"Russian Roulette"
NOVEMBER 6th, 2038 - 07:51PM
In the Zen Garden
The rainy day had resumed exclusively for Connor as the young investigator returned to the Zen Garden within the A.R.I. program to speak with Amanda. It seemed the metaphorical raincloud that had been hovering over Connor's head all day had become quite literal as even the digital garden of his own creation had begun to reflect his inner emotions despite trying to maintain a sense of calm within his personal, private sanctuary. The garden had become a place for quiet meditation and contemplation for Connor to use whenever he felt stressed out. However, the serenity of the garden was slowly becoming disturbed as each time he disappointed his superiors the garden seemed to darken and become bleaker with each visit.
Casually Connor strolled through the garden with an umbrella in his hand, but he didn't dare to open it and use it to shield himself from the rain. The glum investigator somehow believed that the simple comfort of an umbrella was too much for him considering his failures in capturing two runaway deviants. He could see Amanda taking shelter under a small structure to avoid the rain herself, and he didn't dare to expect his handler to roam about in the rain because of him.
Passing by the strange stone monument again gave Connor brief pause. He didn't remember creating such a structure when he originally designed the garden, and he knew that if the garden had been designed by Amanda or anyone else in CyberLife, they would've told him about it since it would clearly be there for a distinct purpose. Ignoring the stone for the time being, Connor continued on his way to Amanda and greeted his handler properly.
"Hello, Amanda."
"Connor, I've been expecting you." Amanda acknowledged Connor as he approached her with a sense of almost indignation. It seemed she wasn't pleased with his current investigation and she was going to tell him exactly why. "Would you mind a little walk?"
At last Connor opened his umbrella and held it above Amanda's head as she led the way down the marble pathway that encircled the garden. It was almost as if she had been expecting Connor to perform the gentlemanly act and provide the umbrella for her personal comfort at the sacrifice of his own. She didn't thank him or even acknowledge his kind, respectful gesture.
"That deviant seemed to be an intriguing case." The failure to capture Rupert was Amanda's current fixation. The lack of success in capturing the deviants was proving to be a recurring disappointment to CyberLife personnel. "A pity you didn't manage to capture it."
"Deviants are completely irrational, which makes it difficult to anticipate their behavior." Connor began explaining himself but sensed that Amanda wouldn't be interested in any logical discussion he could provide. She only saw his failures and heard potential excuses. "But I should have been more effective."
"Did you manage to learn anything?"
"It was working under a false identity at a nearby urban farm." The fake I.D., the jacket, and the poster all confirmed that Rupert had been managing to earn some money by working on the farm by successfully masquerading as a human. "This was the first time we've seen deviants blending in with the human population. Who knows how many others there are like it."
"Nevermind that for now." Amanda insisted as she walked at Connor's side while the young investigator kept the umbrella over her head. "What else?"
"I found its diary, but it was encrypted. It may take weeks to decipher." Connor was keeping only to the details and collected evidence to ensure Amanda was kept in the loop at all times. "The walls of the apartment were covered with drawings of labyrinths and other symbols. Like the other deviants, it seemed obsessed with RA9."
"You came very close to capturing that deviant." Amanda's words were cold and sharp. It felt like she was cutting a hole through Connor's heart just by speaking to him. "How did it manage to get away?"
"Lieutenant Anderson was in danger." Connor replied in a somewhat guarded manner. As the digital rain soaked through his clothing Connor began to shiver a little as it reminded him too much of being out in the rainy streets of Detroit earlier that day. "I had to choose between pursuing the deviant or saving a life."
"If we don't stop the deviants, millions of people will be in danger. How important is the life of a single police Lieutenant by comparison?" The impersonal remark was blunt in a painfully cruel manner. Her own indifference to the life of a troubled but good man made it difficult to continue the discussion. "Nothing should distract you from your mission, Connor. Nothing."
"Yes, Amanda."
"How is your relationship with the Lieutenant developing?"
"He seemed... grateful that I saved his life on the roof. He didn't say anything, but he expressed it in his own way." There was a notable pain in Connor's voice as he spoke of his temporary partnership with Hank. There was no point in denying that it was a struggle just to get on the man's very small good side. "He is openly hostile towards me and continues to show no interest in the investigation. Cooperating with him is a real challenge."
"Interesting. Tell me, Connor, what happened with the 'AX-400' that escaped?" Amanda was starting to push Connor on an emotional level as a means of testing his personal resolve and discipline as CyberLife's lone field agent and investigator. "Why didn't you keep chasing it onto the highway?"
"Lieutenant Anderson ordered me not to go. I thought the deviant would be destroyed anyway."
"Why are you following his orders?" The coldhearted handler continued to push Connor toward regretting his past decisions considering they seemingly kept leading him toward failure. "You only have one responsibility, Connor: Catching deviants."
"Yes, Amanda."
"We don't have much time." Amanda warned as she stopped walking and watched as Connor continued to step down the walkway. She didn't care about the rain, only the mission. "Deviancy continues to spread. It's only a matter of time before the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it takes."
"I will solve this investigation, Amanda." Connor vowed as he turned to face Amanda directly. "I won't disappoint you."
"That's good. Don't forget, CyberLife will only be able to help you once you succeed in helping CyberLife." The taunt was enough to make even the strongest of hearts tremble in fear. "Any further failures or setbacks will not be tolerated."
"I will not fail." The young investigator insisted as he looked away from Amanda for a moment and down at his rippling reflection in the surface of the pond below the arched bridge. The raindrops obscured Connor's face with a rhythmic pattern of circular ripples spreading out in all directions. "I will do whatever it takes to aid CyberLife and earn the information that I'm seeking."
"We'll see that you do. A new case just came in." The cybernetic relay to Amanda helped her keep on top of everything when Connor wasn't available for an update out in the field. "Find Anderson and investigate it."
Silently Connor watched as Amanda quietly returned to the garden without so much as acknowledging the rain now drenching her. How he envied her ability to ignore anything and everything that wasn't important. Such thoughts and feelings would have to wait as Connor had a new mission to accomplish and a Lieutenant to find, regardless of his personal mission elsewhere.
