Chapter Two: Happy Hour

Jimmy's Bar was as busy as one would expect on a Saturday night. The booths along the walls were filled with men and women in various stages of inebriation. There were, however, no other androids in the establishment. Despite the fact that android segregation laws had been lifted last year, androids still tended to avoid human bars due to the overwhelming amount of hatred that people still felt for them.

Connor, however, paid no mind to this fact. The occasional drunk would stumble by and take a swing at him, mumbling something about "fuckin' androids never learn." These individuals were easily taken care of - they were often too intoxicated to reciprocate Connor's reflexes. He'd accepted the fact that androids would never be seen as humans - and, given the shocking lack of decency in humans, he was okay with that.

Hank suddenly clapped a heavy hand on Connor's shoulder. He pulled back to face the android toward him, then looked at him seriously.

Oh boy, Connor thought.

"Now, Connor," Hank started. "Tonight is not just for me to get drunk off my ass. No, tonight's gonna be a learning experience for both of us."

He laughed when Connor furrowed his brow.

"I fail to grasp your meaning, Lieutenant," Connor said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, Connor, tonight is going to be the night we finally find out how human you really are." Smiling, Hank turned Connor to face the counter and gestured towards an individual who stood behind there.

The stools along the counter had emptied significantly since their arrival, allowing plenty of room for Connor to see what the lieutenant had been pointing to.

There were two individuals standing behind the counter. The first was an older man, who Connor scanned over.

Ben Walker. Born 1986. Occupation: Cashier. History: Aggravated Assault, Traffic Violations.

Connor followed Hank's arm, looking to the second individual.

Though she was facing away from him at the moment, Connor could tell she looked young, early twenties at the oldest. Her hair was tousled and tied up with a black bandana, cropped close to her neck in what Connor believed was commonly referred to as a pixie. The short nature of her hair drew attention to her long, slender neck and narrow shoulders. She was tall, almost as tall as Connor, and had long, slender arms. She curved inward at the waist, giving her gentle curves in what Hank would have referred to as all the right places. She wore dark jeans that emphasized the length of her legs and a red flannel that was rolled up to her elbows beneath the black apron that employees were required to wear.

She turned to hand a glass to the man smiling at her from across the counter, and Connor found himself taken aback.

Her face was round, but had an accentuated bone structure that emphasized the height of her cheekbones and the strength of her jawline. Her lips looked soft as she smiled with a smile so genuine, it almost brought a smile to Connor. Her eyes were the color of the sky in the summertime, surrounded by long, thick lashes and framed by black glasses. She had a scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

Connor could have scanned her to find out her name…

But he didn't.

He wanted to learn her name without having to scan her.

Realizing that Hank was smirking at him, Connor reluctantly tore his eyes away from the bartender to face him.

Some trace of what he was thinking must have still shown on his face. Hank chuckled and shook his head.

"See? I told ya."

Connor feigned a look of confusion. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Hank."

"Ha! Bullshit!" Hank laughed. "You couldn't be more obvious!"

Connor turned away from the lieutenant, feeling his face flush a faint blue for the second time that evening. "Who is she, Lieutenant?"

Hank smirked, then nodded in the direction of the bartender. "Come on, Con, I'll introduce you."

Before Connor could pull him back, Hank had strode forward and spread out his arms.

"Who'd a thought they'd ever let a Rivers work in here?" He called from the end of the counter.

The girl turned to face the booming voice, and Connor saw a flash of recognition pass through her eyes, followed by a lopsided smirk of her own.

"They had to lower the bar once they let an Anderson in!" She called back, pulling on the ties in the back of her apron to take it off. Beneath the apron and the flannel, Connor was surprised to see a Guns 'n' Roses shirt.

Hank smiled and lowered his arms, walking toward the end of the counter as the girl walked over to meet him, exiting through a set of swinging doors. Connor noticed that she was wearing a pair of worn, beaten Converse, despite the fact that they hadn't been in production in years.

The girl crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, grinning. "I thought you'd run away, Hank. Haven't seen you in a while!"

Hank walked toward her and met her in a warm hug, like he'd known her for years. She returned the gesture, all but disappearing in the arms of the lieutenant.

Breaking the hug but keeping one arm wrapped around her shoulders, Hank turned to face Connor. "Get your ass over here, son; there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Connor stepped forward, looking back and forth between Hank and the younger girl, taking note of when her eyes flickered to the yellow pulsing of his LED. He was worried the warm expression on her face would melt away at the sight of it, but was glad to find that she continued to smile.

Why would I be glad?

The girl looked him up and down a few times, her eyes flicking across his face and smiling.

Hank looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes as they stared at each other. After about a minute of silence between the two of them, he cleared his throat.

"You gonna say something? Or just make eyes at each other all night?"

The girl laughed. It was a clear, genuine sound that reminded Connor of sunshine. He wasn't sure what that meant, but it was the only thing he could compare it to.

She stepped forward out of Hank's arm, holding out one of her hands. When Connor reached out to take it in his own, she clasped her other hand around it. Her hands were smaller than Connor's, but they were warm.

"You must be Connor," she said, smiling up at him. "Hank's told me a lot about you."

Connor looked at Hank for a moment, who was smirking at him, then returned his gaze to the girl in front of him.

"All good things, I hope?" he returned with a lopsided smile of his own.

The girl laughed again, shaking her head. "Of course!" She paused for a moment. "I'm Natalie."

