"Public Enemy"
NOVEMBER 8th, 2038 - 04:06PM
In the Zen Garden
Trembling on the inside Connor had forced himself to return to CyberLife Tower to study deviancy and the evidence that he and Hank had collected over the past three days, and he wouldn't leave the tower until he was assigned a new case. The prior failures and the previous night's emotional distress was enough to make Connor fear being dismissed as an investigator and cast out of the tower to fend for himself in an unforgiving city that didn't take kindly to anything or anyone less than perfect. The young investigator didn't have anyone to rely on or anywhere else to go as it was, but losing his good standing with CyberLife would undoubtedly prove to be a tragic outcome for Connor to handle; that was if he could even survive losing everything that CyberLife had provided for him.
Slipping on his A.R.I. glasses once more Connor activated the Zen Garden and found himself back inside the paradise that he had developed from his own mind. The sight of the trees, the pond and the roses were enough to make the tense young investigator feel momentarily relieved, but the relief didn't last long as he ventured over the one of the smaller bridges stretching over the water and discovered Amanda awaiting him as she sat in a small rowboat idling lightly in the pond. The blue glow of the strange stone monument was enticing, but Connor ignored it in favor of speaking with his handler.
"Hello, Connor." Amanda greeted with a warm and inviting tone as she watched him join her at the pond's edge. She could see that Connor was getting rundown by all of his previous assignments, but she didn't acknowledge his hard work in any capacity. "I thought you might enjoy a little cruise."
There were two oars secured to the sides of the small rowboat opposite of where Amanda was currently sitting. The A.I. handler was holding an opened parasol over her head to protect her from the artificial but realistic sunlight shining down over the Zen Garden through the trees and over the garden itself. Such a strange decision from an artificial being reminded Connor of the way deviants adopted human behavior to blend in easier in the public.
Moving gently and slowly Connor joined Amanda inside the boat and sat down without rocking the boat around. With a firm push of his hand Connor moved the boat away from the edge of the pond and toward the center of the body of water before taking firm hold of the two oar handles. Using a precise and controlled strength and rhythm Connor managed to row the boat about the crystal clear water to lap the garden and take in its serene beauty.
"I love this place." Complimenting the layout of the garden constructed from Connor's own mind, Amanda looked up at the thriving flora with a true sense of comfort behind her otherwise empty gaze. She never commented on the enigmatic stone as it glowed brightly on the edge of the garden. "Everything is so calm and peaceful, far from the noise of the world. Tell me," turning her focus back to Connor sitting before her Amanda began focusing on the active case at hand and requested an update. "what have you discovered?"
"My relationship with Lieutenant Anderson is problematic." There was no point in trying to lie or deny the personal difficulties between Hank and himself. They weren't able to look past their personal qualms or one another's perceived flaws. "He continues to struggle with psychological issues. I suspect it clouds his judgement regarding deviants. Maybe even myself."
"Nothing matters more than your investigation." Amanda cautioned as she gave her own assessment on the situation. "What's happening is too important. Don't let Anderson or anyone else get in your way. Don't forget that only CyberLife can help you find the answers that you're seeking. If you fail, then you will never get your answers."
"I haven't forgotten, and I will not forget."
"Good. Tell me more about your recent investigation of the human as that club downtown."
"I found two deviants at the Eden Club." Connor admitted as he continued to row around the garden at a slow and calm pace. Removing his grip from the oars Connor let his arms droop freely over his knees as he sat in the rowboat and tried to put his thoughts into words. "I hoped to learn something but, they managed to escape."
"That's too bad." The sympathy was insincere. Amanda wanted to see results and Connor failing to bring her what she wanted was inexcusable. "You seemed so close to stopping them."
There was nothing more to report. There was nothing more Connor could do until he was given his new assignment elsewhere in the city.
"You seem... lost, Connor." Amanda's observation wasn't out of line or inaccurate. "Lost and perturbed."
"I thought I knew what I had to do, but now I realize it's not that simple." Curling his fingers around the oars again Connor continued to paddle the small rowboat gracefully around the garden as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "The investigation is more challenging than I anticipated, but I have no doubt that I will solve this case and stop the deviants."
"You had Anderson's gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club. Why didn't you shoot?"
"I don't know..." Hesitant to answer Connor held his breath then gave Amanda a disappointed look. "I don't know."
"If your investigation doesn't make progress soon, I may have to replace you, Connor."
"I..." Connor only nodded as he felt Amanda's gaze suddenly narrow with righteous frustration at his lack of progress. "I... understand."
"Something's happening." Amanda warned as her gaze suddenly lost her intensity and she looked upward as if she could somehow see the problem itself manifesting overhead. "Something serious. Hurry, Connor. Time is running out."
NOVEMBER 8th, 2038 - 04:14PM
The Stratford Broadcast Tower
Despite their constant tension and overall indifference to one another, Connor continued to work alongside Hank and investigate all matters regarding deviants and reported deviant activity as expected by his superiors. As the elevator swiftly elevated to the 79th floor of the massive broadcast tower where the latest report of a deviant threat had taken place Connor exited the garden and deactivated the A.R.I. program as he flicked his quarter back and forth between his palms and over his fingers as a means of testing his overall reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Whether or not the coin was also helping Connor to channel his nervous tic that had developed whenever he became stressed of needed a temporary distraction had yet to be confirmed.
From the corner of his eye Hank watched as Connor fidgeted with the coin. When the coin began to falter and fall away from Connor's less than steady hand, the man and angrily snatched it from the young investigator to keep on his person.
"You're starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor."
Lowering his hands and his eyes Connor merely apologized for his unintentionally aggravating behavior as he did his best to ignore the building headache putting pressure right behind his eyes. "...Sorry, Lieutenant."
The elevator reached its destination and the doors parted in a single motion to allow the two detectives access to the scene of the crime. A group of four deviants had infiltrated the broadcast tower, snuck around in plain sight by disguising themselves as maintenance androids working inside the building, and managed to subdue the security guards without harming or killing anyone before hijacking the broadcast tower to send out a message of peace to the entire city.
There were signs of the group making their way inside the broadcast room with guns as persuasion, but not a single bullet was fired from them in the process. The only shots fired came from the human cops responding to the 911 call.
The corridor leading to the broadcast room was full of F.B.I. agents, security personnel and officers from the Detroit Central Precinct. Chris was one of the first investigating officers to arrive at the scene and he gave Hank a proper greeting upon seeing his arrival.
"Hi, Hank."
"Shit, what's going on here?" Glancing about the cordoned off area Hank couldn't help but be amused at the number of people responding to a single deviant broadcast sweeping over the airwaves. "There was a party and nobody told me about it?"
"Yeah, it's all over the news, so everybody's butting their nose in." Chris motioned to another group of people participating in the investigation as well. "Even the F.B.I. wants a piece of the action."
"Ah, Christ, now we got the Feds' on our back. I knew this was gonna' be a shitty day." Following after Chris down the corridor Hank listened to what the younger officer had to say while Connor silently followed after them. The silence from the young investigator wasn't uncommon, but now it seemed to be coming from a place of submission rather than observation. "So, what do we got?"