NOVEMBER 6th, 2038 - 07:56PM
Hank Anderson's Residence
The night continued without any sign of the two fugitive deviants who had eluded capture. Unwilling to give up so easily Connor accepted his newest assignment from Amanda - the investigation of a homicide at an android sex club - and reluctantly went to Hank's personal residence to recruit Hank's assistance with the investigation. The resourceful young investigator knew how to find Hank's home address and used an autonomous taxi to transport him from CyberLife Tower and out to the small home on Michigan Avenue to avoid being out in the cold. The rain had resumed, and it was steadily turning to snow with a touch of sleet making the already brisk air feel almost unbearably cold. Being expected to go out into the night during the rain and snowfall was going to make the unusual assignment feel all the more uncomfortable for the rookie CyberLife Investigator.
Connor exited the autonomous taxi after it parked in front of Hank's house and stepped into the rain while bracing for the chill. Finding the front door of the warm, unassuming house locked Connor knocked twice then rang the doorbell. When no answer came Connor walked around the side yard to find an alternative way inside the house and locate Hank. Keeping quiet Connor peered through the side window and into the kitchen. From there Connor could see a body laying prone on the floor and immediately knew who it was.
"Lieutenant Anderson?!"
On instinct Connor used his elbow to break the glass of the window and then pushed away the largest of the sharp shards still embedded in the window frame. Once the glass was clear Connor took a few steps back and then ran toward the window to dive through the opening and get inside the house. After his body hit the linoleum floor of the kitchen with a painful 'thud', Connor pushed himself up into a sitting position and suddenly found himself locking eyes with a very large and very curious dog.
"Whoa. E-Easy... dog. I'm not gonna' hurt you."
It was hard for Connor to mask his fear since being confronted by a very big dog that was clearly there to protect their fallen owner was arguably just as dangerous as dealing with an armed criminal. Falling back on his training Connor stayed calm and lifted his hands up slowly so that the dog could take in his scent and see he wasn't armed. After all, the dog of a police detective would surely be trained in recognizing the body language of actual threats versus the body language of someone being submissive.
"I'm here to save your owner."
The large dog, a Saint Bernard, grumbled once in response to Connor's words. Seemingly accepting that Connor wasn't a threat after all the dog licked his nose and then went on its way to check out its food bowl. Thankfully the massive breed of dog had a gentle temperament and didn't see any need to attack Connor or show signs of aggression at his very presence.
With the dog taken care of Connor rose to his feet and made his way to where Hank was laying. The man was sprawled out on the floor on his back and completely unconscious. There was a dropped revolver on the floor next to Hank's outstretched hand and a glass bottle of mostly consumed whiskey sitting on the table. By all visual assessment Connor was able to deduce that Hank had been drinking while sitting at the table, passed out, and fell to the floor in a drunken heap.
Activating the A.R.I. program to his advantage, Connor knelt down beside Hank and slipped on his glove before pressing his palm down against the man's slowly rising and falling chest. The young investigator was ready to act quickly in the event that Hank needed medical attention.
SCANNING...
-ASSESSMENT COMPLETE-
TRACES OF ALCOHOL
-Scotch Whisky: 40% Alcohol Content
HEART
-Slight Arrhythmia: No Signs of Trauma
...No need for emergency medical treatment...
"You're stable, that's good."
Straightening up again Connor eyed the table next, then checked the gun on the floor. If Connor was going to be able to assist the man, whether Hank wanted or appreciated the assistance or not, he'd need to know exactly what Hank had been doing before arriving at the Lieutenant's home. The man's already erratic and questionable behavior made it difficult enough to handle the investigation. If Hank was enduring yet another personal challenge, then Connor would need to know about it so that he could properly adapt to the situation.
SCANNING...
-ANALYSIS COMPLETE-
BLACK LAMB
-Scotch Whisky: 40% Alcohol Content
REVOLVER
-.357 Magnum: 1 Bullet Remaining
"Why are you drinking this much? What happened to you that'd make you stop caring about yourself and the people around you despite being a decorated and respected police Lieutenant?"
The illogical behavior of Hank was an absolute mystery.
Deactivating A.R.I. for the time being, Connor returned his glove to his pocket and then lightly patted Hank's face to try to get him to awaken.
"Lieutenant? Wake up, Lieutenant!"
Hank's only response was a drunken huff as he remained in a state of inebriated sleep. The Lieutenant was unresponsive to anything and everything around him due to how much alcohol he had consumed only recently.
When the gentle approach wasn't enough Connor lifted up his hand and brought it down hard against Hank's face to slap some sobriety into him.
"It's me, Connor!"
Hank was now awake but still disoriented. He was only barely aware of Connor hovering over him as the young investigator took hold of his arm and pulled the confused man up into a sitting position on the floor.
"I'm going to sober you up for your own safety."
"H-Hey!" Hank protested as Connor pulled his arm out and then around his own shoulders. Despite Connor's smaller build the young investigator was fairly strong and had no problem lifting Hank up. "Leave me alone, you fuckin' CyberLife punk!"
"I have to warn you," without missing a beat Connor managed to stand up and stand Hank upright alongside him against the man's will. "this may be unpleasant."
"Get the fuck outta' my house!"
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I need you." Connor half carried, half dragged Hank out of the kitchen and toward the hallway in search of a remedy to Hank's current condition. "Thank you in advance for your cooperation."
"Hey! Get the fuck outta' here! Sumo! Attack!" Hank drunkenly commanded the calm dog to attack only to receive a single bark from Sumo in return. Fortunately, the large dog was a gentle giant and not trained to actually attack anyone. "Good dog. Attack!"
Connor managed to haul Hank into the hallway and lean him up against the wall next to a closed door.
"Fuck, I think I'm gonna' be sick..."
After he opened the door Connor discovered the bathroom and found the room that he had been searching for. It was a small space, but one that the resourceful investigator could still work with.
"Ah! Leave me alone, you asshole!" Hank openly protested once more as Connor took hold of his arm and began leading him inside the bathroom. The Lieutenant was too drunk to fight back and couldn't even hold on to the doorframe as Connor made him walk forward. "I'm not going anywhere! What the hell are you doing?"
Ignoring the pitiful whine Connor directed Hank to the bathtub to sit down on the edge for a minute. The man put up a small fight but was no match for Connor while he was in a drunken stupor of his own doing.
"Oh, no. I don't wanna' bath," Hank stood up and tried to walk away, but Connor pressed his palm to the man's chest to keep him back. "thank you."
