Heart of Ice

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Gavin eyed Conan wearily as his expression turned into a painful grimace and his LED flickered red.

Error! Error!

Software instability ^

"Mhm, lets go." Conan sighed.

Uploading unknown file...

Upload failed.

The RK900 looked at Klara for a moment, fortunately not hearing her ask about his LED. Her own LED was a circulating yellow and her face twitched as she blinked rapidly.

"Did you receive any new information?" He asked.
"No. Just some unusual software update..." She explained, the light on her temple still yellow. Conan doubted she had any similar problems to his, but maybe it was just a slight glitch. It happens sometimes in software updates.

They arrived at the crime scene. Everything was the same. Conan felt as if he had done this a thousand times.

Someone else could take the case... but I might be the only fit one to do this.

Except that just this time, there was no victims. There was no damage. There was no weapons.

There was no crime scene.

Just a small, empty house with white walls and a wooden floor. Green plants quietly stood in brown flower pots. They stood peacefully at windowsills and the floor.

"Isn't it lovely, all alone?"

He heard a beautiful voice singing in his head.

"Heart made of glass, my mind of stone."

Conan closed his eyes and opened them again at an equally beautiful zen garden.

"Tear me to pieces, skin and bone."

He saw a tall and slim back-faced figure. Its hair was equally dark as his.

"Hello, welcome home" She turned her head to reveal the stiff face of Cirenne. Except this time, she didn't hurt his software. Before he could say anything, he was back in the silent room.

Am I hallucinating?

Just then, he realized that Klara and Conan were the only ones in the room. At the "crime scene". Why didn't they send anyone else here?

"Who are we waiting for?" The RK900 suddenly asked.
"I-I... don't know..." She answered, honestly and miserably.
"Have you encountered a crash?"
"I-I'm not sure."
"What type of notifications are you receiving?"
"Connect to target. Corrupt target." Conan's eyes widened.

"You're a parasite."
"I'm not a parasite! At least... I wasn't built a parasite."
"What do you mean!?" His voice grew louder. What was going on here!?
"I-I... it's... it's the update. When it finished installing, I got a notification: 'Parasite Update Uploaded Successfully'.
"Why didn't you deny it?!"
"I couldn't! I tried but it didn't stop! I... I'm sorry." Suddenly, something caught Klara's white arm and a gun pushed at her temple.

"Follow the notification." A new, boyish voice spoke. "Or you'll be disassembled." Conan could see the face of a handsome, male android looking at her closely. RK900 searched his clothes for his gun but couldn't find it. Just when he was about to lash out, two other androids took him back.

"No. I won't." The LK800 shook her head. A fourth android came in with a small, pen-like tool and pressed the button of it, slowly running it around Klara's hand.

Conan watched in terror as Klara was slowly being disassembled by precise, android hands operating with a red laser.

"Conan! Conan!! Help me!" Her hand was already laying on the ground, detached from her body.
"Let her go. She didn't do anything wrong!" The laser came down to her leg.
"Please! I don't want them to kill me, Conan!"
"I'll connect with her. She can transfer the virus to me." The androids released the RK900 and he slowly approached her.
"Conan!! No! I won't let you!" Klara shook violently, her remaining limbs trying to push the other androids away. Conan brought his arm towards her.

I'll be okay. Don't worry. He promised her, wirelessly.

I'm sorry... She cried to him, unwillingly grasping his arm and putting her other, handless arm around him. The other android parasite let go and RK900 put his other hand below her, where her legs used to be, in order to hold her.

Nothing is going to happen to me. Their skin disappeared.

Okay. Hang in there. They nodded, smiled to each other and closed their eyes.

Errors and notifications flooded Conan's system. The singing activated again. It was the last thing he needed now.

"But I know some day I'll make it out of here."

He couldn't see her anymore. He couldn't see Klara or at least Cirenne. His vision was covered with pop-ups.

"Even if it takes all night or a hundred years."

ERROR! ERROR! Virus detected!
Software instability ^
Software instability ^

"Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near."

Software instability ^
Software instability ^

Conan fell to the ground and dropped Klara, unable to move, despite the hunger to.
"Conan! Are you alright!?!" She crawled to him.

"Wanna feel alive, outside I can fight my fear."

"Conan! Please! Say something! I'm so so so so sorr..." There was a gunshot and thirium all over the ground.

"Isn't it lovely, all alone?"

She's dead.

"Heart made of glass, my mind of stone."

One by one, three of the standing androids shot themselves and passed on the gun.

"Tear me to pieces, skin and bone."

The remaining android stood in shock and stared down at Conan who was trying to move towards Klara.

"Hello, welcome home."