Installing Pop-Up Blocker

Chapter 1

The music blared through the speakers rattling Connors biocomponents as they drove. Settling back, Hank beat his fingers, to the bass, along the steering wheel. Firmly keeping his eyes on the road, Connor tried to focus all his processing power on the Knights of the Black
Death. Siphoning power from his optical units, ceasing his synthetic breathing and turning up the audio processor; the loud chaos of music washing away, replacing, the pressure behind his eyes and neck. Slowly he let the numb feeling come over him once again. The city rolled by in blurs, mostly blues and grays of the rising storm, cut through by sharp rays of the golden evening sun.

15 minutes 47 seconds is what it took to pull up to Jericho, an above average timestamp due to Hanks perpetual need to go 15 above the speed limit. Luckily most of the Jericho residents that populated the surrounding area recognized the rusted out impala and gave it a wide berth, keeping kids off the street. As summer rolled in, great green vines resumed their consumption of the church facade. It was one of the few places in Detroit that you could still hear wild birds, a flock of them taking up residence in the steeple.

Turning down the music, Hank turned and gave Connor a tired smile. With a nod, he popped open the door and climbed out of the car. "You going to be okay kid?" Hank asked through the rolled down window.

"Yes, of course, just visiting with Markus."

"Mmm, well tell 'the leader' that you need to be a work early tomorrow"

Connor nodded "I know. I will tell him."

A deep set wrinkle settled between Hank's eyes. He was upset, why? "Hey, Conner, call me if you need anything-- you know to pick you up or some shit."

"Okay, Hank," Connor said with a small smile and a gentle wave, something the Lieutenant deemed acceptable enough to drop the issue, roll up the window and drive off.

Dirt crunched under his feet as Connor headed towards the church, the odd android waving from their yards of the surrounding homes. Most were condemned, but a quick and diligent volunteer project by the members managed to make them stable enough for an android, providing homes for their growing people. Waking through the perpetual open iron gates, Connor chuckled as he dodged and sidestepped members of what appeared to be an intense game of tag. Energetic movement caught his attention off to the right side, cross the yard in the garden was North. Dirt smudged across her jeans and top, she was holding up a spade waving it through the air in greeting.

Inside the nave, he weaved around the many groups of people congregating around the random furniture, games, and televisions they had spread out around subdivided spaces. Most had curtains pulled back offering as an open door to all to come and visit with their 'neighbors', though some were tightly closed as people charged or worked on repairs. Heading all the way back, up onto the elevated Chancel he passed through the set of curtains that was meant to separate the main parishioners from the holy men's private chapels and rooms. He passed by the open doors of the repair supply room, being restocked, the makeshift offices for Jericho's leadership and a small stash of an armory, Norths vocal concerns of possible violent retaliation making it feel like a hopefully unneeded yet not improbable safety precaution.

"Connor," Simon rounded the corner, weighted down in cleaned laundry "Hey, how are you doing?"

Simon always has warm smiles to offer, he seems so comfortable in faded university sweaters and fuzzy slippers. He always seems comfortable. After a handful of tension meetings, ones filled with plenty of apologies and mediated discussion, overlooked by Markus, between Connor and Jericho group, Simon's smile never seemed to fade. In private and public the soft corner of his pale lips always tracked upwards. It did not seem to matter if he was in the middle of telling a humorous story to a resident or fielding questions from an intrusive 'citizen journalist'. Even when Connor's scans indicated elevated stress levels, Simons happy grin only seemed to grow. How? Why?