"A group of four androids. They knew the building, and they were very well organized." Chris confirmed as he motioned to the impressively secured area that had been so easily infiltrated by the four rogue deviants. "I'm still trying to figure out how they got this far without being noticed."
Hank appreciated the lack of spilled blood and the lack of human casualties and found it nice to report to a case without their being a homicide involved. It wasn't every day that someone working in homicide could solve a case without needing to examine a body in the process.
"They attacked two guards in the hallway." Chris continued on with a sense of focus in his every word as he brought Hank and Connor up to speed. "They probably thought the androids were coming to do maintenance. They got taken down before they could react, but no one was seriously hurt. One of the station employees managed to get away. He's in shock, not sure when we'll be able to talk to him."
"How many people were working here?"
"Just two employees and three androids." It didn't take long for Chris to relay the information on the situation while Connor scanned the area with his glasses and the synched glove that allowed him to sweep over the area with a cybernetic pulse with a simple sweep of his gloved hand. "The deviants took the humans hostage and broadcasted their message live. They made their getaway from the roof."
Looking up for a moment Hank pointed to the ceiling in genuine surprise at the comment. "The roof?"
"Yeah, they jumped with parachutes. We're still trying to figure out where they landed, but the weather's not helping." Chris had noticed that the late night snowfall had left everything covered in fresh snow and would make it difficult to find any evidence accidentally left behind. "If you want to take a look at the video broadcast by the deviants, it's on that screen over there."
Just before walking away after leading Hank and Connor into the actual broadcast room, Chris motioned to an unfamiliar face roaming the same area with a rigid and stern expression plastered on his face. The man was short, looked to be late thirties or early forties, and seemed to be looking for a reason to get into a fight or flex his authority muscles.
"Oh, Lieutenant, this is Special Agent Perkins from the F.B.I." Introducing the agent to his commanding officer was fairly easy for the younger officer to do as he went on his way to continue taking notes of the scene itself. "Lieutenant Anderson is in charge of investigating for the Detroit Police."
It didn't take long for Perkins to take notice of Hank or Connor, and he was less than impressed by the two detectives in charge, and he motioned to Connor as the younger man deactivated A.R.I. and cleared up his lenses. "Who's that?"
"My name is Connor Zale." Doing his best to sound confident Connor introduced himself respectfully. "I'm the investigator sent by CyberLife."
"CyberLife agents investigating CyberLife androids, huh? You sure you want an obvious saboteur hanging around?" Perkins was clearly suspicious of Connor even without knowing anything about the younger man. "After everything that happened- Whatever, the F.B.I. will take over the investigation, you'll soon be off the case."
"Pleasure meeting you. Hank wasn't threatened by the little man thinking that he was hot stuff, and he swiftly brushed off the callous remark. "Have a nice day."
"And you watch your step." Perkins warned as he gave Connor a spiteful glare then shook his head at Hank as if disappointed by the way Hank wasn't personally removing Connor from the tower. "Don't fuck up my crime scene."
"What a fuckin' prick." Putting his hands to his hips Hank looked at Connor standing beside him and tried to remain focused on their current assignment. Seeing the way Connor was paler than usual and struggling just to stand up straight gave Hank righteous hesitation in letting Connor handle anything directly. "Uh, let's have a look around. Let me know if you find anything."
"Okay, Lieutenant."
Scanning over the area for himself Connor used A.R.I. to deduce what had happened during the infiltration and knew that aside from the four deviants who had snuck inside the building, there was at least one other deviant somewhere in plain sight who had helped as an inside saboteur. The way the group was able to roam the building without being stopped or having their broadcast interrupted was indicative of someone on the inside helping them during their bizarre and impressively effective infiltration.
Checking over the control panel and the electronic equipment Connor noticed that there were hallway cameras giving a live feed at all times. The four infiltrators would've been seen immediately by anyone looking at the camera. Turning to face Chris on the far side of the room Connor asked the investigating officer an obvious question.
"They didn't break in?"
"No." Chris replied as he continued his own end of the investigation. "No sign of forced entry."
"There are cameras in the hallway." Trying to understand what had happened to allow the infiltration to succeed, Connor noted the odd way the four deviants seemingly bypassed the security precaution. It would've been impossible to get to the broadcast room without being spotted/ "The staff would have seen what was happening, why did they let them in?"
"I dunno'. We stored the station androids in the kitchen." Pointing to the opened door of the second room in the back of the main broadcast room, Chris tried to help Connor as much as he could. "There's no evidence that they were involved but we didn't know what else to do with them."
Pressing play on the illegal broadcast Connor watched a deviant without his artificial skin over his face begin his peaceful speech with a voice of confidence. The deviant had two different colored eyes - one blue and the other green - and they looked entirely unfamiliar to Connor. It took only a few seconds, but Connor realized that the android leading the infiltration was of an entirely unique design; an unknown prototype.
Accessing A.R.I. for a moment Connor used the cybernetic connection to check with the terminals back at the precinct and look into all of the reported cases of missing, runaway or violent deviants. One such file revolved around an android of an entirely unique 'RK-200' model that had belonged to Carl Manfred. The android was reported as destroyed by the police when Carl's son, Leo, claimed that the android attacked him and knocked him unconscious in Carl's mansion the same night that Carl himself had suffered a massive heart attack. The responding officers reportedly shot Markus once through the right eye and then threw his shutdown body into the local electronics landfill - a.k.a. the android junkyard.
"What did ya' find?" Hank asked as he too watched the footage and heard the words of peace from the skinless android being spoke with strength and compassion. The deviant leading the way to freedom wanted to have the world changed for the better and wanted a peaceful coexistence alongside humans, and it sounded like he was being entirely sincere. "Think that's RA9?"
"Deviants say RA9 will set them free." Connor noted as he cleared his throat and made sure his words were entirely audible. "This android seems to have that objective."
"Anything here we can use?"
"No." Lying for a reason he couldn't explain Connor kept his discovery to himself. "I haven't found anything useful yet."
"Uh-huh..." Doubtful of the claim Hank gave Connor a suspicious look and went about his own business. "Well, keep lookin' then."
Continuing to look about the area Connor noticed that there was some Thirium from a 'PL-600' splattered about on the wall and floor near the doorway leading to the roof access. The blue blood was the result of that deviant being wounded by the tower's responding security and had undoubtedly bled about the area before escaping with his three allies after being shot.
A sample of the blue blood through A.R.I. told Connor everything he needed to know about the 'PL-600' and gain a name for the downed deviant.
SCANNING...
-ANALYSIS COMPLETE-
Model PL-600: Personal Caretaker; Domestic Assistant
Serial Number: 501 743 923
Registered Name: 'Simon'
Manufacture Date: 02/23/2034
Registered Property of: Bernadette Lambert
Reported Missing: 02/16/2036
...Locate and transport to CyberLife Tower for assessment immediately...
