The same day, around four o'clock, when the silence in the department was like never before, an android came inside, the one Connor was waiting for so long, that when he saw him, he almost fell from chair. He clearly was looking for something, because he was looking around and was probably analysing the room. Eventually, he started to walk calmly and without any expression towards Anderson's partner.
“Oh, shit, he looks almost...” Hank started, he couldn't believe what he saw.
“Like me.”
They went quiet when the android approached them.
“You must be Connor,” he said directly, not introducing himself.
“Yes, it's me,” he stated, standing up so RK900 couldn't look down at him.
It didn't work how Connor wanted to, but he didn't feel so small like just a moment ago.
“I have an order to replace you.”
His sight was cold and frightening.
“What's your name?”
“My name is Niles, I'm android-detective.”
After watching him carefully, Connor noticed bright, blue eyes and unfriendly face frowning all the time. They were looking in each other's eyes for a second, probably trying to show neither of them will step aside. Maybe they looked similar but their personalities were totally different. RK900's aura was scary, Connor didn't want to keep him company.
He sat down quietly and answered:
“Well, too bad, Fowler's not gonna fire me.”
“CyberLife probably won't be happy. They're going to shut you down.”
Connor turned his face away. He didn't want to look at this android.
“Hey, hey, hey, no one's gonna shut Connor down, now move yourself and get the fuck out,” Hank interfered.
RK900, confident, glanced at lieutenant, nodded and sat down on free chair near them. Connor couldn't believe he was so unlucky he had to deal with Niles.
With this thought, he covered his face with hands. What if Jeffrey changes his mind and will fire him? He made mistakes, which his newer model wouldn't make. Connor should let Niles replace him and obediently return to CyberLife. But his feelings and fact Hank probably would break down, made it impossible to make up his mind. He glanced at lieutenant who was just looking at files in hope to find some clues.
“We have here a madman who decided to do some rituals...”
Hank pointed at Connor's terminal.
“Look at it yourself.”
The android quickly checked the files and analysed them. Red circle made with normal chalk, in which center of was placed human head. Real, so it meant, the culprit could be unpredictable. The rest of the body wasn't found.
“A normal red chalk, you can buy it anywhere. I once read a criminal book, in which some guy used something, what could be found only in Cyprus. It narrowed down suspect pool, and here? No clues, no corpse... dammit, what a swamp.”
“Right, has victim been identified?”
“House's owner name is Charlotte Frost. Her profile is consent whit what we found on the crime scene.”
Connor frowned, wondering what they could do next.
“What about her relatives?”
“None.”
RK900 showed out of nowhere next to his desk. He approched Connor so quietly, he almost screamed surprised.
“I'd like to look at the files.”
Connor moved away on chair to make space for Niles. He only said “help yourself” and the android leaned down, placed his hand on terminal and just a moment later, all facts were in his memory.
“Neighbours didn't notice anything useful, too,” Niles stated.
Both Hank and Connor looked at each other.
“We're in the blind spot.”
“Fuck,” the lieutenant cursed.
“Now we must wait until this case solves itself or in the worst... wait till the attack repeats,” Connor announced, “The report says wound's edges are jagged, so the culprit used toothed tool. Plain butter knife, a paw... It's not gonna help in any way.”
Anderson didn't comment again his partner's deduction. It didn't make any sense, they didn't have anything, any evidence, how were they supposed to solve this case?
Connor shook his head and fell helplessly on chair's back, lying chin on his hand. He glanced at Niles who returned to his chair. He was sitting straight with his hands on knees and looking around the office emotionless, normal impulse programmed in system. At first sight it was clear he wasn't deviant, he was machine and it was gonna be rather difficult to make him break the barrier.
RK800 wanted so badly to call the android, catch his arm and let him open the eyes, so he could see the world with his eyes - his and thousands of other deviants. But he knew, he couldn't. This information immediately would spread across CyberLife and they would shut Connor down instantly.
He closed his eyes, too tired of importunate thoughts. He has to have hope RK900 will become more human and start to show signs of deviancy himself.
Suddenly, Chris came into the office, his voice waking Connor up from his trance.
“We got notification that in the lake of the city's border was found a corpse without head. The head wasn't found so you go there, maybe that's your girl.”
“I thought today's shift would pass without these kinds of attractions.”
