The doctor and nurses rushed into Jade's hospital room early the next day. The complications mentioned had appeared in the form of internal bleeding. They expected the damage to her brain would be the injury to watch out for the most due to the level of trauma when she was beaten, but no. It was the stab wounds to her torso. She began hemorrhaging and was rushed for an emergency surgery. David Vega was the only one on her list of contacts and was there in minutes after being called. He had to wait hours before they would let him see her. He paced the waiting room until he was called in.
Jade was asleep, sedated so that she would have time to recuperate. Her normally pale skin was sickly pale from blood loss, just as it had been when he found her. They had already given her a blood transfusion but it had yet to make a difference. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and counted between each breath, satisfied when they didn't falter. He then talked to the doctor to learn that one of the stab wounds had torn open again during a restless dream. The nurse described it as an intense nightmare. As long as she got a dreamless sleep and lied still she would be back on the road to healing.
"That's good to hear. I, um, I wanted to know who I could go to if I wanted to look into artificial replacement," he mentioned. When Jade asked him what was on his mind he couldn't yet say until he was certain. He thought on it for hours before finally falling asleep. He remembered looking into the robotics program that was being test run on the police force. He saw that a branch of it consisted of a cybernetic breakthrough that peaked his interest. It was just what he needed. It felt like the answer he was searching for.
"Prosthetics?" the doctor guessed. David shook his head.
"Oh, then you mean the cybernetics program," he corrected.
"Would it be possible?" David asked, hopeful.
"Jade is in a very severe condition. If she doesn't hold out through the internal injuries, well, there's only so much we can patch up. At this rate her full recovery doesn't look promising. If you've thought clearly through this decision, then yes, it's very possible. It may also be the only way to ensure she survives the ordeal," the doctor confirmed.
"I'll put up the money for it. Anything if it saves her," he stated, desperate.
"A small fee might be needed, but since the program is fairly new I'm sure the head of the program could sort something out. Knowing her she might offer a discount to the men and women of the law so it shouldn't be a problem. Let me speak to Dr. Valentine and get back to you, ok? For now, all we can do is wait. You'll be starting your shift soon, I imagine," the doctor told him kindly. David nodded and checked the time. He was due at work in a half hour.
"Yes. Thank you for your time. Please call as soon as possible," he said, leaving a moment later. He hoped with all his heart that Jade wouldn't be too stubborn to accept just because he was paying. He needed her to agree. Her life depended on it. But without her consent they couldn't do anything. Hopefully she saw it as another chance, just as he did.
-.-.-.-
Tori stopped by the station to see her dad as soon as she got done with a small job with Robbie. Someone had paid good money for them to drop some spam laced with spyware in a news reporter's inbox. Everything was need-to-know, hush hush, and involved no formal form of identification so they, as well as their financers, were kept anonymous. She entered the station to many greetings from the cops who knew her. She found her dad talking with a fellow officer and waited patiently for him to finish after he acknowledged her with a smile. The conversation turned out to be a series of questions, not at all like an interrogation. It involved morals and ground rules, what to do versus what not to do. Then he included questions about procedures in certain situations. Tori wondered why he was grilling the cop in such a way until she noticed the expression and facial features. He looked unemotional yet searching, like he was trying to understand what was being said as more than just words. And then there was the speech patterns. It was so formal, lacking inflection. She finally realized that he was not a 'he'. 'He' was an 'it'.
"Good. You sound perfect for the job," her dad concluded, holding out a hand. The new addition shook it, the movement mechanical.
"Happy to be aboard, sir," it answered. It stood swiftly and excused itself when it encountered Tori blocking its way. She stepped aside and watched the synthetic human walk away.
"Dad," she began, eyes on it until it turned down the hall.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Was that what I think it was?" she inquired, voice even.
"It sure was. First one released to us. We have another around here somewhere," he informed her, swiveling in his seat to face her.
"You're really allowing robots on your team?" she stage whispered, just in case it was still around. She didn't think it could be offended but human nature told her to tread lightly when speaking ill of others.
