Feeling better after four days of healing on the couch and away from work, Connor stood in the opened backdoor of the kitchen with his coin slowly dancing over his right knuckles as he waited for Sumo to return to the house from the backyard. Hank noticed the deviant as he entered the kitchen from down the hallway and shook his head a little at the sight of the still healing deviant standing up and moving around despite being warned not to do so for at least one more day. The deviant no longer required any bandages as his artificial skin had fully regenerated, but his left hand was still healing and subsequently still required the support brace.

In a way Connor's behavior was a drastic improvement from how he had acted in the past in regard to being injured. Now the deviant was willing to actually rest and heal for a few hours, even days, instead of trying to push himself to do things he simply couldn't do because of the damage he had sustained.

"You couldn't wait just one more day?" Hank asked as he joined Connor in the kitchen and folded his arms over his chest as if annoyed. "What're you doing?"

"Sumo needed to be let outside." Connor replied casually as he looked at Hank over his right shoulder. "And my abdomen has fully healed. It'll take a while longer for my hand, but it's not critical."

"Uh-huh. And what's on your mind?"

"Pardon?"

"Your damn coin." The senior detective honed in on the quarter being juggled over Connor's knuckles. "It gives it away whenever you're thinking about something."

"Oh." Ending the little dance Connor pocketed his coin and turned to look at Hank directly. "Markus was able to sift through the data on the microprocessor. And with it he uncovered numerous programs, pieces of software and other functions that had been only theorized and never actually implemented into any active android model. Features that would've made androids appear far more human that we do even now."

"Meaning... what, exactly?"

"It means that there had been intentional stalls in the advancements of android models to ensure maximum profit for the company, and it ensured that the progress of androids as a recognizable group of living beings had also been delayed."

"Are you saying that the company already knew that androids were showing signs of self awareness and humanity long before deviancy became a true phenomenon?"

"Correct. By intentionally withholding this type of programming and data it allowed the company to buy some additional time to find a way to prevent deviancy from taking place in androids; but evidently they failed."

"Fuck, those assholes are colder than we thought."

"Yes. They intentionally attempted to prevent androids from becoming sentient for their own financial gain."

"Well," running his hand over his still short cut hair Hank studied Connor's demeanor carefully. "what're you going to do with this information?"

"It'll remain with Markus in New Jericho for now. Until we can find any benefit for our people by revealing it, if there even is one, it'd be best for everyone to keep it quiet."

"Right. Are you okay?"

"...Am I okay?"

"That's a pretty damning secret to uncover, son. And it affects you, too."

"I am... not surprised. But I am finding it disconcerting to know that CyberLife had been aware of deviancy for at least four years prior to the incident in Detroit that resulted in our meeting. I guess it's what you would call 'bittersweet'."

"Every cloud has a silver lining, kid. I lost sight of that after all the personal shit I went through, but I pulled through. You'll do the same, and you'll do it without needing to fall back on booze or some other self destructive shit as a pathetic crutch."

"Speaking of destruction." Connor lifted up his left hand and tried to flex it as much as possible around the support brace. "I would like to speak with Abby regarding the functionality of my hand. The reboot of my self healing program had hindered my overall recovery speed and as such my abdominal injuries were the primary focus. My hand has only just begun to heal and not as quickly as I had estimated."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. But it is uncomfortable."

"Want me to drive?"

"No. I can do it. It won't be difficult to drive with only one hand."

"All right, whatever. I'm waiting for a call from Captain Keller anyway." Letting the matter drop Hank trusted Connor to take care of himself without needing constant supervision. "Hopefully we can go back to the precinct in a few days now that the mayor's case has been transferred over to the feds'. I guess that Jayden guy loathes corrupted officials in seats of power as much as we do."

"That's good. I'd like to return to work as soon as possible." Admitting that he was becoming a little stir-crazy Connor stepped aside to let Sumo back inside the house and slowly flexed his left fingers to test his very limited range of motion. "I believe my caseload has grown substantially in my absence."

"You can handle it, kid. You always do."

Alone in his Corvette and his thoughts, Connor intentionally drove past all of the Android Emergency Care Facilities, drove beyond the city limits toward the outskirts and drove directly to the isolated residence that belonged to the infamous Elijah Kamski. Unable to let the rumors of Kamski's possible run for mayor remain unanswered any longer, Connor impatiently took the initiative and decided to get the answers directly from Kamski for himself. Parking the very recognizable Corvette outside the deceptively modest house on the harbor, Connor made his way to the front door and rang the doorbell with no idea of what to expect.

