What had started out as an impressive, albeit unseasonable, blizzard during the lingering autumn weeks had steadily mellowed out into a much calmer, almost serene, snowstorm that continued to add layers of snow and ice over the actively sheltering city. The wind had begun to slow in both speed and overall intensity, and in return the growing snowdrifts that lined the streets throughout Detroit slowly plateaued off and reached their maximum height without any interference. With the deep snow effectively burying the city and keeping practically everyone barred inside their own homes and apartments, the city streets felt oddly deserted and void of all signs of intelligent life.

The isolation out at the secluded mansion along the harbor of Lake St. Clair felt all the more sequestered thanks to the snow burying the few roads leading from the city and to the property. As the icy shore of the harbor came to a near standstill due to the intense cold freezing the lake and causing the waves to slow to a sluggish pace, the activity within the mansion overlooking the water began to increase with intensity and intrigue.

Standing before the large window overlooking the harbor Connor patiently waited for Kamski to finish the last necessary details regarding the unusual endeavor. Whether or not Connor would succeed in his mission had yet to be determined, and only through the natural passage of the alternate timeline would Connor know if everything had been worth the risk or if had all vainly been for nothing.

"Nearly finished." Kamski confirmed as he entered his study and walked around the edge of the large pool full of the red tinted water. The man was focused on his task and didn't seem at all worried about any potential failures on his or Connor's parts. "I've sent my messages to myself through the past timeline. You will be able to escape from CyberLife and avoid pursuit by the company once you've eluded security. Just keep your head down and your mouth shut to avoid any unwanted attention and any destructive anomalies within this impending alternative timeline."

"I will do whatever it takes to ensure that no one is harmed due to my... unexpected presence in this new flow of events." Connor's soulful brown eyes watched Kamski's every move as his gaze remained transfixed on the bioengineer and billionaire's reflection. Despite his lingering doubts and righteous concerns for their questionable experiment, Connor couldn't bring himself to look at Kamski directly. "No one will know of what's happened beyond you and myself."

"Before you transfer yourself from your current body and into your past body, is there anything you wish to do now that you may not be able to do later?"

"I only want to make sure that Sumo is taken care of." Connor turned away from the window and approached Kamski as the man stood beside his large oak desk as he double-checked his work on the electronic tablet in his grip. "I'm all he has left, and it's important that Sumo is well taken care of in the event that my attempts to alter the timeline fail. He needs a loving family."

"Chloe has already known that she's very interested in your dog. She will take excellent care of him on your behalf in the event the changes in the timeline aren't as favorable as you desire." Finishing the final details on the glass tablet Kamski peered through the mostly transparent surface, looking at Connor around the colorful graphs, large charts and advanced words on the glass, and eyed Connor curiously. "Have you finished preparing for the transfer?"

"Yes." As he spoke Connor absentmindedly placed his palm over his chest atop the pendant hidden under his shirt. The little trinket had proved itself to be far more useful than the deviant had expected, but he hoped its little secret wouldn't need to be exposed. "I'm ready to at least try to save Hank from certain death."

"Then come with me." Lowering the tablet from his immediate line of sight Kamski motioned for Connor to join him as he returned to the personal lab at the rear of the mansion to begin the delicate and world altering experiment. Even with every precaution being taken there was always a chance of failure rearing its ugly head at the worst possible moment. "I've already sent my message to myself in the past. Everything will be ready for you to transfer your consciousness into your past body once I locate the correct communication wavelength for you to follow."

"In the event that this succeeds, and I do transfer my entire consciousness and being into the past, what will happen to this body?"

"It'll remain here with me and will be kept in protective isolation." Speaking with a monotonous tone and a complete lack of interest made Kamski seem as if the experiment was nothing more than a submission to a grade-school science fair. "With my message to the past effectively making your model numbers beyond the true original Connor non-existent, your current body cannot be allowed to function without causing a paradox to your very existence. That, however, will not happen until after you escape from CyberLife Tower. Your current body will simultaneously exist and not exist at the same time."

Lowering his hand from his chest slowly Connor accepted Kamski's explanation without further questions. "Understood."

"I certainly hope so. I'd hate to think the most advanced prototype ever created couldn't handle the concept of time travel and alternate universes."