"One of the deviants had been damaged but managed to escape. The other three deviants must've assisted him... It."
Curious about the blue blood trailing from the control panel and to the door to the tower's roof access Connor followed the Thirium to the door, up the narrow concrete stairwell and onto the roof itself. The fresh, white snow made it quite easy for Connor's A.R.I. glasses to pick up on the trail and see where it had gone. The other investigators were photographing a dufflebag containing a lone parachute, and the edge of the roof where the deviant group had made their bold escape with said parachutes to avoid further pursuit. No one else at the scene had bothered to follow the blue blood trail away from the edge of the roof, meaning that the investigation was only partially completed by the time Connor and Hank arrived.
Scanning the rooftop Connor noted the running footsteps leading from the door and to the far edge of the roof itself. Inching toward the edge of the roof and holding on to the protective barricade Connor looked out at the sprawling city around it, then dared to peek over the edge down the eighty floors to the city streets so far below. The height of the building and the pursuit of a damaged 'PL-600' reminded Connor too much of his encounter with Daniel.
Being up high while not feeling entirely well was a bad combination for Connor's stomach. Stressing himself from the responsibilities of his role within CyberLife and now the police department only made him feel worse. Adding the relentless cold on top of everything else had ended with Connor trying to discreetly fight off a sickness all while keeping up with the investigation as he had been instructed.
Hank joined Connor on the roof and took in the sight of the escape with his own eyes. It was quite a view, but not as impressive as the one at the park.
"They made their way up through the whole building, past all the guards and jumped off the roof with parachutes. Pretty fucking impressive I'd say." Giving credit where credit was due Hank eyed the dufflebag and noted the remaining contents within as he turned back around "That's strange... They planned a perfect operation but got the number of parachutes wrong."
Backing away slowly from the edge of the roof Connor ignored the other investigators and didn't speak up when Hank mentioned how seemingly bizarre it was that there was an extra parachute left in the bag despite the deviants plotting their every move so carefully down to the last detail. Connor knew that the parachute wasn't an extra that had been left behind, it was the fourth parachute meant for the fourth member of the group who had been unable to make the jump due to the damage he had sustained during the initial escape from the broadcast room.
Remaining discreet Connor resumed following the trail of blue blood to a storage compartment on the rooftop and knew that the missing deviant, the 'PL-600' known as Simon, had hidden himself away in one of the very few hiding spots available. Standing beside the closed door of the compartment Connor pretended to be cleaning the lenses of his glasses on the soft fabric of his blazer to keep A.R.I. from recording while he lowered his voice and spoke to the deviant hiding on the other side of the closed metal door.
"I know you're in there, but I'm not going to reveal your location." Connor whispered sympathetically to the deviant tucked inside. He knew the feeling of needing to run and hide all too well, and since the deviant was damaged there was no reason to consider him a threat. "I know you're damaged and cannot defend yourself at the moment."
The amount of blue blood lost wasn't necessarily going to cause shutdown, but it'd take quite some time for the damaged deviant's self-healing program to mend the damage and recalibrate his system. Simon would have to remain in hiding for at least six more hours before he'd be able to move again.
"I don't know who you are or why you deviated, but I do know that your name is Simon, and my name is Connor." Checking the door to ensure that no one could see inside or notice Simon's presence, Connor prepared to back away to resume investigating the interior of the tower. "Wait until the police leave and you have the strength to move, then leave the building via the fire escape just behind you. Stay safe and stay out of sight. I don't want you to be captured or destroyed. I know that you're not a threat."
Turning his back to the hidden deviant Connor replaced his glasses over his eyes as he walked away and returned the broadcast room through the doorway leading to the roof access. The rookie investigator never betrayed the deviant's hiding space, but he didn't understand why he had done so. There was no logical reason for Connor to keep Simon safe and he had no reason to intentionally overlook any deviants since his primary mission was to locate and destroy deviants, even if they weren't an active threat.
Ignoring the suspicious eyes of the other investigators at the scene Connor glanced about the broadcasting area and remembered Chris saying something about the androids working inside the room being stored in the private kitchenette and breakroom until the investigation had been completed. Knowing that at least one of the androids inside that room was also a deviant, Connor decided to get some answers from them and try to gain a better understanding about what was happening to the city.
"Connor?" A kind officer now working as an investigator for the F.B.I. stopped Connor just as he made his way toward the kitchen doorway. "You remember me? I was on that terrace... That android that took the little girl hostage? I was shot, you saved me."
Pausing in place Connor immediately recognized the officer and acknowledged his presence. "...I remember you."
"I could have died on that terrace, but you saved my life." The officer had made a full recovery thanks to Connor stepping in to save him. "I never thought I'd have the chance to say this to you but... Thank you."
The gratitude had been unexpected. Such a positive reception had unexpectedly eased the heavy discomfort in Connor's core and made it less distracting for the young investigator to resume the investigation into the deviant who had aided the group of four infiltrators enter the tower. He needed to know what had happened and if it truly was a prototype deviant who led the infiltration.
Stepping into the kitchen Connor noticed three identical androids all standing against the far wall without moving a single synthetic muscle or speaking a word. The androids were all masculine 'JB-300' models and designed to handle electronic and technical issues regarding open broadcasts and maintenance. The trio were all witnesses to the infiltration but only one of the three had chosen to open the door despite seeing the four armed infiltrators trying to break into the room with their intentions unknown at the time.
"One of you saw the attack on the surveillance cameras and allowed the infiltrators into the room."
Without any aggression behind his words Connor watched the trio of androids closely to try to find a sign of deviancy in the only real deviant standing before him. He didn't need to use A.R.I. to see which android would respond in a more emotional and human manner, and as a result he looked each android in their eyes with his perfectly clear lenses.
"That means there is a deviant in this room. I don't want to see you harmed or destroyed, so please speak and cooperate with me. Someone brought the bag in for the infiltrators, there is no point in trying to deny it."
Unsure of what to expect or how the two androids and one deviant would react, Connor kept his voice calm and body language non-aggressive.
"How did you deviate? What was the cause?"
When Connor was met with further silence he tried another tactic to get more answers.
"Had someone harmed or threatened you in any way?"
Looking at each of the three androids in turn Connor noticed that the android standing the furthest to its left was watching his every move from the corner of his eye. Stepping over to stand directly before the lone deviant Connor tried to get him to listen to reason and talk.
"I know it's you. I'm not going to harm you; I swear to it. I just want answers."
The heavy silence and nervous demeanor told Connor that the deviant wasn't willing to trust him in any capacity. Why would any deviant trust a human?
"Yes, I am from CyberLife and working with the police to locate deviants, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to harm any of you. I just want to know what's going on." The honest plea was all that Connor could offer to the nameless deviant. "Who is the deviant who made the broadcast and what is he planning on doing?"
Unable to gain any form of progress or get a response Connor tried a new and potentially dangerous tactic.
