"What do you mean we're off the case?" Reed was sitting in Fowler's office with Nines at his side fuming at this latest revelation. Nines' LED span yellow as he regarded Fowler, who had a somewhat stern expression on his face. He wasn't angry, but it seemed this wasn't an issue he was willing to budge on. "What the phck happened? We didn't do anything wrong! We were almost shot!" Reed looked more wounded and annoyed than angry. Fowler held up a hand for silence, dark eyes somewhat understanding as he leaned forward in his seat.
"I never said you did, but we've received an official request. The AHL believes you may be somewhat…compromised." His hand raised the moment he saw Reed's mouth open to shout an objection. "I don't believe it! However, it wouldn't hurt to let Hank and Connor take this one. The AHL's concerns are valid. You were held captive and tortured by the victim, and you even admitted on air that he got what he deserved." It was rare for Fowler to remove him from a case. Unheard of when he hadn't actually done anything to deserve it.
"I said he deserved it, but I also made it clear that I didn't phcking agree with it one bit!" Fowler huffed fondly at his almost sulking tone. Taking a case from Reed was like taking a toy from a kid. He knew he liked to be busy and active. It was one of the things that made him an outstanding detective. Nines nodded his agreement. Their removal did seem somewhat uncalled for. However, he could also sympathise with Fowler's position. They wouldn't want the DPD to come across as biased. Reed's involvement could also raise questions in any later court case.
"I know, and I fully acknowledge that. Your removal is in no way a reflection of you or your commitment here…If anything, this is an advantage. You have some training to oversee in a couple of months, and you need time to prepare for it…Take this extra time to complete a couple of assignments for Hank and get ready for the new recruits." Fowler's suggestion calmed him somewhat, especially with the mention of his upcoming duties. He couldn't help feeling proud. This would be his first time running a training session as the man in charge. He'd taken part in sessions before, mainly as an extra set of hands, but running it would be different. He'd be in charge of official assessments and grading for the first time. Nines hid his smirk. Fowler was clever. He'd distracted Reed by offering him a new focus. "Write up your reports of the incident, add in any recommendations you have, any leads on how to proceed, and send them to Hank and Connor. After that, I want you to focus on those written assignments and your training outline. I'll need to see the outline before work on training modules can begin. How long will it take you to write it up?" Reed paused a moment to contemplate.
"I could have it for you by tomorrow afternoon." It was still early afternoon, so typing up the incident and case reports would probably take them until lunchtime. After that, the assignments due were already half finished, and he knew the basic beats of training. An outline of the session shouldn't take too long to throw together. He could focus on the assignments that day, then the outline tomorrow morning or even when they got home. Regular sparring with Nines had already given him a few ideas for android engagement. He also wanted to add in a module aimed at the android staff. Something to help them adjust to working with their human partners and getting the most out of both parties.
"Alright then. Dismissed." Fowler returned to his own work as Reed nodded and led the way out, a little of the bounce returning to his step as he starting going over different training regimes in his head. He was already noting things down on a pad as he took his seat. He didn't want to forget anything. Nines' lips twitched as he opened a document to begin his own report for Connor. He downloaded everything he'd found at the scene and began putting it in order. Text flowed across the page automatically, filling the screen within a few seconds.
"I saw the news reports! I'm glad neither of you were hurt," Connor greeted in relief as he and Hank arrived. Reed wasn't sure whether they were returning from a scene or just arriving for work. It could be either. He was pretty sure Connor kept a constant news feed streaming in his head, especially since the school bus incident. Speaking out loud had likely been for his benefit, so he grunted out an acknowledgement as Connor reached out to interface with Nines. He shared his relief and curiosity as Nines shared his thanks and the case files. "I see…Captain Fowler hasn't briefed us yet. We've only just arrived." He kept his tone suitably apologetic, knowing how much losing the case would get to Reed.
