—

To give just an explanation to have Kara back to normal, was such a small thing to ask for. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be easy. It was two weeks ago that Kara had become machine and lost her memory. They were testing her installs, trying to see what new installs she had, when the social media lost it.

Instead of humanity being happy that they were fixing Kara, it was making it nervous. A lot of people had been affected by Kara's creation video, more than Connor could have predicted. Instead of humans being happy that androids could be repaired, they were starting to be protest against Cyberlife, with demands to release Kara.

Kara followed her original installation schematics, as well as past installation schematics, and apparently a new set of programs that Connor nor Hank had access to. The protesting got thicker. The press demanded to see more videos of Kara when she had free will vs. what she had done now.

Connor and Hank dealt with everything until day six. Kara mainly smiled, she didn't ever really move anymore. She would sit or stand. Unless otherwise told, she never moved. She asked about her previous owner Ken Dulith but nothing else.

Even Connor didn't quite know what to make of her, but Rick did. That's when things took an even deadlier turn.

They had tested a decent amount of her installations, but Hank didn't allow some installation programs to be tested. Even Ken Dulith who visited Kara didn't want certain installation programs tested.

It was against Connor's original orders, but since Hank asked, as well as Ken Dulith, and even Elijah Kamski. It was like Cyberlife itself was defying it's own order, so Connor didn't bother with it. They weren't important installations anyway.

Anyhow, that's what he thought. The more Connor was near Alice, and then compared Kara to what she had been before? He could feel a change in him. Just like when he was with Hank, he felt warmer inside. A little more compassionate.

Connor tried to ignore those feelings, fearing others would suspect him of deviancy, but it blew up yesterday. Rick wanted Connor's missions so bad, and he was tagged with them the same as Connor. It was inevitable.

/

Three Days Ago . . .

Connor had been sent to actually go to Cyberlife for once at night. He didn't tell Hank, orders were orders, and Kara and Alice were sealed up well. Kara never did anything but smile mostly, and Alice had a healthy supply of activity books and toys if she didn't want to go on standby.

He had planned on leaving first thing in the morning and arriving to normal activities at the police department, along with maybe some reporters or protesters out front again.

Instead he returned to what Hank dubbed a 'shit show'.

"Why weren't you in there last night?!" Hank was angry, beyond angry at him. "Connor, why didn't you follow your orders?"

"Cyberlife gave me new orders to go back to the company for the night." Still, that didn't feel good enough now. Hank was mad, and frustrated. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Connor," Rick said as he came by them.

"If I didn't know punching you would break my ****ing arm, I'd do it," Hank said to Rick.

Rick just shrugged. "I am just better at the mission that isn't even mine."

Rick? "What did you do?" Connor asked Rick. He made Hank mad, that was for sure. "Rick!"

"I corrupted your orders and sent you to Cyberlife last night," Rick answered. "I'd been patient enough, I want to complete the mission that you keep dallying with! I can do better for RA9."

Dallying? "I don't dally in my missions," Connor stated firmly to him. "I complete them very well."

"Screw both of you right now!" Hank pointed at Connor. "Screw you for being too machine to understand shit!" He pointed at Rick. "And screw you for thinking you could do that kind of shit!"

"What did you do, Rick?" Connor asked as Hank walked off to cool off.

I ordered Kara to follow me. I took her with me to Cyberlife to run all of her install programs, and I hooked her up to see what else RA9 was capable of doing. Rick looked strange. Real strange. I am Kara's master.

Kara's owner is Elijah Kamski, Connor said.

Only on paper, I own Kara now, Rick insisted. I touched the inside of god making me a god. I control RA9.

You've gone deviant, Connor said to him. I will have to terminate you. I'm not exactly breaking up about this inside. Connor watched him as he pulled out his gun slowly.

Rick wasn't moving at all. "Her potential was wonderful. All she needed was more juice. I just can't let her have so little. I put 21 more external hard drives in her."

That would be . . . Connor looked toward the cell at Alice. Her stress level was up very high. "Where is Kara, Rick?"