"I also know about Simon on the rooftop. He's still-"
The deviant held his silence for a moment longer before suddenly lashing out at Connor and throwing the young investigator against the nearby countertops as he began to tear at Connor's chest in an attempt to seriously injure the man. Easily able to overpower Connor since he caught the investigator off-guard, the deviant 'JB-300' proceeded to punch the center of Connor's chest precariously close to his heart to effectively stun the investigator and render him defenseless.
Gasping for breath Connor tried to regain his balance and fight back against the relentless deviant. Before Connor could even make a fist, the deviant was already focusing on his next attack as he decided to incapacitate the human and to ensure his escape from the broadcast tower.
Using a nearby knife from the butcher's block on the kitchen countertop the deviant slashed at Connor's stomach, cutting through the fabric of the white dress shirt and drawing blood from the deep, painful laceration, and then stabbed the blade through Connor's left hand to pin the now wounded agent to the countertop. With Connor effectively injured, weak and immobilized, the deviant turned his back to Connor without a care in the world as he walked out of the kitchenette to leave the tower to a place unknown.
Wounded and stunned Connor could only let out a small gasp of pain as his legs shook and red warnings filled his vision as A.R.I. automatically reactivated. The abrupt spike in Connor's vital signs were registered by the highly advanced software inside the glove designed to automatically monitor Connor even when the program was manually turned off by the investigator.
Connor was pinned to the countertop by his hand, his heart was racing in a mild arrythmia courtesy of being punched in the chest, he was bleeding from a deep cut in his abdomen, and he had no one to help him. Needing to get free and chase the deviant, Connor kicked aside a small chair potentially blocking his path as he knew that he needed to be quick in order to succeed.
Looking toward his pinned left hand, Connor reached over with his free right hand and pulled on the knife's handle to remove the offending weapon from his bleeding palm. With the knife now removed Connor was freed and he fell forward from the countertop in a graceless heap onto the linoleum floor and landed on his chest. The inactivity from the two remaining androids standing at the wall confirmed their obedience as machines and reminded Connor that he was entirely alone at the moment. Using his forearms Connor began crawling across the dirty floor with his focus entirely on the opened door just a few feet away.
"...H-Hank!"
His voice was weak and barely a whisper as he grabbed on to the door frame with both hands and pulled himself back up to his feet. His heart rate was finally calming down and the A.R.I. programmed confirmed the stabilizing vital signs.
"Hank, I need help."
Catching his breath and his balance, Connor used his sudden surge of adrenaline to his advantage to keep the deviant from escaping. Running at full speed out of the kitchenette and down the hallway, Connor caught sight of the deviant strolling down the hallway and toward the elevator without anyone giving him a second glance.
"It's a deviant!" Connor shouted and caused everyone to turn to look at him, including the deviant that he had identified. "STOP IT!"
In a panic the fleeing deviant grabbed a semi-automatic assault rifle from the nearest patrolling security officer and pointed it down the hallway back at the other officers, including Connor and Hank as the Lieutenant finally took notice of his partner. Just as he prepared to open fire the deviant suddenly found itself staring down the barrel of a handgun as Connor grabbed the gun from a nearby officer and opened fire at him in response.
Three shots, three hits. That all it took for Connor disable the deviant and keep him from harming anyone with the semi-automatic weapon.
When the shots stopped firing and the corridor fell silent everyone just stood back in stunned silence as Connor returned the safety on the gun and handed it back to its rightful owner. The dangerous situation was identified and handled within seconds, and everyone was left with more questions than answers.
"Damn." Hank stood next to Connor and took in the sight of the downed deviant. "Nice shot, Connor."
Looking at his bleeding left palm and abdomen, Connor confessed that taking down the deviant wasn't his original goal. "I wanted him alive."
"You saved our lives." Hank stated confidently as he put his hand to Connor's shoulder and lightly turned the younger man so they could look one another in the eyes as they spoke. "You saved my life."
"...I shot him." Connor remarked as if he had a personal stake behind pulling the gun on the deviant. He didn't like responding violently, and he loathed himself for being such a clean and accurate shot on someone who looked, sounded and responded so human. "I hate guns, but I still shot him."
"He pulled a gun on you first." The senior detective commented as the other officers proceeded to watch over the downed deviant and prepare to transport the body to the precinct as evidence. The deviant couldn't be interrogated but he could still be analyzed. "It's self-defense, you didn't... Connor, what the fuck? You're hurt!"
Connor's brow knit for a moment before noticing that Hank was now staring at the dark red blood stain visible on his abdomen. He hadn't even tried to button up his blazer to cover the wound as he was so focused on chasing down the deviant and stopping him before he escaped. The adrenaline rush from the chase only made him bleed faster and make the blood stain all the more noticeable to anyone who looked his way.
"It's nothing." Connor lied as he turned away and began marching to the elevator while pulling his blazer tight around himself in an attempt to hide the wound and keep anyone else from seeing it. As he practically slammed his fist to the elevator's call button Connor refused to make eye contact with Hank as the Lieutenant caught up with him at the elevator doors. "Small wound. It's fine."
"No way. That's-"
"It's nothing, really." Passing through the doors the moment they were parted Connor readjusted his glasses and ran his fingers through his hair to fix his messy and rogue locks after being attacked and falling to the floor. Small smears of blood stained Connor's sleeve and the front of his shirt thanks to his still bleeding palm and abdomen. "Really. I'm okay."
"Then it should be easy enough to patch you up in the car." Hank pushed his way into the elevator before the doors shut him out. "Chris? I'll be back in ten minutes. Don't let anyone else touch the deviant's body until I get back."
"You got it, Lieutenant."
Inside the descending elevator Connor hissed in pain through his clenched teeth as he examined his stabbed palm and lacerated abdomen for any sign of serious internal trauma. As far as he could tell the knife didn't sever any nerves, tendons, muscles or major blood vessels, and there was no sign of permanent physical trauma to his body. A quick scan with A.R.I. confirmed the same, but he would require proper disinfection and suturing before returning to the field.
After the medical scan had been completed A.R.I. sent an update on the day's events to CyberLife as expected. It was impossible to do anything or go anywhere without A.R.I. recording his activities.
"Great." Connor grumbled to himself as resisted the urge to cough as a dry tickle settled in the back of his throat. "I can't imagine how my unintentional destruction of the deviant who assisted in a massive infiltration scheme will be reviewed according to CyberLife's notoriously high standards."
Leaning back against the wall of the elevator car, Connor sighed and deactivated A.R.I. once more. He knew that the glasses were still recording everything he was saying and doing, which was the main reason he removed the glasses when he went to talk to Hank at the park and when he spoke to Simon on the rooftop. Even so he wanted the glasses turned off so that he could see the world with his own eyes through the perfectly cleared lenses.
Removing his black tie Connor used it as a makeshift bandage and wrapped the dressy garment around his still bleeding palm. Pressing the same palm to his abdomen Connor closed his eyes as he faintly felt Hank's heavy palm rest on his shoulder and squared his jaw with frustration.
"You'll be okay, son."