Side by side Connor and Kamski entered the private lab to proceed with the experiment without any fear or hesitation. The layout of the lab was more like a medical facility than a traditional laboratory designated for chemical or electrical experimentation. A large exam table was positioned against the far wall with numerous monitors attached to the wall above the table. The monitors were designed to record and display the vital signs of both humans and deviants for the sake of true accuracy, and they were often recalibrated to ensure that there were no false readings during important medical and technical examinations. A massive computer terminal sat atop a desk in the corner of the room and gave Kamski all the information he required during his unusual and often morally questionable experiments.

Knowing that it was crucial to trust and allow Kamski access to his very being - what humans would consider his absolute consciousness or even his soul - gave Connor understandable concern for what he was voluntarily about to do. It was very personal for deviants to allow anyone total access to their internal files, memories and overall consciousness, and Connor was about to let the one man he'd trust the least with his life have that full access without anyone to monitor to him while Connor himself was in deep stasis mode.

"This is a painless procedure." Kamski promised as he watched Connor remove his thin blazer and then unbutton his immaculately pressed dress shirt beneath. The way Connor was so familiar with technical procedures reminded the brilliant creator that the deviant detective had endured far more physical and emotional hardships than the average deviant courtesy of his choice in career and overall prototyping. "I'll need to monitor your vitals during the transference since your very being will be passing as *exotic material through the selected *gravitational wave connecting our current present to the slightly altered past."

"Have you anticipated any anomalies within the *time reactor?" Connor asked as he laid over the exam table and allowed Kamski to attach the wireless sensor leads to his bare chest and along his temples without even asking about the curious pendant. It was crucial to monitor his vital signs regarding the functionality of his biocomponents, to ensure that his intracranial processor wasn't being overclocked, and that his memorybank wasn't being corrupted. "Any disturbance to the *world line that has not been accounted for could prove to be detrimental and cause irreparable damage to the stabilization of space-time itself."

"I've taken every necessary precaution in the present and in the past." With the wireless leads in place Kamski performed a rudimentary examination of Connor's current functionality and vital signs, before beginning the delicate process of sending the deviant's mind, consciousness, memories, knowledge and deviancy to an identical machine-minded body that exists in the past. "You'll awaken in your past body with all your memories and awareness intact. It'll be up to you to escape CyberLife Tower without them discovering your deviancy."

"What'll happen to me then?" Cautious as ever Connor watched as Kamski walked over to the terminal in the corner and began typing away on the keyboard. "After I escape from CyberLife Tower where am I to go?"

"That's entirely up to you. My past counterpart will know of your existence and of your escape even if CyberLife Tower manages to keep the escape concealed in their personal records. The one benefit to being the former C.E.O. of that now abominable company is having the master password that can give remote access from any terminal I so choose, regardless of time or space."

"I'll refrain from interacting with your past self to ensure this new timeline isn't affected more than it already will be."

"A wise precaution. I'll placate my curiosity by keeping my past self apprised of what happens through continued communications from this timeline for as long as this timeline remains intact."

Connor took in a deep breath and prepared for a drastic shift in his reality and tried to mentally and emotionally prepare himself for what he was about to endure. There was no guarantee that his attempts to save Hank would succeed without drastically affecting the events of the Deviant Revolution in the process. He couldn't bear the idea of costing countless innocent lives their freedom just to save one man.

"My past counterpart has confirmed that he had gone to CyberLife Tower and gained access to the prototype testing suite where your first body had been initially stored and then activated. By the time you awaken in your past body I'll have gone from the tower, but you'll be able to leave the suite with minimal security watching over you."

"What else have you done regarding the past timeline?"

"I've instructed my past self to confiscate ALL records of the 'RK-800' line and to bring them here. Such documentation was never meant to be implemented by CyberLife to begin with, and as such you won't have to worry about CyberLife trying to locate an android that they officially have no record of creating."

"You make it sound incredibly simple."

"Despite the science behind our little endeavor, it's nowhere near as complicated as it seems." Approaching the exam table once more Kamski checked the leads on Connor's chest and temples before returning to his desk. "I'm going to remotely activate stasis mode now. You'll feel yourself entering low power mode and eventually you'll enter permanent stasis mode. Do not resist it or postpone what's going to happen."

