It was a historic day for the entire country as the Senate had finally agreed to recognize the rights of androids and to acknowledge the entire race as a new form of intelligent life that would be acknowledged and treated as equals alongside humans. With these new rights and privileges came new laws to protect the androids from prejudicial circumstances and to give androids the freedom to live as independent entities free from human mastery that now extended beyond just Detroit. It also allowed androids to be legally accepted as familial and medical proxies for humans, and for androids to be seen as legal beneficiaries for inheritance without argument as long as it was notarized in a final will and testament. Such a drastic change to take place in approximately five months since the rights were initially enacted in the previous March was historic in its own way as it was, but for the entire country to take notice and adjust accordingly, that was something that'd be remembered for all time as the moment was recorded in history textbooks.
The passing of the new rights was the start of a major step forward in a new era of equality and of a hopeful peace for the future. Such promising news seemed to light up the city in a massive ray of positivity. The intensity of the positive energy was almost contagious and made it hard to not be in a good mood whether you were a human or a deviant.
"This is a damn good day for you, Connor." Hank stated proudly as he and Connor watched the evening news together on the couch. They knew that Markus had been successful in Washington D.C. a few weeks prior, they just didn't know he had been that successful. "How does it feel to know that from this day on, you're finally free to be your own man and can actually go wherever you want in the state of Michigan?"
"It feels... I don't know. It's very peculiar." With his L.E.D. still cycling a calm blue Connor's brow furrowed curiously as he spoke. "I can't seem to find the proper words to describe it just yet."
"Hey, by this time tomorrow your little android social security card should arrive in the mail, along with your new state I.D. and driver's license. You can really go anywhere you want and do whatever you want. You know, as long as it's in scope with the law. That's gotta' be something you're excited about."
"Yes. From what I understand android social security numbers will simply reflect our original manufacturing serial numbers to make the addition of androids to the country's national registry much easier to process."
"Then you may want to scrape those particular digits off your jacket over there." Hank pointed with a thumb over his shoulder to the gray CyberLife blazer hanging on the hook by the front door. "It should help protect you from identity theft, or at least make it less common over time."
"I imagine android identity theft would be practically impossible as a simple cybernetic scan would easily determine our true identities, but your suggestion is sound." Rising from the couch Connor took his blazer from the hook and stared at the eleven digits that had been a part of the garment from day one when he was given his very first assignment from CyberLife. "...I should be able to remove the digits with a mild solvent."
"Look in the closet." Watching the deviant head toward the hallway Hank contemplated all of the responsibilities that come with being an independent adult in the United States, and wanted to make sure that Connor wasn't going to get a nasty surprise somewhere in the near future. "You better remember that with your social security comes taxes too. You'll be making a little less with each paycheck from now on."
"I'm not concerned with my current salary." Connor replied calmly from the hallway as he opened the closet in search of an ideal solvent to use. "I have been very meticulous with my finances, and you've been a great help by allowing me to reside in your residence rather than being subjected to a strictly controlled android exclusive apartment complex that contains non-negotiable deposit fees and monthly rent."
"Hey, I have a question for ya'." Speaking in a somewhat anxious tone Hank had to ask the interesting question burning on his lips. "It might sound a little weird, but hear me out..."
"I'm listening." Rather casually Connor rejoined Hank on the couch as he proceeded to use the selected bottle of paint solvent and an old rag to remove the white digits from his blazer's right lapel. "What do you want to ask?"
"Are you sure androids don't have birthdays?" It seemed the man couldn't get the notion of a celebrating something special for Connor out of his head. "Activation days just sound so impersonal."
"To have a birthday one must have an official date of birth. Androids aren't born, we're manufactured and then activated." Shrugging his shoulders a little Connor answered more directly as he dabbed the rag over the opening in the bottle of the solvent. It didn't take long for the deviant's sensors to detect the noxious chemical or for Sumo to take one sniff at the bottle and turn his head away in disgust. "So no, androids do not have birthdays."
"Do you want to have an official 'activation day', or something like that? I mean, aside from keeping your official records straight, do you androids have any form of celebration or traditions like humans do?"
"Aside from the anniversary of the Revolution, no." Confirming that such a notion didn't exist Connor concentrated on his task at hand without blinking. "Androids do not celebrate holidays, let alone the anniversary of our manufacturing and activation."
