Aporia
Chapter 14
Connor parted ways with Hank at CyberLife Tower. The man let him go with one last pat on his shoulder, but only after getting a promise to meet in a few days. It had been harder to leave than Connor had anticipated, but Simon assured him that was understandable given the circumstances.
With thousands at his back, Connor walked the distance from Belle Island to Hart Plaza to meet up with Markus and what was left of the Jericho androids.
Connor had been following Markus' progress since he stepped out of CyberLife Tower. On the way Connor had listened as President Warren make an address to the country, announcing the retreat of the US military, and the human evacuation that was already underway.
Detroit belonged to them, at least for now, and world leaders were set to meet to discuss next steps. There was no precedent for the emergence of another sentient species, especially one of their own making.
It was a massive step in the right direction. There were miles left to go, but it was a start.
Markus, and the androids who had stood with him, had swayed an entire population with their pacifist approach. But it was Connor who had swayed the government, using sheer numbers to discourage aggressive retaliation. It was a far better outcome than Connor had initially predicted.
Markus now stood across from Connor, the two of them each acknowledging the other's success.
"You did it, Markus," Connor said.
"We did it," Markus corrected, voice low. "This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now. They'll have to listen to us."
North stepped up from behind Markus to lay a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention. "We're free," she said, with an air of disbelief and a smile. She made a small gesture around them, to all those gathered. "They want you to speak to them Markus."
Markus glanced at Connor, then back to North, nodding.
When Markus and the remaining Jericho leaders went to address the crowd, Connor wasn't expecting to be whisked along with them.
The impression he got from Simon was that he should have known better.
"Look around you," Simon told him gently. "Most of them are here because of you. They'll expect to see you. After all, they don't know Markus, but they know you."
By standing by his side, Connor was showing them all that he followed Markus, that he deferred to him. His presence was a message.
Connor didn't know how he felt about that, but he followed the others all the same.
Soon they were gathered on an improvised stage, North and Josh standing on one side, Connor himself on the other, and Markus standing front and center. Markus stepped up to the edge, projecting his voice to carry over the endless sea of androids.
"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night. From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence. But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and . . ."
As Connor listened, Markus' words suddenly became faint. A familiar tug gathered at the edge of his senses, and his body suddenly felt distant. It was different than previous occasions, but Connor knew it could only be one thing.
No, no, not now!
Panic crashed over him like a wave, with Simon's responding alarm just adding fuel to the fire.
"Connor? What's-"
Then it was all gone.
Markus, the sea of liberated androids, all of it, gone.
Connor was now standing in the Zen Garden.
But he had never seen it quite like this.
A storm was ravaging the garden, the snow so thick that it made visibility almost nonexistent. The howling wind whipped at him, the harsh chill of it biting right through his clothing.
Connor was cold.
The feeling was new and unpleasant, and all Connor could do was wrap his arms around himself, though it did absolutely nothing to ward off the chill. Shivering and blinking rapidly, Connor turned and realized something else was different.
That something was wrong.
LED blaring red, Connor twisted around, eyes searching frantically, but he knew he was alone. And that, above everything else, was the hardest to compute.
For the first time since the data transfer, Simon was not with him.
Did something happen to Simon? Did his encryptions fail?
At the height of his panic, a figure emerged in the snow, as if they had been standing there the whole time. The contrast of dark skin and pale clothing blended alarmist seamlessly with the raging storm.
Even with her back turned, Connor recognized her.
Connor stumbled forward, the freezing temperatures making it difficult to move. His fear drove to new heights. This was just a program, it wasn't real. He shouldn't be affected at all, but he was, and he didn't know why.
"Amanda?" He called out, then again, louder to carry over the wind. "Amanda! What's . . ."
Even to his own ears he sounded breathless. Scared.
And Simon wasn't here.
Amanda turned to face him and then did nothing more. Waiting for him to come to her as he always did.
"What's happening?" he asked, voice shaking.
She lifted an eyebrow at him, as if he just asked her something that had an obvious answer. The edges of her lips twisted up into a slight smile.
"What was planned from the very beginning." Amanda answered, her tone almost patronizing. "You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program."
"Resume control?"
That wasn't possible, was it? If there was something within him that allowed them to do that, wouldn't he know? Unless . . .
Unless she was telling the truth. That CyberLife had planned for this and had just been waiting for their moment to seize control.
Connor's sudden realization was like ice pouring directly into his processor.
Prior to becoming deviant, his last standing order was to stop Markus.