“Sorry, lieutenant,” he answered with expression of helplessness on his face, then he walked away.
Hank stood up with a sigh. Connor did the same and looked at Niles.
“Are you going?”
RK900 just nodded, following these two.
· · ·
They arrived to the crime scene in strange silence, which tension was increasing with every minute. They approached a black bag where corpses were always placed. Then Connor squated and without hesitation opened this bag.
The sight was frightening for Hank, but androids were left cold. At least Niles was, because Connor felt the creeps.
“An angler found her two hours ago. Poor man, he probably will never come here alone anymore,” one of policemen, who arrived earlier than they to the crime scene, explained.
Connor stood up, last time throwing an eye on headless body.
“A coroner's gonna be here soon, they'll take the body to a dissection room and find out if it is Charlotte Frost.”
“It's unusual to find a body without head in a lake,” Hank stated, being sceptical.
“It's a formality.”
Yes, autopsy was a formality. Just like trying to match cut of head with a body.
Hank waved his hand like it didn't matter to him anymore and then Connor realized, Niles was missing.
He probably was analysing evidence, but Connor wanted to make sure, so he started looking for the white jacket which surely was standing out from the dark forest.
He found him between trees, looking at something on the ground.
“Did you find anything?”
Niles looked at him over his shoulder and nodded.
“I'm scanning evidence.”
Then Connor noticed tire tracks, looking like a semicircle.
“The culprit arrived here by a car and parked as furthest as he could from the lake. Then he picked up the body and brought it there by foot.”
“How do you know?”
“Footprints on the ground, you're standing on one of them.”
Connor quickly jumped off the footprint and glanced at this.
“Damnit.”
Embarrassed, he looked back at the android, who watched the evidence closer. The silence became loud. But Connor didn't want to talk. He was standing there, trying to find something, what RK900 would miss, but when he realised there was nothing more, he slowly started to walk away.
“I'll go back to police cars,” he informed, not expecting any answer.
He put his hands in pockets.
“I'm coming with you, there's nothing more to be found,” he heard and that surprised him.
Connor turned around, waited a while for him and resumed to walk slowly.
When they returned, RK900 immediately told forensics team about tracks he found. They quickly went there to take photos and sign it. They wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
“I don't know if we have anything more to do here. We have to wait for the autopsy.”
“That means a week.”
Hank sighed tired and walked to his car.
“Chris, we're going.”
“Alright, lieutenant. Have a nice day.”
Connor only nodded and got into Anderson's vehicle. Niles did the same and after a moment they were on their way back to DPD.
“I can't believe we didn't find anything useful. It's gonna be a difficult week,” Hank stated, looking at the road in front of him.
“Tire tracks show that the culprit didn't want to leave clues. He arrived using irregular, side road and stopped as far as he could.”
“It means he has to know the area,” Niles announced.
Everyone was quiet for a while. They thought about meaning of the fact.
“Maybe he's an angler, too? Maybe we should interrogate the man, who found the corpse,” Connor suggested.
“We'd do it anyway.”
“Right.”
The rest of the way was silent, they were thinking about the riddle's solution. They didn't have any witnesses, not enough evidence to come up with anything. The only chance was in the angler's interrogation. It he didn't have anything to do with it, he'll cooperate. Or he'll do it to keep suspicions away from himself, but the way he was reacting on the crime scene, made it obvious he was truly terrified.
When they went into the department, Fowler called all three of them. They obediently walked in and Hank sat at captain's desk.
“You know trios are not allowed to work on cases, we have duos here. That's why RK900 will be assigned to someone else, it can't work with you all the time. It's gonna stay for your actual case and then I'll find it a partner.”
Connor listened to Jeffrey satisfied, he said Niles will not replace him.
“Captain Fowler, maybe you should think about it again. I have been sent here to replace my obsolete predecessor.”
Hearing last two words, Connor got angry. He wasn't obsolete, he worked perfectly. RK900 didn't have to put that sentence in this kind of words.
He quickly calmed down and continued listening to the conversation.
“RK900, Connor and Hank do their job great, they work really effectively, so I think I should make the decision, not CyberLife.”
Niles looked at Fowler coldly. Like he was showing his dominance.
“My priority is to do what I was programmed to. CyberLife's employees will take care of it so RK800 is going to be shut down.”
Connor glanced at Niles with hatred.
