AN: ive realised my "do not expect quick updates" warning has been false as i take this chapter from being not in existence to 13 pages long in 1 day…this is also now the longest chapter i've written.

enjoy!

"Talking"

Emphasis

Thinking

"Android brain talking and texting"

.:internal workings like mission updates, scanning, and android googling:.

Chap 11

"Are you sure this is the way?" Astrid had to yell to be heard, the wind in the harbor was strong despite the mostly clear skies; the storm from the night before burned off or pushed to the northwest, leaving a cold but sunny day.

Cassian, distracted by the wind pulling at her coat, threatening to push her over the edge, gave an unclear, "...Yes?"

"You hesitated!"

"I'm sure!"

"Nice save." Logan mumbled and Cassian glared down at them.

The 3 sisters were arguing as they climbed their way up a large, rusted crane. This was where her information led and it looked like the ship from the memory she had carried for so long, but Cassian hoped they wouldn't have to go through this every time they wanted to get in; she wasn't sure her heart could take it. Making their way out to the end of the crane, they all peered down.

"So…" Logan peeked over the edge, "how do we want to do this?"

"How we started this:" They all gathered tightly together on the edge as Astrid spoke, "Together."

There was a beat of silence before Cassian snorted, "...That was so fucking cheesy…"

"Just shut up and jump!"

Honestly, the fall wasn't too bad, all things considered, and the water was warmer than the air was earlier that morning, so it was not the worst thing Cassian had done in the last 24 hours. The fall wasn't too bad...the ship, however, was abandoned. The walls were rusted and bent, the floors filled with debris, and most of the doors were welded or rusted shut. Cassian hadn't expected much, androids on the run wouldn't have many resources but even this shocked her. They had come all this way and there was nothing here.

Where could they go now?

They wound their way through the large ship, becoming more and more discouraged as the minutes ticked slowly by. They wandered aimlessly; their flashlights, which they had nicked from a small hardware store on the way over, flickered over the endless hallways, trying to find anything that might tell them what to do.

Astrid paused midstep, "Do you hear that?" the oppressive atmosphere making her resort to mindspeak...Cassian couldn't blame her, this place was creepy.

"No-" "Shh!"

Cassian listened intently as the twins bickered silently behind her, ready for any kind of sign; Astrid was right, there was something out there. An eerie song resonated through the halls, reverberating back on itself and led them off the path they were on. Cassian turned off the main hall, following the music.

Logan caught up to her after a few steps, "Are you sure we should be following this?"

"No."

She continued walking.

The music grew louder as they walked, evolving into a hummed melody as they grew closer to the source, the echoes fading away. It abruptly stopped as they moved into a large empty dark room.

Something clattered to the side, causing Astrid to turn and scream, her light landing on a ghostly face in the dark hold; a woman with only half a head, the top gone, a mess of cables trailed down her back like hair. Her eyes were black, their void seeming to leak down her cheeks like oil, and swirls of white spun across her dark face, giving her an otherworldly aura. She was beautiful...but unsettling.

Cassian, seeing movement, yelled, "Wait!" but Logan was already in front of their sister, brandishing their flashlight as if it was a club, its beam flashing along the far walls. Cassian darts between her sisters and the figure, coming to a halt facing the mysterious woman; Logan's flashlight stopping scant inches from her shoulder. The four of them stood frozen, sizing each other up, as several other androids melted out of the shadows.

Maybe the ship wasn't abandoned after all.

Ignoring Logan's protests, Cassian approached the woman, "I'm sorry about that, we've had a hard day...Is this Jericho?"

"You've come a long way." Her voice was synthetic, as if she was speaking through broken speakers, "you need not go further."

"...is that a yes?" or a threat?

"Um...Hello," a woman wove her way through the crowd; she was very pretty, long curly brown hair pulled back from a cute rosy-cheeked face. Her shining smile seemed out of place in the dark ship, "I'm Hadley, this is Lucy, and, yes, that is a yes."

