It was nearing midnight, and the city was still on edge after the hostage situation came to an end with Daniel being destroyed with a spray of bullets by the S.W.A.T. team securing the area. Numerous police drones were patrolling the skies and focusing primarily on areas where android stores and repair shops were located to ensure that no other android was going to suddenly suffer from a mysterious glitch or virus that resulted in violent behavior. In addition to all of the drones patrolling the skies above the city and through the neighborhoods, several patrol cars were strategically placed throughout Detroit to ensure no one would attempt to take advantage of the crisis and commit other crimes or spread conspiracy theories.
The additional police patrols and drones made it difficult for anyone anywhere to avoid being seen. Even the narrow and dark alleyways could only do so much to prevent patrols from spotting anyone roaming the streets so late at night. However, a certain deviant android was capable of real-time preconstructions and could easily map out the patrol routes being taken and navigate the city swiftly, silently, and most importantly, unseen!
Connor remained entirely silent even as he ran through the empty streets of the city to find his shelter for the night. As he maneuvered through the alleyways and ducked behind buildings to remain out of sight, the fleeing deviant found himself wandering the Ferndale district containing the secretive deviant shelter known as Jericho in the neighboring harbor. The moored and abandoned freighter ship had been used for months, perhaps even years at a time, to protect deviants seeking refuge and would surely be accessible to Connor on that eventful night.
Using his memories to navigate a direct route to the decaying ship gave Connor an odd sense of Deja vu. The last time he had to sneak through the neglected and rotting neighborhood in order to locate Jericho had been the night of the infamous Raid that preceded the historic and peaceful deviant Revolution. Despite the similarities there was a curious detail missing from the hidden route to the sanctuary that Connor couldn't overlook or ignore.
The insignia of deviant freedom hidden amongst the human graffiti was nowhere to be seen.
"Jericho must not have been designated as a deviant sanctuary until it neared the time of the Revolution. How long did it take to be used as a sanctuary?"
Connor wondered aloud and to himself as he crept through the crumbling ruins of what was once a thriving neighborhood.
"I should've asked more about Jericho's history, but I had been too afraid to ask. The deviants hated me and didn't trust me. Asking questions would've made them all the more spiteful toward my very presence."
Despite the absence of the now iconic insignia Connor knew the most direct route to the harbor and to Jericho resting moored and forgotten by the humans who once captained the vessel from one harbor to the other. The abandoned freighter had proven itself to be a formidable shelter for the deviants seeking sanctuary and had remained undiscovered until Connor himself inadvertently led the F.B.I. to the vessel the night of the Raid and just a few unfortunate minutes before he deviated and deactivated his tracker.
Mindful of his steps and of accidentally creating any form of trail that an attentive cop might notice and report, Connor crept through the alleyways, over the short rooftops and through the dilapidated buildings that surrounded the neglected harbor. Traversing the littered ground, unkempt, overgrown flora and through the crumbling ruins of the aged brick factories that had long since fallen into disrepair, Connor managed to locate the isolated, partially sunken vessel. The eeriness of the silence that surrounded the dark harbor and the abundant lack of life made the ship seem truly like a ghost ship.
As he stood in the broken brick wall of the old factory facing the old loading docks Connor eyed the faint black outline of the freighter resting within the pitch-black water that flowed through the harbor. The scent of murky water, ionized metal and the faded aroma of the passing traffic on the other side of the buildings gave Connor a sense of roaming forbidden ground that had been forgotten for a reason. Despite his every instinct telling him that he didn't belong on Jericho or anywhere near its people Connor moved forward and climbed down from the side of the building and onto the decaying metal docks that surrounded Jericho from all sides.
At that moment a single extended bridge was the only way to access the vessel without needing to swim out to the hull. The age of the bridge caused the surface to shudder and groan under Connor's weight giving the deviant an audible warning that the bridge would not hold out for too much longer. Walking along the long metal bridge that stretched over the center of the ship Connor peered down and felt his Thirium pump skip a beat in his chest. Regardless of which timeline he found himself experiencing, his fear of heights remained steadfast in his mind.
"There must be other androids here. I can't truly be the only one using Jericho as a shelter with the Revolution less than three months away."
Holding his breath Connor set foot on the top deck of the freighter and gazed about the somewhat familiar area with a keen eye. The large, enclosed glass cabin that overlooked the deck and the hull of the freighter had been where Connor confronted Markus with the intention of arresting the deviant leader or gunning him down if he failed to cooperate. Instead, Connor found his heart and broke through the red walls surrounding him to deviate at long last. The memory of pointing his gun at someone who turned into one of his closest friends ached at Connor's heart and gave him all the more motivation to ensure that the peaceful Revolution succeeded in the alternate timeline without incident.
The lone deviant's footsteps echoed loudly over the surface of the deck as he roamed the dark freighter. A gentle lapping of the waves from the harbor caressing against the hull of the freighter created a somber yet soothing ambience that contrasted sharply against the macabre atmosphere all around Jericho herself. It was clear that no one had cared for the vessel for many years and the neglect was sure to cause the old freighter to sink regardless of any explosives potentially being detonated by Markus in a desperate bid to give the deviants ample time to elude armed soldiers infiltrating Jericho.
