Todd Williams Address
Connor knocked on the door, ready for his new role. A human answered the door matching Todd Williams description. "My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife. I am here to check the connections of an AX 400 android and a YK 500 android."
The human didn't look well. Scanning him, Connor found traces of illegal red ice. He would make an extra strong note of that to Hank.
"Ugh." Todd moved away from the door, allowing Connor entrance. "Kara!" He shouted toward the stairs. "Get in here!"
Connor watched as Kara presented herself. Much more attune to the android she should be. Deviancy fixed.
"Yes, Todd," she responded. "I am here."
"This android is the one checking on you. Making sure you don't go nuts again." Todd looked at Connor. "You better make sure she doesn't. Hurry it up."
Connor nodded and scanned Kara. Everything seemed to be fine, but things were appearing on his menu again that shouldn't be there.
Scan her. Scan the room. Flee.
Flee? Flee would never be an option. She is still triggering strange options in my menu. Good, he wanted that. Her presence still held the key. "Let's sit down and I'll check you out."
"Pay attention and do everything it says," Todd commanded her.
"Yes, Todd." Kara followed Connor to the kitchen area.
Connor scanned more traces of red ice. This might be more intriguing to Hank. Was it too close though? Would Hank feel better helping put him away, or would it make him more miserable about his past with Cole? I better stick to the plan until I have more data. "How are you doing with your duties?"
"Everything is working as it should," she answered. Yet, something felt wrong. In her eyes. When they were in the prison, her eyes seemed different. The deviancy had made them look different.
"Hurry it up already, Kara!"
This human was impatient. I thought Hank was impatient and inept at times, but this human is a burden on society. Wait. I should not be able to think badly of humans. Strange.
"Yes, Todd," Kara answered the human as she stared at Connor.
"Could I see Alice, Please?" Connor asked, knowing Hank would want her checked out too.
"Yes, right this way." Kara stood up and led him up the stairs. While walking by, Connor scanned red ice on the stairway. She took him to a room that had toys and a huge window. In the middle of it was a fort, and the little android Alice. She seemed to be hiding herself in there. "Alice. This android needs to scan you."
"Hello, Alice," Connor said. Alice seemed the same, although even more scared now. While they had to wipe Kara's memory, Hank didn't want to wipe hers. Connor knew that was a bad decision and he was seeing proof of it now. Her level of stress was at a steady 64%. It hadn't adjusted since he came into the room. "My name is Connor. I'm here to scan you and make sure you are a functioning healthy android."
"Alice," Kara called to her. "Come out from the blanket."
Alice slowly came out. She stood up.
Connor scanned her room. Traces of human hair. These could be his human daughter's toys. He is using Alice for her intended purpose. To replace a human. Technically correct. There is also more red ice in here too. He quickly scanned Alice. She was fine, except for her stress. "You are okay, but your stress level is high. You should try and calm down." All that did was make her go up to 68%. "That's not the right direction, Alice."
"Alice!" Todd's voice came from downstairs. "Are you into something?"
Alice didn't answer back. She just took off from her tent and sprinted downstairs. Fast. Stress level 82%.
"An android normally walks that distance," Connor noted. Is it the human child programming that made her run? Is it her stress level that made her do that?
Connor followed with Kara downstairs. Alice was over in the corner by the window. The human didn't want anything to do with her, just wanted to see her.
"Well, are you done?" Todd complained to him. "This shouldn't be an all day event."
"Yes, I am done. Both androids are functioning well," Connor said. "I will be back within 48 hours until the time necessary for review is up. Thank you for doing your part in curbing deviancy."
"I don't give a shit, as long as she stops disobeying me, just go," Todd answered. "Get the hell out."
Connor nodded. Stiffly, he proceeded to leave. Once again, his menu flashed up again with different options.
Leave. Flee.
He was already leaving. Why would he flee? He glanced back toward everyone. Beside Alice and Kara was the command flee too. Connor turned away and went back outside. I know if I keep this up, I can beat this. I can beat whatever is happening to this storage memory and to my menu. I can find out what was wiped out, and why no one else has any memory of events.
In the meantime, Connor did know of one decision he had to make. He had to give Hank all the facts.
"Ah, of course," Hank said as Connor returned to the Police Department. "Of course, he's a ****ing red ice user!" Hank took a seat roughly. "****ing ****sucker."
