AUG 6TH, 2038
AM 09:57:04
DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT
Intending to regroup with the Lieutenant, both Cora and Connor entered through the Detroit police station doors.
./LOOK FOR LT. ANDERSON
They had a mission to do and they could only do it with him. But, despite meeting the Lieutenant and having worked with him the night prior in a case, they didn't know where his desk, or himself was.
The best course of action would be getting the information from the Android receptionist. It's knowledge about the precinct's layout and it's employees was far more extensive than their own.
Connor approached first, Cora just a few steps back.
The ST300 Android glanced their way, programming reminding it to be polite, lips pulling up slightly, "Can I help you?"
"We are here to see Lieutenant Anderson" Connor replied, gesturing at Cora then at itself.
"Do you have authorization?" the receptionist asked, glancing between the two of them.
"Yes" they both replied.
Connor glanced at Cora.
Cora's brown eyes locked with the receptionist's patient eyes as they connected, providing its authorization, their LED's flickering yellow constantly with the transfer. Transaction completed, the ST300's LED turned blue before turning to Connor, repeating the process.
The Android receptionist processed their authorizations for a moment, "Lieutenant Anderson hasn't arrived yet, but you can wait at his desk"
Cora and Connor nodded slightly, turning around, walking past the gates and toward the bullpen, their next objective flashing in their HUD, reminding them to find LT. Anderson.
./FIND LT. ANDERSON'S DESK
Cora walked toward a desk, eyes finding the name. No Hank Anderson. It returned towards Connor who approached one of the police officer Androids.
"We are looking for Lieutenant Anderson's desk" Connor asked.
The police Android, a PM700 gestured toward a desk further in the bullpen, "It's that desk right there"
They followed its gaze, starting to walk there.
However, as they passed the desks, a familiar face seemed surprised to see them.
"You still here?" they glanced to see officer Chris Miller looking up at them, "I thought your assignment was over"
"It's just been extended" Cora replied.
Chris grimaced slightly, sarcastically "Hank's gonna be overjoyed to hear that"
Cora's head tilted to the side, wondering if that was true. The Lieutenant's behavior towards them didn't seem... Positive.
As Cora was about to turn away, Chris spoke again, a hint of being impressed in his voice, "You were right about that android... it's been quiet in the cell all night. Scheduled for transfer today"
A sub objective appeared in Cora's HUD.
- GO SEE THE DEVIANT
And it wasn't sure if it was its curiosity about the deviant for the case or simply something else...
They kept walking through the desks, passing one that seemed empty until they finally found it.
./FIND LT. ANDERSON'S DESK
Mission accomplished
They shared a small smile of success, looking through the desk, but no Lieutenant around.
A little huff passed through Cora's lips with a blue cycle of its LED. Connor absent-mindedly flickered at Cora's arm as if to say 'don't be dramatic' (of course, little humanity quirks Cyberlife set on them for their integration to society, that's it).
Connor looked toward a officer that didn't seem as busy to get information from, "Excuse me. Do you know what time Lieutenant Anderson usually arrives?"
The public database they used to scan people said the officer was named Wilson.
Wilson seemed unimpressed, "Depends on where he was the night before" he shrugged "If we're lucky, we'll see him before noon"
Useless.
"Thanks" Connor replied lamely.
Now knowing the Lieutenant's schedule wasn't accurate, they had to wait for him, something their program reminded them.
Connor took a seat in the edge of the desk, gently pulling the chair close for its partner to take a seat, something Cora did without thinking, their hands neatly folded in their laps.
However, the wait made something itch through their systems. Cyberlife didn't seem to program them with patience.
And it seemed their software understood that because the curiosity made a new mission appear.
./EXPLORE NEW OFFICE
They stood, fixing their appearance before looking around.
"Can we call the Lieutenant?" Cora asked, eyes flickering to the phone in the desk,
"Maybe if we remind him about his duty he'd be prone to arrive faster?"
"Good idea" Connor hummed, pressing into the phone, "Call Hank Anderson"
The line rang once, twice until it beeped, landing on his voicemail "Hi, this is Hank. Not here at the moment. You can leave a message if that's what turns you on but don't expect me to call back. Beep... Whatever"
Cora sent Connor an unamused stare. It didn't mind waiting for him but doing so hindered the investigation, they promised Amanda they wouldn't let the Lieutenant's issues get in the way.
Connor looked down at the phone, "Lieutenant Anderson? This is Connor, I'm the android sent by CyberLife. It's almost noon and Cora and I are waiting for you at the office"
Voicemail sent, Connor hung up, looking up at Cora, a similar expression of discontent on its face like its partner.
Their LED's flickered slightly with a wireless connection.
Let's explore
Cora gave a slight nod. I'll go see the deviant.
Connor raised an eyebrow, curiously. Why?
Running through statistics and its body language, I detected a 89% probability that it held back information last night.
That was all Connor needed to not question further its partner, nodding, walking away toward the break room, missing completely the flickering yellow LED and the slight grimace in Cora's face as if it lied to Connor.
^Software Instability
Expression gone and LED back to blue, Cora walked toward the holding cells, first stopping to see a criminal in the holding cell 2, head tilting aside as the guy noticed its presence, warily looking up at the Android.
