Standing on the sidewalk across the street from the newly built 'Skye Tower' Connor stared up at the three story building sporting a fresh coat of bright white paint and a sign of pale blue lights spelling out the name 'Skye' in an elegant style with modest pride glimmering in his deep, soulful brown eyes. Dancing his coin over the knuckles of his right hand the deviant remained steadfast on the sidewalk as he looked at the sanctuary with a strange trepidation that he couldn't quite identify and needed to analyze. The project had been completed, there were no complications from 'red tape' or a lack of funding, he had a staff ready to volunteer their time and yet it felt like Connor was standing before another obstacle that he simple couldn't identify.

It was a strange feeling, one that resided deep inside his heart and his mind. Whatever was upsetting what should be a proud moment left Connor feeling hollow.

"Connor?" Abby called out to the deviant as she walked up to him slowly along the sidewalk. She was still wearing one of Gavin's larger coats to cover her impressively large baby 'bump' while staving off the lingering winter cold as much as possible. "Is something wrong?"

"Abby." Turning to look at the technician who had become his friend, the deviant instinctively ran a biometric scan over Abby's body and noted her vitals, as well as the developing twenty-nine week old fetus she was carrying. They were both healthy and that gave Connor a sense of relief. "I'm glad you're here."

"You didn't answer my question." Crossing her arms defiantly over her chest Abby stared at Connor intently. "What's bothering you?"

"I am not bothered per se..." He admitted in a low voice as his eyes drifted over to Skye Tower warily. "I simply do not want to go inside that large building all alone."

"Oh." Looking around the area Abby noticed that Connor was in fact alone and that was very unusual. "Where's Hank?"

"At the precinct. He was unable to get the time off to join me today to examine the tower."

"And where is Markus?"

"Markus and North had gone out to the android refugee camp beyond the city limits to assist in transporting deviants from the camp and to the tower. He will join us next week after the tower is officially opened to the public, as will Hank. The volunteering staff will arrive the day before the tower opens to learn the layout of the tower and learn of their tasks."

"But everything is ready to go, right?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed as he finally pocketed his coin and took in a deep calming breath. "All that is required is an accurate inventory of the emergency repair bay as well as the medical wing, followed by an inspection to confirm that everything is up to code and legal."

"Sounds good to me. Now that I'm here, are you ready to go in?"

"I am." Extending his left arm Connor waited for Abby to take hold with her own arm so he could properly escort her across the snowy, icy street and to the tower on the other side. "I trust your judgment on determining whether or not the emergency medical and technical supplies, as well as the equipment, are appropriate and adequate."

"I highly doubt you overlooked anything vital." Pulling Connor's hand over to her belly for a moment Abby let the deviant feel a few kicks. "Relax."

"I hope so." Standing outside the glass double doors that were currently sealed electronically Connor retracted the artificial skin from the palm of his right hand and pressed it against the electronic panel to unlock the door. As the two glass doors slid open Connor escorted Abby inside and they stepped through the small foyer leading to the main lobby. "What do you think?"

"It looks great." Abby's response was enthusiastic and honest. The motions lights above automatically turned on as soon as she and Conner entered the space to examine the tower's interior. "This place is pretty incredible."

The new building used the base floor plans from the original building with a few modifications, and as such the first floor shared a similar layout to that of the now destroyed 'Eden Club.' The main lobby that once showcased the 'merchandise' was now a pristine white color with the private rooms converted as personal interview rooms for those who need counseling upon arrival or just a place to get out of the cold for a few hours and rest.

Down the hallway a secondary lobby led to a community room that had couches lining the walls as well as a large circular glass table in the center. Paintings that weren't dissimilar to the ones that Lucas had painted during his life hung on the walls as welcoming decor and large green potted plants graced the edges of the rooms to give the allure of fresh new life.

Beyond the community room was now a dining hall and kitchen to ensure that any and all humans inside the tower, whether they were on staff or refugees seeking shelter, would have a warm meal whenever they were hungry. The dining hall had two long tables with a dozen chairs on either side and the kitchen was equipped with the latest appliances for the sake of both convenience and safety. There was even a freezer dedicated solely to preserving Thirium and contained the relatively new Thirium based synthesized food meant to make deviants appear more human when out in public and needing to replenish their low Thirium reserves.