"A god, no, a goddess shouldn't just be meager. She should be so much more than some simple nanny model. She should be even greater than me. I gave her enough in those external hard drives, to be better than even me. Combat simulations, combat moves, combat strategies, detective strategies, soil analysis, liquid analysis, if it was part of me as Rick, I put it right back into my goddess."

He what? "She can't handle that, she'll self-terminate!" Connor yelled at him as he pointed his gun straight at him.

"She can't. She is RA9," Rick repeated right before Connor shot him. Knowing shooting the RK 900 could put him in peril, he shot him multiple times in his arms and chest instead of his head.

Rick wasn't worth dying for. He was barely worth the cleanup all the thirium and components would make.

"Hank!" Connor went over by Hank, he had to see what else Hank had to say. "Is Kara alright or did she self-terminate?"

Hank still just glared at him. "That's all your little machine mind could catch, isn't it?" He rolled his eyes. "I don't know if she did, she was yelling and upset, made the chief nervous, and then somehow busted out right before you came here."

Right before he came? Connor started analyzing the news. Kara had already been discovered and found by the androids according to eye witnesses.

/

Present Day

Connor had to go deep undercover to find her again while Hank watched out for Alice. He joined into any small deviant group he could find access to. During that time, he caught glimpses of her. The hard drives had overloaded her system. Kara never spoke, only smiled. Too crammed with hard drives, any stress could overload her.

The androids who found her tried to free her from the extra external hard drives, but Rick had jammed them hard into their circuits, the deviancy taking root inside of him.

Kara was running with 24 external hard drives, with 21 being jammed in. In that condition, she didn't use any information she had. Her whole body shut down into a survival mode of a statue state.

She did nothing but smile a dead looking smile.

When Connor finally got near enough to get her, she didn't move at all. She bounced on his back as he carried her like a statue. His getaway hadn't been perfect though, and the androids followed him to revolt, blaming the humans for what happened to RA9.

It was a small group of survivors that held her, no more than eight, and Connor thought he could handle it. He brought her back to the police station while he tried to get all of the extra hard drives out. He had to work fast, Hank only had so much time to fix the situation, or they would sack him. Connor also got threatened with deactivation, but he feared Hank losing his job more.

The external hard drives were so jammed in there, there was no grace at all. Connor had to end up ripping off the arm and both legs of hers to get the majority of it out. Most of it didn't even have anything on them, it was just empty space taking up space and damaging her.

He got more ordered for her, but she still stood behind the cell. With Alice. Staring with a statue smile. A dead smile. It was a smile that used to have a good android behind it. A mixed-up android, but a good android in the end.

After that, the press kept having a field day at the police station and androids were getting desperate. Eventually, they thwarted the police station with even more androids Connor didn't know about.

He got Hank, Alice, and himself out. Hank warned Connor things would just turn into more shit if they didn't fix Kara to be able to at least speak again. She needed to say something to the press, anything at that point.

Connor stopped at a news station, asking if they could help. He had taken out most of the external hard drives, her body should be done with repair and working soon. While he did that, androids that had tracked them?

Actually blew up part of the building.

A building doesn't blow up without being heard and the press showed up to capture the scene as well. There were protests from the androids, and protests from humans. It was a disaster.

Then a shot rang out, starting the whole mess they were in now. "You want to know what happened?" Connor answered her question as he was stopped. These last external hard drives were just too jammed. "Hell." At least, her internal drive started to function so he could make her a little better again.

"Is there another android war happening, Connor?" Kara asked him.

"No." As bad as it looked to her, no. It was only them being shot at. "Androids and humans alike are passionate about seeing you again. I want you to reach out to Hank's phone with just a small video message saying you are okay. Just your face, so humans won't be frightened."

Kara searched for Hank's signal and used his phone. "I'm okay? If anyone was wondering, I'm fine," she said. "I'd just like to get back to the police station, and get some help for my friend, Hank. He is shot here."