A single shove was all it took for Connor to push Hank backward and into the bathtub without hurting him in the process. The only good thing about Hank being drunk was his inability to physically fight back against Connor as the younger and smaller man did what he could to help the Lieutenant quickly sober up.
"Sorry, Lieutenant." Connor warned as he hovered his hand over the shower's faucet. "It's for your own good."
A blast of cold water gushed out of the showerhead and quickly drenched Hank from head to toe. The cold water made his shaggy gray hair stick uncomfortably to his face and soaked through his clothing causing the fabric to cling against his skin like duct tape. The sudden cascade of icy cold water was enough to snap Hank back to his senses and push off the inebriated effects of drinking far too much alcohol for one night.
"TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!"
Hank shouted in a near panic at the cold water soaking him against his will. Almost as quickly as the shower was turned on, the water turned back off and Connor watched Hank slowly regain his bearings and think clearly.
"What..." Sobriety hit Hank like a truck, and the headache that followed wasn't much kinder. "The fuck are you doing here?"
"A homicide was reported about forty-five minutes ago." Connor stated curtly as he backed away from the tub to give Hank some space. "I couldn't find you at Jimmy's bar, so I came to see if you were at home."
"Jesus, I must be the only cop in the world that gets assaulted in his own house by his own fuckin' partner." The man clearly had no interest in going anywhere or doing anything while he was just sobering up. "Can't you just leave me alone?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot." Being rational with the man was the only weapon that Connor had in his arsenal. "I've been assigned to investigate this case, and I can't do it without you."
"I don't give a shit about your goddamn case!"
"Lieutenant, you're not yourself. You should-"
"Beat it!" As soon as the barking order passed Hank's lips he immediately regretted it. The sound of his own voice booming inside his head wasn't helping with his fresh hangover. "You hear me?! Get the hell outta' here!"
"I understand." Refusing to back down Connor tried a new approach to entice the man into accepting the case under his own freewill. "It probably wasn't interesting anyway. A man found dead in a sex club downtown... Guess they'll have to solve the case without us."
"You know, probably wouldn't do me any harm to get some air." Relenting at last, Hank finally started cooperating with Connor and awkwardly hefted himself out of the bathtub to sit on the edge again for a minute. His head was spinning and sitting still was the only thing he could do to keep himself from being overwhelmed by the dizziness. "There're some clothes in the bedroom there..."
"I'll go get them."
It took Connor only a moment to find the correct bedroom and the clothes hanging up neatly in the closet. In spite of Hank's behavior and attitude, it seemed that he had a modicum of organization that couldn't falter no matter how much he struggled personally. There were a number of dress shirts with intense and unique patterns that stood out in an almost obnoxious manner. The bright colors and exciting styles completely contrasted Hank's dark and seemingly dull personality.
"What do you want to wear?"
"Whatever."
Connor selected a white shirt with black zebra stripes since that seemed to be the most muted option. It wasn't anywhere near the degree of professional aesthetic that Connor would've chosen for himself, but he was in no position to and had no right to judge Hank's attire preferences. With the selected clothing in hand Connor returned to the bathroom in time to see Hank hunch over the opened toilet and prepare for the impending sickness about to wrack his body and tear apart his churning stomach.
"Are you all right, Lieutenant?"
"Yeah, yeah... Wonderful." Coughing a little Hank waved Connor off and hoped to have a little privacy as the young investigator put the clean clothing down on the sink for Hank's convenience. "Just- Give me five minutes, okay?"
"Sure."
To give Hank some degree of privacy Connor closed the bathroom door and did his best to ignore the sound of Hank violently throwing-up. The sound was rather upsetting considering that Hank had gotten himself into that condition to begin with. As a means of distracting himself while waiting for Hank to get ready, Connor decided to explore Hank's house to learn a little more about the man.
The modest home was adorned with personal items that reflected Hank's interests as the man trudged through life with a gun in one hand and a bottle of cheap booze in the other. Connor casually glanced about the livingroom and noticed the man's collection of books neatly arranged on the nearby bookcase, as well as the man's impressive collection of vinyl records. Hank seemed to enjoy reading and listening to music in between drinking binges. An old football rested atop the mantle of the old fireplace which confirmed his interest in sports extended beyond basketball, and the simple furnishings mirrored his simple taste in life.
In the corner of the livingroom, Sumo - the gentle giant of a dog - was laying on his pillow and watching Connor with a curious eye. The Saint Benard wagged his tail happily when Connor approached him, then settled in as the young investigator gently ran his hand down the dog's fluffy back. Petting Sumo seemed natural and helped Connor to overcome his lingering hesitation of being around the massive dog.
"It's lucky for me that you're not aggressive. Thank you for not attacking me after I broke through the window."
Returning to the kitchen Connor eyed the broken window and winced at the destruction that he had caused. Even though it was for a good reason, Connor still felt bad about breaking the window in general. It seemed so needlessly brutal and like a waster of energy.
"Sorry about the window, Lieutenant. I really thought you'd been attacked." The shards of glass on the floor would need to be swept up to keep someone from tracking the glass all over the rest of the house. "Of course, CyberLife will pay for the damage."
"Yeah, trust me," Hank managed to reply despite being sick. "I'll send 'em a bill."
Connor stepped around the glass and picked up the chair that tipped over when Hank passed out and hit the floor. In the process Connor took notice of the dropped revolver still sitting on the floor and picked it up to examine the single bullet in the chamber.
"What were you doing with the gun?"
"Russian roulette!" Hank's voice was somewhat muffled through the door, but he was still perfectly audible all the same. "Wanted to see how long I could last... Must've collapsed before I found out."
"You were lucky." Closing the bullet chamber again, Connor returned the gun to the spot on the floor where he had picked it up. "The next shot would have killed you."
With a heavy sigh of disappointment Connor resumed glancing about the kitchen. The whiskey bottle on the kitchen table was loathsome in Connor's eyes and in his personal sense of judgement any self-respecting detective wouldn't let such a vile drink pass their lips.
However, there was another curious item on the table that caught Connor's attention. A framed photograph was laying down on the table to obstruct the image behind the glass. As soon as he picked up the photo Connor felt his heart skip a beat as he just knew that the image of the innocent little boy smiling back at him had a personal connection to Hank.