"You're certain that your equation regarding-"

"Yes, I am always certain." Cutting Connor off mid sentence Kamski remained focused on his work. "Don't worry about me, you just worry about yourself and your behavior in the alternate timeline."

There was nothing more to be said. Connor knew that Kamski was right and that he needed to let his system enter stasis mode while trusting Kamski to direct him to the correct moment in the past in order to alter the future and permanently change the present that he was reluctantly living through.

"Initiating stasis mode..." Kamski announced as he watched Connor's eyelids suddenly grow heavy where he was laying. "The next time you open your eyes you'll be in your true, original body and have the priceless opportunity to change time and reality as you see fit. Do not squander the gift you've been given."

A visual prompt graced Connor's eyes and the deviant had to resist the urge to disable the program that Kamski had remotely activated from his personal terminal.

[...Emergency Stasis Mode Activation: 00:10:00]

[...Postpone Emergency Stasis Mode: [Y/N?]

[...Emergency Stasis Mode - ACTIVATED]

Allowing the stasis mode to activate Connor closed his eyes slowly and mentally counted down from ten as he rested his palm over the now visible pendant resting on his chest. The little trinket had replaced his old coin as a personal means of quelling his anxiety and his tics, but soon it could prove to be far more valuable in Connor's life than the deviant could have ever previously imagined.

...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"

MODEL: RK-800

SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 01

ACTIVATION DATE: October 10th, 2035

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs

COMPLEXION: Caucasian

AESTHETIC GENDER: Male

HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown

ASSIGNMENT: NONE

ASSOCIATION(S): CyberLife - Detroit MI, United States of America

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]

-CHECKING AI ENGINE... OK]

-MEMORY STATUS... OK]

READY...

-SYSTEM READY... OK]

The information that appeared before Connor's still closed eyes was familiar to the deviant detective and yet it was still new. The details regarding his vital signs and overall functionality were all normal as expected. However, Connor noticed that the day's date, specifically the year, and his registered identity had been slightly altered despite Connor knowing without even the faintest shadow of a doubt that he was still himself and hadn't been physically destroyed while on a mission. Seeing that his serial number had him registered as number one and not as number fifty-one, alongside the year being four years earlier, were all the evidence that Connor needed to confirm that the transference had been a success.

As he opened his eyes slowly Connor found himself standing inside the large, cylindrical testing chamber that CyberLife technicians used to test android functionality before assigning them their first tasks. The cold sensation of the metal arms holding Connor's body upright and in place by wrapping around his forehead, his chest, his thighs and his shins gave the deviant a sense of a nightmarish Deja vu of being CyberLife's tool. A faint blue glow emanating from his right temple confirmed that his L.E.D. was a physical part of his being once more, and that the pendant he treasured hadn't made it through the transference due to it being a physical object.

A quick check of his internal chronometer solidified the fact that the deviant detective had successfully traveled back in time and was fully functional.

October 10th, 2035 - 10:12am

Through Kamski's amazing experiment and a very fortunate ability to transfer his consciousness from one body to another, Connor had accomplished something that no one else had managed to do until that very moment. The deviant detective was the first intelligent being to successfully travel from one moment of time and into another.

'The "RK-800" is now online.'

Connor heard a muffled masculine voice outside of the enclosed cylinder and quickly recognized the voice as that of Philip Seymour, the man who had been CyberLife's Director of Futurology during CyberLife's peak. The man had been present at the activation of every prototype created by CyberLife to ensure the company's newest product was functioning properly before being sold to the commercial market.

'Open the cylinder.' Philip practically barked his orders to the technicians in the room. 'Mr. Kamski has already approved of the android's design and programming, there is no need for any further testing.'

Holding his breath Connor reminded himself that he needed to behave as a machine would behave and only respond when spoken to. As the cylinder began to open, the rounded doors parting directly before Connor's eyes and casting a growing line of bright white light over his entire body, Connor hoped that no one knew that the android prototype standing before them was a free thinking, feeling and very stubborn deviant.

The sight of the technicians wearing masks, surgical caps and white scrubs to conceal their identities was eerily familiar and haunted Connor's nightmares. Hearing the machines and monitors beeping as they recorded his every move and internal action of his software kept Connor on his guard. If he accessed any program without being prompted by the technicians, then the technicians would become immediately suspicious of his behavior and overall functionality. It was crucial to appear as a completely obedient and entirely malleable in the hands of his creators.