"Wow..." Abby was genuinely impressed with what she was seeing and gave Connor an approving smile. "This is amazing. This looks better than most shelters I've checked out during my time working as an E.M.S. back in Chicago. Where are the emergency wings?"

"Second floor." Motioning to a pair of elevators at the far wall of the main lobby Connor showed Abby to the next floor. "The emergency repair bay will be in the Western wing and the emergency medical bay will be in the Eastern wing."

"How many will be on staff?"

"There will be two dozen nurses in total." Connor explained as he and Abby prepared to enter the elevator together. "Rotating shifts, three to four nurses during the day and four to five at night if necessary. This includes humans and deviants alike."

"Doctors?" The elevator doors opened and Abby stepped inside with Connor still offering his arm for her to lean on. She rubbed her left hand over her growing belly as she fought to shift her center of gravity and balance properly while walking. "I know you wouldn't overlook having at least one doctor in the tower."

"We currently have only three doctors who are willing to volunteer their time during the day and are also willing to come to the tower at night in the event of an emergency."

"What about the technicians?"

"Also three. Yourself, Joel from the precinct and Dr. Wilson, who will also be one of the responding medical doctors, are currently the only ones who have volunteered their time."

"I guess that's a good start. I saw a kitchen downstairs." Abby noted as the elevator reached the second floor and the doors slid open. Connor took her down the Eastern wing to give the offered medical supplies, equipment and medication a once-over. "Does that mean there's a kitchen staff as well?"

"Yes. Several deviants at New Jericho Tower had been personal housekeepers before the Revolution and many of them miss being with their families. They are happy to take care of children again without the threat of human bigotry looming over them. It's also a therapeutic means for the deviants to reconnect to their pasts without being 'haunted' in the process and heal. The prospect of deviants aiding human children in need can also help bridge the gap between our people and help end the lingering discrimination."

Abby pressed her left hand down more firmly over her belly again and let out a sigh as her baby began kicking her. "Speaking of children... I think this little one woke up from their nap."

Stopping in the middle of the corridor Connor examined Abby's demeanor carefully as he checked on her current vital signs. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"No more than usual, why?"

"The third floor houses twenty-four separate private quarters for the inhabitants of the shelter to use at their own leisure. You're more than welcome to take a rest if you need to lay down."

"Connor." Abby turned abruptly to face Connor and put both of her hands on the deviant's shoulders. "I can't stress this enough; I'm pregnant, not dying."

The turn of phrase made Connor's eyes darken and he turned his face from Abby slowly. "...I apologize."

"No, no, no! I'm sorry." Abby immediately felt bad for her choice of words and let go of Connor's shoulders. Of all the things she could've said she had to reference 'dying' to someone who was just beginning to get over his grief as a widower. "I shouldn't have said that, you're just trying to help."

"I understand that most pregnant women experience chronic fatigue as well as body aches." The deviant needlessly explained as he resumed eye contact with the technician. "It was not my intention to suggest that your condition was a hindrance."

"Yeah, well, I appreciate the help, but I don't need it. I'm just sick of being seen as pregnant first and a person second."

"From the tone of your voice I feel it's safe to assume that Gavin is being overprotective while you are at home."

"Like you wouldn't believe..." Abby sighed again and put one hand to her forehead and her opposite hand to the middle of her back. "He seems to think if he leaves me alone for more than an hour the roof is going to suddenly cave in on me or I'm going to have this baby tear out of me like something from 'Alien'."

Connor's brow furrowed as he cybernetically sought details on her reference and found the metaphor surprisingly disturbing as details of the famous classic movie gave him the macabre information he needed. "That seems a bit... extreme."

Abby laughed at the comment and dropped her hand from her forehead. "Okay, uh, let's finish examining the wings and I'll let you know what you may still need to order before you open the tower to the public."

"Very well."

As the two continued their inspection of the newly constructed wings of the sanctuary Connor stopped short just behind Abby and looked back over his shoulder toward the location of the elevator. Abby hadn't noticed the deviant's reaction and was busily examining the gathered medical supplies and taking a mental stock of everything that had been procured, as well as the state of the art monitors and emergency medical devices that filled the wing.