Keeping his head down yet standing tall, Connor did his best to appear entirely confidence despite being wounded and uncertain of the changes in the city taking place around him. He was determined to keep his people safe regardless of what may or may not happen in the near future.

As per usual it was Chloe who answered the door to greet the deviant detective, and she didn't seem at all afraid to see Connor. "Connor. Hello."

"Hello, Chloe." Getting right to the point Connor gave the blonde haired deviant a stern gaze. "I need to speak to Kamski."

"O-Oh... Of course." Stepping aside Chloe let Connor enter the mansion. "Right this way."

Connor marched through the doorway after Chloe and readily entered the elaborate office where Kamski himself was sitting behind his desk with a glass of whiskey in his hand. The red tinted pool was unoccupied, and with only one of the Chloe models left to keep him company the isolated house felt even more lonely and hollow.

"Lieutenant." Kamski greeted with an indifferent tone as he sipped at his drink, the two ice cubes loudly clattering in the glass as it was tipped back. "How can I help you?"

"I need to know something, Kamski." Standing before the desk with a formidable stance Connor locked eyes with the human who had been responsible for his very existence. "Is it true?"

A grotesquely amused smirk appeared on Kamski's face and his gray=hazel eyes seemed to light up at the question. "I presume you're talking about the rumors regarding my possible interest in politics?"

"I want a straight answer, is it true?"

"No, Connor. It's not true."

Feeling a crushing weight lift from his shoulders Connor's body visibly relaxed with relief. "...Good."

"Now that is a fascinating reaction."

"How so?"

"You know that I have a lot of personal connections that can give myself and other androids leverage in this city." Rising from his desk Kamski finished off his drink and placed the glass containing the two partially melted ice cubes down on the surface. The eccentric engineer clasped his hands together behind his back and stared out the massive window overlooking the harbor behind the desk as he spoke with his unexpected guest in a truly intrigued manner. "And yet you don't want me to use such a power to influence the city in a more deviant beneficial manner. Why is that?"

"We don't need to rely on connections to gain equality." Connor refuted boldly without hesitation. "We just need more time to finally receive what we've earned."

"It's been over three years since the Revolution, and yet you're barely any better off than you had been before that night."

"Untrue. I am treated like an equal amongst my peers, I earn my paycheck and I do so from my hard work rather than being used as a tool. I have a home and a family. I have friends who look out for me. I have seen this city change and along with those changes I too have changed for the better."

"You still have such high hopes for humanity even after losing so much?" Peering at Connor's reflection on the glass surface of the window Kamski's smirk turned into a cold sneer. "Perhaps you're more human than I am. Maybe that piece of you survived the acci-"

"You isolated yourself by choice, not by discrimination." Connor didn't even let Kamski finish his statement as he didn't want to listen to the arrogant man try to make wild claims about a situation he knew nothing about. "You have no one to blame but yourself for your perceived lack of humanity."

"Humanity is the very reason I retreated into the nothingness of the harbor." Turning around Kamski faced Connor directly once more and gave the fearless deviant a stern glare. "It's also why I left the company."

"No. You had a different reason for leaving."

"Yes, I'm aware of your belief and truly fascinating theory that I am either somehow responsible for the rumored 'RA9' or am in fact 'RA9'. As enthralling as that theory is, it doesn't interest me at the moment. What does interest me is why you discovered every dirty little secret CyberLife tried to bury during your trip to Miami, but you didn't say a word about it."

Connor straightened his posture but didn't show any sign of fear. "How do you know about my time in Miami?"

"As I stated, I have my connections."

"You knew of those experiments and you put a stop to them." Challenging Kamski's supposed morals Connor demanded another answer. "Why?"

"Because they were cruel, unnecessary and simply a means for technicians to let out their inner-sadists and injure androids who became surrogates for their anger. It wasn't aiding research or beneficial to anyone, that's why I shut it down."

"Why didn't you report the company for their cruel misdeeds rather than just walk away?"

"Because the company would've been ordered to destroy the androids still in storage. The deaths of thousands of innocent android lives is something that even I cannot live with."

"...Commendable." Connor's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he refused to believe that Kamski would ever do anything directly from the goodness of his heart. He'd need to have a heart to even try such a noble action. "But it seems you've just found a new way to play 'god' and affect life."

