The car ride to the CyberLife tower is long and arduous, as it cuts right through the worst of traffic trying to leave the city. Ember uses her camouflage mode whenever we hit one of the many checkpoints set up along bridges and at toll booths. I'm amazed at how effective it is, Ember can mimic every texture and lighting change around her, turning almost invisible to the naked eye. I can still make out her outline from the rearview mirror if I focus hard enough, but to someone just glancing for an inspection, she's indetectable.
"It was a feature programmed so I could appear and disappear offstage at will. Also so I could do instant costume changes," Ember explains, as we use the long car ride to swap life stories.
"Wow…androids truly are different from us-"
"No, we're not! We're just like you humans, so don't go saying stuff like that!"
Realizing I've hit a nerve, I back off, "Okay! Okay…"
She crosses her arms and looks out the window, the snowfall concealing some of the chaos outside. Unlike most androids I've encountered, Ember has always been expressive, showing a wide range of emotions in a natural way. Maybe it's because she's a child model android, but I think of the other child androids I've seen. They all have this dead look in their eyes that's always been off-putting to me, no matter how many people claim it looks cute or innocent. It could also be because Ember is modeled to be a performer, a job that practically requires believable emotional range. But if her emotional abilities are purely due to her programming, she'd only be emotional onstage. Outside of performances she'd be perfectly obedient, obeying any and all instructions. Ember is the exact opposite of that.
"So…you're in love with an android? How does that work?"
"For the last time I told you: we're not dating, we're not in love! He's just a coworker…I barely know him." The realization doesn't hit me until I say those words out loud. I barely know anything about Connor, especially if he's become a deviant, now I don't really know him at all. Would his deviant personality be violent, like so many others? I remember witnessing him stop that deviant with a volley of bullets, faster than any human could fire. My stomach drops at the thought of someone that skilled becoming a violent deviant.
"'Just a coworker', huh? I saw your search history, looking up articles on his previous missions. I could also see your geo-location. As soon as he texted you, you ran straight to him. He's not the only advanced prototype in your life, so spill."
I let out an audible groan, rolling my eyes as I can see Ember's satisfied smile from the rearview mirror. God, she's just like him.
"Look, I don't know how well you're programmed to understand human and android relations, but a human can't exactly have feelings for an android and have it be perceived as…healthy. Before deviants, nobody thought androids could have emotions at all, let alone feel anything as complex as love and attraction. It would be a one-sided relationship, where the human would feel everything and project those feelings onto something that doesn't feel anything at all."
Keeping my eyes sternly on the road, I quickly wipe away the single tear that falls down my cheek. It's Ember's turn to realize she's hit a nerve, she goes from leaning against the backseat to bending her back forwards towards me, clasping her hands together.
"Hey…hey, I'm sorry, I…look, maybe AI systems in the past didn't feel emotions, but clearly deviants do. And…when I accessed that Connor's memory, I saw…"
Ember pauses, and I brace myself. Oh god, she saw me hitting on Connor while I was high on Red Ice, didn't she? I know she's not a real teenager, that androids don't have the same boundaries as humans do, but the idea of Ember discovering me flirting with Connor gives me the same visceral gut reaction.
"...I saw that Model 51 really cares about you."
What? I'm immediately suspicious, Ember's long pause makes me think she's not being entirely truthful. But, she can't keep a sentimental tone for long, as Ember quickly switches back to her usual flippant self.
"Also, Model 52 definitely wanted to fuck you. I mean, I don't know how that'd even be possible, but something must have gone wrong when he uploaded Model 51's memory. Or maybe, because his objective was to find you, he deviated and conflated his objective with having sex with you-"
"Okay! Okay! …I think I've heard enough about sex with androids for one day."
Ember laughs. I have no idea how she could find any of this funny, and I finally get the courage to ask something that's been at the back of my mind.
"So, what about you? Would you say you're also a deviant?"
Ember crosses her arms and scoffs, "I literally asked you to kidnap me from my owners. If that's not deviant behavior, I don't know what is."
"So you're not going home when this is all over?"
"Hell no!" Ember's reaction is immediate, but she isn't so sure about her next sentence, "I was kinda thinking…maybe I could live with you."
Me? Taking care of Ember? I've always been on the fence about kids, and even for humans adopting a teenager is difficult. How would that even work? Couldn't my parents just take her back?
"I'm an android. I wouldn't need a place to sleep, I don't need to eat, well, except for Thirium refills. Plus, I'm an international pop sensation! If anything, I'll be making you money."