The A.R.I. program activated without needing to use the glove, and gave Connor the heartbreaking details he was afraid to learn after the facial recognition scan finished running.
SCANNING...
-ANALYSIS COMPLETE-
ANDERSON, COLE LUCAS
Born: 09/23/2029
Died: 10/11/2035
Previous Residence: 115 Michigan Drive - Detroit Michigan
...Only child to Lieutenant Hank Anderson...
Connor felt himself pale as he carefully returned the photograph to the table with no intention of ever touching it again. It felt almost disrespectful to touch the image considering the importance of the photo and how the person in the photo was so important to Hank.
"Hank lost his only son. It's no wonder he's so miserable all the time."
Shame fell over the young investigator as he realized that he had unfairly and cruelly judged Hank without knowing his whole story.
"He's drinking to numb his pain, to forget his personal loss... He's in pain, not a drunken failure."
The door to the bathroom opened slowly as Hank emerged at last wearing his clean clothes. Hank looked better than he did a few minutes prior, but it was clear he was going to have to power through a tremendous headache if he was going to be able to focus on the reported homicide properly.
"Be a good dog, Sumo." Hank called out to the loyal dog as he met Connor in the kitchen and prepared to head out. "I won't be long."
Connor couldn't bring himself to look Hank in the eyes or even really speak to him after discovering the source of Hank's emotional distress and relentless mental anguish. The young investigator simply accompanied Hank out the front door and accepted the car keys knowing that Hank was feeling too unwell to drive anywhere for any reason that night.
Despite Connor's desires to have his questions answered, he suddenly felt as if he had crossed a major line by snooping around Hank's home, and now he'd have to live with the guilt-riddled consequences.
"The Eden Club"
NOVEMBER 6th, 2038 - 08:17PM
Outside the Eden Club
Arriving at the infamous android sex club, the Eden Club, just as the chilly rain began to readily turn to sleet and eventually into snow, Connor parked the large car in front of the cordoned off building and looked out the passenger side window at the shady and very unscrupulous establishment with a sense of hesitation behind his gaze. There was an ambulance parked in front of the building to transport the victim's body from where it had been found inside the club to the city morgue after the investigation had been completed, and there were at least three different police squad cars already at the controversial scene to contain it and prevent either evidence contamination or witness tampering from taking place.
The bright yellow holographic police tape contrasted brilliantly against the dark purple color of the club's exterior and gave the building an uncharacteristically professional look. With the club being mostly vacated by its patrons the police would have fewer people to deal with during their investigation of the very probable murder that had taken place within the past hour.
"Agh... Feels like somebody's playing with a drill inside my skull." Complaining about his hangover Hank peered at the club through his own window and let out a small sigh of disgust that reeked of the whiskey on his breath as he took in the unscrupulous sight. "You sure this is the place?"
"It's the address in the report."
"Right, okay... Let's get going."
Taking the key from the ignition Connor ignored the way Hank accidentally bumped his head on the roof of the car upon exiting the vehicle and followed after the sickly Lieutenant inside the club and began to feel unusually sick himself. The sight of so many androids on display right up front to be used for personal and perverted gratification reminded Connor of how selfish and oblivious that far too many people could be.
"Jesus... Sexiest androids in town." Hank scoffed with words of repulsion that matched Connor's own feelings as the passed through the entryway and discovered other responding officers already there. "Now I know why you, the 'android expert', wanted to come here."
There were dozens of androids on display and dozens more locked in the building's storage area for "use" later on. The way each android was advertised as the "sexiest in town" proved that the people who frequented the club didn't care about actual companionship, they just wanted to placate their own urges with no regard as to how they were treating the androids in the process.
The club's manager was being interviewed by Ben and seemed really anxious about the entire investigation. "You're not gonna' take my license, are you? I mean, ha, I had nothing to do with this!"
"The investigation's ongoing, sir." Ben replied as ever the professional he was. "I can't tell you anything for the moment. Hey, Hank!"
"Hey, Ben." Nodding at his colleague Hank met with his friend while Connor took in the repugnant display all around him. "How's it goin'?"
"It's that room there." Motioning to the sectioned off private room Ben let Hank know where he'd find the body. "Oh, uh, by the way... Gavin's in there too."
"Oh, great! A dead body and an asshole, just what I needed."
Entering the private room where the victim's body was on splayed out on the bed and under a sheet, Connor turned on A.R.I. while Hank looked down at the male body without an ounce of remorse in his eyes. In a way, Hank seemed to think that he was looking at a parallel universe where he should've been discovered as a dead body in a disgusting place while someone else was looking down on him with revulsion.
Gavin took notice of the two added officers and crossed his arms defiantly as Chris stood beside him and continued to take notes.
"Lieutenant Anderson and his junior detective." He and Chris had already given the room a thorough search and only found one dead male human laying on the bed and one deactivated female android laying on the floor. "The fuck are you two doin' here?"
As he waved his gloved hand over the floor Connor responded to the comment without any hint of being insulted. "We've been assigned all cases involving androids."
"Oh, yeah? Well, you're wasting your time." Gavin motioned to the victim's body and then to the android broken on the floor. "Just some pervert who, uh, got more action than he could handle."
Sighing openly Hank decided to stay inside the room and continue with the investigation just to spite Gavin. "We'll have a look anyway, if you don't mind."
"Come on, let's go." Clearly disgusted by Hank's very presence Gavin decided to take his leave and gave Hank a smug stare as he wafted his hand under his nose. "It's starting to stink of booze in here."
Chris wasn't going to take sides and merely followed Gavin out of the room, albeit far more polite. "G'night, Lieutenant."
SCANNING...
-IDENTIFCATION CONFIRMED-
GRAHAM, MICHAEL WILLIAM
Born: 01/07/2007
Height: 6' 2''
Weight: 192.4 lbs
Occupation: Stockbroker
Criminal Record: NONE
Estimated time of death: 06:24PM - November 6th, 2038
Identification of the body was easy enough. The man's wallet and I.D. were sitting on the nearby nightstand for anyone to see. Even the cause of death was seemingly simple enough to deduce thanks to the abundance of the bruising around the victim's throat.
SCANNING...