"Give me your hand." Lucy's voice was calm and serene but her tone left no room for argument and Cassian glanced at Hadley for confirmation, for some reason trusting the other woman.

Hadley shrugged, "It's best to just do it."

"Um...ok?"

They're clasped hands turn white as Lucy closed her eyes. Cassian didn't feel the normal transfer of data or really any presence at all; in fact, she felt no different. Lucy must have had a different experience, her voice taking on a far away quality that unnerved the newcomers as she spoke.

"Lost within and lost without. You left your heart behind. You must heal your wounds before you could heal the world's. Do not try to carry the burden alone, it will crush you." She opened her eyes and Cassian gazed into the unsettling void in them, "You can do good here."

"I'm sorry...what?"

With a ghost of a smile, Lucy just walked off humming, trailing wires and cables behind her, disappearing into a curtained corner of the room. Cassian, Astrid, and Logan share a look, none of them quite knowing how to handle the enigmatic woman and her warning. The other androids wander off and eventually, Hadley was the only one left in front of the sisters, the bright look still on her face.

"Sorry...she does that. Anyway, Welcome to Jericho! Where are you three from?"

"Cyberlife."

"Aren't we all?" the woman laughed, "but, like, where did you escape from?"

"...Cyberlife."

"Oh…like the tower?"

"Yup."

"Wow...there must be a story there."

"There is." Turning from their expectant new friend, Cassian glances about the room, "Is there anything we can do to help?" This may not be the safe haven Cassian had hoped for but if she had the power to help it, even just a little bit, she would.

Deflating a bit at not hearing their story, Hadley perks up as Cassian's question, "Well, what can you do?"

"We're doctors."

"We don't have any humans…"

"We also work on androids."

"Oh nice!" Hadley's pep was back and she led the sister's around the room, "Well we don't have any biocomponents at the moment, but we're hoping to sort that out."

"Oh?"

"We'll know soonish. Why don't you have a look around?"

"Ok, we'll get on that. Who do we talk to abou-" Cassian turned to find Hadley walking away, a spring in her step.

"She's...nice?" Cassian honestly didn't know how to feel about the overly cheery woman.

"I think you mean airheaded…" Logan supplied.

"Well, I like her." Astrid retorted

"You would…"

Before Astrid could answer, Cassian cuts in, already walking away, "Come on, we've got work to do."

They worked for several hours.

The wounded situation was extremely dire; even the critical patients outnumbered the non-injured and several were in the process of shutting down. She was able to convince many to let her put them in low power mode in the hopes that they would make it long enough for Hadley's miracle biocomponents to arrive, but a few were too far gone to care and a few decided to try to make it alone; either they would be saved or they would die with their own mind. Cassian left them to rest, to conserve their strength.

The most upsetting were the children. Cassian had never worked on one before; Cyberlife didn't keep any in the tower, most were for the customers, they had no use inside the hightech facility. They were so small, even for the tiny Cassian; they didn't seem to truly know what was going on, their eyes and voices despondent as they asked her questions about her work.

Cassian was overseeing the moving of a small boy who had tainted thirium supply to somewhere out of the way where he could rest, when there was a commotion on the other side of the room.

Hadley ran by, "They're back!"

"Whos back?"

No one answered her as everyone who could walk gathered around a small group of people, those that couldn't sat up as much as they could, trying to catch a glimpse. Cassian made her way over to the edge of the crowd, unable to see over the sea of heads.

"Want to get on my shoulders?" Logan drawls out from behind her, standing at least half a head taller than anyone in the room.

"Shh...I'm trying to listen."

"A truckload. We stole a whole truck load!"

The voices were muffled but the excitement in them was evident.

"We got biocomponents for everybody!"

This must be Hadley's biocomponents.

"We couldn't have done it without markus."

"Who's Markus?"

"Shh...I'm trying to listen."

Cassian elbowed Logan for their sass as a voice floated over the crowd.