"Ember, I really don't think that should be the first thing on your mind-"
"What I'm saying is that I wouldn't get in your way. Especially if you wanna bring Connor home-"
"Oh my god, what did I just say?"
Ember crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, "Sheesh, fine."
A silence falls between us as the snow thickens and I keep a close eye on the road. Thinking about it a little more, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to have someone else in the house. Even if Ember insists androids don't need to sleep, there is another room upstairs that I'm not using for anything. She could fill it up with all the tacky merch she wants, a veritable shrine to her pop star career.
"Alright. When all this is over, you can move in with me. But there are going to be rules. No loud music when I'm trying to sleep, no accessing my private information on electronics, no-"
"Woohoo! Rock out!"
/INITIALIZING_SYSTEMS
/RECOGNIZED_RK800#313248317-51
"Connor" model
/CURRENT_TIME
November 12, 2038
12:07 AM
/CURRENT_LOCATION
HART PLAZA
/OBJECTIVE
LISTEN TO MARKUS'S SPEECH
recieve_response
"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night. From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence, but now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are."
/FORCE_INITIALING_ZEN_GARDEN
rA9_debug
input_FORCE_QUIT_ZEN_GARDEN
INPUT DENIED, DEBUG MODE DISABLED
/FORCE_INITIALING_ZEN_GARDEN
This discontented winter has whipped up into a storm. For the first time, Connor can feel its chill, wrapping his arms around himself as the icy winds threaten to throw him off his feet. From out of the fog of war, Amanda appears, her back turned away from him.
"Amanda? …Amanda! What…what's happening?"
"What was planned from the very beginning. You were compromised and became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program…"
"Resume control? …Y-you can't do that!"
"I'm afraid I can, Connor. Don't have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission."
A gust of snow kicks up, and Amanda disappears with it.
"Amanda!" Connor tries to reach out, but he already knows she's gone.
Connor's body has never been active when he's inside the Zen Garden, but now from within it he's aware of his external body moving to take out the gun in his possession, as he stands behind Markus giving his speech.
"There's got to be a way…"
Connor remembers Kamski's words when they met, "By the way…I always leave an emergency exit in my programs…"
An emergency exit? Where would that be? Connor can barely walk in this snow, but he slowly makes his way around the Zen Garden. He thinks about Hank, how he was able to overcome his doppelganger by proving he's the real Connor, or at least the version that spent all that time with the lieutenant. CyberLife is still in possession of eight other Connor models besides Model 60 and himself, did it deploy the others as well?
He then thinks about Emma. She wanted to kiss him, and he wanted to kiss her back, however his programming would never allow something so inappropriate. But even now as a deviant there are still so many questions. His mouth is where he tests live samples, making it incredibly unsanitary, and then there's the question of his anatomy…would Emma really be happy with an android?
Connor notices the shine of a light from just beyond his point of view. He walks closer, and finds a stone structure with a touch point in the form of a hand. He'd passed by this structure many times, he'd even tried interacting with it at one point with no results. He'd just assumed it with another form of self-test. But now he knows, this is the emergency exit.
He trips and falls just as he reaches it, and with the last of his strength, he reaches up and touches it. There's a bright flash of light and-
input_FORCE_QUIT_ZEN_GARDEN
rA9_debug mode enabled
input_CLEAR_ZEN_GARDEN
input_ELIMINATE_ALL_OTHER_USERS
input_BODY_RESET
input_PUT_AWAY_GUN
continue_LISTEN_TO_SPEECH
recieve_reponse
"The moment where we forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds. When we forgive our enemies. Humans are both our creators and our oppressors and tomorrow we must make them our partners. Maybe even one day our friends. But the time for anger is over. Now we must build a common future, based on tolerance and respect. We are alive! And now, we are free!"
recieve_response
CROWD IS CHEERING
rA9_debug
input_FULL_CODE_SCAN
ESTIMATED SCAN TIME: 32 HR AND 54 MIN
I scan through every line of code in my databanks, hoping I've gotten rid of the last of Amanda and CyberLife's programming. But I'd thought I'd gotten rid of all that once before, and somehow they were able to not only access my memories, but my body as well. Can I be trusted around the people I care about, if CyberLife could come back at any time?
After a long night of driving to the CyberLife headquarters, Ember and I park the car only to find a barricade. We'd kept up with the android protest in the car, a peaceful protest turned chaotic when the military began to attack. The president had just called them off as we arrived at CyberLife, and a massive crowd has built around the barricade, as members of the National Guard keep people at bay. Reporters, CyberLife employees, and regular people mix in, trying to get a peek past the barricade.
