HOPE YOU ALL LIKE THIS CHAPTER! IT DEALS WITH A LOT. ANYWAY, THANK YOU TO fujoshifangirl2003 FOR GIVING MY OC STORY A SHOT! I'M REALLY HAPPY YOU ENDED UP LIKING IT! ^.^
ALSO, THANK YOU TO Katsa5433 for your encouragement! You're AWESOME!
GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!
The perspective opening was about as fun as I thought it'd be.
Meaning, I was bored senseless. The only entertainment was everyone tip-toeing around Markus, not liking that he was socializing (a bit), but unwilling to upset Dad by saying or doing anything.
Eventually, they stop trying. Dad suggests leaving and Markus doesn't protest. We call a cab and that's that.
Soon as we get home, Dad sighs in relief. He's always been more of an introvert.
"That was by far the most boring party I've ever been to in the last 25 years. Every time I go to one of these, I ask myself; what the Hell am I doing here?" I laugh.
"I just go to watch people fail at talking to Markus." I muse. Dad chuckles, then his face falls again.
"I hate cocktail parties, and all the schmoozers that go there." He grumbles. I take his coat and put mine up as Markus does the same.
"Well, it's a chance for people who admire your work to meet you." Markus reasons, grabbing the handles and wheeling Dad to the dining/living room.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dad replies grumpily. "No one gives a damn about art. All they care about is how much money they can make out of it." I roll my eyes.
"Oh, please. They love your work because it fricking rocks, Dad!" I cheer, and Markus smiles, letting Dad stop by the couch where I sit to take off my heels
"I'm glad you think so, dear." Dad says, obviously humoring me. "I need a drink. The excitement of the whole thing has made me thirsty."
Markus looks at Dad. "Scotch neat, as usual?" Markus asks. Dad nods.
"Absolutely." He replies.
"Ooh! Good idea, Dad!" I add, walking over and grabbing a glass.
"Okay, but you know what your doctor would say, Carl." Markus warns.
"Yeah, well, he can kiss my ass! I'm old enough to choose my own medication." I laugh.
"Cheers to that!" It wasn't until Markus had pouring our glasses that we noticed the studio light on. "Oh, the studio light's on." I muse, sipping at the alcohol.
"Did you leave it on?" Dad asks, growing concerned. I shrug, setting the glass down.
"Uh...not sure." Markus shakes his head.
"No...no, I'm sure I didn't." Dad wheels a little closer.
"Call the police." He orders. I head toward it, but Markus grabs my arm, his LED yellow.
"This is the Manfred's domestic android at 8941 Lafayette Avenue." He intones calmly. "We've just returned home and found the light on. There may have been a break-in." His LED turns back to blue as he hangs up. I tug my arm out of his hold.
"C'mon, Markus. Let's check it out." I whisper, motioning him to leave Dad there.
"No, Markus! I wanna come with you." Dad protests. I shake my head.
"Not a chance!" I hiss. The doors open. "Leo!" I bark. "What the hell do you think yer doing?!" He has his hands on the finished pieces waiting for offers.
"Oh, hey, sis!" He greets, looking over his shoulder. "Our 'loving' father refused to help me, so I'm helping myself. It's crazy what some people'll pay for this shit!" He exclaims.
"Don't touch 'em!" I growl. "You need to leave! Now!"
"Alex, Alex, c'mon. Let's get real. Our old man ain't done jack shit fer anyone. Let's change that, huh?"
"Leo, stop!"
"Look, some of these paintings will be mine sooner or later anyway. Consider it a down payment on my inheritance."
"Markus, get him outta here!" Dad calls, wheeling into the room.
"Listen, you should go, before things get worse." Markus advices. Leo huffs.
"All you ever do is tell me to go away." Leo growls, leaning over to glare at Dad, ignoring Markus completely. "What's wrong, Dad? Not good enough for yah? Not perfect, like these fucking freaks?" I step forward.
"Leo, that's enough! We've called the police already. You need to leave. We'll tell them it was a false alarm. Just go!"
"Not this time!" He barks back at me, poking my chest. Dad moves closer.
"That's enough! Get out, right now! Go on, move!"
"What makes them so special, anyway! Alex isn't even human anymore!" I swear I see red.
"I am just as human as you!" I scream, getting in his face. "The only difference is I don't do drugs and I don't take advantage of Dad!"
