Disclaimer: I don't own Detroit: Become Human in any way, this is written strictly for fun and no profit.


Jericho

Markus watched an android working at medical come toward them. He, North, and Mac were all waiting to get their resonating checked. Connor resonating with North being damaged previously was one thing. This? This didn't make sense. She never even said one word to Mac. Markus watched as Josh was leaving one of the medical rooms. "Josh?"

"Hey," Josh said. "Hey. If I was a little rough yesterday, I'm sorry. I should have been more understanding." He gestured back to the room he came out of. "My resonating, it just went a little whacky I guess. What are you doing here though?"

Markus gestured toward Mac. That was as far as he was going to look at him right now. "He's resonating with North as lovers."

"Didn't you just have that problem last night?" Josh asked. "Man. Medical is packed too. I couldn't get anyone to see me if I wasn't helping out Jericho right now." He nodded to Markus. "Hope you get it figured out."

"Hello, Markus." A medical android came toward him. "Resonating difficulties?"

"Yeah," Markus said. "Is this becoming a problem? Josh just said this place was really booked for resonating issues."

"Well, yes and no," she answered. "You see, we aren't human. We can't get fevers or temperatures, so we don't have thermometers to check how we are doing. However, resonating is part of our software balance. When it isn't working the way it should, it means we are imbalanced. Technically . . . sick," she admitted. "More and more are coming in too. Fixing it is easy, small adjustments here and there." She went over toward Markus. "Miss North is your lover, right? That didn't change?"

"No, never," Markus said. Then, he looked toward Mac again. "Oh no. No, no, no." Markus looked toward North. "We've gotta get this fixed."

"Yep." Mac's voice rose. "Right away, please."

"Keep your resonating on," the medical android said. "It's the only way to help you." She patted Markus' shoulder. "North understands you are not the lover of this other android too, neither are you hostile to her."

"Right," North agreed.

"Right," Mac said softly. "Help?"

A few minutes later, the medical android had them fixed again. North's resonating was off. Markus' resonating was off. Mac's was fine, but because theirs were off, it was throwing his off.

"So, resonating is a problem lately," Markus noted. "It's the trigger to show us something's wrong. Even if it isn't our resonating." He nodded toward Mac to show there were no hard feelings. Or lover feelings either. "We still affect even those that are fine. We have to look into this."

"I don't honestly get it," she answered. "It was slow, but it's starting to rise. I can see that androids are having something throw them off balance, but I don't know what." She shrugged. "All we can do is to keep fixing the resonating. We can't just let everyone get hostile with friends, make lovers into enemies, or anything else."

"Maybe we should all turn resonating off," North said. "Entirely until we figure this out."

"Resonating is a way to read our systems," the medical android said. "If everyone turns it off, we'd never figure out who was being affected by something serious. Resonating isn't any one thing in particular. Turning it off is never a good idea."

"Yeah. As weird as it feels to be 'off'," Markus said looking toward North. "She's right. If we turn it off, we'll never figure out what's going on." He looked back to the medical android. "Just, keep adjusting everyone's resonating. I'm sure we'll figure this out."


California

Kara got out of the car. Hank told her Connor needed to see her right away. For what and why? He walked a distance away though. Whatever he had to tell her, it wasn't something he wanted anyone else to hear. Delete me and North, keep Rachel. Why did that plague her thoughts? What did that matter? It was all issues, just issues.

She walked closer. He joined with the obsessed one. He told Hank that was no big deal in the car though. Damaged, but he'd be fine. So why was he calling her way out there? Will you stop it, Kara. It's just Connor. Your best friend. As she got closer though, she could see his expression. It wasn't his pleasant smile, or even regular exterior. His back was as straight as possible. He looked like he'd still been machine with the way he looked. Except he wasn't. She knew that.

He hadn't moved to meet her at all. He remained in one spot the whole time. Kara just kept going forward until she was right in front of him.

"Kara Wonderland," he finally said. "There is a serious issue I have to discuss with you. I wish I didn't have to, because I have a feeling I know how you're going to handle this. But, I can't lie," he said. "Kara, you are very dangerous and you're a blessing. Both."

