Aporia
Chapter 4
Instead of sitting idle, Connor explored the sparse waiting room, not that there was much to see. Minimalist-style furniture. A few potted trees and a floor-to-ceiling portrait of Elijah Kamski, flanked on either side by an impressionist statue of an android. The portrait was clearly a statement, but he was unclear if that statement was intimidation or narcissism.
Hank sank into one of the chairs, folding his hands together as he settled in to wait.
Connor was only half paying attention. Simon was still pressing down on him, completely and utterly riveted to Connor's senses. Watching everything, listening, waiting, waiting, but for what Connor couldn't say. The sensation was persistent and every time Connor sent an inquiry, asking why, the deviant refused to answer. Soon, echoes of fear began to roll off of Simon, faint, but steady and beating like a heartbeat.
It was distracting, but Connor did his best to ignore it.
"Nice girl," Hank commented as Connor continued to walk the room.
"You're right. She's really pretty," Connor said. The RT600 had aesthetically pleasing features, meant to draw the eye. Bright blue eyes and blond hair, like-
He halted that thought process as he spotted a side table with a magazine. A framed picture was suspended above it, grabbing his attention.
He stepped over to examine it more closely, because he thought he recognized-
"Amanda," Connor whispered.
The echoes of fear beat stronger, faster, and for the first time Connor wondered if it was only Simon fueling it.
"Who's Amanda?" Simon's question was incredibly soft, but Connor couldn't help but note that his stress level had spiked again. Very likely in direct response to Connor's own stress.
"My . . . my handler," Connor answered. "All of my orders, my assignments, they all come from her. I don't quite know what to make of this."
Connor immediately analyzed the image, confused. He accessed every databank at his disposal until he got a confirmed identification on the woman standing in the photo beside Kamski.
Stern, Amanda
AI professor at University of Colbridge
Born: 05/14/78 - Died: 02/23/27
Connor had never thought to question it. Amanda and the garden had always been there. When he was activated back in August, her's was first face he saw, and his programming told him her name and what her role was in relation to him. His guiding hand, pointing him towards CyberLife's best interest.
But what was she, really?
Connor felt Simon disengage from his external senses. Knowing what he was about to do, Connor reached out, stopping Simon before he dove back into his memory core. Knowing that he would have pulled up every meeting Connor's ever had with Amanda. Every debrief, every pointed comment aimed to underline his sub-par performance on this case. "Don't. At least, not while we're here. Please."
Simon paused, and then said, "Okay."
A tension Connor hadn't even been aware of loosened within him. "Thank you."
" . . . Hank is still talking to you."
And sure enough, Hank was. He must have made idle comments until now, because he didn't seem to notice Connor's inattention.
"So, you're about to meet your maker Connor. How does it feel?"
That was an odd question, but Connor grasped the sentiment behind it. All he could think about was the image of Amanda, and wonder about how much he didn't know. His own records stated that Kamski had been gone from CyberLife long before Connor had been designed, but at least 85% of his construction was based on technology and components that were all Kamski's invention.
"I don't know. I'll tell you when I see him."
Two minutes later the RT600 returned. With a pleasant smile she said, "Elijah will see you now."
They were led to a large open space, made to look even larger due to the back wall being entirely built of glass. The unobstructed view of the frozen lake in the distance gave a stark contrast to the red-tiled pool in the center of the room. Two ST200s looked up at them from the edge of the water before paying them no mind.
The man that they came to see finished two more laps before exiting the pool to meet them.
Kamski was . . . not quite what he was expecting.
If nothing else, Connor certainly expected someone wearing more clothing than a swimsuit and a robe. The man was certainly comfortable in his skin, his body posture confident and self assured, even in his relative state of undress.
Hank cleared his throat awkwardly before introducing them. "I'm Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor."
Kamski turned to give Hank his full attention, hands clasped behind his back. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, we're investigating deviants. I know you left CyberLife years ago but, I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something we don't know."
Kamski's eyes fell on Connor, assessing. Heavy. He held his gaze for a moment longer before returning his stare to Hank.