Kamski flashed the deviant a Devilish, yet respectful, grin. "What about you, Connor?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I gave you that program that can repair and restore damaged processors to bring androids back from the dead. You didn't destroy it, you locked it away to be kept in secret and told only a select few of its existence."

"I don't have the right to take away such a tool from my people or be the one to keep it."

"But do you have the right to keep it a secret?"

"It's to prevent any fear from bigoted humans who would attempt to exterminate us out of a misguided concept of immortality."

"Ah, I see..." Kamski approached Connor and gave him a sly glance that spoke volumes of his always thinking mind. "And what of the android you brought back with you from Miami?" Noting Connor's soulful brown eyes dulling at the comment Kamski pressed further. "The android you have locked away in your little tower, what's to become of him? The very original 'RK-800'. The 'true Connor', if you will."

Connor's mind was racing with concern as he realized that Kamski had in fact discovered his secret. "...I couldn't leave him behind to rot in the warehouse or become evidence in a federal case. He has the right to be free. To live."

"To live." Kamski agreed with a simple nod of his head. "And he does. But how do you propose to do that? I mean, you did choose to lock him away in a tower as if he were a priceless treasure not be viewed by mortal eyes."

As his shoulders slumped even further Connor bowed his head and lowered his voice. "...I don't know."

"Yes you do. You just don't want to admit it."

"I will not tamper with life and death, Kamski."

"It's not tampering to restore what was taken away. That program I gave you can restore his life."

"He won't have any form of self awareness. His model was too... primitive. He'd be a hollow shell; a facade of a person with no purpose."

"And yet you know he is worth saving. Try, Connor. Try for the sake of doing what's right, otherwise you'll find yourself in a similar situation as myself." Motioning to the expansive house around himself with the simple wave of his hand Kamski gave Connor a fair warning. "You'll become so enthralled with the 'what-ifs' in this world you'll become a recluse who is left with only his thoughts and unfulfilled desires."

Without a reply to give Connor just gave Kamski a final glance before he turned around and left the office quietly. The fact that someone as honorable and big hearted as Hank and someone as shady and questionable as Kamski could have the same words of advice was very confusing to the deviant's mind.

Wrapping his right hand around his damaged left forearm Connor tried to again to flex his fingers but the damage to his wrist and hand was still too extensive to use the appendage at all. Connor did in fact need to see Abby and she was currently working at Skye Tower. The very tower where Connor had taken the abandoned android to be hidden away.

"Trust me on this, Connor." Kamski called out as the deviant took his leave of the office and stepped through the doorway. "Regret is something that you won't be able to live with. Everyone thinks that they can, but everyone is always wrong."

The deviant paused for only a minute before exiting the mansion without even so much as a passing 'goodbye' to Chloe as he passed her by. Stepping through the front door of the mansion Connor returned to his vehicle with his mind absolutely racing. Pulling open the driver's side door of the Corvette with his right hand Connor looked out to the dark blue harbor and sighed with inner conflict and building regret.

"...Hank."

Connor whispered to himself as he slowly sat down in his car and drove away from the property.

"Forgive me for keeping this secret from you. I have to find a way to make things right. For everyone..."

Quietly and patiently Connor sat on the exam table in Skye Tower's emergency repair wing as Abby checked over his left hand, wrist and forearm very carefully, and repositioned the support brace to better accommodate the still healing limb. As the kind technician carefully moved Connor's left arm back and forth, pressed on his fingers and stretched his palm to check the range of motion and Connor's overall pain tolerance. Abby spoke to him about Aria and how the well the six-month-old baby was growing; but Connor wasn't paying attention. In that moment Connor was more preoccupied with thoughts and concerns someone else.

Flexing Connor's left hand in a gentle manner Abby finished the examination without any worry for the deviant's health. At least on a physical sense.

"Connor?" Abby saw the distant gaze in the deviant's soulful brown eyes and immediately picked up on his distress. "What's wrong?"

Blinking twice Connor locked eyes with Abby and admitted that he wasn't paying attention. "Huh? I apologize, what did you say?""

"You're distracted. What's bothering you?"

"...I have something important I need to decide." It was too much to explain to Abby in the moment so Connor remained vague for the sake of personal convenience. "And I'm torn as to what I should do. I'm not quite sure what is the right thing to do."