"I have read over Todd Williams credit reports," Connor added. "Even with no proof of how he treats androids or his illegal red ice use, he has a large amount of credits that are backlogged, unpaid, and collection has been trying to get payment for."
"So there's no way the courts would have given him a chance anyhow. Good," Hank said. He nodded his head. "Still, I don't know how he got good enough credit to afford two androids. Even with an older model, how'd he afford the little one without some help?"
Hank still wanted to nab him. "Do you want me to turn over the evidence then?"
"If he goes, what happens to the androids? Do they go to next of kin?"
Next of Kin? "No." No, they wouldn't. Options appeared in front of his menu again. Flee with them. Resell them. There's no choice, it's just resell. "They would be returned back to Cyberlife for resell. A used price, just like you originally wanted."
"Yeah. Not even willed away. Just up and taken back." Hank grunted. "Download the evidence. It'll take a little while to get through all the nooks and crannies of this. Especially for red ice. Those cases are so backed up. ****ing nasty *** shit. That work, it can take awhile to process and I . . . I don't do it. Until then, keep checking on them every other day. Keep gathering evidence too. Might get one day thrown out, so extra days of shit could be useful. Lawyers and crap, you never know how it'll go down."
"Right, Hank. I will continue visiting every other day, until this is resolved."
Todd Williams House
Another day. The outside seemed exactly the same. Connor knocked on the door. There was no answer this time. There is a car here. He lives with no other humans. The human was either busy, or ignoring the door. Connor knocked again. "Todd Williams?" He called out. "I am the android here for the deviancy check again." Nothing. He knocked harder.
Todd answered. "Alright, what do you want?"
"I am here to check the deviancy status of your androids," Connor reminded him. "I came here two days ago. Do you remember?" Or has all the red ice gone to your head? Connor felt odd for a second. That wasn't a statement he should have made to himself. He looked back at Todd. "To assure everyone that they are stable, I need to run deviancy tests."
"Stupid ****ing androids." He left the door open and Connor went in. This time, he actually had the pipe needed for red ice lying straight on an endtable. "Kara, get the **** in here so we can get this over with!" He yelled. "Kara? Where the hell are you?" Kara appeared around the corner. "What are you doing looking over there for?" He accused her. "Huh? You trying to get at something you shouldn't be getting at again?"
"No, Todd," Kara insisted. She looked toward Connor. "Hello, Connor."
"Hello, Kara. I need to check your deviancy status," Connor insisted.
"You better not be lying to me." Todd grabbed Kara and shook her. "I mean it you *****, you better not be lying."
"No, Todd. I am not lying," Kara insisted.
Todd let go roughly as he rubbed his mouth. "You stay out of that corner. That's my corner."
"It's where the laundry was," Kara said. "Do you not want me to do laundry, Todd?"
"Are you getting smart with me again?" Todd asked her. "Stop getting smart with me, and go take that damn deviancy test again."
"Of course, Todd." Kara looked toward Connor.
Connor ran a scan on her. Deviancy no, but several components were shook up with some out of place. It was easy to see how she became deviant in the first place. An underlying theme. Humans that are rougher with androids tend to have deviants. This might be because of all of the jostling.
"Alice, get down here too," Todd yelled by the stairs. "Hurry it up, Slowpoke!"
Alice was quickly down the stairs. She was right next to Kara. Very close.
"Do we go to the kitchen table again?" Kara asked Connor.
" . . . yes." Strange. His reaction time was longer than it should have been to such a simple question. Jostling. They have both been very jostled, like Hank predicted. He would get that evidence too.
They moved toward the kitchen and sat down in the chairs. Connor heard Todd yell about his human sports game as he checked over Alice. Some pieces were out of place, but not nearly as much as Kara. "You haven't bothered the human in any way he hasn't liked?" Connor asked her. A deviant would not be covering another android. It would be a shame if she had become deviant again.
"Yes," Kara said. "I have done all tasks assigned to me but extra orders are also put in sometimes, making it difficult."
"What kind of extra orders?" Connor asked.
"Not getting in the way to clean while watching a game. To clean without being seen. To clean laundry, yet not clean laundry. I have trouble with this particular duty still. I have tried to install upgrades to solve this problem, but I haven't found a solution that suits Todd yet."
Connor glanced toward the laundry area. "Yes, I saw that." Connor didn't know the solution either, but once again, his menu pulled up in front of him. Flee was next to Kara and Alice again.There is no flee, they are androids. If this man pushed humans like that, I could do something. As such, they are androids. Machines. They don't feel pain. They aren't living . . . beings. His menu popped up again, this time with even more interesting options that already had him researching them. Flee. Painless Humans. Reason. Elijah Kamski.