Natalie, Connor found himself repeating in his mind. It fit her. He liked the sound of it.

"It's very nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Natalie." He nodded slightly toward her, earning a soft giggle.

"Hank," she chided. "You didn't mention how polite he was!"

Hank huffed and rolled his eyes. "Ah, jeez, Nat, you gotta make it weird."

She smiled, then shook herself out of her reverie. "Come on, let me get you boys some drinks."

She stepped behind the counter again, walking toward the center of the counter. The bar had mostly emptied out since the encounter began, with only a few of the stools still full and only a table or two that had occupants. She gestured for them to sit down, reaching beneath the counter.

"For Hank," she started, pulling bottles out from underneath the counter. She poured shots into a larger glass over ice with expert precision, finishing it off with a slice of lemon that she twisted in her hands before adding it to the drink. "Whiskey on the rocks with a twist."
Hank smiled. "You remembered. I'm touched," he said before nodding. "Thanks, sweetheart."

Natalie smiled back at him, then turned to face Connor. "And now, for you."

Connor shook his head. "Androids cannot -"

She held up a hand, effectively cutting him off. "You've just never seen an android drink, my friend." She smirked, then reached beneath the counter again.

She pulled out a bag of Thirium and sliced it open near the top using a knife. She poured this into a cocktail shaker, followed by two shots from a small bottle filled with a clear liquid and one shot from a slightly bigger bottle filled with a brown-tinted substance. She closed the shaker, shaking it vigorously in her hands before opening it again. She filled another glass with ice, then poured the solution over the ice. She held out the vibrant blue beverage to Connor.

He looked at it with confusion, then back at her.

She smiled. "Trust me, Connor. Try it."

Connor looked at Hank, who just shrugged. Warily, he took the glass between his fingers and slowly raised it to his lips.

He was shocked at the taste. The central taste of Thirium was still present, though it was mixed with slightly different flavors. There was something he couldn't quite identify. Was it...fruity?

Whatever it was, he liked it.

He scanned the substance, and was surprised that the analysis came back saying that the Thirium was compatible with his system.

He set the glass down and looked at Natalie with surprise.

"Well?" Hank said. "You gonna say something?"

"It's… I like it," Connor said with surprise.

It was rare for him to find something that he actually liked. He liked Sumo. He liked Hank. He liked working for the DPD. And now, he liked this.

He liked her.

She smiled at him. "I'm glad you like it!"

"What is this? If I may ask," Connor gestured to the glass in front of him.

She looked shocked, and placed her hands on her hips. "Connor, don't you know? A bartender never reveals her secrets," she chided with a wink.

He liked that too.

"I can't tell you what I put in it, of course; only that I filtered it to take the harmful properties out so androids could enjoy it. Once the laws were lifted, I figured it would only be fair that they get to enjoy a drink too," she smiled, leaning toward him from across the counter. "The only things left are the taste and the effects. You, my friend, can officially get drunk now."

Hank laughed out loud, clapping his hand on Connor's back. "Now you can finally be my real drinking buddy!" He raised his own glass in the air. "Cheers, pal."

Connor looked at the glass for a moment, then mirrored the motion with his own. The glasses came together with a sharp clink.

A warning flashed in front of Connor's vision.

WARNING: Intoxication at 4.72%. Avoid further consumption. Inebriation at risk.

What an odd warning, Connor thought to himself. It was one he never thought he'd see.

He dismissed it without a second thought.

After finishing the drink, he looked to her. "Could I trouble you for another…? What do you call these?"

She smiled, already mixing another one. "That, Connor, is what I like to call a 'Short Circuit'."

He laughed. He never laughed.

The night passed on in a similar fashion, with Natalie mixing drinks for the two officers in front of her. They told her stories of wild pursuits and run-ins with red ice rings, and she retaliated with stories of customers who bit off far more than they could chew.

When it reached 2:00 in the morning, Natalie closed the bottles and put them back under the counter. Everyone else had already stumbled out for the evening, leaving behind only the young bartender and two highly intoxicated officers of the law.

"Closing time, boys," she said, to which Hank groaned.

"Ahhh c'mon, Natttt, jus' one more?" he slurred, giving her what she could only guess was his inebriated attempt at being charming.

It didn't work. She smiled nonetheless.

Even Connor had a relaxed smile spread across his face as he attempted to run another diagnostic.

W RN1NG: InttoxXXic $%^ at 4$$ 2%. InneEEE$## riSk.

He couldn't be bothered to care.

He couldn't be bothered at all.

Natalie shook her head, pulling out her cell phone to call a cab for the two as Hank tossed a few wadded up bills on the counter. There was no way either of them were driving home tonight.

When they finally reached the Anderson residence, the two leaned against one another for mutual support as they stumbled their way up the sidewalk. After several futile attempts, Hank finally managed to get the door unlocked. He tossed the keys in the vague direction of the table by the door - missing it entirely - and he and Connor both sat heavily on the couch.

Connor turned to face Hank, trying to get his optical units to focus but to no avail.

"Hhhank?" he started. Hank turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Sshheee was really nicccce," he slurred as his processors began shutting down for the night.

"Ssee? I told you you'd like hhher," Hank grinned.

"Yyou were right, Lliutennt," Connor said as he leaned back and began to shut down for the night. "I ddooo."

Both were asleep - or, in Connor's case, in stasis - within minutes.

Turns out it was a good thing they had the day off the next day.