Conner had an idea what to expect when he finished the work he had done. However, to see it play in motion was still very strange. At least they would safely be able to be around them now, while he was readying Jericho and creating a plan.

"I don't need a pillow," Hank complained as Kara fussed over his chair. "Take this away."

"Are you sure?" Kara asked as she fluffed the pillow. "I fluffed it into a comfy position for you?"

"Nah, not for me." Hank handed it to Connor. "You take it."

"I have no need for a back pillow. I do not have a human spine," Connor reminded him. Hank just groaned.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" Alice asked Hank.

"No, I'm not thirsty. Get water if you want it." Hank glared at the people near him. "Problem?"

"Hank!"

Yep. Problem. The Chief of police was hollering for Hank again. This time, Connor was sure he knew what it was about. He followed Hank to the police chief's office, along with Kara and Alice.

"Hank," the police chief started. "What is going on with these two androids hanging around you?"

Hank gruffly held out his card. "They are for some stupid therapy thing. I had to find a couple androids to lease. These were already gonna be scrapped so their coding was just changed."

The police chief rolled his eyes. "I know androids are expensive, but you could have at least not used any in a police investigation?"

"We already got the details from them and Connor's reports. No one would have taken them back. I've got a kind heart, kept them out of the scrapyard," Hank said again. "Anyhow, they are licensed for therapy."

The chief of police had a card reader ready to check Kara and Alice. "Yeah, I see. Now you got three androids to deal with Hank?"

"Hey, it's totally not my fault!" Hank went off a little more than he should on him. "It's either this or something that doesn't look so good for a detective," he said casually. "Doc's giving a chance."

"Uh huh." He shook his head. "You know, I don't even want details. This isn't the stupidest thing you've ever done, but it's up there. Having them licensed would have reimbursed most of your money back."

"I still don't have like ten thousand just lying around to get back later," Hank reminded him. "Sorry. I'll be a good boy and ask next time."

"Hank? Just? I know androids are a real weird thing to deal with? Just, do not do this again? At least come see me first."

"They were out of here and back to their owner. I promised they would be safe afterward," Hank said. "This is pretty safe?"

"A deal seems to be a deal," Connor spoke. Of course, that was just being polite. The chief wouldn't talk to Connor. He was just a machine to him, no reason to talk to him except for an order.

"Don't make a scene with them. Keep them on a quiet setting. Just, do what you need with them but I don't want to have problems with a kid android running around here," the police chief warned Hank. "Go. If they get messed up again though, first sign, you should get rid of them and get better androids."

"Sure, if the department wants to foot the bill?" Hank asked. "After all, you'll get reimbursed eventually?"

"Just go, Hank," he answered with a groan.

When they reached back to Hank's chair, poor Hank groaned. "Great. Three androids following me around all day." He glanced at Connor. "What do we need to do first?"

—

Kara?

Kara looked toward Alice. What is it?

I'm bored. We can't go on standby. How long do we just stand here?

I know. It was a hardship of no longer being a machine. Standing around and doing nothing wasn't as easy as it used to be. If they were at least on standby, it wouldn't be as boring. Emotional Support Androids were not supposed to go on standby, they needed to be ready if anything bothered their assigned human. Do you have anything downloaded you could watch?

No. I wasn't allowed to do that kind of thing. He made me . . . stay very basic.

True. Alice had hid the fact she was an android so well for so long because of the pure basicness in her functions. What little she could do, was probably disallowed by Todd. Hmm. What could Kara do for her? I do have several stories. Would you like another story?

I don't know. Alice looked around briefly. This place is weird, Kara. I don't feel like I belong here.

Yes, it isn't welcoming, but it's better than being outside. What could she do for her? Kara watched as something came up in her display. A board game?

Sorry. All android frequencies broadcast to my unit within range of Cyberlife. Connor didn't look their way as he continued to look at a tablet. I don't mean to intrude, but I am sorry you are stuck like this. If you trust me enough, I can make your environment better?

Hmm. Connor knew that they couldn't leave that area, so Kara didn't know what he meant.

I trust you, Alice said. She looked at Kara.

If Connor could do something to make Alice feel better, then she had to. Okay, Connor.

—

Kara saw the whole environment around her change. She was outside. No one was there anymore, there were no desks or people. All of the noises were gone, replaced with the sound of soft wind and birds.

"Kara?" Alice appeared at her side. "We are outside. It's so pretty."

Then Kara watched Connor show up beside them.

"This is a replica of an old meeting spot my database has always enjoyed." Connor gestured around him. "It used to have someone here that I met when I was a machine. I recreated it so I could have a space to call my own." He looked toward them. "I don't mind sharing this place with you too."

Kara glanced around. "It literally feels like we are outside." That was some incredible sharing power of his database he had. She even watched Alice grab her hand. "Thank you, Connor."

"We all need a place to get away from the world sometimes," Connor said to them. He gestured to a corner where some sounds of the outside came through. "I hate to say it this way, but . . ." He sighed. "I don't know your ability to change databases as well, so I have a lead in out of here for you."

That was smart. Kara could probably find her way out, but Alice probably couldn't. "Thank you, Connor." Kara started to move around with Alice. A database that she could move around in, it wasn't just a background. There was even water flowing in it.

Alice reached toward the water and felt it.

"I'll come and go, if you don't mind," Connor said to them. "I have to operate mainly out there."

"Come whenever you like, it's your space you are sharing." Kara smiled. This? This was beyond incredibly sweet. It was an equivalent to human dreaming. Connor was sharing his dreamspace with them. "This is incredibly thoughtful of you, but are you sure about this?"