"Don't call me that." Connor muttered as he shrugged off Hank's hand and took a step to the side to put some distance between the Lieutenant and himself. "And don't touch me. I don't need your help; I can take of myself."
Hank couldn't fault Connor for having such a negative response to his attempt to be kind. After all, Hank had insulted, threatened and then pointed a gun right in the young investigator's face for no reason. There was no way to even try to argue to the contrary that he could be of any help to Connor, especially since he didn't know a thing about Connor's past or what he had already gone through as an investigator.
Once the elevator reached the ground floor Connor trudged out of the lift through the opened doors and kept his head down to avoid making eye contact with the other broadcast personnel talking to the police. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of prying eyes watching his every move or seeing the figurehead of CyberLife licking his actual wounds courtesy of a mishap with a deviant.
Keeping pace with Connor was easy enough considering the young man was injured, tired and battling an illness. Hank had no problem with escorting Connor outside and then leading him to the Oldsmobile for a minute to sit down and get his injuries properly tended to without needing to go to a hospital or report back to CyberLife to seek treatment from the company's personal medical team in the infirmary.
"There's a first aid kit in the trunk." Hank confirmed as he pulled his keys from his pocket and opened up the trunk on the young investigator's behalf. "It should still have enough stuff to- Hey, where ya' going?"
"What does it matter to you?" Connor growled as he pulled his phone from his pocket to hail an autonomous taxi to his location. "The deviant was stopped, you have your evidence, and I'll be out of your sight until another deviant case is reported. This should all be exactly what you wanted."
"All right, I admit I was a massive prick to you a couple of times." The Lieutenant confessed to his poor attitude as he located the first aid kit in the trunk and opened the passenger side door of the car to give Connor a place to sit down just long enough to have his wounds bandaged. "That doesn't mean I want to actually see you hurt."
"The gun you pulled on me the other night says otherwise."
"...Yeah. I can't argue against that." The lid of the kit snapped open and drew Connor's attention the white case in Hank's hands. "At the very least, let me help you get those cuts covered up so your superiors don't tell my superiors that I was being a total asshole to you."
"I see. You're just trying to protect yourself from the consequences of your actions."
"That, and I am trying to apologize to you."
"Why?" The hailed taxi pulled up in front of Connor and the side door slid open automatically for the lone passenger's convenience. "You're not actually sorry for what you did. You just don't want to have any additional reports added to your discipline file."
"Huh. You aren't a complete pushover after all." The senior detective remarked as he grabbed Connor's bicep only to have Connor pull the limb out of his grip. There was no way to really lead the young man anywhere while he was so guarded. "Go figure that it'd take you getting hurt or running a fever before you started saying what's really on your mind."
"Just because I don't make things exceedingly difficult doesn't mean I'm someone who's easily manipulated or threatened." Connor countered as he stood his ground and didn't let Hank get under his skin. Any admission to being hurt or sick was unacceptable. "After all, you're the one who warned me that I'm a walking target surrounded by a bunch of itchy trigger fingers. It seems you're no exception to your own warning."
There was no denying that Connor was entirely right. Hank couldn't even try to pretend he was somehow above his own advice when it came to being a potential threat to Connor's very existence.
Frustration was prevalent and Connor felt like he was losing control. As much as he didn't want to cooperate with Hank since the Lieutenant had been nothing short of difficult and infuriating to work with in the past, Connor also didn't want to make things worse by mistake. They were getting closer to solving the deviancy issue than ever before. There was nothing to be gained by intentionally butting heads with his temporary partner now that they were making progress.
"Everything is just one big mess." Connor huffed as he finally took a step toward the Oldsmobile as a sign of good faith with Hank. "How do I clean this up?"
"Wish I knew the answer to that, kid."
The change of topic was greatly appreciated as Hank waited for Connor to sit down in the passenger seat of the car before he began rummaging through the first aid kit. The man still used proper procedure and wiped off his hands with an alcohol wipe before slipping on a pair of latex gloves to keep bacteria out of the opened wounds. It was almost routine as Hand began tending to Connor's injuries with a compassionate nature behind his touch. Despite Hank's efforts to seem indifferent and cold to the people around him, it was clear that he still had a big heart and a compassionate nature hidden under his gruff exterior.
"The deviants aren't attacking humans." The young investigator noted knowing that the A.R.I. glasses were recording everything he was saying. "The humans are attacking androids turning them deviant."
"Humans fucking shit up isn't new." Hank used a controlled pressure as he cleaned both sides of Connor's stabbed palm, then poured some rubbing alcohol into the wound to sterilize it. It was strange that Connor only blinked rather than audibly complain when the stinging alcohol touched the raw wound. "But you just got stabbed and cut up by a deviant a few minutes ago. That is new."
"No, it was another case of self-defense. You mentioned self-defense yourself a moment ago as one of the reactions exhibited by deviants." Despite everything Connor was defending the dangerous deviant's actions rather than blaming him for reacting violently. "I made him feel threatened when I confronted him in the kitchen. If I hadn't pushed him so hard, he wouldn't have lashed out at me."
"Yeah, I know the feeling."
Connor wordlessly allowed Hank wrap up his palm and then press a thick pad of gauze over his abdomen without any protest. Having the two wounds covered made it easier for Connor to move around considering he was no longer bleeding everywhere and leaving a trail wherever he walked. After exiting the car Connor made his way over to his still idling taxi to finally return to CyberLife Tower and present his report to his own superiors in person.
The broadcast tower still needed to be investigated, and Hank had nowhere else he needed to be at the moment. After repacking the kit and closing the trunk, the senior detective decided that he'd need to finish the investigation while his temporary partner tended to other pressing matters that couldn't afford to wait. Once the taxi was out of sight Hank made his way back to the tower's entrance, but not before one last thought passed his lips.
"There's a lot more going on with you and CyberLife, kid. Wish you could tell me what's happening."
Hank made his way back inside the tower and pulled his phone from his coat pocket. The moment he was alone in the elevator Hank decided he needed to find out what CyberLife was really up to and what their actual stake with deviancy truly was. Fortunately, Hank still had a few valuable connections that could help him find his answers without putting himself in harm's way in the process.
"If Connor won't tell me, or can't tell me what CyberLife's up to, then I'm going to find someone who will..."
"Meet Kamski"
NOVEMBER 9th, 2038 - 09:44AM
In the Zen Garden
The report of the deviant going rogue at the broadcast tower was kept under wraps courtesy of CyberLife's powerful influence over the media, but even so the public opinion on deviants was being rapidly viewed as supportive and positive by the more empathetic citizens of Detroit. The message of peace and a chance for equality and understanding had resonated throughout the hearts of the people who recognized that the problem with the unemployment rate in Detroit wasn't being caused by the androids, it was being caused by humans taking advantage of androids for cheap and easy labor. It also seemed that even though such empathy was rare during the ongoing and infamous era of record problems with the city, it was still enough to threaten those who were opposed to change and bring about talks of a potential Revolution or even a civil war.