Positioning himself between Abby and the elevator Connor instinctively reached for the gun that had always been holstered under his work blazer and around his back, only to find it missing. He hadn't carried his weapon since he resigned from the precinct and had subsequently been left without it.

"Connor?" Abby saw that the deviant was curiously on guard in the distance. She too then sensed something unusual was happening. "What's going on?"

"Someone else is inside the tower."

"What?"

The elevator doors opened as if waiting for a cue and a strung out, skinny junkie covered in dirt and wearing torn up clothes stumbled out of the elevator. His scabby, dirty hands were nervously scratching at the side of his neck and his arms. His red, bloodshot eyes fell on Connor and he flashed the deviant a horrific smile as his rotten, drug damaged teeth threatened to fall out his mouth at any second.

"Sir?" Connor called out to the junkie while maintaining authority in his voice. "You're trespassing at the moment. You need to leave."

"I n-need... I need..." The man stammered in a weird panting voice as he shuffled toward Connor, who was motioning for Abby to step away with the wave of his hand behind his back. "I need help!"

"We are not a functioning clinic, we merely offer-"

"You have some of the good shit, right?" The junkie sounded desperate and on the verge of shouting. "K-Kept in the back, right?!"

"'Good stuff'...?" Connor remembered that the term referenced powerful drugs and he cybernetically contacted the police to assist them at the tower. "We do not have any drugs here."

"Don't lie to me, man!" Pulling a sharp rusted knife from his dirty jean pocket the junkie held it out toward Connor with a shaking hand. Rubbing at the side of his face with his free hand the man stepped closer to the deviant with desperation flashing in his bloodshot eyes. "I need it! I'm hurtin' real bad..."

"I assure you, that there-"

"STOP. LYING." The man shouted as he lunged toward Connor only to have the deviant step back from the knife before it had the chance to harm him. "I know you have something! Why else w-would... would... would-"

From behind Connor a bottle of medication was rolled on the floor pass the deviant's foot as Abby spoke up in a calm voice. "Take that. It's all we have right now. Just take it and go."

"S-See?!" The man fell to his knees and grabbed onto the bottle with a trembling left hand as if he were stranded in a desert and had finally found water. As he stood up from the floor he glared angrily at Connor and wiped his arm over his sweating face. "I knew you had something!"

"It's not safe for you-"

"SHUT UP!" The man struggled to get the lid off the plastic bottle of pills as his grip was as weak as it was shaky. "Why do you want me to hurt, man?!"

"I do not. I am trying to help you."

"This is all the help I need!" As he finally got the lid off the bottle the armed junkie poured four pills into his hand and downed them without even so much as a glance at the medication he was now greedily subjecting himself to. He swallowed slowly and immediately relaxed. "I feel better already. You..." He looked past Connor toward Abby and began approaching her. "You helped me. You'll help my friends, too."

"Do NOT touch her." Connor forcibly put himself between Abby and the crazed junkie, knife be damned. "I'm warning you. Leave. Now."

"Fuck you!"

Connor grabbed onto the man's tattered shirt collar with his right hand and held it in a tight grip to ensure he couldn't get any closer to Abby until the police arrived. "If you go near her or threaten her in any way I will-"

"Do what?!" The junkie challenged aggressively as the deviant attempted to keep him away from Abby. "Shoot me?!"

"...I do not want to hurt you."

"Yeah? Hurt me?" The junkie laughed a little as he gave Connor a defiant, bloodshot glare. "Like this?!"

The junkie plunged his knife into Connor's right shoulder causing the deviant to release his grip around the junkie's collar as he let out a yelp of pain. Free from Connor's grip and now able to flee the building, the man turned around and quickly returned to the elevator with his ill-gotten drugs in his hands and hastily disappeared from sight as the elevator doors slid shut.

"Connor!?" Abby rushed over to her friend as he pressed his left hand down against the bleeding wound in his right shoulder. The knife had been left embedded in his shoulder and blue blood seeped all around the blade, down his arm and into the fabric of his black t-shirt and stained his leather jacket. "Oh, Connor... You're hurt."

"...It's not critical." Connor winced as he allowed Abby to push his hand aside so she could inspect the injury for herself. "I would rather have been stabbed than you harmed."