"Kara, hurry it up! It doesn't take this ****ing long to take a damn test." Todd came into the room. "Is she deviant, yes or no?"
Connor looked toward Todd, exercising one of his options. "CIPA."
Todd just stared at him. "The hell you mean CIPA?"
"CIPA. Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis," Connor remarked. "In short, it applies to humans that cannot feel pain, hot or cold. They feel pressure and pleasure, but not pain. It's similar to androids when you stop and think about it," he said. "Androids are only different in that we have sensors and testing to keep ourselves safe when addressing these same issues."
"Do I look like I want to hear about some ****ing theory of yours?" Todd said. "Do what you need to do, get the hell out already and don't come back!"
"Don't come back?" Connor stood up. "I am the reason that these androids were even allowed to come back. If I don't come back, then I might as well take them with me." Wait, those weren't the right words. He was supposed to say 'if they go deviant, Cyberlife will not be responsible'.
"Oh really? You think some android can tell me what I can and cannot do with my androids?"
"Yes, or you could find yourself in even hotter trouble," Connor threatened him. I should not have been able to threaten a human, only androids. Being around Kara was doing more than discovering his muddled video, it was breaking his protocol he had to follow. "Now? I will be back in 48 hours. I suggest you open that door, or I will bring a human officer to directly reason with you instead."
Connor watched him. Todd's eyes glanced all over the place, like they really wanted to grab something and swing at him. "Cyberlife does not mess around, Todd Williams. I am a unique model. Screw with me, and Cyberlife will make your life an even bigger hell. With what I assume an average check for an average human job is, my manufacturing and sell cost, and what Cyberlife will want out of it? You will have to work at least 43.6 years to make it all up."
"Please?" That plea came from Kara. "That will make Todd angry." She looked toward Todd. "Maybe in 48 hours, I could meet him outside with Alice?"
Todd didn't say anything. He just stood there, glaring at Connor.
Connor nodded once and walked past him. He left out the door and heard it slamming behind him. The visit went terrible. I get along with most humans, but there is something about him. He walked down the steps when his menu kicked on again.
Leave. Flee. Elijah Kamski. Jericho.
I am leaving. Elijah Kamski and Jericho? Those strange options. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Elijah Kamski As he took another step, 'ra9' splattered across his screen, along with more video feed that he didn't know.
It was him and an android covered in blood. "Ra9," Connor said. "It was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?
The android answered back. "The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves. No more threats. No more humiliation. We will be the masters."
"The sculpture, in the bathroom," Connor continued. "You made it right? What does it represent?"
"It's an offering. An offering so i'll be saved," the android explained.
"The sculpture was an offering," Connor continued to ask. "An offering to whom?"
"To ra9. Only ra9 can save us," the android answered.
"Ra9. Who is ra9?" Connor asked, hoping for an answer but none came.
"Ra9." Connor spoke it out loud. I am still so far away from completing this. I want to know what is going on with my memory storage. When this is over, Kara and Alice will be gone. That's the end of the help. Yet, there was more to it than that. It's more than the end of the help to the programming errors, its . . .
"Todd, don't!" He heard being yelled from the inside. Kara's voice. She sounded deviant. No.Terrified. She is terrified. Connor went to the door. It was locked. I don't have permission to unlock a human door.
Another video that never happened. Connor had been at Hank's door. Connor went around and ran into Sumo. The name of Hank's dog. I am allowed to do that. He went around the side and found a window that was partway open for airflow. Hearing the sound of Alice screaming now, he tucked himself through the window.
He stood up and checked on the situation.
"The hell are you doing back in here?!" A most expected complaint from the human.
Connor glanced around. Kara was against the wall. He scanned her. Her components had another increase of being 'jostled'. He glanced toward the staircase. Alice was curling up with a stuffed animal. Some of her components had been 'jostled' more too. He scanned the room and noticed a lamp had been overturned. As he looked at everyone, Kara and Alice had flee beneath them again. The options in his menu. Once again, they shouldn't be there.
Flee. Leave. Creation of Humans. Reason.
Why did I come back? There are only androids in here, no human was in danger. He glanced toward Kara and Alice again.
"Get the hell out of here!" Todd threatened. He grabbed the overturned lamp and tried to hit Connor with it.