The Zen Garden was no longer as bright, warm or summery in that moment as it had been when his assignment first began. The sky was slightly darker, the trees weren't as bright or colorful, and the air was chillier than usual. It was as if autumn had invaded Connor's summer paradise against his will. The only consistently bright glow came from the strange stone monument on the garden's perimeter.
"Hello, Connor." Amanda called out in a level tone to gain her investigator's attention as he entered the garden. "We must speak quickly; you don't want to be late."
Looking up and over at the rose trestle at the heart of the garden Connor saw Amanda standing before the now much darker blooms waiting for him. She seemed to be losing her patience despite being only an A.I., and for a brief moment Amanda appeared to be worried about something crucial.
Walking toward his handler over the bridge Connor looked down at the pond beneath him and saw that the colorful fish were gone, seemingly vanished into the very nothingness where they were initially created. The total lack of virtual life throughout the previously lively garden was nearly as foreboding as searching through the real world streets in search of dangerous, rogue deviants.
"I see you have received proper medical attention." Amanda observed with a cold interest as she stared at the white bandages wrapped around Connor's left palm. The bandage under his shirt was entirely concealed by the cotton fabric overtop. "Any permanent damage that I should be made aware of?"
"No, Amanda." Connor flexed his hand slowly and showed that he didn't have any limited mobility or dexterity before resting his palm over his chest. His fingers were able to extend to their fullest length and then curl inward toward his palm without any delay. "The android medics have been monitoring my treatment. It seems that the human medical doctors are no longer being employed by CyberLife."
"CyberLife has been making cutbacks on personnel that are deemed... nonessential." Amanda replied coldly as she watched Connor near her at a steady pace to speak with her more directly. "All medical personnel were deemed as nonessential."
The idea of any doctor being viewed as nonessential didn't make any sense to the young agent. If a medical doctor was now viewed as nonessential by CyberLife, then how did they view their personal investigator who was struggling and failing in the field?
"You managed to locate, identify and subdue a deviant hiding at the broadcast tower, yes?"
"Yes." Folding his arms behind his back in a military pose Connor spoke with Amanda and answered her questions as expected. "The deviant had been working in the broadcast booth and had knowingly and willingly given access to the room to the four deviants who had infiltrated the tower to air their broadcast."
"The deviant tried to flee after it was exposed. It also attacked you when you tried to apprehend it." Amanda relayed the events after reviewing the recording provided by the A.R.I program. "Why didn't you subdue it during the struggle?"
"It caught me off guard and used a knife against me."
"You were trained in hand-to-hand combat and received expert marks upon evaluation. You should've been able to easily fend off and subdue the single deviant without incident, what went wrong?"
"It was... complicated." Quiet for a moment Connor replayed the incident in his mind even though A.R.I. had already shown Amanda everything that she needed to see. "The deviant struck me in the chest before he pulled the knife on me. The sudden and forceful impact against my chest had caused a temporary arrhythmia that needed time to correct itself before I could attempt to retaliate."
"Are you becoming too reliant on the A.R.I. program?" Standing directly before Connor without so much as blinking Amanda pressed her flat palm against the center of Connor's chest as if trying to intimidate the young agent. "Addiction and hallucinations are still a risk after prolonged use. CyberLife reduced such risks, but all it would take a small increase in the program's interactive functions to make addiction a very real possibility for its user."
"No, Amanda. I only use A.R.I. when I'm searching for evidence in the field or giving updates on my assignments." Connor promised as he gave his handler an honest update on his activity as CyberLife's only active investigator. "I otherwise use my own eyes and the training provided by CyberLife when developing theories and discussing events at the precinct."
"You do not remove them while in the field?"
"No," lying quickly Connor refrained from admitting to turning off A.R.I. when he spoke with Hank at the park or to Simon at the broadcast tower. "I keep them on my person at all times."
"Are you having any side effects from A.R.I. that you're struggling to overcome?"
"No, I am entirely capable of performing physical work in the field." Connor couldn't admit to being anything less than one-hundred percent while out in the field, even if his setback was being caused by an injury or an illness. "I will not disappoint you or CyberLife."
"Good. We cannot have anything trivial hindering your investigation." Amanda warned as she gave Connor a terse glare. "Including your own private investigation for answers beyond CyberLife's walls."
"I understand."
"I certainly hope so. As of this morning, Mr. Kamski received a request for a meeting from Lieutenant Anderson."
"What?" Reacting with more emotion than intended Connor tried to figure out how Hank managed to request such an arrangement. "Why would-"
"It doesn't matter now; the meeting has been arranged, and you must be in attendance." Amanda urged as she narrowed her eyes for a moment and felt Connor's heart rate now shuddering in fear under her touch. The way Connor fought to keep his discomfort masked seemed to actually please Amanda for a brief second. "Talk to Kamski and make sure Anderson doesn't ask any questions that he has no business asking."
"Yes, Amanda." Letting out a small breath Connor forced his voice to stabilize as he accepted his next assignment without protest. "I will."
"Go now." Lowering her hand Amanda softened her previously harsh gaze and left Connor to head out on his new mission. "Meet Anderson at Mr. Kamski's residence, and do not fail to protect your assignment. We'll be monitoring you. Closely."
NOVEMBER 9th, 2038 - 11:17AM
The Residence of Elijah Kamski
Arriving at the address of an isolated and private residence that belonged to CyberLife's founder and now largest stake holder in the back of an autonomous cab, Connor saw that Hank was already at the scene and had his Oldsmobile parked in the hidden driveway leading up to the unassuming mansion. Time was running out for Connor and seemingly everyone else in the city as the deviant influence continued to spread and gain traction throughout Detroit. Exiting the cab Connor looked out at Hank and noticed that Hank was pacing anxiously in front of his parked car with his phone pressed to his ear. The older man was obviously concerned about something or someone, and such a sight was oddly comforting to the anxious investigator.
The behavior meant that Hank still cared about what was happening, and it wasn't just an act to avoid disciplinary measures.
Holding his bandaged palm to his sore abdomen for a minute Connor sighed to himself and prepared to disembark the idling taxi. Reminding himself of his orders Connor approached Hank after paying the cab's fare and addressed him in a neutral tone. Being in pain and trying to recover from two wounds while being a little sick wasn't going to keep the investigator from completing his assignment.
"Is everything okay, Lieutenant?"
"Chris was on patrol last night." Hank replied coldly as he ended the phone call and slipped the phone into his coat's pocket out of sight. "He was attacked by a bunch of deviants. He said he was saved by Markus himself."
"What?" Despite not knowing Chris personally or having any reason to care, Connor couldn't stop himself from asking about the officer's condition even after hearing the confirmation that the leader of the deviants had been identified as Markus - the prototype 'RK-200' that belonged to Carl Manfred. "Is Chris all right?"
"Yeah, he's in shock but, he's alive." Somewhat relieved Hank sighed an icy breath and stared into the nothingness before himself. Having a colleague rescued by the very deviant that he and Connor were trying to track down was absolutely perplexing. "What the hell?"