"Come on," struggling to focus on Connor now that she was being kicked by her baby getting a dose of her adrenaline rush, Abby fell back into technician mode to aid her wounded friend. "let's go take a closer look at the emergency repair bay."

"The police are two minutes away." Connor updated as he remained in cybernetic contact with dispatch. Walking toward the emergency repair wing with Abby at his side Connor ran a self diagnostic and found that the main Thirium line running up his arm and into his shoulder had been missed; only the smaller lines had been damaged by the blade. "They have been informed of the man's hostile behavior and have been given a full description of his appearance."

"I can't believe this happened."

"It was my fault." The deviant lamented as he walked slowly and monitored Abby's vital signs closely. "I did not lock the door after we entered."

"This place is supposed be a shelter to those in need. You should never have to lock the doors." Abby refuted as they stepped into the first treatment room of the repair bay and walked over to the nearest exam table. "Sit down." Gently she began peeling back the torn fabric of Connor's jacket and t-shirt to examine the wound more closely as the deviant sat down on the edge of the exam table as instructed. "This knife is filthy, you'll need your shoulder rinsed out thoroughly to prevent contamination."

"Do not touch the handle." Connor cautioned Abby as she pressed her fingers down around the blade to palpate the wound. "It'll compromise the man's fingerprints."

"Where are the gloves?"

"In the bin mounted against the Eastern wall." Connor nodded toward the white metallic bin full of purple tinted protective gloves. "The incrassation compound and decontamination chrism is in the cabinet directly across from it."

Connor became quiet for a moment as he cybernetically informed the emergency service provider he had been connected with of his and Abby's current location in the tower and of the assault committed by the junkie. Even though the junkie was no longer on the second floor that didn't mean he hadn't left the building or wouldn't come back to assault Connor or even Abby.

"This will be difficult," Abby stated as she slipped on a pair of gloves over her hands. "but I know I can pull the knife out."

"I'll do it." Connor wrapped his bare left hand, one that bore no fingerprints, around the handle of the knife and pulled it out of his own right shoulder with a single, swift motion. As the blade was removed from from the wound additional blue blood gushed outward and stained the floor as Connor hissed in pain at the simple but effective gesture. "...That was unpleasant."

"Yeah, I can tell."

The elevator doors opened again but this time it was Chris and his new, permanently assigned android partner, Jack, who trekked down the corridors as they sought Connor and Abby. Upon seeing the two occupants of the tower together and out of harm's way the two officers were visibly relieved.

"Connor, man, you okay?" Chris asked as he entered the repair bay and gave his friend a worried stare as Abby cleaned up the blood and began disinfecting the wound. "I thought you'd be safe from this kind of thing after you left the precinct."

"As did I. I can give you a perfect description of the man who attacked us." Holding up the Thirium drenched knife in a nonthreatening way he then handed it over to Jack to take, as he too would be unable to compromise the evidence with his nonexistent fingerprints. "The man escaped with a single bottle of medication in his possession."

Jack took the knife and offered his hand to Connor to interface with the deviant and download the provided memory of the junkie's likeness to use as evidence at trial. The memory also confirmed that the junkie had threatened Connor and Abby before Connor tried to restrain him, therefore it was a clear case of self defense and not assault against the offending junkie.

Chris pulled out his small electronic notepad and began taking notes on the situation at hand while Jack and Connor interfaced. "What was the medication?"

Abby replied casually as she pressed a wad of clean white gauze down against Connor's still bleeding shoulder. "It was a bottle of methylene blue."

"Of... what?"

"It's a very weak antiseptic used to clean out the urinary tract. Don't worry, though." Pulling open the torn fabric of Connor's shirt to fully expose the wound, Abby gave the officer a reassuring grin as she poured incrassation over the stab wound. "Just monitor the hospitals and he'll show up soon enough."

"Why? What's that stuff going to do that'll make him stand out at a hospital?"

"It makes your urine turn blue."

Chris laughed a little as he gave Jack a simple order. "Do as she said, man. Make sure the deviants working at the hospitals give us a heads up in a man fitting the description comes in pissing blue."