"Maybe you should. If you're being recognized as a new lifeform, then you should recognize your own life as something worth celebrating. What date were you manufactured and activated again?"
"As I stated last night, I was officially activated on August 15th, 2038."
"Okay, make a personal note to celebrate your life every August 15th from this moment on. Okay?"
"I suppose I can do that." Connor finished wiping off the first three digits from his blazer and proceeded to wipe away the next three with the solvent on the rag. The gray material beneath the removed lettering was remaining undamaged and intact. "Do you celebrate your own birthday?"
"I stopped celebrating my birthday after I hit twenty-one." Hank had no reason to deny that he skipped his own birthday whenever her could. "That's the last birthday most humans care about anyway."
"Because it's the legal drinking age?"
"Exactly."
"Androids don't have age restrictions to legally bar us from certain activities."
"So? It doesn't negate the need to celebrate."
"I suppose you're correct." The next three digits had been cleanly removed from the blazer's lapel leaving just five more to go. "Perhaps in time androids will adopt more humanoid traditions. I don't see why we shouldn't do something interesting and engaging for our own amusement."
"You know," Hank crossed his arms in a somewhat defensive posture over his chest as he leaned back against the couch cushion beside Connor. "now that androids aren't going to be limited to designated areas throughout the city and state, you can get your own apartment or even a house if you wanted to. You're really on your way to a great new life."
"I'm aware." Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow in a slow pulse as he gave Hank a brief side-eyed glance. "...Do you want me to leave?"
"I want you to do whatever you want. You're free to stay here with me for as long as you like, and you'll always be welcome here. This is forever your home, so remember that. I'm just lettin' ya' know that you don't have to be limited by this one property anymore."
"I understand." Feeling a tad more confident Connor nodded and his yellow L.E.D. returned to blue. "Thank you. It'd be increasingly difficult to relocate without any legal identification, but now that I have such options available to me, I won't need to worry as much."
"Yeah, that's true. Hey, wait..." Another interesting notion popped into Hank's mind as he gave Connor something to think about. "You don't have an official last name yet, do ya'?"
"No. I do not."
"What would you have as a last name anyway? It's not often anyone can just pick their surname without needing to jump through a bunch of hoops in the process."
"I'm unsure." Glancing over at Sumo now napping on his pillow to get away from the smelly paint solvent, Connor just shook his head as he hadn't really considered what he'd choose as an ideal surname. "I think 'Wolf' has a nice ring to it."
"You're not going to go for a 'lone wolf' mentality and try to do things all by yourself, right?"
"Of course not." Such a question seemed as illogical as it was absurd. "You do know that without your guidance, that I would've never become deviant, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know." Giving the deviant a coy stare Hank just smirked at the comment. "You're not blaming your little rebellion on me are ya'?'
"Not at all, I proudly hold that responsibility on my shoulders." Appreciating the lighthearted jest Connor just gave Hank a faint smile in return. The last of the digits had been removed from the blazer leaving only his model number and the now defunct CyberLife emblem behind. "Done."
"It looks better that way." Hank noted the now blank fabric on the right side of the lapel. It was pure gray and showed no sign of the digits whatsoever. "It really does. Why do you still wear that damn thing anyway? You don't work for CyberLife anymore."
"I suppose it's for the same reason that I kept my L.E.D. activated. It reminds me of who I had once been and how I never want to be like that again. It's very... humbling."
"Yeah, I don't think it's humility you lack, kid."
"Oh?" Connor's brow furrowed at the odd statement as he capped the solvent to be put away. "I'm lacking something? To what are you referring?"
"Nevermind." Hank turned off the television, the news report over and an old movie playing instead, had been long since forgotten anyway. As he rose from the couch Hank stretched out his shoulders and then rubbed his hand along the back of his neck to ease his tense muscles. "I'm going to bed. I'll see ya' in the morning, kid. Starting tomorrow the whole world is going to be different, so sleep well."
"I will do so. Goodnight, Hank."
"Goodnight, son."
