.

"Nice to meet you," she managed to say when he finally released her.

"It appears we both have an appointment with Captain Fowler. I will take you there." Connor turned toward the elevators across from them and waited for her to fall in beside him before he led the way. They rode up in silence, her sneaking glances at him every few seconds. He held the doors when they finally reached their destination.

"You've been here before?" She asked, trailing behind as she watched the android stride confidently among the desks and towards the glass-walled office on the other side. A familiar hush settled over the room as the two of them walked in, but Connor didn't seem to notice it as he glanced over his shoulder at her. She was well versed in pretending like she wasn't being watched constantly, so she focused on him instead.

"I downloaded the blueprints of the building before I arrived this morning and planned the quickest route." He said simply before turning his head again.

"Oh." Taylor stared at his back for a moment before she said, "Is that how you knew my name?"

"Yes. I scanned your face in the lobby and searched for your name." He paused, and then added, "There are over three hundred and fifty million results."

"That's a neat trick. Please tell me you didn't read three hundred and fifty million search results about me on the internet." Connor held the door of the office for her, and she saw his LED flash yellow for a second as he frowned.

"I did not. It would take my processors longer to sort through that much information." Captain Fowler wasn't in the office. She smiled at Connor as he shut the door behind him.

"Relax, Connor. I was joking." Taylor took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Captain's desk and glanced back at him. He was still standing near the door, straight and stiff as a board, his hands folded behind his back. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you going to sit down?"

He glanced between her and the chair beside her, wavering. Then he nodded and walked over, lowering himself to the chair so awkwardly that she had to suppress a giggle. "Don't read any of that stuff about me on the internet. It's all rubbish."

The door opened behind them and they both turned. Captain Fowler strode in with a cup of coffee in one hand. His face was fixed into a scowl as he said, "Get your ass in here now or so help me—"

He paused when he saw the two of them. A heartbeat passed before he composed his face and said into his earpiece, "Now, Lieutenant."

With a sigh, he fell into the chair behind his desk and tapped his earbud twice to end his call. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you would be here already. I'm Captain Fowler. You must be Taylor Kolbeck," he glanced at Connor, "and the android."

"It's nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this investigation." Taylor flashed another smile at the Captain, but he only stared at her over the rim of his coffee mug.

"No offense, but I didn't allow anything. I was simply told you were coming." He placed the cup back on his desk as he spoke and set them both with another blank stare. "To be frank, it is highly inconvenient to have a celebrity and an android participating in a police investigation. Thanks to you and your post on social media this morning, it's already a media shit storm. I hope you understand that if you post anything out of line you will be pulled from this investigation so fast—"

"I read the contract, sir. I'm aware of the terms." She met his gaze across the desk, trying her best not to grind her teeth in frustration.

"The person who will be leading this investigation is Lieutenant Hank Anderson. He is not here at the moment. You are free to wait at his desk." Captain Fowler reached for the stack of paperwork on his desk without saying anything else, a clear dismissal.

Taylor took the hint, rising from her chair and heading straight for the door. Connor hesitated again, looking at the Captain like he wanted to say something, but when he looked up from his papers and fixed him with another blank stare, Connor must have changed his mind. He nodded once to Fowler and followed Taylor from the room.