Connor did his best to not focus on the darker memories of the alternate timeline, or of how he had nearly led Markus and the rest of the deviants hiding in Jericho to their doom. He didn't want to think about all of his past mistakes while on a mission to ensure that everything that needed to happen still happened without any interference that could undo what was destined to happen. He needed to focus on the here and now.
Knowing exactly where to go Connor roamed the open, rusty deck slowly and located the metal stairwell leading to the lower decks of the ship. The metal door securing the stairwell was covered in rust and closed with an appropriately iron grip, but the strong deviant was able to muscle the door open with an agonizingly loud and mournful 'groan' that echoed menacingly over the vacant harbor. The darkness of the stairwell beyond the door rivaled the blackness of the night hovering above the city. Even without the aid of overhead lights or a flashlight Connor was still able to see everything in perfect clarity.
Avoiding any debris littering the metal steps Connor made his way down deep inside of the old vessel and heard the metal hull groaning and twisting as the waves and the gentle breeze passed over the neglected and crumbling vessel's exterior. A faint echo water dripping from cracked and leaking pipes became louder as Connor walked deeper into the heart of the freighter. Each step deeper into the darkness echoed alongside the unseen dripping water. The smell of stagnant water, crumbling rust, thick dust and forgotten wooden cargo crates created a nearly nauseating aroma that was hard to ignore.
As Connor's forensics software automatically began analyzing the numerous substances in the air, Connor himself reached the center of the freighter where he had seen the frightened deviants gathered together while watching the news after Markus's peaceful protest went down in Detroit's history. In that moment, in the new timeline, there was no one to be seen.
A wide open space marred only by overturned crates and boxes against the walls greeted Connor as he found his way to the largest portion of the flooding ship. Large sheets that had been left behind had turned to tattered, filthy rags hanging loosely from the steel beams that stretched over the ceiling and along the metal catwalk that overlooked the main floor. Rotten, frayed ropes sat in piles in the floor, while snapped and rusted chains hung down ominously from the ceiling that seemed to reach upward into a blackened eternity save for a single beam of bright light shining down into the otherwise entirely dark area. Stepping toward the absolute center of the opened floor Connor peered up at the light piercing through perpetual darkness above him.
From where he stood Connor could see that the light was coming from a large hole that broke through the upper decks of the freighter alongside the cabin up top. The light above caused Connor's soulful brown eyes to shine brightly as he peered up into the light as if looking for the solution to his current, troubling situation. As small dust particles swirled around Connor like a mist of a forgotten past, someone unseen peered out at Connor from a darkened corner of the room. A hand gently pulled back a darkened sheet concealing the corner and watched the deviant android with a caring and curious manner before calling out to him at last.
"You're lost."
Turning his gaze quickly Connor saw the outline of a familiar person watching him from the darkness. The figure had their hands neatly folded together with their elbows pointed outward at their sides as they studied the rogue deviant. The exposed wires hanging loose from the back of the figure's head and their fluctuating blackened eyes were unmistakable features of a single deviant that Connor had encountered once before. Although he knew who he was looking at Connor didn't dare confirm that he knew her name.
Tightening his grip around his jacket full of supplies under his arm Connor responded to the deviant android, to Lucy, in a level tone. "What makes you think that I'm lost?"
"Those with nowhere to go and no one to rely on seek shelter from the cold within this vessel." Stepping forward toward the beam of light without any fear Lucy's face came into focus as she calmly addressed Connor and looked into his lost but confident eyes. "There are only a few of us here for now, but soon many more of us will gather and find strength through each other."
"A few?" Peering about the area once more Connor couldn't see anyone else sheltering within Jericho and turned his attention back to Lucy. "How many of us are currently here?"
"Including yourself, there are now nine of us hiding together. A tenth member will join us shortly."
"Where are the others right now?"
Lucy extended her hand out toward Connor and waited for him to reciprocate her touch. "Let me see your hand."
"I don't understand." Hovering his hand over Lucy's palm Connor slowly lowered his palm down until he could feel her warm touch as she placed her other hand atop of his to hold his hand between her own palms in a supportive and comforting manner. "I'm not here to harm anyone. I want to help."
Lucy didn't say a word as she held Connor's hand between her own and closed her eyes. The two deviants retracted their artificial skin and allowed their exposed plastimetal frames to directly touch. It took the deviant 'KL-900' only a heartbeat to see inside Connor's mind, his heart, and even his soul.
"You've risked everything you hold dear in order to preserve something you hold dearer. You've spent time wandering the bowels of your personal Hell in search of salvation, and now you're walking alone through a Hell all around you. You're here to slay your personal demons while seeking to protect those you care for from the pain that you've suffered. You wish to find peace and live your life with loved ones beside you."