"Don't worry about it, Tin Can. I've got other shit to do." He was already busily typing away. It would take him a lot longer to get his own thoughts down. He couldn't just touch his terminal and download it all like Nines. Connor was somewhat grateful for the reassurance. He knew there had been a time where Reed would have resented and blamed him directly for having a case taken away. He'd grown and matured a lot since then, especially with his recent promotion. It also seemed he was closer to Hank than he had been for a long time. They'd spent many hours together recently, quiet conversations about new duties, guidance on paperwork, and such.
"I'm glad, and don't worry. Hank and I will keep you both in the loop," Connor assured as Hank headed into the breakroom. Reed nodded his thanks, eyes never leaving the screen as he typed. Connor shared a proud look with Nines before returning to his desk. They were both pleased with Reed's progress. "What are you going to do?" Connor asked curiously as he sat, knowing that Reed wouldn't need Nines for his current work. Nines checked his emails, not finding much to focus on there either.
"I can look into some cold cases, unless there is something you require my assistance with?" Connor dutifully sent across his own current cases for a second opinion. Nines hummed internally as he looked through them slowly, deciding to do things at a more human pace. He didn't want to run out of work before the end of the day. Reed was busy with his own paperwork and wouldn't need any assistance. He also wouldn't accept any input on the assignments. He wanted to be graded on his own merit. An admirable quality.
Hank and Connor were currently working on three cases, all of them android homicides. The first was a TR600, another construction type android. Where the TR400 had been designed for heavy lifting and moving stock, the TR600 had been designed for the more intricate and detailed work. They were skilled labourers, good at wiring, plumbing, and laying. They were smaller and more agile than their bulky counterparts. This one had been a male model, about Connor's size. It looked like he'd washed up on the shore just down from Ambassador Bridge. There was no telling how old the body was, but by the amount of holes, Nines was fairly certain he was one of many deviants left over from the revolution. It wasn't unusual for the bodies to wash up after all this time. He'd likely been trying to cross the river to Canada and been gunned down by the border patrols. The bullet type was a match for the coast guard.
The second body was a WR400, one of the popular Asian female models. They'd been quite common stock at the Eden Club prior to the revolution. They'd been considered exotic and especially desirable. This victim had remained working at the club after the revolution, likely not having anywhere else to go. She'd been assaulted on her way back to her apartment, not far from the club itself. It had likely been a client. It didn't have the signature of a regular mugging gone wrong, and it seemed she had been sexually active prior to her death.
The third was a CX100. A rare model. They had been fairly new on the market at the time of the revolution. Only a hundred or so had ever been activated, and many of those had been destroyed during the revolution. They'd been designed as home companions, though they weren't partner models. Their duties included scheduling and healthcare. They would offer friendship while giving gentle reminders to take meds, assist in home chores, and take their humans to places they wanted to go, all under the guise of friendship rather than a nurse. Humans hated being babied. This victim had been beaten viciously, possibly the work of an AAL member. Little evidence had been left at the scene, but that wasn't unusual.
Nines added in his own views and recommendations of how to proceed before returning the files to Connor. Looking at the clock, he found it was almost lunchtime. A simple peek into Reed's terminal suggest he was close to finishing his report. He paused as he noticed Reed's lips quirk, eyes raising from the screen with an affectionate warmth. Nines returned the look as Reed huffed and sat back tiredly, rubbing his tired eyes.
"If you wanted to know what I was doing, you could have just asked." He chuckled as Nines tried to seem innocent. "You think I don't know when you're hacking my terminal, spy-bot?" he teased as he typed a few more words. He could probably call it a day in another paragraph. Nines chuckled his agreement, though he didn't know how he could tell. He always touched the back of the monitor when he was at his desk, and from Reed's angle, he shouldn't have been able to see.
"Very well then, it's lunchtime. When will you be finished?" Nines relented, knowing Reed's habit of overdoing things.