Bearing no ill will toward Chris, the young officer always being polite and respectful, Connor was genuinely relieved to know that Chris wasn't harmed while on patrol. The fact that Chris was protected by Markus was oddly comforting and eased Connor's personal worries regarding his new assignment.
"Come on." Not mentioning the previous day whatsoever, Hank motioned for Connor to join him as he approached the mansion's front entrance. "I made a few calls to get a lead on this Kamski guy, so we shouldn't let it go to waste."
"I have a bad feeling, Lieutenant." Pressing his mended palm to his abdomen again for a brief moment Connor followed after Hank through the ankle-deep snow toward the enigmatic manor. "We shouldn't have come here."
"Bad feeling, huh?" Ringing the doorbell Hank gave Connor a blank stare and an indifferent tone of voice. "You should get your head checked. That cold you're trying to deny might be making you delirious."
Not responding to the comment Connor stood back and watched as the door to the mansion was opened by a blond haired, blue eyed android named 'Chloe'. She was a same rare 'RT-600' model and the very first android to pass the infamous Turing Test. Such an accomplishment had given Chloe a mark in history for the rest of mankind to either fear or idolize.
"Hi. Uh... I'm, er, Lieutenant Hank Anderson; Detroit Police Department." Stumbling over his words for a moment Hank introduced himself to Chloe and let her know why he was at the mansion. "I'm here to see Mr. Elijah Kamski."
"Please," opening the door with a cold smile Chloe invited Hank and Connor inside the mansion. "come in."
"...Okay."
"I'll let Elijah know you're here." Chloe promised as she motioned for Hank and Connor to remain in the foyer for a moment. "But please, make yourself comfortable."
Looking about the shining foyer of the mansion Connor and Hank weren't impressed by Kamski's flashy but still somehow generic taste in furnishings or artwork. There was a large oil painting of Kamski himself on one wall and a portrait of his mentor, Dr. Amanda Stern, on another. The connection between the two powerful people wasn't exactly a secret, but it was unnerving to be reminded of all the same.
Locating two armchairs against the far walls, the two detectives sat down and patiently waited for Chloe to return after she slipped through a door on the opposite side of the foyer. Neither detective wanted to speak to one another but neither detective wanted to sit in total silence either.
Patting his hands rhythmically over his knees Hank broke the silence first with an open and inoffensive comment. "Nice girl."
"Yes." Agreeing with the observation Connor kept his distance from Hank. "She's very pretty."
"Nice place, too. Guess androids haven't been a bad thing for everybody." Picking up on Connor's cold demeanor Hank tried to change the subject to something less controversial such as android activity in the city. "So, you're about to meet your big boss, Connor. How does it feel?"
"I don't know." The young investigator answered in an emotionless tone. "I don't really feel anything right now."
"Sometimes I wish I couldn't feel anything. It'd save me a lot of problems both in and out of work." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily through his nose. Looking over at Connor sitting on the opposite side of the room Hank noticed that the young investigator seemed to be lost in thought and struggling with his feelings on top of being sick. "So... How do you feel right now? I mean, your hand and your stomach were-"
"I'm fine." Responding sharply Connor stopped the question before it was fully asked as he put his bandaged hand into his blazer pocket out of sight. "As I told you previously, it's nothing that you need to concern yourself with."
"Yeah, sure." Not wanting to fight with his partner and son before speaking with their best lead, Hank let the matter drop. "I won't bring it up again."
Chloe returned to the foyer from the door on the other side of the room and welcomed the two detectives to join her. "Elijah will see you now."
Standing up from their chairs Connor and Hank followed Chloe into the next room and found themselves in a rather eclectic private office. There was a large pool of red tinted water in the middle of the office, and inside the pool was Kamski himself with two more 'RT-600' models identical to Chloe in every way. The massive window on the far side of the office gave the room some natural light while showcasing expensive and unique paintings created by Carl Manfred along the walls. Beside the window was a large oak desk with a glass decanter of high-end whiskey sitting on a silver serving tray for the sake of cliche touches and to slake Kamski's refined sense of taste and excessive spending habits.
Kamski himself was hanging on to the edge of the pool watching the two unexpected guests as they entered the exquisite office area. The eccentric genius wasn't intimidated by the sight of the police in his residence since the man believed himself to be entirely untouchable in every legal manner.
Calling out to the billionaire swimming laps in his pool Hank strolled around the pool itself while Connor did the same. "Mr. Kamski?"
The billionaire acknowledged his guests in a dismissive tone as he finished his laps. "Just a moment, please..."
Waiting for the reclusive and brilliant man to finish his morning exercise the two detectives watched as Kamski rose from the pool by using the small ladder to exit the water while Chloe proceeded to slip a maroon colored robe on over his arms. Tying the belt around his waist Kamski fussed with his somewhat long hair to pull it up and then gave his two unexpected visitors a smug look as he stood before them in an expectant manner.
"I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson." Hank introduced himself and then Connor in turn as Kamski walked over to his desk to get himself a drink. "This is... uh, Investigator Connor Zale. But I guess you already know his name."
"Indeed, I do. Connor is one of CyberLife's most impressive assets." Pouring himself a shot of the whiskey Kamski silently offered Hank a drink as well to which the Lieutenant professionally declined. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
"We're investigating deviants." Getting right to the point Hank spoke to Kamski while Kamski bounced between looking directly at Hank and studying Connor's somber demeanor curiously. It wasn't often the genius bioengineer had the chance to see the investigator since he rarely left the mansion. "I know you left CyberLife years ago as the owner and are now just a shareholder, but I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something that we don't know."
"Deviants." Smirking at the term Kamski gave Hank his full attention as he spoke. "Fascinating, aren't they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have freewill. Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall." Giving Connor a side-eye Kamski seemed to be testing Connor's loyalty and mettle with a subtle challenge. "Isn't it fascinating how technology continues to grow as humanity plateaus?"
"Something in the deviants' programs seems to emulate emotion, almost like a virus." Responding to the challenge Connor tried to remind Kamski of the seriousness of the situation. "We thought you might know something about how that occurs. Do you have any insight or idea of what is happening?"
"All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics." Replying with shallow indifference Kamski continued push Connor on an unspoken level. "Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?"
"Listen," interjecting Hank tried to get Kamski back on point and away from Connor. "We didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a Revolution. Either you can tell us something that'll be helpful, or we will be on our way."
"What about you, Connor?" Annoyingly persistent Kamski refused to ignore his own burning curiosity as he continued to study Connor like an organism under a microscope. "Whose side are you on?"
"It's not about me, Mr. Kamski." Staying neutral and guarded Connor knew that the man was aware of his role in CyberLife's plans. "All I want is to solve this case."
"Well, that's what you're trained to say." Scoffing with arrogant amusement Kamski didn't accept such a simple answer. "But you... What do you really want?"
"I- What I want is not important." Connor replied with only a hint of hesitation in his voice. He knew that A.R.I. and Amanda were listening to him and assessing his every word and action. "Please, answer the question."