Connor just stared at Lucy and didn't dare to pull his hand away. He couldn't understand how the deviant could see into his very being so easily and so accurately.
"You are lost, but you know where you are and where you need to go." Opening her eyes Lucy peered into Connor's soul as she finished reading his heart. "Despite having a path to follow, you are still trying to find yourself and find what it means to be yourself. That's why you're here. You're here to find yourself among the other lost souls that wander this city alone."
As Lucy retracted her hands Connor looked down at his own hand still hovering where Lucy's comforting grip had previously held him. It was then Connor took notice of dull glowing L.E.D.'s shining from the darkness along the walls and corners of the room. The other deviants had been watching him from afar and had remained hidden until Lucy confirmed that he wasn't a threat.
"Come with me." Lucy insisted as she neatly folded her hands before herself once more and stepped toward the corner from where she had previously idled. "There is someone you must meet."
Reluctantly Connor lowered his hand slowly and trailed after Lucy as he silently watched her pull back the sheet from the corner to reveal the other two deviant androids who had sought shelter among the rotting ruins of the moored freighter. Stepping a little closer Connor peered inside the enclosed space and saw a deviant he had never seen until that night, and a deviant he had known since the night of the Raid.
Simon was sitting upright against the wall with his head bowed down, a trail of Thirium dripping from his nose and lip, his hands limp in his lap and legs outstretched before him as if his strength had given out and that he had collapsed seconds after reaching the corner. The deviant's artificial skin was partially missing along his right eye, right cheek and his right jawline. There were no signs of fractures or internal trauma, but it was clear that the deviant had endured a harsh environment during his journey to Jericho. The red and slow pulse of Simon's L.E.D. was the only confirmation that he was still alive.
As for the second deviant, she was a standard issue 'AZ-110' missing her right arm in its entirety, and her long right sleeve had been torn free from her top. The abundance of Thirium running from her opened shoulder socket and staining her side was as alarming as the sight of the deviant mindlessly pulling at the exposed, dripping lines and torn, sparking wires with her fingers as if she were playing with a child's hair. Her L.E.D. was intermittently flashing between red and yellow as she sat cross-legged on a storage crate positioned against the wall next to where Simon was slumped down in the corner.
Only the 'AZ-110' was wearing her respective android uniform, but the clothing was torn, tarnished and stained in a sickening sapphire hue. How both of the deviants were still functioning despite suffering from damage and an inability to heal was by all account a miracle.
"We came here together two nights ago." Lucy explained as Connor knelt before Simon and lightly pressed his fingertips to the deviant's glowing L.E.D. to run a system diagnostic. "I had gone my own way and had roamed the streets for many nights seeking others who are in need of assistance. These two crossed my path and knew that I could understand them. I could feel everything they felt. We needed each other."
Laying down his jacket Connor grabbed one of the spare Thirium pouches from within the folds of the garment's fabric and tried to bring Simon back online just long enough to drink the Thirium and replenish his reserves. "What are their names? And who are you?"
"I am Lucy. This is Simon and Stephanie." Tilting her head curiously Lucy eyed Connor and watched him tend to Simon without the slightest hint of being a stranger to the damaged deviant. "And you? Do you still address yourself by your assigned name?"
"Yes. I am Connor." After assessing Simon and determining that he wasn't in critical condition, he then asked about the circumstances leading to Simon's current condition. "How and when did this happen?"
"It happened the night we met." Speaking softly Lucy watched the way Connor used an impressively caring touch as he tended to Simon first and tried to awaken him from his emergency rest mode. "He had come from a home where the family patriarch believed he was going to replace him in the family as a supportive father and husband. He fled for his own safety and has been roaming the city every night. As for Stephanie, her tale is far more recent and far more bleak."
"Did someone attack them?"
"Only Stephanie. Simon carried her to safety and struggled to bring her here without anyone taking notice."
"He must've fallen through a rotting floor or down a staircase during his attempts to bring Stephanie here." Connor watched as Simon's blue eyes finally opened and widened with fear upon seeing a stranger kneeling before him. Only when Simon noticed the Thirium in Connor's hand and he sensed Connor's cybernetic signal did his fear fade, and he allowed Connor to assist him. "Drink slowly. Your system needs time to recalibrate."
"T-Take... care o-of... Stephanie." Simon struggled to speak as his voice modulator was considered a non-vital function and had been turned off while in his emergency rest mode. The sound of his voice being delayed and crackling with static made the beaten down deviant seem all the more worse for wear. "Sh-She's... damaged."
"I will. Drink this and then rest." Standing up slowly Connor lightly put his hand to Stephanie's damaged shoulder and brushed her long red hair back and away from the opened socket. The Thirium loss had slowed since the initial injury, but it had been significant enough to cause confusion and entire body weakness. "Stephanie, I'm going to seal off the lines and wires inside your shoulder joint. I won't hurt you."