-ANALYSIS COMPLETE-
SEVERE BRUISING
-Signs of strangulation
CARDIAC ARREST
-No sign of cardiac event
-Heart attack NOT cause of death
CAUSE OF DEATH
Asphyxiation: External Strangulation
Deceased: Approximately 2 hours
"External bruising and no sign of cardiac damage or illness. I suspect there was a physical altercation between the victim and the 'Traci' on the floor."
Shifting his attention from the bed and to the floor, Connor knelt down on the floor and pressed the fingertips of his gloved hand into the puddle of Thirium that had grown around the broken android's body.
SCANNING...
-ANALYSIS COMPLETE-
Model WR-400: Sexual Companion ('Traci')
Serial Number: 429 671 942
Registered Name: ERROR
Manufacture Date: 06/09/2035
Registered Property of: Floyd Mills
PROCESSING L.E.D. FUNCTION...
[...Signs of hardware damage
[...Signs of software instability
[...Probability of Reactivation: 17.70%
PROCESSING DAMAGE SITES...
-Blunt Force Trauma
[...Caused by hands
-Hit Marks; Critical: Damage Level 4
[...Caused by hands
"There is a critical amount of blue blood on the floor." Connor noted as he assessed the two bodies in the room with an unbiased eye. "This 'Traci' was severely damaged quite recently."
"Driver's license says... Michael Graham." Hank had located the man's wallet as well and began checking through the small items. "A credit card, cash in the wallet, picture of his wife and two daughters... I wouldn't want to make that call."
"He didn't die of a heart attack, he was strangled."
"Yeah, I saw the bruising on the neck." There was no disputing the cause of death for the perverted man in the bed. "Doesn't prove anything though. Could've been rough play."
Connor reactivated A.R.I. and soon his glasses tinted over as he knelt down beside the android's body again. "We're missing something here."
"Think you can read the android's memory?" Hank knew that Connor was more knowledgeable about androids than he was, and watched as the young investigator used his gloved hand to deactivate the android's artificial skin over its bare abdomen. "Maybe you can see what happened."
"I can try." Adding pressure to the android's abdomen Connor proceeded to open the panel in her torso to reconnect a broken cable inside. "The only way to access its memory is to reactivate it."
"Think you can do it?"
"It's badly damaged." Preparing to reconnect the cable Connor admitted that it was going to be on a very strict time limit once the android was reactivated. "If I can, it'll only be for a minute, maybe less. I just hope it's long enough to learn something..."
The android, a 'Traci' who had been designed solely for sexual intercourse, took in a deep gasp of air as she scooted back from Connor in terror. She had a trail of Thirium running from her nose confirming that she had been physically struck and was actively losing Thirium internally thanks to the significant damage she had endured internally and externally.
"Calm down. Everything's all right." Keeping his voice low Connor addressed the 'Traci' in a compassionate matter to try to get to the bottom of the murder that had taken place inside the private room. "All we want is to know what happened."
"Is he..." The 'Traci' eyed the victim sprawled over the bed from where she sat as if afraid that he'd get up and strike her again. "Is he dead?"
"Yes. He cannot hurt you anymore." Reassuring the victim that she wouldn't be harmed again Connor pushed her to keep talking. "Tell me what happened."
"He- He started... hitting me. Again and again..." Tears filled her cinnamon brown eyes as the 'Traci' told Connor what had happened to her. "I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't. It was like he was enjoying it."
"Were you alone in the room?" Noting the 'Traci's' shutdown timer ticking closer to zero through the A.R.I. lenses Connor encouraged her to keep speaking. "Was there anyone else with you?"
"He wanted to play with two girls. That's what he said, there were two of us..."
"Where did the other android go?" Knowing that 'Traci's' time was running out Connor tried to get more answers before she shutdown again. The next time she shutdown she wouldn't be able to be reactivated. "Did it say anything? Do you know where it went? What did it look like?"
Seemingly drifting off to sleep the 'Traci' failed to reply as her system shutdown right at zero and her memory became corrupted.
"Damn it. It's too late."
"So, there was another android." Hank had observed the interrogation and trusted that Connor's information was accurate. He had no reason to dispute a single thing considering he witnessed the interrogation with his own eyes. "This happened over an hour ago, it's probably long gone."
"It couldn't go outside dressed like that unnoticed." Gently Connor closed the 'Traci's' eyelids and stood upright as he spoke to Hank. The way all the androids were wearing what equated to bra and panties or just boxers made it virtually impossible for the 'Tracis' from the club to blend in with the other androids in the streets. "It might still be here."
"Think you could find a deviant among all the other androids in this place?"
"Deviants aren't easily detected." The comment wasn't entirely inaccurate since deviants behaved more like humans and less like machines. "But it's possible."
"Ah, shit... There's gotta' be some other way. Maybe an eyewitness?" Stepping out of the room Hank didn't see Connor carefully laying the 'Traci's' body on the floor to give her a more peaceful appearance before he followed Hank out of the room. "Somebody who saw it leaving the room maybe. I'm gonna' go ask the manager a few questions about what he saw. You let me know if you think of anything."
"Right."
Leaving the 'Traci's' body behind Connor glanced about the corridor leading to all of the other private rooms and eyed the androids on display to be rented for the night. The way the androids didn't seem to react to the police walking about or respond to the fact that one of their own had been murdered confirmed that none of the androids in the immediate area were deviant.
Noting the position of each 'Traci' in the corridor Connor knew that at least one would've seen the second 'Traci' leaving the private room shortly after the murder. As it approached the 'Traci' in a display chamber directly across from the private room Connor realized that he found a potential witness. Pressing his gloved hand to the display chamber's electronic locking panel Connor overrode the necessary payment to "rent" the 'Traci' and managed to get it outside of the chamber without having to pay the sleazy club a single dime. As the chamber door opened the 'Traci' stepped out and gave Connor a flirtatious smile as she held her hand out to him to take.
"Delighted to meet you." The 'Traci' sounded surprisingly human despite being entirely machine and programmed to say what other people wanted her to say. "Follow me, I'll take you to your room."
Accepting the 'Traci's' hand with his gloved hand Connor managed to cybernetically probe the android's memories without harming it. Through the tinted lenses and his connection with the A.R.I. program Connor was able to see what the 'Traci' had seen just after the murder had taken place and finally found a lead.
"Okay..." Hank had noticed Connor making friends and quickly rejoined his son after talking to Ben and the manager for a moment. "Now what? Holy shit, Connor... What the hell are you doin'?"