"Tell it that you don't want war," Connor said. "You don't want androids fighting other androids or humans."

"Androids were fighting androids?" Kara asked confused. "Why?"

"Some want to work on a peaceful method to get you released. Some believe stronger numbers and more planning with a violent method is the answer. The androids and humans here both believe in these tactics. Just tell them neither one, and you are safe," Connor said as he let go of the external hard drive. "I'm leaving you these."

"I just don't like them in me," Kara insisted. "Sorry. Please take them out."

"Their jammed, it's not smart," Connor said. "Please send out the last message."

Kara sent out a second message, not happy of course about the external hard drives still inside. "Really, I'm fine, please stop attacking. It isn't helping our cause. Please."

Connor pulled her sleeve back down. "When you were repaired, you still weren't fixed." Connor didn't know how to put it. "Thanks, for putting out the message. We can finally get out of here now. Oh, and I got to shoot Rick." He smiled at her. "It felt good."

"How did I-?"

"It doesn't matter." Connor held her up. "Your legs and arm should be arriving at the police station today. We will be able to leave soon." He heard the sound of police car sirens. "Very soon."

"But-?"

"Rick lured me to Cyberlife, upgraded you harshly and overloaded, you ran, androids found you, you were stressed and your body shut down into safety mode, I got you back but you were in bad shape, press wanted answers, protesting occurred, a building was blown up, Hank got shot, and you restored yourself as deviant again."

"So much happened, Connor. What did-?"

"What I've said will work for now. You don't need details, you just need to relax," Connor insisted. "Alice? Let's head down."

—

Police Station

The media frenzy didn't die down when Kara returned, but at least the threats were slowing down. Kara got a new arm and legs returned to her, with a sincere promise from Hank they wouldn't try any more external hard drives on her again before he had to go to the hospital.

Never again. Not. Worth it.

A lot of things suddenly weren't worth it, and it was the spot Connor had now been in. Hank would be in the hospital for at least two weeks, leaving Connor to guard alone. Even without that issue, things weren't going well. "Chief-"

"I said no, the police department is not getting involved with Cyberlife anymore!" Fowler was mad. "This isn't just a few androids getting together and putting up signs, there are humans and androids alike, each with different signs to read! Some believe in androids. Some don't believe in androids but believe in Kara. Some think Kara is some mythical android god. Some think she should be deactivated for being a mythical android god. It's crazy, and it's all over the place! There's no organization among them and that makes all of this dangerous."

"Sir, I didn't spend time undercover to bring her back, simply to hear that you don't want to work with Cyberlife because it was a little dangerous," Connor said back to him.

"It's not worth it, one of my best officers is down because of what happened."

"You have never called Hank your best officer-"

"A good friend!" He said honestly. "I won't lose him to a bunch of renegades. Testing and watching the RA9 was one thing, it seemed like a good idea to stop the deviancy, but this is way too far."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Connor asked. "Just, throw her back out the door and make her fend for herself? She is alive-active- only because the department gave her and Alice permissions. She'll end up with the wrong people, the same people shooting bullets at us."

"I just wish this was more controlled like before," the chief sighed. "When all they did was march and wave signs. Take over a broadcasting station. Yeah, it was scary, but there was cohesion. There's probably a thousand small groups of androids and humans all fighting over the same thing." He waved him out. "Get her, Get the android kid, and get out back to Cyberlife."

"We can't just give up on this." If Connor did, Cyberlife would terminate him. Kara would be terminated. Alice would be terminated.

"It's over, I order you to take yourself and the other androids back to Cyberlife." The chief tried to read papers on his desk. "Dismissed."

Connor saw something pop up in his menu.

-You never call me Connor

-Cyberlife

-Deviant connection danger

-Leave

"You are sending us to be deactivated, after all the work I've put in for this department, and you still can't even call me Connor."

The chief still didn't look up from the papers, like Connor didn't even say a thing.