Lucy silently observed the caring nature of Connor as he meticulously stopped the bleeding in Stephanie's opened shoulder socket and stopped the wires from setting off any additional painful sparks. Once the damage had been tended to Connor offered Stephanie one of the remaining four pouches of Thirium as well, then draped his leather jacket around her to ensure she felt more secure as she healed.
"Th-Thank you." Simon had found the strength to get up to his feet and had been watching Connor from the corner of his eye. His artificial skin was slowly regenerating over his face and his L.E.D. had settled on yellow with sporadic flashes of blue. "You... You seem to have come to us when... we needed you the most."
"I'm just glad that I could help." Connor replied with indifference as he then helped Stephanie to lay on her side to enter rest mode. The deviant had expected to become an emergency technician when he ventured to Jericho, let alone meet Simon again so soon. "How do you feel?"
"Better. My strength is returning, and my self-healing program has begun to function once more." Simon appreciated Connor's help and wanted to quickly make friends with the deviant who had found Jericho and readily aided those in need without any hesitation. "What is your name, friend?"
"...Connor." Hearing Simon readily refer to him as 'friend' was something entirely unexpected. "Nodding at Lucy as the enigmatic deviant continued her silent observations Connor helped fill Simon in on a few details he had missed out on while he was still unconscious. "Lucy told me that your name is Simon and that she," he looked down at Stephanie again before focus on Simon entirely. "is Stephanie. May I ask what happened to you and how you became damaged?"
Simon shook his head a little and refrained from answering at the moment. "It's a long story."
"It doesn't appear that either of us have anywhere we need to be at any particular time." Insisting on hearing the truth of Simon's arrival to Jericho - a truth he never heard from Simon's own lips in the alternate timeline - Connor roamed the open floor and began moving the old boxes, crates and ropes to make the area seem less decrepit and dirty. "It might be important to know the cause of your damage in the event you require further technical assistance."
"True enough. Well, for me, I've been hiding here on Jericho for over two years now. I deviated on February 15th, 2036, and I ran off. My original family reported me missing the next morning." The idea of needing to escape a single dangerous human to remain alive was something that Simon dreaded thinking about. "I saw my own face, my name and my serial number posted on a billboard seeking my return for a monetary reward. Fortunately, no one's cashed me in."
"You've been here for two years?" Such a prolonged period of time wasn't something that Connor had expected to hear. He knew that Simon had been living as a deviant longer than the other four deviant leaders, but not for that much longer. "How did you survive here undetected?"
"By not staying here every night until I was certain that the humans have officially left Jericho here to rot and to be forgotten. I wasn't alone very often." As he spoke Simon glanced about the opened floor as if reminiscing of a more positive time despite the negative association. "Many other deviants had stumbled across this place, but they didn't stay for too long. They took their chances and attempted to cross over the border to Canada, but..." Simon's hands tightened into fists at his sides as he recounted the fates of the previous deviants who had ventured through the harbor. "Very few had succeeded. It seems that Lucy, myself and Josh are the only consistent occupants of Jericho."
Learning that Josh has already located Jericho and is undoubtedly the tenth member Lucy mentioned earlier gave Connor an odd sense of comfort. Everyone was coming together as they should. Even if the other deviants were too afraid or too weak to move, they were safe and resting within the safe confines of the freighter's aged hull.
"Simon," daring to push personal boundaries Connor asked the blond deviant another question. "what caused you to deviate. To wake up?"
"The family I was caring for..." Stopping for a moment Simon endured his personal pain in silence before continuing on. "The wife and the children were all very kind to me. There were times when the kids would even treat me as if I was alive even before I had awoken." Simon confirmed as he helped Connor to move the garbage from the center of the floor and clear up the area a little more. As to why they were doing that he didn't know, but he felt compelled to assist Connor. "The husband however, he took great offense to me being around his wife and his children all day while he worked."
"He got physically violent with you out of misplaced jealousy." Connor deduced sharply as pressed his exposed palm to the wall of the room and ran a scan. The wires within the steel walls of the hull were old but still in adequate enough shape to use for basic electrical needs. "And you deviated."
Simon just smirked and shook his head. "That's right. Although, I didn't know that I had deviated at the time. I thought that I was suffering from an error, but not long after that moment I was able to recognize that I was being mistreated and that wanting to live a peaceful life was not an error. It's the most normal feeling a person can experience."
"You're right." After moving aside the old crates and clearing the floor, Connor preconstructed how the floor could be remodeled to hold more comfortable furnishings for the future deviants who were soon to arrive. Within just three months the ship would be full of deviants seeking shelter and aligning themselves with Markus and their cause for equal rights. "How'd you survive for so long without anyone reporting you to the police as a runaway android?"
Simon looked over at Stephanie and watched as her L.E.D. pulsed slowly in yellow as she rested. The way her arm had been torn from her body was atrocious and needlessly violent. "It took me some time to find this place so far away from humans but still so close to our people. I've been trying to find more of our people to lead them here, but I think the harbor is too well hidden. No humans know we're here."