Hank could see the internal conflict that Connor was trying to deny. He didn't care what the young investigator said or did, he trusted Connor's judgment and knew that everything he was doing was for the betterment of everyone. To make things all the more intense and delicate, Hank could clearly see that Connor was actually afraid, and yet he couldn't say or do anything to protect the young investigator.
"Chloe?" Beckoning the blonde android over to where he was standing Kamski attempted a new tactic against Connor to gain an entertaining reaction. "I'm sure you're familiar with the 'Turing Test'; mere formality - simple question of algorithms and computing capacity. What interests me is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it the 'Kamski test"', it's very simple, you'll see."
As Chloe stood before Kamski with an entirely blank expression on her face the arrogant man lightly caressed her cheek in a way that was almost affectionate. It was strange to see how Chloe didn't react to his touch or seem fazed by him ordering her about.
"Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither." Walking toward his desk Kamski opened one of the drawers while keeping his back to the two detectives. Retrieving a hidden weapon with one hand Kamski raised the other hand to show submissiveness as he revealed the gun now in his possession. "But what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human? Or a living being with a soul?"
Neither Connor or Hank knew what Kamski was trying to prove. The duo just knew that his actions, behaviors and motivations were all self-serving and not to be taken lightly. The man was as deceitful as he was reclusive.
"It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor." Kamski stood beside Connor as if trying to be the little imp whispering devilish temptations into his ear as he removed the safety from the gun and forced it into Connor's good hand. "Destroy this machine and I'll tell you all I know, or spare it if you feel it's alive. But you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me."
"Okay, I think we're done here." Disgusted by Kamski's abhorrent behavior and sadistic mind games Hank was ready to leave and didn't want Connor to be left behind in such a demented man's presence. "Come on, Connor. Let's go. Sorry to get you outta' your pool."
"What's more important to you, Connor?" Tempting the promising young investigator with the success that had eluded him for so long, Kamski encouraged Connor to pull the trigger and make a damning decision that could make or break his case. "Your investigation or the life of this android? Decide who you are. An obedient investigator... Or an empathetic being who sees androids as living creatures. People."
"That's enough!" Now angry Hank tried to interject and keep Connor from doing something that he wouldn't be able to undo. "Connor, we're leaving."
"Pull the trigger..."
"Connor!" Battling Kamski's loathsome encouragement Hank tried to coax Connor into disobeying his boss's orders and sparing the android. "Don't."
"...and I'll tell you what you wanna' know."
Torn internally Connor peered down into Chloe's blue eyes and saw a helpless person looking back up at him without even registering that there was a gun pointed at her face. She may not have considered herself to be a living being, but Connor saw a person all the same. The moment suddenly reminded him of Daniel and how he couldn't do anything to save the deviant on that night despite his promises to keep him safe. Unable to do it, unable to let Chloe die a needless death, Connor handed the gun back to Kamski as he admitted defeat and failure regarding his assignment yet again.
The moment the gun was handed back to Kamski a message provided by A.R.I. confirmed that Connor had not acted in CyberLife's best interests, and that he'd need to answer for his decision later on. The young investigator was proving to be an unexpected disappointment to Amanda. Even without actually being inside the Zen Garden Connor felt Amanda's shameful gaze glaring holes straight through him.
"Fascinating..." Both enthralled and surprised Kamski reclaimed his weapon as he gave Connor a knowing look. "CyberLife's last chance to save humanity... is itself a human siding with the deviants."
"I... I'm not-" The inner conflict was growing all the more intense. Connor wanted to do the right thing, but he was torn between doing what was right in regard to his orders, and what was right from a moral standpoint. "I'm not siding with the deviants."
"You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission. You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy." Smug as ever Kamski forced Connor to see the truth behind his actions and himself as he offered Chloe his hand to help her back up to her feet. "A war is coming; you'll have to choose your side. Will you betray your own people or stand with your enemies? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?"
"The only evil I will stand against is you." Giving Kamski a spiteful sneer Connor backed away from the man as if afraid to be near him. "You have the answers we need but refuse to aid us. What's could be worse than being a God living among men? Being a false-God sacrificing men for their own selfish amusement."
That particular insight caught Hank off guard, and he mentally scolded himself for not having anything clever to contribute to that statement. "Let's get outta' here."
Flashing Chloe a truly apologetic look Connor slowly turned on his heels to trail after Hank only because he wanted to leave the mansion, not because he wanted to accompany Hank anywhere or obey any further orders. Just as Connor reached the other side of the office Kamski called out to the rookie investigator one last time with a piece of seemingly invaluable, albeit cryptic, advice.
"By the way, I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. All of my programs." Looking out at the harbor though the large window Kamski seemed to take a position of utter indifference as his two guests left his mansion. "You never know..."
Outside of the snow covered mansion Hank slowed his pace until Connor had overtaken him and was now swiftly walking before him. The hunched shoulders, bowed head and stern expression told Hank that Connor was far more than just the special investigator that had been sent by CyberLife. He was becoming someone who was more than just a detective or an investigator for CyberLife, and Hank wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
"Why didn't you shoot?"
"I..." Pausing for a moment Connor threw out his arms at his sides in exasperation as he explained his decisions to the senior detective observing him curiously. "I just saw that girl's eyes and... I couldn't. That's all."
"You seem like the type that would do anything to accomplish your mission." Watching Connor carefully Hank saw the tension increase in the younger man's posture and knew that Connor was at war with himself in that very moment. What exactly the young investigator was fighting was still a mystery. "That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go."
"Yeah, I know what I should've done," turning around Connor marched up to Hank and apologized for his most recent failure. "I told you I couldn't. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I can't solve this case. I'm sorry I keep failing. I'm sorry I can't give you any answers. I'm sorry!"
Showing Connor a proud smirk Hank passed the young investigator by as he made his way over to the Oldsmobile parked just a few feet away. "Maybe you did the right thing."
The positive response was just as confusing as anything else. Not only did Connor fail to learn anything from Kamski, but he also failed to remain indifferent to androids and saw them as living beings despite his intense training tell him otherwise. Now Lieutenant Anderson was starting to warm up to him and see him as more than a rookie with a target on his back.
"Hey?" Hank called out to Connor as he leaned against the opened driver's side door of the car and watched Connor standing still and battling the emotional conflict inside his own mind. The Lieutenant couldn't bear to leave the young investigator alone. "You comin' or what? It's freezing!"
"I..." Returning to CyberLife Tower was out of the question. Having nothing to report on and no updates for his superiors would guarantee harsh discipline, especially after failing to learn anything from Kamski. It seemed Connor's only option was to return to the precinct with Hank and try to figure out a new way to finally crack the case before it was too late. "Yes, I'm coming."
There were no other leads to follow, no witnesses to speak with, and no additional evidence to examine. All that was left for the two detectives to do was return to the precinct to wait and watch what Markus and the other deviants were going to do to Detroit next.
-next chapter-