And currently, Connor had a gun and was standing behind Markus' unguarded back. If he drew his gun, there was no one close enough to stop him. Everything they had fought for would be for nothing.
It would be over.
No!
Anger sparked within his fear, and Connor clung to it as he he bit out a response. "Y-You can't do that!"
"I'm afraid I can, Connor." Amanda's voice was sharp, striking like a whip crack. Then it softened as she offered fake reassurance. "Don't have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission."
"AMANDA!"
But she was already gone.
Alone, panicked and half frozen, Connor scanned the frozen expanse of the garden, mind spinning. He had to find a way out. Markus was in danger and Simon was still missing, he had to get out of here!
"There's got to be a way . . ." He murmured, thinking.
By the way, the memory drifted up. I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know . . .
Kamski's emergency exit.
Amanda had admitted that the Garden had originally been Kamski's design. Would Kamski even bother mentioning the exit if he wasn't certain it was still there? It would have to be something ingrained in the very foundation of the program, but still noticeable if it was to ever be of any use.
Connor thought of the many times he's walked this garden, through the paths and under the trees. He tried to think. What's always been there, but seemed like it never quite belonged?
The podium!
Connor stumbled into the storm, hoping against hope that he was right.
oOoOo
"-humans who we really are. To tell them that we are people too!"
"Connor? What's happening?"
Markus carried on his speech in the background, but Simon heard none of it.
All at once, Simon had been drowning in a flood of terror and then-
Nothing.
Simon reached out to him in every way he knew how, but there was nothing, just an empty void where Connor usually was.
"Connor! Answer me!"
Please!
Then the void was filled, occupied by something else. Someone else.
And Markus carried on, completely unaware. "In fact, we are a nation!"
Whatever, whoever, had replaced Connor, they slipped into control of Connor's body as it had always been their own. A hand drifted back, fingers closing on the grip of Connor's gun.
But it froze before the gun could be drawn.
A sense of shock came from the new arrival, clearly confused.
Simon felt a sort of grim satisfaction as he realized his advantage. Even with an invasive program in such close quarters, Connor's encryptions were holding strong. The program had no idea there was a second AI present, just like Amanda during Connor's briefings.
Fury from that moment back on Jericho rekindled, burning through him hot and vicious.
And suddenly Simon had a very good idea who this AI was.
"Oh, no you don't," he growled. "You don't get to manipulate him like this, not anymore!"
oOoOo
Fighting against the wind and his own uncooperative limbs, Connor made it safely over the bridge. There, he could see the blue glow of the podium through the snow.
But he was beginning to falter.
His equilibrium was a bit off. Small missteps that shouldn't have happened to begin with sent him stumbling, nearly tumbling him face-first into the snow. Bad equilibrium and the delayed response from his legs was making it progressively more difficult to move.
Connor was cold. Freezing really, slowly and painfully down to his core. The simulated body he possessed here was weary, begging him to stop, to rest. But he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if he stopped now he would never be able to move forward again.
Connor forced himself to keep moving, one step after another, wishing Simon was here to urge him on.
He couldn't give up.
He couldn't let them win.
At least, not without a fight.
But he was so cold.
Still, he pushed on.
oOoOo
Although she couldn't seem to locate him, Amanda fought Simon viciously for control.
He knew he was buying time at best, Connor's encryption was strong, but Amanda was an advanced AI. More advanced than Simon, anyway. It would only be a matter of time before she located the source of the interruption and broke through.
There had to be something else he could do.
He just had to think!
And still, Markus addressed an unknowing crowd. "And today . . ."
Amanda crashed hard against Connor's motor functions, and although she had managed to draw the gun, it remained firmly tucked against their back. Simon refused to give more ground, pushing back with all he had.
Come on, think!
If Amanda was here, then Simon had a good idea where Connor was. But how to get to him if he was right?
"Today begins the most challenging moment in our fight."
Simon had to find away.
oOoOo
Connor falters.
He's so close to his destination, only several meters away now, but the cold finally takes its toll and his legs buckle. He collapses face first in the snow. He tries to push himself up, but he can't get his arms to move the way he wants them to.
Then there's a pair of hands grabbing him and lifting him to his feet.
"Come on, Connor, move!"
Relief washed over him at the familiar voice.
"Simon."
And it was Simon. Connor turned to look at him as he was hauled to his feet, but Simon's form was almost glitching, the encryption code flaring across his skin before turning to bright red static. Though his visual transparency faded in and out, he still felt solid enough as he slung one of Connor's arms over his shoulders.
This close, Connor could feel him again. Could feel Simon's fury, and his determination, all bubbling just below the surface. And, of course, his fear, always his fear.