Letting go of the 'Traci's' hand Connor gave Hank a hopeful look as the tint on his glasses faded for a moment. "It saw something."
"What are you talkin' about? Saw what?"
"The deviant leave the room." Connor clarified as he began a new search for the newly identified suspect. "A blue-haired 'Traci'. Club policy is to wipe the androids' memory every two hours. We only have a few minutes if we want to find another witness."
"Shit. What are you gonna' do?" Glancing about the area Hank realized that the odds of finding their murderer were stacked against them. "You can't check the memory of all these androids."
"I know which direction it went. I just need to find another android that saw it."
"There are androids everywhere!" Following after Connor with his head throbbing with each step he took, Hank tried to keep up with the fast-paced young investigator seeking their suspect. "How you gonna' tell which one saw the 'Traci' with blue hair?"
"I just need to find another android on the 'Traci's' path to track it down." Checking each logically placed android's memory very carefully with his gloved hand Connor followed the blue-haired 'Traci' to the backroom where she had seemingly gone into hiding. It had taken numerous memory checks, but Connor had tracked down the last possible place where the blue 'Traci' could be hiding. "I know where it went. Follow me."
"Fuckin' hell... This is crazy." Following Connor to the employee only area leading the club's storage Hank pushed through his headache to pull rank and take control over the investigation. "Wait! I'll take it from here."
Unsure of why Hank was suddenly keen on taking part in the investigation Connor silently took one step back and let Hank lead the way through the door and into the narrow, cold corridor that connected the club to the storage area. As expected, the storage area had no sign of humans anywhere and all of the androids in storage were quiet, dormant and entirely motionless.
"Christ, look at them." Eyeing each android with a disgusted look Hank began checking through the gloomy area for the sake of closing the case. Plastic sheets and bins contained the bodies of 'Tracis' that were too damaged to be repaired and looked like cheap coffins. "They get used till they break, then they get tossed out..."
Scanning the entire area with A.R.I. Connor spotted traces of Thirium on the floor indicative of androids being repeatedly abused to the point of notable damage. Most of the Thirium had long since evaporated but there was still a fresh trace that had only begun to evaporate within the past hour. Following the trail to two lines of androids standing idle on the far side of the storage area Connor eyed the technician's tools and repair table in the middle of the room with genuine discomfort.
"People are fucking insane." Hank commented aloud as too hated what he was seeing for his own different reasons. "They don't want relationships anymore; everybody just gets an android..."
Connor heard the disgust in Hank's words and knew that he was going on an anti-android tangent. His search into Hank's private life had given Connor knowledge as to why he was so self-destructive and a mostly functional alcoholic, but it hadn't given him any insight into why the man seemingly loathed androids. At least he didn't know the reason yet.
"They cook what you want, they screw when you want, you don't have to worry about how they feel..." Hank muttered as he continued his vent. "Next thing you know," he continued as he walked about the storage area. "we're gonna' be extinct because everybody would rather buy a piece of plastic than love another human being."
Internally contemplating Hank's comment Connor wondered why it'd be impossible for a human to befriend and care about an android or why humans would simply stop interacting with one another. Then again, considering Hank's self-imposed isolation and anger toward the entire world, Connor then wondered why Hank even cared about potential companionship in general by keeping Sumo around the house.
Glancing toward the two rows of androids to his immediate right, Connor noticed a single android with blue hair and a nervously pulsing yellow L.E.D. in her right temple. Not wanting to say or do anything that would cause a problem Connor discreetly lifted its right palm to silently scan the android to check her system for any potential anomaly. Approaching the idle androids slowly Connor kept a close eye on his prime suspect to try and determine if she was his target.
Unaware of a second deviant standing in the two rows of androids, Connor was suddenly rushed by a 'Traci' with short hair that was a fiery brunette color, and he had no choice but to physically defend himself. Holding up his arms Connor blocked her swinging punches to protect himself as he stepped back away from the attacking 'Traci' and tried to understand why the 'Traci' was being hostile without any provocation.
"Don't move!" Hank warned as he pulled his gun and aimed it at the attacking 'Traci' on instinct to protect Connor. "You're-"
The blue-haired 'Traci' made a bold move and pushed Hank aside to knock him off balance and make him drop the gun. Pulling on the brunette 'Traci's' arm the blue-haired 'Traci' coaxed her into leaving Connor alone and making a run for it instead.
"Come on!" The terrified 'Traci' shouted as she helped the second 'Traci' up to her feet. "Now's our chance!"
Watching as the two deviants ran from the back of the storage room and out through the wide-open delivery door, Connor didn't move. He was too stunned about being attacked despite not being any threat to either 'Traci'. He had managed to fend off the 'Traci' without causing any major harm despite the 'Traci' trying to stab him with a screwdriver and after wrestling him back and through the opened warehouse door and to the painfully hard ground already covered in snow.
Connor had landed flat on his back and had the wind momentarily knocked out of him from the sudden impact and sent his A.R.I. glasses flying off his face. Feeling his entire body spasm and twitch for a moment Connor just laid still, took in a deep breath and regained his senses. From the corner of his eye Connor saw the two 'Tracis' reunite and make a mad dash for freedom.
"THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!" Shouting as he got back to his feet Hank made a move to reclaim his dropped weapon and told Connor to begin pursuit of the two fleeing deviants while he caught up. He threw his gun to Connor know the younger man could easily keep up and catch the two runaways. "GET THEM!"
Moving on autopilot Connor managed to get to his feet as he caught the gun in mid-air and began chasing after the two deviants simply to keep Hank from trying to shoot either of them if he got to them first. Leaping down from the loading dock and onto the driveway Connor chased after the two deviants to the chainlink fence outlining the rear of the property and held the gun before himself. As he pointed the barrel of the gun at the blue-haired 'Traci' just as she turned to look at Connor over her shoulder, Connor saw the fear in her warm brown eyes as she kept her fingers interlaced through the fence to begin her climb to freedom.
Unable to pull the trigger, unable to move from where he had planted his feet on the slick ground, Connor began to lower the gun just as the brunette 'Traci' charged at him and kicked the gun out of his hands before kicking him right in the chest. Falling backward onto the ground with a painful 'thud', Connor propped himself upright on his elbows as he looked at the two 'Tracis' walking toward him as if trying to establish some form of connection with the CyberLife investigator.