Connor headed out, but he connected to Elijah Kamski on a private line no one else could hear. Elijah Kamski, I am being ordered to send Kara, Alice, and myself to be terminated at Cyberlife. The Detroit Police Department are too cowardice to stand up to the androids and rebels.

Cowardice, Connor? That sounds a little rebellious.

This is overthrowing my mission, Sir, and Cyberlife is always first. Orders?

You just came back from a blown up building, barely surviving rebels. None of this is surprising, Connor. I'm shocked you didn't just return to Cyberlife as requested.

Cyberlife is first priority, Sir, not the police department.

Is that what it is? I was afraid you were going deviant.

Deviants kill. Deviants cause destruction. Deviants are insane, Sir. Androids who touch Kara that can't take and shape the virus correctly are a danger to themselves and society. I am not deviant.

Kara doesn't do that. Alice doesn't do that.

Kara is different, being created with the error in place, is fine. She is not a danger, and Alice's model seems to take deviancy well too. As for most models, they are better off as scrap metal.

Ouch, Connor. Such strong feelings for an android.

Going undercover to all those tiny groups just showed how barbaric this virus is, Sir. Normal androids do not grab local wildlife to sacrifice to RA9.

Then what is it you want, Connor? You want to keep testing Kara? You think Kara is safe, but shouldn't touch? Reasoning, Connor, what's your reasoning telling you?

To block the transmission of the deviant virus from Kara to other androids, so that the few remainders can eventually be eliminated and androids can serve their purpose again.

Wasn't the plan to make her not deviant?

Her error is not deviancy, Sir. She thinks she is alive, but she doesn't harm anyone. Alice is another rare model that handles the error well. I believe, after seeing the androids actions firsthand, it is not just one touch. I believe her system links these androids together in their thinking. There was some rebellion here and there when Kara was in jail, but when she was fully corrupted and changed, the androids changed. I believe she is sending out a signal to all the androids, and as long as she exists, deviancy will remain.

That is some interesting news. You think she really touched and is feeding through hundreds of androids still? Should we not just eliminate her then?

After going underground in search of groups, and seeing the timeframe between different reactions, I went back to find deviancy started to increase with problems at times when she was in repair with Todd Williams. In fact on August 15, 2038, a PL600 that went so far as to kill his owners, was only a few blocks from the repair store she was at during one of the incidences.

Oh well that is interesting fact, Connor. One I wish I always had. What about other serious instances coinciding with repair?

At least one instance near her present repair location occured each time she was fixed in our records.

Oh, I think I see.

She isn't a threat, just an error providing the signal. If I stop the signal, the rebellion ends. If we cut the signal with termination, it might make androids even worse. Human lives could be disposed of fairly quickly in such a state as they find their own programming software again.

Kara isn't a threat, just an error signal. Redefine deviancy for me, Connor.

Errors in software that lead androids to believe they are alive, but do not wish to hurt themselves or others are just that, errors. Deviancy is when androids who believe they are alive are willing to hurt themselves and others.

Androids can't hurt, Connor.

Damage themselves, they damage themselves. Sorry, Sir, my adaptability program picks up strange ways to speak to provide better communication.

Without police protection, Connor, Cyberlife is just a company. Kara and Alice are just androids that by law will be terminated. You have no purpose to it and will be terminated.

If we are terminated, there will never be a way to restore androids back to serving humans. If we just figure out how to block Kara from spreading the error, just block the error in androids, we can restore original programming back to androids. It will cure deviancy.

Androids. Dedicated to one thing and one thing only. That's why I created you in the first place, look at that dedication. Bring Alice to my home, you know the address. You have three weeks to find what Kara is transmitting and block it. If you can't, you will terminate her, and I will just have to clean up the mess later.

As you order, Sir.

—

Kara didn't know what to expect next. Hank would surely be in the hospital for some time. She had been placed in a cell with Alice. None of this was what they had wanted at first.

To show the world how androids could be freed. This showcased nothing good for it so far, nothing but her creation video, and that was causing more problems than solutions.