"Just a few more seconds…" Reed replied with a few final taps, squinting a little as he leaned over the keyboard. He skimmed his work quickly before forwarding it to Hank. He knew Hank would ask about anything relevant he may have missed, and Connor had already seen Nines' report, which was likely a lot more detailed. "Alright…lunch?" he sighed as he shut down his terminal. Nines was pleased as he got to his feet. It was rare for him to give in so easily.
Nines led the way, taking him out and down the street. He settled on the salad bar with a suitably calm atmosphere, where Reed was partial to the chicken pasta. There were also thirium options when he felt like it, but that day his reserves were full and he was content to simply watch Reed eat. He must have been hungry. He scoffed his pasta within just a few minutes. Nines ran a scan to check his energy levels. It didn't seem like he was burning energy any faster than usual, but it wouldn't hurt for him to eat a little more. He ordered him a fruit salad for dessert.
"Hey, what do you think would be a good thing for android officers to know?" Reed asked curiously as they waited for the order. It was unlike him to ask such things, but it made sense. He and Connor were the best placed people to answer such questions. It was a positive sign that he was aware of his own flaws and limitations. A human was unlikely to answer sufficiently and prepare newer android recruits for active duty. It showed a new level of maturity and wisdom that Reed was willing to use his resources and admit he didn't have all the answers. It also showed a refreshing level of care towards his android colleagues, who were often forgotten during training. They didn't need physical preparation or tests about procedures. They had all of that downloaded.
"Knowledge of tasers…Android officers will be far more susceptible to damage from those than anything else. They should be fully prepared to handle and avoid such weaponry and be aware of which groups are most likely to carry them. It would also be invaluable to make human officers aware of the damaging and deadly nature of such devices. They may be painful for a human to endure, but they are often fatal to their android colleagues." I should have considered that. He nodded as he noted it down on the small pad he'd brought with him. "How to engage with humans may be valuable. Androids are often limited in what they can talk about. Feeling ill, injuries, and often family life are all foreign concepts to many. Perhaps a team building activity that pairs an android with a human to allow for an exchange of information would be wise." Reed noted that down, too. Nines really had some good insights.
"About that, I was thinking maybe crash course in android anatomy? Teaching the humans what to do if their android partners get injured. How to reboot, how to pop the core, how to remove limbs and stem the thirium flow manually…" Reed suggested tentatively, relieved as Nines nodded his agreement. That was something that was supposed to be coming up in development. That Reed was so willing to lead the way in this instance was promising. It warmed him somewhat. It was good that other humans would be ready to develop more meaningful relationships with their android partners. Many androids didn't trust their human partners to have their backs in the same way they did another android. It wasn't just social. It was practical. Many humans simply didn't know what to do. Reed was willing to prepare them for that. "You know, to teach all this I'm going to need a little help…I know it's not your job, but would you mind helping me with module design and information? I mean, I know your manual inside out and backwards, but I've never actually had to do a lot of this shit, let alone teach someone else how to do it." It was a daunting task. One he didn't think he could do alone.
"Certainly, I'd be happy to help. It may be useful to get more information from Elijah or invite him in as a guest tutor. As our creator, he knows more than anyone else." Reed couldn't argue with that. Hell, I could probably get the manual for every android ever made if I asked. Do androids have different connections, or are the components mostly interchangeable? He had a dizzying amount to learn before he could set up these modules. Good thing I only need a rough outline of the module content and a schedule for tomorrow…Ideally, Fowler would bring in experts to actually design the module content.
"Maybe it would be good to do some sort of presentation with the android officers so their partners can see what they can do. You're a special case, but even a PC200 is stronger than the average human, right? And they can probably do a lot of stuff faster, too." Maybe he could get them to rip the door off a car to use as a shield, or lift something heavy, or take apart their firearm and put it back together as fast as they can. He was pretty sure those were all things that would have their human counterparts impressed. On the back of that, he'd also need to find a way for the humans to showcase their talents. Even the newest officers would have more life experience than the androids. They'd have good instincts and years of living experience to draw on. Phck, I have so much to do!