Over our Heads {Connor x Reader (DBH)}

🌺~16~🌺

"All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?" So the answer is yes. "Listen, I 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." Hank is ignored. Kamski gets in Connors face. "What about you, Connor? Whose side are you on?" Kamski asks. "It's not about me, Mr. Kamski. All I want is to solve this case." Connor responds defensively. "Well, that's what you're programmed to say... but you...what do you really want?" I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious myself. It reminds me of what I told Markus. "I'm sorry, but I don't see where you're getting at." Kamski frowns slight. "Chloe?" The blonde girls walks over to him.

"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. Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither. But what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human? Or a living being... With a soul. It's up to you to answer that fascinating question. Connor." He pulls a gun out of a drawer from a small table. "Whoa! Hey!" I protest, getting ready to turn to defense, but he hands the gun to Connor. "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." I don't like this. "Okay, I think we're done here." I interject. "Come on, Connor. Let's go. Sorry to get you outta your pool." Hank adds.

"What's more important to you, Connor? Your investigation, or the life of this android? Decide who you are. An obedient machine. Or a living being endowed with free will." Connor look down at the gun in his hand. His LED flashes yellow violently. "That's enough! Connor, we're leaving." Hank orders. But Kamski continues to encourage him. "Pull the trigger..."

"Connor, no!" I say firmly. "...and I'll tell you what you wanna know." He points the gun at the girl. For a horrible, sinking, moment, I think he's going to do it. He is going to shoot her.

But he stops. He lowers the gun. He won't do it.

"Fascinating... CyberLife's last chance to save humanity... Is itself a deviant..." Kamski says. "I'm...I'm not a deviant..." Connor says in a voice that's almost pitiful. "You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission. You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy." Admittedly, he was right. Connor did show empathy. But was that enough for him to be deviant? What would happen to him if he was? It seems like I'm always walking away from these cases and leads with more questions then answers. "A war is coming...you'll have to choose your side... Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils? By the way... I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know..." Hank grabs Connors shoulder. "Let's go." He orders. I nod in agreement. "Detective Manfred." I turn back to him. "I heard about your father. My condolences. He was a good man. What ever did happen to the android I made him?" I scowl. Is he just trying to get a rise out of me? I'm not giving him anything. "Have a nice day, Mr. Kamski." I say with sarcastic politeness.

"I'm just asking a genuine question, Miss Manfred. Your father was a friend, and that android holds that sentiment." He seems like he genuinely wants to know, but also like he already knows. Maybe he does. "I think you know that answer already. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kamski. I regret that I couldn't tell my father of this exchange." I force a polite smile. "Kid, lets go!" Hank calls. I rush outside with my partners. "Why didn't you shoot?" Hank finally asks Connor. "I just saw that girl's eyes...and I couldn't, that's all." He insists. "You're always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go." Hank points out.

"Yeah, I know what I should've done! I told you I couldn't. I'm sorry, okay?" Connor snaps. It shocks me a little. I put a hand on his back. "Connor...it's okay. It'll all work out in the end." I say, believing it to be true. Just not in the way he thinks it will right now. "Maybe you did the right thing." Hank adds. "We should get back to the station." I suggest lightly. "Right..." Hank goes to get in his car, Connor following. "Hold on, Connor. Why don't you ride with me to the station?" He looks at my hand. "Are you supposed to be driving?" I chuckle nervously. "Ehheheheh, it's fine." I promise.

"Just go with the kid, we're going to the same place." Hank says. "Alright..." He makes his way over to my car. Hank gives me a 'Whatcha doin?' smirk as I call it. I flip him the bird and go to the drivers side of my car. I play Hamilton music from my phone, which is connected to the radio, quietly. It's silent for about five minutes of driving beside the music. I can't tell if Connor is shaken up from Kamski or if it's me. It's driving me crazy. But I'm not sure how to ask hi- "Did something happen last night?" I break the silence before realizing I have. "What do you mean?" He plays dumb. "I mean when I was hopped up on painkillers, did I say something to offend you or hurt you in some way. You seem...uncomfortable." I explain. He hesitates. "No, you were a bit uncooperative, but I got you to bed and you went to sleep." I flash him glances every now and then, trying to keep my eyes on the road too. "So is it just because of Kamski?"

"I suppose it is." I'll admit that Kamski (it fucking autocorrected to Kamshit and I'm w h e e z i n g) is and...interesting character, but I'm pretty sure he's lying.

Kamski is literally one of the most underrated characters. Kamski is a character designed to be someone you can't really make an opinion on. You want to hate him for making Connor make that choice, but really Kamski expected deviancy. He was rooting for deviancy the whole time after all, telling Connor about the exit in his program, and was disappointed if Connor decided to shoot. You can't hate Kamski for Connor shooting, especially when you're the one who makes the choice, and that's why Kamski is in such a gray area. He is intricately placed into the game, into our brains, as a force that challenges everything we worked up to at that point. He's never been a bad guy, and honestly, we don't know enough about him. Ahem...that is all.