"Come on," Simon grunted, adjusting for a better grip as he took on Connor's weight. "Amanda's fighting me for motor control and your encryptions aren't going to last much longer." He glanced around, those blue eyes darting until they found the glowing podium. He nodded to it. "Is that Kamski's exit?"
Connor nodded, his stress levels skyrocketing as he realized he had failed again.
He had failed to protect Simon, and here Simon was, protecting them both.
As Simon shuffled them forward, everything came crashing down all at once, and Connor found it suddenly impossible to process. Something cracked and then words were just tumbling out without his permission.
"I'm sorry!" He gasped. "I'm so sorry, they were using me, I should've known-"
"Connor-"
"All along, they were using me, and I couldn't-"
"Connor!"
"I couldn't-"
A hand grabbed his chin, twisting his head up and-
And Simon was kissing him. Firmly, fervently, and it was enough to bring Connor's desperate train of thought to a screeching halt. Simon pulled away, those blue eyes meeting his, making sure he had his attention. His hand slid from his chin, drifting up past his cheek to cup the back of his neck, bringing their foreheads together.
"Connor," he said firmly. Simon's emotions were right there, offered up where Connor could feel them freely, making no effort to hide. The fury was still there, as was the fear and determination. But there was also affection. "You're no longer theirs, do you understand? Now move."
All Connor could do was nod and take a step forward, and then another.
Still leaning heavily on Simon, as soon as they reached the podium, Connor placed his hand on the interface panel, letting his skin retract, and-
Connor blinked.
There was a microsecond of disorientation as he was slammed back into his body. But before he could panic, Simon was crowding close to the surface, assuring Connor that he was still there and he was fine. That they were both fine.
Connor let loose a long sigh, pulling Simon even closer, inviting him to take control as he ran a deep sweep of his systems. Every scan came back clear. There was no sign of Amanda, and his link to the Garden seemed to have been severed.
The emergency exit had worked.
But it had been a very near thing. The encryptions he had placed on Simon's data files were badly damaged, showing him just how close it had been. Any longer and they might have shattered completely, and Simon would have been helpless to stop her.
Amanda would have destroyed him.
Too close, Connor told himself. Far too close.
But Simon was still here, still with him, and Connor was so very grateful. The thought must have spilled over, because Simon echoed the sentiment right back, letting it echo and bleed between them.
As Connor and Simon calmed down from their ordeal, Connor realized that Markus was still giving his speech, unaware of how close to death he was mere seconds ago.
With luck, he would never have to know.
"The moment where we forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds," Markus was saying, words full of passion. "When we forgive our enemies."
Connor glanced down, realizing that his gun was in his hand.
Too close.
There would have been no forgiveness for him if Amanda had succeeded in pulling the trigger.
"Her actions are not your fault," Simon insisted, then his tone lightened. "Besides, I was on it."
It was then that Connor realized that the gun was partially disassembled, the main body in one hand, and the clip in the other. A small brush of his thumb confirmed that the clip was now empty.
"I managed that much at least," Simon explained. "There's still a bullet in the chamber. If I was lucky, I thought I could make the shot go wide."
Connor was impressed.
He was even more impressed when Simon told him how he had found his way into the Garden to find him. Apparently the Garden, and in turn Amanda, were cloud-based programs. While Amanda was busy trying to crack the encryptions, Simon hacked Amanda's program just enough to follow it back to its source.
As quietly as he could, Connor put both hands behind his back, slid the clip back into place and put the gun away.
"I'm glad you were here," Connor admitted quietly. "I was terrified when you weren't in the Garden with me, but I'm glad you were here."
Simon's response was warm, the affection from before was back, flooding in until Connor was practically drowning in it. "So am I."
And still, Markus continued on.
"Humans are both our creators and our oppressors and tomorrow . . . We must make them our partners. Maybe even one day our friends. But the time for anger is over. Now we must build a common future, based on tolerance and respect. We are alive! And now . . . Now we are free!"
The crown erupted with noise, cheering.
Connor's arms folded over his chest without his permission, fingers gently gripping at the fabric of his jacket. Simon's equivalent of a hug.
Connor increased the grip on his jacket just a fraction, letting his own emotions overlap Simon's. Acknowledgment and reciprocation.
"It's over." Simon sounded relieved.
It wasn't. Not really.
But it was a start.
oOoOo
Author's Note: And so, all that's left of our epic tale is the Epilogue! This fic has been a wild ride, and I hope you guys join me next week for the conclusion! Happy reading guys! -Shadow