"Is that a problem?" he asked her.
"Yes! Dad, don't you know that those things could think past human trivialities and turn against us?" she demanded. He chuckled and stood to ruffle her hair.
"You watch too much movies, kiddo. They're programmed with a failsafe and something similar to morals. In any case, they're made to protect people. Innocents are shielded and threats are taken care of safely, meaning no one will be shot dead. Only disabled," he explained neutrally. Tori was not having it.
"And if they don't work as planned?" she pointed out.
"We're all going to be equipped with this device that gives off a small EMP blast. It's just enough to short circuit them. It'll be fine," he insisted. Tori crossed her arms.
"Fine," she accepted, silent afterwards. He sighed when he looked away from the computer to see her glaring at him.
"Tor, bear with me here. I approved of the program to lessen work on me," he confessed. Tori instantly dropped her arms, worried.
"You want some time off?" she asked.
"Yeah. I want to see my family and keep an eye on Jade," he mentioned.
"How is she?" Tori asked, more polite than truly wanting to know. She could count on her fingers the times she was in the same room as Jade let alone holding a conversation with her. She often wondered why her dad cared so much for her. She was nothing like him. Straight faced and unreachable. She wasn't sociable or nice. And yet her dad saw something in her worth protecting. She was obviously a different person when it was just them two. It made Tori a bit curious to see that side of her. Hearing that Jade had been disowned from her family at eighteen and left on her own saddened her, but when she tried reaching out to the girl she was harshly turned away so she hadn't tried communicating with her again besides a polite greeting.
"She isn't doing too well. Her injuries are endangered by the nightmares she has. They have to keep her sedated most of the time," he shared. He kept his plans to get her on her feet to himself until he was sure it would work. He didn't want anyone else to join him riding on false hope.
"Well, hopefully she gets better soon. I know you feel like you need to be there for her but you also have two daughters who miss you. Or, maybe one. I'm not too sure about Trina," Tori said, both of them chuckling. The older of the Vega sisters was often self-absorbed but they both knew she didn't do it to be mean. It was entirely subconscious.
"I know. I'll tell you what. As soon as I get the good news that Jade is well on her way to recovery I want you and Trina to come visit. We can have family pot pie, like old times," he suggested. Tori brightened at that.
"Ok," she agreed, grinning. He stood to embrace her.
"Oh, can Robbie come too?" she suddenly remembered to ask, pulling away.
"Of course," her dad said with a nod. Tori hugged him again before they sat down to catch up. Several minutes later he was called out for duty and Tori had to go.
-.-.-.-
In the next few days of care Jade slowly pulled back from the danger line but it was rare when she could sit up in bed. With a few hours since the last scare she was tired of being useless. So when David came by with papers he obtained after the meeting he had with Dr. Catarina Valentine he needed Jade to read through them and sign. She insisted that she sit up while she read. She skimmed everything carefully, glancing at the man she looked to as a father over the top of the papers.
"If I agree to this does that mean I'll get to be your partner?" she questioned. It troubled him that all she was worried about was landing the job. Her life should be a more pressing matter.
"If that's what you want. You've passed all the courses and I've trained you as well as I can. You should be more than qualified," he responded.
"Then fine. Whatever they can do to get me out of here," she readily agreed. The pen barely touched the paper when David swiped the packet from her.
"What the hell?" she complained.
"I don't want you to sign just because you want out of here. I want you to truly think about the decision you're making. It's a dangerous procedure that could go terribly wrong if it doesn't go as planned. You're the first person to attempt this. You have to weigh your options," he cautioned. Jade snatched the papers back from him.
"I have. I know it's dangerous, but I'd rather die in the middle of a life changing decision than on a hospital bed like everyone else," she stated, quickly signing her name under his. She strived to be someone her whole life. That wasn't going to change. She wanted to prove to her father that she could be something more than what he saw in her. It was the drive behind everything she accomplished so far. She couldn't stop now. She handed the papers back to David when she was done with them.
"When is it?" she inquired.