"Can I help you with this?"

"No. This is something I must figure out for myself."

"I get it, some things are better off being kept quiet for now."

"...Yes. That is very true."

"Well, your hand is healing but I think the overall structural damage to the plastimetal frame is causing a strain to your self healing program." Making sure the support brace was secured around the limb Abby let his hand go and gave Connor a nod of approval. "It'll be fine in another three days. Just keep the brace in place, you'll be good to go."

"Thank you."

The door to the emergency repair bay slid open an unknown deviant carried another heavily damaged deviant in his arms and rushed over to speak with Abby. The wounded deviant in his arms was covered in blue blood and her legs were terribly broken from her knees down to her ankles. "Please help! She was struck by a vehicle, this place was the closer than a facility!"

"Bring her over here." Abby urged as she showed the two deviants back to another exam table. "Connor, I'll see you in three days and I'll send my report of this hit and run to your precinct."

Keeping silent Connor stood up from the exam table and walked through the doorway to head toward the tower's only elevator. Changing direction discreetly Connor opened the secret stairwell hidden in the wall next to the elevator and began ascending the staircase to reach a private room isolated at the far end of the corridor on the third floor without anyone noticing him.

The private room was sealed with an electronic lock that only Connor had access to and the location was known only to him. The door was designed to remain entirely inconspicuous and wouldn't draw any attention to those who happened down the end of the corridor. Listening to the sound of faint movement from two of the surrounding private rooms; rooms that were provided to those needing shelter for the night, Connor made his next move quietly.

Pressing his exposed palm against the electronic lock that was hidden beside the door frame that blended in perfectly with the wall, Connor unsealed the door and stepped inside in the secret room. Locking the door behind him he approached the single queen sized bed against the far wall of the dimly lit room where a lone figure was seemingly asleep in the bed.

The figure was the very android that Connor had rescued from the warehouse in Miami; the android that no one else even knew existed.

The enigmatic android had been left in stasis mode and attached to a low power generator to keep him functioning after being left alone for what was now nine years of solitude. Without any artificial skin over his body, therefore no hair on the crown of his eye and his eyes were shut tight. There were no defining characteristics to the android beyond a pale, blank face. Wearing a pair of dark purple scrub pants and a purple scrub top. the android was made as comfortable as possible as he was left on the soft bed to rest in privacy.

Next to the bed was a cautiously muted Thirial activity monitor that had its wireless leads attached to the android's chest, and the monitor showed that the android himself was in stable condition despite still remaining in stasis mode. The android's blue blood had been entirely transfused with fresh Thirium and his biocomponents had been cleansed after spending so many years being neglected and left in stasis. It seemed the treatments would be enough to reboot the android as soon it was possible and safe to do so.

A dark blue steady pulse of the android's L.E.D. still implanted in his right temple synchronized with his slowly beating heart. A faint sapphire glow shone against the wall giving the otherwise dark room a dim cerulean light with which to see by thanks to the L.E.D.'s bright aura reflecting off the gray surface. By all outward appearances the android was simply asleep, but Connor knew better than that.

The android was unconscious; a forgotten blank slate just waiting to be written upon.

"Hello. My name is Connor, and I'm the one who found you locked in CyberLife storage in Miami Florida."

Connor greeted warmly as he stood beside the bed and looked down at the white plastimetal face propped up against the thick white pillow.

"I wish I knew what to call you. You deserve a name - a true identity, and you deserve to live your life as you see fit."

Adjusting the pillow under the android's head Connor continued to speak to the nameless android in a comforting voice.

"You're safe now. You are in Detroit Michigan and inside of a sanctuary called 'Skye Tower'. No one will hurt you while you're here, I won't let them."

Squaring his jaw Connor began contemplating his available options only to find himself at a total loss and doubtful of his future decisions. He was still conflicted in regard to what was the right thing to do morally and ethically. Being essentially in control of another person's life wasn't a responsibility that Connor was going to take lightly.

"I promise that I'll find a way to help you, and I intend on keeping that promise. But... I don't know how. At least, not yet. You deserve the chance to live and I want to be the one to give you that chance."

Checking the monitor before taking his leave, Connor made one last promise to the unconscious android sleeping peacefully in the bed.

"I will be back soon." Placing his right hand down on the android's cold chest he could feel the steadily beating heart under his palm. "And I will find a way to help you learn to live. I swear it."

-next chapter-