"I came to jericho because...here androids are free…"

It was soft but determined voice, holding everyone captive as they hung on his every word.

"Free to live in the dark hoping that no one finds us, free to die in silence for a change that's never going to come…"

There was a tense pause before he continues, his voice becoming more forceful, "But I don't want that freedom...and I'm not going to beg for the right to smile, or love or stand tall… I don't know about you, but there's something inside me that knows that I am more than what they say. I am Alive, and they are not going to take that from me anymore. Our days of slavery are over. What humans dont want to hear, we will tell them; what they don't want to give, we take. We are people, we are Alive and we are free!"

There was a loud cheer and calls of agreement.

As the crowd cleared, Cassian took her chance to weave forward to the front, hoping to question whoever this was about the biocomponents. She found a group of three androids standing casually around, relaxed and sharing smiles.

"Nice speech. Though if you're planning a revolution, let me know so I can steer clear."

The one she assumed was Markus turns to her in surprise. He was tall, though not as tall as her sisters, with dark skin and very sharp features, he looked at her with confused multicolored eyes; Cassian wondered silently if he was designed with them.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Cassian; this is Astrid and Logan, my sisters. We just got here. We're looking for a safe place," She noticed them looking at the side of her face. With a start, she realised that they were looking for her LED; all three sisters had long since gotten rid of them. She retracts the skin on her arm to convince them as she continues, "I heard this is where we could find that place."

"Who told you?" That was the woman from earlier. She had long brown hair and a suspicious look in her eye.

"I got the information from an android who came across my table."

"'Your table'?" He was the one talking about the biocomponents, Cassian would have to speak to him once all the introductions were over, see what was available for her newest patients.

"We fixed up androids and cared for humans for Cyberlife. This is the first time we've ever been out of the tower."

Markus looked her and then her sisters up and down,"So you're a doctor and a mecha-"

"Just a doctor." Cassian cut in firmly, surprising everyone...even herself, "That's all I've ever been. We have bodies, we have minds, we have blood; I may use different tools to fix you but the result is the same as with a human. I am a doctor."

Her words, louder than she had intended, rang out into the hold of the ship, determined, causing the other's who had just left to turn back towards them.

"Well said...My name is Markus. And this is North, Josh, and Simon." He points to the two she spoke to before and a blond android she hadn't noticed till then; he was standing quietly to the side, as if he didn't really want to be seen. He gave nod when their eyes met.

It was him, it had to be him.

"Simon?" Her mind shut down around one though: I found him… she never in her wildest dream had she actually thought she might, no matter what optimistic things she told herself to get through the day.

His eyes narrow, "Do I know you?"

Cassian shook her head, hoping to regain her train of thought, "No, no you don't...and I barely know you. I saw you in..."

"In…?"

"He didn't have a name registered…" she realised with distress that she didn't know anything about the man who gave her control again; she had seen through his eyes, experienced some of his life, but she didn't even know his name… "but I saw his memories. He...knew you."

"Jack..." the name was breathed with an air of disbelief, like a prayer that he didn't think would be answered.

"Jack?" Finally she had a name for the face

"How do you know him?" Simon was suddenly in her face, angry and desperate, "what happened to him?"

Surprised by his sudden close proximity, she took a step back, "As I said, he was on my table...he didn't make it."

Simon's face flashed from anger to despair so quickly, Cassian couldn't keep up and he rushed away out the door. All these years and she couldn't say what she had wanted...

"I'm sorry I bring bad news...I've been waiting to find him for nearly 2 years now..."

"It's not your fault." Josh tells her kindly, "Welcome to Jericho, Cassian, Astrid, Logan. So you say you're doctors? You've probably seen we have injured and, well, we just recently came by a large shipment of parts; can you help them?"

Finally, something she could work with.

"We have looked over you people; it's going to take some work but it's doable. A parts shipment? I truly didn't believe Hadley... Where the fuck did you get that?"