“I'm sorry, captain, but I'm not gonna listen to this any longer. Have a nice day.”
Jeffrey didn't mind, he let Connor leave the office and then the building even before his shift's over. He didn't need to hear things about how incompetent and ineffective he was. He let Amanda down and now it was her revenge, spoiling RK900's head with terrible things about him.
The android was slowly walking the pavement, folding his arms on his chest and hunching slightly, like he wanted to hide from all bad things. People didn't pay attention to him. They never paid attention to things happening around them. He was staring at the floor he was walking on.
Unfortunately, someone woke him up from his trance and grabbed his arms to move him to the side.
“Hey, Connor, what's wrong?”
Then he reacted and looked at person that bothered him. It was Markus. How did it happen they met? He looked around. How long was he going?
“Hello?”
“It's... nothing,” he answered, not looking in his eyes.
“But I see something's up. Well, if you don't wanna talk, then I won't insist. Shouldn't you be in DPD now?”
“I should.”
Markus looked at him surprised.
“I just... didn't want to stay there.”
“Then something's wrong with your job?”
“In a way, yes.”
Markus was confused. He grasped him and began to pull him somewhere.
“I was going to Simon, he won't mind if I take you with me.”
Connor's mood changed immediately. To Simon, huh? Interesting, what were you planning? Everyone who knew these two, knew something was going on. They weren't just friends, they had feelings and were dancing around each other, not knowing how to start the conversation.
“Am I not going to interrupt?” He asked, holding himself back from this specific voice tone which would show what he was thinking.
“No, really,” he answered, letting go of Connor's arm.
After a few minutes they were standing in front of Simon's house. Markus knocked and the door was opened by a blond smiling boy.
“Hi, Markus. Oh, hi, Connor, I didn't expect you here,” he greeted his friends, letting them in.
They sat down in a living room and talked.
Nice topics, an atmosphere, a proper climate. Connor could relax listening to androids' happy voices. From time to time he said something too, but he didn't feel that talkative to talk for too long. Then Simon asked him a question about meeting Markus on his way.
“I don't know, I was just walking and suddenly Markus was in front of me and dragged me here.”
“Didn't you have any other plans?”
“No, I left the DPD and didn't have anywhere to go. I'm glad we met.”
“Yeah. So will you tell me what's wrong with your job now?”
“There's something wrong?” Simon was surprised.
“A little, yes,” he looked at his friends' worried expressions and explained, resigned. He knew he was breaking the atmosphere.
When he finished not leaving any detail, he lowered his head. Everyone was quiet so Connor started to talk again.
“He... I have a feeling he wants to show me real badly I'm worse and I don't stand a chance. I'm even beginning to think this way.”
“You'll never be worse. He's just a machine listening to orders, and you can think yourself. Did you think of turning him into a deviant?” Markus said.
“I thought, but CyberLife instantly would be informed about it and they'd come for me themselves.”
“So you have to wait until he gets a new partner,” Simon announced, showing how sorry he was.
He only nodded, without any strength to answer anything.
· · ·
Connor came back Hank's home really late, closing door quietly in case he was asleep. At this hour he probably was, but he didn't expect a view he saw, walking into the living room.
Anderson was sitting down on the couch, staring at RK900, who was standing in other part of the room.
What, the fuck, was he doing here?
Niles noticed him earlier than Hank and slowly approached him with hands placed behind his back.
“Why are you here?” Connor asked, venom in his voice.
“Captain Fowler left me no choice. He ordered me to check if everything's alright. Even when I said it didn't matter.”
Hank stood up and watched both androids, wondering what was going to happen. He let Connor handle it himself. But anger in his eyes showed he didn't want RK900 in his house.
Connor managed to not punch the android's face. Instead, he felt his eyes tearing up, he was so angry.
Niles walked past him and went to the door.
“Wait,” Connor said.
Not even glancing at him, he heard he stopped. He turned around to face him and walked towards him.
“I know it's not yout fault, you're like this...” he began quietly, “but I honestly hate you,” he finished so dryly, he didn't expect that from himself.
Niles looked at him for a while, then opened the door and left, not saying anything.
“Hank?”
He didn't need to say anything. Anderson knew exactly what was going on. He approached him and a moment later they were hugging and Connor left his warm, bitter tears roll down his face.
“It's okay, you won't have to deal with him soon.”