"What?" he asked defensively, starting to stand as Cora scanned him. "What are you lookin' at? Hey, fuck you!" he scoffed, sitting back down, turning his back to the android "Fuckin' android"
Relevant. Of course.
Cora looked away and slowly walked towards the other cell, finding Ortiz's Android standing calmly in front of the crystal, head bowed. It seemed like a statue, if not for its LED, one would think it was just that.
Cora's approach made it raise its head and again, Cora was taken back by the sorrowful expression on its face.
"They're gonna destroy me" The deviant murmured, voice low and raspy.
It made Cora's thirium pump seize slightly as if malfunctioning.
"I'm sorry" Cora whispered and it was surprised when it realized that was sincere. ^Software instability. "It's not what I wanted... but there's nothing I can do" the deviant simply stared at her. Whether or not it's what the detective android wanted, what it did couldn't be changed anymore. "I know there's something you didn't tell me. I need to know, before they take you away" the deviant simply kept its eyes on Cora and it took that moment to question it, thinking about what made its programs stir in confusion and want to understand the deviants. Want? No. It had to understand them to stop them. That's it. The purpose it was designed for. Nothing else. "What you wrote on the wall... rA9... What does it mean?"
Silence.
Cora's LED cycled slightly at the silence as the deviant looked up, seemingly sadder than before as if processing exactly what it was going to happen to it "I'm going to die"
Useless. Again.
Cora stepped back, LED settling back to its calm blue, looking away and starting to head toward where it saw Connor go.
Suddenly, a thud was heard from behind Cora, stopping when it continued, analyzing the sound, glancing back to see the deviant smacking its head against the crystal glass, some officers running to the commotion from behind Cora.
"Open the cell, quick!" officer Collins exclaimed, alarmed "Hurry!"
Cora neared the cell, expressionlessly looking down at the deviant self destructing. It's lips pursed but that was the only indication of the discomfort of seeing this happening.
Once self destructed, the deviant fell to the floor, thirium splattered all over its forehead and the glass where it smashed its head.
It was too late for when the door was opened.
The humans looked down in horror, now realizing someone just committed suicide. It was a machine yes, but still...
"I'll call CyberLife" Ben Collins murmured as the other officer looked down at the android, an uneasy expression on his face while the contrary was seen in Cora's. As if it felt nothing, "Clean this mess up"
The door was closed back and the officer passed by a calm Cora who kept its eyes on the deactivated android.
It gave itself a few more seconds watching it, unsure as to why before continuing its way towards the break room where it came across Connor and detective Reed in an .... Interesting conversation.
"Bring me a coffee, dipshit!" detective Reed ordered Cora's partner. His voice raised when Connor took a moment to move "GET A MOVE ON!"
"I'm sorry" Connor began pleasantly as Cora's LED flickered slightly at the violence it calculated incoming from the Detective, "But I only take orders from Lieutenant Anderson"
Detective Reed sneered, "Oh" he turned toward the other officer with him, letting out another sarcastic, "Oh"
Before Connor could anticipate his reaction, the detective had already punched it in its middle section with force making it fall to it's knees, LED cycling yellow. The hit probably landing on Connor's thirium pump enough to disorient it.
Cora's LED cycled red momentarily, a hand clenching slightly into a fist as it took a few steps closer to Reed and its partner. "Detective Reed, hello"
Reed turned to the other Android as it spoke, glaring at it, "If it's not the detective barbie coming to the rescue, again" he looked between the two prototypes, glaring, pointing his finger at the female android, "If Hank hadn't got in the way yesterday, I would've fucked you up for disobeying a human" he stormed past Cora, using his shoulder to harshly shove it back enough to make Cora stumble a few steps, LED cycling to yellow by the violent display. Reed gestured at the other officer to follow him whom she did as told, not wanting to get in the middle of the violence. Reed took that moment to point at the androids. "Stay outta my way... 'Cause next time... you two won't get off so easy"
With that, Reed and the officer walked away.
Cora glanced their way, lip twitching slightly as if wanting to scowl as it's LED went back to blue, listening to Connor getting up. It turned its gaze back to its partner, walking around Connor to stop in front of him, looking up at Connor with slight furrowed eyebrows.
Connor fixed its tie, meeting its own shade of eyes, lips pulling up slightly in a reassuring smile. "No damage detected, Cora"
"Good" Cora murmured.
Their status breach increased more which put Connor slightly more at ease by having its partner around, glancing down at Cora and its expression.
"What happened?" Connor asked.
Was that a ... Troubled expression on Cora's face?
Without saying a word, Cora lifted a hand, synthetic skin peeling back.
Connor grabbed it, letting its own skin peel back, interfacing.
Connor blinked, now understanding Cora's behavior.
"Oh" Connor lowered their hands, their synthetic skin back "That's unfortunate"
Now Cyberlife will be crossed at them for losing the deviant they could have used to examine for why they turned deviants.
"We should wait for the Lieutenant" Cora suggested after fixing the lapels of its jacket. "Get to know him better... For the sake of the mission's success"
"You are right" Connor replied.
Both Androids made their way out of the break room and back to the Lieutenant's desk.