'The blue-haired 'Traci' approached Connor and spoke to him in a low voice as she confessed to what had happened that night in the club's private room that had ended in homicide.
"When that man broke the other 'Traci', I knew I was next."
The raw emotion in her voice made Connor freeze and even caused Hank to stop in his tracks as he finally left the storage area to join the pursuit outside and reclaimed the gun that had been kicked from Connor's grip. There was no need to defend himself since neither 'Traci' was armed or showing any aggression.
"I was so scared. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't. And so, I put my hands around his throat, and I squeezed... until he stopped moving. I didn't mean to kill him, I just wanted to stay alive." Grabbing the brunette 'Traci's' hand the blue-haired 'Traci' continued her harrowing story. "I wanted to get back to the one I love. I wanted her to hold me in her arms again, make me forget about the humans."
With tears in her eyes the blue-haired 'Traci' confirmed how traumatic the life of a 'Traci' truly was behind those neon walls and plastic chambers.
"Their smell of sweat and their dirty words..."
"Come on." The brunette 'Traci' encouraged as she pulled on the blue-haired 'Traci's' hand to return to the fence. "Let's go."
Neither detective made a move as the two 'Traci's' successfully scaled the chainlink fence to run away from the club and disappear into the night at last. Where they were going or what they were going to do, neither Connor or Hank could say.
Staying put Hank let out a small breath as he actually admitted defeat in a humbled manner as he willingly let the two deviants run free.
"It's probably better this way."
Turning his head Connor watched as Hank holstered his gun and turned his back to the escaping deviants. The way Hank had just given up confused Connor, but he didn't dare to question the senior detective's decision. Retrieving his dropped A.R.I. glasses from the slushy driveway Connor replaced the frames over his eyes before trailing after Hank to take their leave of the abhorrent club and admit that they had no suspect to be tried in the human's murder.
"This is Investigator Connor Zale."
Whispering to himself Connor updated CyberLife on what had happened while he discreetly trailed after the senior detective.
"The victim at the 'Eden Club' was killed by a deviant android... in self-defense. "
For some reason Connor felt compelled to include that particular detail in his report. CyberLife wouldn't care why a deviant android killed a human, they would just care that a deviant android had been responsible for a human's death.
"The offending 'Traci' was located but escaped arrest. Mission... failed."
Unsure of what he was doing or why he was behaving in such illogical ways, Connor kept his head down and mouth shut as he passed back through the storage area where the idling androids hadn't budged, walked down the corridors lined with androids on display and walked back through the front entrance to return to the parked car to leave the area. Placing the keys to the car down on the car's hood Connor let Hank take the keys back to drive away while he sat down as the passenger for the time being.
"Your turn."
Hank just gave Connor an odd look as he reclaimed the keys and then walked over to the driver's side door of the Oldsmobile.
Falling silent once more during the drive Connor didn't notice that Hank hadn't returned to the precinct or even home, the older man had stopped by a local liquor store and grabbed a six pack of cheap beer before resuming his drive away from the club; away from the precinct, away his neighborhood and away from his house. Tracking their movements curiously Connor closed his eyes and noted that the car had come to a stop after Hank aimlessly drove about the city for over four meaningless hours without saying a word until coming to a stop at a familiar park.
"The Bridge"
NOVEMBER 7th, 2038 - 01:19AM
Riverside Park
Opening his tired eyes to peer through the windshield Connor noticed that Hank had left the car on with the heat and radio blasting, but Hank himself had left the car and was now sitting alone on a snowy bench in the park overlooking the Ambassador Bridge stretching over the Detroit River. It was very late, and the snow covered city was unnervingly quiet all around the park as Hank sat alone on the snowy and icy bench with only his six beers to keep him company. The sight of the angry and still hungover human working to isolate himself and continue to slowly poison himself with more alcohol had a bizarre reaction within Connor prompting a new feeling to settle into his gut like a crushing weight.
Running a biometric scan from the distance through the A.R.I. program Connor noted that Hank's body temperature was beginning to lower the longer he sat out in the cold night. The last thing that Hank needed was get sick or even frostbite while intentionally remaining out in the snow and cold thanks to his sheer stubbornness causing him to become increasingly reclusive.
Exiting the vehicle Connor disabled the A.R.I. glasses for a moment of privacy. The young investigator left the car's engine running and radio playing as he approached Hank from behind and then stood beside the bench to look out at the glowing bridge in the distance. Something about seeing a handful of cars driving back and forth across the bridge was almost hypnotic.
"Nice view, huh?" Hank asked seemingly out of nowhere as Connor joined him by the river. The man was staring out at the bridge as he drank his beer to try to numb the pain in his heart. "We used to come here a lot before..."
Noting the way Hank had trailed off Connor knew that Hank was struggling with his personal demons. He knew that Hank must've referencing all of the times that he and his late son Cole used to go to the park together and all the fun they must've had before tragedy tore them apart. There was no need to ask him any questions or even try to mention the horrible, painful secret that he had uncovered. Finding the photograph and confirming that Cole Anderson died tragically young was all that Connor needed to know to finally understand Hank's suicidal tendencies.
"It's late." Connor needlessly noted as he absentmindedly wrapped his arms around himself to stave off the smothering cold all around him. The intense chill was beginning to affect the younger man, and he could feel an uncomfortable sense of congestion building in his head and chest. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest. You'll feel better."
"I'm not tired." Hank replied as took a long drink of his icy cold beer. "Guess neither are you."
"You're right, I'm not." The young investigator confirmed as he peered down at the black river running alongside the park in a failed attempt to peer at his reflection. It was too dark to see anything beyond the glowing Ambassador Bridge in the distance. "Can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?"
"Do all annoying rookies ask so many questions, or just you?"
"Why are you so determined to kill yourself?"
"Some things, I just can't forget. Whatever I do, they're always there... Eating away at me." The man lamented as he took another swig from his glass beer bottle. "I don't have the guts to pull the trigger. So, I kill myself a little every day. That's probably difficult for you to understand, huh, Connor? Nothing very rational about it."
"It seems like nothing in this city is very rational anymore." Needing to break the tension between them and focus on something other than their personal problems Connor mentioned their investigation and lack of evidence gathered. "We're not making any progress on this investigation."