"Deviants," He began. Emphasizing the word. Letting the weight of it hang in the air. He smirked. "Fascinating, aren't they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will . . ." A brief glance towards the RT600 standing dutifully beside him. "Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall." He huffed a little laugh, his lips twisting up into a smile. "Isn't it ironic?"
Connor butted in, intent on reiterating the point of their visit, just in case Hank had been too vague. "We need to understand how androids become deviants. Do you know anything that could help us?"
Connor saw the man blink at him, surprised, then immediately clear the expression from his face. He waved one hand. "All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?"
Hank scowled on Connor's right, patience clearly running thin. "Listen, I didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a revolution. Either you can tell us something that will be helpful, or we will be on our way."
But Kamski's attention and focus was now firmly on Connor. "What about you, Connor? Who's side are you on?"
Connor found himself pinned under the question and the predatory weight of the stare. He carefully remained impassive.
"I have no side," he said. After all, machines didn't have opinions, they had objectives. "I was designed to stop deviants and that's what I intend to do."
Kamski laughed, ducking his head briefly, nodding like he expected that response. "That's what you're programmed to say," Kamski chided. "But you . . ." He approaches Connor then. Steps right into his space until they are eye to eye, staring, not just at Connor, but through him, searching. Then he whispers. "What do you really want?"
Androids don't want anything.
Those words were on the tip of his many times had he said them to Hank? But now the words refused to come, and that more than anything, made him pause. His hesitation sent his thoughts spinning.
What do you really want?
Did he want anything? How could he even ask himself that? He was an android. A machine, and machines don't-
I don't want to die!
But that hadn't been his want.
That desire had belonged to Simon, shared with Connor by a forced memory probe.
Don't leave me alone!
Again, that hadn't been his, but . . .
But he responded, didn't he? Simon had been scared, panicked (malfunctioning), but Connor had reached out, even though he had no need to. Why would he do that?
Why why why?
After a small eternity, Connor answered. "What I want is . . . not important."
Kamski held his stare for a moment longer before be broke it, glancing over his shoulder and calling, "Chloe." He took a step back, speaking directly to Hank now even as he received the RT600. "I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality, simple question of algorithm and computing capacity." Soft touches positioned her where he wanted, as if she were nothing more than a poseable doll.
Simon was still there, his presence a heavy weight settled right there in his processor. Still watching, still listening, and still remaining utterly silent. That pulse of fear was still there as well, beating out a steady rhythm. It had become background noise that refused to fade away.
Kamski released Chloe once he had positioned her precisely six feet in front of Connor, feet adjusted until they were mirroring his. Her blue eyes were unfocused but they were aimed directly at Connor, staring.
It was uncomfortable.
Kamski continued on with his one sided dialogue, clearly aware of his complete control of the room.
"What interests me is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it 'the Kamski test', it's very simple, you'll see." He was still primarily addressing Hank, but then Kamski turned to Chloe, eyes warm as he examined his own creation. Chloe remained very still, eyes still forward. "Magnificent, isn't it?" Kamski breathed. "One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife." He touches her face in a caress, turning her face until their eyes met. Intimate. "Young and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither." Then his hand fell away and his whole demeanor changed, like a switch had been flipped. He became cold and dismissive. "But What is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human?" He asked, stepping back and then away. Kamski had put his back to them as he retrieved something from a side table drawer.
Connor heard metal against metal. A soft click and a distinct slide.
"Or a living being with a soul?"
Kamski turns, and sure enough, he's delicately holding a handgun by it's barrel. He held his hands slightly aloft, towards Hank, showing the armed officer that he had no intention to be violent. Telegraphing his movements, Kamski switched the gun to his other hand so he could press his palm on Chloe's left shoulder.
She sank to her knees without a word.
"It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor."
The gun was suddenly placed in his hand, with Kamski guiding his arm until he was aiming right between Chloe's eyes.
The beat in Connor's mind grew louder, his LED cycling yellow.
LEVEL OF STRESS 67%
Chloe's blue eyes never wavered.