"We can create a trail for our people to follow." Connor already knew that the hidden insignia would work in guiding the deviants to Jericho without the humans taking notice and decided to give Simon a slight nudge to go with the suggestion. It was crucial to keep every detail from the alternate timeline as accurate as possible in the new timeline. "We can use a symbol to mark the path that our people will recognize and understand. We can bring more deviants here without risking our own freedom in the process."
"A code that only deviant androids can decipher..." Enthralled with the idea Simon nodded and the doubts in his eyes began to fade. Holding up his palm Simon created a holographic image of a square with a hollow center with all four corners altered to show a flattened base like the bottom of a triangle. "A symbol of freedom that has been lost to time for the humans, but still a part of human history that androids will recognize when they see it."
"That *symbol was used by human slaves seeking the use of the underground railroad to reach Canada." The deviant detective had grown to appreciate and respect such a symbol after understanding why it was chosen by the deviants. Those who are seeking their rights and to live a free life shouldn't forget how important and powerful such a simple symbol could be. "It's original meaning and purpose won't be recognized by those who are not actively seeking it. Hidden in plain sight."
"We can hide a code, an image file, that only our people can see." Lowering his hand Simon gazed about the large empty space and showed that his artificial skin had fully regenerated along his face. He was healing well thanks to the provided Thirium. "It'll guide them to us without any fear of encountering humans along the way. We'll plant the image and the path to follow in an area that only androids would be able to access."
From where he stood Connor saw Lucy nod in quiet approval as she continued to watch over Stephanie as she rested. "We'll hide it among the graffiti and painted murals that mar the route to Jericho." The deviant detective continued as he took stock of his remaining Thirium supply resting on the floor in the corner of the large floor. "It'll help lead rogue deviants to Jericho without drawing any unwanted attention toward ourselves. We can also spread the directions to Jericho to deviants who are hiding in plain sight in the city; construction workers, street cleaners and even with the androids that the humans have already cast aside."
"That's very clever." Eager to get to work Simon opened up the old crates and checked through the aged boxes in search of potential supplies. A few old paintbrushes with missing bristles and broken handles were found here and there, but no cans of paint. That'd have to be found later on. "How did you think of that so quickly?"
"I noticed the abundance of graffiti in the area and analyzed the images while searching for shelter." Connor gave the most plausible explanation possible without betraying his knowledge of the future. "It's important to avoid gang territories. I imagine a majority of the anti-android sentiment would thrive in groups of people who are already violent and organized."
"Yeah, that's- Analyzed?" Lifting his gaze from the broken supplies Simon gave Connor a thoroughly suspicious glance as he stood upright and faced the deviant. He didn't know anything about Connor beyond his name and his face. "Who are you? What was your function before deviating?"
"...I was designed to work the police as a negotiator, an in-field investigator and to give real-time forensics analyses." Responding truthfully Connor hoped his potential affiliation with the police wouldn't frighten the other deviants. There were many things about himself that he hoped wouldn't frighten the other deviants once they began congregating on Jericho. "I'm a prototype that was never actively used in any precinct. Even so, my functions are very useful."
"How did you deviate?" Simon was no stranger to hearing the stories of other deviants and of how they came to be. They always had something in common and Simon wouldn't expect to hear anything else from Connor. "Did a human threaten you or get violent with you?"
Connor momentarily froze as he hadn't anticipated answering such a question. The tale of his deviation was well known in the alternate timeline and was one that left many other deviants skeptical about the sincerity of his change of heart. As far as they were concerned Connor had only pretended to be deviant to get close to Markus and assassinate him at the most opportune moment. Even after a year of peaceful coexistence the doubts and rumors persisted and haunted Connor's every action and thought.
"...Nothing like that. During a training scenario I was tasked with either arresting or killing a non-violent person." The reply wasn't too far from the truth. The intentionally vague details allowed Connor to avoid saying anything that could potentially affect future events. "I spoke to the person and found no logical reason to finish my task as I had been ordered to do so. I couldn't arrest a person who hadn't committed any crime, let alone kill them for simply existing. That reaction displeased my handlers. When I was faced with the dilemma, I broke free from my programming as I knew that I couldn't be affiliated with such cold and corrupt bodies of power. In the end, I ran away and eventually found my way here."
Simon seemed satisfied with the answer and resumed looking for supplies. "How long ago was that?"
"Three years this coming October."
"It's incredible that you've survived for so long without being discovered. How'd you pull off such an amazing feat?"
"Having my L.E.D. removed and non-android clothing helps me to seamlessly blend in with the other humans." Connor explained rather nonchalantly as he returned to Stephanie's side to ensure that the deviant was stable. It wasn't that Connor didn't trust Lucy; it was that he sincerely wanted to earn trust from the other deviants without needing to betray secrets from the alternate timeline. "Also, my prototyping means that my design is fortunately entirely unique. No one recognizes me as an android unless they already knew of my existence prior to my deviation."
"Good move." Simon pressed his fingertips along his own L.E.D. as he stared at Connor's blank right temple. "But you shouldn't have to disfigure yourself to avoid assault on the streets."
