Connor's POV
I sit in the car watching Hank stare at the view. He has his music blasting. I get out of the car and into the snowy night as the snow falls onto me, sticking to my clothes and hair. I walk up next to him and look concernedly at the man sitting on the bench before looking out at the view.
"Nice view, huh? I used to come here a lot before..." Hank says before taking a swing of his drink.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?" I ask and hug my sides.
"Do all androids ask so many personal questions or is it just you?"
I ignore his question and ask mine. "Why are you so determined to kill yourself?"
"Some things, I just can't forget. Whatever I do, they're always there. Eating away at me. I don't have the guts to pull the trigger. Knowing I still have (Y/n) helps me keep going... Now she might be gone for all I know... So, I kill myself a little every day. That's probably difficult for you to understand, huh, Connor? Nothing very rational about it."
"I saw a photo of (Y/n) and a child on your kitchen table." I start.
Hank ↓
"That child was your son, right?"
"Yeah. His name was Cole. They were twins."
I look at Hank.
'He's already lost one child and now he's afraid he's lost another.'
"Before what?" I ask.
"Hm?"
"You said, 'I used to come here a lot before'. Before what?"
"Before... Before nothin'."
I start walking forward so I'm in front of Hank but my back is turned from him.
"We're not making any progress on this investigation. The deviants have nothing in common. They're all different models, produced at different times, in different places." I say and look back at Hank.
"Well, there must be some link," Hank says.
"What they have in common is this obsession with rA9. It's almost like some kind of... myth. Something they invented that wasn't part of their original program."
"Androids believing in God. Fuck, what's this world coming to?" He takes another swing of his drink.
"You seem preoccupied, Lieutenant," I say as I cross my arms and face him. I take a few steps towards him. "Is it something to do with what happened back at the Eden Club?"
"Those two girls. They just wanted to be together. They really seemed in love."
"You seem troubled, Lieutenant. I didn't think machines could have such an effect on you."
"What about you, Connor?" He takes another swing of his drink before he gets up to stand in front of me. "You look human, you sound human, but what are you really?"
"I'm whatever you want me to be, Lieutenant."
Hank ↑
"Your partner. Your buddy to drink with. Or just a machine. Designed to accomplish a task."
"You could've shot those two girls, but you didn't. Why didn't you shoot, Connor?" He asks me and shoves me back. "Hm? Some scruples suddenly enter into your program?"
"No."
*Software Instability ↑*
"I just decided not to shoot, that's all."
Hank ↑
"Or maybe (Y/n) had more of an effect on you than you realize," Hank says. I look away at the mention of her name. "Every time I say her name you look away. You feeling guilty, Connor? Afraid you failed her? Afraid you might lose her?" I don't say anything and he continues. "Those are human emotions."
"I'm not scared that I lost her!" I snap as I look back up at him and try to convince myself in the process.
Hank pulls his gun out and aims it at my head. "But are you afraid to die, Connor?"
I pause for a few moments to think about this.
"I would certainly find it regrettable to be... interrupted... before I can finish this investigation."
*Software Instability ↑*
"What will happen if I pull this trigger? Hm? Nothing? Oblivion? Android heaven?"
"I doubt there's a heaven for androids."
"Having existential doubts, Connor? Sure you're not going deviant too?"
"I self-test regularly. I know what I am, and what I am not."
Hank's gun shakes in his hand before he drops his hand to his side and turns away from me.
"Where are you going?"
"To get drunker. I need to think."
He walks away, leaving me to stand there with just my thoughts.
I know this chapter was really short, sorry.
—ASE715