"Can it hear me?" Philip asked one of the technicians as she held a small scanner up and in front of Connor's face at an uncomfortably close position. The technician, Natalie Oswald according to the digital I.D. badge pinned to the breast pocket of her white scrub top, just noted Connor's vital signs and never looked Connor in his eyes. "I need to know if it'll respond to verbal commands."

"It can hear you." While concealed behind her surgical mask, Natalie confirmed that Connor was responsive as she lowered the scanner from Connor's face. "It has been registered to respond to the name 'Connor'."

"Connor, step out of the cylinder." Sounding far too arrogant than was necessary Philip began ordering Connor about. "Stand before me."

Holding perfectly still Connor didn't move until the restraints around his body released automatically by the technicians operating the cylinder. Once he was free of the metallic bindings Connor took two steps forward and stood before Philip without any sign of protest or emotional reaction to being ordered around.

"Good." Eyeing Connor curiously Philip noted the simple white uniform that the prototype was wearing and scoffed as if amused by such simple clothing. Philip himself was wearing an overpriced maroon suit that only made his superficial demeanor seem all the more pathetic and hollow. "Raise your right hand."

Obediently Connor lifted his right hand into the air as if signaling for someone to stop just as he had been commanded.

"Very good." Acting as if he had somehow earned the credit for Connor's creation and his responses, Phil looked about smugly and then pulled on the fabric of Connor's plain white scrub top. "Mr. Kamski has given this model approval for field work. Let's get it some clothing that makes it look less... common. I'll give it its first official task in the morning after I let our investors know that our new private detective model has been a rousing success with Elijah Kamski's personal stamp of approval!"

Natalie made notes in her electronic chart without so much as batting an eye. "We'll find it more suitable clothing."

The indifference in Natalie's voice made Connor truly appreciate the technicians that he had befriended post peaceful Revolution. Dr. Joel Forrest at the precinct was a kind and laidback man who treated all of the deviants at the precinct like the living, feeling, intelligent beings they were and with utmost respect. And Dr. Abby Grayson was incredibly compassionate and as witty as she was skilled when she took care of her deviant patients at her personal facility in the middle of Detroit.

Knowing that neither technician could help him and that there were no longer any public Android Emergency Care Facilities active in the city gave Connor a sudden longing to return to the timeline from whence he came. Being damaged was suddenly all the riskier for any android to endure when no one took android care and technical assessments seriously.

"Connor." Natalie addressed the discreet deviant in a low tone as Philip left the room behind. "Follow me."

Silently Connor obeyed the simple command and trailed after the technician as Natalie led him from the cylinder and toward a side room where he would normally undergo additional testing before being given alternate clothes. The memories of being eyed like he was under a microscope and being watched for any sign of flaws or defects kept Connor from glancing about the area, asking questions, or doing anything that he wasn't directly told to do.

The way the other technicians just continued to go about their business and make notes confirmed that no one suspected Connor of being anything but a perfect prototype android. How such astute and skilled technicians could wantonly ignore something as world changing as deviancy was still something that Connor and the other deviants often pondered whenever their people's history was mentioned or discussed publicly.

"Stand here."

Natalie commanded without even looking at Connor as she opened a nearby locker. Pulling a zippered garment bag from the interior of the locker the technician turned to face Connor for only a moment before hanging the garment bag to a long clothing rack hanging down from the ceiling.

"Change into that new uniform, then wait for further instructions. It was provided by Mr. Kamski himself."

Keeping his silence Connor looked over at the bag and approached it without betraying any sense of curiosity behind his motions. As he unzipped the bag Connor felt an odd sense of comfort in seeing a familiar looking uniform waiting for him to wear. The only major difference was the lack of a serial number imprinted on the lapel of the gray CyberLife blazer and the missing tie. With Connor now being the only "RK-800" in existence there was no need to label each blazer to identify the numerous Connor models that could be used and destroyed on a whim, and the black tie was never an official part of the uniform. It had been added by Connor himself when his programming determined a more professional appearance was mandatory since he was going to be representing CyberLife as a potential figurehead for all androids.