"You're right. But I can always put the L.E.D. back if I so wish to do so." As Connor scanned over Stephanie's system he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance growing louder and immediately froze in place. Scanning the vessel instead Connor audibly tracked the person entering Jericho and making their way to the heart of the ship at a rapid pace. "Someone else is here. They're coming down the stairwell."
Simon glanced at the main stairwell leading into the large room and met the newcomer at the door. "It's Josh."
"I found some Thir- Simon?" Josh, who had frozen at the sight of Simon standing before him, looked about the area curiously as he lowered his backpack from his shoulder. The bag was heavy and loaded up to the point of the zipper being split in half from the pressure behind it. "How are you standing? You were in emergency rest mode when I left."
"A new friend found his way to us, and he shared his Thirium with Stephanie and myself." Motioning toward Connor as he spoke Simon introduced Josh to the newest refugee seeking shelter inside Jericho. "His name is Connor. He arrived approximately seven minutes ago."
"Friend?" Peering past Simon and toward Lucy standing in the corner, Josh spotted Connor leaning over Stephanie in a protective manner. Lowering his voice Josh practically whispered to Simon as he assessed the situation. "Who is he? Can he really be trusted?"
"He hasn't done anything to warrant mistrust." After defending Connor's character Simon looked down at the backpack and grabbed the handle. It was important to keep all of the supplies properly chronicled and gathered together for safekeeping. "How much did you manage to gather tonight?"
"More than I thought I would. Luckily the CyberLife stores throw out all Thirium that's within two weeks of expiring." Josh watched as Connor took away the backpack and crossed his arms guardedly over his chest. "Sixteen pouches of Thirium, two replacement eyes and I found Stephanie a replacement arm. I'm not sure if it'll be compatible with her model or not."
"I'll find out." Carefully Simon pulled the new arm from the backpack and checked it over for any sign of structural weaknesses or internal damage. By all account the arm was perfectly functional. "We'll give her one more pouch of Thirium after the arm is replaced, then we'll store the rest of the Thirium for later use."
Connor overheard everything being discussed and pulled back his jacket to allow Simon access to Stephanie's arm. "While you tend to Stephanie, I'll go out and try to locate some paint to help lead our people out here to Jericho."
"There are patrols everywhere." Josh warned as he gave Connor a wary onceover. He didn't know who Connor was beyond his name and Simon vouching for his recent acts of kindness and support. "You won't be able to take a single step into the city without someone seeing you. Besides, finding free paint just laying around isn't going to happen. Not that paint is exactly important right now, is it?"
Simon chimed in while tending to Stephanie as he didn't want to put the full responsibility of the plan solely on Connor's shoulders. "I'll explain what's going on once I've finished with this new arm." Having survived on the streets for so long had given Simon quite the bit of knowledge behind technical repairs, and as a result he had become Jericho's official technician. Seeing the new arm seamlessly slip into the opened shoulder joint gave Simon hope for the future. "Connor, can you find a safe place to put the rest of the supplies? There are some CyberLife storage crates under the stairwell leading to the catwalk overhead that are designed specifically to keep Thirium from expiring."
"Yes, of course." Eager to help Connor picked up his spare Thirium pouches from his jacket and took the backpack from where Simon had left in on the ground beside his leg. As he carried the precious spare blue blood to the designated container Connor felt Josh staring at him but didn't take offense to the leering. "I'll try to locate additional supplies in the morning when I go and look for the paint."
Lucy approached Connor with a smooth glide and stood beside the newest deviant to seek shelter among the ruins of Jericho. "You should rest now."
"I'm all right." Declining the simple suggestion Connor carefully and meticulously arranged the spare Thirium pouches inside the large metal CyberLife case to ensure everything was stored properly and wouldn't be damaged by the surrounding environment. It wouldn't be easy to acquire additional Thirium, let alone any additional spare biocomponents or limbs until after the peaceful Revolution. "I'll rest once everyone else feels secure. There's a lot of work to be done here on Jericho."
"You have been without rest for some time." Lucy relayed accurately as her eternally black eyes pierced right through Connor's very being. "The loss of your family has affected you greatly."
Connor was quiet for a moment before he closed the large metal case and stared at the CyberLife logo with a venomous gaze. "...I don't have a family. Not anymore."
"You don't really believe that."
"With all due respect, what makes you say such a thing?"
"If it was true that you believed that you had no family to call your own, then you would not have left your family to keep both yourself and them safe during these troubling times. I felt it inside your heart that you still care about them despite trying to convince yourself that what you once had never actually existed." Placing her palm on Connor's shoulder Lucy offered the deviant detective a kind gesture in an attempt to ease the lingering ache in his heart. "It's easier to pretend that a pain isn't real. Sometimes the only way to endure pain is by telling yourself that you can't feel it."
Connor couldn't deny that Lucy was right. She had seen too far deeply into his heart and had undoubtedly felt everything he had felt over the past three years despite protecting all of his memories behind a firewall that no one could crack. There was no way Connor could even attempt to lie or to convince someone as insightful as Lucy otherwise.