"As soon as you're ready," he answered, a contradictory mix of worry and relief in his tone.
"Schedule it for as soon as possible then. I don't wanna wait," she told him. The decision left them both with little time to prepare.
-.-.-.-
Working as a bartender gave Tori interesting stories to tell but she couldn't find it in her to be amused over the occasional bar fight like she usually was. She was too caught up in the robots the police station had employed. The family night she and her dad spoke about was yesterday, a full three days after it was planned. Now she wondered what had happened to Jade to keep him from his own family for three days. It was enough that his work already did that but now they had more competition. The day had been a good one. They ate dinner together and talked and laughed. It was stress free and felt just like when she was a teenager. They even played board games and watched a movie. The one moment when there was a lull in the merriment was when Tori stepped out on the patio for some fresh air. Her dad followed. He told her that she shouldn't worry so much and that the robots were safety approved. That last part was said more as a joke she didn't find funny.
He explained again that with them around he was less likely to get hurt. If anything happened it wouldn't be him taking a bullet. Tori wanted to believe him but she was still cautious, even more so when he called each by name. Andre and Beck. Both looked like very capable young men. Both housed synthetic components and no hearts. But her dad felt good about it so she wasn't going to bring him down. She did ask why he even considered them and he replied that it was an offer from the company he was working with concerning Jade's recovery. Tori didn't ask more after that. It was enough serious conversation for that night. So they went back inside to enjoy the rest of the time they had together. Tori came back from her reverie to the sound of shouting. Two security guards pushed their way through the crowd to reach the men who turned the dancefloor into a brawling arena.
Another man got involved. It was getting hard for security to handle the situation. Tori was seconds from calling the cops when someone else made the call. She couldn't see what was happening over everyone's head and she didn't want to seem too invested so she continued with her shift, occasionally glancing over. Several minutes later she happened to look over and almost dropped the shot glass she was holding when she recognized the robot her dad had been talking to when she visited him. Getting a look at it again only solidified the thought in her head, which was how real and alive they looked. What had her dad called this one? Beck. That was 'its' or 'his' name. He effortlessly calmed everyone in a soothing voice then directed the two fighters out, a hand effortlessly holding each man's arms behind their back. A woman wandered over with her friend to sit down at the bar, both gushing over how handsome, strong, and authoritative Beck was. Tori scowled.
"He's one of those new robots, you know," she informed them. Their eyes lit up. If anything she made them even more interested. They dissolved into giggles when one whispered something in the other's ear. Tori rolled her eyes. It was probably something dirty if the spreading blush on the girl's already flushed face was anything to go by. It seemed that she was the only one that wasn't impressed with the walking, talking computers. She gave them a year before they started encountering problems.
-.-.-.-
The morning sun dawned bright and early yet the young raven haired woman in bed was ignorant of it with her dark curtains drawn over the windows just how she liked it. Instead, her alarm woke her up. She rolled over on her back with a groan and stretched out, raising her right arm over her head. It was really all that needed it seeing as the rest of her was made up of metal and cybernetics of all kinds. Her body had been so damaged she ended up more robot than human. A cyborg essentially, but she didn't like that word. It had been three years since her life changing surgery. Her body adapted well to the changes that took a little more than four days to complete. All damaged organs were replaced with synthetic counterparts while modifications to her brain enhanced performance. The delicate balance of organic and inorganic components worked together in harmony. The first year took some getting used to since the organic parts of her body had to play catch-up.She went through daily rehabilitation exercises that turned into full blown work-outs in an effort to build the strength required to lug herself around.
The metal making up her limbs wasn't too heavy but was built to be durable so it wasn't light either. After she was adjusted physically as well as mentally, through many sessions with her personal therapist she sometimes needed since dealing with her family's abuse, she was welcomed back on the police force. Even though she was expecting it she was still surprised and honored when David offered her the position to be his partner. He felt she had more than proved herself and was proud to have her watching his back. While in that position she studied and looked into becoming a police detective. It was a role she was still uncertain about so she hadn't made the transition into making the title official but that didn't stop her from occasionally poking around the cases assigned to that unit. She knew some of them and got to glimpse sensitive files every once in a while. And then there were the actual robots from the same program that made her full recovery possible. Andre and Beck were nice enough, though they acted similarly.