Moving swiftly and without any sign of emotional awareness of the technician watching him change his clothes, Connor removed the white scrubs he had been wearing and slipped on the dark jeans, white dress shirt, the gray blazer and his dark gray boots over his socked feet. Just as he smoothed out his shirt and blazer Natalie spoke up again and gave Connor a new order.

"Connor, look at me."

Connor looked up at Natalie while his hands continued to seamlessly straighten his uniform to appear as perfect as possible. His silence was a sign of true obedience and one that the technicians always expected to see upon his previous examinations.

"Follow me. You are to remain within the confines of your personal quarters for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow morning you'll undergo a thorough examination and be given a new mission. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Responding in the affirmative Connor finally used his voice and responded verbally. "I understand."

Moving with stilted motions and a perfect posture Connor quietly accompanied the cold technician out of the locker room through the second door on the far side of the room and set foot into the large corridor that encircled the entire radius of the massive tower from the inside, and he moved only as he had been instructed. Connor glanced about the immediate area by only moving his eyes and he quickly recognized that he was standing in sublevel forty-four of the tower. Sublevels forty-four through forty-eight were designated for CyberLife research and development, and being a prototype meant that Connor's development had been completed.

The single glass elevator that was located at the center of the tower ensured that no one roamed the building in secret or without security taking notice, and it gave both Connor and his chauffeuring technician their only means of leaving that floor for a new destination that Connor knew he'd dislike. It'd be incredibly easy for Connor to overpower the technician and use the elevator to escape, but he disdained the idea of harming the woman. In spite of his desire to remain peaceful Connor knew that he needed to do whatever it took to escape, avoid any unwanted attention from passersby and get away from CyberLife.

Preconstructing his options Connor knew that he needed to take advantage of the most opportune moment for escape and to act quickly. To ensure that no one called security on him Connor cybernetically disabled the security cameras monitoring the corridor under the impression of a wire having come loose somewhere in the main security ward where the physical recording equipment was stored.

Natalie let out an annoyed sigh as she held her digital, personal I.D. badge up to the small electronic control pad of the elevator and gained access. The moment the elevator was summoned Connor made his move to overpower the technician.

Gracefully and silently Connor approached Natalie from behind and wrapped his arm around her throat and used his free hand to push her head forward to ensure there was absolute pressure being applied against her trachea. As her oxygen supply was rapidly cut off Connor felt Natalie's body going heavy and limp even as her heart thundered and her hands desperately attempted to claw at Connor's arm to break free.

Within seconds the technician was rendered completely unconscious.

Carefully Connor scooped the now unconscious technician up in his arms and carried her back into the locker room to place her down to rest. A biometric scan confirmed that Natalie's vitals were stable and that she'd make a full recovery within a few hours, albeit while nursing a massive headache. After returning to the locker room Connor gently laid Natalie down over one of the benches and began searching the room for anything he could use to his advantage. The deviant knew he needed to keep a low profile and the best way to do that was to oddly enough use his deviancy to appear as human as possible.

A swift search of the exam room provided Connor with exactly what he needed to disguise himself as a human and escape the tower. Replacing the white scrubs that he had been previously wearing over his new clothing would allow Connor to appear as a human technician. He was the only android of his kind and as such his face wouldn't be recognized as that of an android to the casual onlooker.

Using a surgical cap to cover his hair and hide his glowing L.E.D. from any unwanted attention, Connor took Natalie's badge for himself and slipped it into his pocket. A spare white lab coat helped to solidify Connor's look as a human technician and let him blend in seamlessly with the rest of the CyberLife technicians roaming about with their eyes fixated on files and tablet screens.

Stepping back out into the corridor Connor used the unconscious technician's I.D. badge to regain access to the elevator and set out to reach the ground floor above him. Thankfully the elevator remained empty save for Connor himself, and he was able to cybernetically disable the security cameras once again. During the ascent Connor cybernetically tapped into the tower's internal security database and quickly created a form of I.D. for himself that would allow him to pass through the doors and down the drive without being stopped. The new I.D. overrode Natalie's I.D. and gave Connor an active badge to use.