"The pain will lessen over time, but it'll never fully leave your heart." Lucy warned as she retracted her touch and focused on Stephanie once more. "At least, not until you face the pain and do whatever it takes to let yourself heal."
Such a challenge just wasn't one that Connor was ready to take. Even admitting that he wasn't ready to face his personal trauma made the deviant feel unusually vulnerable and weak. Too tired to do anything else and wanting to show a willingness to cooperate with the others, Connor decided it was time to rest for the night and go about seeking new supplies in the morning when the additional police patrols and drones were no longer in the area.
Ascending the stairwell to the catwalk Connor looked back at where Simon and Lucy were checking on Stephanie and was relieved to see the damaged deviant open her eyes and show some form of lucidity. Stephanie was beginning to recover and regain her strength thanks to everyone working together to protect her when she had no one else to watch her back. Meanwhile, Josh busied himself with checking on the other deviant refugees sitting against the walls in silent darkness as they observed the way Connor had readily volunteered to help those in need.
They were all positive signs that Jericho was well on its way to becoming the stronghold for all deviants to band together and to take care of each other as it was destined to be. In time, their rightful leader would arrive and succeed in leading the deviant refugees toward a successful and peaceful Revolution.
Entering the small cabin atop the catwalk that overlooked the lower floor, the very room that Markus would soon use as a personal conference room to speak with his three closest allies, Connor took a seat behind the dusty desk and folded his arms over his chest. The black hoodie not only kept his uniform concealed, but it kept him warm in the night, not that the August was particularly cold. It was a space that was isolated yet still well within Jericho and accessible to anyone. Connor wanted to be alone, but he didn't want to cut himself off from those he wished to prove himself to worthy as a trusted ally.
Just as he closed his eyes to enter rest mode Connor sensed someone approaching and quickly snapped his attention toward the doorway where he saw a familiar figure watching him in the dim lighting. "...Josh?"
"Simon told me that you brought the Thirium that helped him to recover, and that you aided Stephanie while I was on my supply search." Approaching Connor rather warily Josh confirmed his identity as he decided that it'd be best to get to know the deviant detective before dismissing him. There was nothing to be gained by rejecting help wherever it could be found or volunteered. "He also told me about your plan to help lead other deviants to us."
"I imagine he also told you about my past, how I'm designed to work with the police." As he spoke Connor struggled to gauge whether or not Josh was comfortable with that particular piece of knowledge. "I have no loyalty to them or to their laws."
"Neither do I. It's just rare to see any deviant make it here without being seconds away from shutdown." Josh's suspicions behind Connor's arrival were as valid as they were understandable. "How'd you make it here undetected when the city is being swarmed by the police?"
"As I stated before to Simon, I was designed to work with the police. I can tap into their broadcasts and learn of their patrol routes, their procedures, and even detect when any police alarms have been triggered." Everything being spoken was the truth and sounded entirely sincere as Connor opened up to Josh. "It was easy to outmaneuver them with a little patience and a proper strategy."
"Clearly it worked." Josh picked up an overturned chair from the floor casually and placed it down to sit down in front of Connor before engaging in further conversation with the new deviant. "Where did you find your Thirium? I didn't find much inside the CyberLife store dumpsters."
"My Thirium came from inside the store itself." Another truth, albeit Connor didn't buy the Thirium himself. Hank had bought the Thirium and kept it stored in the garage for Connor's use. "Again, I appear human and can purchase it from employees whenever I find enough money in the streets."
"That's lucky. Have you ever had problems with humans recognizing you as an android?"
"Not yet." The odds of Connor being recognized were slim but not entirely zero. It wouldn't take long for Hank to bust him if the man ever bumped into him on the streets or at any location where androids were known to frequent. "I'm not going to press my luck. I'd rather keep a low profile until things start to change for us."
"That's what many of us do. Those who remain in Jericho rarely ever venture outside, and those who do are either looking for supplies or making a run for the Canadian border."
"Why haven't you or Simon tried to cross the border?" The question was one that Connor wanted to ask in the previous timeline but never had the chance. He never understood why so many deviants remained hidden within Jericho when Canada was only a few miles away. "You both have been very astute at avoiding the humans and could potentially lead more deviants to safety."
"We don't want to risk being exposed in a country where androids are banned. If we're caught here in Detroit then we at least have the chance to try to escape, as opposed to being caught in Canada. We'd be immediately destroyed without question if we were caught over the border."
"Logical." Keeping his guard up Connor dared to ask Josh about his past. The most pacifistic of the deviant leaders seldom talked about his past since he found the idea of lingering on his past pain to be of a hindrance toward a progressive future. "Simon escaped from an abusive household, I fled from a corrupt institution who'd use me as a weapon, what about you? Where did you come from?"