Granted, they didn't have much of their own personality due to the way they were programmed. They looked different outwardly but inwardly they were the same. Jade guessed that it was better that way. Artificial intelligence was dangerous. It only took one individual thought to change the way it did things. She didn't want to reference movies or games as proof, rather, she just thought it was common sense. If people were going to tamper with such a thing they should never cross that divider. Not unless they wanted a robot apocalypse. Jade rolled out of bed and pushed back her messy hair, cool metallic fingers separating tangles and trailing lightly over her scalp. She chose not to cover the three artificial limbs in fake flesh, opting to have it exposed as a reminder of how far she came despite what was done to her. The amount of stares she garnered was unprecedented. More so than anything she had done in the past when she was younger; crazy hair styles, tattoos, piercings, and all.
It made a great conversational starter when she was socializing though, her arm being the only thing always on display. She worked through a few exercises to further wake herself up and then headed for the shower. When she was decent she checked the time. She had some time to spare so she headed for her favorite coffee place. As was habit she glanced at the alley she had been abducted from. David said the trail started there. A splash of blood from when she was hit over the head. She cleared away the memories that came with the thought, using the technique she was taught during her therapy sessions. When she felt settled again she entered the shop. The barista greeted her and automatically got her usual. Jade thanked her, paid, and headed back out. She drank the cup of coffee on her way back, preferring to enjoy it without being rushed. By the time she got home she was finished and ready to go to the station. She hopped on her motorcycle and arrived a few minutes early. David found her seconds after walking in the door.
"Hey, it's a good thing you came in when you did. I was just heading out," he told her.
"Were you called out already?" she asked.
"No. I only came in to take some work home with me, otherwise I'm off today. Sorry I didn't tell you before. You're always so busy," he explained. Jade had to stay busy. If she had time to herself her thoughts always went to those dark hours of torture.
"I get it. What's the occasion?" she inquired.
"It's Tori's birthday. I promised I would spend the day with the family," he answered. Tori Vega. Jade only met the girl a handful of times and was instantly repelled by her happy-go-lucky positivity. It was annoying to a certain degree. Although, that mentality had followed her when she was fresh out of high school, back when she was young and angry with the world. Over the years Jade saw a change in David's daughter, one that didn't annoy her as much anymore. She matured and certain aspects of her father shone through, something Jade couldn't ignore. But she could avoid it so she did. Trust did not come naturally to her. It was best to keep people at a distance. That way they couldn't hurt her.
"Have fun, Mr. V. I'll be here, mindlessly going through paperwork and praying I get called out on the field," Jade teased, slightly cynical. David smiled fondly.
"You could always mess with Andre and Beck," he suggested with a one armed shrug. Jade's frown lifted at the idea. She never missed a chance to toy with the robots, asking them questions they weren't equipped to answer and watching them struggle over what to say in return.
"True," she allowed, stepping around him to her desk. Once she was seated she kicked up her boots, her feet clunking heavily on the wood. She was going to take a few minutes before getting to work.
"Oh, and Jade?" David called to her. She opened her eyes to give him her attention.
"You should stop by later. It would do you some good to socialize once in a while," he joked. Jade faked a laugh.
"Yeah, sure. Vega would be thrilled to have me over," she commented sarcastically. David thought about it before nodding.
"She might. After all, she's interested in all things tech related. I'm sure you two would find something interesting to talk about," he suggested. He said his farewell and left shortly after that, leaving Jade to wonder what he meant. She didn't dwell on it too long. She also dismissed the idea of spending time with the Vega family. She was only ever comfortable around David. Holly was nice and welcoming but Trina was someone she would never get along with. Ever. Tori…well, Tori remained a question mark. Maybe she was someone she could talk to and maybe she wasn't. She didn't give herself time to think too much into it.