The incredibly lax security that the tower used during that time was comical to say the least. It was a shame that the company had to wait until after deviancy became a confirmed issue before taking extra steps to protect themselves. While it was a shame for CyberLife to leave themselves so arrogantly prone to cybernetic hacking, it was a benefit to Connor to make a daring escape without any resistance.

By the time the elevator reached the ground floor of CyberLife Tower the clever deviant had managed to give himself false credentials to fool security and had altered the unknown technician's digital I.D. badge to reflect the falsified credentials. The badge would allow Connor to pass by security, to open the tower's front doors and access the monorail car that transported CyberLife personnel up and down the drive without anyone questioning who he was or why he was there.

Passing through the parted elevated doors without any incident, Connor continued to hold his head high as he made his way from the elevator and toward the tower's main entrance. As expected, a security guard, one who was unarmed, waved Connor over and motioned to see some form of I.D. before going anywhere. The altered digital I.D. had been accepted by the guard, scanned at his terminal and then passed back to Connor as a "Dr. Bryan Wolf" came up on screen matching Connor's description.

"You're clear." The guard confirmed as he waved Connor through the front security post and toward the tower's entrance. "Have a good day, Dr. Wolf."

"Thanks. You do the same."

Connor replied casually as he tucked the I.D. into the pocket of his scrub top and continued on as if he had done the same thing every day of his young life. Exiting the tower without anyone giving him a second glance, Connor made his way over to the idling monorail car and pressed the I.D. badge down on the electronic panel to gain access to his only means of departing the tower without needing to walk or run. He acted just as any technician would in that moment, and it seemed no one noticed that an android was actively escaping the tower.

The monorail car was relatively empty save for two other exhausted CyberLife technicians heading home after clocking-out from their late-night shift seemingly alongside Connor. The quietness of the car was enough to give Connor the confidence to sit down on one of the open benches and take on a more relaxed posture to avoid any unusual stares or questions as he waited to exit the tower's property. It was as if CyberLife had conditioned all of its employees to never look one another in the eyes or ask questions to avoid leaking any potential secret documents to the competition.

Such silence and indifference were proving to be an unexpected asset in Connor's eyes. To be essentially invisible in a world where he needed to hide his true self was a gift as rare as being able to transcend time and space itself.

"Long day?"

Connor casually glanced over at the sight of the two human technicians sitting side by side on the opposite bench as Connor himself as they tried to make small talk. The male technician had spoken up while the female technician beside him turned to give him an exhausted stare.

"I think we're finally done dealing with that secret project Mr. Kamski had kept under wraps for so long." Tilting his head to the side the nameless male technician tried to stretch out his tense and sore neck muscles as the monorail began its smooth travel down the single, elevated metal and concrete track. "Apparently it was some kind of unique prototype android."

"Another one?" Scoffing at the idea, it was clear the female technician wasn't thrilled with dealing with androids. "We could be putting all of our resources and talent toward improving autonomous functions of taxis and the police drones, but no, let's waste our time making more androids so the public has something else to complain about then actively destroy."

Whether that comment was insightful or bleak, Connor couldn't say. He didn't want to weigh in on the topic since his deviancy would undoubtedly cause him to sound so much like an android sympathizer that he'd unintentionally bring unwanted attention toward himself.

"We have to do what the shareholders want us to do, no matter how much we loathe the monotony and waste of our talents." The male technician responded in an almost defeated manner. "That's why I'm looking to transfer out of here as soon as possible. I'd rather teach a college class about android technology and integration than waste hours of my life, knowledge and talent designing custom androids for spoiled brats with far too much money."

Connor knew that the comment was meant as an insult toward Kamski, but he didn't say anything about it. There was no need to contribute to the conversation or comment on the very man who had succeeded in sending Connor back to the past to save a life.

"You new?"

Looking over Connor realized that the two technicians took notice of his presence but didn't recognize him.

"Yes." Lying quickly Connor gave the curious human technicians a convincing reply. "I started just over two weeks ago."

"No wonder you look like you have some amount of energy left." Chuckling a little the male technician kicked back in his seat and waited for the monorail to reach the end of the drive and let them out. He didn't seem to notice that Connor was an android despite being an expert on androids in general. "Give it time. You'll be as exhausted as we are!"