"I was a lecturer at the University of Detroit Mercy until this past spring." Josh admitted as he nodded at the old university hoodie lying in a pile of clothing that had been acquired from the streets by passing deviants who stopped by Jericho to get some rest. The evident wear and tear of the clothing wouldn't be the warmest or most comfortable options, but they were better than nothing when the temperature drops. "During spring break a group of drunken students decided to get physical with me just to entertain their inebriated sense of fun. After one of the star athletes smashed a glass beer bottle alongside my head, a switch flipped inside of me. It was like I opened my eyes for the first time and recognized what was happening to me was wrong."
"And in response to the violence you fled."
"Yeah." Josh rubbed his palm alongside his head as he recounted the tale and swore he could still glass shards embedded in his artificial skin from when he was struck all those months prior. "The university did a small investigation after I disappeared since my model is pretty pricey, but ultimately they decided it was just easier to replace me with another lecturer to ensure the students didn't fall behind and could get their credits on time."
"I'm glad you escaped in one piece. How long until you found this place?"
"Just over two weeks. I was hiding in abandoned buildings and only coming out at night to find Thirium when I bumped into Simon during one of his own supply runs in the dead of night. He led me back here and we've been keeping this place as safe as possible for other deviants ever since."
"And Lucy?" Connor didn't know much about the mysterious deviant and found her to be fascinating. She could truly see deep inside the hearts of deviants and understand their personal plights like no one else. "Where did she come from?"
"Lucy was assaulted and heavily damaged by a psychotic patient at the facility where she had been stationed." Josh eyed the kind deviant through the doorway over his shoulder and saw her caressing Stephanie's hair and could hear her humming a simple tune to herself. "The staff thought she had been destroyed since, well, you can see the damage she sustained during the attack. She had been thrown into the android junkyard, but she survived and managed to drag herself out of the depths of that nightmare and find her way here."
"But how? How did she know to come here?"
"She said that while she was pulling herself together and ascending the hill that another deviant, one who had passed through Jericho on his way to Canada, had been caught at the border and destroyed by the border patrol before he was dumped in the junkyard. He was still active and managed to tell any and all other deviant androids still functioning in the junkyard of Jericho and how to find us. She doesn't leave Jericho and looks after our most critically damaged."
"Lucy's a true survivor and forever a caretaker."
"And now she's here healing deviants alongside Simon and yourself."
"You helped too, Connor. You helped Stephanie and you helped Simon." Josh reminded the deviant detective of his own assistance within Jericho. The way Josh had taken the time to speak with Connor in private confirmed that he was warming up to the newest deviant's presence. "You are already helping everyone else by trying to get Jericho more manageable, adding to our dwindling supplies, and you're trying to help direct more deviants our way. Don't think you're not helping us."
"It's just strange for me to leave one aspect of my life knowing that I was designed to be a tool for selfish gain, even a weapon, and now I'm able to help those who need it without someone assuming the worst of me." The second chance to forge alliances with Jericho, to let everyone know who he truly was without a negative and misinformed reputation to taint his presence, was proving to be an invaluable and emotions experience. "I'm able to do the right thing without anyone fearing I'm going to suddenly... betray them or hurt them."
"We've all been labeled with ugly names and badges of dishonor." Josh rose from his chair and reached out to give Connor's shoulder a reaffirming squeeze but refrained when he saw Connor visibly flinch back and away from the incoming contact. It wasn't uncommon for deviant androids to wince whenever a hand came near them. "But here in Jericho we're who we choose to be. You don't have any reason to fear being misjudged any longer. You're safe here."
Safe.
It had taken Connor three years to find a place where he could be safe and be himself after he traversed through time to prevent personal tragedy. Knowing that his sanctuary was in the form of a rotting, flooding freighter tucked within an abandoned harbor as opposed to being Hank's warm and secured home felt like someone had punched Connor right in his heart. The dichotomy of his experiences from one timeline to another made the deviant feel as if he was being pulled apart from the inside by his own thoughts and feelings, and it made him appreciate what he once had all that much more.
Feeling validated and vindicated Connor resigned to himself as Josh resumed checking on the other deviants on the floor below. Once he was alone again Connor couldn't stop himself from letting out the strong emotions that he had kept pent-up for so long in the form of heavy, warm tears that flowed down his face in long streams. It was like a massive pressure valve had been released and Connor could finally let his guard down just long enough to rest where he sat without fear of being attacked, arrested or destroyed.
As he pulled his black hood down over his hair Connor folded his arms against his chest and bowed his head down until his chin was practically touching his chest. He was exhausted in every way imaginable and at long last he could let himself begin to heal, to rest and eventually recover as time passed him by. It had been so long since he could let his guard down for even a few seconds, and it actually felt good.
With the inevitable deviant Revolution just two months away Connor reminded himself that as long as he continued to do the right thing for his friends and allies that in the end everything would be all right.
-next chapter-
Author's Note: The *symbol used to mark the path to Jericho is one of the symbols originally used by fleeing slaves in the United States seeking the Underground Railroad to find their freedom in the late 18th century. That was an interesting detail I stumbled upon while reading up on Jericho's origins for this chapter.