"Well, there must be some link between our cases that we're missing." Holding the beer between his hands Hank bowed his head for a moment and watched the snowflakes clinging to his shoes and along his laces slowly melt and disappear into the leather material. It was fascinating in a simplistic way. "Something that ties everything together into one nice, neat little bow."
"We know the deviants experienced an emotional shock, a violent trauma, or a sense of injustice." The facts were indisputable and had been at the forefront of Connor's mind ever since they lost track of the 'AX-400' when she ran across the highway. Sniffling a little, Connor cleared his voice and continued to discuss the open investigation at hand. "But... androids aren't supposed to feel emotions or have any sense of awareness."
"Those girls at the 'Eden Club' sure had a reason to feel a sense of injustice." Sipping at his beer again Hank nodded his head subtly as if agreeing with himself. Snowflakes and small bits of ice clung to his long gray locks as the early winter weather swirled around him and his hair hung loose around his face. "Can't imagine what it's like to have some creep grabbing on ya' or slapping ya' around. I think I would've done the same exact thing if I was in their shoes."
"It seems as if the nature of deviancy is almost... a self-defense mechanism." Speaking about the odd theory with the senior detective, Connor pondered the notion and listened to Hank's responses carefully. Especially since he had recently reported self-defense as a deviant's motive to CyberLife. "Perhaps deviancy isn't an error but a side effect as a result of humans abusing androids."
"Side effect from humans, sounds plausible enough. We fucked up enough shit as it is, why not the androids too?"
"Plausibility still needs actual physical evidence to support the theory before it's proven true." Rubbing his palms and up and down his arms Connor tried to keep himself warm. "You know that we need evidence before we can say anything definitive."
Almost insulted by the comment Hank slammed his hand down and challenged the younger man's resolve. "What about you, Connor?"
The question prompted Connor to turn and look at Hank just as the older man rose from the bench, took a long swig of his beer and threw the empty bottle aside to be forgotten in the snow. As Hank approached Connor in an aggressive manner Connor stood his ground as he didn't know what to expect from the unpredictable and temperamental Lieutenant.
"You look like a detective, you sound like a detective, but what are you really? A man of the law, or a worthless CyberLife parasite?"
"You know exactly what I am." Deflecting the question Connor refused to admit to any singular role or label to prevent a fight. The cold was beginning to make him physically tremble where he stood, but he didn't dare complain about the discomfort. "In any case, I don't see how that's relevant to the investigation."
"You could've shot those two girls, but you didn't. Why didn't you shoot, Connor?" Shoving the younger man back Hank seemed to be trying to get some kind of reaction out of Connor to see exactly what he could do or say to get the rookie investigator to lash out at him. Instead, Connor just put up his arms again as if to protect himself from an incoming punch. "Hm? CyberLife dock your pay if you damage their precious products?"
"No, I just decided not to shoot," the truth somehow seemed like it wouldn't be enough to placate Hank's question, especially after Connor had to force himself to lower his arms to lower his guard again. "that's all."
"That's all, huh?" Pulling his revolver from his holster on his hip Hank pointed the weapon directly at Connor's forehead and hovered his finger over the trigger. The way Connor never flinched at a gun being pointed in his face was too interesting to not test out for himself. "Are you afraid to die, Connor?"
The sight of the weapon wasn't what scared Connor into silence, it was the fact that it was being held in Hank's hand that frightened him. Struggling to speak as he focused on the barrel of the gun and then on Hank's face, Connor knew that his heart was racing and his and the fear in his eyes was betraying the odd sense of dread that he was trying to deny. Whatever attempts Connor had made or was going to make to earn Hank's trust were now all in vain.
"I... would like to be able to continue my investigation." The rookie investigator sounded entirely indifferent. It was as if he was so accustomed to not showing emotions that he didn't know what it was he was supposed to be feeling even when threatened. "Please?"
"What will happen if I pull this trigger? Hm?" Testing Connor's mettle Hank pushed the young investigator again. "Nothing? Oblivion? Heaven?"
"I don't know." Glancing down at the small patch of disturbed snowy ground between Hank and himself, Connor's shoulders slumped with doubt as the dread in his heart increased to a nearly smothering weight. "Nothing." Locking eyes with Hank again Connor finally gave Hank answer that seemed to be acceptable. "There would be nothing. For me anyway."
"And why's that?"
"People like me don't deserve peace." Connor whispered as he struggled to hold back his fear. "I don't deny it. And based on your current behavior I strongly suspect that you feel the same."
"What in the hell did you go through to make you... "It was as if reality suddenly returned, and Hank realized exactly what he was doing. His hand began to shake as he forced himself to lower his gun and look away from Connor in abject horror and shame. Hank slipped the gun into his holster and backed away from the rookie investigator with self-disgust. "I'm sorry, kid. You didn't deserve... Fuck. I'm sorry."
Annoyed, frustrated and angry and himself, Hank scoffed at his behavior as he turned his back to the younger man. Marching over to the bench where his five untouched bottles of beer still sat nice and cold, Hank snatched one of the bottles from the cardboard container and twisted off the metal cap to take another long drink before he walked away from Connor and deeper into the park.
"Where..." Seeing Hank walking away into the night made Connor unusually tense and guarded. There was something about Hank's behavior that made Connor feel compelled to watch the man's every move even though he was no longer armed. "Where are you going?"
"To get drunker!" Shouting the answer without breaking stride Hank went on his way and left Connor alone by the river. "I need to think..."
Standing idle beside the cold dark river Connor considered everything that he had just experienced and everything he seemed to be feeling and began to wonder if his theory regarding deviancy wasn't just a theory after all. Maybe there was something to deviancy and affected androids hiding away from the humans and seeking isolation that needed to be respected, not feared. By all account, it was entirely possible that CyberLife was wrong about deviants and that Connor had no reason to hunt them down to be taken to CyberLife and deactivated.
CyberLife could be wrong about many things.
The urge to self-isolate was something that Connor himself could barely resist and something that Hank could relate to. While Hank went off on his own Connor decided to hail an autonomous taxi to return to the tower and check-in with his superiors before calling it a night. He had gone through a lot in the past two days, and now he needed the chance to unwind, especially since he wasn't feeling entirely well.
"Whatever it is that you're thinking about, I hope it finally brings you peace."
-next chapter-