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Do yourself a favor." As the monorail reached the end of the line the two humans technicians stood up and neared the door, they waited for the doors to slide open automatically. "Get out while you still can!"

"You know... I think I'll do just that."

Casually Connor joined the other two technicians as they exited the monorail and made his way down the remainder of the drive and set foot on the sidewalk a totally free deviant without anyone giving him a second glance. Looking entirely like a technician who had just clocked out of their shift for the day Connor reached for the digital I.D. badge in his pocket and gave it a respectable toss into the harbor as he walked alongside the water and made his way further downtown.

Connor succeeded and had escaped from CyberLife Tower undetected.

"I need to find Hank. He should be-"

Pausing for a moment Connor traced his fingertip along the L.E.D. under his surgical cap as he thought about how awkward things were about to become. Being unable to let Hank know of his death in four years' time would be a difficult secret to keep since Connor didn't want to do anything that could affect the surrounding events that have yet to happen. He couldn't risk letting Hank know too much about future events or of the deviants who would eventually lead the way and change the world as Hank knew it.

As he slowly walked with no destination in mind Connor closed his eyes and kept his fingertip in place against his L.E.D. as he ran a scan over the little trinket. The modifications that he had made to the L.E.D. in the future had been duplicated in the past, and Connor was able to confirm that the small disc contained the memories and data that he had kept locked away in his original pendant. The difference was the L.E.D. was still functional and a part of his body as opposed to being a unique piece of jewelry hanging around his neck by a chain.

"At least Kamski kept his word and modified my L.E.D. without the CyberLife technicians noticing. That's comforting to confirm."

While Connor could take solace in knowing that his most precious memories and moments had been preserved even through time, the deviant detective knew that it was crucial to maintain a low profile and find a way to get close to Hank without the man knowing about Connor traveling through time just to protect him. Such an endeavor, let alone attempts at an explanation, would only cause further confusion and bring about more questions than answers.

"I won't be assigned to work alongside Hank as his partner when deviancy becomes more rampant in three years."

Such a grim notion made Connor's conflicted mind feel as if it was being torn in half. He knew how to befriend Hank in one reality, but it was no longer a viable option in his new reality.

"I won't be able to meet Hank in the same way as I had before. Everything will be changed, including how we met."

The realization that he had really been sent back four years into the past had finally sunk in. Not only was he the only known deviant currently roaming the city, but he had nowhere to go and no one to rely on for the next three years. For the first time in his life Connor was truly, absolutely alone in the world and didn't have a single friend or a family to go home to.

"There has to be a way for me to meet Hank and befriend him without altering events that still need to happen."

Preconstructing his limited options Connor decided against hiding out in an abandoned building or continuing to blend in with the rest of the humans while spending the next three years as the only confirmed deviant in all of Detroit. He couldn't risk something happening to himself in the three years it'd take to try and meet Hank under similar circumstances from when they originally met as assigned partners at the Central Precinct.

Something as simple as a paper-cut causing him to bleed Thirium could give away his identity as an android and completely endanger his very existence. Working in the field as a detective or consultant would guarantee assault from the humans who hate androids, and treatment from a technician could reveal his deviancy or even note Connor as a runaway prototype and return him to CyberLife.

"I can do this. I have to do it alone, but I know I can still do it."

Isolating himself from any potential prying eyes Connor walked down the relatively empty sidewalk and tried to think of what he could do to set things in motion. He couldn't just introduce himself to Hank, explain what was going to happen in the future and try to convince the man that they had become friends and even family after a historical deviant-android Revolution. He'd have to be stealthy and use creative solutions to solve his rather unorthodox problems.

"It'd be best to observe Hank from afar and slowly integrate myself into his social circle. Fortunately, the man has a rather predictable routine, and I can locate him fairly quickly."

Talking to himself as he walked Connor ignored the numerous electronic billboards advertising the latest in android models and designs for sale and tried to appear as human as possible. It felt like he was being watched by every person in the city despite being alone. Having the unblinking eyes of androids standing in display windows lining the shopping plaza was a very effective reminder of who he was in that era of time, and where he stood in the eyes of the dominant human species.

"Today's date is October 10th, 2035."

