I see you have chosen to live and let live, if that's what androids do. There's no easy choices to make in life, and this was no exception. Let us see what this choice means for Connor and Inara.
Thousands of possibilities run through my head as I look at the childlike Android.
It's just a robot. I could lose my job. I don't know the whole story. The moral whirlwind bashes me to and fro, twisting my guts into knots.
But looking at this small girl shivering in her mother's embrace tears at my heart. Audrey's glistening eyes pin me to the spot, silently pleading for their freedom.
I need to let them go.
As if he could read my thoughts, Connor shakes his head. "Inara, we need to arrest them." He walks toward the deviants. "I must accomplish my mission."
"Please! Just let us walk away." The suspects back toward the corridor. Audrey cuddles into the AX400's hip.
Connor continues in stride, fishing his cuffs from his belt. "Model AX400, serial number: 579 102 686, you are under arrest."
She draws a Colt and points it toward Connor, her LED blinking red. "Do not call me that. I have a fucking name!"
Shit, shit, shit.
Connor pauses.
My hands instinctively shoot up before my training kicks in. Deep breaths. Speak low and slow. Everything's going to be fine. "We're sorry. What's your name?"
She snickers, baring her canines. "Don't act like you fucking care."
Establish and maintain eye contact. Share personal details. "My name's Inara, and this is my first day. I want us to all get out of this alive." I nod my head, be agreeable. "What's your name?"
"Mercedes," she says, her eyes darting to mine, whilst the muzzle of her firearm remains cocked and aimed at Connor's head. "My name is Mercedes."
"Mercedes, you're in complete control." I hold my open palms toward her. "Just walk out that door and get out of here. I won't stop you."
"It's not you I'm worried about, human," she spits.
Connor's leg lifts to continue his gait, but I slowly turn myself to him. "Connor, stand down." I growl at him through gritted teeth, "that's an order."
His eye begins twitching as the circle on his temple glows orange. After a couple of seconds it reverts to its light blue. "Your order directly conflicts with my current objective. I must arrest these deviants."
I chuckle humourlessly. "Well, that's not going to do us any good if you're dead, now will it?"
His eyes sharpen on the cornered deviants, like I hadn't uttered a word. "AX400, you're under arrest."
"Just one minute," Mercedes whispers. "Close your eyes, and you'll never see us again." Her brows knit together as she slightly loosens her grip on the colt.
You're preaching to the converted.
"Detroit police! Put your hands up!" A foreign voice echoes through the small room. The tinny tone makes me think he's speaking through some sort of microphone.
But my eyes widen as it dawns on me. That ridiculous bucket of bolts has called the department in the middle of a hold up. If I end up dead, I am going to kill that fucking android ...
"Connor! What the fu—"
Mercedes roars with tears budding in her eyes. She points her pistol at me and ...
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
You'd think that it was buck shot, the way my body hits the floor. Every breath is more challenging than the last, as the edges of my vision blur into one mute colour.
The sound of fleeting feet tap in my eardrums until my ears explode with the sound of a high caliber round. Connor lay on top of me, blue blood oozing out of the gaping hole in his chest, cascading down my rib cage and onto the already stained carpet.
I tap on his shoulder, but he doesn't respond. Fuck.
Why did he call? Couldn't he wait sixty seconds?
"Connor?"
I roll, but don't get far. Connor's limp body is starfished across my torso. Considering he's plastic, he weighs a frickin ton! I grunt as I make a last-ditch effort to get out, and finally succeed.
Finally the back up arrives. Too little, too late.
As Connor lay on his back, I'm able to see the extent of the damage. The hole in his chest flickers blue, exposing his inner bio-components. The wires that had been severed by the shot spark, but quickly begin to fade. The central pump flickers red before turning black. He's gone.
I look down to see my favourite orange blouse is covered in thirium. That fucking android was going to kill me, after I said I'd let her go.
"I'm such a fucking fool!" Bile rises as the gravity of the situation sinks in. I know Connor is just a machine, but he— it saved my life.
One of the SWAT guys flashes his torch up and down my frame. "Clear." And they march to the next room.
"What in the hell happened here?" Hank storms in after the flaks leave, voice booming through the small space. He looks down at Connor. "I leave you for thirty fucking minutes, and you destroy the equipment?" He nudges the android's torso with his leather boot, as Connor's body remains limp. "Jesus!"
"I—" Each word I try to push out becomes nothing more than a husky whoosh of air.
I tug at my shirt; it's too tight all of a sudden.
Hank looks down at my pastel button down, and his eyes widen like saucers when reaching the blue blood. He places a hand on my shoulder. "Shit, kid. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm, I'm—"
"Look, kid." He places a meat fist on my shoulder. "The field is a fucking crazy place to start. Tell you what, you can go back to the office and look for clues on our database, while I catch these assholes. You're not doing any good here."
Choose wisely, many lives depend on it! You've got till Thursday 6th.