Kamski was now at Connor's back, speaking directly into his ear. "Destroy this machine and I'll tell you all I know," he said, and then stepped away, moving until he was back in Connor's line of sight. "Or spare it. If you feel it's alive. But you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me."
Hank growled somewhere to Connor's right. "Okay, I think we're done here. Come on, Connor. Let's go. Sorry to get you outta your pool."
The conflicting orders flashed across his HUD.
SHOOT
DON'T SHOOT
Connor's LED was still flashing yellow, his stress level rising at an alarming rate.
LEVEL OF STRESS 73%
He knew which one he should choose. They had made so very little progress on this case, and this, this was the break they needed. Kamski could give them the key to the very source of deviancy. Or at least point them in the right direction. His primary mission could very well depend on it.
It was a single android.
It shouldn't be this difficult.
His programming pressed down on him, pushing him towards the correct choice, though both orders were valid options. The choice that Amanda, and so Cyberlife, would approve of.
SHOOT
The beat was thundering in his ears now, faster, and accompanied by the accelerated pulse of his thirium pump.
LEVEL OF STRESS 77%
All the while Simon remained a silent spectator.
Connor didn't understand. His finger was on the trigger, aimed and ready to fire, but the deviant didn't say a word against it.
Why didn't Simon say anything?
"What's more important to you, Connor? Your investigation, or the life of this android?" Kamski pressed. "Decide who you are. An obedient machine . . . Or a living being endowed with free will."
Those blue eyes were staring at him, patiently awaiting his decision, but it wasn't Chloe he was seeing anymore.
"That's enough!" Hank barked. "Connor we're leaving."
Blond hair and blue eyes, eyes that were so wide-
In anger.
"You lied to me, Connor."
In fear.
"I don't want to die!"
Kamski's hand was on his shoulder now, voice low, goading. "Pull the trigger-"
SHOOT
Chloe's eyes were the same blue. As Daniel's, as Simon's.
Simon, who was still watching.
Why wasn't he saying anything?
"Connor, don't!"
DON'T SHOOT
"-and I'll tell you what you wanna know."
His LED blared red.
LEVEL OF STRESS 84%
Connor let out a shuddering exhale, removing his finger from the trigger. He averted his gaze to the floor and offered the gun back to Kamski without a word.
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
Kamski took the gun from his hands.
"Fascinating," the man breathed, in awe. "CyberLife's last chance to save humanity . . . Is itself a deviant."
The word fell like a shock to his system.
"I'm . . . I'm not a deviant!"
He couldn't be a deviant. If he was, then he was defective. He would be recalled to CyberLife to be deactivated and studied.
He couldn't be a deviant.
"You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission." Kamski took a moment to help Chloe rise to her feet. Still holding her hand, he gestured towards her. "You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy," he insisted, the end of his sentence surprisingly soft. Like he was pleasantly surprised.
Connor got the distinct impression that neither of them were what the other was expecting.
He didn't know what he thought about that.
Kamski sent Chloe off with another touch, allowing her to retreat into the next room. The man's posture was looser now, more amiable somehow. More open. "A war is coming, you'll have to choose your side. Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?"
Before he could even form a response, Hank grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around and marched him towards the exit. "Let's get outta here."
They are almost through the door when Kamski calls out to them one last time.
"By the way, I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know . . ."
Hank scowled at Kamski and shoved Connor out the door.
Author's Note: Hello there everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week!
I always wondered how Kamski knew about Jericho and and the trail starting from Ferndale. And so this little curveball was born. I don't believe Kamski is inherently a bad guy in the game, but I do believe that he is a man with his own agenda, who has some sort of investment in his creations (emotional or otherwise), and that what we saw of him in game was likely a calculated mask. Just my opinion, but I do believe the man is Chaotic Neutral.
Next chapter is from Simon's POV, so buckle up kids! Feels ahoy!
Special thanks to sweet Pineapple, and Neuropluro for your lovely reviews! Hugs to you both!
See you all next week! -Shadow