"Oh, I've had it with you!" He roars, shoving me so hard, I crash into Dad's wheelchair and go stumbling backwards. I trip and crack my head against a corner of the table. For an agonizing moment, there's nothing but black spots and pain, then it clears enough for me to see concussion warnings as I stand back up. Leo was taunting Markus, who was standing in front of me protectively. Leo accented his words with shoves, then a punch.
"Leo, stop!" I bark, standing, but Markus then shoves Leo, who stumbles and his head slams against the hoisting mechanism. He's out like a light. I let out a scream. "Shit!" I curse, kneeling and scanning to make sure- -he's alive, thank God! "It's okay, Dad! Leo's alive!" Markus, however, looks on in anguish. His LED is red and there are...tears running down his face. I didn't know androids could cry.
"Carl, I...I…" I stand, nearing him slowly as his hands reach for his head in panic.
"Markus, you defended yourself. It's alright."
"Dad instructed me not to!" He replies, sobbing. It sent a pang though my heart, the way he called Dad...Dad.
"They'll destroy you, Markus." Dad warns, hand on his chest. "You gotta go!" I hate it, but Dad's right.
"I'm sorry, but dad's right! Go!" I bark. Markus' face is all confusion and emotion.
"Go? I have nowhere to go! You are all I have!" He sobs. There's so much more emotion than I thought possible in him now. Since I was concussed, he seems...human. More human than machine.
In a moment of sheer panic, I grab his face and kiss him. It felt like I thought; he just stood there and took it. I try not to let the hurt show, and motion toward the studio door. "Go!" I sob.
But, all too soon, the police arrive.
"Markus!" Dad barks, trying to startle him into action, but Markus just stands there. Suddenly, the officer closest to Markus misunderstands and shoots Markus in the chest.
"No!" I scream, but before I can do anything else, an officer grabs my arm.
"Ma'am step away, please." I tug at his grip.
"No, you don't understand!" I scream. "Leo attacked him! It wasn't Markus' fault!" The officer sighs.
"Ma'am, please come to the station and testify to what happened. Then we- -"
"I can't let you destroy him!" I'm aware I'm being irrational and will probably get in trouble, but this was Markus they were trying to destroy. I couldn't let that happen. The officer grabs my other arm.
"You're being irrational, ma'am. It's just an android." I decide to stop fighting. I'd explain everything at the station. Tears prick my eyes, and I sigh.
"Okay. I'll go with you." I mumble.
=#=#=#=#=
"Wait...yer saying the android...cried?" The man I was speaking to scoffed. I roll my eyes, but nod.
"Yes! He didn't mean to hurt Leo, but he had to defend himself."
"I thought he was programmed to never endanger human lives." I shrug.
"And he's programmed to obey. I...I told him to defend himself." I lie. The man shakes his grey-haired head. I quickly scan him and find that his name is Hank Anderson.
"Whatever you say. What make and model was it?" I frown.
"Markus." I growl. "His name is Markus- -was Markus." I correct, grimacing. The guy yawns, then sighs.
"Listen, lady; it's late. We'll be in touch with you if we have further questions for you, so don't leave town." He instructs. "But, you can go home now." I almost scream at him to call off destroying Markus, but an even riskier plan unfurled in my head.
"Okay...okay." I yawn, pretending to be exhausted. "I think that's best." I stand. "Thanks." He nods, yawning again, waving me away.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it. Seriously." I chuckle and wave as I leave. He wasn't as bad as some other cops seem to be.
As soon as the officers dropped me off at the house, I all but ran to my room. Hopefully, Markus wouldn't be beyond repair. Hopefully, I'd be able to find him.
I hoped a lot of things would happen tonight as I grab a duffel bag. I don't know what I am thinking, just what I am planning.
I was going to save Markus. I was going to find him and repair him.
=#=#=#=#=
Finding the right android junkyard took a little longer than expected. There was a lot of android junkyards around, and I had to start at the one closest to the house and work my way from there.
I ended up there at nearly one in the morning. I turn off the engine and rub my eyes, sighing heavily.
This was bad, and most definitely illegal, but I had to!
I walk over to the fence, dig the wire cutters out of the bag, and take a breath. The rain pattered on my raincoat as I cut the fence and squirmed beneath it. Now...where to begin?