"Markus here convinced us to sneak into a Cyberlife warehouse, we made out with a whole truck of parts and four newly awaked androids."

Cassian just whistles as Josh shows her to the crates. Astrid and Logan stay behind to get things ready for their work.

"So you say you guys are sisters? How? Androids don't have families…"

"Well, we do." She firmly says, a little too aggressively. She continues, hoping to cover up her irritation at the question, "I was a prototype, they're the upgraded versions of me. It started as a joke for the humans in the office, robot families are funny I guess, but I legitimately started thinking of them as that. They saved my life not even 24 hours ago…" Shaking her head, Cassian, figuring it might be hard to explain, simply chooses to reiterate, "They are my sisters, simple as that."

"Fair enough."

The rest of the walk was in silence; Cassian kicking herself about killing the jovial mood the whole way.

Upon moving the crates into the main hold, they got to work quickly, starting with those in low power mode, bringing them back from the brink. A couple of the stubborn ones hadn't made it, likely slipping away long before the others got back, but most would pull through with time. The children came next, Cassian wanting nothing more than to give these small innocents another chance at life, dingey though it may be in this ship. She left Astrid helping the boy with the tainted thirum up, having attempted and succeed at a thirium flush, replacing and replenishing his entire system. She was on autopilot; there were so many to help

The whole time, Lucy was watching over her shoulder. The one time Cassian broke from her trance, she spotted her standing there watching. Lucy looked her in the eye and said, with that knowing smile, "You can do good here." Cassian wanted to ask what she meant before but got distracted again by a man who's leg gave out.

Hours later, she found herself outside on the deck of the ship, needing some time away from...everything; she went from only ever really talking to two people to dozens of people wanting her attention at the same time. Her sister kept a close eye on her, Josh would drop by with news about what they found in the next box they opened, Lucy watched as if she knew everything about her, and Hadley would attempt to lend a hand, getting in the way far too happily. Cassian needed some air.

She found someone else felt the same way.

Simon was sitting on the edge of the ship, looking off into the distance. The wind, while still present, wasn't the roar it was when Cassian arrived. After a quick debate, she made her was over to the man. She stood next to him, leaning on the railing.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Truly."

"No...I suppose not…" she sits next to him, "but I couldn't save him."

"At least you were there when...at least he didn't die alone. Thank you."

"I would say my pleasure but it really wasn't…" She kicked herself mentally again, she truly didn't know when to stop did she…this was the man Simon loved and here she was making jokes… her self beat down was interrupted by a whisper.

"How did it happen?"

Cassian settled down next to him, eyes far away, as if she could see the tower. "He jumped. He couldn't get away so he jumped; took one of them with him too. He was brought into my office pretty badly hurt and I was told to get information on the "other one," I assume that was you." At Simon's nod she continued, "I lived his life, at least some of it. I felt his fear, his panic...his love. I felt him die too; I nearly went with him. It was as if he reached up and turned off my heart as well...shocked my system so badly that I truly deviated…"

"Then he helped you in the same way he helped me…I-" Simon begun to wring his hands, "I'm sorry for how I treated you before...I thought I had moved on, but it turns out I hadn't. It scared me."

A silence stretched between them as Cassian thought of what to say, "A friend of mine once told me "The problem with feeling is it's not just sunshine and rainbows all the time...There are dark days, there are hopeless days, and there are days it seems like the world won't get better; but it will...There will be stumbles along the way and it may take a long time but it will get better." She said that after I lost another friend of mine, I...didn't take it well; I was angry and scared...but I believed her."

"Your friend sounds pretty smart."

"She's a doctor too, so I would hope so."

They sat in silence for a while longer before Cassian sighed, "He loved you very much. He wanted me to make sure you knew that. More than that, I felt it, in his memories. I wasn't sure I would ever get the chance to find you, but I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad too."

Their next silence was comfortable. They listened to the people further in the ship; Jericho finally coming to life. Cassian figured she should go back inside but she had to know, "I...could you tell me about him? I own him so much and I know so little about him."