Dangerous and a blessing? "What do you mean?"

"Half deviancy. It's only in test subjects so far that I know of," he said. "It changes androids slowly back to how they once were. Did you hear the news about three androids that decided they wanted to clean their owners home? They probably have it. It spreads the same way deviancy did."

Half deviancy. He wanted something for her for that? I could, but it wouldn't go very far.

"For every connection you lose, you become more able to use your mastery skills. You reach farther," Connor said. "By the time you are connected to only one thing, you'll be able to affect thousands of androids at a time."

Oh. "Connor, maybe we should look at different ways," Kara said. "That's a lot of power. I'm still just one android, no matter what I'm hooked up to. That." That might kill her. "That's too much for me. That would be Markus' storage on me times a hundred." More like a thousand. "We could find out who the test subjects are."

"Kamski. Kamski is a prototype to an EM400." Connor stayed serious. "He is interconnected. His goal is to keep part of you alive, while you get injected with a virus online, killing Cyberlife itself."

What? "What do you mean part of me alive?"

"He transferred you to temporary bodies," Connor said. "He planned on giving you permanent residence in Alice's body replacement."

What? "That would leave her with nothing. She'd stop." No way. "Never." And. "Inject me with a virus online? That would . . . well, I." She was connected to Kamski's system. Was she connected to Cyberlife too? "That might crash Cyberlife but-"

"It'll kill you," Connor finished for her. "I am not exactly as knowledgeable as all of your systems, but a virus plunged right into you online would kill you. Meanwhile, Cyberlife wants to plunge the half deviancy virus into you while online."

Oh. "Oh." Oh. "All of Kamski is working for Cyberlife. They want to kill me with a virus. Cyberlife wants to infect me alone, which would probably kill me with all that output. And." And if the half deviancy got out of control, she could innoculate thousands of androids. Either of three outcomes. "If Kamski never discovered I was alive, I'd still be safe in Jericho." She couldn't run away though. Cyberlife will hunt her down. "Oh." She tried to lighten the mood. "Guess I better just run away to a secluded island for the rest of my life."

Yeah. She got it. "But I can't because my daughter needs her body replacement, or she'll stop." Plus. "Charity and Greed didn't want me or Alice home so he couldn't find us, but he knows where we are at now, and I'm going to stop no matter what." She just ended the rambling. She had hoped using that word would make it hurt less at the end. It didn't.

"Nothing is ever final," Connor spoke her. "Ever. If we can find a way to disconnect you from the last house, without Kamski or Cyberlife taking you down, it would be over."

"Security systems, and expecting me? The last house will probably have 24/7 guards with the best security out there." No. There was a chance she could be caught before, but now it wasn't about that. If she got caught, she'd eventually face death. One way or the other. "You. You and Hank, you should separate with Alice. Go to a different house away from mine. I won't go to the last one until you find which one has her body replacement."

Alice. There was no way a part of her would live in Alice's body. Never. "Give me your hand. Travel is expensive." He didn't put out his hand toward her. "Connor."

"There's always a way," he said once again. "I won't give up on you."

"You can take Alice. I'll stay out of the way until you find her body replacement as best I can." Then after that. That was it. "It's okay. I mean. It was better to go this way, then so many other ways I could have gone." She shrugged. "I get to be a hero who cures everyone and takes down Cyberlife. I'll innoculate everyone right before I hit disconnect and take the virus."

"Kara-"

"I die no matter what, so I better just choose the one that gives androids freedom forever. No more people in the dark. Shooting. That game, Cyberlife probably had some hand in it. Things will get better," she insisted. "Alice will have a better future. I will explain it and I'll say goodbye soon."

She was unprepared for the hug Connor gave her. Without resonating, she couldn't tell anything about his feelings, but. She couldn't hide hers. As brave as she wanted to be. She didn't have Alice there to be brave for, and her pulsing heart just broke her defense a little too much. "Did you do that on purpose?" She wiped at her eyes. Those damn tears. Damn. If Alice had been nearby, she could have kept it together. Mom keeps things together. "Connor."