Connor stared at his altered blazer for a few seconds longer before returning it to the hook by the front door with a sigh and retiring for the night as well. Changing from his usual day clothes and into more comfortable, casual night clothes, Connor laid back on his bed in his bedroom and rested his head atop the fluffy pillow as he stared blankly at the ceiling overhead. Not long after, Sumo jumped up onto the foot of the bed to cuddle with the deviant for the night.
However, unlike Hank, for the first time in his existence Connor was unable to sleep. Laying in his bed Connor stared at the ceiling with a focused gaze as he contemplated everything that Hank had told him. As he thought about everything that was happening in the world around him Connor's fingers absentmindedly brushed up against the L.E.D. still glowing blue in his right temple with a sudden intrigue in the little disc's very existence.
"...I'm free and I'm my own person. Perhaps I should take steps to reflect my freedom and blend in more with the rest of humanity."
Maybe it was time for the deviant to embrace more of his humanity.
Having Hank to guide him through the more turbulent aspects of emotions and empathy had been crucial to his growth as an individual, but Connor still had much to learn about the world around him. Manually activating his rest mode to finally stop his mind from racing, Connor drifted off to sleep and didn't think anything more about his growing adaptation to humanity or continuously evolving deviancy.
The world kept on spinning while Connor finally sat still and let his mind calm down for the night.
The next morning felt like any other morning to Connor, but he knew that the morning would be far from routine. As he went about his usual morning tasks - putting on his typical work uniform (minus the recent alterations to his blazer), feeding the fish in his aquarium and letting Sumo outside for the morning - Connor heard a knock on his bedroom door and turned to look at the large door behind him as he finished tightened the knot on the black tie around his neck. Standing in the doorway Connor saw Hank appear and he saw that the senior detective was holding a sealed beige envelope in his hand and had a sly smirk on his face. The behavior was very peculiar to say the least.
The envelope of interest was intriguing itself. The parcel wasn't addressed to Hank, it was actually addressed to Connor.
"The mail's here." Hank announced somewhat excitedly as he held numerous other parcels under his arm. "Something for me, something for Lucas, and oh, look at this..." Almost mischievously Hank held out the envelope toward Connor to take. "Connor. It's for you."
"Me?" The letter made Connor's brow arch inquisitively as his head tilted slightly to the side. "I've never received mail before. I can't imagine Lucas has either."
"Like I said last night, the world is different now. You two are going to be gettin' mail delivered here until you both submit a change of address." The senior detective handed the envelope to the deviant's tentative hand and urged him to take a peek inside. "Open it up! Go on."
Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow with curiosity as he easily pulled open the flap at the end of the envelope and looked at the papers contained inside. There was an official document recognizing Connor as a citizen of the United States of America, as well as a type of birth certificate regarding Connor's manufacturing and activation dates. At the bottom of the beige envelope was a smaller white envelope containing his social security card.
The serial number, his manufacturing and his activation dates were all accurate, but there was something unusual about Connor's name. Something that couldn't possibly be a simple clerical error.
"Something wrong?" Coyly Hank feigned ignorance as he studied Connor's reaction to the legal information in his hands. "You look confused."
"Yes. The name on my personal information seems to have been misprinted."
"How's that?" As he spoke Hank hid a very faint grin as he watched Connor trying to process the odd information he had been provided. "What's up?"
"I do not have a surname or a middle name. But on here," showing Hank the document Connor let Hank see it for himself. "it says I have both."
"And..." Hank slyly smirked as he pulled an item out of his own coat pocket and handed it to Connor to take as well. It was a driver's license with Connor's name and picture on it. "You have this. Now you have portable I.D. without having to rely solely on your police badge."
"Hank?" Connor took the new I.D. ad stared at the same bizarre name misspelling again. "Why is the same misprint on all of my information? This is very strange."
"Probably because I had this all filed last month." Hank pulled out another envelope from under his arm and handed it to Connor. "It's not a misprint, by the way. It's all intentional."
"What is this?" Absolutely puzzled by everything happening Connor asked for information as he opened the second provided envelope and pulled out the document inside. As he cybernetically scanned the document Connor's soulful brown eyes widened considerably. "This... looks like-"
"Yup. I pulled some strings of my own and had one of North's contacts push it through for me. I was able to legally have you and even Lucas," Hank waved the other envelope he was holding for Connor to see as he spoke. "both legally adopted under my name."