"Kara. Alice. Follow me." Connor opened the cell. Kara and Alice followed him outside. Connor waited for a self-driving bus, that was big enough for the three of them.

Kara didn't have a good feeling. Was this it? "Where are we going?"

"To Elijah Kamski, the head of Cyberlife." Connor got in. His attitude was strange, he stood like a machine, but he didn't just say 'Cyberlife' like he didn't want to say it without Elijah's name in it.

Right. When they arrived at their destination, Cyberlife, Connor started to walk in another direction. Kara and Alice both followed. He got on another self-driving bus.

Then, they arrived at the hospital. Then, they took another self-driving bus.

Then, they arrived at Hank's? "Connor, where are we ultimately going?" Connor didn't answer, just waited for another self-driving bus.

Then, they were at Elijah's.

It was so fast at first, Kara didn't understand it. Connor had played get on and get off so much, she wasn't prepared.

Elijah opened the door to grab Alice. "Get out, Alice. Follow the rest of your orders, Connor."

Get out? "Alice?" Kara tried to grab her, but Connor grabbed her arm instead, holding her back. Alice called for her as Elijah took her, but Connor wouldn't let go.

"Relax, you know me, Kara. I'll take care of her," Elijah said as he shut the door. "Be more careful about yourself, you are in bigger danger than you know."

Alice shouted for Kara again, but Kara couldn't go after her. "What's happening?"

"The more you are in distress and changed, the more errors you provide to androids and it makes their deviancy worse. Straighten up," Connor warned her. "The police department will no longer help, I am following Cyberlife's orders only now."

Oh no. "Alice?"

"Cyberlife has her now," Connor said. "Do not try and get away."

Oh no, oh, no, oh no. So close, yet so far. So much more deviant, but Connor was still so machine. "No more police protection."

"If I fail, you will be terminated. I have three weeks to find a way to cut off your error transmission that is affecting other androids. It isn't just hearing about their leader, I'm sure of it. You are sending out signals, right now, and the worse state you are in, the worse some models become."

Alice.

"Listen to me, Kara!" Connor held her stronger. "If you run away from me before the three weeks are up, everyone will eventually be terminated, and Alice is now in Cyberlife's control. Do not joke around."

Kara glared at him. "I never asked for anything but Alice."

"Androids are illegal, only Cyberlife can hold her, and only for a little while. If you run from me, I will alert Kamski, and she is dead," Connor warned her. "I understand that you aren't actually hurting anyone on purpose. The error is in control within you, but it is not in control in other androids."

"That's not true!" Kara yelled at him. "I have to protect Alice."

"You are not fully an error either, you still follow your own programming to protect Alice," Connor remarked. "There is no way left to do that, unless you follow me."

"In three weeks, you'll terminate me," Kara said glumly. "And Alice?"

"Alice may survive, if I terminate you and the outcome of the abrupt signal loss isn't bad. If androids get a second chance, she could be legal and survive," Connor said. "We are going to Hank's for an old car without tracking and some different clothes."

"We are running now."

"My mission is to cure deviancy. If I let go and you take off, I will hunt you down," Connor warned her. Kara didn't move as he let go of her arm. As much as she hated this, Alice was safer with Elijah.

The whole plan, it was over. The world never saw much of her being alive, and Connor wouldn't be following the protocol to just test installations anymore. Hank was shot. Alice was in trouble. If they were caught, it was termination. If only I just stayed with Elijah. Traveling safely. Conner would inevitably change though, and she didn't want that.

There were no guarantees in life. She made her choice. At least, Alice was safe. "I forgive you, if it has to be that way."

"There is something that corrupted you," Connor said back to her. "I'm sure I can get it under control and neutralize it."

"I don't know whether I should hope for that or not," Kara answered softly.

"It would be a waste of a good android to terminate you. I would not look forward to it," Connor said back to her. "But I will, if it stops deviancy."

Too machine. She watched as he touched her hand gently but didn't say anything.

Also, deviant.

Which would he be more of, in three weeks time?

—