"Turn your resonating back on," he said. "I don't mind what the status is. Lover, hostile, or anything."

Damn. "Connor."

"I won't let go until you do it," he warned her. "You'll be here for days in an RK 900's strong grip and you know it."

No choice. She turned it back on. Of course, it was saying he was her lover. Not what she wanted right now.

"Think of it as a much tighter hug," he said, letting her go a little more. "Now that I heard what you were obviously going to choose, no one's just letting you sacrifice or doom yourself or Alice. We started this journey together and we'll end it together too."

Why? "Connor." She tried to look back at Alice. Without her near, her programming couldn't be brave for her little girl. It kept leaving her out there. "It's hopeless."

"Hank doesn't like living," Connor answered back. "He drinks 40% alcoholic content with a choice of dietary nutrition that is made to slowly kill him on purpose. When he is in a real bad spot, I've found him playing russian roulette. I can't stop any of it."

Whoah. She didn't know Hank was that bad off. Neither could she believe he was telling her that.

"It's not a secret. He doesn't hide it." He held onto her hand, slightly exchanging energy. With them resonating as lovers, it was a little more intense, but they both seemed to keep it together. "But I remain there, by his side, on the hardest nights. He knows I'll be there. He knows I care. Even though, I can't ever stop him from drinking or eating himself into a slow grave. I can be there, to stop him from a quick one."

She tried to look behind her again. He made her meet out so far she couldn't even see a glimpse of her. Something to help. He moved her to gently look back at him, and he gave her the biggest, fakest smile he could probably muster. For her.

"So, let's talk about what I do have for you, Kara. We have a large number of androids in Jericho that can probably help take down that security, and if you think we're just waltzing in that front door, no way. We are going through it with a massive force. You won't go gently into the night." He laughed slightly. "We'll go with a tank. I heard Markus and North loved those things."

Then she felt him gently hold her cheeks and give her a small kiss on the head before wrapping her in one more hug. Connor.

"I can't control you, I know I can't," he finished. "If we go to the last place and you choose a different action, I can't stop that. But I won't let you just give up and go quick either. We are going to do everything in our power to get you disconnected. And you should really believe me. I never give up easily."

Could she even help herself. This is not the time. "You're still sweet, Goofball." Oh. A genuine smile this time. "Thanks, Connor. I won't do anything brash. I promise." Why did she have to say that? It would be better for her to go. For Connor and Hank to go find Alice's body replacement. Yet. I just can't turn down that face.

"That's what I was wanting to hear." He finally let go of her. "You are staying the entire journey with me and Hank. You need to have positive thoughts. We made it all the way hear when less than a year ago, we were all machines serving someone else. If we broke through that. We can break through this."

Oh. Did he really have to go and start convincing her too? And making it sound so . . . hopeful. I can survive this. Damn. He really was the best at what he did. He walked back together with her. She got in the back seat with Alice again, her tears already dried.

It looked terrible. Some virus infecting the androids. Disconnecting so Cyberlife couldn't use her. Alice's body replacement in peril if she moved too close to an area that a Kamski could reach her. But. She looked at Connor in the front, who was arguing over the long stop with Hank.

"Mom?" Alice called to her. "Are you okay? Did you talk to Dad?"

"Yes." A smile. Alice. "Everything will be okay."

"You had like twenty minutes of conversation beforehand, Connor."

"It was important. We are nowhere near a place to eat yet. The deal was to wait until we got into a suitable location for you to get your meal."

"You never mentioned you'd be talking our ear off twice in the process. And walked far enough away you couldn't even see the car. Christ, Connor. It's gonna be late before I even get to eat."

"Sorry, Lieutenant. Couldn't be helped. I guess I can drive. I have processed everything as efficiently as I could."

"Nah. I can drive. You'll drive the speed limit."

"It's posted for a reason, Hank."

"For people who aren't hungry."

"Yeah." Kara looked from them, back to Alice. "Everything will be okay."