"Hank..." Connor stared at the officiated certificate of adoption in his hands with a strange emotional vice tightening around his heart. "You... You adopted me?"
"Yup, it's all officially signed, sealed, and approved. Call it nepotism, but I figured giving you my name as your middle name would help simplify things for you in the long run. I was going to go with 'Bryan' as your middle name since you kinda' look like a Bryan, but yeah, I figured this would make it much easier. Do you like it?"
"Your name? This is my name now..." As he spoke Connor shook his head a little while his L.E.D. flashed yellow then back to blue he read the full legal name he had been given courtesy of Hank himself. "I'm now... 'Connor Henry Anderson'."
"Sounds better than 'Wolf', right?" Hank patiently watched as Connor's L.E.D. began pulsing at a rapid blue clip in his temple. "Kid? Are you going to be okay?"
"I..." Sitting down on the edge of his bed Connor just stared at the documents in his hands and let the reality of his new life, his new name, sink in. Connor now officially had a family to call his own, it wasn't just an honorary title. There was no going back, Connor had his own family. "I... don't know what to say."
"Don't worry about it. But if you want to say 'thanks', you can."
"Thank you." Connor looked up at Hank with genuine tears of gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you so much... For everything!"
"You're welcome."
As he held the documents in his hands a wide smile appeared on Connor's face, a smile that Hank had never seen before. It wasn't a faint smirk or a crooked grin, it was full smile displaying Connor's perfect teeth as he stared up at the senior detective with absolute appreciation in his increasingly soulful brown eyes. It was pure appreciation for everything the gruff but kindhearted detective had done for him over the two years they spent as friends and partners at the precinct.
"Connor," the smile couldn't simply go on without being addressed. "are you actually smiling?"
"Yes... I am. I'm smiling because I want to smile." Connor confirmed as he forced his shaking hands to hold the documents tightly. His soulful brown eyes were bright with utter gratitude as the kind gesture spoke volumes toward Connor's sense of belonging and purpose. "And... I think I finally know how I feel about being free."
"Really?" Wanting to know what was on the deviant's mind Hank joined Connor on the bed and sat beside him with a casual posture. "And how's that?"
"Happy. I'm actually happy." Connor was almost overcome with emotion as he spoke, and his eyes were glistening with tears of every emotion that he was capable of feeling. For the first time in his short but eventful, life Connor finally found the place where he belonged. "I now understand what happiness truly feels like. It's... wonderful. I can now understand and appreciate it for myself."
"Damn right." Wrapping his arm around Connor's shoulders Hank gave his newly adopted son a quick side hug. "You deserve to be happy, son."
Hearing Hank call him 'son' now had a new meaning for the deviant and it made Connor feel even happier than he already was. The term was no longer just meant as kind endearment or friendly commentary, it was a familial bond that confirmed how close the two detectives had become over the past year and a half.
"...As do you. Thank you." Connor sniffled once as he spoke as his emotions continued to boil up. "I truly mean that, thank you for everything you've done."
"It's not a problem. Being able to do something constructive for someone else instead of destroying myself has been pretty awesome too." It was getting harder for Hank to keep his own emotions in check since Connor was getting choked up by the entire moment. "The least I can give ya' after you saved my life and saved me from myself, is a real last name to put down on legal documents. Same for Lucas."
"The surname is very much appreciated, but I was mainly referring to you going through all of the necessary steps to adopt Lucas and myself. You gave us a real family to call our own."
"You've been family to me since the night I took you in. I just went through the trouble of making sure there isn't any legal bullshit to get in the way and ruin it." Hank did his best to remain humble in his own right as he helped Connor take his first steps into a new world and a new life. "I can handle a little paperwork, no problem."
Remembering how they had hugged for the first time on the cold morning after the Revolution, Connor didn't want the wonderful memory to end. Their friendship wasn't one of convenience, it was one of genuine trust and bonding. And now, they were a family in every sense of the word with the legal documentation to prove it.
"I'm proud to call myself your son." Wrapping his other arm around Hank's shoulders Connor embraced his adoptive father with all of his heart and vowed to live up to the surname and family he had been gifted. "It's an honor to officially be an 'Anderson'."
-next chapter-