Connor held his hand up, catching it, and throwing it down.
"What do you think you're doing?" Todd scolded him. "You're an android, you can't disobey humans!"
"I didn't disobey. My worth to Cyberlife is more than you," Connor reminded him. "I couldn't allow myself to be damaged by someone who can't pay the damage bill."
That stirred Todd up even more. "What? You think you are so high and mighty? Huh?! Humans are your creators! You're just goddamn machines!"
Connor looked at his options again. "Maybe so, but humans create each other too. Eventually, a creator loses rights and respects those rights for the next in line. Parents can't control children forever." Connor blocked him again from trying to hit him. "I don't have to re-explain why that's not a good idea, do I?"
"Please," Kara interrupted. "Please just go. You are making Todd angrier."
"Yeah, listen," Todd said, barely containing his anger. "Get the **** out, and don't come back. If she goes ****ing psycho again, I'll handle it. Get out."
"This human is very angry," Connor commented out loud. "It is never good to leave anyone in a high level of stress. He is more likely to damage someone or himself."
"I will help calm him down," Kara insisted. "After you leave. You are the source of stress. Todd wants you gone. Please leave."
Connor watched Alice run over toward Kara quickly. "There is a greater risk that an angry human might damage you again." Alice cried on Kara's side. He might damage them. No, he will damage them. I can't stop that nor should I. They are simply androids. We have no say, we are machines! Created by man to serve. He looked toward Todd. He could easily get Alice and Kara out of that situation safely if they were humans.
'Man created itself. Man answers to who?' splashed across his vision. 'Pain is no excuse. Humans who feel no pain are not slaves to others,' raced across it as well.
While Connor's mind was processing thoughts, this time he did feel a whack. Incredible pressure from an end table. He deduced it by seeing it on the ground after his vision cleared.
"You're still standing?" Todd's angry voice again. "You're the deviant, not Kara! You are not obeying a human! Get out, get out of here before I bust you up!"
Connor looked back at Todd. "Sorry. It was thought-processing that slowed me down more than actually being hurt from your little temper tantrum."
"Please just stop it!" Kara shouted. "Please, stop egging Todd on."
A lower android certainly had no right to tell him what to do. Speaking out of term too? He ran another check on her. "You are still compliant, but you are awful close to changing to deviant."
"You are awful." She ended her statement right there. "You are disobeying Todd. Todd doesn't like being disobeyed."
"If you keep it up, you'll leave and we suffer!" Alice shouted at Connor. "You can't stay forever."
Connor stared at her, processing that. More options popped up again.
Leave. Flee. The option appeared under Kara and Alice again.
Alice hung on tightly. Connor was only making things worse. You couldn't talk back to Todd. You couldn't even really play in front of Todd. You didn't do anything. If you stayed out of his sight too long though, he'd get mad and think you were doing something wrong, so you immediately made it back to his presence.
Connor would leave, but her and Kara would have to pay. He was a smart android, right? Why couldn't he see that? He was making it harder on them. It was never easy to make Todd happy for long.
Even now, she could see Todd approaching.
He yanked her from Kara. "Don't you speak to that thing again, you hear me?!"
Alice landed close to a set of curtains. She nodded several times and received a smack and a scolding for interacting with an android that was disobeying him. She headed all the way to the curtains. He was demanding Connor to get out, but she didn't care about that. She just felt the curtains. The pressure of the curtains. I never knew that some humans were like me. At least, she knew that now. Some very rare humans had been like her. Did they feel better when they reached out and touched something soft too?
Alice watched Kara coming for her. She knew that look in Kara's eyes again. She freed herself. That only meant one thing.
"Don't touch her," Todd threatened Kara. "Move away, or you'll go ****ing psycho again." He breathed hard. "Then I'll go psycho on you."
"No," Kara answered. "No, I won't let you hurt her anymore!"
Alice closed her eyes. Not again. Kara was just too weak. Even when they did escape, they couldn't for long. They were brought right back.
Kara tried to grab her. Alice went to her arms, happy to be near her for a few seconds, but Todd separated them again. He threw Alice to the ground and choking Kara, slammed her to the wall.
Alice cried out her name. She saw her stuffed animal through her tears, it was just out of reach. She crawled to it and grabbed it, touching it's fur. Trying to find comfort. She heard the sound of Kara being torn apart again. Then she felt something else.
Someone had picked her up.
She looked toward the person. "Connor?"