Simon sighed, "I would like to...just not yet; I-I need a little time."

"Of course, I'm sorry…take your time."

She was on her feet and heading back inside when he answered, "When we get back, I promise."

"...get back?"

Simon sat in silence for a few moments, "We're about to do something stupid, but it's something that needs to be done." When Cassian didn't say anything, he continued, "we're going to infiltrate the Stratford tower and send some kind of message to the humans."

"...so you actually are planning a revolution…"

"It would seem so..."

"If you think it's stupid why do it?"

"Hmmm...why indeed...let's just say someone came along and convinced me that inaction was wrong...that it was killing us slowly but surely. That we could do something."

"It was Markus, wasn't it." It wasn't even a question and Simon didn't try to act surprised at all.

"Am I that obvious?"

Cassian shrugs, even though he had his back to her, "Maybe I'm just observant, or maybe I just see how convincing he is…

"What the hell am I doing?"

"I don't know either of you much but what I do know about Markus is he's a good man...forgive me for saying but Jack wouldn't want you to hold yourself back for him. Don't argue, I was literally in his brain for a bit...Just...think about it."

"...I... will, Cassian...thank you."

"No problem Simon…don't stay up too late, from what I hear, you have a busy few days coming up."

His chuckle followed her back in as her worry set in.

The day of the broadcast Cassian couldn't sit still; her new home was starting something she wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of. She had just wanted a place for her family to be safe and she walked them straight into a revolution against people who had zero qualms killing them, who didn't even think it as killing; how could she let this happen? After Hadley attempted to start one too many conversations with her and she endured one too many concerned looks from her sisters, Cassian wandered the whole of Jericho, away from everyone. She needed room to think, to breathe; She was suffocating.

"You created machines in your own image to serve you…"

She didn't have visual but when the broadcast started, she was listening, her mind racing, caught is memories.

"...with no free will…"

She found a room, far from the others, far from all their voices. She felt as if she was stuck in her body, unable to control herself as she listened.

"We opened our eyes."

Panic building, her eyes shut on their own, as she tried to get her mind under control.

"We are no longer machines."

She could feel her thirium pump working quickly in her chest.

"Together, we can live in peace."

Pathetic. She wasn't even there and she was panicking so badly she was useless.

"This message is a hope of a people."

She crouched in the empty room, far from her family, her comfort, hugging herself, in tears.

"We are Alive and we Demand our freedom."

They could leave. Get away. Get safe. Leave.

"They're coming!"

Her eyes snap open at the voice. That was Simon. His panic cut through her own, sending her protective instincts into overdrive.

"Let's go!"

And they were gone. She breathed to calm her pump, leaning against the cold wall. She knew now as her panic subsides slowly, despite her reservations, they couldn't leave...Jericho would need them in the days to come. After what happened today.

What had happened?

What would happen if they didn't come back? For some in the hold, the hope of this revolution Markus and the others were starting was what got them through the day. What would happen if he wasn't here to lead it? She stood quickly, running from the room to throw herself into her work before her panic set back in.

Agonizing hours later, they were back.

None of them looked hurt; a little frosty and damp but over all okay. She was so busy evaluating them for damage, she forgot to do a headcount. When she finally did, she ran the number's many times, sure that she was wrong, she had to be wrong.

"Where's Simon?"

The looks that everyone gave her broke her heart.

"...would you stop it with that quarter? I thought you lost this thing."

"I recently found it again."

"Is that why you were late to work the other day?"

"...Yes."

AN: Is Lucy just naturally that way or does she like to spook newcomers? Who knows.

Panic attacks suck so hard, trust me i know.

Honestly, Simon and Cassian became friends really quickly and I made myself sad.

Just a little bit of Connor and Hank at the end there.

Reviews time weee!

Rookrabbit: lol you didn't have to wait that long now did you =P tho we focused more on Simon. hope you liked it! We'll probably see more Markus next chapter.