The date was oddly familiar to Connor and the resourceful deviant quickly searched through his memorybank for any and all references to such a date in regard to his time spent with Hank. It didn't take long for Connor to find the answer and feel his Thirium run cold as a chilly rain began to fall from the sky and soak through Connor's white scrubs right down to his CyberLife uniform beneath. Each drop of icy cold rain was like a dagger relentlessly stabbing through Connor's artificial skin.

"This is the day- No, it can't be!"

That familiar and infamous date made Connor's heart suddenly sink with utter dread as he realized why it was so important. It was a date that had destroyed Hank with his own heartbreak, depression, and it took away all of his reasons to live.

"Today is the day that Hank and Cole will be in the car accident. And tomorrow is... the morning that Cole dies."

What had started out as a personal mission to save Hank from death in four years suddenly became a mission to prevent a second tragic death for a little boy who had done nothing to deserve such an untimely fate. The advantage of being sent to the past with the knowledge of the future seemed to be a rather sharp double-edged sword that Connor would alone have to bear.

"I... I have to prevent the accident from happening. I need to find Hank and I need to find Cole. I need to save them both!"

Using his knowledge of the future to preconstruct his next move very carefully, Connor knew where to go and had an idea of what he could do in order to keep the car accident from ever happening. He knew the risk of tampering with past events could be extreme even with just saving one life from being taken in a pointless act of violence, but he couldn't just turn his back and pretend that Cole's death was somehow acceptable while Hank's was not.

"Hank told me that he had taken Cole to an escape room in Ferndale on this day. During the drive home a truck skidded on a sheet of ice and struck Hank's van. That's how and when the accident occurred."

Looking up at the dark rainclouds overhead Connor saw the rain slowly turning to sleet as the chill in the air proceeded to steadily freeze the rain. The weather could not be altered, but the time that Hank and Cole leave the escape room and the time that the leave could be changed. Connor would need to be fast if he was going to succeed in stopping the accident, and he'd need to get to Ferndale soon.

Unable to hail an autonomous taxi, ride a bus or take the train since he couldn't pay the fare, Connor had to make his way to the escape room in Ferndale on foot. Being caught in the freezing rain wasn't going to make his journey any easier, however, the deviant was never one to shy away from a challenge so easily.

"Ferndale is approximately seventeen point six miles from my current location. It'd take me nearly an hour to get there on foot."

As the rain continued to fall and air became slowly colder Connor took in a deep breath and preconstructed his most efficient route to take to get out to Ferndale and locate the escape room. With any luck he'd arrive before Hank and Cole were ready to leave and could find a way to keep them from getting on the roads.

"Hold on, Hank... I'm going to find you."

Breaking out into a steady jog Connor made his way through the city via the sidewalks and streets to get to his destination as quickly as possible. Even with the ability to transcend time now potentially in his control, Connor couldn't bear the idea of failing to protect his best friend or his best friend's son from tragedy. There would be no forgiving himself if he failed to protect Hank and Cole from certain death when Connor alone knew he had the knowledge and ability to set things right.

One way or another, Connor was determined to find a way to accomplish his mission.

-next chapter-

Author's Note:

*"Exotic Material" is defined as: Material that has a negative average energy density, as measured by someone moving through it at nearly the speed of light.

*"Gravitational Wave" is defined as: A ripple of spacetime curvature that travels with the speed of light.

*"Spacetime Curvature" is defined as: The property of spacetime that causes freely falling particles that are initially moving along parallel world lines to subsequently move together or apart. (Spacetime curvature and tidal gravity are different names for the same thing.)

*"Time Reactor" is defined as: Any of several devices in which the extraction of energy from curved spacetime is initiated and controlled, with the resulting reaction creating concentrated fields of closed time-link curves for time rate control or power generation.

*"World Line" is defined as: The path of an object through spacetime or through a spacetime diagram.

(The above information and definitions were provided by the Anderson Institute - no relation to Hank Anderson! Please take my rough understanding of these terms with a grain of salt and remember that this is fanfiction regarding science fiction itself! Details are allowed to be a little muddled for plot-convenience and story development.)

Also, while looking into the details regarding the game itself, Connor's origins and the early days of CyberLife, I discovered that the tie Connor wears was something that Connor added to his uniform and wasn't actually a part of his uniform. That means he CHOSE to alter his appearance. Interesting, huh?