"I will do so." Jack, who was still more machine than deviant as he had far less experience with interacting the humans directly, cybernetically asked for assistance from the local hospitals and the deviants who worked there. "They will also inform us if the man arrives and prevent him from leaving."

"Good." Connor sounded genuinely relieved. As he winced a little he watched Abby cleaning up his shoulder and bandaging up the wound with a gentle touch then returned his attention to Chris and Jack. "Thank you for helping us so quickly."

"No problem, Connor. We may not be working together at the precinct anymore but, I'll still come running if you need help just as I would anyone else in the city. We're still friends, right?"

"Right." The response was as humbling as it was comforting. "Of course we are."

Though the initial examination of the tower was unorthodox with the intrusion of the junkie and of Connor and Abby being threatened with a knife, everything was seemingly ready to begin function after the building inspector approved of the overall construction. The full grand opening the following week would take place as scheduled without any hindrances and with a full staff at the ready. The prompt arrival of emergency services also helped solidify that the tower would be a safe place for anyone who needed help.

"I'm sorry you got hurt." Abby apologized as she walked up to the front door of her house with Connor escorting her every step of the way. "But at least we know that the emergency repair bay is fully operational."

"Yes. It was an unusual way to check on the technical supplies," he remarked as he pressed his left palm down over his bandages up right shoulder. "but efficient all the same."

Sighing a little Abby put her right hand under her distended belly and tried to straighten up her sore back as much as possible. "In a few more months I won't be able to do much because I'll be too big, but I'm more than happy to help you. In fact, I'm a little bit bigger than I should be at this point but I guess that's the price I get to pay to have a healthy baby."

"I strongly suggest you look into the mandatory maternity and paternity leave I had instilled at the tower."

"Seriously? Mandatory?"

"Volunteers aren't getting paid very much and I do not want to see expectant parents being harmed for attempting a good deed, let alone missing out on their own children's birth."

"Trust me, I won't miss anything about this impending birth." She joked as she lightly patted her hands rhythmically over her growing belly. "I promise I'll check into it." A strong kick nearly stole her breath and Abby just sighed to herself. "Soon. This kid's kicking up a storm and is getting as restless as I am about the birth."

"Thank you. I just want you to be as safe and healthy as possible."

"I know. Now, I need to go take a warm bath and relax." Longing to ease the strain on her back Abby pined for a moment alone to rest and soak the aches from her swollen joints. "I'll see you next week."

"Of course. Thank you for your time and donating your skills."

"You're welcome." Unlocking her front door Abby stepped inside her house and turned on the lights to the livingroom. As she waddled into her house she turned around and faced Connor one last time before she closed the door to lock it again, knowing Connor wouldn't leave until he heard the bolt slip into place. "Goodnight. The tower is great!"

"Goodnight, Abby. I look forward to working with you."

After escorting Abby back to her home Connor returned home as well with his left hand still pressed against his sore right shoulder and over top the healing wound. Stepping through the front door of the house Connor was greeted by Sumo, who had been left alone all day and needed some attention. As the massive dog jumped up to greet his owner Sumo sensed that Connor was injured and refrained from touching his right shoulder as he stood on his hind legs and licked the left side of Connor's face.

"Hi, boy."

Gingerly Connor rubbed Sumo's ears with his left hand and coaxed the dog into getting back down to the floor.

"Let's go for a short walk."

As soon as Connor's hand reached for the leash on the hook by the front door he received a message from Hank asking him how his day had gone at the tower and if there were any problems he should be worried about. It was too perfectly timed and worded to just be a coincidence.

"...Maybe Chris really is a gossip."

Connor thought out loud as he clipped the leash to Sumo's collar and opened the front door. Sumo tilted his head and wagged his tail as if he were trying to understand what Connor was saying to him as they stepped out into the brisk winter air.

"I should've been the one to inform Hank of my injury, not him."

As he stepped outside with Sumo on the leash, his left hand holding onto the leash to keep the massive dog from accidentally pulling his bandaged right shoulder, Connor took in the peacefully calm street around him and let out a slow sigh.

The day was unusual yet it was productive and in the end quite positive. Cybernetically Connor responded to Hank's text succinctly with his honestly simple response: 'Could've been worse.'

-next chapter-