"I know, it's not . . ." Connor swayed a little. "It's not comfortable sharing private space, but you two are stuck in a department without a standby to pass the time. All because . . . we're not free." He shook his head. "Until we are free, then I want you to have this space."

Alice tugged on Kara's shirt. "Kara, my reflection is in the water."

Kara looked down. Even reflections. It really was beautiful.

"I will put something more in here too, I know the limits of Alice's reach." Connor said as polite as he could. "Enjoy. I have to go."

Connor looked around himself briefly. Busy humans, doing work. It really did feel awkward to share his private space, but after all they'd been through in the world? They deserved it. Okay, Josh. Connor looked up any articles he could about any deviants or androids getting tricked by students. Nothing. Just as he thought. Someone is preventing the game characters from becoming deviant.

He searched for the one called Simon too, and also had no hits.

Well? "We aren't having much luck finding deviantry today, Hank, and I feel like challenging myself." He tried to pretend to be as machine as possible and not sound so dreary. "I think I will look into the history of certain models that have been associated with it."

"Oh yeah," Hank said casually, "how long is that going to take?"

"Even with my superior intellect it will take a 'decent' amount of time." It was all Connor had now though. He opened up an android database. Comparing every single android model of Josh and Simon.

"You okay, Connor?" Hank asked. "How long is a decent amount of time?"

Locating North was an accident. Locating Markus was easy because he was a special android. Let's get this done.

"I can go ahead and help too," Hank said as he opened the android database. "Let's see, model number." Connor told him a model number. "Great. Oh, too specific? What the hell?"

"It's not a police matter, it's a database of regular androids without any records," Connor told him. "That makes it illegal to look up their exact number. They prevented that way of searching three years ago when people were kidnapping high end models." Lost merchandise. Say it, Connor, kidnapping is too deviant of a word, correct it! "Too much lost merchandise."

"So we can't get them directly without permissions, huh?" Hank sighed. "Well, do those million tasks per minute thing you do."

"I'd love to, Hank, after all, that's what I'm designed to do." A little bitter. "To prevent higher superior androids from being used to find other superior androids for their owners, there are some protocols."

"Oh. Can't you hack through it?" Hank asked.

"Only if the department doesn't mind being investigated about it later when it traces it back here," Connor reminded him. "No, I have to look it up." He sighed. "That's like a whole four minutes."

"Oh, I swear, Connor!" Hank yelled at him. "It takes longer to get coffee, get to it already."

True, four minutes wasn't long, but Connor wasn't worried about the four minutes. It was something else, that he couldn't talk about openly right now. "Hank, have you disposed of your waste today?"

Hank gave him a funny look. "The hell you mean?"

"You concentrate after losing your waste. I remember you said that once." At first, Hank looked like he was about to spout out what a dumb android he'd been to bring up something so stupid. But, Hank didn't get too far. His detective instinct kicked in.

"Yeah, a morning shit makes me think better, but I don't have one. I gotta take a leak though." Hank got up and Connor followed. There was less of a chance anyone would be bothering with them in the bathroom. "What about the ESA's? They look kind of out of it."

"They'll be fine." Connor knew that, it was the first day and no one suspected anything. However? He better act his part. "ESA units, remain here." That was good enough. He didn't even really address them, they were content sharing his program.

Bathroom

"Okay, so?" Hank went ahead and used the urinal

"When we find them, we won't be able to even make contact without legit excuses, Hank," Connor explained. "Anything we could think up would be police related, and that would only throw them into trouble. How does RA9 meet anyone?" He used the code wording in the game for Kara to Hank whenever they talked about her. Connor had used all his processors to find a connection to Kara and the RA9, but couldn't see it. He decided that RA9 wasn't supposed to be short for Kara or tied to her for any reason. It was in fact the perfect keyword to discuss her, without sharing her name.

"That's the name of the game," Hank agreed as he did his finishing ritual. "This isn't going to be so easily solved this time, Connor. I know you are the ultimate prototype detective, but we aren't looking at a week or a month. Especially with figuring out five mother ****ers. I can get in the Eden Club without police involvement, no problem. Everyone else is going to be tricky." He zipped up and flushed. "It's called the long game, Connor, one I've played before in my career. One you never have. My best advice is we need to find our own connections, kind of like RA9, to each one. Nothing that'll get anyone in trouble. Everyday life connection. Run into them at the store or something."

At the store? "Is that the best advice, Hank?"

"Yep, and that's why the shit is called the long game. You'll be a changed man after it." Hank answered. "We'll both have to get real comfortable with my new ESA units, they aren't going anywhere for awhile." Once Hank opened the door, he changed directions of the conversation as they left. "I feel like I own three dogs that are always around me, wagging their tails. ****in' androids."

Great cover, Hank. "I am not Sumo, Hank. I have no fur or walk on four legs. I do like dogs though."

"Oh yeah, that's right, four dogs. One that is a dog, one that is an obedient puppy, and two that wanna fluff my pillows," Hank said as he moved back toward the desk. "These things didn't move one inch either," he said as he looked back at Kara and Alice.

"Why would they?" Connor asked. "I commanded them to stay."

"Well, they are my idiot androids to command, so don't do that," Hank said, pretending to be unhappy at the involvement.

"Okay, Hank, I'll try not to command your lower ESA units," Connor agreed. That was even better, now Connor didn't have to exude any superiority over them at all. Hank was always smarter than others gave him credit for. He did a fantastic job of taking down criminals, but then that whole red ice scandal? All of that really changed him.

That was probably because of what Hank just called the long game.