I slide down the slope into a fairly narrow ditch and walk along it. I scan each android, but none of them are Markus. Tears brims in my eyes in frustration. Where is he?!
Finally, I see him in the distance. "Markus!" I sob, running over and kneeling down. He's so damaged, the scan is the only thing able to identify him. He has no lower legs, his left eye is gone, and it looks like the left audio processor went with it. "What did they do to you..?" I whimper, then hoist him up and around, piggyback.
I stand and scan for compatible legs. I find a left one not far away and put it in the bag. Bit hard one-handed, but I manage. Moving a body aside, ignoring the twitching of its mouth, I find a right one and that's put in, too.
Scanning around doesn't yield any results, so I press on down the ditch, wiping rain from my eyes. There's an android half-buried in the muddy trench wall who grabs me. I pull away instantly and face him.
"There's a place where you both can be free!" He cries, grabbing my wrist and, through my synthetic arm, transmits something. It tingles at the base of my neck where the chip allowing me to control my synthetic limbs is. "Take him to Jericho! Find Jeri..." He calls, shutting down halfway through his statement. I only got bits of of the location for Jericho. I then shake myself and move on down the trench. I'll deal with the information on Jericho later. For now, I have to get out of here.
There are grabbing hands sticking out of the walls that poked and grabbed at me, but I pressed on, nearly losing Markus, who's grabbed by a half-buried android.
"Where're you going?" It growls in a horribly staticky voice. I yank Markus away and stumble back, falling over, every nerve on edge.
These things didn't like humans at all. And I was the first they'd seen in a long time. I gulp, turn, and scan, clutching Markus possessively. It's a matter of a minute to find the other parts and add them to the bag. Then, I have to figure out how to get back to my car. No way I'd go past those freaky hands again. I crawl slowly up the slope, careful not to lose Markus or his parts. Somehow, I manage and (though I am caked in mud) I accomplished my mission.
I run to my car, letting the rain wash away the mud while I run. Good thing I already had a towel on the driver's seat. I put Markus on the back seat and the bag beside him. Sighing, I climb into the driver seat and, shaking myself, I start the engine. I had to go somewhere other than the house to repair him, seeing as I couldn't take him back to the crime scene.
I suppose Ferndale was as good an idea as any.
=#=#=#=#=
It was nearly three in the morning when I arrive. Once I get to the Ferndale area, I review the android's frantic transmission. Then, my hand begins to glow. I look and see a picture of graffiti and somehow know it's somewhere around the train station.
I park there for now and get out. I open the door and see that Markus still hasn't rebooted. I lick my lips and fit him as best I can into the bag. I have to leave his head out, but it's the best I can do. I put my soaked towel over that and start walking. Soon, I've found the graffiti, and my eye automatically scans it. My hand glows again and I move on. The problem comes when I notice I have to go up onto a roof. I sigh and move a dumpster. I hate to do it, but I have to toss my bag up to the roof before climbing up. Taking a risk, I run for a break in the roof and leap across. I barely catch the other side and it is sheer luck that I claw my way up. I lay down when I get there. This was all too much. Markus was so heavy! The rain felt pretty good, though...
Eventually, I get up and continue, dropping down off the first roof and then having to climb up into another section of the building across the way.
I was getting increasingly frustrated the longer this went on.
This was the worst way to tell someone where the refuge is, even if it is a secret! Thankfully, I could deduce that it wasn't much further and cut across the inside of the building. Then, it was a matter of moving a pallet and walking up stairs. Finally!
I don't even care that Jericho is a boat at this point. I just want to get there and repair Markus. I start across, then almost fall with the walkway as it comes loose. "Shit!" I curse and back off. I then see that there's a different way, up a crane. I groan and haul myself up onto the platform, climbing up to walk along the arm. I all but let myself fall off the end, seeing there was water down there.
It was jarring and almost literally freezing. "Oh, fricking shit, that's cold!" I gasp when I break the surface, wide awake and swimming over and trying not to let the bag drag me down. Getting it up the ladder, with the bag wet and the cold, was almost impossible. In fact, I am so exhausted and cold when I get to the top, I barely stand and stumble further into the boat. Opening the door and finding an empty room were things that seemed like huge victories when I accomplished them. I was so tired...
Soon as I set Markus and my bag down, I simply drop to the floor and all goes black.