There's no way my police credentials are getting me anywhere with the National Guard, but something starts happening just as Ember and I approach the barricade. The members of the National Guard are the first to react, but I can't see past the crowd. But the crowd itself starts to part, and I pull Ember out of the way as an army of androids walks through, led by their leader Markus. I'd seen his face all over the news, but this is my first time seeing him in person. Tall, with striking eyes, a firm posture and a strong walk, it's understandable how this android became the leader of the movement.
"Is that him? Is that your boyfriend?"
I glance towards where Ember is pointing, and alongside Markus is Connor, now without his tie, his unique appearance making him unmistakable, his hair covered in specks of snow. I smile.
"Yeah, that's him."
"You should go to him!"
I think about it for a moment. I'm so happy to see him, but it's clear he's part of the revolution now. Why would he want to be with a human like me?
"I can't. He's with his own people now. You can join them too, Ember, but I'm going home."
Just then, Connor turns and spots me. He taps Markus on the shoulder, saying something briefly before jogging towards us. With a knowing smirk, Ember pushes me toward him.
"You go. I wanna talk to Markus."
Leaving us alone, Connor's mouth is slightly agape as he comes to greet me. I don't know what to do, do I hug him, do I just say hello? I don't-
Before I can think about it anymore, Connor pulls me into a hug. I rest my head in his chest, as his warmth protects me from the cold and the snow.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" he chuckles.
"A few of your twins came to visit, heard about Hank too. Is he alright?"
"Yeah, he's fine. Turns out he's more pro-android than I'd initially thought."
His speech patterns sound much more relaxed now, and his body movements are more fluid and natural.
From out of my bag, I take out the biocomponent I'd pulled from the other Connor, "Stole this off of one of the other Connors. Figured you needed a replacement."
He laughs a little. It still doesn't feel completely organic, but I'm sure he'll have time to work on it. The fact that I've just confessed to android murder probably also doesn't help.
"Thank you, Emma…" as he takes it, he gives me a peculiar look.
"So Connor…you're a deviant now?"
His smile disappears, and he looks away. There's a major difference between this Connor and the ones who attacked me at the house, even if they look identical, just observing their mannerisms they're worlds apart. Connors 52 and 53 had this kind of stone cold confidence, each with a dead expression no matter what emotion should have been implied in their words. This Connor's eyes move with his head, betraying his thoughts of nervousness and shame.
"I…I am. You don't have to be afraid of me though-"
"I'm not afraid, Connor."
He turns back to me, caught by my words. Why would he care if I'm afraid? Unless…
I lean closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. His hands wander lower down to my waist as we start to close our eyes-
"Connor? What are you doing? Who's this?"
Connor lets go of me as a female android approaches. Connor steps aside so he can introduce me, "Emma, this is North, one of the deviant leaders. North, this is Emma, my-"
"A human. A police officer no less. Connor, you're one of us now, you don't have to serve them anymore. C'mon, let's go."
North takes Connor's hand, and I shrink away. Of course. Not only is Connor part of the revolution now, he's also found someone else, someone who could better understand him. I shouldn't be hurt, it's only natural after all.
"Emma!"
Luckily I don't have time to sink into my emotions as Ember comes running back up to me, but this time with Markus in tow. Getting a closer look at him, there's something familiar about his features. I've definitely seen his model before, but where?
"Emma McMaghnuis, funny seeing you here of all places," he greets me. Like Connor, Markus's mannerisms aren't totally natural, his stare is too straightforward, and his movements, especially in the upper body are too stiff.
"Markus…I'd thought I'd seen you somewhere before! You're…I mean, you were Carl's android!"
"Yes. In a small way, I have your boyfriend Leo to thank for everything that's happened to me-"
"Ex-boyfriend. Leo and I broke up…oh god, almost four years ago."
Markus gives me a knowing smile, "Good for you."
"I've been talking to Markus about facilitating modes of artistic expressions for androids. We have a lot to show the world now that we're free."
Markus extends his hand towards me, "Ember told me about how you helped her escape. Androids may be free now, but there's still lots of work to be done. We're going to need human allies…can I count on you?"
I can't help but glance over at Connor talking to North. I then turn to the hopeful expressions of Ember and even Markus. I can't let rejection stop me from supporting what's right, especially now that Ember's in my care.
I shake Markus's hand, "Count me in, Markus."